Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1147 Am I Getting Too Awesome? Wanting Li Ke to be my assistant? (Two chapters combined)
The moment the dialect was spoken, the consultation room fell silent. The group from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine were stunned, and Xu Jianqiang subconsciously frowned.

"The typical symptoms of heat-induced arthralgia are redness, swelling, heat, and pain, but his lower limb joints are clearly neither red nor swollen..."

“Not necessarily in all cases,” Fang Yan said, picking up the medical record written by Xiao Chengzhi and pointing to the line “pain in the lumbosacral region radiating to both lower limbs.”
"The Golden Chamber Synopsis states, 'When the arthralgia is in the bones, it is severe; when it is in the vessels, the blood congeals and does not flow; when it is in the tendons, it is flexible and cannot be extended.' Heat arthralgia is also divided into superficial and deep types. The patient's pain is in the waist and buttocks, and also in both legs. So the problem lies in the tendons and blood vessels, not in the joints. Because dampness and heat are blocked in the meridians and have not reached the skin surface, the joints are not red or swollen. But the body is very hot inside, which is why the urine is yellow and the palms are hot."

He looked up at the patient and asked, "When you're in pain, do you feel like there's heat emanating from your legs, and the more you press, the hotter it gets?"

The patient paused for a moment, then nodded quickly: "That's right! Especially at night, my calves feel burning hot when I'm in bed, and I wish I could stretch them out under the covers to cool them off. But as soon as I get a breeze, the pain comes back up immediately, even worse than before!"

Fang Yan clapped his hands and asked Xu Jianqiang:
"Understand?"

Xu Jianqiang opened his mouth, still not quite clear in his mind, but he did realize that what he had just said was wrong.

At this moment, Fang Yan put down the medical record and said:
"The cold-dispelling medicines he took and the tiger bone wine he drank before were completely wrong. Think about it, he already had internal heat, and he kept using hot things. Isn't that just adding fuel to the fire?"

Alcohol is strong and drying, and tiger bone is a tonic for Yang energy. He already has Yin deficiency and excessive Yang, so drinking these things is like adding fuel to a covered pot; the heat gets trapped inside and can't escape, so how can the pain not get worse and worse?

At this moment, Xiao Chengzhi, who had been listening attentively the whole time, suddenly brightened up. After all, he had studied many medical cases with Fang Yan, and he understood Fang Yan's way of thinking much faster. He immediately looked enlightened and took over the conversation, saying:
"I understand! The key isn't 'swelling' but 'heat'; his heat is trapped inside and hasn't been released!"

“That’s right now,” Fang Yan nodded.

At this point, Fang Yan turned to the patient and said:

“You’ve had this illness for a year now, and it hasn’t gotten better. At first, it might have been caused by catching a cold or getting some dampness, but if it’s left untreated for too long, it will turn into internal heat. Plus, you work in a cannery, which is a damp place, and you’re always sitting still. The dampness and the heat in your body mix together, making your meridians even more blocked, so the pain is naturally more difficult to treat.”

The patient opened his mouth, showing an expression that seemed to understand but not quite.

He thought for a moment and said to Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, since your diagnosis is accurate, then... let's follow your advice and prescribe the medicine directly!"

Fang Yan said to Xiao Chengzhi:
"Now that the diagnosis is clear, you can open it!"

Xiao Chengzhi nodded and quickly began writing the prescription.

Fang Yan stared at the prescription he had written down; the first ingredient was Gentiana macrophylla.

He immediately realized that this required a modified version of Da Qin Jiao Tang.

The patient previously used a "cold-dispelling formula plus tiger bone medicinal wine" to warm and dry the body and promote yang, which was a mistake of "treating heat with heat". However, the modified Da Qin Jiao Tang focuses on "clearing heat, removing dampness and unblocking the meridians" while also nourishing yin and promoting blood circulation. This corrects the drawback of "adding dryness and fire" and is in line with the treatment principle of "treating heat with cold, dampness with purging, and stagnation with unblocking". Therefore, it is reasonable.

After a while, Xiao Chengzhi finished writing the prescription. He checked it and glanced at Fang Yan, subconsciously wanting to ask him if Fang Yan was correct.

Fang Yan didn't say anything, but simply gestured for him to give it to the patient.

The patient's family took the prescription, and at this moment Jin Wubing lowered his voice and asked Fang Yan, "Don't we need to add any tonics? He's been in pain for a year, and he looks so thin and emaciated..."

"It's not time to make up for it now," Fang Yan shook his head.

"Why?" Jin Wubing asked.

Fang Yan thought for a moment and said:
"To give you an analogy, it's like a blocked ditch. You have to clear the blockage before you can store water. Using tonics now will only make the damp heat stagnate more. You need to wait until the pain subsides and your urine becomes clear before you can use angelica and wolfberry to regulate and nourish your body."

Several people from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine standing nearby nodded in agreement.

Xu Jianqiang then cupped his hands and said:
"Dr. Fang, I was too narrow-minded just now. I only focused on the superficial symptoms of 'redness, swelling, heat, and pain,' and forgot that the heat in 'heat arthritis' can be internal or external!"

He waved his hand in a dialect, indicating that it was no problem.

Xiao Chengzhi smiled apologetically at the patient:
"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting!"

"It's alright, it's alright..." The patient and their family weren't the type to make trouble. After receiving the prescription, they were just thinking about getting the medicine as soon as possible, so they waved their hands and didn't blame Xiao Chengzhi.

However, they turned around and thanked Fang Yan:
"Thank you so much, Dr. Fang!"

"Thank you so much."

After they finished speaking, they went to get the medicine.

The people in line stopped complaining, and some whispered among themselves:
"Dr. Fang is truly amazing; he explained it clearly in just a few words..."

"No wonder everyone says he's a miracle doctor..."

"That's right. They've been discussing for so long without coming to a conclusion, but look how long Dr. Fang has only been here."

"It's just..."

These conversations were overheard by the people in the room, making Xiao Chengzhi and Xu Jianqiang very embarrassed.

Ignoring the dialect, he spoke to Xiao Chengzhi:
"Alright, let's continue with the consultations. In the future, if you're unsure about a case, look at the underlying pathogenesis and don't get bogged down by the surface symptoms."

Xiao Chengzhi seemed to be deep in thought, then nodded vigorously:

"Okay! Got it!"

Then Fang Yan and Jin Wubing went outside. If they stayed in this place, the discussions outside would continue.

The people in the room will be even more embarrassed then.

As soon as Fang Yan walked out of the consultation room, Jin Wubing quickly went up to him:
"Brother Fang, how did you develop your brain? They were all baffled by that situation just now! You resolved it in just a few words."

"Alright, stop flattering me." Fang Yan waved his hand. He wouldn't have intervened if they hadn't been unable to handle the situation earlier.

Xiao Chengzhi is usually quite concerned about his image.

He was even more concerned about his reputation than Li Zhengji. He would never seek my help unless absolutely necessary. Just now, the patient was about to lose his temper, and you happened to walk into his office, so he asked me about it.

His only redeeming quality is his strong medical ethics; he won't prescribe medicine recklessly just to save face.

I've seen doctors in the past who weren't very skilled. When they encountered a disease they couldn't handle or couldn't diagnose it clearly, they would just prescribe some medicine and send the patient home to take it.

If the patient eats well, it proves that his guess was correct; if the patient does not eat well, it proves that his guess was wrong.

They're using patients like guinea pigs.

The reputation of traditional Chinese medicine has been ruined by these mediocre practitioners.

Fortunately, in this day and age, most traditional Chinese medicine practitioners still pay attention to the nuances of dialects they encounter.

I have encountered a few scumbags, such as Gu Xiutang and Qi Yong.

At this moment, Fang Yan saw Xie Chunrong return and greeted him:

"Chunrong, get me a few meal tickets for migrant workers in the canteen."

Xie Chunrong was taken aback and took out the meal tickets from her pocket. These were originally intended for Jin Wubing and the others. Sometimes they would eat lunch in the cafeteria, but they didn't like to eat with the people from the Traditional Chinese Medicine department, so the hospital prepared meal tickets for them.

"Mr. Jin." Xie Chunrong subconsciously handed Jin Wubing a bill.

"Give me a few more," Fang Yan said.

Xie Chunrong only then realized what was happening and asked:
"Is it for those people at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine?"

“Of course, they’ve come all this way, we can’t just not treat them to a meal, can we?” Fang Yan said to Xie Chunrong.

Xie Chunrong quickly handed Fang Yan several meal tickets.

Fang Yan said to him:
"Alright, I'll take these tickets over later. You can go do your work now."

After agreeing, Xie Chunrong went back to her own business.

Fang Yan then wandered around the other clinics. It was almost noon, and the queues were thinning out. Some clinics were completely empty, with the students inside tidying up their cases or chatting with other students who also had nothing to do.

When he saw Fang Yan and Jin Wubing arrive, he greeted them.

Jin Wubing is the type of person who can chat with you for a bit, no matter who you are.

He knows whether his personality aligns with the requirements of the China Zhi Gong Party.

However, this is where dialects become a concern.

After seeing all the patients one after another, Fang Yan returned to Xiao Chengzhi's clinic. He saw that the people from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine were still there, so he greeted them and gave them his meal tickets for the day.

"I'd like to treat everyone to a simple lunch in the cafeteria, and we're all welcome to discuss things together this afternoon," Fang Yan said to the six people.

Li Hui and Lin Xueling led the way in expressing their gratitude to Fang Yan:
"Oh, Dr. Fang, you're too kind. You're so hospitable, we're almost embarrassed."

"Thank you, Dr. Fang."

Fang Yan smiled and said to them:

"When I visited your school before, I also had a free meal. Now that you've come to our place, as the director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, it's only right that I treat you to a meal."

"However, I have to go home for lunch today, so I won't be able to stay with you all. Instead, Chengzhi will keep you company."

After saying that, he glanced at Xiao Chengzhi, nodded, and said:

"Okay! Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of them."

Fang Yan checked the time and found it was almost time, so he told them to go eat and that they would attend a meeting in the afternoon to summarize and learn about Fang Yan's unique style.

Fang Yan then said goodbye to everyone and went home.

Recently, Zhu Lin has been taking care of her health, and Fang Yan goes back home for lunch to massage her. As the pregnant woman's belly grows bigger, she also experiences more and more physical stress.

Zhu Lin's reaction was relatively mild, while Huang Huijie's reaction was much more intense. She was a genuine older mother and was currently staying at Fang Yan's house, receiving the same treatment as Zhu Lin, except that the person massaging her had changed to Lao Hu. If Lao Hu wasn't there, then Fang Yan's mother would take over, since she was an experienced gynecologist and could handle such issues.

Jin Wubing had invited Fang Yan to his home for lunch, but he didn't like the bland food at Fang Yan's house and preferred to eat in the cafeteria.

When she got home, lunch was already prepared. Recently, Huang Huijie had been staying at Fang Yan's house, and all the meals were ordered by Fang Yan from the Yanjing Hotel. The dishes were all made according to the recipes arranged by Fang Yan.

Having a state banquet chef cook according to a recipe written by a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in a local dialect is quite an eye-opener for people.

But as long as the money is in place, that's fine. Who isn't confused about foreign exchange?
Don't even mention having someone with a dialect write the menu; they could even have a Black woman write the menu.

"Wow, this is quite a feast for lunch today!" Fang Yan exclaimed as soon as she entered the house, noticing the eight dishes on the table.

The dishes on the table looked quite plentiful, but they were all prepared according to the pregnant woman's tastes, with little oil and bland flavor. There was a plate of steamed sea bass, stir-fried yam next to it, a large bowl of lotus root and pork rib soup in the center, a plate of steamed egg with shrimp and tofu, and vegetarian dishes including stir-fried chrysanthemum greens and cold black fungus and cucumber salad. The most special dish was a plate of steamed pumpkin and millet cake. The golden cake was fluffy and soft, sprinkled with a few red date crumbs. Zhengyi Mingzhu's eyes almost popped out of her head.

Finally, there was a small dish of steamed jujubes, each one plump and red, their skins wrinkled from steaming.

The dishes on the table were not spicy or oily at all, and even the seasonings were very minimal, yet the natural flavors of the ingredients were fully extracted. This is a dish that the local dialect had specially considered what pregnant women should eat.

At this moment, the old woman said to Fang Yan:

"By the way, Zhengyi and Mingzhu are going on summer vacation, they won't be going to school the day after tomorrow."

Fang Yan wiped his hands, returned to his seat, and said to his mother:

"That's perfect, then I can go out and have fun with Sofia and Anton."

"It's just right for older kids to take care of younger kids."

My mother was also at a loss for words because of Fang Yan's way of speaking. She hadn't even said anything yet, and Fang Yan had already made arrangements for her.

The old woman said:

“Your older sister and her family are going to have summer vacation soon. They can take the kids to explore the city and have some fun. They started preparing for the college entrance exam as soon as they came back from Inner Mongolia. After passing the exam, they immediately started studying again. Now they are finally on vacation. They should spend more time with the kids and also see the capital.”

Fang Yan suddenly realized, "So that's what my mother meant." He picked up his chopsticks, nodded, and said:

"That's fine, but it would be better to call Sophia and the others as well, things aren't peaceful outside right now."

At this moment, Lao Hu said to Fang Yan:

“I’ll call Batel back and have him come with me when I go out.”

Fang Yan waved his hand and said:
"No need for that. Just let him do his thing. They're already acquaintances. If I make him my older sister's bodyguard, he'll look inferior. Even if they don't say it to my face, they'll still grumble behind my back."

Zhu Lin also said:
"Exactly, it's good to keep public and private matters separate!"

Especially Zhuang Shan, Battulga's wife, who knows what she would think if she knew about this.

Sofia is quite skilled in kung fu now, and most people wouldn't dare mess with the Russians who are currently in China.

Everyone knows that these foreigners who are still in the country all have family members working in key units. If you offend them, it won't just be the police coming to your door to cause trouble; it will be the military coming to your door.

After finishing speaking, Fang Yan invited everyone to eat, and Zhengyi and Mingzhu, the two children, were practically drooling with envy.

After the meal began, Zhu Lin said to Fang Yan:

"Oh, right, my second sister sent a telegram saying that Fudan University is also going on holiday, and she should be back from Shanghai in a few days."

He said in dialect:

"Time flies, it feels like it wasn't long ago when I last saw her."

My mother said:

"That's because you went to Shanghai, we didn't go."

“That’s true…” Fang Yan came to his senses.

At this moment, the old woman asked in dialect:

"Speaking of which, when you take the postgraduate entrance exam, don't you get a summer vacation afterward?"

While serving his wife fish in a dialectal style, he said:
"I can leave if I don't pass the exam."

The old woman put down her chopsticks and spat several times onto the ground:
"Pah! Pah! How dare you talk about yourself like that?"

Zhu Lin found it amusing and said:
"Mom, he means he doesn't have any holidays."

He explained to his mother in dialect:
"This postgraduate admission is a nationwide recruitment led by Professor Yue Meizhong in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, schools, and the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The goal is to select the best candidates. After the exams, classes will begin once the results are released. Although there will be a short break, it will be nothing compared to the length of summer vacation. If you want a summer vacation, you'll probably have to wait until next year."

"Moreover, I have more than one identity. I am also the director of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the director of the research institute. I still have many projects to complete. The dean also asked me to write a report after I finish my postgraduate studies to respond to the national call to conduct key technology research for the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine and to recruit people for the Secret Formula Research Institute."

"Also, I need to do research and summarize the ancient books from Southeast Asia that Lin Wenfeng gave me last time, and get a newly revised 'Southern Xinjiang Tropical Jungle...Survival Manual' before August 1st."

"Then there's the Ministry of Health's mid-year conference in mid-August, and since last year, all my research projects now have to be submitted..."

"Just thinking about all those things makes me feel like I have so much to do, and summer vacation is definitely not going to be for me."

After Fang Yan finished speaking, Huang Huijie said to Fang Yan:

"I think you really should hire a few secretaries."

After hearing this, the old woman said:
"What college student hires a secretary?"

Mother-in-law corrects:
"postgraduate."

The old woman nodded:

"Yes, I'll be a graduate student soon."

Old Hu, standing to the side, said:

"No, you all like to treat him like a student, but he's actually more of a leader than a student. How much is he involved in school affairs now?"

At this point, everyone was taken aback.

“Isn’t this what we do every day now, doing school-related things?” Mom said.

Hu Daohu said:
"No, what he's doing now, although he's taking his classmates to see patients, is actually fulfilling a task assigned by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council. The medical consultations are just a side job."

"And even if it's something related to the school, it's all for the purpose of taking the postgraduate entrance exam."

After hearing Lao Hu's analysis, everyone felt that it made a lot of sense.

Fang Yan doesn't go to school much these days.

Although they were with their classmates and doing things that only schools do, the teachers never got involved. If you insist that it was a graduate school preparation class run by Fang Yan himself, then there's nothing wrong with that.

Then Lao Hu continued:
“Look at the directors of those research institutes, they all have several secretaries.”

Fang Yan listened to them talking and said with a smile:

"A secretary is something you can only find by chance. My requirements for a secretary are a little different. I've always had assistants, but they haven't been very effective."

"The person who is capable of being my secretary is somewhat underutilized."

When Fang Yan needs a secretary, he needs someone of at least Lao He's caliber. Someone who is equivalent to a person in a research institute would be a suitable secretary.

Even dialects can't bear to be ruined like this.

He said:
"So now I just grab whoever's around me and use them, to save myself the trouble."

At this moment, the mother-in-law said:
"Your apprentice Anton is quite something! He's someone you personally trained, how could he not understand you?"

Fang Yan shook his head and said:

“He is too young. A secretary not only needs to help me with professional matters, but also needs to deal with people from other departments and units.”

The mother-in-law said:

"So you're going to carry it all by yourself?"

Fang Yan said with a smile:

"After the postgraduate entrance exam, when I expand the staff of the Secret Recipe Research Institute, I will see if there are any talents in this field."

Fang Yan was already thinking about whether it was possible to find someone of Lao He's caliber who was currently underappreciated as a secretary.

For example... Li Ke, the old master?
In 1978, he had just passed the provincial unified examination and become a traditional Chinese medicine doctor in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Lingshi County People's Hospital. At that time, the case he was carrying had not yet been overturned.

If I could find him... but wouldn't it be a bit too far? Wouldn't it seem a bit too deliberate?
Fang Yan shuddered at the thought, wondering if he had gotten carried away.
……

After lunch, Fang Yan started giving his wife a massage to relieve her discomfort. Lao Hu was also there, chatting with him while imitating Fang Yan.

They basically talked about business matters and his wife's recent condition. Compared to Zhu Lin, a young new mother, Huang Huijie's physical condition was indeed a bit bad.

His voice was slightly weak as he spoke, addressing a dialect speaker:

"These past two days, my head has felt heavy, like it's filled with lead. I toss and turn in bed at night and can't fall asleep. I finally manage to doze off for a bit, but then I get woken up by leg cramps. My calves are as hard as rocks."

As she spoke, she lifted her trouser leg, revealing calf muscles that were indeed somewhat taut; they even trembled slightly when Lao Hu pressed on them.

"I have no appetite during the day. The smell of even a speck of oil makes me nauseous. Even if I manage to eat a little, it feels stuck in my stomach after a while, making me feel bloated." She sighed, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing her protruding belly as she spoke.
"Everyone says pregnancy is hard, but I'm only now realizing how tough it is at my age. It's really exhausting."

Fang Yan put down his hand that was massaging Zhu Lin, went over and took her pulse, then looked at her tongue. Her tongue was pale, with a thin, white, slightly greasy coating, and her pulse was deep, thready, and slippery. Fang Yan said:

"This is a typical case of deficiency syndrome in older mothers. It's the same old problem: insufficient qi and blood. After getting pregnant, the fetal qi is also depleted, resulting in liver and kidney yin deficiency, and a weak spleen and stomach."

"Dizziness is caused by yin deficiency, which fails to nourish the head and eyes; leg cramps are caused by insufficient liver blood and malnourishment of tendons and veins; bloating is caused by weak spleen and stomach, which impairs digestion and absorption, and sleep is also affected."

Huang Huijie nodded repeatedly: "That's right. When Lao Hu massaged me, he said that my lower back felt cold, like I had a block of ice in my hand."

“That means your kidney yang is also a bit deficient.” Fang Yan turned to the table to find paper and pen. “Take it slow, don’t rush it.”

Fang Yan finished prescribing the medicine and handed it to his assistant, Xiao Lin, asking him to go to the pharmacy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital to pick up the medicine and have it decocted.

Just let Lao Hu pick it up when the time comes.

In this regard, the couple only believed in the local dialect, and even now that they know who is harming them, they still do so.

I just can't get used to it.

After taking care of things at home, Fang Yan went to Peking Union Medical College Hospital. In the morning, his skills were demonstrated, and in the afternoon, he had to see the skills of the six people in Guangzhou. He felt that his system was already thirsting for more.

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated.

(End of this chapter)