This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

The two of them went to the clinic to change clothes and called Du Fei to start working together.

Just as everyone was about to take their respective positions, Du Heng pulled Wu Buwei aside.

Wu Buwei was puzzled. ”What’s wrong, Senior Brother?”

Du Heng looked at Wu Buwei and asked, ”How have you been learning during this period? Do you feel you’ve made any progress?”

”Yes, I’ve benefited greatly.”

”That’s good. Come, today you’ll be the attending physician, and I’ll be your assistant.” Du Heng said, then sat in Wu Buwei’s seat, helping with registering patient files and recording prescriptions.

But Wu Buwei panicked.

He had learned a lot, but this was his first time treating patients independently.

Moreover, with so many people present, the pressure made his heart tremble, and he didn’t dare take that seat.

”Senior Brother, I can’t do it. You should do it.”

Du Heng, calm and composed, remained seated on the stool. ”Look at you, so timid. You’ve been with me for a month; the common illnesses are just a few types. What’s there to be afraid of?”

”I’m scared.”

”Nonsense! Last time you performed acupuncture on that facial paralysis patient, you said the same thing. And in the end? Didn’t you do a very good job?”

Wu Buwei still hesitated. ”Senior Brother, that was different. Last time with the acupuncture, I was just following a set procedure, copying mechanically. Now I have to diagnose on my own. I really can’t do it.”

Du Heng grew impatient. ”Just do as I say! I’ll be right here watching. Do you think I’d let you make a mistake? Sit down and get started, quickly.”

”Well... alright then. But if I get it wrong, you can’t scold me.”

”For basic and common illnesses, if you make a mistake, forget scolding you, I’ll thrash you on the spot.”

Du Heng spoke fiercely, but the smile on his face let Wu Buwei know he was only joking.

Du Heng ignored Wu Buwei then, because Du Fei had already finished the initial check-up for the first patient.

”Ma Ti, you’re quite the big shot now, huh?”

The young man who had approached started teasing Du Heng as soon as he spoke.

This was because Du Heng’s name was also the name of a Chinese herbal medicine, also known as Ma Ti Xiang.

Du Heng glanced speechlessly at the man before him. ”Mr. Stubborn Donkey, what brings you here?”

”Du Heng, that’s going too far! I have a son now; you can’t use that nickname anymore. Call me by my name, Du Jiang.”

”Bullshit. What’s wrong with calling you that? You just called me by my nickname too.”

”Alright, you win. Come on, take a look at me. I’ve been feeling awful these past few days.”

Du Heng naturally placed his hand on Du Jiang’s wrist and carefully observed his complexion.

Although I asked Wu Buwei to be the attending physician, I must check him myself first. I can’t just completely let go.

That would be irresponsible to both the patient and Wu Buwei.

As Du Heng’s fingers felt the pulse, it gave a slight jump. This kid, Wu Buwei, is really lucky, encountering such a disease right as he’s starting out.

”How many days have you been feeling unwell?”

”Let me see... I started feeling a headache right when my wife went into the delivery room, and then I got a bit of a fever. The attending physician there gave me two boxes of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules. They helped for a little while, but then they stopped working altogether. I figured it was just a cold, nothing serious. Plus, my wife had just given birth, there was no one else around to help, and I had to get the baby’s birth certificate sorted and all that, so I just decided to tough it out.”

As Du Jiang spoke, his voice took on a frustrated tone. ”Who would’ve thought? Today should be the ninth day, and the headache and fever haven’t gone away. I cough whenever I lie down flat, and now I can barely urinate. See if you can treat it. If not, I’ll go to a Big Hospital. I’m starting to think this isn’t just a cold anymore.”

Du Heng had a good idea of the situation. He withdrew his hand from Du Jiang’s pulse and smiled. ”Don’t scare yourself. Go on over there and let my junior fellow apprentice take a look at you.”

Du Jiang hesitated. ”Hey, don’t mess with me. Is your junior fellow apprentice any good? We’re classmates and like brothers, Du Heng. Don’t you dare use me as a guinea pig.”

”Relax, it won’t kill you. Hurry up and go over there; don’t hold up the line.”

Du Jiang reluctantly sat down in front of Wu Buwei. Wu Buwei took a deep breath, beginning his first independent diagnosis.

This wasn’t some practice examination in an empty office; this was the real battlefield.

Succeed, and my confidence will soar. Fail, and I’ll be utterly humiliated.

Du Heng smiled as he looked at Wu Buwei, who was poised and ready. Then, he began registering the woman who had just sat down in front of him.

The woman was from another village. Du Heng recognized her face but couldn’t recall her name.

I’ll examine her first myself, then have Wu Buwei make the diagnosis.

However, when Du Heng finished his examination, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

I don’t know if this kid Wu Buwei is lucky or unlucky. I haven’t seen a case like this in a month, and now that he’s the attending physician, two pop up one after another. It’s almost comical.

Still, the previous task is completed. The new one requires 3,000 cases. Judging by this month’s rate, it’s not something that can be finished quickly.

Since that’s the case, with patients right here, why not slow down the pace and let Wu Buwei get some proper practice?

There are only three large village brigades left to visit. Although they have more people, I don’t think we’ll see the same kind of turnout as we have here.

Those remaining three brigades are all near the Health Clinic and closer to the downtown area. They’re only half an hour from the downtown area, and normally, they don’t think much of the Health Clinic’s medical capabilities.

So, after they finish treating the patients in Duke Village, our trip to the upper villages will basically be over.

Wu Buwei finished his examination. During the pause for syndrome differentiation, he hesitated and glanced at Du Heng beside him.

Du Heng smiled, sat up a little straighter, and turned to look at Wu Buwei, his eyes full of encouragement.

Wu Buwei coughed softly to clear his throat, then said, ”The pulse is tight like a string, strong, and unyielding, like a straight, taut cord. The patient presents with fever yet cold feet, sweating, cough, and a flushed face. This is a Taiyang syndrome.”

After speaking, Wu Buwei looked at Du Heng with bright eyes, confident in his syndrome differentiation and awaiting Du Heng’s praise.

Du Heng merely smiled faintly. ”It seems your recent study of the Treatise on Febrile Diseases has paid off. However, think about it more carefully; you still need to differentiate further.”

What does he mean? Was I wrong?

Wu Buwei froze for a moment, his confidence taking a blow.

There was nothing else for it. He could only turn his attention back to Du Jiang, frantically searching his mind for every piece of knowledge he had memorized.

But... he couldn’t find any other explanation. It really did seem to be a Taiyang disease.

Du Heng saw Wu Buwei’s predicament. Knowing he couldn’t just leave Wu Buwei hanging like that in front of everyone, he prompted, ”What does the Pulse Canon say about a tight and string-like pulse?”

The Pulse Canon?

Wu Buwei began to rack his brains once more.

The classics of traditional Chinese medicine are as vast as the ocean. Many disease patterns have different descriptions and explanations. Without a qualified master to guide and teach, it’s very easy to get oneself hopelessly confused.

Fortunately, during this past month, Wu Buwei had Du Heng by his side to point things out to him constantly. Otherwise, he would have become a muddle-headed fool long ago.

Suddenly, Wu Buwei’s eyes lit up, and he exclaimed softly, ”I’ve got it!”