Chapter 28 (2/2)

At the airport, a girl clad in traditional Tibetan garb stepped off the airplane.  A-Jiao concluded her traveling adventures and returned to this familiar city.  A taxi dropped her off at the main entrance of the hospital since she was due for a check-up today.

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“Dr. w.a.n.g!” A-Jiao exclaimed as she appeared in Dr. w.a.n.g’s office, “This is for you.  Thank you for taking care of me while I was in the hospital.”  As she spoke, A-Jiao took out a stick of Chinese caterpillar fungus and handed it to Dr. w.a.n.g.

“You are…” Dr. w.a.n.g was speechless as she looked at the girl in front of her.  She felt there was something familiar about this girl, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“What?  You’ve already forgotten about me?” A-Jiao tilted her head and asked as she looked at Dr. w.a.n.g with a mischievous gaze.  It was as if she were saying, “Are you old?  Is your memory failing?”

“Ahem…” Dr. w.a.n.g coughed once.  She definitely did not recognize A-Jiao, but medical reports don’t lie.  She glanced at the name written on the medical report and then raised her head towards A-Jiao, “Are you really A-Jiao?”

“Of course!  If I’m not A-Jiao, then who is?” A-Jiao said as she sat down next to Dr. w.a.n.g, “You definitely instructed me to come back for my regular checkups, and to not eat spicy food, or salty food either!  I’ve followed your instructions to a t, only for you to not recognize me… pretty disappointing, I must say.”  She then lowered her head and pretended to be all dejected.

“Hehe, you silly girl!  Look at you, dressed like a Tibetan.  You gave me quite the scare, you know?  I thought you were some kind of a Tibetan medicine vendor!”  Since Dr. w.a.n.g now knew it was A-Jiao, she proceeded to engage in playful banter, “How are you these days?  Does it still hurt down there?”  If Dr. w.a.n.g had felt any ill will towards A-Jiao when she was discharged, it was all gone now.  Perhaps the change of heart began when she saw A-Jiao paying her own medical bills.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore!” A-Jiao said playfully while sitting on the chair, “If you don’t believe me, I can do the worm dance for you.”

“Oh stop it, you crazy girl!  Now go lie down on the exam bed!  You’re just like that Jiang boy.”  Dr. w.a.n.g didn’t know why her thoughts drifted to Jiang Zhengkai.  Perhaps it was because Jiang Zhengkai was similarly crazy when he was a young man?

Dr. w.a.n.g completed her examinations and told A-Jiao, “I’m happy to tell you that you’ve recovered quite well, but you still need to take care of yourself.  If you’re ever thinking about having children one day, you need to change your profession right now.”

“Is it really that serious?”  A-Jiao looked at Dr. w.a.n.g with disappointment in her eyes as she stroked her hair with her hands.

“Yes!  It’s in your hands now!”  Dr. w.a.n.g was angered by A-Jiao’s response.  Once a prost.i.tute, always a prost.i.tute!

“Alright, Grandma w.a.n.g!  Don’t be mad anymore, ok?  I promise to find a real job, no matter how little money I make,” A-Jiao said as she placed her face close to Dr. w.a.n.g’s in order to cheer her up.

“Whatever.  It’s your health we’re talking about, not mine,” Dr. w.a.n.g replied disdainfully.  However, she had a warm and fuzzy feeling deep down in her heart.  If A-Jiao could really change for the better, then perhaps I could ask Jiang Zhengkai how he felt about her.

“Dr. w.a.n.g… I… I want to ask…”  Seeing Dr. w.a.n.g taking notes in her medical record, A-Jiao suddenly became tongue-tied, “Officer… Officer Jiang… how is he?”

“Him?  Pretty good,” Dr. w.a.n.g looked up from her reading gla.s.ses, “Why?  You miss him?”

“No way!” said A-Jiao as she quickly broke eye contact with Dr. w.a.n.g, “I’m just curious, that’s all.”

“Oh, I see.  Here, hold on to your medical record.  Make sure to come back again a month from now for your next check-up,” Dr. w.a.n.g said before adding, “Don’t worry!  No one else wants that b.u.m Jiang Zhengkai!”  She let out a chuckle as A-Jiao walked out of her office.