Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1248 Cooperation Agreement Reached at the Herb Base; Old Tao Takes Position and Performs His Slovenly Secret Technique (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

It takes about half an hour to drive here from Fangyan's house, so Sophia got up earlier than usual, around 5 a.m., and drove over to pick up Fangyan after washing up.

As Fang Yan walked out of the family compound, Sophia got out of the car, and the passenger door opened at the same time.

Fang Yan looked at it and realized it was actually that kid Anton.

These two siblings actually came.

He greeted them in dialect:

"Morning!"

Sofia said in dialect:

“Master, I originally said I would come by myself, but Anton insisted on coming.”

Anton stated:
"I want to prove to myself that I can get up this early."

Fang Yan was both amused and exasperated, and said:
"Okay, you've proven yourself now."

Fang Yan glanced at the time on his watch, opened the back door, and got in, while gesturing to them:
"Alright, get in the car and let's get back quickly."

The two nodded and then got into the car.

On the way back, Anton took over driving. After they started driving, Sofia turned to Fang Yan and asked:

"Master, did it go smoothly last night?"

Fang Yan rubbed his temples and said:

"It didn't go very smoothly. There was a small accident in the middle of the night, but it's all over now."

Anton, who was driving, said:

"As expected, Mr. Zhu guessed correctly."

Upon hearing that Zhu Liangchun was also involved, Fang Yan asked curiously:

"Oh?"

"What did he say?"

Anton turned the steering wheel past an intersection and said:

“After he finished dinner last night, he suddenly said, ‘If you don’t have the corresponding medication, the patient might experience some reactions in the middle of the night.’”

Sofia said:
“We originally wanted to call and remind you, but he said that there might not be a problem, and even if there was, you should be able to solve it, so we didn’t call to remind you.”

Fang Yan nodded. It seems that experience counts; he guessed it all.

"What exactly happened to Master yesterday?" Anton asked curiously.

Fang Yan didn't hide anything and told the whole story of what happened last night.

The story left Anton and Sofia completely bewildered.

However, they also recognized the role of acupuncture in this area.

Anton immediately indicated that he would focus his studies on acupuncture. The first thing he learned to memorize was the diagram of acupoints on the whole body, before he had even become Fang Yan's apprentice.

It is clear that what initially attracted him to Traditional Chinese Medicine was acupuncture.

Hearing about Fang Yan's miraculous methods last night that turned Wang Huiyuan's life around, he was incredibly envious and wished he could master that technique as soon as possible.

Anton drove slower than Sofia, and it took him almost forty minutes to get home.

This is also related to his casual conversations with people in the local dialect along the way.

It was already past 6:30 when I got home.

In the past, Fang Yan would have already eaten breakfast and was getting ready to go on rounds by this time.

After arriving home today, he quickly ate breakfast with his family.

The family was also curious about what happened to Fang Yan last night, but the task of reporting to everyone fell to Anton and Sophia. Fang Yan had already told them when they came back, so when the whole family asked Fang Yan about it, they started to tell her about what happened last night.

This makes things easier for Fang Yan; he only needs to answer some questions from others.

Upon hearing about the problems Fang Yan and his group had encountered the previous night, Zhu Liangchun said:
"I had guessed before that something would happen around the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), and I didn't expect that I would actually be right."

Fang Yan smiled. He had actually had a premonition about this, otherwise he wouldn't have waited until that time to go to sleep.

Zhu Liangchun put down the celadon bowl in his hand and said, "Realgar attacks poison like a fierce tiger. At the hour of Yin, the lung meridian is in charge, which is the time when qi and blood should flow to the surface. However, Wang Huiyuan has been ill for a long time and is weak. Her kidney meridian is already deficient. The stagnant toxins cannot find a way out, so they will naturally go to the Shaoyin meridian. This is like a flood that cannot break through the dam, so it will spread to the low-lying areas."

He picked up the bamboo chopsticks on the table and drew a circle in the empty bowl: "You used Yongquan to draw out the toxins, Sanyinjiao to dispel dampness, and Guanyuan to strengthen the kidneys. This is like guiding the 'overflowing flood' back into the riverbed and reinforcing the dam. The approach is correct. However, next time you use ammoniac, you might as well cook some walnut and lotus seed porridge for her two hours in advance. Walnuts enter the kidneys, and lotus seeds astringe and solidify, which can fill the 'low-lying areas' of the kidney meridian in advance, so that the stagnant toxins will not easily sink down."

Fang Yan nodded in agreement, but he was actually more interested in seeing what method Lao Tao would come up with.

Just as he was about to speak, Zhu Lin said with a smile, "You should have told Fang Yan in advance yesterday!"

Zhu Liangchun laughed heartily:
“If I had explained everything clearly, how could he have figured out the ‘three-needle linkage’ method on his own? Treating medicine is like fighting a war. Young people have to learn by doing on the battlefield so that they can truly internalize what they’ve learned from books.”

Anton rummaged through the porridge in his bowl, then suddenly looked up and asked:

"Mr. Zhu, which is more suitable for this kind of condition where stagnant toxins are sunken in: sublingual detoxification or foot detoxification?"

“It depends on where the stagnation and toxins are located.” Zhu Liangchun put down his chopsticks and patiently explained, “The area under the tongue is connected to the brain, which is suitable for cases where the stagnation and toxins are located in the upper part of the body; the Yongquan point on the sole of the foot is the well point of the kidney meridian, which is suitable for cases where the stagnation and toxins are located in the lower part of the body. Yesterday, your master first examined the tongue and then felt the pulse to determine that the stagnation and toxins were trapped in the kidneys, and that’s why he chose the Yongquan point. This is the principle of diagnosis and treatment based on syndrome differentiation, and it cannot be generalized.”

Little Zhao Zhengyi listened attentively and asked, "What if the stasis is both above and below?"

Grandpa Zhu quite liked his young apprentice, Fang Yan. He was exceptionally intelligent and eager to learn, his mind always full of these questions. Grandpa Zhu didn't find it annoying at all, and said with a smile:

"Then we have to attack from both the top and the bottom. For example, first puncture Baihui to open the brain orifice, then puncture Yongquan to draw the poison down, and use Sanyinjiao in between to bridge the gap, so that the qi and blood can flow through the top and bottom, and the stagnant toxins will have nowhere to hide."

The righteous little boy nodded thoughtfully.

Fang Yan had just finished breakfast when the phone rang at home.

It turned out to be a call from Tao Guangzheng's side.

“My father has arrived and we want to start treatment now. Secretary Huang asked me to ask Director Fang for your opinion.”

Fang Yan was surprised that Lao Tao arrived so quickly.

He paused for a moment, then immediately said:
"Okay, let your old man write the prescription first and prepare the medicine. I'll come over as soon as I'm done here this morning, and we'll watch the treatment together."

Tao Guangzheng agreed on the other end of the phone, then asked Fang Yan:

"Alright, I'll do as you say."

Just as he was about to hang up, Fang Yan said to him again:
"Have Secretary Huang call Master Hai Deng over, and then they can oversee the treatment together."

“Okay!” Tao Guangzheng agreed.

After hanging up the phone, Fang Yan found Zhu Liangchun, who was not seeing patients today and was taking a day off. He would return to Nantong tomorrow.

Fang Yan said to him:
“Uncle Liangchun, Tao Guangzheng’s father has arrived and is preparing to treat him. Would you like to go and take a look? I have other matters to attend to; I have a few collaborations to discuss this morning.”

"Once I've finished talking to him, I'll go over and watch him administer the medicine."

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu said:
"Sure, I'll be right there."

Upon hearing that he had agreed, Fang Yan immediately told Sophia to send the person over.

Sofia agreed and went to prepare her car.

Fang Yan took An Dong to the hospital for rounds. The hospital was supposed to have a meeting today because of the change of director, but there were no changes to Fang Yan's TCM department, so Fang Yan just went over to say hello to Cui Jingyi and didn't need to attend.

After finishing this matter, he immediately went to the research institute.

Several provincial research institute staff had arrived at Zhao Xiwu's office long ago. When Fang Yan arrived, they were having breakfast as arranged by Zhao Xiwu.

No one stood on ceremony and started eating their lunchboxes right there in the office.

While eating, they chatted about the local medicinal herbs from their hometowns, enthusiastically promoting them to Zhao Xiwu. Only when Fang Yan arrived did Zhao Xiwu breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly called Fang Yan over and started discussing the cooperative medicinal herb base.

Because there was already a pilot project of cooperation in the three northeastern provinces, the established framework did not need to be changed much. It went smoothly for Fang Yan and these people to talk. In addition, some decisions made after the research institute's meeting were added to the cooperation documents, and the agreement was basically finalized.

Apart from the neighboring company needing to make some adjustments due to transportation issues, Fang Yan's negotiations went relatively smoothly.

They talked until about 10 a.m.

Fang Yan discovered that some research institutes in other places had not yet arrived, and he didn't know if they were late or if there had been any changes, but he was too preoccupied with the details to inquire about them at the moment.

Anyway, Zhao Xiwu and several other leaders were here, so there was no problem in negotiating. Fang Yan explained to Zhao Xiwu that he had another project with the Ministry of Health, and that he could leave Zeng Luquan here to keep an eye on it.

In any case, the general direction and some specific strategies will not change.

The rest depends on how they negotiate. Zhao Xiwu, of course, knew what Fang Yan was doing over there, and immediately agreed, telling him to go over as soon as possible.

Fang Yan apologized to everyone present, and then drove with Anton toward the Ministry of Health.

This time, Fang Yan didn't chat with An Dong on the way, and finally sped up. In half an hour, Fang Yan and his group arrived at the Ministry of Health's family compound.

This time, when the gatekeeper saw Fang Yan, he didn't let them take him in, and said directly:

"Director Fang, Secretary Huang just told you that you can go straight in after you arrive."

Fang Yan nodded and let Anton drive inside.

In the parking lot, they also saw Stipunk from Sofia.

After parking the car, the master and apprentice quickly went upstairs.

I knocked on the door, and it was Zhu Lao's apprentice, Chen Youqing, who opened it.

"Senior Brother Chen, how is it inside?" Fang Yan asked impatiently, already picturing everyone waiting for him to appear before administering the medicine.

Chen Youqing said:
"We're still preparing it; the medicine isn't ready yet."

"Huh?" Fang Yan was taken aback, glanced at the time on his watch, and asked:

"Didn't they start working on it before 7 o'clock? It's almost 11 o'clock now and it's still not done?"

Chen Youqing was both amused and exasperated:
"Some medicines need to be processed again before they can be used."

Fang Yan suddenly realized what was happening and then walked into the room.

The kitchen was bustling with activity. Tao Guangzheng and a thin, middle-aged man in his fifties were working inside. Upon seeing Fang Yan enter, Tao Guangzheng quickly said to the middle-aged man beside him:

"Dad, my boss is here!"

Upon hearing this, Comrade Lao Tao turned around and looked at Fang Yan.

Then, speaking in a slightly accented Hebei dialect, he said:
"Sir! I've heard so much about you! Hello, hello, thank you for transferring my son Guangzheng back!"

"Thank you so much!"

Fang Yan quickly stepped forward and grasped Lao Tao's hand. His palm was as rough as sandpaper, and there was still some medicinal powder on his knuckles.

"Mr. Tao, you are too kind. Comrade Guangzheng's medical skills are superb; he is a promising talent in our field of traditional Chinese medicine."

As he spoke, Fang Yan's gaze swept over the medicinal herbs on the kitchen counter. Next to the earthenware pot were seven or eight white porcelain plates filled with herbs that were being processed. One plate, in particular, had metallic-looking granules that stood out.

"Is this reprocessed sal ammoniac?"

Old Tao nodded, then pulled Fang Yan closer to the stove:

"The leader has a good eye! This ammoniac needs to be quenched three times with children's urine and salt water, and each time it must be slowly stir-fried over a low flame until a white frost appears on the surface. Although the one Guangzheng brought has been processed, it is not old enough. To deal with a stubborn disease like glioma, it needs to be quenched again according to the old method to reduce its dryness and increase its anti-toxicity."

Child's poop?

Boy's urine!
Goodness, it's comparable to the white-haired people I use.

Old Tao continued:

"Moreover, goat milk must be added during grinding to further absorb its harshness. The grinding time is also important; it must be long enough and must be done manually. Although it is laborious, it preserves the medicinal properties."

He picked up a grain of aloeswood and handed it to Fang Yan. Fang Yan took it and felt its weight. He brought it close to his nose and smelled it. It didn't have the pungent, fishy smell of ordinary aloeswood. Instead, it had a slightly salty and astringent taste.

"Using children's urine can guide the medicine to the kidneys, and salt water can consolidate the kidney qi. The old gentleman's processing method is indeed a family tradition." Fang Yan did not show any disgust. These methods may look sloppy, but as long as they can save lives, that's all that matters.

Tao Guang was standing to the side, weighing medicinal herbs with a small scale in his hand, when he heard this, he said:
“My father started preparing these concoction tools as soon as he received the telegram yesterday. He brought them over overnight from Yutian. The urine of children quenched with sal ammoniac was arranged through the county hospital.”

Just then, footsteps sounded at the kitchen doorway, and Zhu Liangchun and Master Haiteng entered, the old monk carrying a cloth bag in his hand.
"Old Tao, how's the quenching of your ammoniac? This is the pine needle ash you requested."

"Pine needle ash?" Fang Yan was taken aback.

He had only heard of using pine needles in medicine, but what about pine needle ash?
Perhaps sensing the confusion in the dialect, Master Hai Deng said:

"Pine needles are warm in nature and have a sweet and bitter taste. They enter the liver, heart, and spleen meridians and have the effects of dispelling wind and dampness, killing insects and relieving itching. After pine needles are burned into ash, their nature and taste change to 'warm and dry,' and they also have the effects of 'astringing, detoxifying, and unblocking the meridians.' Moreover, because the ash is light and clear, it can 'guide the medicine upward,' making it especially suitable for treating diseases of the upper part of the body, such as the head, face, and brain meridians. Some schools of traditional Chinese medicine use it as medicine."

Fang Yan suddenly realized.

Old Tao then said:

"Adding this to the medicine can protect the brain's blood vessels, preventing the medicine from being too strong and damaging the mind."

As they were talking, Lao Tao took the cloth bag, opened it, and found fine grayish-green powder inside. When he brought it close, he could smell the fragrance of pine resin.

“My grandfather wrote in his medical records that pine needle ash can ‘clear the turbidity of the brain’s meridians and consolidate the essence of the marrow’, which is perfect when combined with ammoniac.” He turned around and took out a small porcelain bottle from the cabinet. “I also brought some good stuff. This is magnetite powder that has been soaked in aged vinegar for three years. It can guide the medicine into the brain and make the ammoniac’s potency go straight to the tumor.”

Fang Yan looked at Tao Guangzheng; this was quite different from his prescription.

He then noticed other clay pots simmering on the stove, which must have been new additions this time.

I learned from asking in the local dialect that it contained fritillaria bulbs, which needed to be steamed in pear juice for 2 hours to moisten the lungs and resolve phlegm, thus counteracting the dryness of sal ammoniac.

In addition, cordyceps was used when I came in the morning. This stuff is sprayed with rice wine and then dried. The wine is used to enhance the medicinal effect and promote the penetration of the medicine.

The magnetite powder is made by soaking the magnetite in vinegar for three years and then grinding it into powder. The vinegar is then used to guide the medicine upwards, focusing on attacking brain tumors.

The ginger juice originally added to Tao Guangzheng's prescription was replaced with 1.5 grams each of wine-processed scorpion and vinegar-quenched earthworm, in order to avoid the clash with the salty and cold medicinal properties of the urine-quenched scorpion. Old Tao explained: "Scorpion venom breaks up blood stasis, and earthworm unblocks the meridians. One attacks and the other guides, specifically to pave the way for the sal ammoniac!"

In addition, there is a live rooster in the kitchen; this thing will be used to test the medicine we brew later.

Only after feeding a small amount of the medicinal decoction to a chicken and observing it for two hours to ensure there are no convulsions or lameness can the medicine be used on the patient.

Tao Guangzheng said to Fang Yan with shame:
"I had only ever seen my father's method in ancestral notes before... I only learned today that it was to prevent the medicine from damaging people's liver and kidneys!"

Finally, all utensils that come into contact with the medicinal liquid must be made of pottery or wood. Old Tao stated very meticulously:
"Realgar turns into a potent poison when it comes into contact with gold; even the slightest touch with an iron spoon will render all its effects useless!"

I have to admit, Old Tao's dialect is definitely more refined than Young Tao's.

He silently memorized these recipes; they were all secret recipes from the Tao family.

After a while, there was a knock on the door. When I opened it, I found that it was Lao Hu who had brought lunch.

"Hey, how did it go?" He asked the group as soon as he entered, with bodyguard Lao Cui and assistant Xiao Lin behind him.

Fang Yan glanced at his watch; it was almost midnight.

"It'll be quick. All the medicinal herbs need to be processed again, so it's a little slow. After the chickens are tested with the medicine, it can be given to Aunt Wang to eat," Fang Yan said to Lao Hu.

Lao Hu said:

"Then let's eat quickly!"

He then ordered the food to be laid out, and everyone ate without any hesitation. Old Tao, however, was still in the kitchen watching over things and didn't come over. He told Tao Guangzheng to come and eat first.

Fang Yan was supposed to replace him, but Lao Tao said:
"It's the final step, so it's best if I keep an eye on it."

Fang Yan wasn't pretentious, but he didn't go to eat either. He just stayed with Lao Tao, watching what he was going to do in the final step.

The medicine has already been brewed. He added some of the ingredients first and some later, without writing down the steps. He controlled everything.

Fang Yan watched him brew the medicine, and half an hour later, the medicine was ready.

Fang Yan saw Lao Tao pick up a ceramic bowl, scoop out half a bowl of medicinal soup with a wooden spoon, and place it on the windowsill to cool. "Once it's cooled to lukewarm, I'll feed it to the chickens first."

After everyone finished eating, they gathered around and stared at the bowl of medicinal soup.

After a while, Old Tao tested the temperature of the medicinal soup and nodded:
"Okay."

Then he personally stepped forward, carefully pinched the chicken's beak, and poured the contents in.

Kun Kun pecked at its lips but didn't react, continuing to pace around in the cage.

Everyone held their breath, staring at the rooster. One minute, two minutes, five minutes... Suddenly, the rooster shook its wings and crowed, its voice clear and bright.

After seeing this, Lao Tao said:
"Alright, you guys keep an eye on things, Director Fang, let's go eat!"

Fang Yan nodded and then walked to the table with Lao Tao to start eating the lunch that had been left for them.

After we finished eating, the chicken was still fine.

After waiting for a full two hours, Old Tao breathed a sigh of relief and patted the stove: "Alright! The chicken is fine, this medicine can be given to Comrade Wang now." He picked up a clean ceramic bowl, scooped out half a bowl of the medicine, and handed it to Zhang Li, "Let your mother drink half a bowl first, then lie down for a while and don't move around too much."

Zhang Li took the bowl of medicine and quickly walked into the bedroom.

Fang Yan, Lao Tao, Zhu Liangchun, and others followed them inside. They saw Wang Huiyuan leaning against the headboard, her complexion even better than in the morning. When Zhang Li brought in the medicine, she knew it had been tested on a rooster. She took the bowl without hesitation and drank it down.

PS: 5400 words completed, no more debts.

(End of this chapter)