This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”Jin, pull back from the elbow, straight along the line, and don’t twist.”

Once the patient was completely asleep, Du Heng began the bone-setting process, calling over the few onlookers to help.

With Du Heng’s continuous guidance, everyone realized that there was nothing mysterious about bone setting. It was much like their own work wielding hammers and saws—essentially manual labor requiring physical strength.

The only difference was that when they performed orthopedic surgery, it was done in a visible field by clearing away the muscles and tendons constraining the broken bone. But at least they were performing surgery, which involved some technical skill.

However, Du Heng’s bone-setting method was different. Did it involve technical skill? It did, certainly, but not a great deal. Pulling, twisting, pushing, and pressing—anyone could do that.

The crux of the matter was that although Du Heng’s every step seemed forceful, when it came to applying that force, he could complete the maneuver with remarkable finesse. Furthermore, he did all this without any direct visual confirmation, relying solely on constant palpation to make adjustments. This was something not just anyone could achieve.

Why had bone setting gradually disappeared?

There were two main reasons. The first, as mentioned, was that it was an operation performed ’blind,’ without direct visual confirmation. Any excessive force or incorrect positioning could inflict secondary injuries on the patient.

The second reason was the difficulty in achieving good fixation. Whether the doctor performed the fixation poorly or the patient was careless during recovery, the broken bone could heal crookedly, making it a risky procedure.

Such an unreliable technique was bound to be gradually phased out in the modern medical environment; this was an unstoppable trend.

Of course, there was another important reason for the decline of this technique: its extremely low cost.

For Du Heng’s procedure today, the handling fee would be at most 100 yuan. Using the best plaster would cost 150 yuan. Including the medication to be taken orally, the total cost would not exceed 400 yuan.

But if the patient had undergone surgery, the surgical fee alone would be 6,000 yuan; this is a fixed figure without much variation. However, considering the patient’s injury—a double fracture of the radius and ulna—at least two steel plates and a minimum of six screws would be required. Domestically produced plates and screws cost around 12,000 yuan, while imported ones could be 24,000 yuan, easily bringing the cost to thirty or forty thousand yuan. Adding necessary post-operative medication, even with insurance reimbursement, the final expense would likely be between twenty and thirty thousand yuan.

How could bone setting, costing only a few hundred yuan, compete with surgery?

Although such low costs were very beneficial for patients, modern hospitals are self-funded entities. These institutions need to grow, and doctors and nurses need to make a living. How could they survive on a few hundred yuan?

This was why Du Heng, despite possessing such skills, had never promoted them at the Health Clinic. However, he still believed that this technique should be preserved in hospitals. For some injuries, while there might be considerations regarding medical disputes, surgery isn’t truly necessary.

While Du Heng’s mind wandered, it did not affect the actions of his hands. Under his direction and coordination, the bone-joining process proceeded smoothly and quickly.

However, as the displaced bones were continuously maneuvered back into their normal positions, the patient’s physical reactions to the pain grew increasingly intense.

When Du Heng suddenly pressed the most prominent bone fragment back into place, the patient monitor began to alarm. Director Yan, who had been vigilantly observing the patient’s reactions, also noticed something was amiss. ”Doctor Du.”

The gentle reminder made Du Heng pause his actions slightly. ”Lieque, Fenglong, Shanzhong (CV-17), Shaoshang—moderate stimulation. Fengchi (GB-20), Jianjing, Quchi (LI-11), Chengshan—moderate massage.”

Upon hearing Du Heng’s instructions, Director Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He glanced at Du Heng, then immediately began applying the needles as instructed. After inserting the needles, he proceeded with the massage.

Director Yan’s entire needling process was remarkably smooth and precise, clearly demonstrating his vast experience and inspiring confidence. The onlookers marveled at his professionalism, but Director Yan himself was equally amazed by Du Heng’s comprehensiveness.

Li Jianwei was right; he really had found a treasure.

The combination of acupoints he had just needled was primarily aimed at resolving the patient’s breathing difficulties. The muscle tension and convulsions resulting from pain were actually addressed by the subsequent massage, which served to relieve tightness throughout the body.

One minute after Director Yan applied the needles, the sleeping patient began to relax. Although expressions of discomfort still flickered across his face from time to time, he had generally eased up.

Du Heng breathed a sigh of relief. ”Alright, let’s continue. Just be sure to control the patient’s arm well.”

Jin Zan, his bald head showing a sheen of sweat, nodded firmly. ”Don’t worry, I’ll keep it steady.”

In the process that followed, Du Heng’s technique became even lighter, yet the pain did not completely vanish. Fortunately, Director Yan’s hands, performing the massage, were constantly busy, preventing a recurrence of the previous crisis.

By the time Du Heng had nudged the last bone fragment into place, his forehead was beaded with sweat, and his hands, now still, trembled slightly.

He took a shallow breath, once more carefully palpated the patient’s injured area to confirm everything was in order, then turned to retrieve the splint he had prepared earlier.

”Du, is it done?” Jin Zan asked nervously.

Du Heng nodded lightly. ”Let’s get an X-ray to confirm.”

”Alright.”

Jin Zan quickly arranged for an intern and a nurse to take the patient for an X-ray. He then busied himself on the phone, contacting the examination room for the patient.

In the meantime, Director Yan had packed his things and was looking at Du Heng with a smile, his eyes full of admiration and fondness. ”Your teacher was right; you truly are a genius.”

”Thank you for the compliment, Director Yan.”

”Hehe, that’s enough for now. Go on with your work. When we both have some free time, let’s have a proper chat.”

After speaking, Director Yan picked up his things and left the hospital room, looking thoroughly pleased.

”Thank you for your help, Director Yan. Today wouldn’t have gone so smoothly without you,” Du Heng said modestly, following Director Yan to see him out of the hospital room.

Hearing Du Heng’s flattery, Director Yan laughed openly but still replied, ”Given the sequence of acupuncture points you prescribed and your treatment methods, you could have managed it even without me. Alright, go on. You and Jin still have things to attend to.”

With that, he waved his hand to stop Du Heng from following any further and departed, chuckling to himself.

At this point, Jin Zan had also finished his phone call and hurried over to Du Heng’s side. ”Has Director Yan left?”

”He left.”

”Then let’s head back to the office. The staff at the Inspection Department said many people are waiting for examinations right now, so it might take a few minutes.”

Jin Zan led the way, grumbling good-naturedly about the Inspection Department’s inefficiency, but the smile on his face had grown much wider.

Du Heng felt his hands were a bit sore, and he still needed to review the patient’s X-rays, so he wasn’t in a rush to leave. He followed Jin Zan towards the office, glad for the chance to rest for a moment.

”Sigh, if only we had a dedicated operating room for this,” Du Heng lamented.

”I wish,” Jin Zan replied, his earlier smile fading. ”But our hospital only has a few operating rooms, and they’re fully booked from Monday to Friday.”

”Let me put it this way: if I don’t finish the surgeries I’ve scheduled for today during the daytime, I have to work overtime at night to complete them. Because the next day, there’s simply no slot for me to use an operating room.”

”I see your hospital is starting new construction. Will they be adding more operating rooms?”

”That new construction is for the Department of Internal Medicine Inpatient unit. I’m not sure about the specific plans, but there should be operating rooms for the Internal Medicine Department. Once it’s completed, if internal medicine surgeries can be moved there, our current operating rooms should be less congested.”

Chatting and laughing, the two returned to the office. The colleagues who had arrived back earlier all looked at Du Heng with admiration.

They couldn’t discern the technical intricacies of bone setting, but witnessing Du Heng realign unseen bone fragments relying solely on palpation and previous X-rays struck them as profoundly mysterious and incredibly impressive.

Each of them looked at Du Heng, wanting to approach him for a chat and to build some rapport. However, noticing his slightly weary appearance, they decided to wait a bit.

After all, Du Heng was in the office. They could let him rest for a while before trying to build a connection. That way, they wouldn’t disturb his rest and would also appear well-mannered.

Du Heng was indeed quite tired. Sitting down in the chair he had occupied earlier, he said to Jin Zan, ”Brother, could I have a glass of water?”

Pouring water for someone in the office was something Jin Zan had rarely done. The concept of a ”guest” hardly existed in the doctors’ office. Even when acquaintances dropped by, it was usually for a brief chat about some matter, after which they would be quickly ushered out. As outside support, Du Heng would typically be received by the department director in his personal office. Consequently, Jin Zan wasn’t accustomed to attending to guests in the general office.

But seeing Du Heng’s current state, he managed an awkward smile. ”Alright, I’ll get you some water right away.”

Watching Jin Zan go off in search of a disposable cup, Du Heng leaned back comfortably in his chair and took a couple of deep breaths. Then, he sat up again and picked up the pen and paper he had used earlier.

After a moment of focused contemplation, Du Heng began to write a prescription.

”What are you doing now?” Jin Zan asked casually as he placed the cup of water he had fetched in front of Du Heng. Glancing at the prescription Du Heng was writing, he added, ”It’s just water. I don’t usually drink tea, and the conditions are a bit basic, so please make do.”

Du Heng wasn’t one to be fussy. He paused his writing, reviewed the prescription he had just drafted, and seeing no issues, picked up the water cup and drank it all in one go. ”Ah, that’s refreshing. Good thing you didn’t get me hot water.”

Jin Zan smiled. ”Why would I do that? On such a hot day, how long would it take for you to drink hot water? By the way, what’s this prescription you’re writing for?”

”Anti-inflammatory, pain relief, and to protect the fetus.”