Chapter 324: A Glimmer of Hope

After giving a tip to the hotel staff, a doctor was called to examine Su Ya. The diagnosis confirmed it was a severe cold.

These days, doctors are quite aggressive in their treatments. It seems that, except for emergency cases requiring surgery, any illness is treated with intravenous drips—regardless of the patient or the ailment. 

The dosages are often heavy-handed.

Li Xian, who was frequently ill as a child and had to receive intravenous treatment regularly, was familiar with such practices. There had once been a small clinic under his building with a rather bold doctor. This doctor was known for administering drips to anyone who came in, regardless of their condition. There was even an incident where an 86-year-old woman was given an IV drip for a cold and passed away before the infusion was finished. Despite this, the clinic continued to operate without much consequence.

Seeing the doctor immediately prescribe an IV drip for Su Ya, Li Xian was convinced this was not a reputable doctor.

After dismissing the grumbling doctor who had been quite unhelpful, Li Xian quickly wrapped Su Ya in a large blanket and called a cab to take her to the hospital.

At the First Medical University Hospital.

After over an hour of busy activity, Su Ya's condition finally stabilized.

Li Xian sent Li Daoyun and Li You back to rest, staying alone in the lobby. He placed a wet towel on Su Ya's forehead and noticed that the redness in her face had slightly diminished, which eased his worries.

Su Ya seldom mentioned her experiences from childhood. However, from snippets of information and conversations with her mother, Li Xian knew she had unpleasant memories associated with hospitals.

Observing Su Ya's gently furrowed brow as she lay in bed, Li Xian sighed.

Though the First Medical University Hospital was one of the top hospitals in the provincial capital, it was still smaller compared to later establishments. The outpatient department was crowded due to the recent snowfall and drop in temperature, which had led to a surge in cases of acute colds.

The air was filled with the sounds of coughing and crying children, mingled with the smell of disinfectant and stagnant air.

To ensure prompt treatment, Li Xian had given a red envelope to the doctor. While such practices were not ideal, they were common at that time. Compared to the future when red envelopes would become a standard expectation, it was still somewhat acceptable. At least the doctor took the matter seriously, unlike in the future where red envelopes would only ensure minimal attention or even retaliation if not given.

The doctor, after prescribing non-commissioned imported medicine, came by personally to check on Su Ya once the initial treatment was done.

After feeling Su Ya's forehead and confirming that her fever had subsided, the doctor reassured Li Xian: "It's just a cold from the wind and chill. After these two rounds of IV drips, if you make sure she drinks plenty of warm water when you go back, there shouldn't be much of a problem."

Li Xian felt relieved. Taking advantage of the doctor's availability, he asked about Su Ya's loss of speech. He had been too anxious to mention this when Su Ya was first admitted.

The doctor, Liu, looked at Su Ya—though still sick, she was delicate and charming, which made her appear even more pitiable—and said, "This is difficult to say. When a patient can't speak, how severe is it? Complete loss of speech?"

Li Xian nodded.

"And hearing?" The doctor's expression grew serious.

"Hearing is fine!" Li Xian answered quickly, "Everything else is normal; she's quite alert."

"Oh," the doctor nodded gravely, "That's troublesome."

Li Xian was puzzled as to why having no hearing issues would be a problem.

The doctor, sensing that Li Xian was not an ordinary person and wanting to avoid potential complications from making inaccurate predictions, suggested, "Given the patient's current condition, I'm not an expert in this area. Once the cold is resolved, bring her back for an evaluation by an ENT specialist. It would be best to get a comprehensive assessment to determine the extent of the speech loss, then proceed from there."

Although Li Xian did not receive a direct answer, the advice was reasonable. He thanked the doctor and, considering Su Ya's stable condition and the poor hospital environment, decided to return to the hotel.

Unbeknownst to him, at a nearby spot in the hospital lobby, Xia Guangyuan, who was also receiving an IV drip, wiped his tears and removed the needle from his arm. He then marched determinedly toward the doctor's office.

Seeing Xia Guangyuan burst into the office, the doctor was taken aback. "Is there something you need?"

Xia Guangyuan's voice was hoarse as he asked, "What's the situation with that girl—the one with the speech loss?"

"You're a relative?" The doctor frowned, recalling that Xia Guangyuan did not seem to be part of the same group as the earlier couple.

Xia Guangyuan did not waste words. With a stern expression, he repeated the question.

Despite his refined appearance, Xia Guangyuan's authoritative presence was undeniable.

Under this pressure, the doctor reluctantly provided a candid explanation: "Generally speaking, speech loss due to a cold is often caused by viral damage to the vocal cords or auditory nerves. If it's due to auditory nerve damage, it can sometimes be corrected with a series of rehabilitative training. However, if it's viral damage to the vocal cords, recovery is usually difficult. At least with domestic medical methods, it's quite challenging."

Hearing this, Xia Guangyuan swayed slightly. His fists clenched tightly, and after steadying himself, he suddenly struck his own head with force.

Seeing his distress, the doctor realized Xia Guangyuan was indeed a relative of the young girl.

Quickly standing up, the doctor tried to offer comfort: "You don't need to worry too much. While domestic Western medicine may not have effective treatments, you could try traditional Chinese medicine. Sometimes, TCM methods might offer some benefits. However, the current state of TCM is quite mixed, so it's hard to know what's effective. If you have connections, you might find someone reliable. Alternatively…"

The doctor, recognizing Xia Guangyuan's authoritative demeanor and the apparent wealth of the earlier couple, suggested, "You might also consider seeking treatment abroad if conditions allow."

Upon hearing this suggestion, Xia Guangyuan tightly clenched his fists.

The rough removal of the needle had caused blood to slowly seep from his hand. Yet, a glimmer of hope shone on Xia Guangyuan's face.

---

Under Li Xian's care, Su Ya's cold improved after three days.

Although her fever had subsided, the illness had left Su Ya, already fragile, even weaker. Given the toll of constant travel, Li Xian decided to move the family from the hotel to Xu Mao's home.

Previously, Xu Mao had given Li Xian a spare key to his house for temporary accommodation.

Just as the family was settling in Ice City, Liu Weihai and Zhu Feng returned from Beijing, having completed the advertising matters.

At the same time, Xu Chaoyang, who had returned to the Forestry Bureau, called Li Xian with news: the forestry area contract development project, which had been previously postponed, had unexpectedly resumed!