Chapter 108 — The Foreign Doctor
Early May.
For several consecutive days, He Dongting had been visiting Wan Yu Zhai.
He had learned that Xie Jing liked blue-and-white porcelain and had originally intended to buy some as a gift for him. But when he asked the shop owner, he realized that this boy not only bought pieces but also sold them, and his taste was impeccable. The way he evaluated items was almost like reading the trend in the Shanghai market. Whatever was profitable, he happened to trade in it, making a considerable profit in a short time.
He Dongting held a blue-and-white porcelain cup in his hand while listening to the shop owner.
“If you’re asking about this young master, he’s really something extraordinary. I used to think he was young and liked more colorful pieces, but not a single one of those caught his eye. He’s picky! I won’t hide it from you—I’ve been in business all over the country for years, and this is the first time I’ve seen such a formidable buyer. He’s incredibly lucky. Any piece that passes through his hands can increase in value within half a month.”
He Dongting said with satisfaction, “He has a good eye.” Even if he tried to choose pieces himself, he might not pick as well. He didn’t know much about antiques, but Xie Jing seemed to be an expert—or perhaps naturally lucky. Yuan Yuan had such good fortune.
The owner said, “Yes, and it’s not just you. The managers of the two big stores frequently inquire. Right now, we’re collecting sweet white porcelain because of him!”
He Dongting asked, “Did he say anything else?”
The owner hesitated for a moment, smiling at him.
He Dongting pointed to the blue-and-white porcelain he had just seen and said, “Wrap these up and send them to the He residence.”
The owner’s face immediately lit up. He called over an assistant to start packing and said to He Dongting, “That young master Xie also somehow got a batch of top-quality golden-thread nanmu wood these past few days. The pieces are truly excellent, but the quantity is a bit overwhelming, and I’ve been trying to find a way to sell them!”
He Dongting thought for a moment and asked, “Do you accept golden-thread nanmu wood here?”
The owner replied, “We do, but my shop is small. Last time, the plum vase that young master Xie brought, I had to buy it together with Mr. Wang across the street. I really can’t handle it alone.” The tone was regretful. In recent years, the price of golden-thread nanmu wood had risen steadily. Collecting such a fine batch would take a long time—it was truly rare.
He Dongting said, “Keep an eye out. If he sells, buy it all under your name and send it to the He residence.” He wrote a check for the owner and instructed, “Be discreet. Once it’s done, I’ll thank you properly.”
The owner was a little stunned, but the check in black and white immediately excited him. He Dongting’s generosity was clear, and even just the intermediary fee would be a substantial sum. He quickly nodded in agreement.
The antique shop owner, eager to earn a quick profit, contacted Xie Jing that very day to request the batch of wood.
It was pure coincidence that the golden-thread nanmu wood was involved. Xie Jing thought for a moment and understood what had happened.
When He Dongting heard that Xie Jing had come to the company, he immediately stopped his work and went downstairs to meet him.
Xie Jing had changed into a new set of clothes and was waiting. Upon seeing He Dongting, he got straight to the point about the nanmu wood. But unlike He Dongting expected, Xie Jing immediately declined: “Boss He, I’m afraid I can’t sell that batch of wood to you.”
He Dongting asked, “Why?”
“I did plan to sell it for some money, but it has to be mutually agreeable. In the past year or two, golden-thread nanmu furniture has been popular in Shanghai. Selling it wouldn’t be difficult.” Xie Jing politely refused. “If I take my time, I could sell it in about six months. If your only reason is to help me, it’s unnecessary. I can’t accept that money.”
He Dongting breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “You misunderstand. I actually want to make a few pieces of furniture to use in my study, but I’ve never found good materials.”
Xie Jing looked up at him. He Dongting stood there with an open, genuine smile.
Xie Jing couldn’t tell if he was being truthful, but he could sense the goodwill radiating from him—there was no malice at all.
He Dongting deliberately said, “But that wood is quite expensive. After buying it, I’d feel a bit guilty. Little Xie, you made a profit—why not treat me to a meal?”
Normally, if Boss He offered a meal, Xie Jing would have refused outright. But hearing it this way, Xie Jing paused for a moment, then said, “Okay.”
He Dongting was overjoyed. Afraid he would change his mind, he had his coat sent downstairs.
Xie Jing asked, “What do you want to eat?”
He Dongting said decisively, “Lamb hot pot.” He remembered how much Xie Jing had eaten last time.
On the way, Xie Jing had prepared a few excuses, but he only used one in the beginning. The rest were led by He Dongting. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and looked gentle and polite. He observed Xie Jing carefully and acted according to his reactions, never overstepping any bounds.
Xie Jing found this a bit strange.
This man was completely different from Xie Siquan.
Xie Siquan was fiery and uninhibited, breaking all rules when happy. He drank from wine jars, banged on tables to cheer everyone, and would pinch Xie Jing’s cheeks to kiss him, eager to be part of his life.
He Dongting, on the other hand, was much more restrained. His appearance resembled a university professor, always wearing a gentle smile. He watched Xie Jing carefully, respected his boundaries, and made him feel comfortable.
It was He Dongting’s first time eating with Xie Jing at the same table. He was a little excited and dropped his chopsticks twice, embarrassed, saying, “These chopsticks are too long; I’m not used to them.”
Xie Jing said, “Boss He, don’t force yourself. I see a Western restaurant across the street…”
He Dongting immediately said, “No, no, that’s not what I mean. I’ve always used chopsticks. I just don’t have these long ones at home. I’ll get used to them after a few uses.” He picked up a piece of lamb from the spicy soup, eating it as sweat formed on his forehead, and said repeatedly, “This meat is cooked; try it!”
Xie Jing glanced at him, suddenly put down his chopsticks, and went out.
He Dongting was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to follow or stay.
Soon, Xie Jing returned with a glass of water and placed it in front of He Dongting. “You drink this first. I got dessert to relieve the spiciness.”
He Dongting was pleasantly surprised, sipping the water carefully.
After a while, the restaurant staff brought two bowls of sweet glutinous rice balls.
He Dongting’s eyes followed the small bowl as it was placed in front of him.
Xie Jing took a small bowl, eating while saying, “You can have the plain soup version. You don’t have to eat it spicy like me.”
He Dongting lowered his eyes, the lenses slightly fogged, hiding his reddened eyes, and asked calmly, “You also like sweet glutinous rice balls?”
Xie Jing nodded.
He Dongting chuckled lightly, “And you like to put rice wine in it, don’t you?”
Xie Jing thought for a moment. “Only a little. I get drunk easily if I drink, and before, I trained in martial arts and had to be careful not to hurt those around me.”
He Dongting’s laughter choked with emotion. He barely managed to say, “Jing’er,” but the boy lowered his head and muttered, “Wait until my uncle and grandma return. I just want to eat now.”
Xie Jing didn’t know why he suddenly acted like this. He and He Dongting had only met a few times, so he didn’t know how to respond.
He Dongting fell silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Alright, it’s not something to do casually.”
At least they finished their meal.
After Xie Jing was full, he went ahead to pay. He Dongting deliberately stayed, drinking tea to give him enough time.
Once the tea was finished, He Dongting got up to leave. On the way down, he heard several young voices outside in the lobby. It was a little noisy, and he could hear Xie Jing’s brief replies. Something felt off, so he quickened his pace. Not far down, he saw five or six people surrounding Xie Jing.
Xie Jing looked a little impatient and said, “Step aside.”
They were all dressed like students, obviously classmates of He Shuwei. They came from decent families but were rude, sneering, “Why rush off when we just have a few questions for you? You’re Xie Jing, right?”
Another reached out to touch Xie Jing’s light-colored clothes, leaving fingerprints.
Xie Jing frowned.
The boy laughed, “Changing into new clothes but still not enough people showed up. I saw you at the auction last time, the one delivering umbrellas! Aren’t you supposed to be Bai Mingyu’s brother? How come your surname is Xie now?”
“I heard you’re a Bai family bodyguard and have connections with the Xie family—quite capable. Shuwei’s uncle is wealthy, and you’ve only been in Shanghai a few days, yet you’ve already climbed onto that thigh!”
“Changing your surname to Xie, I bet it’s recent, huh?”
The surrounding students laughed, teasing him.
These people usually hung out with He Shuwei and were trying to curry favor with the He family heir. They happened to run into Xie Jing at the restaurant and deliberately took the chance to vent on him. The student who dirtied Xie Jing’s clothes reached out to grab his arm again.
He Dongting, furious, stepped forward and shouted, “Stop!”
In an instant, Xie Jing moved quickly, pinching the boy’s wrist and twisting it back. With a slight effort, he detached the arm. A crisp crack was faster than any scream. Hearing He Dongting, Xie Jing finished and stepped aside—the others indeed stopped.
The boy whose arm had been dislocated wailed, tears and snot flowing, holding his arm as if it were broken.
The others gathered but didn’t dare approach Xie Jing, crouching like quail, angry but speechless.
Xie Jing stood alone, expression calm.
He Dongting approached, astonished. He hadn’t meant to escalate, but the students were now complaining, accusing Xie Jing of being too harsh.
He Dongting scolded, “You provoked him first. I saw everything clearly from the stairs.”
“But Mr. He, we…”
“There’s no ‘but.’ Later, I’ll have a lawyer visit your parents to discuss compensation.”
The students were dumbfounded, especially the boy with the dislocated arm, who stammered, “Mr. He, we’re Shuwei’s classmates.”
He Dongting’s face darkened. “Did he make you do this?”
They shook their heads quietly. “No, no. It was a little misunderstanding earlier. We came to check the porridge distribution since Shuwei said the family would distribute more this year. We heard this restaurant was good…” They had hoped invoking the He family would ease things, but seeing He Dongting’s expression, they went silent.
He Dongting saw Xie Jing walk away and hurried after him, calling several times.
The remaining students looked at each other in the lobby, stunned.
Just now, He Dongting had nearly scolded them thoroughly. Even invoking Shuwei didn’t help… isn’t it just the He heir who matters?
He Dongting followed Xie Jing to the street corner. “Jing’er, I’ll make sure those guys get what they deserve. Don’t bother arguing with them; it’s not worth it. I guarantee they won’t show up in front of you again. About the porridge distribution, I can cancel it if you want…”
Xie Jing shook his head. “It’s fine. The porridge distribution is good; it’s a blessing. I’ve had porridge like this before.” Though memories were vague, he had indeed had a bowl of blessing porridge.
He Dongting was silent, guilt and concern in his eyes.
Across the street, a car was waiting. Xie Jing recognized the license plate and pointed, “I’m not upset. I just need to go. The car’s waiting across the street.”
He Dongting wanted to stop him but didn’t know how to address him. Hesitating, he said, “How about I take you back? My car’s there too. Your clothes are dirty—I can buy you a couple of new sets…”
Xie Jing shook his head, refusing. “Mr. He, do more good deeds,” he said, adding, “Take care of your health.”
He was past the age of needing his father; he could handle everything himself and no longer required protection.
He Dongting stood by the roadside, watching Xie Jing cross the street and get in the car.
Inside the car:
Xie Jing took off his coat, feeling a slight headache.
Those students had been reckless and even carried rouge. Several red stains were on his clothes, looking dirty. Outside, he hadn’t noticed, but in the car, the small space mixed with a sweet powdery scent.
He rolled up his coat and tossed it to the back, then asked the driver, “Is this the second young master’s car?”
The driver nodded. “Yes. Lord Bai Jiu sent me to pick you up. He and the second young master are going to the factory this afternoon to check the new machines. The textile factory is replacing equipment, and he doesn’t trust outsiders, so he wants Manager Xie and the second young master to supervise.”
Xie Jing said, “Stop by the roadside.”
The driver pulled over. Xie Jing went into a cosmetics shop and bought several of the most popular items—seven or eight items in total, including three boxes of rouge. He had them wrapped in his coat. Wearing just a shirt and trousers, the May weather was warm, and he felt neat.
At the factory, he called Bai Mingyu to look after the items in the car.
Bai Mingyu was confused. “What is this?”
Xie Jing: “Check inside the clothes.”
Bai Mingyu sniffed and sneezed. “Little Xie, why buy so much rouge? And wrap it in clothes? The coat is already dirty—this is careless!”
Xie Jing, standing by the car door, said, “Last time, Miss Hong wrote that she wanted Shanghai cosmetics. I happened to pass by, so I bought them. If you don’t want them—” Bai Mingyu grabbed the wrapped items. “I want them! I knew it—only you would do this!”
Xie Jing glanced at him. “My clothes are dirty.”
Bai Mingyu grinned. “It’s just one set. I’ll send an identical one tomorrow!”
Xie Jing nodded.
Bai Mingyu asked anxiously, “This is my contribution, right? Did you buy one for her too?”
Xie Jing raised an eyebrow. “Absolutely the first.”
Bai Mingyu happily carried them inside, and Xie Jing followed, resolving one more issue.
He couldn’t bring back dirty clothes—explaining the rouge would be troublesome and would reveal those boys. Everything else was fine. They dirtied clothes sent by Lord Bai Jiu, and today, he couldn’t resist dislocating that boy’s arm… The fight could not reach Lord Bai Jiu.
He had always been obedient in front of Lord Bai Jiu; such rough acts were never done—and if done, he wouldn’t admit them.
Meanwhile, back at He Dongting’s home:
He returned early and immediately canceled several arrangements. Shuwei’s birthday was a day or two away; all the grand ceremonies arranged a year ago were also canceled.
Without Xie Jing for comparison, he hadn’t realized how much he had spent.
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt.
A subordinate cautiously asked, “Sir, what about this money?”
He Dongting said, “Buy some rice, set up porridge tents, and distribute it all.”
The subordinate nodded and left, only to be called back a few steps away. He considered for a moment and said, “The announcements haven’t been sent yet, so no need. Just have a simple family meal at home. Also, call Shuwei; I have something to discuss with him.”
“Shuwei went to Third Master’s this morning,” the subordinate said. “Earlier, the Third Master sent for a foreign doctor. He got sick, and Shuwei went because he feared something would happen. He hasn’t returned yet. Shall I call him?”
He Dongting frowned. “What is the Third Master making a fuss about this time? He’s not sick—I bet he’s short on money! Call Shuwei back immediately. And tell the others: no one is to give him money, nor hire any foreign doctor. He’s spent so much over the years, yet his filthy habits never improve!”
The subordinate nodded and hurried off.
He Dongting rarely lost his temper. He had a good temperament, but this didn’t mean he had none. The Third Master of the He family was his full sibling, but the matriarch favored the youngest son. Years ago, when He Dongting had just started his business, she even suggested he give half his property to his brother. He Dongting naturally refused, but Third Master often came up with excuses to ask for small sums, with foreign doctors being one such scheme. Each time, they would only allow one Western doctor; the illness was never cured, but lots of money was spent.
He Dongting was thoroughly disappointed in these relatives of the He family over the years.
He sat wearily, supporting his temple with his hand, slowly massaging. He rarely lost his temper; occasionally, he’d have a severe headache with bulging temples, taking a long time to subside.
At the smoke house:
The Third Master lay on the soft couch, smoking. On the small table sat his soft and delicate companion, his longtime mistress, dressed in silk with jewelry. Three rings adorned her hand as she held his cigarette holder.
He Shuwei frowned in a wide chair across from him. The blond, blue-eyed foreign doctor stood behind the Third Master. The room was dim, curtains drawn, so the doctor’s actions were hard to see, only faint sounds of liquid.
He Shuwei frowned. “Third Uncle, did you know the Xie family from Sichuan sent a boy here?”
The Third Master lazily said, “I know. Not new, not the first. Why panic?”
He Shuwei: “This time it’s different.”
“Different how?”
“I got sick a few days ago and saw a doctor. Father ignored me,” He Shuwei said, pursing his lips. “The one named Xie Jing—I’ve met him once. He looks too much like someone.”
The Third Master snorted, “Like who? Xie Siquan? The one who caused trouble at the mansion a few years ago? He looked like Xie Siquan too, and in the end, he didn’t stay.”
He Shuwei frowned.
The Third Master yawned. “You just fear the Sichuan family is sneaking someone into the He family. Easy to handle. Your birthday is soon; invite lots of people. The more who know, He Dongting won’t be able to switch people. Don’t worry about the announcement; I know Mr. Yichuan. He’ll take care of it. Guests will be more than in previous years.”
He Shuwei: “No, this year, don’t invite anyone. Father won’t approve…”
“Then keep it secret. Once people arrive, can he kick them out?” The Third Master poured tea and took a sip. “Besides, the business association elections are coming. He Dongting has to save face; we’re doing him a favor!” He looked at He Shuwei, dissatisfied, urging him. “The trust company thing wasn’t handled well; Mr. Yichuan got angry. When the bank was founded, there are plenty of profitable positions. Hurry up and snag a manager role. If nothing else works, no wonder people mistake you for the Xibei family! Where’s the He heir in you, huh? Tsk!”
He Shuwei was agitated. “You don’t understand him. It’s not that easy.”
The Third Master snorted, set down his tea, and slapped him across the face. “You dare lecture me?! Useless wretch, what do you know!”
He Shuwei’s head tilted from the slap. He groaned, and the foreign doctor behind him quickly put away his small surgical knife, but too late. A shallow cut opened behind his ear, half hidden in his hair.
The doctor panicked. The small bowl in his hand nearly spilled—half-coagulated liquid, almost half a bowl of blood.
Blood continued to flow behind He Shuwei’s ear. He covered it with his hand, face growing pale.
The Third Master had blood on his hand too, wiping it with a cloth, cursing, “Useless, neither literary nor martial. Just a little resemblance, and the Sichuan side harasses us every year! Look at your face—except it’s pale, where does it look like He Dongting’s son?!”
He Shuwei used a cotton ball to stop the bleeding, eyes closed, not daring to leave.
His ear already had multiple small wounds—some fresh, some old—hidden behind his ear.
Third Master continued cursing, telling him to leave.
But He Shuwei’s fingers trembled slightly; he sat there, unmoving, while the foreign doctor skillfully stopped the bleeding.
A decorative bronze mirror reflected the scene. He Shuwei coughed, looking at the mirror with a sickly gaze. The person in the mirror stared back.
The foreign doctor wasn’t hired for Third Master, but for him.
At twelve, he first had bloodletting behind his ear. Even a tiny cut could bleed so much.
He didn’t know his original complexion. He only knew the “He family little master”—both He Dongting and Xie Yuanwan were fair-skinned and intelligent. Their child should be clever and capable.
He was ordinary, with no special talent. His only disguise was to act as a weak, pale He family heir. The foreign doctor was brought by the Third Master. In some foreign countries, women would use bloodletting behind ears or on the neck to make skin appear paler. The Third Master didn’t want anyone to see the wounds, so initially they were hidden in hair, later behind the ear.
Every session drew a bowl of blood. Over the years, he had become accustomed.
Besides this, he was constantly reminded of the matriarch’s preferences—from colors to food—and had to memorize them.
In childhood, he once misused his father’s favor, thinking it was love, but afterwards was locked in a room and severely scolded by the wet nurse. That was when he learned he had to “play” someone else.
He couldn’t choose what to eat; no one cared about his desires. The focus was on how much he resembled the matriarch’s ideal—even if he was merely a figure enshrined in the family altar.
He Shuwei removed the bloodied cotton ball, carefully cleaned the area with alcohol, and remained calm.
The Third Master lit another cigarette. His companion offered a new one, flattering, “Try the Fushou ointment Mr. Yichuan sent. The quality is excellent this time; you’ll surely like it!”
The Third Master eagerly took it, absorbed.
He Shuwei subtly showed a look of disgust but lowered his eyes in obedience. “Third Uncle, your nephew is leaving.”
The Third Master, satisfied with his display of authority, waved him off and returned to pleasure.
