This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”Alright, let’s proceed as you suggested, Dean.” Du Heng nodded and remained silent for a moment, as did the others.

Suddenly, Du Heng frowned. After thinking for a moment, he took out his phone.

”Hello, Elder Martial Uncle, this is Du Heng... I’m currently in the Capital. I heard from a senior that our department has applied to the Department with the stroke research project? ...Alright, thank you, Elder Martial Uncle. I’ll contact Director Tang right away.”

After hanging up, Du Heng said to Director Zheng, ”People from the Department have come. I’ll give you a phone number later. Contact them and see if there’s anything we can help with.”

Director Zheng quickly nodded and agreed.

Just then, Du Heng’s mobile phone beeped.

Du Heng looked down; Zhuo Mingde had already sent the phone number.

”I’ll forward you the number now. It’s for a Director Tang, from the Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration.”

”Alright, Dean, leave it to me. You can rest assured.”

Afterward, they chatted idly in the office, waiting for Professor Zhang to return.

About half an hour later, just as Du Heng and the others were growing impatient, the office door was pushed open again.

Professor Zhang’s young assistant smiled and said, ”Doctor Du, Professor Zhang would like you to come over.”

Du Heng smiled in response and, without saying anything, followed the assistant back to the hospital room.

The moment he saw Du Heng, Professor Zhang smiled apologetically. ”Doctor Du, I’m truly sorry to have kept you waiting for so long.”

”Professor Zhang, you’re too kind,” Du Heng replied, also noticing a new doctor beside Professor Zhang, presumably the specialist from the Hepatobiliary Department for the consultation. ”How did the discussion go?”

Professor Zhang took a deep breath. ”After our discussion, Deputy Director Ha from the Hepatobiliary Department and the patient himself both feel that not operating is the best approach. So, we’ll still need to trouble you for your hands-on assistance, Doctor Du. If there’s anything you need, just let us know.”

Du Heng simply smiled.

The decision between surgery and non-surgery didn’t seem to be a tough choice at all.

”I need to write a prescription: first, for an emetic, and second, to protect the meridians.”

”Go ahead and write it. I’ll have someone sign off on it.”

Pen and paper were handed over as soon as this was agreed upon.

Ginseng rhizome, melon stalk, licorice, schizonepeta.

”Melon Stalk Powder is primarily an emetic,” Du Heng explained after writing. ”Combined with ginseng rhizome, licorice, and schizonepeta, it tonifies the center to promote vomiting, thus calming the meridians during the process and not harming the qi and blood.”

Professor Zhang took the prescription but didn’t look at it, instead passing it to a doctor behind him.

He was a Western medicine practitioner and had spent his whole career in the Ophthalmology Department, so he couldn’t understand traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions. It was better to leave it to the experts.

Seeing the person behind him nod, Professor Zhang also nodded and had them go prepare it immediately. Then he turned back to Du Heng and asked, ”Doctor Du, is there anything else to prepare?”

”Just a set of needle utensils for acupuncture, please.”

”Alright, I’ll have someone find them immediately.”

Twenty minutes later, the decoction medicine and needle utensils were all ready.

First, Du Heng had the patient drink the decoction medicine and lie flat for fifteen minutes. When the patient’s urge to vomit was strongest, Du Heng had him lean over the side of the bed and vomit.

When the patient had vomited so much their whole body was curled up, Du Heng had them slowly lie back down.

But this wasn’t over. Once the patient lay down and felt slightly more comfortable, Du Heng unbuttoned the patient’s clothes over the abdomen and inserted six needles directly into the liver area.

”Doctor Du, what are you doing?” Professor Zhang, observing from behind, couldn’t help but ask, puzzled.

Du Heng, while slowly adjusting the needles, explained, ”This soothes the liver meridian and invigorates liver blood, reducing the damage from the twisted liver lobes. In about half an hour, he’ll be able to move normally and will be fine. Otherwise, his liver area will be uncomfortable for some time.”

”Oh.” Professor Zhang acknowledged, then turned to the patient, who was still lying with eyes closed. ”Well, Doctor Du, can the patient open his eyes now?”

”He can open them now,” Du Heng replied. ”But tell him to do it slowly. His vision will still be blurry at first, so he should adjust and adapt gradually.”

Full of anticipation, Professor Zhang said to the patient, ”Come on, try opening your eyes.”

Du Heng smiled faintly, not paying them further attention, and focused on adjusting the fine needles himself.

However, the feedback he heard from them matched his expectations.

Only after opening and closing his eyes three or four times did the patient’s vision fully return to normal.

By this time, Du Heng had also finished the acupuncture treatment and began to remove the needles one by one.

An eye condition that had stumped numerous experts was thus resolved with a few bouts of vomiting. Seeing the patient’s state, it seemed he could probably be discharged immediately without any issues.

Professor Zhang was very happy, not in the least bit displeased that a young man, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, had cured his patient.

”Doctor Du, are there any precautions to take afterward?”

”From the prescription I just wrote, remove the melon stalk. Have him take two more doses to nourish the liver, and he’ll be fine.”

Professor Zhang immediately turned to the doctor behind him and said, ”Follow Doctor Du’s instructions. Perform another check-up on the patient, and if there are no issues, he can be discharged.”

Then, he said to Du Heng, ”Doctor Du, shall we go back?”

After returning to the office and exchanging some mutual praise, Du Heng prepared to leave. Professor Zhang, however, said, ”Doctor Du, it’s already noon. Let’s go have a meal together. Our hospital’s canteen, I think, is quite good.”

Du Heng smiled and declined, ”There’s no need to trouble you, Professor Zhang. I really must get back now. I came out to have some fun with my girlfriend. I left her alone at the hotel this morning, and she’s already angry. If I don’t go back now, she’ll be even harder to pacify.”

Professor Zhang laughed heartily. ”Since you have things to do, I won’t insist. Taking care of your girlfriend is important. By the way, Doctor Du, I was wondering if you might be free the day after tomorrow in the afternoon?”

Du Heng was slightly taken aback. ”Is there something you need, Professor Zhang?”

”Well, the day after tomorrow afternoon, there’s an ophthalmology salon discussion at the XX Hotel. Not only domestic ophthalmology experts but also many internationally renowned professors will be attending. If you’re interested, Doctor Du, we could go together.”

Du Heng immediately became conflicted.

Such a salon discussion would undoubtedly be high-class.

And with experts like Professor Zhang attending, it was definitely an invaluable opportunity within the specialty.

But this was an ophthalmology salon, and it would definitely be primarily focused on Western medicine.

From any perspective, it wouldn’t be very useful for me. Besides, if I were to attend, I might seem out of place.

Ah, if it were a discussion about traditional Chinese medicine, how nice that would be.

Du Heng felt a little regretful but was still grateful for Professor Zhang’s invitation. ”Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Professor Zhang. However, I’m not an ophthalmologist and don’t know much about the field. If I went, I probably wouldn’t understand anything and might even embarrass you. So, I think I’ll pass.”

Professor Zhang wasn’t surprised by Du Heng’s refusal. ”There’s no pressure. It’s just an internal industry discussion for ophthalmology. It’s fine if you don’t go. If other suitable events come up next time, I’ll help put you in touch.”

”Alright, thank you, Professor Zhang.”

This harmonious visit thus concluded perfectly.

It was a bit regrettable, though. It wasn’t about traditional Chinese medicine or the Internal Medicine Department, which were his main interests. He would have been even happier if it had been about surgery.

But all in all, it was a very meaningful event, so Du Heng didn’t dwell on it too much. After exiting the hospital, he bid Director Zheng and the others farewell, and the two groups went their separate ways to attend to their own matters.

What about Du Heng?

Naturally, he rushed back to the hotel without delay. He wondered if Wu Shengnan was still angry.

However, when Du Heng returned to the hotel room and saw Wu Shengnan still in bed, snoring soundly, he finally felt relieved.

But looking at the soundly sleeping Wu Shengnan, Du Heng felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. He couldn’t resist reaching out and nudging her. ”Wake up! Hey, wake up! Time to go climb the Great Wall!”

Wu Shengnan rolled her eyes at Du Heng, then closed them again. Her body, which he had just pulled up, went limp and flopped back down. ”How are you back so soon? I feel like I just fell asleep.”