Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1371 When Soldiers Come, Generals Will Block Them; Eight Years of Bone Tuberculosis Plus Rats Digging Holes (Two Chapters Combined)
Anyway, something's definitely wrong with this Wang Zhenlin.

Director Liao could also sense it from their conversation, since he had previously worked in intelligence in Hong Kong. He could usually tell just by talking to someone for a few minutes.

Wang Zhenlin was clearly hiding something.

Given what Lu Donghua had mentioned, Director Liao had no choice but to take it seriously.

The banquet was still in progress when Director Liao, taking advantage of a break to go to the restroom, found his secretary Gao Han waiting outside the banquet hall and solemnly instructed him:

"You should contact the Tianjin Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners now and verify two things with the old TCM doctors who practiced medicine at the docks back then. First, did a TCM doctor named 'Wang Zhenlin' exist more than forty years ago, and did he always associate with shady people back then? Second, verify whether he sided with the Japanese and opened a clinic and collected TCM materials in the Japanese-occupied area."

He paused, then added, "Also, check if there was an American businessman named 'John' who did import and export business in Tianjin, Hong Kong, and Yokohama, Japan around 1953. Focus on whether he took a Chinese medicine practitioner to Japan. If we can't find any real records of 'John,' then Wang Zhenlin's story is even less tenable."

Gao Han quickly took out his notebook to write it down and nodded in response:

"I'll contact the Tianjin side tonight and try to get some initial information by tomorrow morning. Also, should we arrange for someone to keep an eye on Wang Zhenlin's whereabouts and see who he'll contact and where he'll go next?"

"Yes!" Director Liao nodded decisively. "Arrange for two reliable people to follow him closely, to avoid alerting him. The key is to see if he goes to Peking Union Medical College Hospital or research institutes, or contacts other overseas Chinese businessmen to discuss matters related to traditional Chinese medicine. Report any unusual activity immediately."

When Director Liao returned to his seat, Fang Yan and Lu Donghua were whispering their doubts about Wang Zhenlin. He sat down, subtly giving them a look that indicated "an investigation has been arranged," before smiling and speaking:
"Don't worry too much. Gao Han has already contacted Tianjin. We should have news in two days at most. Regardless of Wang Zhenlin's purpose, let's keep things calm and proceed according to the original plan."

Lu Donghua nodded and said in a low voice, "I'm not afraid of him playing tricks, but I'm afraid that he'll use the name of 'overseas Chinese businessman TCM doctor' to swindle and deceive people outside, affecting the reputation of the dialect, or causing trouble for the research institute and hospital."

The dialect also added:

"After I go to the hospital tomorrow, I will tell the triage desk and ward nurses that if Wang Zhenlin comes looking for me under the guise of 'exchange,' he should let me know first before I decide whether to meet him or not. I will also tell He Puren at the research institute to prevent him from entering the core area without permission."

Director Liao gave Fang Yan an approving look: "That's the way to do it. We'll treat him as an 'ordinary overseas Chinese' for now, without provoking him, but we'll never let our guard down. Since he dared to come back, he may have something to rely on, but as long as we know his true background, we're not afraid of him causing any trouble."

As the banquet drew to a close, Wang Zhenlin came over to say goodbye to Director Liao, Fang Yan, and others. He still had a polite smile on his face, but he didn't mention the "old acquaintance" or "traditional Chinese medicine exchange" again. He simply said, "Let's talk next time," and left in a hurry.

Watching his retreating figure, Director Liao whispered to Fang Yan and Lu Donghua, "He probably realized we're watching him, so he'll be more careful from now on. Let's just wait for the results of the investigation in Tianjin; there's no need to contact him proactively."

Fang Yan and his companion nodded. They had experienced similar situations before, so they weren't too flustered in the face of this one. In fact, they even had a desire to know what the other party was up to.

Although we are now working to improve relations with Japan, it doesn't mean we can give them our secret formulas or tolerate their underhanded tactics.

Anyway, they know what dialects are like.

On the way back, Lu Donghua thought of the "spy relative" from his maternal grandfather's house and couldn't help but sigh: "Over the years, there have always been people who use the guise of 'traditional Chinese medicine' and 'overseas Chinese' to try to extract resources. Fortunately, we have experience and are not so easily fooled."

Fang Yan also agreed: "The more flowery their words and the more they try to establish connections, the more careful we should be. The prescriptions and treatment techniques we have are for treating illnesses and saving lives, and we must never let people with ulterior motives use them to make a fuss."

Both of them understand this very well. Fang Yan now has not only treatment plans for idiopathic interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, but also many other treatment plans for other diseases.

Take, for example, the complete cancer-fighting and life-saving soup.

Even the blood-stasis-reducing decoction for treating rabies wasn't something to hide, and they weren't really willing to share the local dialect with the Japanese.

Back at the courtyard house, Fang Yan briefly explained Wang Zhenlin's situation to Lao Hu, from his suspicious behavior at the banquet to the investigation arranged by Director Liao, and the precautions against core TCM resources.

After listening, Old Hu put down the toy he had just half-assembled and immediately said:
“I have business friends in Hong Kong and Japan, especially in Yokohama. I have a few acquaintances in the Chinese Chamber of Commerce who might be able to find out about Wang Zhenlin’s actual medical practice in Japan, and whether that American businessman named ‘John’ actually exists.”

Fang Yan's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly:

“That’s great! Your channels are faster than the official ones, and you can find some information that we can’t easily access. For example, the specific address of his clinic in Japan, whether there are any registration records, or who he has been in close contact with over the years.”

Old Hu smiled and put down the toy in his hand:
"Don't worry, I'll call Chu Bin in Hong Kong tonight and have him contact the people in Japan so I can get you some news as soon as possible."

Huang Huijie added from the side:

"If we find out that he has any dealings with any suspicious organizations in Japan, or has any records of transferring TCM materials, it will help Director Liao's investigation to be completed more quickly."

The couple quickly reached a consensus: Lao Hu would be in charge of investigating overseas channels, while Fang Yan and Lu Donghua would cooperate with Director Liao's official investigation, and at the same time, safeguard the hospital and research institute. They would work on multiple fronts to find out Wang Zhenlin's background as soon as possible.

After discussing the investigation, Fang Yan specifically instructed her family: "If Wang Zhenlin comes to visit us under any pretext in the future, don't talk to him about my medical prescriptions or the progress of the research institute. Just say that I'm usually busy and don't know the specifics."

Zhu Lin quickly agreed, saying he would pay close attention and make sure no one could find a breakthrough from his home.

Of course, the chances of this happening are actually quite small.

However, it cannot be ruled out that this person has designs on these places.

……

The next morning, when Fang Yan arrived at Director Liao's residence, the other party had just gotten up.

The two sat in the living room, drinking tea and chatting. Director Liao first talked about the day's work arrangements:

"These overseas Chinese businessmen had already finalized their investment projects before returning, so today's treatment will not be arranged according to their status as overseas Chinese businessmen, but according to the severity of their symptoms, with priority given to severely ill patients. We will still maintain a pace of five people per day."

Fang Yan nodded after listening, admiring Director Liao's thorough consideration.

"This approach ensures that treatment for critically ill patients is not delayed, maintains the quality of care, and prevents previous patients from feeling 'cheated.' It is truly thoughtful."

Director Liao smiled and said, "We need to treat patients and save lives, but we also need to consider these details to avoid giving others cause for gossip."

After discussing the treatment arrangements, Fang Yan took the opportunity to inquire about Wang Zhenlin's condition.

Director Liao's expression darkened slightly: "Wang Zhenlin came back this time to 'accompany a family member to see a doctor,' and the patient is his son-in-law. But this is even more suspicious. If he were simply accompanying a family member, there would be no need for him to deliberately bring up your mentor and fabricate overseas medical experience. He is obviously using the identity of a 'family member' as a cover."

Fang Yan nodded.

Since we know he has problems, we just need to be on guard.

After finishing their work discussion, Fang Yan changed the subject, looking at Director Liao's face: "Are you still experiencing chest tightness today? Is your shoulder very painful?"

Director Liao stretched his shoulders and said in a relaxed tone, "I drank your Chinese medicine last night and slept soundly until dawn. I don't feel any chest tightness anymore, and my shoulders are still a little sore, but it's much better than yesterday."

Fang Yan reached out to take Director Liao's pulse, feeling the rise and fall of the pulse. After a few minutes, he said, "Your pulse is much more stable than yesterday, but your qi and blood are still a bit weak. After all, you are of this age, so your recovery is slower. Today I will adjust your prescription again, adding two herbs to replenish qi and blood. Drink it for another three days, and the soreness in your shoulders should be gone."

Director Liao nodded quickly: "I'll do whatever you say, however you want."

After finishing his business with Director Liao, Fang Yan went to the hospital for rounds. The first patients he saw were the three who had been admitted recently. Compared to yesterday, the one who had changed the most today was Zhang Fu. After taking his medicine today, his stool was no longer foul. Although he still had some hydrophobia symptoms, it was much better than yesterday. Now, he only felt his heart race when he saw water. Although he was still afraid, he was able to hold the water and force himself to drink it.

Based on this dialect, we know that his recovery should not be too far away.

I estimate it will be in the next few days. I heard from Director Liao that Shen Zhanyao will arrive tomorrow, and when he arrives, he will be able to witness Zhang Fu's recovery.

As for Mr. Sima and Mr. Ma, their changes are not as significant. Mr. Sima's tumor is now more movable, and the lipoma on his elbow has begun to show signs of softening.

As for Mr. Ma, who has idiopathic pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, he is still coughing up phlegm today. Compared with Zhou Zhaoqin's many complications, his condition is much better.

Fang Yan explained the current situation to the patients and their families before checking on the other rooms. Aunt Wang Huiyuan, who was admitted earlier, has been able to walk normally in the corridor in the past few days under Lao Tao's treatment.

Old Tao's family's secret recipe is indeed quite something. Thinking of this, Fang Yan hurriedly went to tell Old Tao about Wang Zhenlin. Since he couldn't do anything to Wang Zhenlin himself, the old man might inevitably set his sights on other people. Fang Yan was careful about this.

After finishing their meal, Fang Yan went to the outpatient building of Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

He had a feeling that Wang Zhenlin would come today.

He wanted to watch from the sidelines, but Fang Yan planned to kick him out directly. He was there to see his master, Lu Donghua, not someone he knew well.

It's perfectly reasonable for me to let him go.

The number of people on duty today didn't increase either, but since it's the second day of the holiday, there were fewer people coming to see the doctor.

When Fang Yan arrived, there wasn't even a queue. Fang Yan asked An Dong to stay here with his master, Lu Donghua, while he naturally arranged for medical staff to assist him, who could just wait in the examination room.

About half an hour later, the patient arrived.

The first group of people to arrive were all individuals who had difficulty moving around.

Fang Yan saw from upstairs that all five patients were pushed in by wheelchairs.

Downstairs, Dean Cui Jingyi was receiving the patient, accompanied by staff from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and the patient's family members.

To Fang Yan's surprise, Wang Zhenlin, whom she had expected to come, did not show up.

It's difficult to ask what's going on in the local dialect, so if they don't come, they don't come. That way, it'll save me the trouble.

However, he couldn't help but ask the staff of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office who brought the person over. When they heard Fang Yan asking about Wang Zhenlin, they didn't hide anything from him. They said that Director Liao had organized a tour of the capital today, and had someone take overseas Chinese who were not involved in the medical treatment to travel around the city. They also introduced them to the investments made by overseas Chinese businessmen in the vicinity of the capital.

Upon hearing the dialect, one couldn't help but admire Director Liao's ingenuity.

……

Fang Yan had just settled into the consultation room when the nurse led in the first patient.

The moment the door was pushed open, a faint smell of medicine mixed with a hint of pus wafted in. Then, a young woman appeared, being half-supported and half-carried by her family. She looked to be in her early thirties, but her figure was unusually thin, and her face was sallow from long-term illness, with only her cheekbones showing an abnormal flush.

"Dr. Fang, this is Ms. Sun, who has returned from the United States," an official from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office introduced. Ms. Sun was helped to the examination table by her family members. She moved with extra care, and when she sat down, she slowly turned to the side, clearly afraid to put any strain on her waist.

"Dr. Fang, you have to help me... I've been suffering from this illness for eight years. I've had three surgeries in the United States, and I just had my fourth one last month. The wound still hasn't healed." Her voice was hoarse and filled with undisguised exhaustion. As she spoke, she unconsciously pressed her left groin, her eyes filled with pain.

Fang Yan nodded and said to her:
"Don't panic, relax, we'll take it slowly."

"Please tell me specifically what part of your body is uncomfortable."

Ms. Sun said:
"I have tuberculosis in the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae, and I have been diagnosed with it for eight years."

Bone tuberculosis?
It's still lumbar spine tuberculosis.

In traditional Chinese medicine, this thing is called osteomyelitis.

The term "bone carbuncle" first appeared in the "Huangdi Neijing" and specifically refers to a disease in which heat toxins or cold-dampness invade the bones, causing stagnation of qi and blood. Bone tuberculosis, due to its long course, easy ulceration and difficulty in healing, and often accompanied by symptoms of deficiency such as low-grade fever and night sweats, is mostly classified as "yin carbuncle".

"When you're lying flat, can you turn over by yourself?" Fang Yan asked first. If it's this disease, and you've had it for eight years, then these symptoms are definitely present.

Ms. Sun shook her head, her eyes slightly red: "No, I can't move when I lie flat. When I turn over, my waist feels like it's being pulled and it hurts, and my whole left leg goes numb."

Fang Yan nodded, then asked her to lift the clothes on her left groin. There was a thick gauze there, and when it was lifted, a 3 to 4-centimeter ulcer was exposed. The skin around the ulcer was dark and was oozing a thin, pale yellow pus. There was no fresh granulation tissue, and it was obvious that it was a chronic wound that had not healed for a long time.

“I have to change the dressing twice a day, but it’s still the same. Sometimes I get a fever, especially in the afternoon. My temperature is always around 37.5 degrees Celsius, and I feel so weak.” Ms. Sun’s family member added from the side, their voice full of anxiety. “When we were in the United States, the doctor said that he had done his best and told us to come back and try traditional Chinese medicine. We asked around for a long time before we found you, Dr. Fang.”

He didn't respond immediately, but instead gestured for Ms. Sun to lie down on the examination bed next to him. Considering that she "could not turn over while lying flat," he specially asked her family to bring a soft pillow to support her waist to alleviate her discomfort as much as possible.

“In traditional Chinese medicine, your condition is called ‘bone carbuncle.’ If it’s like yours, it’s long-lasting and has ulcers that are oozing pus, so it’s more like a ‘yin carbuncle.’ The root cause is that your body is weak, and the pathogenic factors are stuck in your bones and can’t be dispelled.” Fang Yan said, while gently pressing on both sides of her lumbar spine. “Does it hurt when I press here?” Ms. Sun nodded, her voice filled with pain: “Yes, especially when I press, the pain can shoot up to my legs.”

After confirming the scope of the illness, Fang Yan began to inquire about the patient's medical history in detail, for fear of missing any key information. "When you were first diagnosed, did you have any other symptoms besides back pain? For example, fever, night sweats, or weight loss?" Ms. Sun recalled for a moment: "Yes, I always felt tired at that time, and I sweated a lot at night, my clothes would be soaked through, and I lost almost 20 pounds in half a year."

"What were the main problems addressed in the surgeries in the United States? Were they to remove lesions or treat ulcers?" Fang Yan continued to ask.

Ms. Sun's family added, "The first two times were to remove tuberculous lesions in her lumbar spine. The third time was because the ulcer was constantly oozing pus, so they did debridement. Last month, the ulcer had enlarged again, and the doctor said there was dead bone inside, so they cleaned it again, but it still didn't get better."

Fang Yan then looked at her ulcer: "Is the pus coming out of the ulcer always this pale yellow and thin? Has it ever become thicker or smellier?"

Ms. Sun shook her head: "It's always been like this. It doesn't smell very bad, but it keeps flowing. I have to change the gauze twice a day, and sometimes it even has a little blood in it."

Fang Yan nodded, indicating that Ms. Sun's condition was not simply lumbar tuberculosis.

She had a tuberculosis ulcer in her groin.

The core reason is the "sinus tract" metastasis caused by tuberculous lesions. The tuberculous lesions in the lumbar spine do not rupture directly outward, but instead form a hidden "channel" along the deep tissue gaps, eventually penetrating the skin in the groin area and forming an ulcer.

The location of the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae has a "connection" with the groin area in the deep tissues.

When tuberculosis occurs in the lumbar spine, pus containing tuberculosis bacteria (i.e., a "cold abscess") will form at the lesion site. This pus will not rupture outward as quickly as ordinary inflammation, but will spread along the "weak gaps" of the body, just like a rat digging a hole.

The spaces between the psoas major and iliopsoas muscles around the lumbar spine are natural "channels" through which pus can flow downwards, extending all the way to the groin area. The skin and subcutaneous tissue in this area are relatively thin, and the pus eventually breaks through the skin, forming an ulcer.

The groin ulcer may seem like a "local problem," but it is actually connected to the primary lesion in the lumbar spine. As long as the tuberculosis lesion in the lumbar spine is not cleared, the ulcer will continue to drain pus and is difficult to heal, forming a vicious cycle of "if the primary lesion is not removed, the secondary ulcer will be difficult to heal."

Judging from their dialect, none of these people who returned were easy to treat.

He composed himself and said to Ms. Sun:
"Let me take your pulse first. Stick out your tongue so I can see it."

Ms. Sun quickly cooperated, and the dialect revealed that her tongue coating was white, but nothing else could be discerned.

After feeling the pulse with both hands, I found it to be deep and wiry.

Fang Yan asked again:
How are your bowel and bladder habits?

Ms. Sun said:
"Breakfast and urination should be normal, but sometimes I feel like there's gas swirling in my stomach."

"Eating and sleeping?" Fang Yan pressed.

Ms. Sun responded:

"I can't eat much. I only eat one or two meals a day, and they're quite small. I'm also not feeling well, so I'm not very active. I'm also not sleeping well because I'm not feeling well."

She then added:
"And I often have a dry mouth and a low-grade fever, just like I am now."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan touched her forehead and found that she did indeed have a slight fever, but it wasn't obvious.

At this moment, Ms. Sun asked in dialect:
"Dr. Fang, is my condition easily treatable with traditional Chinese medicine?"

"It's not easy to treat," Fang Yan replied directly.

Upon hearing "not easy to treat," Ms. Sun's eyes instantly dimmed, her hands unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes, her voice trembling: "Even you think...it's not easy to treat? The doctors in America have said there's nothing they can do. I thought coming back to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor would offer some hope..."

Seeing this, Fang Yan softened his tone and patiently explained:

“‘Difficult to treat’ doesn’t mean ‘incurable.’ You’ve endured this illness for eight years and undergone four surgeries, which has severely depleted your physical condition. Moreover, the lesions in your lumbar spine and the ulcer in your groin are connected, creating a vicious cycle. It needs to be treated step by step; you can’t rush it. If it were easy to treat, the doctors in America wouldn’t have told you to come back and see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, right?”

Upon hearing Fang Yan's words, Ms. Sun's eyes immediately lit up again. At this moment, her family member next to her said to Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, we know the rules. If you cure him, we'll donate the building! We'll donate two buildings!"

“Yes, yes, yes!” The oldest man standing nearby nodded in agreement; he was probably Ms. Sun’s father.

Fang Yan was speechless after hearing this.

Are they donating buildings because they want to build a skyscraper at Peking Union Medical College Hospital?

"Let's put that aside for now and talk about the treatment plan. Her condition will take a while to treat, so you should be prepared," Fang Yan said to them.

"This disease is like repairing an old house. You have to restore the body's foundation first, then clear up the lesions, and finally consolidate the therapeutic effect. You have to do it step by step and you can't rush it."

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

(End of this chapter)