Chapter 908: Bian Stone, Medical Records [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Regardless, congratulations to Mr. Dong."
Although Shen Tang didn't understand why the Temple of Medicine had chosen Physician Dong to open it at this critical juncture, it was ultimately a good thing. He had previously worried about Physician Dong's advanced age, but now he had regained his youth and could continue to contribute for many years to come.
However, Dr. Dong bowed deeply to Shen Tang.
Shen Tang was shocked: "What is Elder Dong doing?"
He hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, and then winked at the dumbfounded grandson of the old man, who finally came to his senses and bowed in greeting.
Shen Tang: "..."
Old Doctor Dong's grandson is indeed not very bright. He's a bit dim-witted; why is he bowing and helping his old man?
"No, no, no, this gift is worth it, Mr. Shen."
Old Doctor Dong's attitude was inexplicably firm, and Shen Tang could only let him complete the ceremony. Helplessly, she said, "Old Doctor Dong, I feel unworthy to accept this. Whether it was those fifteen years of arduous medical practice or those five years of assessment in my dream, I haven't made any significant contributions. To be honest, I only collected some medical books, but that was so that Old Doctor could better teach and have his disciples and grand-disciples serve in the army..."
This is an investment with an amazing return.
All her efforts were for the ultimate benefit.
If we really have to nitpick, she actually got the better deal.
If it were any other sucker, she would have accepted the gift with a smug look on her face, not only accepting it shamelessly but also subtly manipulating the other party to make them devoted to her. However, since the person giving the gift was Dr. Dong, she still had to maintain some semblance of dignity.
"Shen Jun's contributions are probably more important than my meager efforts," Doctor Dong interrupted Shen Tang's attempt to speak, saying, "Shen Jun, don't be impatient, listen to me—in terms of talent, I was once angrily scolded by my mentor as a 'blockhead,' and I can't compare to those prodigies who can recognize hundreds of medicinal herbs at the age of three or five; in terms of seniority, there was a medical master who studied medicine from the age of three until he died at the age of one hundred, while I started as an apprentice at the age of seventeen, and it has only been forty-nine years, less than half of their time; in terms of reputation, I am only a semi-self-taught practitioner, and over the years I have treated patients indiscriminately, relying on the kindness of poor families who have benefited from my small favors to spread the word, barely accumulating a little empty reputation; in terms of medical skills, in the Northwest alone, there are no fewer than a hundred or a thousand people who are better than me."
He's been practicing medicine for so many years, always treating ordinary people, sometimes even refusing consultation fees and paying for his own medicine. Is it because he doesn't want to treat the powerful and wealthy, doesn't want to earn hundreds or thousands for a single house call? Is it because he doesn't want to take the consultation fees and medicine money from ordinary people?
He thought about it!
He couldn't get into the homes of the powerful and wealthy.
People don't trust him, so he can't stand it.
Few people seek his help; most are desperate and just trying their luck. They'd much rather go to a temple to burn incense and pray than consult this self-taught, barefoot doctor.
Ordinary people simply don't have the money for medical consultations. If they had any spare money, they could afford to hire itinerant doctors, and a minor illness wouldn't have turned into a major one, or a major illness that had become incurable and incurable, and they wouldn't have been dragged to their graves. Oh, they couldn't even afford a coffin. If they were better off, they could be wrapped in a straw mat, but if they were so poor that their homes were bare, they could only be hastily buried in the ground.
His initial motivation for studying medicine was not to save lives, but simply to learn a skill to make a living and care for his parents; however, things did not turn out as he had hoped. He sighed, "In terms of medical ethics, even I am ashamed."
Talent, qualifications, reputation, medical skills, and even medical ethics—he didn't understand where he was better than other medical masters.
All the famous doctors in the world have entered the Medical Bureau. Which of the medical officials in the Medical Bureau is not more qualified than him to open the door to the Temple of Medicine?
How many famous doctors were there before him?
What exactly is the difference?
Why him, Dong Dao, of all people?
Looking at the young king before him, Dr. Dong's appearance had returned to youth, but the vicissitudes of life etched in his eyes by the years had not been washed away. Having spent many years in the lower classes and experienced all walks of life, he probably understood some things better than Shen Tang's advisors: "Lord Shen, there are no free lunches in this world. If there are, someone must have thrown them down from above."
Shen Tang shook her head: "That has nothing to do with me."
The old doctor Dong said, "Perhaps it really is Mr. Shen."
Shen Tang: "..."
But all she knows how to do is use words of magic to conjure up illusions and paint a picture of a bright future for people.
He recounted the story: "More than ten years ago, the son of a high-ranking official was afflicted with a strange illness. It even alarmed the Imperial Physician, who personally visited the household, but to no avail. Just then, the uncle and aunt of the old lady's maid came to visit. During their conversation, the maid mentioned the matter, and the uncle and aunt recalled that a neighbor's child had suffered from a strange illness with similar symptoms and had been saved by a traveling doctor. The maid confirmed this repeatedly and was overjoyed, informing the old lady. The master of the household immediately sent someone to inquire in the village, thus placing their last hope on the traveling doctor."
"Shen Jun also recognized that this itinerant doctor was me. At the time, I thought that the opportunity was ripe, and that by curing your young master, I might be able to get a letter of recommendation from him to enter the medical department... However..." Doctor Dong's face turned somewhat unpleasant, and his tone was displeased. "There is a saying among the people: 'A doctor who sees a patient in bed is a doctor, but a doctor who sees a patient under the covers is a dog.'"
Doctors don't have a high social status.
When shamans and doctors were not separated, doctors held a high status. Later, there were also Confucian doctors, which, in layman's terms, meant that scholars went to study medicine.
However, this behavior is not understood by the world.
Some scholars were even demoted to the ranks of medical practitioners because of their medical background. If this was the case for scholars who became doctors, how much more so for someone from a humble background?
He cured the young master's strange illness, harboring ambitions of achieving fame in one fell swoop. Even the chief physician of the imperial court was helpless against his incurable ailment. This was a life-saving grace; the master of the house was a high-ranking official, capable of even invoking the chief physician. If he could be recommended and given a chance, he would surely be able to enter the medical academy, thus changing the fate of his children and grandchildren.
In this world where life expectancy is short, Dr. Dong wasn't thinking about wealth and fame; his only concern was his young, orphaned grandson. When he brazenly and tactfully made this request, the high-ranking official was initially taken aback, but his expression quickly turned to sharp mockery and contempt. As a powerful figure, the official neither refused outright nor made any promises, only asking for a 10% increase in the consultation fee.
The next day, he used the excuse that a distinguished guest had arrived at his residence.
Have the steward present the consultation fee and respectfully invite him out.
Knowing the chances were slim, Dr. Dong still clung to a sliver of hope and lingered in the vicinity for two days, trying to stake out the place. Finally, he caught the high-ranking official returning home on his day off, accompanied by two colleagues. When Dr. Dong tried to approach the carriage to stop it, he was pushed aside by the guards before he could even get close, and the commotion alerted the people inside.
The high-ranking official lifted the beaded curtain of the carriage, his eyes cold.
He glanced at it, then put it down indifferently.
Before the pain from the fall had subsided, Dr. Dong heard inquiries from his high-ranking colleagues in the carriage.
Who is blocking the road? Judging from their attire, are they wronged?
The high-ranking official said calmly, "No, they're just practitioners of magic and sorcery."
His colleague, sensing his displeasure, asked, "Didn't your young master recover from his illness? Why is a doctor coming to your door?"
His colleagues thought that Dr. Dong was also there to try his luck.
Those who come uninvited after hearing about someone's strange illness may not have much skill, but they definitely have the intention of making a name for themselves and getting rich.
The high-ranking official said, "He's the one who cured him."
A colleague asked in surprise, "Then why would that be...?"
[His medical skills are indeed good, but unfortunately, he is dishonest and seeks to use a favor to gain entry into the medical bureau. He even went so far as to use me, an official, as a stepping stone. No wonder these kinds of quacks are so detestable.]
Colleagues never expected it to be like this.
He didn't know Dr. Dong, but he knew his colleagues.
Naturally, people are more likely to believe what their colleagues say.
Unfortunately, he possessed medical skills but lacked medical ethics.
The high-ranking official smiled: "Yes, a mediocre doctor. My son suffers from a strange illness, which came on suddenly. It's hard to say whether this person can cure him. Even the most renowned physician in the land, the Imperial Physician, has never heard of such an ailment. How could a mere itinerant doctor possibly cure him? Before my son recovered, my mother donated three thousand taels of silver to the temple, and three religious ceremonies were held. It must be the gods' blessing."
Inferior doctor!
Those three simple words sent a chill down his spine. Never before had Dr. Dong's heart wavered so deeply, and he even considered abandoning medicine altogether. He sat there all night, realizing that besides his medical skills, he had no other special talents.
He can't even farm like his ancestors.
When his father passed away, the family was penniless and in debt. Creditors, hearing of this, came knocking, fearing that a moment's hesitation would turn the debt into a bad one. It was the height of summer, and the body's stench prevented burial. His mother had no choice but to painfully sell their few acres of meager land to pay off the debts. This became a deep-seated regret for her, and she passed away less than two years later, holding his hand and repeatedly apologizing before her death. If he still had those fields, he would have a way out; he could have stopped being a traveling doctor and returned to farming. But the fields were sold, and after years of practicing medicine, he hadn't saved enough money to buy more land…
As dawn broke, he continued to work as a "low-level doctor."
He completely abandoned his previous thoughts.
It's fine if we can only treat the common people, as long as they don't starve.
The story of Doctor Dong left Shen Tang silent for a long time, until he sighed and said, "I have heard in the writings of the Word Spirit that there is a line that says, 'Witch doctors, musicians, and artisans are despised by gentlemen.' Shen Jun, doctors and artisans have always been regarded as practitioners of magic and skill."
Shen Tang retorted: "It isn't!"
Even medical disputes shouldn't be handled like this!
When saving lives, they practically kneel before those they're saving, but after recovery, they relentlessly slander others, even blaming the recovery on the three religious ceremonies held for 3,000 taels of silver… Shen Tang doesn't quite understand this bizarre logic. Someone who can reach such a high position should be quite intelligent, right?
Dr. Dong's smile held a hint of relief.
"Yes, Shen Jun said it isn't."
Having lived for so many years, he had developed a certain ability to discern who spoke the truth, who lied, and who spoke against their conscience. Old Doctor Dong knew Bei Qiu and had heard patients at the clinic talk about the "mount" that carried her to and from work, knowing that despite being a female Mohist, she possessed transformative abilities similar to those of a martial arts master. If craftsmen could do this, why couldn't medical practitioners?
And then there are female rulers like Lin Feng who are capable of cultivation.
“Therefore, Mr. Shen deserves this bow.” As Dr. Dong spoke, he bowed again, and his grandson hurriedly followed suit.
"I appreciate your kind intentions, but Mr. Dong is getting on in years..." His old arms and legs shouldn't be bothered with such a fuss; if he wanted to bow or kowtow, his grandson could do it for him. They completely ignored the fact that Dr. Dong looked rejuvenated.
She didn't know why either.
Upon learning that the young man was none other than Physician Dong, she found it difficult to change her perception of him, always feeling that he was physically fragile. She changed the subject: "Scholars, warriors, and Mohists all have their own unique tokens. Now that Physician Dong has joined the medical school and opened the temple, he should also have these, right? May I show you?"
Although Doctor Dong, like Bei Qiu, was one of those who opened the temple, his control over his own abilities was clearly much better than Bei Qiu's; those practice questions hadn't been in vain. He didn't need Shen Tang's guidance; just a few words about the specific steps were enough for him to perform the ritual.
It took a lot of effort because I wasn't used to it.
Shen Tang stared in silence at the things he had conjured.
She was as strong as an ox, and had only suffered from minor illnesses a few times in recent years, which were cured with a couple of doses of medicine prescribed by the military doctor. She had never even seen the medical equipment used in this era. In her memory, acupuncture needles should be the kind of gold and silver needles seen in TV dramas.
result--
"What's this?"
Shen Tang pointed to the stone in his hand.
The stone, about the size of a palm, was flat. The front was engraved with four neatly written seal characters: "大醫精诚" (Great Physician's Sincerity and Excellence), and the back with the four characters "董氏行道" (Dong Family's Path). Besides this stone, he also held a blank "wordless book"...
The new profession tokens all start with two, which Chen Tang envied.
“Shen Jun, this is Bian stone.”
Dr. Dong had a premonition.
This "bian stone" then transformed into a stone needle.
Chu Yao said, "Bian is a stone used to puncture the disease."
Shen Tang looked at the stone needles, then at Chu Yao. This was different from what she had expected: "Shouldn't they be gold or silver needles?"
Physicians practice medicine using stone needles instead of gold or silver needles.
Both Doctor Dong and Chu Yao were speechless at her question. Chu Yao coughed lightly and corrected his lord's outrageous mistake: "The so-called 'medicine and stone are ineffective' refers to the two things: medicine and Bian stone."
My lord, do you even consider what kind of appearance and financial situation Dr. Dong was in when Gu Chi took him in? His clothes had more than twenty patches, and he couldn't bear to buy new clothes. Not to mention gold or silver needles, he couldn't even find a few copper coins on him...
Shen Tang: "..."
After a while, she turned to ask Dr. Dong.
"Does Master Dong need another set of gold needles?"
Dr. Dong managed to stammer out, "No need..."
How can you use gold needles to save lives?
Shen Tang: "???"
Current smelting technology is not advanced enough, so gold needles really can't be used to save lives. However, Dr. Dong did get a test on acupuncture techniques in his dream. Unfortunately, a dream is just a dream; in other places where medical technology is more advanced, things would be different.
Shen Tang: "..."
This touches upon a blind spot in our knowledge.
She promptly changed the subject.
"What is this wordless book?"
Dr. Dong patiently explained: "It's a 'medical record'."
Shen Tang's eyes were clear yet bewildered.
He said, "It's a booklet for writing medical records."
You can record any difficult or complicated problems you encounter.
The booklet also has a special section for recording medicines.
Both of these are good things.
He was very satisfied, but Shen Tang felt that compared to Dr. Dong's five years of exams, the effort and reward were somewhat disproportionate.
"Non-aggression" and "universal love" are also auxiliary tools, but the entry threshold for Mohists is not as abnormally strict as that for physicians.
Bei Qiu and her friends can even conjure up excavators.
As one of the temples alongside it, it's unlikely that the medical profession would only be given a stone that can transform into a needle and a book that can infinitely record medical records and prescriptions. These two items are not entirely useless, but their value is indeed limited.
Shen Tang thought to himself, "The Temple of Physicians is really stingy."
"Of course, that's not all."
Dr. Dong raised his hand and focused his energy.
This time it went much more smoothly than the last time.
The breath transformed into several long, emerald-green needles.
|ω`)
The scholar who was demoted to a technical profession because of his medical skills was Sun Simiao, who had passed the imperial examination.
These words were said by Zhu Xi.
Instead of going out to see crowds during the National Day holiday, I went to the gym and worked out hard until I was covered in sweat.
P.S.: The post for this month's monthly pass event opened during the day, and the approval process was quite fast. There should be less than a hundred spots left, so it's first come, first served.
(End of this chapter)
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