Taoist Doctor - Chapter 3

“Thank you, little friend, thank you so much!” Mrs. Xiao, being old and sentimental, was on the verge of tears. A small hiccup caused her great discomfort, and it hadn’t improved for a long time, causing significant psychological pressure.

 

“You’re welcome. You have to be careful with your stomach in the future, and avoid catching colds,” Zhou Jinyuan advised. As people age, they tend to have weaker stomachs, and things that weren’t paid attention to before now require attention.

 

Before, Vice President Xiao and Mrs. Xiao had some lingering dissatisfaction towards him, but now it had all dissipated, turning into gratitude and a bit of incredulity.

 

The medication was decided by Vice President Xiao, but seeing this young man in his early twenties, still full of innocence, actually curing his mother’s illness, and with traditional Chinese medicine no less, left him quite astonished.

 

At this age, normally one would still be studying in medical school. Zhou Jinyuan completing his physician qualification and having the necessary credentials already made him outstanding.

 

But to be able to cure a difficult illness that even experts couldn’t solve, and with immediate effect? That was what astonished him the most.

 

It seems that he indeed comes from a distinguished background. He shouldn’t have treated Xiao Zhou as just an ordinary young traditional Chinese medicine practitioner earlier.

 

He thought he was just the nephew of an old friend and relatively outstanding among his peers, so he casually lent a hand. He didn’t expect to benefit the most from it.

 

Zhou Jinyuan and Qin Guanzhu sat in the Xiao family’s home for over half an hour before leaving amidst their expressions of gratitude.

 

During the first two days before starting his job, Zhou Jinyuan would still stay at Xianglu Temple. In fact, he had already found a place to live, signed the contract, and got the keys. It was a two-bedroom apartment located between San Hospital and Haizhou University, near the subway station, making it convenient to go anywhere.

 

But the Taoists at Xianglu Temple knew about Zhou Jinyuan’s medical skills, and after hearing Zhao Daochang praise his deeds, they all sought his pulse diagnosis, so he decided to stay a few more days and prescribe some medicine for everyone, and do some acupuncture.

 

…

 

This morning, Zhou Jinyuan sat under the shade of a tree with two Taoists, discussing their studies while he laid out yellow paper to draw symbols.

 

“No, no, it should be ‘Step into the heavens, returning to any duty’,” one Taoist corrected.

 

“Really? Let me see.”

 

The two of them checked the text, but couldn’t find the passage for a moment.

 

Meanwhile, Zhou Jinyuan was multitasking, drawing symbols while reciting: “Assist the heavens, aim towards the heavens; enter the heavens, leave the heavens. Connected to the ninth heaven, at the edge of the wind and clouds; opening the ninth heaven, uniting the gods and qi…”

 

He recited a large passage fluently, without stuttering.

 

The two Taoists found the passage a moment later, and indeed, there was no mistake.

 

“Senior brother, you recited that so fluently, do you often perform rituals?” one Taoist asked in astonishment. Although he was seven or eight years older than Zhou Jinyuan, he had less experience and thus had to address him as senior brother.

 

“I haven’t performed any rituals,” Zhou Jinyuan simply said, “I just remembered it.”

 

Just remembered it? Does that mean he didn’t deliberately memorize it? Reciting such a long passage of classical Chinese fluently, off the cuff, his memory is too good, isn’t it?

 

The two Taoists showed expressions of envy. Don’t think that being a Taoist is easy. Apart from anything else, just these classical texts used in rituals require memorization. There are many similar tongue twisters they have to memorize!

 

If they had Zhou Jinyuan’s memory, wouldn’t they be delighted?

 

At this moment, the sound of a shutter came from nearby. The three looked up and saw two tourists, a man and a woman.

 

Xianglu Temple has a history of over a hundred years, and Xianglu Mountain has good scenery. Normally, there are more tourists than worshippers. They probably saw them chanting and drawing symbols, so they took some photos, which wasn’t surprising.

 

The two tourists noticed them looking over and smiled, raising their cameras in a friendly gesture.

 

The three paid no attention and continued with their tasks.

Before long, the two tourists wandered over and also came under the shade of the tree, but they didn’t seem to be there for the coolness. The female tourist was holding her head with one hand and pressing her abdomen with the other, looking uncomfortable.

 

The male tourist helped her sit down and immediately took out painkillers, but they had run out of water. He could only ask them, “Excuse me, could we borrow some water? My wife isn’t feeling well and needs to take medicine.”

 

The Taoists noticed, and one of them immediately stood up. “Please wait a moment.”

 

He fetched some water, and the female tourist took the painkillers, but they didn’t take effect immediately, so she still frowned.

 

The male tourist comforted her in a low voice.

 

“Jilong, I’m feeling a bit dizzy,” the female tourist leaned against him, feeling a rush of blood beneath her, extremely uncomfortable.

 

“You shouldn’t overexert yourself right now. You’ll feel better later. Maybe you should take the cable car down the mountain with your wife soon,” Zhou Jinyuan interjected unexpectedly.

 

The two tourists probably thought that their wife was feeling uncomfortable due to her menstrual cycle, feeling a bit embarrassed. However, since he was showing concern, they just nodded.

 

“This is an illness and needs treatment,” Zhou Jinyuan observed the female tourist’s complexion and added.

 

Upon hearing this, the two continued to be speechless. Of course, it was an illness and of course, it needed treatment.

 

“Have you seen a doctor?” Zhou Jinyuan saw how uncomfortable the female tourist was and asked, “I can treat this illness. I have a family secret recipe that will make you feel better after taking it.”

 

The two tourists: “…”

 

They were dumbfounded. They weren’t believers, just visitors to the mountain. They had a good impression of these Taoists, especially this handsome young man. Who doesn’t like someone with high looks?

 

Who knew, as soon as this young man opened his mouth, it sounded like the talk of a swindler.

 

Moreover, his words were too unoriginal. The phrase “family secret recipe” usually appears on telephone poles, and its status should be on par with “old Chinese doctor cures all diseases.”

 

The female tourist didn’t have the energy to speak, and the male tourist chuckled, saying, “We’ve already made an appointment with a doctor.”

 

His tone was polite, albeit somewhat dismissive, but not rude. After all, there’s a saying, “Better to scold a monk than a Taoist.”

 

Zhou Jinyuan glanced at them again. There are taboos when it comes to treating illnesses. It’s not good to consult multiple doctors at the same time, especially if the treatment isn’t urgent. Since they already had a plan and it wasn’t an emergency, he let it go.

 

But…

 

Zhou Jinyuan: “Oh, do you believe in fortune-telling? This gentleman seems to have a dark aura on his face.”

 

Tourists: “…”

 

…Sure enough, he’s a quack!

 

—

 

As for the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of Haizhou Third Hospital, as a department in a comprehensive hospital, it didn’t have much fame or a large scale. It didn’t have inpatient beds, and before Zhou Jinyuan joined, there were only nine doctors with titles above physician.

 

There were two chief physicians, three associate chief physicians, three attending physicians, and a general physician like Zhou Jinyuan. In addition, there were several interns and resident physicians.

 

There are no secrets in the world. A few days ago, colleagues in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department basically knew that a new physician with a special relationship was going to be parachuted in, as a temporary employee. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Department didn’t lack staff at all, so hiring a contract worker at this time was clearly due to connections.

 

Although it’s not clear whose relationship it was that secured the position, the leaders were quite cautious.

 

However, I don’t know which source spread the word, but it was said that the person with connections used to be a Taoist, which seemed absurd, and many people found it hard to believe.

 

“A Taoist? What’s going on? A Taoist leaving the mountains?”

 

“Becoming a layperson to become a doctor? Is it true? Why does it sound so fantastical?”

 

“Director Xie, do you have any news? Is it really a Taoist…”

 

“Who arranged for him to come in?”

 

Amidst various speculations, Zhou Jinyuan was brought to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department for an introduction.

 

The department director, Xie Min, was a woman in her fifties, with lush black curls and well-maintained appearance.

 

Before Zhou Jinyuan arrived, Xie Min was studying the medical records of Vice Dean Xiao’s mother, provided by Vice Dean Xiao himself. Medical records refer to the records of disease identification and treatment methods in Chinese medicine.

 

Vice Dean Xiao’s mother had been suffering from nausea for over half a month, and despite multiple visits to the gastroenterology department, her condition hadn’t improved.

 

In the meantime, Dr. Mao from their department participated in a consultation and prescribed Fu Xuan Fu Di Zhe Tang. Unfortunately, this worsened Vice Dean Xiao’s mother’s condition, leading to a scolding from Vice Dean Xiao.

 

However, a few days ago, it was suddenly heard that Vice Dean Xiao’s mother had recovered, and it was Traditional Chinese Medicine that cured her. The medicine was obtained from the hospital, which piqued everyone’s curiosity, prompting them to request the medical records from Vice Dean Xiao.

 

After Dr. Mao reviewed the medical records, he felt embarrassed by the casual mention of “previous doctor’s oversight” and refused to discuss further. However, Xie Min meticulously studied them.

 

Xie Min had not gotten involved before, but many people in the hospital knew about Vice Dean Xiao’s mother’s condition, and the medical records were detailed. Looking at the medical records now, she couldn’t help but admire this senior—she felt he must be a senior.

 

Some things are easier said than done. Chinese medicine often metaphorically suggests fast effectiveness with “one dose knows, two doses healed,” indicating that one dose shows results, and two doses cure the illness.

 

However, in this medical record, the patient’s complex condition was cured with just one dose!

 

Reading through the medical record carefully, one could feel the precise diagnosis and treatment by the physician, as well as the appropriate use of medication. No wonder one dose was effective.

 

The theories, methods, prescriptions, and medicines were all meticulously connected, showing great rigor and indeed had significant learning value.

 

Unfortunately, the medical record was not signed, and it was unclear which senior figure in Haizhou City’s Traditional Chinese Medicine community had prescribed it. Was it Dr. Huang, the renowned old Chinese doctor from the hospital, or Dr. Liu from the hospital’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Department?

 

As Xie Min was pondering this, she saw a colleague from the Human Resources Department bringing a young man over.

 

“Director Xie, the new doctor for your department is here for introduction,” the HR staff introduced Xie Min.

 

Xie Min put away the medical records, stood up to observe Zhou Jinyuan, and blurted out in surprise, “Is this Dr. Zhou? He’s so cute.”

 

Zhou Jinyuan: “…”

 

The HR staff stifled a laugh, “Director Xie…”

 

Xie Min: “Ahem, sorry, how old is Dr. Zhou?”

 

“Twenty-three in virtual age. I learned from my master,” Zhou Jinyuan explained, quietly adding two years to his age.

 

But it was futile. Xie Min glanced at the information and said, “Twenty-one only!”

 

So young, this cute… I mean, young man… reportedly already passed the physician exam. Although young for a doctor, especially in Traditional Chinese Medicine where more experience is usually needed, the fact that he could independently treat patients, at least using herbal formulas, shouldn’t be a problem.

 

Xie Min didn’t particularly like being pushed connections, feeling a bit awkward before, but seeing Zhou Jinyuan in person, she couldn’t say she liked him, but at least she didn’t feel any aversion towards him.

 

Zhou Jinyuan had encountered too many doubts about his age, but Xie Min handled it fairly well, leaving him with nothing to say but to smile, “Please guide me in the future, Director Xie.”

 

“Sure, no problem,” Xie Min didn’t say much more, and introduced Zhou Jinyuan to the rest of the department.

 

Zhou Jinyuan’s age and his youthful appearance once again attracted curious glances. Compared to the interns in the department, he was even younger!

 

Of course, compared to these interns, he already had the qualifications to independently diagnose and treat patients.

 

Looking too harmless on the outside, and Zhou Jinyuan also seemed quite easy to get along with, a quick-witted intern couldn’t help but ask, “Dr. Zhou, I heard you used to be a Taoist before switching to lay life to become a doctor, is that true? Your experiences must be so rich!”

 

Initially, they thought the new doctor would be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. With this revelation, considering the age for studying, how old was he when he became a Taoist?

 

Zhou Jinyuan was astonished, “No…”

 

“I knew this rumor sounded weird, indeed not true!”

 

Everyone had a sense of confirmation.

 

The next moment, Zhou Jinyuan said earnestly, “I am a Taoist now.”

 

Everyone: …??

 

Zhou Jinyuan was puzzled, “But how did you all know? I’ve always been a Taoist and studied Traditional Chinese Medicine at the same time. There’s no such thing as switching careers.”

 

Everyone: …He’s really a Taoist!!

 

Xie Min also felt speechless. This identity seemed too unreal, and a Taoist?

 

Suddenly, she felt a bit uneasy. This young man had obtained a physician’s license. He shouldn’t be using any superstitious methods to treat patients, right? Some people already considered Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners to be superstitious.

 

As if to confirm her thoughts, Zhou Jinyuan pulled out something from his pocket, “Would you like a protective talisman?”

 

Since they were colleagues, they could consider it a token of acquaintance, with each person receiving one.

 

Xie Min’s mouth twitched, saying, “Dr. Zhou, this talisman… let’s forget about it this time. In the future, please refrain from recommending it to patients during consultations.”

 

To be honest, Zhou Jinyuan sometimes gave patients protective talismans if they were interested, treating it as a blessing. Hearing Xie Min’s words, he couldn’t help but show a slightly disappointed expression.

 

Xie Min thought to herself, “Thank goodness,” realizing she needed to keep a closer eye on him in the future!

 

…

 

Actually, Xie Min didn’t need to worry too much about Zhou Jinyuan for now. If he didn’t even have any patients, there would be no talk of giving out talismans…

 

Zhou Jinyuan was assigned to share a consultation room with another male doctor in the department, along with getting acquainted with his new colleague.

 

The other male doctor was also a physician, probably around twenty-seven or twenty-eight based on his appearance. His name was Liu Qi, and he helped Zhou Jinyuan set up his seat, showing a strange smile, “Finally, someone to grind with me.”

 

“Grind?” Zhou Jinyuan had never worked or interned in a hospital before and didn’t understand this “slang.”

 

“Grind the bench!” Liu Qi pointed to the consultation room door, “Junior Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors get a cold bench, with barely any patients. Everyone goes to the senior doctors. We can only sit here and wait.”

 

In this regard, Traditional Chinese Medicine was more severe than Western medicine. Many patients judged a doctor’s ability by how white their hair was.

 

Young doctors like them might see four or five patients a day, while the older doctors next door could see forty or fifty, too busy to even eat. Yet, they couldn’t attract a single patient.

 

Zhou Jinyuan nodded. He could understand the patients’ perspective. In the current environment, this was the reality. Western medicine might be slightly better, but given a choice, patients still preferred older, more experienced doctors.

 

But with the current decline in Traditional Chinese Medicine, this undoubtedly dampened the enthusiasm of young practitioners even more.

 

Liu Qi glanced at Zhou Jinyuan’s youthful face and thought to himself that he had endured for so long and still managed to attract a few patients. As for Zhou Jinyuan… he wasn’t very optimistic.

 

Sure enough, on the first day of consultation, Zhou Jinyuan didn’t have a single patient, while Liu Qi managed to see two or three patients thanks to his accumulated network over the years.

 

Even then, they had plenty of free time and could only read medical books, often volunteering to assist other senior doctors to observe and learn.

 

“Do you want to borrow a book to read? Aren’t you uncomfortable sitting like this? Don’t you want to find something to do?” Liu Qi couldn’t help but ask.

 

He originally wanted to sweet-talk Zhou Jinyuan a bit, encouraging him to assist the senior doctors and gain some experience in the process.

 

“No need…” Zhou Jinyuan hesitated for a moment and asked, “Can I meditate?”

 

Liu Qi: “???”

…

…

 

“Have you heard? The Traditional Chinese Medicine Department hired a contract Taoist.”

 

“Of course, I heard. Must have come through connections. Used to be a Taoist, now transitioning to medicine.”

 

“You guys aren’t very well-informed. Transitioning? My buddy said the new doctor has no intention of giving up cultivation. When he has no patients, he’s meditating in the consultation room!”