Chapter 46 Need to buy a ticket before seeing a doctor?
Zhang Zhongjing was chatting with Lu Xiaoqi yesterday when she casually mentioned that the medicinal properties of herbs nowadays might have changed compared to those of the past. After all, wild herbs are now rare, and the rest are all artificially cultivated. Moreover, factors such as soil elements and pesticides can also affect the quality of herbs.
He had been thinking about this matter and was quite anxious, so he asked Su Jun to take him to buy herbs early this morning.
Along the way, I was naturally impressed and amazed by the various street scenes that were different from those in ancient times.
But the medical sage was focused on herbs and did not linger. He went straight to the only traditional Chinese medicine clinic in the county that also sold medicine.
This traditional Chinese medicine shop was opened by an old TCM doctor who retired from the city's TCM hospital and returned to his hometown. It was originally just a small clinic, but later, due to his good reputation, his business gradually prospered. In order to make it more convenient for everyone to buy medicine, he also started selling medicinal herbs.
The pharmacist couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Su Jun leading Zhang Zhongjing in.
Zhang Zhongjing asked in bewilderment, "Why is the young man laughing?"
The young man quickly said, "I'm sorry, sir. I just thought your appearance would be that of an old Chinese medicine doctor if it were printed in a picture book, so I found it interesting."
Moreover, he was the kind of experienced and trustworthy traditional Chinese medicine doctor who looked very much like the legendary doctors Zhang Zhongjing and Sun Simiao he had read about in history books, especially since he was dressed in ancient attire, making him seem like he had jumped right out of a history book. So he couldn't help but laugh for a moment.
Zhang Zhongjing stroked his beard and chuckled, "So that's how it is."
The young man was even more dazed. He leaned closer and asked Su Jun, "Are you filming a video?"
Su Jun nodded with a smile.
The delivery guy gave him a thumbs up: "That look is amazing! By the way, what kind of medicine would you two like to get?"
Zhang Zhongjing glanced at the densely packed medicine cabinets behind him, each small drawer labeled with the name of a medicinal herb. He was both surprised and delighted: "Wow, there are so many medicinal herbs now..."
They didn't use that many medicinal herbs before.
It seems that the development of medicine in later generations has far exceeded his imagination.
"Then, give me a little of everything."
He said it casually, but the pharmacist's eyes widened: "Sir, why do you need so much medicine? This medicine is not for playing around with, you must not take it randomly!"
Su Jun quickly said, "It's alright, it's alright, just do as he says. He's a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner himself, he just wants to buy some to check the medicinal properties."
"I see..." The young man was still a bit suspicious, but since these two didn't seem to be mentally unstable, he figured he had to do the business anyway. He quickly grabbed the small scales and started working, pulling open each drawer.
Zhang Zhongjing's gaze shifted to a book that the young man had placed on the counter, with four large characters prominently displayed on it: "Compendium of Materia Medica".
After the young man gathered all the medicinal herbs, he turned around and saw that the old man was engrossed in reading his "Compendium of Materia Medica," completely absorbed in it and oblivious to everything else.
Su Jun whispered, "Give it to me after you've wrapped it up."
After a long while, Zhang Zhongjing finally snapped out of the world of the book. He sighed deeply, a mixture of relief and emotion, holding the book tightly, reluctant to put it down. When he finally looked up, he realized that his medicinal herbs had already been packed, and Su Jun and the young man were waiting beside him.
The young man smiled and said, "Since you like this book so much, sir, how about I give you a new copy?"
With such a big business deal, it's only right to give away a book.
Zhang Zhongjing was astonished: "Give it to me?"
This medical book is so precious, how could it be given away so easily?
Su Jun quickly said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, young man."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhongjing was filled with questions, but he knew now was not the right time to ask. Regardless, he was overjoyed to have received the book, and carrying his new book, he bid farewell to the young man.
After he left, the young man picked up his book and looked at it again and again, feeling puzzled and confused. It was just an ordinary copy of the *Compendium of Materia Medica*, nothing special. Didn't that old man claim to be a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine? Why did he act like he'd never seen it before...?
That's really strange.
On the other side, Zhang Zhongjing had just left the pharmacy when he couldn't wait to ask Su Jun, "Are you really just giving us this book like this?"
“It is indeed yours.” Su Jun smiled. “If you have time tomorrow, I’ll take you to the bookstore. I saw a lot of medical books there last time.”
Zhang Zhongjing was somewhat taken aback: "A bookstore? Medical books?"
A bookstore, by definition, is a place to sell books, but can medical books be openly sold there? And so many medical books at that… In his time, medical books were family heirlooms, not something anyone would easily take out. Perhaps one or two copies could be found in the libraries of some aristocratic families. He himself had only passed down his medical books to a few disciples, repeatedly instructing them to preserve them carefully to prevent their loss in the chaos of war.
He thought about how generous the pharmacy clerk had been when he gave him the book, without showing any reluctance, and suddenly realized that he might have really come to a very special place.
Su Jun understood his feelings very well and said leisurely, "Dr. Zhang, you don't know this, but if there is anything I envy and like the most in this place, it is that books are readily available. All kinds of classics, medical books, agricultural books... are as numerous as a mountain."
The printing industry in the Northern Song Dynasty was already quite developed, with numerous bookstores. Scholars like him had once been very proud, believing that being born and studying in this dynasty was far superior to that of previous dynasties. Books, writing materials, and paper were relatively inexpensive and not rare at all; it was simply a blessing. But after arriving here, he realized what true "enjoying happiness" really meant.
Zhang Zhongjing was captivated by his words.
He also wanted to go to the bookstore to see if they had his own book, "Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases".
Judging from the high regard later generations have for him, this book should be able to survive, right?
Su Jun said apologetically, "I didn't notice. But I'm sure it's there."
“It’s alright, I’ll go find it myself when the time comes.” Zhang Zhongjing talked on and on about these things. He had great admiration for the younger generation named “Li Shizhen”: “He must be some great man from later generations. He did what I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t been able to do. He is comparable to Shennong and has brought blessings to all people!”
Su Jun smiled and said, "If this Senior Li could hear you praising him like this, he would be extremely excited."
The title of Zhang Zhongjing, the Sage of Medicine, is not a modern invention, but has been passed down through the ages.
No, this Li Shizhen seems to be from the Ming Dynasty, while he's from the Song Dynasty. It seems I shouldn't call him a senior... Oh well, there's no point in arguing about seniority anyway. Su Jun shook his head and chuckled, putting this tangled mess of troubles to the back of his mind.
Back in the ancient town, Zhang Zhongjing took Li Bing's pulse again, and it was still a death pulse with no change. However, Li Bing's condition did not seem to have changed, so he was relieved and began to work on his pile of medicinal herbs.
He occupied half of the open courtyard in Zone 4, while Zhang Ying was drying herbs on the other half. After finishing her own work, Zhang Ying went over and curiously watched the new doctor Zhang chopping and soaking the herbs, and even looking around for a small stove to boil them.
"Let me help you." She couldn't stand by and watch, so she decided to step forward and help.
Zhang Zhongjing was overjoyed. He was indeed not very good at decocting medicine, and his apprentices used to do it for him: "Then I'll have to trouble you, young lady."
When Lu Xiaoqi arrived, this was the scene she saw: Zhang Ying was squatting on the ground tending to the small stove where medicine was being brewed, while Zhang Zhongjing was preparing the medicine beside her. The entire courtyard was filled with a faint aroma of traditional Chinese medicine.
She suddenly recalled her childhood. There was a traditional Chinese medicine shop downstairs, with several medicine stoves placed at the entrance every day. The pharmacist would oversee the brewing, and people could pick up their medicine as soon as they returned from work. Now, the pace of life is faster and it's more convenient. You can get a prescription from a traditional Chinese medicine hospital and get ready-made decocted medicine directly. You can take a lot at once, store it in the refrigerator, and drink it as needed. But for some reason, she still felt that the slow-cooked traditional Chinese medicine of the past was more effective.
"Of course!" Zhang Zhongjing frowned upon hearing her description. "Decoction of medicine is an art. What kind of herbs need to be soaked in water, how long for soaking, which herbs to add first, which to add later, how many times to decoct... all these factors affect the efficacy! If it's all done in one pot, what's the difference between that and not drinking it at all?"
This is utter nonsense!
Lu Xiaoqi explained weakly, "There's nothing we can do about it. Everyone's so busy these days, no one has time to brew the medicine themselves..."
There's always a sense of guilt about how modern people like them haven't cherished the treasures passed down from our ancestors, and have been messing around with things. But this is a problem that modern, fast-paced life can't solve.
"Sigh, no wonder traditional Chinese medicine is now being suppressed by Western medicine." She sighed unconsciously.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhongjing asked in confusion, "Traditional Chinese medicine? What is traditional Chinese medicine, and what is Western medicine?"
Lu Xiaoqi then remembered that these terms were all modern terms, so she explained the concepts and general differences between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine to Zhang Zhongjing.
Zhang Zhongjing frowned: "It sounds like two different schools of thought... one inherited from ancient times, and the other developed in modern times. But if both are for saving lives, why distinguish them so clearly? Is there an irreconcilable contradiction between the two?"
"Can't traditional Chinese medicine use Western medicine methods to save lives? Can't Western medicine learn traditional Chinese medicine methods? If a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, like myself, learns Western medical techniques, what kind of doctor should I be called?"
China, the West... it sounds more like a regional divide.
Lu Xiaoqi noticed that Zhang Zhongjing was usually kind and approachable, but he would become serious and earnest whenever his profession was mentioned. A barrage of questions came crashing down on her, leaving her dizzy.
She wasn't willing to brush off this earnest old man, and after thinking for a while, she replied: "So now many people also feel that the terms 'Traditional Chinese Medicine' and 'Western Medicine' are inappropriate; they should be called traditional medicine and modern medicine. If we're talking about the concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine, then Western medicine should correspond to their traditional witchcraft."
“Modern medicine also has traditional aspects. Our traditional medicine has also tried things like surgery…” Although Lu Xiaoqi had made several videos popularizing the history of medicine, this topic was too broad and difficult for her, a layman, to explain clearly. In the end, she could only ramble on, “Well, this topic is complicated. You can stay here and watch it slowly, and maybe you will understand.”
Zhang Zhongjing nodded, his eyes shining: "It sounds like the medical profession is quite interesting these days."
He pressed further, "What about typhoid fever? Has modern medicine solved the problem of epidemics?"
Lu Xiaoqi sighed: "That's a much bigger topic. How about I find you some documentaries to watch?"
She's planning to arrange a day trip to the hospital for Zhang Zhongjing, or perhaps give him a full physical examination? He'll probably see a lot there.
Lu Xiaoqi smacked her forehead: "I completely forgot about the important matter! Doctor Zhang, please take a look at me, I feel like something's wrong with my body!"
She looked so pitiful.
After checking her phone, Lu Xiaoqi was certain she was sick, and quite seriously so. Her dark circles were worse, her heart rate was irregular, her heart was often racing, the lunulae on her fingernails had disappeared, and she could feel a hard lump on her neck.
The webpage said she either had a pre-heart attack or thyroid cancer!
horrible!
Is she going to die? Waaah.
Lu Xiaoqi immediately went to find Zhang Zhongjing. She asked the medical sage to prescribe two doses of medicine for her, planning to go to the hospital if it didn't work.
Zhang Zhongjing: "Young friend, are you ill? Come, come, let me take a look."
Lu Xiaoqi: ...Why does it sound like there's a hint of joy in Zhang Yisheng's tone? No, it must be my imagination.
She obediently stretched out her hand, letting Zhang Zhongjing take her pulse.
This time it was much faster than with Li Bing. Zhang Zhongjing quickly released his grip, his tone light: "There's nothing wrong. It's just a bit of yin deficiency, internal heat, and a little qi and blood deficiency. Have you been having trouble sleeping lately?"
Lu Xiaoqi nodded vigorously.
Zhang Zhongjing: "I'll prescribe a formula for you, and you'll be fine in four or five days."
Zhang Ying immediately raised her hand: "Miss Lu, I'll make it for you! I'm quite skilled at it now!"
Hearing this, Lu Xiaoqi finally felt relieved and her mood improved considerably. If the Medical Sage has said so, there must be no problem!
Waking from the fear of illness, her mind started working again, and she began to suggest ideas to Zhang Zhongjing: "Didn't you want to test the medicine? Why don't you open a clinic in the ancient town? You can see everyone first."
There are quite a few permanent residents in Qinghe Ancient Town now; including workers from outside, there are more than a hundred people.
If Zhang Zhongjing were willing, she could open the clinic immediately.
Fearing that Zhang Zhongjing might be unhappy, she quickly added, "Of course, if you want to rest for a while before discussing it, that's fine too."
Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhongjing clapped his hands and laughed: "Young friend Lu, I've been waiting for you to say that."
He's going to open a clinic!
His interest in new medicinal herbs and new medical techniques now surpasses everything else; he seems to have rediscovered the excitement and dedication he had when he first started studying medicine. As for other bizarre and outlandish new things, he just takes a little time each day to learn about them.
He's getting old and isn't as interested in new things anymore.
If you can maintain your usual lifestyle, that would be ideal.
Lu Xiaoqi was overjoyed to receive confirmation: "Then I'll have Teacher Yuwen arrange a seat for you. If you need anything, just come find me or Su Jun."
After she left, Zhang Ying asked with concern and anxiety, "Dr. Zhang, is Miss Lu really alright?"
She was afraid that Zhang Zhongjing was just trying to comfort the patient.
Zhang Zhongjing chuckled and said, "Of course not, you're perfectly healthy! A few days of medicine will do the trick."
Actually, she doesn't need to take any medicine; a few days of rest might be enough. However, given Lu Xiaoyou's condition at the time, if he said she was perfectly fine, she probably wouldn't be reassured—that's human nature. It's better to just prescribe some medicine for her; after all, the prescription is for regulating the body and is good for women.
Perfect, we can also observe how that prescription is performing now!
Zhang Zhongjing chuckled and continued squatting down to work on his medicinal herbs.
Lu Xiaoqi ran into the Han sisters as soon as she came out of courtyard number four. The two had changed into matching T-shirts and trousers, but their hair was still meticulously combed, and they were very dignified.
Lu Xiaoqi looked at the advertisement for XX Travel Agency printed on the large T-shirt, and couldn't help but twitch her lips. She decided to have a batch of custom-made promotional T-shirts for the ancient town today. This is an expense she couldn't skimp on!
Since Han Yushang and Han Yunshang were literate, Su Jun provided them with history books and other related books for them to read on their own. He allowed them to explore the ancient town on their own without any restrictions.
At first, the two were still afraid and hesitant to step out of their room. But having been female officials before, after observing the town and finding it to be peaceful, they gritted their teeth and stepped out of their small building.
Since most of the people in Zone 1 were men, they didn't dare go there and stayed in Zone 4 instead.
During the day, only women, children, and the elderly live in Zone 4.
Han Yushang came from the palace and was very good at dealing with people. Before long, she became familiar with the cook Du Fang and the helper Lin Qiao'er, and learned about their backgrounds, which surprised her greatly.
Since we were all from the Ming Dynasty, we had a lot in common to talk about.
When they learned that the Ming Dynasty would soon fall to the rebel army and the Tartars, the two sisters couldn't help but feel complicated and cried.
It contains both sadness and melancholy, as well as a sense of relief and bewilderment.
Seeing them cry, Du Fang and the others were also reminded of their own past and homesickness, and they shed a few tears as well.
"Alright, alright, don't be sad." Du Fang wiped away her tears and comforted them, "We've gotten this far thanks to God. Let bygones be bygones, don't think about it anymore. Let's all look forward and live our lives well."
The other women in Xiangjia Village nodded in agreement.
They've been here so long that their painful emotions have long since faded.
One of the women laughed and said, "Even if you told me I could go back to the past, even to a time when there was no war, I wouldn't go back!"
Lin Qiao'er chuckled: "You're going to stay here even if you have to, right?"
"Of course! We went crying and begging Miss Lu to let us stay."
Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere in the air became lighter.
"Oh dear, I have to go to class now." The woman glanced at the clock on the wall and stood up in a panic. "Teacher Zhao should have arrived by now."
Several women who were also on their way to class quickly stood up: "Let's go, let's go, we have a quiz this weekend."
Han Yushang and Han Yunshang then realized that the host had specially hired a teacher to teach these women to read!
This was utterly astonishing to them. As ladies-in-waiting, they were certainly literate, but even in the palace, most of the lowly servants were illiterate, and their masters didn't seem to mind—it didn't affect their work. Why go to such lengths to teach them to read and write?
“Oh, you’ll understand later. It’s not easy to get by here if you can’t read,” the woman said.
The group left in a hurry.
The two sisters followed out of curiosity and discovered that their teacher was also a young woman. They quietly listened to the entire lesson and found that although the women learned very slowly, the teacher showed no impatience, explaining things repeatedly and without any hint of disdain.
Why? Han Yushang didn't understand. They were just kitchen helpers, weren't they?
"Sister, this place may indeed be different from the palace," Han Yunshang whispered after they came out. "And it's also different from the Ming Dynasty."
She couldn't say why, but she felt relaxed and even a little happy because of it.
Han Yushang was silent for a moment, then said, "This is a good thing."
The two women exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's thoughts. Like the other women, they also wanted to stay!
Therefore, after meeting Lu Xiaoqi, the two actively expressed their desire to do something for her and for this ancient town.
Lu Xiaoqi hadn't expected them to be so passionate about their work. No wonder they were former female officials; their self-recovery and rebuilding abilities were truly impressive!
She scratched her head: "Do either of you know how to make clothes?"
Han Yushang nodded: "Of course I can."
Han Yunshang said with some pride, "Before entering the palace, my sister was one of the top dressmakers in the embroidery shop. After entering the palace, the clothes she made were very popular among the nobles, and she eventually became the head of the Imperial Clothing Department."
The clothes of many concubines in the palace were made by these two sisters.
"That's great!" Lu Xiaoqi exclaimed happily. "Then why don't you design our work uniforms first!"
It's not just about T-shirts. If the ancient town opens for business, all the customer service staff will have to wear uniforms, as will the uniforms for various departments. For example, what will the cleaning staff wear? What will the NPCs wear? Which dynasty will they be dressed in?
She felt that if the uniforms were to match the style of the ancient town, then, apart from the NPCs, the uniforms of the other people should also have some ancient style elements, which shouldn't be difficult for the two sisters to do with their abilities.
"Specific requirements will be communicated to you later. In the meantime, you should learn about the concept of Hanfu and the characteristics of modern clothing... There's no rush, you can take your time."
As she spoke, the Han sisters nodded in agreement.
They are not worried about having too much work, but rather about having no work to do.
......
A few days later, Zhang Zhongjing's clinic, "Huichuntang," quietly opened in a corner of the No. 2 area of the ancient town.
The clinic was very simple; it was just a renovated shop that had originally been open to the public. To put it nicely, it was a minimalist style reminiscent of ancient times, but Yuwen Kai wrote the plaque, Xiang Qi repaired the tables and chairs, and Lu Xiaoqi even bought bonsai trees. With these things placed inside, it had a touch of the atmosphere of the "Humble Abode Inscription."
Lu Xiaoqi took Zhang Zhongjing to see: "This is a temporary place, it's quite small. We'll arrange for the renovation of the real clinic for you soon, and you can move there after it opens."
This is equivalent to the entrance of the clinic at the back.
She took this matter very seriously, allocating the largest shop in the innermost part of Zone 2 to Zhang Zhongjing. Lu Xiaoqi hoped that other renowned medical figures could be recruited later, so that this street in Zone 2 could be developed into a traditional Chinese medicine cultural experience street.
The office workers were puzzled: "Why is there a traditional Chinese medicine clinic opening here now?"
The ancient town of Qinghe is not open for business yet, and no tourists are coming in now. Would a traditional Chinese medicine clinic be able to do business?
What was the boss thinking?
Chen Yingying happened to be passing by, so they asked out of curiosity, "Sister Chen, what are the boss's plans? Is the business development for that street about to start?"
"How does this clinic plan to do business? Do you have to buy an entrance ticket to see a doctor?"
It just doesn't seem like a reliable idea!
Chen Yingying smiled mysteriously: "Let me tell you, this old gentleman is a famous doctor that the boss spent a lot of money to invite. He's said to be able to cure any disease with his medicine and bring the dead back to life! If you have any discomfort, you can go see him first. The boss said that the first visit can be charged to the company account."
As for things like buying tickets before seeing a doctor, she felt the boss was very confident.
Chen Yingying recalled how her boss's complexion had become rosy and fair after taking the medicine prescribed by this miracle doctor for a few days. She couldn't help but touch her own face; she seemed to be staying up too late lately. Should she go see a doctor too?
Everyone looked at each other.
This is my first time going for free... Why does that sound so weird?
Why don't we go take a look?
And so, Zhang Zhongjing's clinic welcomed its first patients.
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