712 Glutinous Rice Dumplings (1/2)
The patient, Lei Baihan was a young boss who ran a homestay, and he was also a major chef. Within half a day of his stay in the hospital, he won over all the family members of the other two patients in the same room, to the extent that when the doctors came for a ward round, the discussion in the room was all about cooking.
”For barbeques, the main point is to grill the meat so that it smells good. Don't be afraid about the oil dripping. The meat can only smell good once the oil drips out, and when you eat it, it will taste greasy…
”I don't use grass carp when I cook poached fillets. Mullets are considered something the people use more generally. Its price is similar to grass carp, but its meat is softer, and it doesn't split up easily. Besides, it's easier to take care of, as it can survive with only a little water. Sometimes, I forget to feed them and only checked them after a few days. They might not move, but when I move the water, they will move around in a very lively manner, like the snakes that are used to make medicated liquor. Look, they look similar too. Some places call them loaches…
”Sheng gun congee is our signature dish. I tell you, my homestay is supported by the sheng gun congee. My style is that regardless of how late you come, even if it is three in the morning, I will still give you a bowl of sheng gun congee. The comfort of having hot congee in your stomach is great. So, my shop has the highest number of return customers in the hill. Whoever comes will introduce their friend over afterward. Even during the off-season, the occupancy rate is about 70% to 80%...”
Zhang Anmin, who came for a ward round, heard the conversation. When Lei Baihan finished talking, he smiled and said, ”You only boast about how great your sheng gun congee is, why don't you tell us how you cook it?”
”Doctor Zhang, you're here,” Lei Baihan smiled and greeted him. He patted his tummy, while his face was full of a businessman's sincere smile. ”My cooking method is the way my shop cooks. Normal households won't be able to learn it. The amount is too big that once you cook it, you will end up with a huge pot of it. It'll be a huge waste if you sell even slightly less of it. When I first opened my homestay, I just wanted to find a place to cook porridge, you know?”
”Then, you should just open a porridge shop.” The patient next to him heard it and kept gulping.
Lei Baihan shook his head. ”It's not easy. Cooking porridge is pretty tiring. If you make too much of it, it's quite exhausting as well. I won't mention anything else, but just the stick used to stir the porridge has made my arms thicker.”
People in the room looked at Lei Baihan's thick and fat arms, but none of them believed what he said.
”Just continue boasting all you want.” Zhang Anmin did not believe a single word, and he said to the other people, ”Don't eat the fillets in sheng gun congee. Clonorchiasis is caused by eating sheng gun congee. If you don't cook freshwater fish fully, you're going to get the disease yourself. ”
The patients and their families by the side smiled and nodded, but it was debatable whether they listened to him.
”Isn't my disease mainly hepatolithiasis?” Lei Baihan covered his stomach with his hands and said, ”If I were not in great pain, I wouldn't have wanted to come at all.”
”Your liver disease is very troublesome.” Zhang Anmin pursed his lips and said, ”You've gone to a few hospitals in the province, right? Did any of them take you in?”
”They asked me to do conservative treatment,” Lei Baihan said bitterly.
Zhang Anmin only trusted half of his words. He probably had conservative treatment before, but it just led to his current condition. His liver function drastically fell while the severity of his other diseases also increased.
Zhang Anmin bent his fingers and said, ”I won't even mention your severe fatty liver. Your cirrhosis is already in a very dangerous state. If it becomes more serious, you'll fall into a hepatic coma. Clonorchiasis is even more severe, do you understand?”
When a doctor educated a patient, the patient could only obediently lower his head. Not only was his life in the doctor's hands, but both parties also had a gap in knowledge. Lei Baihan was certain that while he could scold Zhang Anmin fiercely when it came to cooking skills, unfortunately, Zhang Anmin did not pursue high-end chef skills, so it was not easy for him to get a chance to scold him.
When Zhang Anmin happily finished speaking, Lei Baihan chuckled and said, ”Doctor Zhang, please don't be angry. I know I have slightly more diseases, please put more effort into treating me…”
”I invited our group leader over. When it comes to your disease, forget about the possibility of me treating you, there aren't many people in Changxi Province who can handle your disease.” It was only at that moment that Zhang Anmin sighed a little. Then, he introduced Ling Ran. ”Our Doctor Ling is the expert for hepatectomy in the province. Two months ago, he went to Beijing. The department director of the General Surgery Department in Beijing University Sixth Hospital also looked for him when he needed surgery.”
”I know him. Ling Ran, Doctor Ling,” Lei Baihan quickly said, ”I have a friend who is also a doctor. I told him about my situation. He also deliberately introduced Ling Ran to me. I'm quite lucky.”
When Zhang Anmin heard about it, his expression became slightly better. He nodded and said, ”Doctor Ling normally picks his medical cases, but your condition is more serious, and you need to understand it yourself…”
”I know.” Lei Baihan smiled and said again, ”Major chefs cook normal food, but small chefs cook for banquets. My 202 pounds are in your hands. You can just give me back the pounds I lose later, and you can return how much you want.”
”It's not so dangerous. Although there is still a certain risk involved in hepatectomy, our skills are now much more advanced compared to last time…” Zhang Anmin comforted him again before he left the room.
When it was noon, Ling Ran walked forward with steady footsteps while he went room by room to check the patients.