This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”Going forward, we can adjust the dosage of aconite according to the patient’s actual condition, so as to warm the yang without harming the yin in a gradual manner.”

As soon as he finished speaking, indicating the end of Wu Buwei’s response, everyone in the office fell silent. Some lowered their heads to ponder, while others seemed to have realized something, and some turned red-faced.

With an unchanged smile, Du Heng asked Wu Buwei, ”For the subsequent treatment, should we maintain the previous method and simply adjust the dosage?”

”Yes.” Looking at Du Heng’s smile, Wu Buwei suddenly felt a little uneasy.

In the past, if his answer was correct, Du Heng would affirm it explicitly. But if it was incorrect, Du Heng would react as he was now.

Leaning back, Du Heng spoke softly, ”Let me share an anecdote with you all. Some of you may have heard it before, but treat it as if you’re hearing it for the first time.”

”In ancient times, there was a family in Chengdufu. The man reached middle age without a son, so he sought a remedy from a sage. However, the man died the day the medicine was made. In his household, there was a seventy-year-old slave who was hunchbacked, his hips and legs aching, able only to walk bent over. The man’s wife, Mrs. Chu, seeing her husband dead and the prepared medicine useless, gave it to the old slave.

After taking the medicine for several days, the old slave whispered to Mrs. Chu, ’This medicine is remarkably effective! All my ailments are cured, and my sexual vigor is like that of a young man.’

Mrs. Chu had an affair with him and eventually became pregnant. Four months later, her pregnancy was obvious and discovered by her mother. Her mother investigated thoroughly, and Mrs. Chu confessed the truth. The mother then had the old slave beaten to death. When his leg bones were broken, the leaking marrow was golden. Its efficacy was confirmed through repeated trials, and it was named the ’Laonu Pill,’ also known among medical practitioners as the ’Canglong Pill.’”

Du Heng glanced around and asked softly, ”Have any of you heard of this medicine before?”

Everyone shook their heads in unison, their eyes filled with confusion.

Such a story sounded exaggerated, and they figured the medicine mentioned was either mythical or its effects greatly overstated. Moreover, it was a medicine for the Department of Andrology from such a salacious tale; they were not only uninterested but also skeptical.

Seeing their reactions, Du Heng sighed with resignation. ”The Laonu Pill is first recorded in ’Wonderful Well-Tried Recipes’ by Dong Su, an Envoy of the Imperial Medical Institution during the Ming Dynasty. It was later included in ’Yulin Verification Formula’.”

He then sighed again and said, ”The medical books clearly record that this medicine specifically aids yang functions. If one wishes to counteract its effects, drink three mouthfuls of cold water. It is most efficacious for the elderly, those with declining qi and depletion, or those suffering from rheumatic pain in the waist and legs. The poem summarizing its main benefits reads: ’Add essence to treat kidney deficiency, expel cold and eliminate dampness; Support the declining and revive yang, piously prepare for good results; A secret not to be spread; Rely on it to preserve original qi, prolong life, and attain well-being.’”

He was truly exasperated with these people.

The younger ones were perhaps forgivable. But those middle-aged attending physicians, who just idled their time away without studying medical books, truly baffled him. He couldn’t imagine what they thought about or planned to do all day.

Everyone in the office blushed. Though Du Heng hadn’t blamed them harshly, his sighs were filled with such disappointment and disdain that their usually calm hearts couldn’t help but twinge.

Fortunately, Du Heng’s mobile phone rang at that moment, temporarily easing the awkward atmosphere.

Du Heng looked around at everyone, then answered the phone, ”What’s the matter, Director Gao? ... Okay, I’ll be right there.”

After hanging up, Du Heng stood up and said to Wu Buwei, ”Proceed with your treatment plan. Add the Laonu Pills in the fourth treatment round. This will help to nourish the kidney, add essence, warm the kidney, assist the yang, and dispel cold qi. It’s the best way to consolidate the therapeutic effect.”

After speaking, Du Heng headed towards the door. Just before exiting, he turned back and addressed everyone in the room, ”When you have time, read more books and study medical cases. Don’t just wait around for meals and gossip.”

As he finished speaking, Du Heng drifted away, leaving the people in the office exchanging awkward glances.

”Director Gao, what happened?” Du Heng asked casually when he arrived at the Gynecology Department consultation room, where Gao Qin had just finished with a patient.

Gao Qin, busy writing, told Du Heng, ”A patient came to our department reporting some hemorrhage from her lower body. Our doctor performed an internal examination but found no issues. We suggested she undergo HPV and TCT (cervical scraping) tests, but she adamantly refused. Our doctor thought the patient’s condition seemed a bit off, so she brought her to me. After hearing the details, I also felt something wasn’t right and wanted her to undergo some examinations, but she still refused.”

After listening to Gao Qin, Du Heng hesitated slightly.

His first reaction was to wonder whether the Internal Medicine Department was making the patient undergo unnecessary, ineffective examinations, just to increase their examination fees. But he quickly shook off this thought. In the months they had been working together, Gao Qin’s Gynecology Department, let alone other departments, had never done such a thing. So, Gao Qin insisting on the patient undergoing an examination now meant she highly suspected there was a problem.

”Why doesn’t the patient want to do it? Also, is it absolutely necessary?”

”I’ve looked at the patient’s disease record. She’s twenty-five, married for half a year. One month ago, she came to our hospital for an examination due to hemorrhage from her lower body. After inquiring about her situation, she was diagnosed with contact hemorrhage. We prescribed some medicine, explained some precautions, and let her leave.”

Gao Qin stood up after finishing her work. ”About a week ago, she came again, still because of hemorrhage from her lower body. Our doctors ruled out pregnancy or miscarriage and suspected a uterine issue. We suggested an examination, but she refused. So, our doctors had her sign a refusal on the inspection sheet and let her go. But today she came again, not just hemorrhage, but also unrestrained discharge and slight pain in her lower abdomen. We suggested an examination again, but she still refused.”

Gao Qin frowned deeply. ”Such continuous hemorrhage in such a short period, and now this unrestrained discharge—there must be a problem.”

After listening, Du Heng’s expression also turned serious. ”Contact hemorrhage is usually caused by excessively passionate sexual intercourse, leading to uterine cramps and endometrial detachment. But such continuous hemorrhage in a short period, if it’s only contact hemorrhage, that would be too prone to...”

Gao Qin coughed lightly, cutting Du Heng off.

Du Heng realized he had misspoken and hurriedly asked, ”Normal people shouldn’t experience this. Did you ask about her prior history?”

”We asked. She and her husband have known each other for five years. The hemorrhage only started recently.”

”Then it could very well be an internal lesion,” Du Heng frowned slightly. ”Where is the patient now?”

”I didn’t dare let her leave. I asked her to wait outside,” Gao Qin said, pointing towards the door.

Du Heng composed his expression and sat down opposite Gao Qin. ”Call her in. I’ll take a look.”

”Okay, I’ll call her now.”

After Gao Qin finished speaking, she pushed open the door and went out. She called out loudly in the corridor, and soon, two young women, one holding a child, walked into the consultation room.

Gao Qin pointed to the woman not holding the child and said, ”Dean, this is the patient. Please take a look.”

The woman took a step back. ”Why is the doctor a man?”

Du Heng encountered this question for the first time and, for a moment, genuinely didn’t know how to respond.

Gao Qin explained with a smile, ”This is our hospital Dean, a Deputy Chief Chinese Medicine Doctor, and also...” Then followed a long string of titles and honors, meant to reassure the woman.

”Traditional Chinese medicine, huh,” the woman murmured softly as she slowly sat down beside Du Heng. ”Is he any good?”

How to answer this? However, this wasn’t a question directed at him, so Du Heng pretended not to hear, deciding to let the results speak for themselves.

Du Heng casually pulled over two of Gao Qin’s books to use as a pulse pillow. ”Come, extend your arm. I’m going to examine you now.”

The woman extended her arm as requested and, looking at Du Heng, asked, ”You’re not going to do an internal examination on me too, are you?”

Du Heng, while taking her pulse, responded darkly, ”No.”

I’m afraid my mouth would break out in blisters, he muttered inwardly.