Taoist Doctor - Chapter 32

The mindset of living here was different from before. Back then, Rong Shouyun could still be considered an unemployed monk, but now he was completely idle.

 

Rong Shouyun made a plan for himself: get up in the morning and move around a bit, do some morning exercises, then resume practicing his professional skills, followed by going out to do market research.

 

If A-Jin didn’t want to cooperate with him, he might just open an orthopedic clinic by himself. Hopefully, he wouldn’t end up jinxing even himself.

 

Rong Shouyun got up energetically, took a deep breath on the balcony, twisted his waist, and noticed that many flowers and plants were growing here. Before, he had always come and gone in a hurry, and since the place wasn’t that lush, he hadn’t paid much attention. But now, it had clearly become a small garden.

 

Wait, upon closer inspection, it seemed they were all medicinal herbs—things like witch hazel and Scutellaria. He casually picked up a watering can and began to water them.

 

A new day begins with reconnecting with traditional Chinese medicine!

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Rong Xixue, who had gotten up at some point, stopped Rong Shouyun.

 

Rong Shouyun responded blankly, “I’m just watering the plants. What’s wrong? Has Old Rong next door even lost the right to water plants?”

 

“These are medicinal herbs I’m cultivating for experiments. You can’t disrupt the data,” Rong Xixue said, rescuing the watering can. “The watering has to be done in measured amounts.”

 

“I forgot to tell you, don’t touch his potted plants,” Zhou Jinyuan said as he walked over, brushing his teeth. Hearing the commotion, he came over with his mouth full of foam and said, “And don’t mess with the Chuanwu, Maqianzi, or Datura over there on the shelf either.”

 

“…I’d be crazy to touch those,” Rong Shouyun said, not at all surprised. They were all toxic. 

 

His younger brother had a natural talent for traditional Chinese medicine and seemed particularly interested in toxic herbs. He suspected it was due to A-Jin’s habit of using medicine—this guy would gather all kinds of poisons, large and small, for his medical practices…

 

He had been A-Jin’s follower since childhood!

 

Looking at the medicinal herbs Rong Xixue was growing, Rong Shouyun asked, “Isn’t it enough that you process the herbs yourself? Why do you need to grow them at home? Couldn’t you just buy the experimental herbs and keep them at the school? Are the samples here sufficient?”

 

Rong Xixue glanced at him, “The school has some too. This is to test the effects of different soil pH levels, microbial activity, trace elements, and other factors on the active substances in medicinal herbs.”

 

What are the key factors that influence the active substances in a medicinal herb? This is crucial for the quality of the herbs. In the past, people only roughly summarized this through experience, identifying which locations produced more effective medicinal herbs.

 

If the chemical indicators could be mastered, it would undoubtedly improve the efficiency of cultivating and producing traditional Chinese medicine, providing better medicinal materials for medical practitioners…

 

When Rong Xixue said this, his sharp, handsome face was expressionless, almost cold in a way that resembled reciting a text.

 

But Rong Shouyun pondered for a long time, thinking that his follower seemed off. Or perhaps, had his time in the monastery changed his brother? He asked Zhou Jinyuan, “Why do you think he’s so diligent, always experimenting and farming at home?”

 

Zhou Jinyuan seriously thought about it, foam still in his mouth, and said, “To infuse this chapter with soul?”

 

Rong Shouyun: “…………???”

 

…

 

“Dean Xiao?” Zhou Jinyuan entered the office and, following the dean’s gesture, sat in the chair opposite him.

 

After considering Rong Shouyun’s proposal, he decided to come and talk to Dean Xiao first, as this was quite important.

 

“Xiao Zhou, what’s the matter? Is there something you’re struggling with at work?” Dean Xiao said with a smile. “If you have a problem, just tell me, even if it’s a personal issue.”

 

Zhou Jinyuan said, “Well, it’s like this. Recently, a childhood friend of mine invited me to co-open a clinic…”

 

“You want to resign?” Dean Xiao’s face changed instantly.

 

“No…” Zhou Jinyuan didn’t expect such a strong reaction, “I don’t want to resign. I’m just considering my options.”

 

Dean Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he didn’t want to resign, everything was fine. After all, the Hair Loss Specialty Hospital in Haizhou had just started to develop, and it would be a great loss if Zhou Jinyuan left now.

 

He roughly guessed what Zhou Jinyuan wanted to do—open his own medical institution. In the past two years, doctors were allowed to do this, but hospitals, especially small ones, were usually not too happy about it, as it would undoubtedly draw patients away. If it were a famous doctor or specialist from a large hospital, that would be a different story, of course.

 

Zhou Jinyuan’s situation could barely be considered the latter. If it were another doctor, the hospital would have trained him, and then he’d take the patients to his own hospital—not ideal, right?

 

But Zhou Jinyuan wasn’t trained by the Third Hospital; instead, he had trained many specialists in hair loss treatment for them…

 

So Dean Xiao’s first thought was, as long as Zhou Jinyuan didn’t resign, everything could be discussed.

 

Of course, after considering for a moment, he still smiled and advised, “Then tell me more about it. Is your friend also a doctor? Or a pharmacist? Have you thought about bringing him to work at the Third Hospital instead? It would be much easier than running your own place, especially if you do it part-time—it would be particularly exhausting. Our benefits are good too.”

 

Since it was Xiao Zhou’s childhood friend, his medical skills might also be excellent—let’s recruit him, let’s recruit him!

 

Zhou Jinyuan said, “I don’t think that would be suitable. My friend is bald; he doesn’t keep any hair. It wouldn’t reflect well on the Hair Loss Department’s reputation if he worked here. Plus, after several failed job applications, he’s not too keen on joining any organization anymore.”

 

It was clear that both doctors and the dean, whether openly or in their minds, naturally referred to the Hair Loss Department and the Hair Loss Specialty Hospital.

 

Dean Xiao: “…”

 

He hadn’t expected Zhou Jinyuan to have a bald friend—how surprising.

 

“Well, Xiao Zhou, I understand why you came to ask me. I believe that no matter the situation, you always do your best for your patients, and I’m sure you’re attached to the Third Hospital. Rest assured, you are part of the Third Hospital family.”

 

After some thought, Dean Xiao said, “As for this entrepreneurial venture, think it over carefully. I think it would be best if both of you could come here. If that’s not possible, I’ll still support you!”

 

Dean Xiao was quite generous and open-minded.

 

After all, with Zhou Jinyuan’s high level of expertise, if he didn’t open a clinic, he might be poached by a more prestigious hospital in the future. It was better to use this opportunity to deepen Zhou Jinyuan’s ties with the hospital.

 

Zhou Jinyuan was indeed quite touched by Dean Xiao’s support without much hesitation. “I understand, thank you for your understanding. To be honest, I’ve always planned to open a clinic. After joining the Third Hospital, I really enjoyed it here and felt that I could accomplish things I hadn’t considered before, so I’m reluctant to leave.”

 

He was sincere. For example, although he had some understanding of Western medicine before, he had little experience in collaboration. Now, he often consulted with various Western medicine departments, which gave him a lot of new insights.

 

Zhou Jinyuan and Dean Xiao chatted a bit more before he got up to leave and returned to the Chinese Medicine Department.

 

…

 

Zhou Jinyuan walked back to his office, hands in his pockets, still thinking about what his father would say when he got home. Based on his understanding, his father would most likely have an “I don’t care” Daoist attitude…

 

“What? How could it still be completely ineffective?” Dr. Mao’s voice, unable to conceal his frustration and tinged with a hint of impatience, came from the office, “Alright, you wait. I’ll find an old friend.”

 

“Dr. Mao, what’s wrong?” Zhou Jinyuan snapped back to reality and leaned in to ask, “What’s ineffective?”

 

Dr. Mao was startled to see him and instinctively said, “It’s nothing,” but then his emotions flickered in his eyes, revealing a trace of hesitation. He muttered, “It’s just that the cockroach poison at home isn’t working.”

 

“Seeing how upset you are, I thought it was something more serious. Well, I’ll be going then.” Zhou Jinyuan was about to leave but was stopped by Dr. Mao.

 

“How is your preparation for the topic going?” Dr. Mao asked.

 

The seminar sponsored by Qu Qingrui had already been scheduled and announced. Zhou Jinyuan had long been designated as one of the keynote speakers, and he was also the only keynote speaker from their institution, the Third Hospital, which was hosting the event.

 

Dr. Mao, Director Xie, and the other senior doctors were quite concerned about this, urging him to make sure the content was impressive in order to bring prestige to the Traditional Chinese Medicine department.

 

They couldn’t have people only think of them as the hair loss clinic or associate them with Zhou Jinyuan’s wheelchair stunts and ritual practices.

 

“I think the case of Young Master Qu would be great. Are you planning to share it?”

 

“I’d rather not. I haven’t completed the treatment yet,” Zhou Jinyuan replied. In fact, given Qu Guanfeng’s remarkable recovery, it was definitely worth discussing. However, he had promised Qu Qingrui to keep Qu Guanfeng’s condition confidential for now.

 

Dr. Mao didn’t think much of it and just nodded, saying, “Consider it carefully!”

 

.

 

.

 

Two days later…

 

The academic seminar sponsored by the Qu family was held in the conference hall within the Third Hospital. In addition to renowned doctors from the province, experts from other provinces were invited to exchange ideas. As the organizers, they had put in significant effort to bring all these esteemed doctors together.

 

The choice to hold the seminar at the hospital wasn’t out of a reluctance to book a banquet hall at a hotel but rather to accommodate the Traditional Chinese Medicine department of the Third Hospital.

 

The seminar lasted for two days, and holding it nearby made it convenient for the doctors in the department to attend the lectures in turns. This was a perk of being the hosting institution since the seminar was not open to the public.

 

The president of Haizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was aware of the event and knew it attracted many distinguished figures. He had enthusiastically invited them to hold it at their university instead, but to no avail.

 

Many famous doctors, such as the president of a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital from another province, Dr. Huang Zhongwen from Haizhou Chinese Medicine Hospital, and Professor Mo from Haibei Hospital, among others, were all set to deliver lectures. There were also interactive sessions, making it a rare opportunity.

 

Amidst these big names, Zhou Jinyuan, a relatively unknown doctor, was scheduled to speak. He didn’t have a high-level title or academic achievements, and had only recently transitioned from a temporary worker to a permanent position.

 

This arrangement was, of course, due to Qu Qingrui’s insistence. Under normal circumstances, no matter how skilled Zhou Jinyuan was, his lack of experience would have been a significant consideration.

 

Many of the invited experts were renowned for their expertise in classical prescriptions, so the seminar was named after this theme. However, despite the focus on classical prescriptions, the topic wasn’t strictly limited to this area. The approach was always inclusive. Zhou Jinyuan had carefully prepared his content, choosing to present a case study based on his self-created formula, intending to share his clinical reasoning.

 

On the day of the seminar, Zhou Jinyuan and the other available doctors went to the venue. The department had specifically adjusted their schedules over the past two days to make it easier for everyone to attend.

 

“Where’s Dr. Mao?” Zhou Jinyuan looked around, noticing that a familiar face was missing.

 

“Dr. Mao had something come up at home. He called and said he’d be late. Let’s go ahead,” Liu Qi replied.

 

Zhou Jinyuan suddenly recalled the unusual behavior Dr. Mao had exhibited in the clinic a few days ago. It was just a gut feeling, but it might not necessarily be related to his tardiness today.

 

The group arrived at the conference hall, where many people had already gathered. Most were well-known figures in the Haizhou Traditional Chinese Medicine community. As the hosts, they naturally had better seating and were placed near the front and center.

 

The person sitting next to them turned to look, “Are you from the Third Hospital’s Traditional Chinese Medicine department?”

 

Liu Qi, who was sitting beside him, answered, “Yes, sir.”

 

—In this venue, it was always safe to address someone of a similar age as “sir.”

 

“Oh, I heard you have a famous doctor in your department, Zhou Jinyuan. He’s been quite popular lately,” the person said with a smile. Although there was a hint of a smile, his tone carried an undercurrent of sarcasm.

 

Liu Qi gave an awkward laugh but didn’t say anything.

 

Xie Min glanced at them and whispered to Zhou Jinyuan, who had also noticed the situation, “That’s Dr. Zhu from the Chinese Medicine Hospital. He doesn’t seem to like you very much, so be cautious.”

 

There was an interactive segment in the lectures, and she was subtly warning Zhou Jinyuan to be prepared in case someone tried to make things difficult during his presentation.

 

Zhou Jinyuan asked blankly, “I don’t even know him.”

 

Xie Min sighed, “He used to specialize in treating hair loss…”

 

Zhou Jinyuan: “…”

 

Dr. Zhu, dissatisfied with the lack of a response, continued speaking to Liu Qi, “I seem to have heard that this Dr. Zhou has a background as a Taoist priest, enjoys performing rituals, and even uses Zhu You therapy to treat patients. It seems unlikely that he can discuss classical prescriptions, but perhaps today he can share some Zhu You techniques with everyone.

 

“However, people say that Traditional Chinese Medicine includes different types of doctors—those who treat diseases, those who focus on yin-yang balance, and those who practice ‘immortal’ medicine. Dr. Zhou must belong to the ‘immortal’ category, right? Not quite the same as us who treat diseases. ‘Immortal’ doctors have a broader scope, after all.”

 

Although “immortal medicine” sounded good, it wasn’t a compliment. Doctors like Bian Que and Zhang Zhongjing belonged to the category of those who treated diseases, focusing on diagnosing the illness and prescribing the right formula to eliminate it. In contrast, yin-yang doctors disregarded other factors and treated based solely on the balance of yin and yang, or even on fate; immortal doctors were more mysterious, practicing things like energy cultivation and alchemy.

 

The latter two categories, though labeled as doctors, often referred to those who exploited the name of medical practitioners but were actually mere charlatans.

 

Dr. Zhu’s remarks were clearly insinuating that Zhou Jinyuan wasn’t a legitimate Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, implying that Taoist doctors like him were unorthodox, and his ability to lecture was due more to his connections than his merit.

 

Liu Qi was not pleased with this. Outsiders might not understand, but he had frequently witnessed Zhou Jinyuan’s cases firsthand. Setting aside everything else, could Dr. Zhu perform the “Burning Mountain Fire” technique?

 

Just as Liu Qi was about to argue, Zhou Jinyuan leaned over and tugged at him, saying, “Let’s switch seats.”

 

Liu Qi instinctively agreed.

 

Zhou Jinyuan sat in Liu Qi’s seat and nodded at Dr. Zhu.

 

He didn’t switch seats to argue but to prevent Liu Qi from acting out of emotion. Since the Third Hospital was hosting this event, they were also part of the hosting team, and it was important to remain composed and greet guests with a smile.

 

Otherwise, it wouldn’t reflect well on them.

 

As Zhou Jinyuan thought about this, he even smiled at Dr. Zhu.

 

Dr. Zhu, who had been in the middle of his sarcastic remarks, suddenly paused when he saw this young man switch seats and smile at him. The boy had a baby face, lively and cute, and even seemed a bit familiar. Dr. Zhu found it hard to continue his tirade.

 

“…Are you an intern?” Dr. Zhu asked, now with a more pleasant tone. Apparently, good looks were appreciated everywhere.

 

“No, I’m a full-fledged doctor,” Zhou Jinyuan replied. “My name is Zhou Jinyuan.”

 

Dr. Zhu: “…”

 

His face twitched, and he felt torn inside.

 

On one hand, he was still a bit annoyed by this “Zhou Jinyuan,” but on the other hand, the person in front of him had such a youthful face, like a child, not even as old as his son. Dr. Zhu suddenly felt a little embarrassed to speak harshly.

 

Finally, he awkwardly squeezed out, “Hehe, I’ve heard of you…”

 

Despite his guilty conscience about bullying a child, he continued, “I was just saying that Dr. Zhou would probably share his specialty today. I wonder if we’ll get to see your energy cultivation techniques or Zhu You therapy.”

 

If Zhou Jinyuan took the bait, Dr. Zhu planned to use the opportunity to “discuss” medical theories thoroughly with him—no, actually, to teach this young man a lesson. After all, a simple hair loss prescription wasn’t much, and popularity online didn’t count for anything; the older generation still had more experience.

 

Xie Min kept glancing over, knowing Zhou Jinyuan’s sharp tongue. He was quick and skillful; given Dr. Zhu’s health, he probably wouldn’t last a round. However, Zhou Jinyuan had just promised her that he wouldn’t cause a scene, so she kept her attention on the situation.

 

Zhou Jinyuan didn’t cause a scene, instead casually responding, “I’ll be sharing a self-created formula, though I regret to say that it’s not my specialty, nor is Zhu You therapy.”

 

His response naturally led to curiosity, and Dr. Zhu couldn’t help but ask, “Then what is it?”

 

Acupuncture would have been fine, too, since Dr. Zhu was also skilled in that area.

 

Zhou Jinyuan turned to him, smiled, and said, “Hehe, my specialty is being especially cute.”

 

Dr. Zhu: “…”

 

The unexpected remark nearly made Dr. Zhu spit blood.

 

Here he was, wanting to have a serious battle of wits with Zhou Jinyuan, but Zhou Jinyuan just tangled things up with nonsense.

 

And he actually said “hee-hee”? Hee-hee, my foot! Dr. Zhu’s face turned green with frustration.

 

But just at that moment, there was a commotion in the hall—Professor Mo from Haibei Hospital had arrived. Many people immediately stood up, some even going forward to greet and converse with him.

 

Dr. Zhu couldn’t be bothered with Zhou Jinyuan anymore. He quickly got up and extended his hand, “Professor Mo—”

 

Even if he didn’t want to seek guidance from Professor Mo, it was still important to make a good impression. Professor Mo held many positions; besides teaching, he was also a director of the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and had once served as the president of the Haizhou Chinese Medicine Association and the chair of the Advanced Title Evaluation Committee. All these titles spoke volumes—leaving a good impression was crucial.

 

Liu Qi saw Dr. Zhu walk away and couldn’t help but chuckle, his earlier anger dissipating. After all, the great master handled it with grace, didn’t he?

 

…

 

People gradually took their seats as the event was about to start.

 

The meeting began with speeches from hospital leadership and provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Association leaders, taking about half an hour.

 

Next was the much-anticipated lecture by Professor Mo.

 

Known in academic circles as “Mo Baishu,” Professor Mo, despite his white hair, had a ruddy complexion and was full of energy, without a single age spot on him.

 

His nickname, Baishu (White Atractylodes), referred to a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb, often mentioned with the saying “Nine out of ten prescriptions include Baishu,” and the phrase “Ginseng in the South, Baishu in the North.”

 

Although widely used, its deeper significance wasn’t grasped by every physician. The fact that Professor Mo had earned such a reputation from a commonly used herb showed the depth of his research.

 

As soon as Professor Mo took the stage, thunderous applause erupted.

 

“Thank you, thank you,” Professor Mo smiled, but instead of exchanging pleasantries or mentioning today’s topic, he scanned the room and asked, “Before we begin, may I ask who Dr. Zhou Jinyuan is?”

 

Zhou Jinyuan’s name was already familiar to many in the room. He’d made quite a stir recently in Haizhou, especially with the buzz over the past few days.

 

Some attendees, who weren’t aware that he was the chief physician under Qu Guan Feng, had wondered why he, a relatively unknown figure, had been slotted in among a group of well-known experts and given a lecture slot.

 

What was Professor Mo up to, singling him out? Could it be that…

 

Dr. Zhu suddenly felt excited, thinking that maybe Professor Mo was also dissatisfied with Zhou Jinyuan being shoehorned into the event, especially when there were more senior TCM doctors in Haizhou.

 

Zhou Jinyuan, a bit surprised by the attention, slowly stood up. “It’s me, Professor Mo. Hello.”

 

“Hello, young man. Sit down, it’s nothing serious. I just wanted to see your face,” Professor Mo said with a hearty laugh. “I’ve been meaning to meet you for some time. A while ago, Director Yang of the Health Bureau suddenly lost his voice. I was rushing to an emergency at the time and only had time to say, ‘It will resolve by rooster crow.’

 

“Later, I heard that he went to a hospital for further consultation. Everyone was saying he needed medium-frequency treatment, ultrasound, several sessions of this and that. But only one doctor said the same thing I did—‘blood stasis due to cold obstruction; it’ll be better by morning!’

 

“That doctor was Dr. Zhou.”

 

Those who had been skeptical about Zhou Jinyuan suddenly understood. Perhaps he lacked seniority, but being able to diagnose the same as the esteemed Professor Mo and earn his praise was reason enough for him to be invited to lecture!

 

Professor Mo’s admiration was evident. With many famous disciples, his expression left no doubt as to how highly he regarded Zhou Jinyuan. He continued, “When I found out, I wanted to make Dr. Zhou my confidant! Although today he’ll be discussing his self-formulated prescription, his approach of adapting treatment according to the symptoms is precisely what should be mastered in the application of classical prescriptions.

 

“I brought up this self-resolving case because it’s related to what I’ll be discussing today—‘eliminating blood stasis’ in the context of Zhang Zhongjing’s formulas. Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that all illnesses are related to stasis and phlegm, and chronic illness always involves stasis. Clearing stasis is a significant topic, and in my medical career…”

 

Using this case, Professor Mo smoothly transitioned into his lecture topic, and most attendees shifted their attention from Zhou Jinyuan to focus on his insightful discussion.

 

Zhou Jinyuan, however, simply said, “Hee-hee.”

 

Dr. Zhu: “………………..”