Spring is the Plan of Life

Chapter 44 – Unexpected News

Novel Title: 一生之计在于春 (Spring is the Plan of Life)

Author：御小凡 (Yu Xiaofan)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 姚锦夕 (Yao Jinxi -MC), 吴洋 (Wu Yang -ML)

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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During their returning trip from City L, Yao Jinxi and Wu Yang wholeheartedly planned their roadtrip. They intend to drive from City C to Kunming. The route towards there is filled with attractions. Naturally, this roadtrip is meant for a good exploration. A rough estimate suggests that it will take at least half a month for them to complete their roadtrip.

The main issue is with Wu Yang, who is busier than when he was working. When Yao Jinxi was with him, his phone kept ringing incessantly. Occasionally, he even had to go out for social events, indicating the extent of his busyness.

Yao Jinxi suggested, “How about you handle the matters in Shanghai first before we go?”

“That will keep me busy for quite a while.” Wu Yang hung up the phone and contemplated for a moment. He then smiled, “But your appointment will definitely be a priority.”

“Look ahead…” Yao Jinxi knew that arguing back or perfunctory responses would only lead to banter. From his accumulated experience with Wu Yang, ignoring was the best solution. He was also calculating in his mind. Since Wu Yang was so busy, he would mainly have to be the one to oversee the renovation of the house after the roadtrip.

“That traditional Chinese medicine clinic, right?” Wu Yang parked the car and brought over the paper bag containing tea leaves, handing it to Yao Jinxi.

Originally, Yao Jinxi was about to get out of the car after taking the items. Suddenly, he thought about Wu Yang’s recent discomfort in the stomach due to frequent social events. They were already at the entrance of the Chinese medicine clinic, so he suggested, “You park the car and come with me.”

“Huh?” Wu Yang leaned on the steering wheel. He was puzzled and asked, “Why go there?”

Yao Jinxi had already closed the car door. “For your stomach. Let Uncle Yan prescribe some Chinese medicine for you.”

Taking traditional Chinese medicine can be quite cumbersome. It requires three doses a day and dietary restrictions. Wu Yang found it uninteresting. “I usually stick to Western medicine. It’s more convenient that way.”

“Western medicine treats the symptoms, not the root cause. It also comes with various side effects. You should trust our traditional medicine.” Seeing Yao Jinxi’s persistence, Wu Yang couldn’t argue with him over such a trivial matter. He got out of the car and accompanied him inside.

Upon seeing Yao Jinxi, Yan Zhaowen couldn’t stop smiling. “What a coincidence! I just finished the last batch this morning. Thank you for coming.”

“Then, please let me prepare it for you.” Yao Jinxi handed the paper bag over with keen eyes, watching as Yan Zhaowen eagerly brewed a cup of tea and enjoyed a sip.

It was also the first time Wu Yang had seen an elderly gentleman so fond of tea. He stood there with interest as Yan Zhaowen noticed him and politely nodded, “Is this your friend?”

Wu Yang courteously replied, “Hello.”

Yao Jinxi pressed his shoulder and guided him to sit in front of Yan Zhaowen. “Uncle Yan, he hasn’t been feeling well lately. Could you check his pulse for him?”

“I’ll go register first,” Wu Yang said, preparing to get up. Yan Zhaowen smiled and stopped him, saying, “No need. You’re a friend of Xiao Yao. Come on, extend your hand.”

“Thank you.” Wu Yang reached out his hand. Even before Yan Zhaowen took his pulse, he seemed to understand. “You’re having some stomach discomfort, right?”

Wu Yang was startled. How did he know without even checking?

“Young man, your internal organs are with you for a lifetime. You should pay more attention to what you eat daily. You might not feel it now, but you’ll realise the trouble when you get older,” Yan Zhaowen said, taking his pulse after a moment. “Seems like your stomach has been problematic for quite some time.”

Wu Yang nodded, “I had a gastroscopy before. But it was diagnosed as mild superficial gastritis.”

After giving him a leisurely glance, Yan Zhaowen said, “Your mind is too heavy. Excessive worries harm the spleen. A weakened spleen leads to liver stagnation, resulting in disharmony between the liver and stomach. You should try to think about things lightly in your daily life. I always tell this to Xiao Yao as well.”

Having said that, he fell silent, focusing entirely on reading the pulse. After a while, his initially relaxed expression became noticeably serious. He furrowed his brows slightly, “Switch hands.”

Wu Yang, feeling perplexed, switched hands as instructed.

Yao Jinxi faintly felt that something was wrong. The old man’s personality was usually cheerful. When patients came for consultations, Yan Zhaowen was always jovial and lighthearted.

After a long while, Yan Zhaowen withdrew his hand. During his contemplative silence, the room fell into a profound silence.

After a brief pause, Yan Zhaowen looked at Yao Jinxi, who had unknowingly become tense. He then turned his gaze back to Wu Yang. “Your pulse is heavy and weak, indicating internal deficiency. I suggest that you should undergo another gastroscopy soon.”

While the terms used in traditional Chinese medicine were not clear to Yao Jinxi and Wu Yang, the recommendation for another gastroscopy suggested that the issue might be more than just mild superficial gastritis.

Wu Yang asked, “In your opinion, what kind of illness might I have?”

“A pulse that is heavy and weak, indicating internal deficiency. Which can also be found in patients with tumours.” Seeing Yao Jinxi’s sudden change in expression, Yan Zhaowen added, “Of course, I’m not saying it’s definitely that. Just considering some other factors and your medical history, I think it’s better to be cautious. Western medicine diagnoses are more direct and quick. If you have time, go for an examination.”

“Alright, thank you.” Wu Yang took this matter seriously but didn’t seem overly anxious. On the contrary, Yao Jinxi looked solemn. He hadn’t expected that a spontaneous visit to the clinic would reveal such a situation. As soon as they left the clinic, he urged, “Let’s go to the hospital.”

“Don’t worry too much. I don’t feel like there’s anything serious. It might just be the gastritis getting worse,” Wu Yang reassured him. Without vomiting blood or experiencing unbearable pain, he found it hard to imagine that it could be cancer.

Despite trusting Yan Zhaowen, Yao Jinxi appeared deeply concerned. “In any case, let’s just go and get it checked.”

Being warned by a doctor about the possibility of cancer is not something one can easily overlook. While undergoing a gastroscopy is not a pleasant experience, for the sake of peace of mind, Wu Yang set aside other matters and went to the hospital with Yao Jinxi.

After registering with a specialist, the questions asked were similar to those during previous medical visits. In the end, the doctor issued a prescription for an examination, recommending that Wu Yang undergo a barium meal X-ray.

Yao Jinxi spoke up, “Can we go directly for a gastroscopy?”

“Gastroscopy? That works too.” The doctor expressed surprise. But seeing that Wu Yang had no objections, he exchanged the examination order and gave simple instructions, “Do not eat or drink 8 to 10 hours before the examination. Come in tomorrow morning, skip breakfast, and don’t drink water.”

Wu Yang stood up. “I understand. We’ll come tomorrow morning. Jinxi?”

“Huh?” Yao Jinxi only then realised what was happening. With a pale expression, he followed Wu Yang out of the hospital. “Maybe you shouldn’t go eat out tonight?”

Originally, Wu Yang had a business dinner scheduled for that night. While it wasn’t incredibly crucial, it still had some significance. However, given Yao Jinxi’s anxiety, Wu Yang decided to cancel it. He informed the other party through a phone call. With nowhere else to go, the two headed back to the tea shop.

Yao Jinxi, more unsettled about the potential illness than Wu Yang himself, lost his usual composure. He knew it was not the time to overreact. But he also knew that if he started talking, he wouldn’t be able to resist discussing the matter with Wu Yang. Therefore, they walked in silence.

Back at the tea shop, Yao Jinxi cooked a thick and soft rice porridge using the leftover rice. He didn’t dare to prepare spicy dishes for Wu Yang. Instead, he made a simple tomato and egg stir-fry with hollow-heart vegetables to accompany their meal.

Wu Yang wanted to comfort him. But the uncertainty surrounding the illness made it difficult to provide convincing reassurance without definite test results. Too much speculation about the unknown tended to induce worry. “By the way, how are Xia Ruonan and Fu Hongyu doing now?”

“Oh, them…” Yao Jinxi forced a smile, trying to perk up. “Ruonan told me that Fu Hongyu made his feelings clear to her and now she’s considering it.”

Wu Yang nodded. “I thought Xia Ruonan might confess first. Does she like Fu Hongyu?”

“Confess first? Like me? Well, not everyone can be as bold as I was,” Yao Jinxi recalled his own experience of confessing first and chuckled. “You have no sincerity in pursuing someone.”

“I think Fu Hongyu and I are quite similar. But fortunately, you’re not like Xia Ruonan,” Wu Yang shrugged as he took a sip of the porridge. He then added, “Also, I have plenty of sincerity. That’s why I let you confess first to express your sincerity.”

Yao Jinxi couldn’t help but find it amusing how Wu Yang made it sound like he was doing him a favour instead. The conversation lightened his mood. Some of the worries in his mind were temporarily alleviated.

The night passed without much conversation.

Setting an alarm, Yao Jinxi woke up early. Although he didn’t have many dreams the night before, his body felt tired. This meant that he had a less-than-restful sleep. He nudged the still-sleeping Wu Yang awake. After taking turns in the bathroom, they hurried to the hospital.

Payment was made and they waited in line. And then the time came for the examination.

After the doctor used the endoscope to observe the condition of the stomach, he suggested, “Let’s take a biopsy.”

Now, even Wu Yang felt that something was not right. Yao Jinxi had an uneasy feeling. It was as if his anxiety had transferred to a stomachache. They completed the necessary procedures and were told to return for the results in five days.

Sitting in the car, there was silence for a while. Neither of them said anything.

Yao Jinxi remained in a daze for a moment. He then took out a thermos and unscrewed the lid. He then turned it into a makeshift tea cup. “You haven’t had any drinks this morning, right? I brewed some black tea… It’s good for the stomach…”

Wu Yang took the makeshift tea cup and sipped the fragrant black tea slowly. He then smiled, “Let’s grab something to eat. You haven’t had breakfast yet.”

They arrived early. But after all the procedures, it was almost 11 o’clock. Yao Jinxi was filled with worries and didn’t feel hungry at all. However, he nodded, “Sure… let’s go back and make lunch.”

Maintaining a smile, Wu Yang started the car. “We’ve been occupied all morning. Let’s grab something to eat outside.”

Yao Jinxi pursed his lips and didn’t respond, tacitly agreeing.

The usual banter in their conversation felt strangely absurd in the face of the enormous worry. Arriving at a familiar restaurant, they ordered a table of light dishes. However, neither of them had much appetite. Still, to avoid adding psychological burden to each other, they forced smiles and tried to eat their meals.

While the biopsy results might not necessarily confirm cancer, the waiting period for the verdict was agonising. Yao Jinxi couldn’t stop thinking about Wu Yang’s condition, yet he dared not discuss it with Wu Yang. He also had no intention of bringing it up with Xia Ruonan, Yao Hong, or the others.

Finally, on the day of receiving the results, Yao Jinxi anxiously rushed to the hospital with Wu Yang. The doctor, holding the report, was already waiting for them.

With a click of his tongue, the doctor declared, “Mr. Wu, based on these test results, you indeed have stomach cancer.”

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*Translator’s Note: I can’t handle suspense and I’m sure some of you are like that too so let me just say this. This novel is a HE, okay? Don’t worry. There will be more smuts in extra chapter and yadda yadda so stay tuned until then hahaha -K

Next update: 2023.11.24

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