This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”What would be different if it were treated with traditional Chinese medicine?”

This question was unexpected, and Du Heng was slightly surprised. Although he had mentioned it yesterday, it was clear the man wasn’t satisfied with such a general answer and was still worried.

Du Heng and Gao Qin exchanged a glance, and Du Heng said, ”Director Gao, you go first.”

Gao Qin nodded and then addressed the two, ”For the treatment of syphilis in Western medicine, penicillin is the first choice. Penicillin has antibacterial effects. Its working principle is to inhibit the synthesis of bacterial cell wall peptides. This causes defects in the cell wall, leading to bacterial cell rupture and death.”

The man nodded to show he understood and then asked, ”Can it be completely cured? Will it affect life afterward?”

Gao Qin didn’t rush to answer, saying after a slight pause, ”It can be cured, but there’s a chance of relapse and reinfection. After being cured, regular check-ups are needed, and this process will last for three to five years. If it’s a woman, the issue of pregnancy must also be considered—whether it could be transmitted to the fetus.”

The man frowned slightly and continued, ”Is the relapse rate high?”

Gao Qin shook her head gently. ”Generally speaking, the relapse rate of syphilis after being cured isn’t high. However, there are unexpected cases, such as when the medication during treatment is insufficient, and the toxic cells aren’t completely eliminated. Moreover, with your physical condition—the rapid and severe onset—the relapse rate is relatively higher.”

Yu Zhiwei and Qi Xiaoqing looked at each other. Although the woman was still very dissatisfied with the man, it was now clear she hoped he would make the decision.

The man withdrew his gaze and, after a moment of silence, began to ask Du Heng, ”Doctor, how does your traditional Chinese medicine treatment work? Does it also kill toxic cells with drugs? Will it relapse? Will it affect fertility?”

Seeing the question was directed at him, Du Heng coughed lightly and said, ”Traditional Chinese medicine treatment doesn’t aim to kill toxic cells. Instead, it enhances the body’s qi and blood, using the method of fighting poison with poison. We use the medicinal properties of the drugs to force the evil toxins out of the body. As for relapse, I can only speak to my treatment results: I can guarantee it won’t relapse and won’t affect a woman’s fertility. However, to be on the safe side, regular check-ups are still necessary after the cure. This is a responsible approach.”

The man let out a long breath and fell silent once more.

At this point, Gao Qin added, ”Using penicillin to kill toxic cells is a targeted treatment. But since there are many toxic cells, it’s inevitable that some might not be completely eliminated, so the relapse rate is higher than with traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine involves the circulation of qi and blood throughout the body, and it’s not about killing but expelling. So, it’s somewhat better than Western medicine treatment.”

The woman suddenly spoke up, ”Since traditional Chinese medicine treatment is so good, why was all the information I looked up last night about Western medicine treatment methods and prognosis, with nothing about traditional Chinese medicine treatment methods?”

This was a rather sharp question, and Gao Qin couldn’t answer it, so she turned to Du Heng.

Without hesitation, Du Heng said directly, ”Traditional Chinese medicine treatment isn’t standardized and procedural like Western medicine. It’s based on the patient’s individual physical condition, using appropriate medication and dosage. Moreover, this method of fighting poison with poison, if used well, can cure diseases and save lives. But if used poorly, it can harm both the patient and others. So, if the same house is used for two people, it must be changed according to their specific situations and cannot be used interchangeably.”

The man’s eyebrows twitched. He looked at Du Heng and asked, ”Doctor, will our medications be different then?”

”Different, completely different,” Du Heng shook his head gently. ”Your condition is more severe, and there’s already mucosal damage in your nasal cavity, so your medication will be heavier and stronger. Ms. Qi’s condition is relatively mild, so in terms of medication and dosage, hers will be much gentler than yours.”

After that, the two opposite them stopped asking questions. Du Heng then said, ”If there are no more questions, shall I prepare the hospitalization procedures for you both?”

The man sighed softly. ”Okay, please arrange it quickly. I’m in agony.”

Seeing that the woman didn’t speak, Du Heng had to ask her again, ”Ms. Qi, what about you? Shall I arrange it as well?”

The woman glanced at the man beside her and said weakly, ”Arrange it.”

But as soon as she finished, she added, ”Don’t put me with him. I feel nauseous just looking at him.”

Hearing this, the man could only manage a bitter smile.

Du Heng glanced at the two, then said to Gao Qin, ”Director Gao, please arrange their hospitalization. I’ll do a check-up on them and then prescribe their medicine.”

Gao Qin nodded and then got up and walked outside.

Du Heng then called the two forward. Putting on disposable gloves, he began to examine them again, casually recording the examination findings on paper. After the examination was over, Du Heng thought for a moment and then wrote out the prescriptions for them.

The man looked at Du Heng’s prescription and asked with some confusion, ”Doctor, what is this raw cinnabar powder?”

”It’s a mineral medicine, cinnabar. It is written in the *Baopuzi Inner Chapter, Golden Pill*: ’Cinnabar, when heated, becomes mercury; through accumulated changes, it reverts to cinnabar.’ And in the *Golden Pill 400 Words*: ’Lead and mercury combine to form cinnabar, shining with a bright purple-gold color.’ So don’t worry. It’s medicine, and it’s the main medicine to help you with detoxification. Without it, you can’t achieve the effect of fighting poison with poison.”

The man’s eyes widened. No wonder I’ve always heard people say that when drinking Chinese herbal medicine, you shouldn’t look at the names of the herbs or the medicine pot—just close your eyes and drink it!

”Goodness!” he exclaimed. ”Isn’t lead and mercury just liquid mercury? This is far too poisonous!”

Du Heng quickly explained, ”You’re mistaken. Cinnabar contains components of lead and mercury, but it isn’t liquid mercury. Besides, cinnabar is sweet in taste, slightly cold in nature, and non-toxic. When I say it fights poison with poison, I mean it works in combination with other medicines to target your Bayberry virus, not your body.”

Only then did the man breathe a sigh of relief, softly acknowledging. He looked at the prescription in his hand and said, ”Doctor, isn’t the difference between our prescriptions too great? Look, hers only has three kinds of medicine, and I’ve heard of all of them. But why are there so many in mine?”

This man had so many questions, and Du Heng was getting a bit impatient, but as a doctor, he still had to explain. ”Ms. Qi’s condition is relatively mild at this stage, so she only needs to nourish deficiency and promote detoxification. We use raw astragalus to tonify qi. When qi is strong, pathogenic factors struggle to remain. Then, raw licorice is used for detoxification, and poria cocos guides the toxins out. This way, the toxins are eliminated, the original qi is preserved, and blood can be nourished. So, you see, when prescribing medicine, skillful application is more important than quantity. As long as it cures the illness, the number of herbs doesn’t matter.”

Du Heng paused briefly before continuing, ”As for your medication, it’s determined by your condition. First, the poison has spread throughout your body, and sores have formed all over. Second, your body is severely depleted, and the toxins have invaded your lung meridian, rushing into your nasal cavity. Therefore, to treat your illness, we must first protect your lungs, enhance your original qi, and then use the power of medicine for detoxification.”

”Doctor, one last question. You keep talking about detoxification. How are these toxins expelled?”

”Through urine and feces. What else did you think?” Du Heng said softly.

During this time, Gao Qin had made the arrangements. She came in to take the two away. Du Heng quickly said, ”Remember, notify everyone you’ve been intimate with to get checked as soon as possible. The longer you delay, the higher their risk of becoming ill.”

Both of them nodded and then silently followed Gao Qin out.

Watching them leave, Du Heng also breathed a sigh of relief. He then took the prescriptions to the Chinese Medicine Department, found Doctor Ma, and asked him to supervise the two patients’ medication.

The couple who left didn’t waste any time. Following Du Heng’s instructions, they called their respective spouses right away.

Unexpectedly, the spouses who were notified to get a check-up didn’t make a fuss. They quietly finished their check-ups and waited for the results the next day.

Although these two newcomers didn’t cause any trouble, both remained silent towards their spouses, and their faces were even more gloomy and frightening.

Perhaps this reaction was precisely why Yu Zhiwei and Qi Xiaoqing had referred to them as sullen people.