Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1438 Arrival in Beijing, Emergency Treatment (Two Chapters Combined)
Just as everyone was emphasizing that traditional Chinese medicine is slow to take effect, Wang Feng, who was standing to the side, scoffed.

There was a hint of disdain and sarcasm in his voice.

He had witnessed Fang Yan's first aid on the last flight from Shanghai to Guangzhou. The old man was on the verge of death, but Fang Yan saved him with a few injections and a packet of medicine powder.

Moreover, if it weren't for Fang Yan's help in the emergency when the plane took off, it's uncertain whether this old man would still be alive. And now these people are shamelessly saying that traditional Chinese medicine is slow to take effect.
He burst out laughing.

However, the laughter was somewhat jarring.

"What are you laughing at, comrade?" The person who had just said that traditional Chinese medicine was slow to take effect immediately questioned Wang Feng.

Although Wang Feng was a guard who spoke with a regional accent and didn't talk much, and was tall and burly with a somewhat simple-minded appearance, he had only ever dealt with high-ranking officials. Therefore, he wasn't intimidated by the man's questioning; instead, he chuckled and said:

“I’m laughing at you for knowing nothing and saying that traditional Chinese medicine is slow to take effect. You think professional TCM doctors know less than you do?”

Wang Feng doesn't mince words; he goes straight to the heart of the matter.

He felt that these people didn't respect the dialect, so he didn't need to consider their feelings when he spoke.

As soon as these words were spoken, the person who had just spoken was left speechless.

"What's all the noise about..."

At this moment, the veteran cadre slowly raised his hand. Although his voice was weak, it still carried authority, instantly suppressing the argument in the cabin.

He took a breath, his gaze swept over the disgruntled cadres, then landed on Wang Feng, and finally said, "Whether traditional Chinese medicine is fast or not... I've already seen it for myself."

Seeing this, Wang Feng grinned and gestured with his chin towards the cadre.

The cadre who was rebuked turned red in the face and opened his mouth to defend himself, but was immediately pulled back by the people around him. They knew the old man's temper. Although they had always been the ones helping him make decisions before, now that he had his own ideas, it was difficult for others to influence him.

The leading official quickly tried to smooth things over:

"The old leader is right. We were too worried about your condition and didn't realize that the emergency treatment just now was thanks to Dr. Fang."

After saying that, he switched to dialect, his face full of apology:
"Dr. Fang, we were wrong about what we said earlier, please don't take it to heart."

Dialectal wave:
"Everyone was doing this for the good of the older comrades, there's nothing to apologize for."

Upon hearing this in dialect, the other person immediately said:

"Thank you for your understanding, Dr. Fang."

The cabin fell completely silent, with only the faint hum of the aircraft engines.

Fang Yan took the veteran cadre's pulse again, feeling the steady flow of energy with his fingertips, and said softly:

"Rest a little longer. Your pulse has stabilized considerably. There shouldn't be any major problems before we reach the capital."

The retired cadre nodded slowly and closed his eyes to rest.

The accompanying officials also breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, they exchanged glances, leaving one person behind to watch over the old leader, while they went aside to discuss matters.

Needless to say, they must have gone to discuss things after arriving in Beijing. After all, they had already made contact with Tiantan Hospital. Now, because of the dialect, the old man decided not to have surgery and would try traditional Chinese medicine instead.

Just as they were discussing this, Fang Yan called over the flight attendant who had known him before and said to her:
"Please have the captain inform the Beijing airport again and ask them to contact Peking Union Medical College Hospital to prepare the traditional Chinese medicine according to this prescription, and have it decocted and delivered directly to the airport so that the patient can use it when they arrive."

As he spoke, Fang Yan handed over a pre-written form.

The old man's condition is really not good. He must ensure that the old man receives treatment as soon as he gets off the plane. They have only been flying for a short while now. He can notify Peking Union Medical College Hospital to send the medicine over without any problem.

"So you said it was arranged by you?" the flight attendant asked Fang Yan.

Nodding in dialect:

"Okay, just have the airport tell the Concord Hospital duty office, and they'll have someone to do it."

The flight attendant immediately nodded, took the prescription handed to her by Fang Yan, and then quickly walked towards the cockpit.

They had already arranged for a Western doctor to pick them up at the airport, but Fang Yan delivered the Chinese medicine directly to the airport so they could use it immediately after landing.

Let them see what the efficiency of traditional Chinese medicine is.

Three hours passed quickly, and suddenly the cabin announcement came over the loudspeaker: "Dear passengers, the plane is about to arrive at Beijing Capital Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts, stow your tray tables, and prepare for landing."

As soon as he finished speaking, the aircraft dipped slightly and began to slowly descend.

In the night outside the window, the lights of the capital city below gradually became clearer. Although they were not as dazzling as in later years, the scattered halos of light below could still be seen forming a continuous expanse, like a galaxy spread across the earth, much more lively than the night view of Taiyuan.

As the plane passed through the clouds, the fuselage swayed slightly a few times, and many people instinctively gripped the armrests of their seats.

Fang Yan looked up at the old cadre. The old man still had his eyes closed, but his brows were no longer furrowed, and his breathing remained steady. It seemed that after his pulse stabilized, even the discomfort caused by the jolts had lessened considerably.

The cadre standing by quickly reached out to protect the old man's shoulder and whispered words of comfort:
"Old leader, we're about to land, please bear with us a little longer."

As soon as he finished speaking, the roar of the engines outside gradually grew louder, carrying a steady thrust, and the aircraft began to adjust its attitude along the predetermined route.

The lights outside the window grew closer, and I could vaguely see the indicator lights beside the airport runway, flashing red and green alternately, as if guiding the way.

The angle of the aircraft's tilt gradually decreased until it stabilized, and it glided slowly against the night sky.

Fang Yan and others were all concerned about the old man's condition.

I was afraid that something might happen to him again.

"Om-"

The landing gear made a slight mechanical sound when it extended, followed shortly by the hissing sound of the tires contacting the runway. With noticeable cushioning force, the fuselage trembled slightly a few times before the speed gradually decreased.

As the plane landed, everyone in the cabin breathed a sigh of relief, their hearts, which had been pounding from the turbulence, slowly calming down.

The old man seems to be fine so far.

After taxiing for about a few minutes, the plane finally came to a steady stop on the tarmac, and the roar of the engines gradually subsided until it stopped.

The cabin indicator lights up, and the flight attendant reminds passengers again:

"Dear passengers, the plane has landed safely at Beijing Capital International Airport. Please wait in your seats until the cabin door opens before disembarking in an orderly manner."

At this moment, the accompanying officials immediately stood up, surrounded the veteran cadre, and carefully adjusted the quilt covering him. The IV drip bottle had already been removed, and they were now just waiting to get off the plane.

The leading cadre looked at Fang Yan and asked, "Dr. Fang, we've arrived in Beijing. The medicine you arranged should already be waiting for us at the airport, right?"

Fang Yan nodded, stood up and stretched his legs, glanced outside the cabin, and said:

"Don't worry, the medicine has definitely been prepared."

The moment the hatch opened, a blast of cold air rushed in.

The lights on the tarmac were exceptionally bright, and the outlines of waiting vehicles could already be seen in the distance. Among them, an ambulance with the words "Peking Union Medical College Hospital" printed on it was particularly eye-catching, and several medical staff in white coats were standing next to it, looking in the direction of the plane.

There are quite a few people coming.

"Come on, let's go down." Fang Yan stepped aside to make way, watching the accompanying cadres carefully push the wheelchair, protecting the elderly cadre as they walked towards the cabin door.

A makeshift gangway had already been set up below the cabin door, and the accompanying officials carefully pushed the wheelchair down step by step.

Wang Feng followed closely beside him, his tall figure like a wall, blocking the cold wind blowing in their faces.

As soon as I got off the plane, several medical staff from Peking Union Medical College Hospital quickly came to greet me.

Fang Yan discovered that the leader was actually Tao Guangzheng and his father.

In addition, medical staff from the Traditional Chinese Medicine department who were on night shift also came.

Upon seeing Fang Yan, Lao Tao and Tao Guang rushed up and hurriedly asked him:

"What's going on?"

Fang Yan pointed to the retired cadres behind him and then asked:

"Where's the medicine?"

Tao Guangzheng hurriedly grabbed a thermos from behind:

"The herbal decoction prepared according to your prescription has been placed in a thermos and is at the perfect temperature."

Fang Yan pointed at the retired cadre: "Give the medicine first, we'll talk about the rest later."

They nodded immediately, and the nurse behind them quickly stepped forward, opened the thermos, poured out a bowl of dark brown herbal soup, and handed them a small spoon.

The old man's accompanying cadre quickly took the medicine, squatted down beside the wheelchair, and said softly, "Old leader, the medicine that Dr. Fang arranged has arrived. Please drink it slowly."

The veteran cadre nodded, opened his mouth, and began to drink.

He slowly fed the medicine into his mouth with a small spoon, taking five or six minutes to finish the bowl. After finishing, he let out a soft sigh of relief.

Fang Yan said to them:

"Okay, get in the car."

He pointed to the Mercedes ambulance not far away.

When the group saw the ambulance that Fang Yan had called, they couldn't help but ask:

"So this is the ambulance from Peking Union Medical College Hospital?"

It's understandable that they were surprised. The ambulance donated by Lao Hu is currently the most advanced in the country. Just by looking at its design, you can tell it's extraordinary.

You can't find this thing anywhere else.

"Yes, there are currently over a dozen of them at Concorde in China," Fang Yan nodded and said.

You can tell a hospital's strength just by looking at an ambulance. Of course, Peking Union Medical College Hospital is undoubtedly the best, but now that they saw the ambulance, they knew that Fang Yan was a TCM doctor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, so they trusted him a little more.

At this moment, the person leading the entourage of the veteran cadre said somewhat awkwardly:

"We've also notified the people at Tiantan Hospital; we need to go and talk to them now."

Fang Yan nodded, indicating that he could go.

We'll send a car to wait for him outside so we can go back together.

Then Fang Yan led the retired cadre onto the ambulance.

He told them to head straight for Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

The ambulance was spacious, but it quickly filled up with Fang Yan and his group of many people.

Fang Yan could have ridden in the jeep with everyone, but he decided not to because he wanted to keep an eye on the old man.

Tao Guangzheng and Lao Tao both wanted to know what was going on, so they squeezed in as well.

In the end, the other three people accompanying the veteran cadre went to sit. On the way back, Fang Yan explained the situation on the plane to Lao Tao and the others.

The ambulance engine started smoothly, shutting out the cold outside air, and there was even heating in the cabin.

Old Tao rubbed his hands together, leaned closer to Fang Yan, and lowered his voice:

"What kind of emergency is it? You were in such a hurry to get medicine on the plane that Guangzheng and I thought it was something serious."

Fang Yan placed his fingertips on the veteran cadre's wrist, taking his pulse as he spoke:
"I had an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which was also complicated by pulmonary heart disease. I was treated in Shanxi for almost half a month but my condition did not stabilize. I was originally going to go to Tiantan Hospital for a pulmonary bullae resection."

"Bullectomy?" Tao Guangzheng chimed in. As a former hospital director, he was no stranger to this type of Western medical surgery.

He said:
"This old man looks quite old, so the surgery is not low-risk."

"That's right." Fang Yan nodded and withdrew his hand. "The pulse is weak and floating, and the lungs, spleen and kidneys are all severely deficient. Phlegm and dampness are blocking the airways. Even if the pulmonary bullae are removed by surgery, it won't replenish the vital energy, and it will easily recur in the future."

Old Tao frowned: "So how do you plan to treat it? Pure traditional Chinese medicine?"

"Yes, treat the symptoms in an emergency, and address the root cause in a slower one," Fang Yan explained. "We've already stabilized his breathing with acupuncture on the plane. The herbal decoction he just drank is for warming the lungs, resolving phlegm, relieving asthma, and stopping coughs. We'll suppress the acute symptoms first. Once we get back to Peking Union Medical College Hospital, we'll adjust the prescription based on his pulse, focusing on replenishing vital energy, softening hardened masses, and gradually regulating the functions of his internal organs."

Tao Guangzheng listened and nodded repeatedly.

He glanced at the retired cadre after he had taken the medicine and said:

"The old man's breathing is much more steady now than when he got off the plane."

The elderly cadre standing nearby had his eyes closed, but upon hearing Tao Guangzheng's words, he opened them and said:

"I feel much better now, much better than on the plane."

Fang Yan smiled and glanced at the people accompanying him.

One of them was the one who said that traditional Chinese medicine was slow to take effect.

Fang Yan glanced at him, and although he didn't say anything, an embarrassed expression immediately appeared on his face.

In particular, Wang Feng was also staring at him with a half-smile, as if he were mocking him.

Fang Yan had no intention of mocking him, and said to the old man:
"Your problem is indeed quite urgent, but traditional Chinese medicine can also help. The common perception that traditional Chinese medicine is slow to take effect is due to inaccurate diagnosis. If the diagnosis is accurate, the body will immediately show a positive response."

At this point, although Lao Tao didn't know what had happened, he still said:
"That's right. As long as the diagnosis is accurate, it should at least get you out of danger immediately."

The old man nodded and said:
"I can feel it, I feel much better."

Then the ambulance drove smoothly through the night in Beijing. The streetlights were dim, and there was no one on the streets except for some guards when passing government offices.

On the way, Lao Tao had already started asking Fang Yan about her trip to Shanxi.

He also told Fang Yan about what he had seen at the grassroots level.

Only then did the cadre who had been listening realize what this young man was going to Shanxi for.

They were there to inspect a pilot project of the Ministry of Health.

The three henchmen around him were bodyguards assigned to him by his superiors.

This kind of treatment is not something that ordinary people get.

It is clear that he was highly regarded in the capital.

These people are shrewd; they can sense the unusual weight of a dialect from such a small amount of information. The cadre next to him subtly tugged at his colleague who had previously questioned traditional Chinese medicine, giving him a knowing look—the meaning couldn't be clearer: find an opportunity to apologize.

If this person is truly a legendary doctor from the capital, he must know quite a few high-ranking officials. When word gets out about tonight's events...

An apology is definitely necessary!

The cadre who had questioned traditional Chinese medicine hesitated for a moment, then said somewhat embarrassedly, "Dr. Fang, I was ignorant before and shouldn't have spoken ill of traditional Chinese medicine. Please don't take it to heart."

Fang Yan was still talking to Lao Tao when he heard this, and he was taken aback. He smiled and said:
"It's alright. I know you're worried about your old boss. You'll understand traditional Chinese medicine after today."

The other party nodded quickly and said:

"Yes, yes, yes, it can not only provide slow treatment, but also perform emergency treatments without hesitation."

Wang Feng grinned and raised an eyebrow at Deng Cai and Li Chong.

Although he's a bodyguard, he's still a young man in his early twenties, and he's quite competitive.

Around dawn, the ambulance drove into the gates of Union Hospital.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the inpatient department, I found people already waiting. The on-duty medical staff quickly pushed a stretcher to greet me.

Fang Yan directed everyone to carefully transfer the retired cadre onto a stretcher and escort him to the pre-arranged special needs ward.

Fang Yan also went up along.

Inside the ward, Fang Yan took out a pulse pillow and placed it under the old cadre's wrist to examine his pulse again.

It's been over an hour since I took the medicine, so there should be some changes by now.

After a while, he said to Tao Guangzheng and the others:
"The pulse is weak and slightly slow, indicating that phlegm and blood stasis have not been cleared, but the Qi mechanism has been restored. The immediate priority is to consolidate the therapeutic effect."

He then proceeded to explain:

"Immediately administer the phlegm-resolving and detoxifying treatment, continuing the Xuanbai Chengqi Decoction from the airport uniform to strengthen the lung-clearing and asthma-relieving effects. Then, apply phlegm-resolving plasters to the Feishu and Dingchuan acupoints to continuously stimulate the acupoints."

"Then we'll see how things go tomorrow. If the recovery goes well, we'll start strengthening the body's foundation and nourishing the vital energy, using Yu Ping Feng San combined with Sheng Mai Yin as the base, adding placenta powder to replenish vital energy, and Rhodiola rosea to strengthen the heart and lungs."

“Every morning, Lao Fan and Qingshan perform warm acupuncture, using Zusanli to strengthen the spleen and stomach, and Guanyuan to tonify the kidneys and promote qi circulation.”

"Finally, to soften and eliminate masses, grind 15 grams each of Fritillaria thunbergii and Prunella vulgaris into powder and take it with water, add Panax notoginseng powder to promote blood circulation, and perform bloodletting and cupping twice a week to release stagnant blood in the bladder meridian on the back, combined with thunder-fire moxibustion to warm and unblock the meridians."

After finalizing the plan, Fang Yan said:

"Bring the first dose of medicine to be taken warm immediately, and I will adjust the prescription in the morning according to the situation."

The nurse immediately agreed and ran downstairs to the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy to get the medicine.

Fang Yan then addressed the people around the retired cadre:
"Go to the nurses' station and fill out the old man's hospitalization information."

The group then realized that they had been so impressed by the luxury of the ward that they thought they had come to the wrong place.

Television, radio, refrigerator, sofa, various magazines—it's simply outrageous.

They only realized what was happening when the dialect called them, and then immediately sent someone to fill out the forms.

Soon, the medicine was brought over again.

Following them was the leading cadre who greeted Tiantan Hospital.

When the cadre entered the ward, he was stunned by the facilities inside. In 1978, it was unimaginable to have a ward with a television and a refrigerator.

However, he quickly came to his senses and walked briskly to Fang Yan's side, his tone full of gratitude: "Dr. Fang, I'm so sorry, I really didn't know you were so skilled in Beijing... I heard it from the doctors at Tiantan Hospital."

He was telling people in the back that the surgery was canceled, and the people at Tiantan Hospital were a bit angry. So he had to tell them what happened on the plane. His old boss insisted on believing in traditional Chinese medicine, and he had no choice but to bring up the fact that they used dialects.

The staff at Tiantan Hospital, who were initially quite angry, immediately calmed down upon hearing Fang Yan's name.

They also said they were lucky, because not just anyone can get a number in this dialect area.

He was also a little puzzled, thinking the other party was being sarcastic.

Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that this person was indeed quite famous in the medical community in Beijing.

We just recently got the rabies issue sorted out.

Moreover, there have been recent rumors that he has been nominated for the Nobel Prize by foreigners; there have only been two nominations nationwide this year.

One of them is this person.

This stunned the cadre as well. He realized that his imagination was still too weak; the dialect seemed to be much more powerful than he had thought.

So he hurriedly ran back and quickly apologized to Fang Yan.

Fang Yan waved his hand and said:
"It's alright, it's all in the past. Now let's focus on getting the old man treated."

The leading cadre nodded and watched as the old man drank another bowl of medicine.

Then he leaned closer and asked the old man:
How are you feeling right now?

The retired cadre leaned against the headboard. After taking his medicine, he felt better and his breathing became much smoother. He raised his hand and waved it. Although his voice was still a little hoarse, it was much stronger than it had been on the plane: "Much better... My chest doesn't feel so tight anymore. I wasn't panting like I was before when I took the medicine."

He turned to look at Fang Yan, his eyes full of approval:
"Comrade Xiao Fang, your medicine is really effective. It works much faster than the IV drips I received in Shanxi for half a month."

The leading cadre listened with complete peace of mind.

"That's good, that's good!" He nodded repeatedly, becoming even more respectful to Fang Yan. "Dr. Fang, from now on, we'll entrust the old leader's health entirely to you. Please feel free to ask us to do anything we need."

He said in dialect:

"Just follow the doctor's orders."

Fang Yan was a little tired after all the work. After the old man finished his medicine and the hospitalization information was registered, he gave him a few instructions and then prepared to go home.

Realizing that he hadn't even told his family he was coming back yet, and that going back in the middle of the night would mean waking them all up, plus the fact that Li Chong and Deng Cai hadn't been settled in yet, Fang Yan simply gathered the veteran cadres and their companions and took them to the Xiehe Guesthouse.

He told everyone to get some sleep first, and he would go back tomorrow morning.

The guesthouse at Peking Union Medical College Hospital is not far from the back gate of the hospital, and it is exceptionally quiet late at night.

Fang Yan, along with Wang Feng, Deng Cai, Li Chong, and four other accompanying cadres who were not on duty, walked towards that direction under the glow of the streetlights.

"Director Fang, your guesthouse is so well-appointed." An official couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the clean and tidy room and the furnishings that rivaled those of a hospital ward.

Fang Yan smiled and gave a few perfunctory replies, then told Li Chong and the others to go and rest.

Fang Yan is still in the same room as Li Chong.

The other room was given to Wang Feng and Deng Cai.

Although they didn't encounter the same dangers as in Hong Kong on this journey, they still protected Fang Yan very well. When they leave tomorrow, Fang Yan plans to give them some things.

Of course that's all for later.

After tossing and turning for most of the night, they were indeed exhausted. After a quick wash, they lay down to rest.

When Fang Yan woke up again, she heard Director Liao's voice.

PS: 6000 words updated.

(End of this chapter)