"Mr. Shui!" Song Hao hurriedly stood up to greet him.
The three then sat down at a coffee table on the side. Tang Yu said, "Song Hao, Dean Jiang's matter has nothing to do with him. I ordered him to stop the investigation. It seems it's time to explain the whole truth to you. Director Shui, you can speak first."
Shui Mingyang smiled and said, "President Song, first of all, I would like to express my apologies to you. When I came to Tianyitang to recommend myself, it was actually at the request of a friend. To be frank, I was hired to work for Tianyitang at a separate annual salary. And the person who pays me an annual salary of one million US dollars is Mr. Qi Yannian of Tianyi Group."
"Mr. Shui was sent by Tianyi Group!" Song Hao was shocked to hear this.
"Before coming to Tianyitang, Director Shui was the chief surgical expert at several major hospitals of Tianyi Group in Europe," Tang Yu said.
"President Tang is very clever. Soon after I arrived at Tianyitang, she knew my purpose and true identity. I was hired by Mr. Qi to help you, so that Tianyitang could reach the level of a comprehensive hospital, including surgery. During my time at Tianyitang, I have truly felt the unique charm of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I am also fortunate to have the opportunity to work in such a magical place. I can now say that Tianyitang has reached the highest level in the world in terms of comprehensive treatment. Here, many intractable diseases that Western medicine considers incurable have been miraculously cured under the miraculous treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I am now being completely honest with President Song, and I sincerely hope that this matter will not affect my continued work at Tianyitang. This place has become a place where I can relearn. I will explain this to Mr. Qi later, and I will no longer accept his million-dollar annual salary offer, but will truly be employed by Tianyitang. Let's maintain the previous conditions."
Shui Mingyang nodded to Song Hao and Tang Yu after saying this, and said, "I have another surgery to perform, so I'll be going now." After saying that, he got up and left.
Looking at the silent Song Hao, Tang Yu said, "Now you should understand. All the funds Liu Tian and the others invested in building Tianyi Hall were secretly provided by Mr. Qi of the Tianyi Group. This included the great effort they put into contracting the entire Wansong Ridge for Tianyi Hall to serve as its medicinal herb supply base. Don't blame Liu Tian and the others for not telling you the truth; it was Mr. Qi and Aunt Du who repeatedly instructed them, fearing you would refuse if you knew. Tianyi Hall's rapid development to its current scale is thanks to the Tianyi Group's financial investment. Although, without the Tianyi Group's secret support, we would still achieve our dream today, it would be delayed by at least three to five years." "Because of what happened back then, especially Uncle Song Gang's death, you can't let go of it. But since Mr. Qi and Aunt Du found you, they've devoted almost all their attention to you. Even though you don't acknowledge them, they continue to silently offer their love. Please forgive my good intentions; after learning the truth, I couldn't tell you immediately. This is because this is the help your biological parents should give you, and I couldn't refuse it because of your stubbornness. I considered that this might gradually melt away your knot in your heart, and more importantly, it's crucial for the early development of Tianyi Hall. I couldn't let your personal emotions prevent this from happening. For the sake of the bigger picture, I had to do this."
Actually, apart from the matter of Shui Mingyang, which surprised Song Hao, he had already anticipated what Tang Yu said. He had Jiang He investigate the matter to confirm his suspicions.
"Time heals all wounds, even hatred. Song Hao, please bravely face this reality and start dealing with it all anew. Do you know Aunt Du's pain at missing her son? She fell ill several times because of you. Later, through my arrangements, she was able to see you up close and find some comfort. Mr. Qi and Aunt Du have visited Tianyitang, Kunming in Yunnan, and the March Street Festival in Dali. They are all secretly supporting you, cheering you on, and feeling proud of you," Tang Yu said.
"You mean they were around me!" Song Hao asked in surprise.
“Yes, it was all my arrangement. Please forgive me for doing this; I couldn’t bear to see your family continue to stand against each other like this,” Tang Yu said.
Song Hao didn't say anything more. He walked to the window, looked at the Baishui River in front of him, and couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.
"Song Hao!" Tang Yu walked to Song Hao's side and gently comforted him, "A mother's love is the greatest in the world. Do you remember the special desserts I brought you? They were made by Aunt Du herself."
Song Hao looked up and sighed, remaining silent.
"By the way, do you remember that big boss named He Chengzhong? He donated a total of fifteen million to Tianyi Hall. The first five million was donated by him personally, and the subsequent ten million was transferred by Mr. Qi through someone else, through He Chengzhong, to Tianyi Hall. That money solved Tianyi Hall's urgent problem. Mr. Qi and Aunt Du have been doing everything they can to support Tianyi Hall's development and are doing their best to help you. They even asked the people from the Life and Death Gate to resolve all your troubles. Uncle Song Gang's death was caused by your uncle Qi Yanfeng back then, not by your parents, and Qi Yanfeng has now been punished. Let everything go. Mr. Qi and Aunt Du are making every effort to make amends to you, and you should accept their familial love," Tang Yu added.
"They're making amends, trying to make amends for their guilt. Uncle Song Gang died in their conspiracy; it can't be called an accident, because they caused that outcome—that's an undeniable fact. Grandpa doesn't know about this yet. If he did, could he bear it? How could I face him then? So their so-called amends are insignificant compared to Uncle Song Gang's death; even if the whole world were used as compensation, it wouldn't make any difference. I have no gratitude for what they did to Tianyi Hall, and I will never forgive them. I don't want to see them again. Thank you for your kindness, Tang Yu, but you're not me; you can't understand how I feel. Please don't arrange for them to meet with me privately anymore, and please don't try to persuade Grandpa to accept that cruel reality before trying to convince me. Heaven has already been unfair to Grandpa; please don't involve him in this matter anymore. Let's not talk about this anymore, okay?" Song Hao closed his eyes in anguish.
Tang Yu shook her head in disappointment upon hearing this.
Song Hao fell ill; he couldn't bear the torment of his inner turmoil. The next morning, when Qiu Wei entered Song Hao's room, he found him lying pale and extremely haggard in bed. Qiu Wei was shocked and immediately informed everyone.
"A heart ailment! A heart ailment requires a heart remedy, and you'll have to find that remedy yourself," Lin Fengyi said, shaking his head after examining Song Hao's pulse. Tang Yu had already explained the special relationship between Song Hao and the Qi family of the Tianyi Group to everyone.
At the suggestion of Lin Fengyi and Tang Yu, Song Hao moved to Wansongling Herb Garden for a peaceful recuperation.
Song Hao put aside his work and recuperated at the Hundred Herbs Garden. He needed to calm down and reflect on the things he was facing; some things he could no longer avoid. The growth and expansion of Tianyi Hall was undoubtedly due to the strong support of the Tianyi Group, which made everything go smoothly. All of this, however, added to Song Hao's bitterness and complex emotions.
Song Hao received meticulous care from Qiu Ru upon his arrival. Tang Yu and Luo Feiying also temporarily put aside their work to attend to him. The three of them were all aware of each other's feelings for Song Hao, but kept it unspoken. However, because they had spent so much time together, they avoided awkwardness when sensitive topics were not discussed, maintaining this ambiguous relationship.
That evening, the sergeant brought Song Zihe over.
"Grandpa, what brings you here?" Song Hao sat up quickly upon seeing his grandfather.
Tang Yu gave Qiu Ru and Luo Feiying a wink, and the two women understood. They left with Tang Yu, leaving the grandfather and granddaughter to talk.
"How are you feeling, Song Hao?" Song Zihe asked with concern.
"I'm fine, Grandpa. Don't worry about me. I'm just feeling a little tired, nothing serious. I'll be fine after a few days of rest," Song Hao replied.
"Sigh!" Song Zihe sighed softly and said, "Grandpa knows you're under too much pressure. You have to manage all the affairs of Tianyi Hall. You've collapsed from exhaustion. And also..."
Song Zihe paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "Tang Yu told me that your parents provided financial support to Tianyitang to help you. They were able to do so, and it was their duty. Just accept it and don't worry about it. The most important thing is that Tianyitang can develop and grow smoothly; that's more important than anything else. Because Tianyitang bears the responsibility of revitalizing medicine. This is not only your dream, but also the dream of all people in the Chinese medicine community. In a sense, it's no longer just your personal matter. Grandpa knows that you still can't get over it. Your parents have explained everything to me, and I've forgiven them. It's all in the past now. Besides, it was your parents' actions back then that created a special opportunity for you." The environment provided you with all these opportunities. Otherwise, if you had stayed within the Tianyi Sect or the Tianyi Group, you would have merely been a young master from a prominent family. You might have achieved something else, but you couldn't have founded the Tianyi Hall you have today. In this respect, your parents have done well, and they have provided you with tremendous support. Despite their many faults, they are still your biological parents. Why not acknowledge them as your parents? With the family reunited, your grandfather will have no more worries. Moreover, it's beneficial for your career and the development of the Tianyi Hall. If the Tianyi Hall can join forces with the Tianyi Group, the revival of medicine will be just around the corner. In fact, some people can no longer distinguish between the Tianyi Hall and the Tianyi Group, thinking they are one entity, and that they should belong to one family.”
"Grandpa, there are some things I... I just can't face," Song Hao said, bowing his head.
"Of course, you have your own opinions, and Grandpa respects your decision. I just hope that you and your parents won't become too distant; that's not good. Actually, through Tang Yu's arrangement, I've met with your parents a few more times, and they've also advised me to respect your opinion on this matter and not force you. What they're doing for you now isn't compensation, but rather fulfilling their responsibilities as parents, which is perfectly reasonable. Furthermore, I believe, and it's also the opinion of Lin Fengyi, Wu Qiguang, Tang Yu, and myself, that Tianyitang should cooperate with Tianyi Group in pharmaceutical manufacturing. This is Tianyi Group's advantage; they have the world's most advanced production equipment and technology, which will greatly benefit Tianyitang's pharmaceutical capabilities."
"Tianyitang is cooperating with Tianyi Group!" Song Hao frowned slightly.
"This is just our opinion; the final decision rests with you. For the sake of Tianyitang's development, don't let personal feelings affect your career," Song Zihe said.
"Let me think about this matter and we can discuss it later," Song Hao said.
“Song Hao!” Song Zihe said with emotion, “We and Tianyi Hall are living in a great and prosperous era. It is our responsibility as doctors to seize this opportunity and revitalize the medical profession as soon as possible.”
“I know!” Song Hao nodded.
When Song Zihe left, Tang Yu saw him off at the gate of the Hundred Herbs Garden.
Song Zihe said, "Song Hao still needs to untangle his knot in his heart slowly. We shouldn't rush this. What we need to do now is to work hard to develop the cooperation between Tianyi Hall and Tianyi Group. This is also his parents' wish. Once Tianyi Hall and Tianyi Group are integrated, everything will fall into place naturally, and all problems will be solved. A few days ago, when I met with Mr. Qi, he expressed his intention to transfer the domestic assets of Tianyi Group to Song Hao for inheritance and management. That's equivalent to several Tianyi Halls in terms of strength. I was afraid Song Hao wouldn't accept it immediately, so I advised Mr. Qi to slow down and not rush things. Sigh! Why can't Song Hao understand this?"
41 Cooperation 2
"Grandpa, actually it's because..." Tang Yu hesitated, then shook her head and said, "Then let it be. We'll try our best to persuade Song Hao to cooperate with Tianyitang and Tianyi Group in the future, and then let him slowly accept everything. But he's still very stubborn right now and doesn't want to meet Mr. Qi and Aunt Du."
“This requires us to work on it gradually. I think you can first discuss the cooperation between Tianyitang and Tianyi Group with Mr. Qi and the others, and proceed secretly. When it reaches a certain point, then tell Song Hao, so he can't stop it. This is not only to ease the relationship between him and his parents, but also for the long-term development of Tianyitang. As long as we can make Tianyitang and Tianyi Group, these two behemoths, go hand in hand, Song Hao will have no choice but to agree. We can also approve this at the board meeting, and Song Hao should respect the opinion of the majority,” Song Zihe said.
"Grandpa, your idea is brilliant! Song Hao will naturally accept Tianyi Group, and even Mr. Qi and Aunt Du in due time," Tang Yu said happily.
“Mr. Qi said that Tianyi Group originally belonged to Song Hao!” Song Zihe said.
The next day, as dawn broke, Song Hao woke up and felt that his weak body had recovered somewhat. So he got up and quietly left the room without disturbing Tang Yu and Qiu Ru next door. He walked out of the Hundred Herbs Garden and strolled on Wansong Ridge.
The crisp air invigorated Song Hao, especially the unique fragrance of herbs carried on the breeze from the dozens of acres of medicinal gardens he could see ahead. Workers were already out working there. And as far as the eye could see, medicinal gardens were scattered throughout Wansong Ridge, cultivating various herbs.
Along the way, they unexpectedly arrived at Song Jingchun's grave. Song Hao held his great-grandfather, Song Jingchun, known as the "Heroic Physician," in boundless reverence. This great-grandfather, whose life and legacy were both legendary, had always been a role model for Song Hao. A physician should possess a chivalrous heart; a small healer saves lives, a great healer saves the nation. Especially noteworthy was his great-grandfather's daring act of risking his life to trap the renowned poison doctor Du Wantong on Wansong Ridge for thirty years in a bet, thus ensuring the death of Du's unparalleled poison-wielding skills. Selflessly saving the world—this is the true compassion of a physician.
"Great-grandfather, Tianyi Hall has already developed, and I want to be like you, traveling the world to practice medicine! I also want to create an era, an era of great traditional Chinese medicine!" Song Hao stood in front of Song Jingchun's grave and secretly made a vow.
"Brother Song, so you've come here! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Qiu Ru walked over carrying a thermos.
"It's time to take your medicine, but I can't find you." Qiu Ru handed over the medicine bottle, smiling as she said, "This is the prescription Grandpa wrote, and I prepared the medicine."