My Roommate Lover - Chapter 16 - Kidney Yang Deficiency

The next day, Jia Simiao arrived early at the Demolition Office.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he was stopped by the old man at the reception, who barked, “What do you want? Got a pass?”

Jia Simiao chuckled, “Uncle, I’m here to see Manager Ji Shihua.”

The old man, full of himself, coughed twice and snorted, “Wait here. Mr. Ji hasn’t come to work yet.”

“When will he be in?”

“Am I supposed to keep track of that? He’s the boss, and I’m just the gatekeeper. How could I possibly know?”

Jia Simiao walked over and discreetly handed him a hundred yuan, smiling, “Uncle, I have urgent business with Mr. Ji. Will this pass do?”

The old man quickly pocketed the money, grinning, “You’re quite the smooth talker, young man. Head to the third floor office to find Mr. Ji, though I’m not sure if he’s in a meeting.”

Jia Simiao smiled and headed straight to the third floor.

At the door of the manager’s office, a female secretary stopped him, asking what his business was.

The secretary, dressed in an office lady suit with a purple scarf around her neck, exuded a certain elegance. However, her demeanor was icy, making Jia Simiao wonder if she had just gone through a breakup or was experiencing early menopause.

Jia Simiao smiled, “I have urgent business with Mr. Ji regarding the ancestral house of Jia Family on Yangjiang Road.”

It seemed the secretary was aware of the matter. She scrutinized Jia Simiao and asked, “Who are you, and can you make decisions?”

Jia Simiao replied, “My name is Jia Simiao, and the ancestral house belongs to my family.”

The secretary waved her hand, “Alright, wait over here…”

Before Jia Simiao could move, the office door swung open, and a fair-skinned, handsome young man strode out. He carried an air of arrogance, not even sparing Jia Simiao a glance as he walked away. The secretary asked Jia Simiao to wait and then entered the office. After a few seconds, she gestured for Jia Simiao to enter.

Ji Shihua was a short, stout middle-aged man with a receding hairline. He sat in his chair, holding a mouse, playing solitaire on his computer, occasionally coughing. He didn’t even glance at Jia Simiao as he entered. The secretary left, closing the door behind her.

Jia Simiao observed Ji Shihua and stood quietly with his hands at his sides.

After a while, Ji Shihua tossed the mouse aside, leaned back in his chair, and asked, “I heard you’re the owner of the Jia Family’s ancestral house?”

“Yes, my name is Jia Simiao. Here are my credentials.” Jia Simiao handed over his ID and other documents.

Ji Shihua glanced at them and said loudly, “You should know by now, right? Our Nanjiang City is undergoing a major garden city development, and the riverside areas along Yangjiang Road are a top priority for renovation. Your ancestral house is right in the center of Yangjiang Road, and it’s such a dilapidated building. It should have been demolished long ago. I’m calling you here to notify you that it must be torn down, so you can be mentally prepared.”

“Mr. Ji, I want to know which construction company is responsible for this project?”

“Is that something you need to know?”

“I don’t need to know, but I should at least know who will be providing the compensation for demolishing my family’s ancestral house, right? Let me be clear, our ancestral house is over a thousand square meters. Considering the property prices along Yangjiang Road, it’s at least ten thousand per square meter, which amounts to over ten million. Is the Demolition Office responsible for the compensation?”

At this, Ji Shihua became agitated, “Whoever demolishes it, you deal with them. What’s it got to do with our Demolition Office?”

Jia Simiao calmly replied, “The problem is, I don’t know who is responsible for demolishing our ancestral house.”

Ji Shihua was momentarily speechless, then snapped, “It’s the City Third Construction Company. Our Demolition Office only handles issuing documents and announcements. As for compensation and other matters, the Third Construction Company will negotiate with you.”

Jia Simiao smiled, “They’re going to negotiate compensation with me? I doubt it. They’re just the contractors; there must be a developer behind them, right?”

This line of questioning pressed Ji Shihua, making him uncomfortable. He sneered, “I don’t know about those things either. You should go back. The Third Construction Company will contact you. I have other matters to attend to.”

Jia Simiao didn’t leave. Instead, he took two steps forward and casually remarked, “Mr. Ji, have you been feeling a bit under the weather in the bedroom lately?”

Ji Shihua was taken aback, his face darkening, “What do you mean by that?”

Jia Simiao replied, “Never mind what I mean. Let me ask you, have you been coughing a lot lately? And when you went to the doctor, the medication didn’t help, right?”

Who the hell is this kid? It’s like he can see right through me.

Ji Shihua stared at Jia Simiao, “Are you a doctor?”

Jia Simiao said, “Since you know about the Jia Family’s ancestral house, you should know the saying, ‘One Imperial Physician in Court, Three Tanhua Out of Court,’ right?”

Ji Shihua’s expression changed slightly. He quickly said, “Yes, you’re right. I’ve been coughing a lot lately and thought it was because I caught a chill at night, but the medicine hasn’t worked.”

Jia Simiao said, “The Neijing¹ says: ‘All the organs can cause coughing, not just the lungs.’ Some doctors, when they hear a cough, immediately suspect a cold or lung infection, or bronchitis. But actually, different coughs have different symptoms. Uncle, I heard your cough, and it sounds weak, with a bit of sweat on your forehead. If I’m not mistaken, it’s probably caused by kidney yang deficiency. For men, kidney yang deficiency naturally leads to problems in the bedroom…”

What Neijing? What kidney yang deficiency? Ji Shihua didn’t understand, but Jia Simiao’s words were spot on. He really had been struggling in the bedroom lately. He quickly asked, “What should I do? Is there a cure?”

“Well…”

“Hey, Jia, come sit down. Let’s have a chat.”

Ji Shihua quickly invited Jia Simiao to sit on the sofa, speaking with newfound respect, “We’re both men, so I won’t hide it. The most painful thing for a man is… well, not being able to perform. If you have a solution, please share it. I’d be very grateful.”

Jia Simiao said, “Since I’ve come across this, I can’t just watch you suffer, Mr. Ji. Sit down, put your leg on the chair, and roll up your pant leg. Let me take a look.”

Struggling in the bedroom and coughing, why roll up the pant leg? Ji Shihua was puzzled but did as Jia Simiao instructed. Jia Simiao took out a silver needle and inserted it into the inside of his calf, in front of the Achilles tendon, at the Fuliu Point². His fingers gently manipulated it, and Ji Shihua felt a tingling sensation in his calf, quite unbearable.

Gradually, the tingling subsided, replaced by a warm current flowing up his leg, gathering at his waist. At this point, his waist also felt a similar sensation, stronger than in his calf, almost making him moan.

Suddenly, the discomfort vanished. Jia Simiao smiled, “Alright, stand up and move around a bit.”

Ji Shihua felt invigorated, his body light, and exclaimed, “Is it really… really better?”

Jia Simiao said, “Try it tonight. If it doesn’t work, you can go ahead and demolish our ancestral house. I won’t say a word.”

Ji Shihua was overjoyed, pulling Jia Simiao to sit down, speaking earnestly, “Jia, I’m not an ungrateful person. Since you’ve cured my ailment, let me advise you: your family’s ancestral house may be a cultural relic, but you can’t fight city hall. It needs to be demolished.”

Jia Simiao asked, “I trust you, Mr. Ji, but… I need to know who’s behind the development along Yangjiang Road?”

“This group is quite influential. It’s the renowned Dongsheng Group in Nanjiang City. The chairman, Huo Dongsheng, is related to the deputy mayor in charge of transportation and urban construction. You, as an ordinary citizen, can’t possibly stand against them.”

Ji Shihua handed Jia Simiao a cigarette, quite animated, “Before you came in, did you see a young man leaving? That’s Huo Dongsheng’s second son, Huo Enjue. I’m just a small-time manager at the Demolition Office, and even I have to curry favor with him. It’s so frustrating.”

The Huo Family is wealthy and powerful in Nanjiang City. It’s said that Huo Dongsheng’s eldest son is involved in the criminal underworld, while his second son, Huo Enjue, along with Qin Family’s Qin Pojun and Shang Family’s Shang Jiazhou, are all prominent rising stars in Nanjiang City, each quite formidable. Now that the Huo Family has connections in the government, who can touch them? And Jia Simiao, as Mr. Ji said, is just an ordinary citizen, not even in the same league.

Jia Simiao smiled, “So, the Third Construction Company is also part of Dongsheng Group?”

Ji Shihua nodded, “Yes, you must have been away from Nanjiang City for a while, not understanding the situation here. The Third Construction Company has always been the contractor for Dongsheng Group’s projects. Even if you approach Dongsheng Group, it won’t help. The Huo Family won’t see you; they operate from behind the scenes.”

Footnote:

1. Neijing(内经):Refers to the Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), a foundational text of traditional Chinese medicine that discusses medical theory, diagnostics, and treatments.
2. Fuliu Point(复溜穴):A key acupuncture point located on the kidney meridian, found on the inner side of the lower leg near the Achilles tendon. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat issues such as coughing, asthma, and kidney-related conditions by regulating energy flow and restoring balance.