Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1425 A Land of Outstanding People and Abundant Resources: News of Li Ke in Lingshi County (Two Chapters Combined)
Next, Fang Yan chatted with the cadre for a while. Fang Yan didn't ask his name or position, but just talked to him about the current situation of traditional Chinese medicine in the area. Compared with what he learned from the health department in Taiyuan, what he said presented a different picture.

When the two started talking about the situation of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners at the grassroots level, the relaxed expression on the official's face faded a bit. He took a puff of his cigarette and his tone became serious: "The lack of medical care and medicine in rural areas has been going on for a long time. In Shanxi, only the area around Taiyuan is relatively better. In the more remote villages, it's hard to even find a decent place to see a doctor."

“Take barefoot doctors for example,” he said, counting on his fingers. “A commune might only have two or three, and many of them were self-taught, having only studied under an old Chinese medicine doctor for three to five months before starting their jobs. They couldn’t even take a pulse accurately, and the prescriptions they wrote were just common cold medicines and antidiarrheals. They wouldn’t dare to take on chronic diseases like hepatitis.”

He paused, as if remembering something, and continued, "Let me tell you about something I heard recently. It was in a village under a commune. A peasant woman had a stomachache and was vomiting black blood. The barefoot doctor examined her but dared not treat her and told her to go to the county town. But the county hospital was more than 30 miles away from the village. Her family was poor and didn't even have a bicycle. Her husband was disabled and could barely take care of himself. In the end, when she was taken to the town, she was already dead."

“Don’t tell me, I’ve heard a similar one too…” This sparked the interest of others, and people nearby joined in.

He listened attentively to the dialect, nodding occasionally.

The shortage of primary healthcare is greater than we thought, and it's not just a matter of drug distribution, but also of medical personnel and various other issues.

"Aren't there old Chinese medicine doctors in the area? Is there no one to pass on their knowledge?" Fang Yan asked.

"What are you spreading!" an official waved his hand. "Learning traditional Chinese medicine is slow. It takes at least ten or eight years to become a master, and you can't even make money from it. The smart ones all go to school, and the not-so-smart ones can't learn it even if you ask them to."

"Moreover, during the turmoil of previous years, many medical records and secret prescriptions of veteran Chinese medicine practitioners were burned or lost. Even if they wanted to pass them on, there was nothing left to pass on." He said with regret.

The train stopped at several more stations, and some more people boarded. They heard Fang Yan and his friends discussing something and learned that Fang Yan was from Beijing, so they joined in the conversation and told Fang Yan about the situation at the grassroots level.

Fang Yan took out cigarettes again and offered them to everyone, listening to their stories.

Seeing that Fang Yan, a college student from Beijing, had a good attitude, everyone started chatting. Only then did Fang Yan realize how difficult it was to provide basic medical care these days.

As we were talking, the train began to slow down again, and the train conductor's voice came over the carriage announcement: "The next stop is Jiexiu Station. Those who are getting off, please prepare in advance!"

The cadre stood up and said to Fang Yan, "We've arrived. Comrade college student, if you can meet some truly dedicated doctors in Lingshi, please help them out. We ordinary people still need their help!"

Fang Yan nodded, took his hand and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely remember it."

Then most people got off when the train stopped at Yitang Station.

Fang Yan returned to his seat. There was only one stop left until Ling Shi. Fang Yan had previously planned to ask Li Ke, the old man, if he was willing to return to the capital after he was exonerated. Now he was a little unsure.

Local areas really need doctors like Li Ke; he can train many more people.

If I take him to the capital, Li Ke's fate will change, but without him, the fate of those who could have survived here might change again.

How to choose?
The dialect asks itself.

He didn't have an answer for a moment.

At 10:20 a.m., the train finally arrived in Lingshi County.

The station building is a low, red-brick bungalow with exposed red bricks on the walls.

A wooden bus stop sign hangs under the eaves, with the three large characters "Lingshi Station" painted in red on it.

Compared to the train station in Taiyuan, this place is ridiculously rudimentary.

"Let's go, get out of the car!" Fang Yan called to Li Chong and the other two.

After the four of them got off the bus, other people continued to get on the bus to go to the next stop.

Fang Yan saw that most of the people on the platform were passengers carrying bundles and net bags, as well as a few workers wearing dark blue overalls and safety helmets, who must have come from the nearby coal mines.

Lingshi is a coal-producing area, and there is always a faint smell of coal dust in the air. Even the sacks piled up by the platform are covered with a layer of light black powder.

Before, people in the dialect laughed at my mother for exaggerating, but now it seems she wasn't so exaggerated after all.

At this moment, several station staff members dressed in gray cotton-padded coats walked back and forth, holding tin megaphones and occasionally shouting: "Those getting off the train, please slow down! Don't push! Exit this way after you get off the train!"

Upon hearing the voice, they followed the directions and headed towards the exit.

Lingshi has long been known as a vital passage between Qin and Jin, and a thoroughfare between Sichuan and Shaanxi. The county covers an area of ​​1,200 square kilometers and has a history of nearly 1,400 years since the county seat was established in the Sui Dynasty.

So when the dialect was chosen to be piloted in this place, no one else felt it was abrupt.

Speaking of which, this place has produced quite a few famous people, including Geng Wenguang, one of the four great book collectors in China, and Zhang Youyu, a famous jurist and deputy mayor of Beijing.

There was also He Zehui, a physicist later known as the Chinese Madame Curie. She was one of the founders of nuclear physics and high-energy astrophysics in China, and also the wife of Qian Sanqiang.

Besides He Zehui, the He family of Lingshi has produced many other talented individuals, including physicist He Yizhen, biologist He Zeyong, and botanist He Zeying. They are a family with many outstanding members, but none of them are as famous as He Zehui.

The He family of Lingshi is a prominent family. During the Qing Dynasty, this family produced 15 Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). In Shanxi, there is a saying that "no examination can be held without the He family," which shows how powerful this family is.

After exiting the station, Fang Yan and his friends saw someone holding a sign that read "Comrade Fang Yan" and waiting for him.

The person holding the sign was a young man in his early thirties, wearing a dark blue cotton coat, with a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose and sleeve. His hands, red from the cold, were tightly clutching a piece of cardboard with the words "Comrade Fangyan" written in neat calligraphy.

When he saw Fang Yan and his group of four, his eyes lit up immediately, and he quickly went to greet them:

"You must be Director Fang from Beijing? I'm an official from the county hospital, here specifically to pick you up!"

As he spoke, he took out his ID to show Fang Yan.

This was the first time Fang Yan had encountered someone being picked up like this. He glanced at the other person's identification, which read He Yang, and his position was the vice president of the county hospital.

To rise to the position of vice president in one's thirties requires some skill.

As mentioned before, the He family is a prominent surname in Lingshi, and it's unclear whether this person is a local.

"Hello, Dean He!" Fang Yan went up and shook hands with him.

He Yang said to Fang Yan:

"Director Fang, you're too kind. I've heard of you before. Director Xiao also sent a telegram saying that we should make sure to treat you with the utmost care."

Then he pointed outside and said:
"The car is ready, let's go to our accommodation first."

Fang Yan nodded, and then followed He Yang outside. There were two jeeps parked by the roadside, which looked quite new. Fang Yan, Li Chong, and He Yang got into one of the jeeps, while Wang Feng and Deng Cai got into the other one, and Fang Yan's luggage was also put there.

Then the car started and headed towards the county hospital.

After leaving the dirt road near the station and turning onto the main road of the county town, He Yang, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to Fang Yan and said, "Director Fang, you've never been here before, have you?"

"No, this is my first time even in Shanxi," Fang Yan said, shaking his head as he looked out the window.

He Yang said:

"Our Lingshi County is not big, but it has a long history. It was established as a county in the Sui Dynasty. The streets are paved along the mountain slopes, and the staggered layout is quite charming."

Looking out the car window, Fang Yan saw that the main road was a compacted dirt road, with ruts of varying depths left by the wheels, and fine dust would be stirred up by the wind.

This place is indeed incomparable to Taiyuan. The houses on both sides of the road are all made of blue bricks and gray tiles, with a few mud houses occasionally interspersed. Some walls are painted with white lime, while others have exposed bricks. The walls are painted with red slogans such as "Learn from Dazhai in Agriculture," with some characters bright and others mottled.

“Look at that row of blue brick houses on the east side of the road,” He Yang gestured, “that’s the county’s supply and marketing cooperative and post office, the busiest place around here. If you go any further and cross the stone bridge, there’s the county hospital and guesthouse, which are close by and convenient for you to do your business.”

Fang Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the pedestrians on the roadside. Most of them were wearing cotton-padded coats in gray, blue, and black, wrapped up tightly. Some carried bamboo baskets on their backs, while others carried cloth bags, walking slowly. A few people rode by on old-fashioned bicycles, with vegetable baskets and grain bags hanging on their handlebars.

Outside the supply and marketing cooperative, there were still stall owners wrapped in thick cotton-padded coats, guarding several baskets of wild vegetables and eggs. Occasionally, someone would stop to ask the price. Although it was still the era of planned economy, during the off-season, some farmers would still bring things to the city to sell, especially eggs. These days, farmers were short of cash, but they needed money for various daily expenses, such as buying clothes, exchanging gifts, paying children's tuition, and buying daily necessities.

Raising chickens to lay eggs has become one of the few ways for farmers to make money in emergencies. The income from selling eggs can be used to buy daily necessities such as salt, matches, and soap, and can even cover some small social expenses.

Therefore, people vividly call this way of supporting the family economy by selling eggs laid by chickens "chicken butt economy", and some people also call it "chicken butt bank".

He Yang, in the passenger seat, was still explaining in dialect:

“Lingshi produces coal, and there are several coal mines around the county town. Many villagers rely on coal mining for a living, so the air always smells a bit like coal. Please bear with us. However, our millet and red dates are authentic. I'll have the canteen have you try them later; they're good for your stomach.”

Fang Yan waved his hand dismissively, saying, "What's there to take responsibility for?"

The car drove across a stone arch bridge. Under the bridge was a small river with a thin layer of ice on the water. The branches of the trees on the bank were bare, with a few frost flowers hanging on them.

“The county hospital is just across the bridge!” He Yang said to Fang Yan.

From the perspective of the dialect, a five-story red brick building stands out, next to which is a row of low bungalows, which should be the wards and office area.

“Dean He,” Fang Yan withdrew his gaze and got to the point, “Director Xiao mentioned the situation of this hepatitis pilot program to me in Taiyuan, but I’m not clear on the specific details. The telegram said everything was going smoothly, but I heard there were some things that weren’t going so well. Could you tell me about the actual situation?”

He Yang's smile faded slightly as he asked:
"Who told Director Fang this?"

Fang Yan smiled and said:
"I heard other people talking about it while I was on the train."

He didn't say who it was or what the content was, just let He Yang tell the story himself.

He Yang paused for a moment, then said:

"Director Fang, to be honest, there is indeed a small problem."

"More details," Fang Yan said.

He Yang said:

"The prescription and the medicine are both fine; they really work. Many patients have been cured in the pilot communes around the county. But that's where the problem lies... there isn't enough medicine to go around."

“The pilot program covered four communes, and the number of slots was limited. However, many patients from nearby Jiexiu and Pingyao came to ask for medicine, and some cadres also tried to get medicine through connections. The local health centers were reluctant to refuse, which meant that villagers who truly met the pilot criteria sometimes had to wait in line for medicine.”

"In addition," he lowered his voice, "the skill levels of our grassroots barefoot doctors vary greatly. Although they have that diagnostic tool, some doctors still prescribe medicine to patients without accurately diagnosing their symptoms. Some patients don't see any effect after taking the medicine and complain privately that the prescription is 'not what it seems,' which adds some resistance to its promotion."

Fang Yan nodded; this matched what he had heard on the train.

He didn't state his opinion, but instead asked:

"How large is the shortage of medicinal materials? Have you considered solutions to the problem of syndrome differentiation and medication?"

He Yang shook his head:
"It's hard to say what the gap is, and we have no way to track the private interactions between people."

Then he paused and said:
"As for the matter of dialectical thinking, I think... we should be able to get more guidance from Comrade Bai..."

At this point, he couldn't figure out what Fang Yan's attitude was, so he could only bite the bullet and speak.

Fang Yan remained silent, a thoughtful expression on his face.

The car has now arrived at the entrance of the county hospital.

He Yang instructed the driver to head to the guesthouse.

Soon they arrived at the side of the bungalow, which was connected to the main hospital building. The walls were painted white and a wooden sign that read "Lingshi County Hospital Guesthouse" was hanging at the door.

He Yang got out of the car first and opened the door: "Director Fang, we've arrived. You must be tired from your journey. Please rest for a bit. I'll have the cafeteria prepare lunch."

"Let's meet the cadres in the institute together during the meal."

Fang Yan nodded, then looked around and asked:

"Hey, where's Bai Xiaochun, the one we sent?"

He Yang said:

"Oh, Dr. Bai went to Jingsheng Town yesterday, it's about ten kilometers away."

The dialect suddenly became clear:

"Oh, they went over there..."

He asked He Yang, "Hey, I remember Jingsheng Town, isn't there a Wang Family Compound there?"

He Yang nodded and said:

"Yes, yes, Director Fang has a good memory. There is indeed a Wang Family Compound, which was built by the Wang family, a Shanxi merchant family, over a period of more than 300 years during the Qing Dynasty."

According to my local dialect, this Wang Family Compound was something special.

The Wang family was a prominent Shanxi merchant clan during the Ming and Qing dynasties. They made their fortune through commerce, primarily in salt, tea, and banking. At its peak, the family was incredibly wealthy, comparable to a nation. The construction of the Wang Family Compound involved a vast amount of manpower and resources. Covering a total area of ​​25 square meters, the Wang Family Compound consists of several courtyard complexes, including "Hongmenbao" and "Gaojiaya," with a total of 123 courtyards and 1118 rooms. This is more than 400 more rooms than the Forbidden City, making it quite remarkable.

However, by this time it had been nationalized, with some courtyards used as offices and granaries for the local commune, and others allocated to villagers for residence.

At this moment, Li Chong said:
"The Wang Family Compound?"

“I’ve read the records. The Wang family rose to prominence during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. They played a significant role in the Manchus’ conquest of the Central Plains. They were one of the eight great imperial merchants of the early Qing dynasty. They can be considered the progenitors of traitors! Every brick and tile of the Wang family compound is stained with the blood and tears of tenant farmers, and countless wronged souls are suppressed beneath each foundation.”

The "Eight Great Imperial Merchants" mentioned by Li Chong refers to a group of Shanxi merchants during the Qing Dynasty. They were bestowed the title of "Imperial Merchants" by Emperor Shunzhi for providing military supplies and support to the Qing army during the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing army's entry into the Central Plains.

The specific members of the eight major imperial merchants at that time included: Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku, Jin Liangyu, Wang Dayu, Liang Jiabin, Tian Shenglan, Zhai Tang, and Huang Yunfa.

He Yang, standing to the side, said with a smile:

"They were smuggling during the Ming Dynasty. If we look at it from the perspective of the dynasty, they were indeed traitors. However, their descendants also suffered retribution. I heard that some of their descendants became beggars. I don't know if they are still alive now."

After saying that, he looked at Fang Yan:

"By the way, may I ask who this comrade is?"

Before Fang Yan could answer, Li Chong said:

"We are Director Fang's bodyguards."

He Yang gave a thumbs up and said:
"Being able to serve as Director Fang's bodyguard shows a different level of awareness..."

Seeing Li Chong's indignant expression and then at He Yang's slightly embarrassed smile, Fang Yan patted Li Chong's arm and tried to smooth things over with a smile:
"History must be viewed dialectically. There are controversies about how the Wang family made their fortune, but the architecture of this compound is indeed a treasure left by our ancestors. The brick carvings, wood carvings, and stone carvings are all genuine craftsmanship."

He turned to He Yang and asked, "Are there still villagers living in the Wang family compound? And is the commune office located there?"

He Yang nodded and continued, "Yes, there are more than a dozen families living in Hongmenbao. Part of Gaojiaya was used as a granary for the commune, and a few rooms were used as temporary clinics for the health center in Jingsheng Town. Dr. Bai went to Jingsheng this time to guide barefoot doctors in diagnosis and treatment, and also to see the villagers."

"Is the health center located in the compound?" Fang Yan asked.

He Yang nodded:
"The main problem is that the buildings of the Jingsheng Town Health Center are too dilapidated. Two rooms collapsed during the heavy rain last year, so they temporarily borrowed a building in the courtyard. The Wang family used to have people who knew medicine. It is said that there was an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor in their ancestor who treated the people in the clan, but those prescriptions have long been lost."

He paused, then pointed to the main gate to the side:

"Director Fang, shall we go into the guesthouse?"

Fang Yan nodded, then followed He Yang into the guesthouse.

The facilities here are a bit worse than in Taiyuan. The room is a standard double room with two wooden beds against the wall, covered with faded coarse cloth sheets. There is an eight-immortal table and two wooden chairs in the corner, and an enamel basin on the windowsill. It is simple and tidy enough.

He Yang jogged over and placed the thermos on the table from the front desk:
"Director Fang, please wash up and rest first. I'll go and urge the cafeteria staff. Lunch should be ready in about half an hour. The Party Secretary and the Dean of the institute will be here. They will give you a detailed report on the pilot project then."

Fang Yan nodded. After seeing He Yang off, Li Chong was still muttering to himself:

"Those imperial merchants helped the Qing army fight against the Ming army back then, causing harm to so many people. There's nothing good about keeping their courtyards."

Fang Yan sat in the chair, looking at Xiao Li. This young man had a high level of awareness. He said, "No matter what our ancestors were like, now that the compound can be used as a clinic and for people to live in, it can be considered that we are making the best use of it."

He recalled the plight of lacking medical care and medicine at the grassroots level that he had heard on the train, and after thinking about it, he said, "After I finish the important business of the pilot project, I can go to Jingsheng Town to see Bai Xiaochun and also to see what the health center in that compound is really like."

Li Chong was taken aback: "Director Fang, you still want to see that courtyard?"

“Let’s go see the actual situation at the grassroots level,” Fang Yan smiled. “Bai Xiaochun is guiding the diagnosis and treatment of diseases over there. Let’s go and see for ourselves. It’s more practical than listening to reports. We might even be able to get some useful information from the locals.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Deng Cai and Wang Feng came in carrying luggage: "Director Fang, where did you put your luggage?"

"Just put it in the corner," Fang Yan stood up. "This afternoon I want to go to the pilot clinic at the county hospital to take a look and review the medical records. You guys put on some extra clothes; it's colder here than in Taiyuan. Don't get sick from the cold."

Deng Cai and Wang Feng responded, put their luggage in the corner, and wrapped their cotton-padded coats around themselves.

Wang Feng rubbed his hands and laughed, "That's right, this wind is like a knife, even more biting than in the capital."

"Alright, you can go put your luggage away now," Fang Yan said to them.

Wang Feng and Deng Cai lived right across from each other in Fangyan; they could see each other as soon as they opened their doors.

After they left, Fang Yan walked to the window and opened it a crack. A cold wind rushed in, carrying the smell of coal dust that hit his face.

Outside the window, you can see the red brick main building of the county hospital. Several medical staff in white coats are hurrying by, and many villagers are heading towards the outpatient windows, presumably to seek medical treatment and get medicine.

“This pilot program looks exciting, but there are probably more problems underneath than He Yang mentioned.” Fang Yan closed the window, his tone becoming more serious. “The allocation of medicinal materials, the diagnosis and treatment of patients, and the cadres using connections to get medicine—if these three things are not sorted out, the pilot program will inevitably run into trouble sooner or later.”

Li Chong frowned and said, "Those officials are outrageous. The villagers are waiting for medicine to save their lives, and they're trying to pull strings."

“We can’t condemn them all,” Fang Yan pondered. “The grassroots have their own difficulties, and He Yang and the others may have their own reasons. But no matter what, the medicine must be used on the right people, and the key to proper diagnosis and treatment must be upheld. Otherwise, no matter how good the prescription is, it won’t be effective.”

Speaking in his dialect, he opened his suitcase and began putting on more clothes.

Li Chong poured hot water for Fang Yan so he could wash up.

After the four of them put on their warm clothes again and did a quick wash, He Yang's voice came from outside the door:

"Director Fang, lunch is ready. The Party Secretary and the Dean are waiting for you in the cafeteria!"

"Okay, I'm coming," Fang Yan replied, straightened his clothes, and beckoned Li Chong to go out together.

He planned to observe them more closely at the dinner table to see if they truly wanted to solve the problem or were just going through the motions.

The four of them followed He Yang toward the cafeteria. Along the way, they encountered many medical staff who stopped to greet He Yang, but their eyes kept glancing at Fang Yan and the others with curiosity and awe. People from the capital were always a rarity in a small county town.

The canteen was a simple, large, single-story building with several square tables set out with food: a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes, a plate of stir-fried dried radish with meat, a bowl of egg drop soup, and several bowls of millet rice. To be honest, it wasn't exactly a lavish meal.

Two middle-aged men sat at the table. One was wearing a gray cadre uniform, his hair was neatly combed, and his face was calm. The other was wearing a white lab coat and glasses.

He Yang quickly introduced, "Director Fang, this is Secretary Zhao from the county hospital, and this is Dean Zhang."

"Secretary Zhao, Dean Zhang, thank you for waiting so patiently." Fang Yan extended his hand and shook hands with the two of them in turn.

Secretary Zhao smiled and offered him a seat: "Director Fang, you've had a long journey. Please sit down, the food is getting cold."

Dean Zhang added, "Director Fang is here to help us with the pilot project and benefit our fellow villagers. This little bit of hospitality we're offering is nothing. Please try our millet porridge; it's very good for your stomach."

After sitting down with a smile, Fang Yan didn't rush to pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he got straight to the point: "Secretary Zhao, Dean Zhang, He Yang told me about the hepatitis pilot program on the way here. There are issues with the distribution of medicinal materials, deviations in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, and some cadres using connections to get medicine. What are your thoughts on these situations?"

Secretary Zhao and Dean Zhang exchanged a glance, their smiles fading slightly.

Is this a case of starting to interrogate and accuse right from the start?

Secretary Zhao put down his chopsticks and sighed: "Director Fang, to be honest, these problems are also a headache for us. From the very beginning of the pilot program, we emphasized that we should distribute resources fairly and strictly differentiate between cases, but we couldn't stop some people from using connections and pleading for leniency, and the comrades in the grassroots health centers couldn't stand up to them."

Dean Zhang added, "We have also organized training for barefoot doctors on the issue of diagnosis, but their basic knowledge is too poor. Many people can remember the diagnosis disc after learning it, but they forget it after returning home. Comrade Bai Xiaochun went to Jingsheng Town to provide key guidance to the doctors there, but with limited manpower, it is really impossible to take care of all the pilot communes in the county."

Fang Yan nodded but didn't express his opinion, saying:

"Okay, let's eat first!"

Hearing Fang Yan say this, Secretary Zhao and the others breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got to work with smiles, saying:

"There are still some dishes from the kitchen that haven't been brought up yet, let's eat first!"

Fang Yan noticed that doctors and nurses were already coming to the cafeteria with their meal tickets. He suddenly remembered Li Ke's situation and asked a few people:
"Oh, by the way, I heard there's a doctor here named Li Ke, is that right?"

"Li Ke?" Dean Zhang and Secretary Zhao were taken aback, not expecting the topic of dialect to jump so abruptly.

He Yang, who was standing to the side, reacted faster and said:
"Yes! There is a doctor named Li Ke. He passed the exam in August and started working here in September."

"This person used to be a barefoot doctor. He was very skilled and eager to learn. This time, he went to the commune with Dr. Bai."

Fang Yan paused, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Oh? He went to Jingsheng Town too?"

He Yang nodded and said, "Dr. Bai mentioned before he left that there are many patients in Jingsheng Town, and barefoot doctors often make mistakes in diagnosis. Dr. Li Ke is experienced, so having him go along would be a great help. Besides, he's a local and knows all the villages around Jingsheng Town, and the villagers trust him."

"What's his reputation like at the hospital?" Fang Yan asked the people around him.

Dean Zhang put down his bowl, his tone somewhat complicated: "His reputation is really good, especially for chronic and acute illnesses. Many villagers say he can cure diseases with his medicine. A few years ago, he was a barefoot doctor in the suburban commune. People from all around would come to him for treatment. Sometimes people would knock on his door in the middle of the night, and he never refused them."

"Then why are you only getting to the county hospital now?" Fang asked knowingly.

Secretary Zhao sighed: "He said some things he shouldn't have a few years ago, and he also has some issues with him. This year, he took the provincial unified exam to recruit TCM doctors, and he got the highest score in the county, so we transferred him in. His medical skills are unquestionable, but he's too straightforward, doesn't like to talk, and isn't very sociable. Some colleagues in the hospital have some opinions about him."

"What's your opinion?" Fang Yan pressed.

“I just think he’s ‘unorthodox’,” He Yang said in a low voice. “He never formally studied under a master; he relied entirely on his own reading and research. He also often uses unorthodox remedies and large doses of medicine. Some older doctors think he doesn’t follow the proper procedures. But to be honest, his prescriptions are really effective. He dares to take on many difficult and complicated cases that other doctors wouldn’t dare to handle, and he can actually cure them.”

Fang Yan nodded.

Secretary Zhao, who was standing to the side, asked:
"Dr. Bai mentioned Li Ke in the telegram?"

Fang Yan shook his head and said:
"No, I've heard of Li Ke's name and some of his deeds a long time ago. A prescription I promoted last year came from him."

"Huh? Is that so?" Secretary Zhao exclaimed in surprise.

Given the communication capabilities of that era, it was practically a dream come true for Fang Yan to hear news about Li Ke in Beijing.

He Yang, who was standing nearby, reminded him:
“Li Ke has quite a few apprentices, and the story of how he saved people with aconite soup has even attracted people from Taiyuan, so it’s not surprising that people know about it.”

Only after hearing He Yang say that did Secretary Zhao realize what was going on.

As they were talking, the chef from the kitchen came over carrying two enamel bowls. One bowl contained stewed radish and pork ribs that had been stewed until tender, and the other bowl contained stir-fried cabbage with oil floating on the surface. In those days, it was considered a truly substantial dish.

"Director Fang, come and try our local spare ribs. They're made from native pigs from our county, you can't get them anywhere else. They've been stewed for almost two hours, they're so tender!" Secretary Zhao quickly got up and pushed the bowl of spare ribs towards Fang Yan. His face was less reserved and more sincere. "I was worried the food would get cold, so I served a few earlier. These two are special dishes I saved for you."

Dean Zhang also urged, "Hurry up and try it. We don't have anything fancy here, but the ingredients are really good. This cabbage was grown in the garden in the yard, just picked, it's very fresh."

He Yang picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of pork rib on Fang Yan's plate: "Director Fang, please try this. It's stewed until the meat falls off the bone and won't get stuck in your teeth. You must have had a long journey, so you should eat more to nourish yourself."

Fang Yan looked at the steaming ribs in the bowl, smiled and picked up her chopsticks: "You're too kind, this is more than enough."

He took a bite of the rib; the meat was firm and fragrant, with a hint of radish sweetness—it was indeed quite good.

Seeing that the food was palatable and the atmosphere had become more relaxed, Secretary Zhao, while refilling everyone's soup, said:

"Director Fang, if you like it, we'll have the kitchen make it for you again later."

"You've been here for quite a while, so you can't skimp on your meals."

“No need for all that trouble, a simple home-cooked meal will do.” Fang Yan waved his hand, picked up a piece of stir-fried cabbage, and said, “Actually, I’m more concerned about the pilot project… and Li Ke. Since he’s with Bai Xiaochun, that’s perfect. I’ll take some time tomorrow to go to Jingsheng Town, see the situation there with my own eyes, and meet him.”

He Yang said from the side:
"No problem, I'll arrange it!"

PS: Here comes an 8000-word long chapter.

(End of this chapter)