Chapter 33: Anxious Pulse Diagnosis and Prescription
Du Qing wanted to learn skills from Zhang Shinan, but he also understood that since ancient times, skills have not been passed on easily. If he wanted to become a disciple to learn skills, at his age, people probably wouldn't look down on him.
After his excitement subsided, Du Qing hesitated: "I'd better go to Jiangnan with you. I can at least be of some help."
The group had already arrived at the Ping'an Escort Agency. Gu Youan had just gone in to greet Master Guo and instructed the Hu family to store the medicinal materials in the empty house of the Guo family. When he turned around, Gu Youan heard his uncle say this and immediately laughed.
"Uncle, Doctor Zhang isn't the type to be so self-sufficient. He was even willing to teach a layman like me. If you come to him sincerely seeking instruction, he won't turn you away."
Gu Youan hesitated for a moment, then added, "Doctor Zhang will definitely not keep any of the common medical knowledge he has learned. The Zhang family's inherited skills will definitely not be taught to outsiders casually."
Gu Youan heard from Zhang Yinshan that all his father had taught him so far were skills that ordinary doctors knew, and he, the Zhang family's own son, had never touched them. He asked his father, and his father just said that he wanted to run away before he could even walk, so why didn't he just fly.
Du Qing smiled and shook his head, saying, "I can't even ask for a little guidance, so how can I dare to ask for more? I'm not that unreasonable."
Du Qing even thought that he also had this skill passed down from his family. If Doctor Zhang was willing to teach him, he would also be willing to tell Doctor Zhang about the Du family's medicine for treating typhoid fever.
However, Du Qing thought again that their Du family’s ancestors were not famous doctors, and Dr. Zhang might not look down on the medical books collected by the Du family.
The uncle and nephew chatted for a while, and then Gu Youan said, "It's okay or not. We'll go to Zhang's pharmacy and ask and we'll know."
After storing all the purchased medicinal herbs, Gu Youan discussed with Master Guo about hiring a bodyguard to escort the convoy, and then went to find Uncle Du to tell him that he would go to Zhang's pharmacy soon.
Uncle Du said, "You go with your uncle. I won't go. I'll go to the market with them and see if I can get some good things."
Gu Youan glanced at the Du family members who were gathered across from him and nodded, saying, "Okay, you guys can go and look around, but you have to go back to the neighboring village tonight. Tomorrow we'll go to another store in the mountains to buy herbs."
"I understand. Go ahead and do your thing."
Gu Youan and Du Qing went to Zhang's pharmacy again. Everyone who had gathered in the pharmacy had dispersed. Gu Youan walked in and looked around. Only Zhang Yinshan was guarding the medicine cabinet.
"Where's your father? Did he go to Luo Dalang's house?"
Zhang Yinshan pounded his tired waist and said, "My father was asked to go see a doctor. They said that a man who came to collect medicinal herbs from outside was too sick to get out of bed at the inn, and they insisted that my father go and see him."
"Luo Dalang just had his stomach stitched up, so it's hard to move. His two brothers just carried him to the backyard. His wife is taking care of him. I think he and his wife will have to stay in my shop for a few days before they can leave."
Gu Youan saw his sad face and said with a smile, "What's wrong with you?"
Zhang Yinshan invited Du Qing and Gu Youan to sit down and personally poured them tea. "It's been busy these past few days. Although our pharmacy has only been open for a short time, my father has a great reputation and is often asked to see patients. When my father is not around, I am often the only one guarding the pharmacy."
"Alas, I have to take care of all sorts of chores in the pharmacy. Occasionally, a patient comes in for treatment. If it's a condition I know how to treat, it's fine. But if I don't, and someone comes up to me with a question, I'd be embarrassed."
"It's a pity that my mother has to take care of the fields in the neighboring village and deal with household chores. If she could come to the pharmacy to help, I would have some relief."
Zhang Yinshan complained, "Since my family's pharmacy opened, I've had less time to read medical books. My father is also very busy and doesn't have much time to teach me medicine every day."
"Now, as Tian Dalang often said, I only regret not having read enough when I need it."
Du Qing was immediately moved and said, "Since we don't have enough manpower, why don't we recruit two apprentices?"
"It's not easy to find one. My father is very picky. These days, four or five families want to send their children to be apprentices, but my father didn't like them and rejected them all."
Gu Youan looked at his uncle, then at Zhang Yinshan, picked up his tea and said with a smile: "How about finding a doctor with decent medical skills to help you temporarily?"
"Songjiang City is already short of doctors. Doctors with decent medical skills have all opened their own clinics. Why would they come here to make a living?"
His father had thought about hiring a doctor, but as usual, it was hard to find one.
Gu Youan gestured for Zhang Yinshan to look at her uncle. "My uncle has studied medicine since he was a child. Although he's not as famous as your Zhang family, the Du family is quite well-known in Yizhou Prefecture. He'll probably be staying in Songjiang City for four or five months. It just so happens that he has nothing else to do, so how about coming to your house to help?"
Zhang Yinshan immediately understood and slapped his thigh: "Gu Youan, you are so good, we are so familiar with each other, and you are still beating around the bush when talking to me?"
Gu Youan smiled and said, "I have nothing to do anyway, so I'll just listen to you complain so you don't get yourself sick."
Zhang Yinshan knew that the Du family was in the pharmacy business. He didn't know how good Du Qing's medical skills were, and he didn't have the ability to judge. He could only tell the truth. He had to ask his father whether it would work or not.
Du Qing smiled and said, "I'm not in a hurry. I'll wait until your father comes back."
Zhang Yinshan asked Gu Youan, "I was busy this morning and didn't have time to ask you, are your relatives going into the medicinal herbs business?"
"Well, not only my relatives, but I will do it too. In a few days, I should follow them through the customs to Jiangnan."
"very nice."
Zhang Yinshan was extremely envious. He had been in Songjiang City for so many years that he almost forgot the prosperity within the Great Wall.
Gu Youan smiled and said, "I'll bring you some goodies when I come back."
"Then I'll be waiting."
The three of them talked for a while, and then a patient came to see the doctor. He said he had a headache, fever, sore throat, and vomited before leaving.
Zhang Yinshan felt the patient's pulse and thought it was an external wind-cold. He was a little unsure. Du Qing happened to be there, so he said, "Doctor Du, do you have time to take a look at this patient?"
Du Qing stood up and walked over, saying with a smile, "Big brother, please extend your hand so I can feel your pulse."
The elder brother who was treating the patient stretched out his hand with a sick look. Du Qing placed his left hand on the patient's right hand, listened to the pulse carefully, and then asked him to open his mouth to check the tongue coating.
Then Du Qing said: "The tongue coating is thin and the pulse is rapid, so it is advisable to clear away heat and expel evil."
"How do you prescribe a prescription?" Zhang Yinshan asked again.
Du Qing opened his mouth and said, "One liang of Daqingye, five qian of Forsythia, one liang of Isatis Root, one liang of Quanshen, and three qian of Chuanxiong. If the patient has purulent discharge, add three qian of Xanthium sibiricum and two qian of Magnolia officinalis. Boil in water and take one dose daily."
Doctors in different places have their own medication habits. For the same disease, the prescriptions prescribed by doctors are also different. Du Qing's prescriptions are very characteristic of southwestern doctors.
After listening to Du Qing's prescription at the door, Zhang Shinan came in, took the patient's pulse, and said to Zhang Yinshan, "Prescribe the medicine according to Doctor Du's prescription."
"yes."
Du Qing said excitedly, "Doctor Zhang, I've long heard of your great name."
Zhang Shinan put down the medicine box, smiled and asked Du Qing to sit down, and said politely: "My son is not very good at learning, thank you for your help, Doctor Du."
Du Qing said hurriedly, "No, no, Doctor Zhang is extremely talented, and with a master like you to guide him, he will surely become a famous doctor in the future."
Zhang Yinshan was so frightened that he kept coughing violently.
This commotion caused the patient who was waiting for him to get the medicine to step back quickly. Why did this young doctor look like he was even sicker than him?
Gu Youan couldn't help laughing.
Zhang Shinan blushed and waved his hands repeatedly: "Doctor Du is too polite. I don't deserve it."
Zhang Yinshan nodded rapidly. His father was right. He really didn't deserve such praise!
Du Qing smiled awkwardly, as if he had indeed gone a bit too far. He turned his head away quietly, his face flushed.
"Doctor Du, please have some tea."
"Hey, Doctor Zhang, please too."
After all, Du Qing grew up studying medicine and had decent talent. Even without the guidance of a famous doctor, his ability in diagnosing and prescribing medicine was still quite impressive. Although mediocre, he was better than many doctors in the world.
Du Qing asked to come to the pharmacy to help for a few months. Zhang Shinan agreed without hesitation and promised that if Du Qing had any questions, he would try his best to answer them.
This is what Du Qing wanted, and Du Qing quickly expressed his gratitude.
Zhang Shinan was relieved to have Du Qing's help in the pharmacy. He would choose a disciple with good character and talent and teach him slowly later. There was no need to rush.
Du Qing got what he wanted. In the evening, he returned to the neighboring village and couldn't wait to tell Mrs. Du that he was going to work in Zhang's pharmacy.
Mrs. Du was naturally happy: "Brother, don't be in a hurry to go back. We can spend more time together as siblings."
Du Qing and his sister had the same idea.
In the nearly twenty years since his sister got married, the brother and sister have probably only been together for less than ten days.
Now my sister's home is in Songjiang City, which is even farther away from Yizhou Prefecture. Now we have the opportunity to get together more often, so that when we part in the future, I will miss her more in my heart.
While Du Qing was talking with the Du brothers and sisters, Gu Youan went to the vegetable garden behind the house to find her father and told her father that she was going to do business.
Gu Wen was mentally prepared, but when he heard his daughter speak, he still couldn't help but worry.
After watering the vegetables, Gu Wen said, "The Du family has more than a dozen people, but they're not very capable. I'm worried about you leaving. Have you told the Guo family?"
Gu Youan helped carry the bucket and said, "Master Guo said that Escort Captain Guo sent off the caravan a few days ago and took away most of the escort agency's personnel. The agency can still select twenty more people."
Twenty escorts were not a small number. Gu Wen asked, "Is Guo Su going too?"
"Guo Su is not at the escort agency today. She went hunting on the North Mountain. But if she knew, she would definitely go."
Guo Su was the martial arts plug-in chosen by Gu Youan for herself. Over the past year, she knew Guo Su very well in every aspect. She trusted Guo Su's character. In addition, Guo Su was a martial arts expert and was a woman like her, so it was convenient for her to protect her closely when she was outside.
Gu Wen sighed, "Since you've made up your mind, go ahead. Don't trust others easily when you're out there. Be careful and take good care of yourself."
"Dad, don't worry about me. I know."
In the evening, Guo Su returned home from outside the city with Gu Wenqing, Tian Erlang and others. When she learned that Gu Youan was going to the interior to do business, she immediately said that she wanted to go too.
Without waiting for Master Guo to speak, she glared at him and said, "Godfather, An An said that if she goes out, she will definitely take me with her."
Master Guo was annoyed when he saw her like that: "Why are you glaring at me? Are you going to beat me up if I don't let you go?"
How dare she?
Master Guo snorted softly, "Now is not the time to discuss personal matters. Miss Gu and the Du family are running a serious business for our Ping An Escort Agency. We have to listen to their employers about who can go and who can't. If you want to go, go talk to the person who makes the decision."
Guo Su raised her head proudly. How could An An not agree?
Tian Erlang glanced at Gu Wenqing, then approached Master Guo and rubbed his shoulders and back attentively: "Master, what do you think of me? Can I be a dart?"
"you……"
Tian Erlang said, "Why can't I? In terms of martial arts, even if I can't beat Brother Zhang, I can still be ranked in the middle of the escort agency. If Guo Bao can go, then I can go too."
Guo Bao is the same age as Tian Erlang. He was very happy to know that his master allowed his senior brothers and sisters to go out as escorts. But now Tian Erlang compared him and stepped on him, and Guo Bao immediately got angry.
"Tian Jilang, if you have the guts, come out and show us how to fight."
"I'm not afraid of you in combat, I can't match you in riding and shooting, but my skills are just as good as yours."
The two were about to start fighting when Gu Wenqing quickly stopped Tian Erlang and said, "Don't you want to give it a try next year? If you go through the customs, the round trip will take three or four months. What will you do if you don't pass the military officer exam next year?"
"How could that be? We can practice Kung Fu on the road, it won't delay anything."
Tian Erlang added, "With the escort leader and his men away, most of the people left in the escort agency are young. If I go, it will help to have more people, right?"
Gu Wenqing looked at Master Guo, and Master Guo knew at a glance that this kid also wanted to go.
Master Guo didn't care: "Go back and ask your parents. If they agree, I won't stop you."
Tian Erlang and Gu Wenqing returned to the neighboring mountain village early the next morning.
When Tian Qingde heard his youngest son say he wanted to go through the customs, he said, "You can go if you want. Before she was exiled, your mother hid some silver in our house. Go back and see if it's still there. If it is, bring back enough silver for you and your eldest brother to marry."
Tian Erlang's eyes widened, and he kept asking, "Where did my mother hide? How much silver did she hide?"
"Only your mother knows where it is hidden. Go ask her."
Tian Erlang was anxious: "Oh, why didn't you tell us earlier? If you had told us earlier, we could have gone and retrieved the silver sooner. It's been so long, maybe someone else has taken it away."
Tian Qingde said calmly, "Why rush? Just take it if you want."
Having just arrived in Songjiang City two years ago, even if he was lucky enough to change his citizenship, Tian Qingde didn't dare to return to Luoyang so soon. If he was caught, he wouldn't be able to explain himself, and it would cause a lot of trouble.
Last year, the Du family came to Songjiang City with news that the imperial court had exiled Li Hongwen's family because they had secretly stored countless gold, silver and jewelry, and the family had been searched again. Tian Qingde was even more afraid to move.
Tian Qingde looked at his youngest son, who now looked like a dark and strong warrior. He was afraid that even acquaintances would find it difficult to recognize him at a glance. He was safe and told him not to worry.
The Tian family agreed, and Gu Wen naturally agreed as well.
When Tian Erlang and Gu Wenqing got together, Tian Erlang urged: "When will your sister leave?"
"My parents said that my sister took Uncle Du and the others to the mountains to buy medicinal herbs today. It will probably take another three to five days."
"Can't you hurry up?"
"It will take time to move the herbs down the mountain. Why are you in such a hurry?"
Tian Erlang was anxious and said immediately, "We have nothing to do, so let's go help them move the herbs tomorrow."
Guo Su also agreed, she couldn't wait to go inside the pass.
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