Just as Du Ruo was thinking this, a private residence in Kyoto was already crowded with people.
This is a single-family courtyard house. The courtyard is simple and elegant without being luxurious. The small parking lot outside the courtyard is already full of cars. The vehicles here are also polarized, one part is low-key ordinary cars, and the other part is various luxury cars.
Inside the quadrangle, there were some young people in the yard. Most of them were dressed luxuriously. Some were talking on the phone in low voices, while others were pacing in the yard with frowns on their faces.
In the living room, there was a group of middle-aged people frowning, smoking, or thinking. No one spoke, but they glanced towards the room next to them from time to time.
In the room next door, medical staff occasionally came in and out, and the atmosphere was tense and depressing.
At this time, a doctor came out of the house.
"Doctor, how is my dad?"
A middle-aged man with graying hair saw the doctor coming out, quickly put down the teacup in his hand, walked over quickly and asked.
"I'm old and have many underlying diseases. My condition has stabilized temporarily, but I don't know how long I can hold on..."
The middle-aged doctor frowned and shook his head, indicating that they had tried their best. Human resources are limited, especially when facing birth, aging, sickness and death, there is less that doctors can do.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work."
The middle-aged man nodded, and then asked the young man standing nearby to send the person away.
As soon as the middle-aged doctor left, an old Chinese doctor was invited in.
"Brother, you are at a critical stage now. If father..., it shouldn't have any impact on you."
When the old Chinese doctor entered the room, the other middle-aged people in the room became restless. They were not in a hurry to visit their father, and they began to discuss with frowns.
"It will definitely have some impact, but it's not a big problem. Besides, I've been in this position for so long that whether I can get promoted or not has little to do with whether my father is around."
The middle-aged man shook his head. Their father had retired for a long time and had used up all the favors he could use. What was left was not something that could be decided by his father's connections.
But this does not mean that their father has no value in living. In the upper class, people always have to be sentimental. Many of them are their father's former subordinates. As long as their father is still alive, these sentiments can still be used. But once their father is gone, this trace of sentiment will be severed.
"That's fine. As long as Big Brother's position is okay, then we'll be fine."
Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. Although they already had the answer to this, they could finally put their minds at ease after hearing their eldest brother's affirmative response.
This is a big family. The old man used to be of a high rank and there are many children in the family, each of whom holds an important position. As long as there is a leader, these people will be protected and at least they don't have to worry about being uprooted.
"How come Dad collapsed just like that? He was fine yesterday, but today..."
A middle-aged woman in luxurious clothes was originally pacing back and forth anxiously, but after hearing their eldest brother speak, she was able to sit down. After picking up her mobile phone and sending a message, she began to care about the old man.
"Who said it wasn't? The previous physical examinations were all normal..."
Others also started discussing, and the atmosphere was no longer as dull as before. At least everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The oldest man glanced at them but said no more. He frowned and walked towards the room. It must be the best thing that the old man was still alive.
"Crunch!!"
The sound of sudden brakes sounded outside the courtyard, attracting everyone's attention. Then a middle-aged man was seen running down from the car quickly, holding a wooden box in his hand.
After getting out of the car, the middle-aged man jogged all the way, ignoring the greetings from the young people in the yard, and went straight to the living room.
"How is father? How is my eldest brother?"
The middle-aged man glanced around the hall and then asked.
"Fifth brother, you are here. Father is stable now, but the situation is not optimistic. My eldest brother just went in."
The middle-aged man who entered the room looked to be of high status. As soon as he came in, everyone else stood up, and the middle-aged woman in luxurious clothes quickly explained the situation.
The middle-aged man who had just entered the room nodded and walked towards the room.
"Big brother..."
The middle-aged man glanced at his father on the hospital bed. Seeing that the doctor was still taking his pulse, he leaned close to his eldest brother's ear and began to speak quickly and quietly. After he finished speaking, he opened the wooden box in his hand.
The wooden box was opened, revealing a small porcelain bottle inside. The eldest brother opened the bottle, and a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out. The eldest brother quickly covered the bottle and looked at the old Chinese doctor.
"Alas, the loss of Qi and blood is serious, and the functions of the internal organs have reached their limits."
The old Chinese doctor withdrew his fingers, looked at the complexion and physical features of the old man on the bed, and finally sighed and shook his head. Before the two of them could react, he explained:
"To put it simply, the body's potential has reached the point of exhaustion, and the end of life is coming. If there is ginseng or something like that, feed it some, so that it can at least stay awake for a while, and then arrange the final arrangements."
After saying all this, the old Chinese doctor turned around and started to pack up his things.
"Please wait a moment. I just got a pill. Do you think it's okay to eat?"
The eldest brother took out the porcelain bottle and handed it to the old Chinese doctor, hoping that he could take a look.
"Now that it has come to this, there is nothing that can be eaten. If you want to try, just feed it directly."
The old Chinese doctor didn't take the porcelain bottle to check it. He shook his head slightly and began to pack his medicine box.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man who was still holding the box looked at his eldest brother.
The eldest brother looked at the medicine bottle, then at the old man, and then without hesitation, he poured out the porcelain bottle, and a black pill rolled out with a faint fragrance.
The eldest brother came to the old man, used his hand to open his jaw, and then the pill entered his mouth. He then let go of his hand and stood aside to carefully observe the old man's expression.
This is a gamble by the eldest brother. Their family has no shortage of ginseng. They even have wild ginseng that is over a hundred years old. After taking it, it can at least make the old man sober for a short time.
But he did not do so. On the one hand, because of the origin of the medicine, it was given by a big shot. No matter whether his father would die immediately or wake up after taking it, they had to try it.
Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to give an explanation to the big shot, and I would have to owe him a favor for nothing. If the old man died like this, the big shot might even feel guilty.
Of course, it is also because there is no division of property in their family. When the old man is conscious, everything has been arranged, and there is no so-called property dispute.
Even if he wakes up, he can only say a few more words to the younger generation. It is far less appropriate to swallow the pill now.
The old Chinese doctor was quite old. After packing up the medicine box, he bowed to the two men. However, seeing that they were staring at the old man on the bed nervously, the old Chinese doctor shook his head, looked at the old man on the bed again, and then prepared to turn around and leave.
"Uh~"
The old man who had just turned around suddenly paused, then continued to walk out, because he remembered that the old man's originally pale face with age spots had turned red.
Not only that, he also heard the old man on the bed moaning softly, but he just thought it was the last bit of energy from the effect of the pill he had just fed him.
After all, in addition to ginseng, there are some old pills that have the effect of saving lives and temporarily prolonging life. These are priceless in the eyes of ordinary people, but in the eyes of this family, they are considered to be common medicines and are not surprising.
"Sir, my dad has woken up. Please help check on him again."
Just as the old Chinese doctor was about to walk out of the room, the eldest brother suddenly shouted.
Seeing this, the old Chinese doctor couldn't just leave. He turned around and looked at the old man who had already opened his eyes. He simply put down the medicine box and took the man's pulse again.
"what?"
As soon as he took the patient's pulse, the old Chinese doctor was a little surprised. Then he stood up from his seat, half squatting, and began to observe the expression of the old man on the bed. The more he looked, the more surprised he became.
"What was the elixir you just took?"
Finally, the old Chinese doctor looked at the eldest brother with some disbelief.
……
"Minister, there's news just now."
In the office, the middle-aged secretary knocked on the door and came to Mr. Wang and spoke carefully. "Oh? What do you mean?"
After listening to this, Mr. Wang put down the pen in his hand, looked up at the secretary, and was obviously a little curious.
"Originally, he was almost at the end of his life and could have prepared for his funeral, but as soon as he took the elixir, he woke up. The doctor diagnosed that with proper care, he could probably live another half a year."
The middle-aged secretary answered briefly, without much hesitation.
"Extend life for half a year?"
Old Wang spoke in some shock. The elixir was an ancient recipe. Just as Du Ruo thought, it would be extremely difficult for a private individual to collect such a recipe, but it was easy in the face of power.
There were people who had practiced these elixirs before, but unfortunately, they were useful, but not very useful, and were not at all as magical as described in the elixir recipes.
But ever since Du Ruo mentioned the revival of spiritual energy and specifically pointed out that animals and plants would benefit first, some people have been specifically studying the animals and herbs after the revival of spiritual energy, and that pill was the result of the research.
Giving it to the old man to eat, on the one hand, there is still some friendship between Mr. Wang and the old man, on the other hand, it can be regarded as a last resort.
"How many herbs like this are left? How many pills can be made? Can I eat this pill again after taking it?"
Mr. Wang spoke very quickly and asked questions continuously.
"This kind of herb is one in a million. We only refined one furnace, with a total of nine pills. One was used to test the efficacy, and the old man used one. The remaining seven are still preserved. As for whether they can be eaten again, we need to experiment with other things."
The middle-aged secretary didn't even look at the notebook in his hand, and just opened his mouth and answered everything that Mr. Wang asked.
"Spiritual energy revival, spiritual energy revival, these pills are useful, but what about the others? In addition to pills, can some of the famous Taoist longevity exercises be effective?"
It was rare for Mr. Wang to say these words in front of his middle-aged secretary.
Originally, when spiritual energy was revived, everyone was only concerned about whether it would cause social unrest, whether their own power would be affected, and whether the family could benefit from this change or maintain its advantage.
They are all old men, and they know that they can't practice through spiritual energy or anything like that, so they are not that keen on promoting martial arts.
After all, they haven't made a complete layout yet. If they promote it across the board now, their advantages will be weakened.
Anyway, Du Ruo also said at that time that he would not interfere with the promotion and was not keen on power, so they were all preparing to plan and lay out slowly.
But it is different now.
The revival of spiritual energy can actually cause earth-shaking changes in the efficacy of some herbs, and even produce magical effects.
If that were the case, it would be completely different. These old men have lost interest in money, and now is the peak of their power.
If they have any regrets, it is certainly that they suffer from the burden of their bodies and cannot live forever.
And now a door has opened, and through this door they see the hope of prolonging their lives, or even... the hope of immortality.
How this made him unexcited.
"Convene a meeting... No need, let's put off the follow-up arrangements first. I'm sure those old guys will be restless. We just need to wait for them to hold a meeting."
Finally, Mr. Wang sat down again, took a deep breath to calm himself, and wanted to continue looking through the documents with a pen, but he did not turn the page for a long time.
There is no way to hide the fact that the pill can prolong life. I don't know how many people are watching. If Mr. Wang can think of it, how could others not think of it?
Some are still young and can afford to wait, but some are about to retire. After retiring, the power in their hands will completely disappear, so... the meeting will be put on the agenda immediately.
Immediately afterwards, at an unexpected speed, the plan to comprehensively promote martial arts, which had never been mentioned before, was passed.
However, when it comes to the promotion of martial arts, there are a lot of details that need to be considered. Although they cannot be implemented immediately, it doesn't matter. They have determined the route, and there are plenty of people below to determine the specific implementation plan.
It could be considered a blessing in disguise. The soldiers they had trained in advance and the small-scale promotion of martial arts were now put to use. They could serve as coaches and teachers and then be assigned to various places to teach others martial arts. The content of their teaching was exactly the very general basic martial arts book edited by Du Ruo.
Promotion cannot be done without the Internet. Of course, it is impossible to publish all the secrets right away. Doing so too quickly will give people a false feeling.
A large number of short videos are used to brainwash people and stimulate the interest of grassroots organizations. The slogans are spread from top to bottom, and physical fitness assessments are added to student assessments, and traditional culture assessments are added to civil servant assessments, including martial arts.
As soon as a decision is made from above, adjustments will be made below immediately, and the message will spread very quickly. Now it seems that only one opportunity is needed to completely ignite the enthusiasm for learning martial arts.
……
A few days ago, before Mr. Xiang Yuanzhang’s arrival, Du Ruo’s parents first treated the old man to a meal.
Then came Du Ruo's sister Du Na and brother-in-law. They came all the way from the town and took the old man to the town to show their hospitality.
Not only did he book a table at the best restaurant in town, he also took the old man to see some of the surrounding sights.
Even Yang Chenguang brought the ingredients, cooked himself, and then had a great drink with the old man.
The old man was very touched by the enthusiasm of Du Ruo's family. From these aspects, he could see that Xiang Yuanyuan was absolutely spoiled in the Du family, and they treated her as a member of the family.
Apart from these, the old man's arrival did not bring any more changes to Du Ruo's family.
Or the only difference is that during meal time, Du Ruo would accompany the old man for a drink, and at other times, the old man would accompany Du Ruo to sit on the balcony lounge chair to enjoy the cool air or squint his eyes and enjoy the leisure time.
Originally, after seeing Li Qiyao practicing martial arts, the old man wanted to learn from her.
But it was directly rejected by Du Ruo.
Old man Xiang Yuanzhang is different from other old men. With Du Ruo around, the old man only needs to rest well. There is no need for him to do other activities or practice health-preserving boxing.
Now and then, Du Ruo would occasionally refine a batch of pills when he was interested. He no longer needed pills. After all, his foundation was solid and his whole body was free of leaks. Even his metabolism had become very slow.
If he needed to replenish something, he only needed to open his mouth and absorb some of the "spiritual energy" into his body, which would be stronger than any elixir.
So those pills were basically for Li Qiyao and the old man. In addition, Du Ruo would introduce some spiritual energy into the old man's body every day after the old man fell asleep.
So since coming here, the old man seems to be more energetic. Not only that, his appetite has also increased, and some minor ailments have been cured without medicine.
In the old man’s words, after coming here, he feels refreshed. Now he can not only see the baby being born, but maybe he can also see the baby go to school in the future.
Yuanyuan was very happy about this. She didn't dare to ask for too much. Now she felt that she was the happiest person in the world.
"Grandpa, have some tea~"
On the balcony, Du Ruo and Xiang Yuanzhang each had a recliner. Xiang Yuanyuan, with her bulging belly, sat next to the coffee table and brought the brewed tea to Xiang Yuanzhang. Of course, she did not forget to give Du Ruo a cup as well.
"It's a bit bland, add more tea leaves."
Xiang Yuanzhang opened his eyes, picked up the tea and took a sip. After finishing it, he smacked his lips and felt that it had no taste. As a person who was used to drinking wine, he always felt uncomfortable drinking tea every day during the day.
"Good~"
Xiang Yuanyuan replied with a smile, but did not follow Xiang Yuanzhang's childish words. She did not add tea, but added some tangerine peel and ginger, and turned brewing tea into boiling tea.
Du Ruo picked up the tea and took a sip without saying anything. He really liked drinking tea now, especially green tea. He quite enjoyed its light fragrance.
"Mr. Du!"
Just as the three were drinking tea, a car stopped outside the yard, and then the voice of a fox was heard outside the gate.
"Here it comes~"
Before the people on the balcony could respond, Li Qiyao's voice rang out, and she trotted over to open the door without even bothering to wipe the sweat off her face.
After opening the door, Li Qiyao did not greet Fox much, but let her go upstairs by herself. She knew that Fox must have something to talk to Du Ruo about when she came up, and she could not get a word in.
(End of this chapter)
