Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1455 A Gathering of Heroes, Masters of Dialects Gather
"Old Deng, when did you arrive? Why didn't you come to my place?" Fang Yan greeted Deng Tietao as soon as he went up to him.

Deng Tietao responded with a smile:
"I didn't get off the plane until 10 p.m. last night, and it was already past midnight when I got to the hotel, so I didn't want to bother you."

"You've really worked hard," Fang Yan said to him.

Deng Tietao smiled and waved his hand, then said to Fang Yan:

"It's not hard at all. I even ate dinner before setting off. It would have been much harder if I had taken the train."

After saying that, he pointed behind him:

"Look, we all came together."

Fang Yan looked behind him and saw many familiar faces: Huang Yaoshen, Liu Shichang, Zhao Sijing, Situ Ling, and their apprentices. Deng Tietao also brought Shen Huaimin, another familiar face to Fang Yan.

On their trip to Hong Kong, on a flight from Shanghai to Guangzhou, the two of them treated an old man together.

All the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners from the Lingnan school have come here.

Fang Yan then greeted them as well.

He also introduced his master, Lu Donghua.

He was able to come here today thanks to his apprentice, Fang Yan.

The people here have all heard about Fang Yan's nomination for the Nobel Prize by a foreign laureate, and now they're all talking to Fang Yan about it.

Because they were unaware of the hidden story, they all believed that the fact that dialect could move even foreign Western doctors was an absolutely remarkable thing.

After all, this is a very historic event for traditional Chinese medicine in China.

Now, Western doctors, whose medicine originated from Western medicine, have nominated a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner named after a dialect. What does this represent?
This means that the metaphysics these people denied their whole lives has now been recognized by their place of origin.

When they encounter dialects today, they inevitably bring up things from back then.

Deng Tietao said:
"Back then, Yu Yunxiu criticized the Inner Canon of Medicine in his 'Ling Su Shang Dui,' calling traditional Chinese medicine a pseudoscience akin to astrology. In those years, when our Lingnan School of Medicine was running a national medical clinic in Guangzhou, he said the medicines we prescribed were worthless waste. But look at you now! Top Western doctors are nominating you for the Nobel Prize. What a resounding slap in the face!"

After saying that, he said:

"It's just a pity that this person has been dead for more than 20 years and will not be able to see this scene today."

Fang Yan smiled when he heard this. If Yu Yunxiu were alive, he probably wouldn't feel embarrassed at all. This person's face changes as easily as drinking water.

If he were alive today, he might still be attending the conference.

At this moment, Professor Liu Shichang sighed, his tone full of vicissitudes:
“When I was young, I followed my master to treat patients. People called me a quack doctor behind my back. Once, I cured a patient that Western medicine doctors had given up on. But the Western doctors said it was just a lucky guess and even used Yu Yunxiu’s words to shut us up, saying that ‘traditional Chinese medicine has no clear experiments and no solid evidence.’”

He looked at Fang Yan and said:
"Director Fang, this nomination is not just a personal honor! It is something that the Western medical community also acknowledges: the TCM approach of syndrome differentiation and treatment, and the principle of supporting the body's resistance and eliminating pathogens, are not just empty rhetoric, but a discipline that can actually solve problems!"

"Back then, Deng Lao led the way in uniting traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in Guangdong and Guangxi. He stayed up for three days and three nights writing a petition, fearing that the knowledge passed down from our ancestors would be lost in our hands."

"Now that's great, the authority of Western medicine has testified for us. From now on, if anyone tries to use unscientific arguments, we can stand up straight and tell them that medical techniques recognized even by the Nobel Prize committee cannot be superstition."

As he was speaking, someone came over and started talking to him:

"It's really interesting to think that traditional Chinese medicine can now be recognized by the Western academic community!"

The dialect sounds like Southwestern Mandarin, which is the accent of the Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Chongqing area.

He hurriedly looked over with everyone else.

The person who spoke to him was an elderly man wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket with a front opening. He had gray hair but was still very energetic. He was leaning on a sandalwood cane and was followed by two young apprentices.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Deng Tietao, and said with a smile, "Old Deng, it's been a long time! You're still as healthy as ever!"

Deng Tietao looked up and immediately recognized the other person, smiling as he returned the greeting: "So it's Elder Pu! What brings you here? I thought you'd been keeping a low profile these past few years and not attending these kinds of meetings anymore."

Then Deng Tietao introduced himself to everyone.

Fang Yan then realized that the old man known as "Master Pu" was Pu Zhixiao, a disciple of Pu Fuzhou, a leading figure in Sichuan's traditional Chinese medicine community.

Pu Fuzhou was highly accomplished in the fields of acute and febrile diseases in traditional Chinese medicine. Pu Zhixiao inherited his master's mantle and enjoyed a high reputation in the Southwest region.

Pu Zhixiao sighed, his gaze falling on Fang Yan, his eyes full of admiration, his tone wistful:

"I heard that Director Fang has been nominated for the Nobel Prize by Western doctors and will be leading the national liver disease prevention and control campaign. No matter how busy I am, I have to come! Back when I was treating liver diseases with my master, I was often told that it was unscientific and that we were treating patients based on experience without any method. Yu Yunxiu's theory of abolishing traditional Chinese medicine has also had a significant impact in the southwest region. Once, I cured a patient with severe encephalitis B, and some Western doctors said that the patient had just survived on his own and that it had nothing to do with traditional Chinese medicine."

"Director Fang has really put them in a difficult position now."

Fang Yan quickly cupped his hands in greeting.

At this moment, someone else said from the side:
"I also heard that Director Fang recently found a traditional Chinese medicine formula for treating rabies and has already started promoting it?"

Fang Yan turned around and saw that it was a middle-aged man in his fifties.

Upon closer reflection, this man is none other than Zheng Kuishan, the renowned "King of Acupuncture" in Northwest China, the one who was forced by Liu Zude to become a doctor in Gansu.

Deng Tietao recognized him at a glance and patted Fang Yan's arm with a smile: "Director Fang, this is a living signboard of the Northwest Chinese medicine community, Zheng Kuishan from Gansu! Known as the 'King of Acupuncture in the Northwest,' his acupuncture skills are amazing!"

"Speaking of which, he was quite famous in the capital when he was your age!"

"In the second year after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zheng's Acupuncture Clinic was opened in Beijing. His acupuncture was so effective that it cured all diseases. His reputation spread far and wide, and every day, so many people came to see him that the traffic in front of the clinic was blocked."

Zheng Kuishan quickly cupped his hands in greeting:
"Professor Deng, you flatter me too much! You are the leading figure in Lingnan traditional Chinese medicine, what am I?"

Fang Yan then added:
"You also joined the founding of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1954, serving as the head of a department and researching traditional acupuncture techniques."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Kuishan immediately looked at Fang Yan, somewhat surprised.

Fang Yan said with a smile:

“I’ve heard about your deeds! My master told me.”

After speaking, he pointed to his master, Lu Donghua, who was standing to the side.

Zheng Kuishan was also taken aback when he saw Lu Donghua, and then tentatively asked:

"You are... Elder Lu?"

"You're too kind! It's been a long time since we last met." Lu Donghua smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to Zheng Kuishan.

At this moment, the Northwest TCM doctors who had come along looked at Lu Donghua with curiosity. They had never heard of him before, as he was able to teach such a young man as Fang Yan.

I only just realized that Zheng Kuishan actually knew him.

So someone asked Zheng Kuishan to introduce him.

Zheng Kuishan quickly introduced to everyone:

"This is Mr. Lu Donghua, the most skilled traditional Chinese medicine doctor in Beijing back in the day!"

"Can they fight?" Everyone was a little confused.

"Does 'being able to fight' refer to treating orthopedic injuries?" someone asked.

"No, it means exactly what it says. He's the best fighter. Most of us Chinese medicine practitioners need to learn some kung fu. He was the best at kung fu among us. He was unbeatable in the martial arts world of Beijing at the time with Xingyi Quan," Zheng Kuishan said.

Everyone then realized what was going on.

Immediately, many people lost interest. What could they possibly plan?
In traditional Chinese medicine, one still has to look at the doctor's skill.

At this moment, Zheng Kuishan became interested and asked the crowd:

"How old do you think he is now?"

Everyone was puzzled:

"So it's around sixty?"

Zheng Kuishan asked:
"Is it similar to mine?"

"Yes, that's right." Everyone nodded.

Zheng Kuishan preached:
"Actually, he's already in his eighties."

Lu Donghua cupped his hands in greeting to Zheng Kuishan, surprised that the man remembered it so clearly.

After hearing Zheng Kuishan's words, everyone looked at Lu Donghua differently.

They exclaimed in admiration: "Wow! This health regimen is amazing!"

"Master!"

"Mr. Lu, I am so sorry. Your health preservation skills are truly amazing."

"Amazing! No wonder you're a master who can teach someone as talented as Fang Yan!"

Old Lu is twenty years older than Zheng Kuishan, but the two look about the same age, which already proves one thing: Lu Donghua definitely has something going on!
That makes sense, as it allows one to teach apprentices with dialects.

So the group of people from the Northwest who came with Zheng Kuishan all asked to get to know Lu Donghua.

People in Guangzhou also seemed to have a new understanding of Lu Donghua.

These two, master and apprentice, are both pretty amazing!
"Wow, it's so lively!" Fang Yan was patted on the shoulder at that moment.

Fang Yan turned around and saw that it was actually Meng Jimin.

Looking behind him, there stood Zhu Liangchun and several other people whose faces were somewhat familiar.

Not only Wang Yuchuan and Cheng Xinnong, but also the slovenly doctor Chen Zhao, whom I've seen in the newspapers, and the snake-wielding Ji Desheng, they are all doctors from Jiangsu.

Fang Yan quickly greeted Zhu Liangchun with a shout:
"Uncle!"

"The Five Poisons Doctor Zhu Liangchun?!" At this moment, Zheng Kuishan's people also shifted their attention to the newly appeared Zhu Liangchun.

Did they just hear someone in dialect calling Zhu Liangchun "Uncle"?

Zhu Liangchun greeted everyone with a cupped-hand salute.

This immediately attracted people from several other places.

I got to know quite a few people through dialect.

Just as someone was asking why the dialect called Zhu Liangchun Uncle.

Just then, another commotion arose at the door.

Everyone looked over and discovered that it was Jiao Shude who had arrived with a group of people from the Central Health Care Team.

"This conference is quite high-profile today, all these people are here?" someone whispered to each other.

"Yes, it seems like the entire Central Health Care Team has come? The entire Imperial Medical Academy has been mobilized!"

"Jiao Shude, Fang Heqian, Qin Bowei, Wang Mianzhi, Guan Youbo, Liu Bichen, Shen Zhitang, Liu Fengwu..."

Just then, they saw a group of people heading straight towards their gathering point.

The murmurs gradually subsided, and all eyes turned to Jiao Shude and his entourage as they walked towards the crowd.

The renowned experts from the Central Health Care Group, each with a composed demeanor and dressed in neat Zhongshan suits, walked with ease, naturally drawing everyone's attention.

As they walked past the crowd and headed straight for them, even seasoned traditional Chinese medicine practitioners like Zheng Kuishan, who were used to seeing such scenes, subconsciously straightened up and showed a hint of surprise on their faces. Jiao Shude was a key figure in the Central Health Care Group, and generally speaking, they had little interaction with him.

Could they be after Zhu Liangchun?
After all, the two who used insecticides were known as "Zhu in the South and Jiao in the North".

At this moment, Fang Yan, standing in the crowd, looked at Jiao Shude, who was walking over at the head of the group. Before anyone could react, he stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and spoke in a clear and respectful voice:
"Master! You are here!"

"Master?!"

These two words struck like a thunderclap, exploding in the crowd.

The surprise on everyone's faces was undisguised.

Zheng Kuishan opened his mouth. He knew that Jiao Shude had very high standards and never easily accepted disciples. All of his disciples were the children and grandchildren of his good friends, the kind of people he had known since childhood. Fang Yan was actually one of those people.
By the way, I haven't heard of anyone in your family who practices traditional Chinese medicine.
He just called Zhu Liangchun "uncle"? What's going on here?

Pu Zhixiao's hand, which was stroking his beard, paused in mid-air, and his gaze toward Fang Yan held a hint of inquiry. He noticed Zhu Liangchun, smiled, and nodded to Jiao Shude, as if he already knew the inside story.

The disciples of the renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioners around them were in an uproar, whispering amongst themselves:

"My God! This dialect is actually from Jiao Lao's apprentice?"

"No wonder he's so talented at such a young age! He's a student of Master Jiao!"

"Professor Jiao was the leader of the Central Health Care Group and a master at treating difficult and complicated internal medicine diseases. It's no wonder that he was nominated for the Nobel Prize because he was able to learn from him!"

"This master and apprentice are truly remarkable! One is a leading figure in the Central Health Care Group, and the other is a rising star in the field of traditional Chinese medicine!"

At this moment, Fang Yan looked at all the Imperial Hospital staff who had been mobilized and was somewhat surprised that they hadn't left anyone on duty.

He lowered his voice and asked Jiao Shude a question.

Jiao Shude looked at his apprentice, patted Fang Yan on the shoulder, and said:
“You’re a big celebrity in the field of traditional Chinese medicine now. I received a notice today that I had to come here no matter what.”

Fang Yan suddenly realized, "Oh, I see. It must have been Vice Minister Li or Director Liao who requested it."

Just as they finished speaking, everyone saw an old woman leading a group of people over.

Before the crowd's attention could leave Jiao Shude and his entourage, another commotion arose at the entrance, unlike the previous calm and orderly one. Instead, it was a lively atmosphere with its own unique aura, as if an invisible force had instantly quieted down most of the noisy venue.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw an elderly woman with gray hair, neatly combed, wearing a green military uniform and black cloth shoes, looking very energetic.

Several young people followed behind her, carrying simple cloth bags; they were clearly her apprentices or juniors.

"Isn't that Granny Shuangqiao?!" someone exclaimed in a low voice, their tone full of disbelief.

"Old Master Luo Youming? She's actually here too!" Zheng Kuishan's eyes lit up, his tone filled with admiration. "She's a true orthopedic master! A successor of Shuangqiao Bone Setting, she's dedicated her life to treating sprains, fractures, and dislocations. Her techniques are superb; many difficult bone diseases that Western medicine can't cure, she can cure with a single touch!"

“I heard that she treats everyone equally, whether they are high-ranking officials or ordinary people. Once, someone had a dislocated fracture, and the Western doctor said that surgery was necessary. But she reset it in no time, and the recovery was even better than the surgery!” A young disciple of the Lingnan School couldn’t help but interject.

"She's just straightforward and doesn't like attending these big events, so why is she here today?" Pu Zhixiao stroked his beard, his eyes full of curiosity.

As they were talking, Luo Youming had already walked through the crowd and headed straight for Fang Yan.

She walked slowly, her gaze sweeping over the renowned figures present before finally settling on Fang Yan, a kind smile spreading across her face.

Everyone assumed she was there to greet Jiao Shude or Lu Donghua, as they were both highly respected seniors.

Before anyone could react, Fang Yan had already rushed forward to help Luo Youming up, his voice even more intimate than when he had called out to Jiao Shude earlier:
"Master! What brings you here? It's so cold outside, you must have caught a chill on the way!"

"Master?!"

Another shout of "Master" caused an uproar in the meeting room!

The fact that Fang Yan called Jiao Shude "Master" was already shocking enough. Jiao Shude was a leading figure in internal medicine, a core member of the Central Health Care Group, and was known for his strictness in accepting disciples.

But now, this old lady from Shuangqiao, famous throughout the world for her bone-setting techniques and known for her reclusive nature and aversion to socializing, is actually also a master of dialects?!

It's important to know that although Luo Youming has held several classes to promote the Luo Family Bone Setting Method, everyone knows that she doesn't acknowledge these people as her disciples.

He can only be considered her student.

She either recruited her family members or those related to her as apprentices.

Is her surname Fang, which is a dialectal surname, related to her?

Moreover, judging from the way Grandma Luo and Fang Yan look, they really do seem to be direct disciples!
Everyone who saw this was momentarily stunned.

Even Zheng Kuishan couldn't help but mutter, "How many masters does this dialect have?"

Just then, Fang Yan arrived in front of the crowd with his men.

I also introduced the old lady to some acquaintances at the event.

Of course, I especially need to introduce my other two masters, whom I'm meeting for the first time today.

The old lady lived the furthest from the city, and she usually wouldn't come into the city.

Fang Yan saw her today and quickly reported on his recent situation, especially since he had become a father and needed to tell the old lady about it.

These are all messages I hadn't told her before.

PS: 5000 words updated. To be continued tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)