Dr. Xu: A Chinese Medicine Novel

A restless evening gives way to a difficult morning, at work and in the hospital.

That evening.

When Alex got home, he wanted dinner. But once he’d cooked it, he didn’t want to eat. He was hungry if he didn’t eat, yet had no appetite when he tried. He wanted to sit on the sofa and watch television, but he couldn’t get comfortable.

He took a shower. Afterward, he still felt out of sorts. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Evan.

It was giving him a headache. The last time he had been this obsessed was in high school, when he had his first crush on a girl in his class. Back then, her face had been there whenever he shut his eyes too.

But he was much too old for this now. Besides, Evan was a man!

What the hell!

Alex shook his head hard. He held his phone and hesitated for a long time before deciding to call his teacher, Dr. Simon Liu, who had gone to Beijing.

Henry had gone home too. After dinner, he sat reading a medical journal. When his wife finished clearing away the dishes and came out, he said, “Qiuyang, let me take your pulse.”

She was holding a fruit platter. “Why do you suddenly want to take my pulse?”

Henry set down the journal and smiled. “I met a very interesting doctor today. Come on. Let me have a look.”

“Oh. All right.” She came over and held out her hand.

Henry placed three fingers on her wrist. Frowning, his expression grave, he examined her pulse closely. He too took a full half hour.

His wife was bored stiff by the time he finally finished.

“Well? What did you find?”

Still frowning, Henry shook his head in puzzlement. “Nothing. Go wash me some grapes.”

“You’re ridiculous,” she said irritably. “Half an hour to find nothing? My back aches from sitting here.”

Evan had returned home as well. He leafed through a medical book for a while, then looked out the window.

“Beijing…” he said softly.

Simon Liu had set aside the reputation and rewards he’d already earned to go north alone in search of the truth in Chinese medicine. His courage had moved Evan. Not everyone could do that.

“Beijing,” Evan murmured again. He remembered the years he had spent practicing there, and all those familiar faces…

Late into the night, Lily worked hard on her article.

April and her husband worked hard on making a baby.

The next day.

At work.

Lily had stayed up most of the night. She was sleepy and kept yawning.

“Don’t tell me you spent all night writing,” April said.

“I did. The Abbess wanted the article in such a hurry. What else could I do? But April, I’ve written something amazing.”[1]

“Really?”

“I’ll show you.” Lily sent it to April’s computer.

After reading it, April praised it too. “It is good. It’s entertaining, the story works really well, and you’ve woven in so much about women’s health. It gave me a lot to think about.”

“Right?” Lily smiled happily.

“Have you sent it to the Abbess?” April asked.

“Yes.”

“Lily! Come to my office.” The Abbess called just as Lily finished speaking.

Lily brightened. “Hey, maybe she’s going to praise me!”

“Very possible,” April said.

Lily was beaming now. “Looks like a promotion and a raise won’t be far off!”

She quickly straightened her collar and went into the Abbess’s office with brisk, happy steps, unable to hide her delight.

“Are you an idiot?”

In her excitement, Lily hadn’t shut the door properly. The Abbess’s roar came straight through it.

April’s expression froze.

“What is this Chinese medicine bullshit? What goes on in that head of yours? We write for modern women. Why are you putting this garbage in front of them?

“Don’t tell me about treating disease, staying healthy, or tradition. If you like tradition, find something else. Why not gossip about Zhang Yunlei? Why Chinese medicine?[2]

“And hospital specialists come to challenge him, only to get put in their place? What kind of lousy plot is that? Showing off, humiliating his critics—do you think you’re writing a web novel?

“Let me tell you, Chinese medicine doctors are all frauds. If you mislead our readers, who’s going to take responsibility? And this Mingxin Clinic—have they been paying you on the side?”

This reproduction lacks the author’s permission. NovelPhoenix is the site where the author publishes the chapter and receives reader support.

…

Listening outside, April’s heart pounded. Even when an article was rejected, the Abbess didn’t normally tear into people this viciously. What was wrong today? Why did the mention of Chinese medicine make her lose her mind?

April looked dismayed. Lily really had walked into the line of fire this time.

At the Chinese medicine hospital.

Henry made himself a cup of tea. He had barely settled into his office when Alex hurried in.

Knock, knock, knock.

Alex knocked on the door and came straight in without waiting for an answer. “Dr. Zhong, the patient with acute cholecystitis has been given Da Chaihu Tang. It hasn’t helped much.”[3]

Henry frowned deeply and put down his cup. “Has the patient agreed to surgery yet?”

Alex shook his head.

Henry sighed slowly. “Have you notified the family?”

“Yes. They’ll be here in two hours. But Dr. Qi, the head of surgery, would like us Chinese medicine doctors to come too, to help persuade the old man.”

“All right.” Henry nodded.

The Abbess gathered her things and left her office. Despite her nickname, she looked nothing like the Abbess Miejue on television.

This manager was strikingly beautiful. Slender legs, stiletto heels, a handbag on her left arm and a phone in her right hand—she walked quickly, with the air of a formidable businesswoman.

Her surname was He. Hence, Abbess He.

As she passed Lily’s desk, Ms. He didn’t stop or even look at her. She simply said as she walked, “New article on my desk before work tomorrow.”

Lily looked so miserable she nearly cried.

Ms. He left, drove to the Chinese medicine hospital, parked, and went to her father’s ward.

Dr. Qi from surgery had someone notify Henry, who brought Alex along.

In the ward.

An old man lay in a hospital bed, an IV in one hand and his other hand pressed to his abdomen. His face was twisted with pain.

The beautiful Ms. He stood beside him, her expression dark, saying nothing.

“Are you a relative of the patient?” a voice asked from the doorway.

Ms. He turned.

A group of doctors entered, led by Dr. Qi.

He got straight to the point. “Let me explain briefly. The patient has acute cholecystitis. We recommend immediate surgery, but he has refused. He insists on Chinese medicine.

“We respected his wishes and tried Chinese medicine, but it hasn’t helped. We’ve also tried nonsurgical treatment, including antibiotics, without success.

“The best thing is to operate as soon as possible. If we keep waiting and the gallbladder becomes gangrenous and perforates, causing diffuse peritonitis, it could be very serious. Acute cholecystitis is a minor illness. Don’t let it become a severe one.”[4]

“I have no objection,” Ms. He said flatly. “Operate.”

“I’m not having surgery!” the old man growled from the bed.

Ms. He turned toward him. “What do you want, then?” she asked coldly. “To wait here and die?”

He turned his head away, enduring the pain. “Even if I die, it’s none of your business.”

“Huh.” Ms. He gave a quiet snort. Without looking at him, she told Dr. Qi, “Go ahead with the operation. I’m his daughter. I’ll sign.”

The old man shouted stubbornly, “I won’t have surgery! You’ll have to kill me first! I want Chinese medicine. That’s what I believe in!”

“Idiot!” Ms. He snapped coldly.

Dr. Qi looked at Henry and gave him a signal with his eyes.

Henry spoke up. “Mr. He, I’m Dr. Henry Zhong. I head our TCM internal medicine department. We’ve tried herbal medicine, but the results haven’t been good. Given the situation, we don’t recommend continuing with nonsurgical treatment. Cholecystitis is a minor illness. Don’t worry. The risk of surgery is very low.”

The old man struggled with the pain. “I don’t care. I’m not having surgery. I want my herbs!”

Ms. He was furious. “Are you out of your mind? Can Chinese medicine treat anything? Believing in it is what got you into this state! Believing in it is what did this to our family!

“I’m telling you, Chinese medicine doctors are all frauds. Frauds! Chinese medicine, Chinese medicine, all day long. Look what it’s done to you. You barely look human anymore. You have an acute abdomen. You need surgery. Listen to me!”[5]

The old man turned his face away, breathing hard, but said nothing.

Henry and Alex’s faces darkened.

“How can you talk like that?” Alex protested at once.

“Am I wrong?” Ms. He turned and stared at him coldly. “If you want to prove me wrong, use your Chinese medicine to cure this brainless devotee of Chinese medicine!”

“You—” Alex was furious.

Henry stopped him. “This is a ward. No arguing!”

Dr. Qi looked thoroughly displeased too. He hadn’t expected things to turn out this way and had no desire to stay any longer.

“Discuss it quickly,” he said. “The sooner you sign, the sooner we can operate.”

With that, he left.

Henry took Alex out too. Before leaving, Alex shot Ms. He an angry look.

Reader Notes

Reader Notes

↩︎ The Abbess. This workplace nickname, introduced earlier, refers to Abbess Miejue, a character from Jin Yong’s martial arts fiction who also appears in television adaptations. Here it is the employees’ name for their intimidating manager, rather than a religious position. The comparison concerns her manner; the narrator later contrasts her appearance with the television character’s. “He” is her surname, not part of a revealed full personal name. Source: Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival — Jin Yong character exhibition, including Miejue (in Chinese).↩︎ Zhang Yunlei. Zhang Yunlei is a real performer whose public profile identifies him as a xiangsheng, or crosstalk, performer and singer with Deyunshe. His name stays in its usual Chinese form. The manager invokes him as a possible subject for celebrity gossip when Lily’s article draws on traditional medicine. No particular rumor is specified here, and the passage makes no claim about his conduct. Source: Zhang Yunlei — His own public profile (in Chinese).↩︎ Da Chaihu Tang. Also called Major Bupleurum Decoction, this is a named traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula. Tang identifies a decoction. The university reference describes a combined shaoyang–yangming pattern, involving features such as alternating chills and fever together with internal fullness or heat. These are traditional diagnostic categories, rather than anatomical locations or a single biomedical disease. A formula’s name does not tell us which findings these doctors observed. This passage reports a limited response without supplying quantities, a pattern assessment, or further treatment details. Source: Hong Kong Baptist University — Da Chai Hu Tang, Action and Indication.↩︎ Cholecystitis and its complications. Acute cholecystitis means sudden inflammation of the gallbladder. Gangrene means tissue death; perforation means a hole or rupture. Peritonitis affects the abdominal lining, and “diffuse” indicates widespread involvement. These terms explain the complication Dr. Qi fears, not a complication already found in this patient. The doctors’ descriptions of a “minor illness” and low surgical risk are their dialogue. The references describe potentially serious conditions and hospital treatment; they do not establish this fictional patient’s diagnosis or individual risk. Sources: NHS — Acute cholecystitis, treatment and possible complications; NHS — Peritonitis.↩︎ An acute abdomen. This is a clinical syndrome involving sudden, severe abdominal pain, rather than the name of one particular disease. Many different disorders can produce it. Ms. He uses the term while insisting that her father needs an operation. That demand belongs to the scene; the term itself does not identify the cause, supply missing examination findings, or tell us what treatment has actually taken place. Source: US National Library of Medicine — MeSH: Abdomen, Acute, D000006.