Chapter 9 Let's wait and collect her corpse.
Shen Qingtang looked at the scene before her, pushed through the crowd, looked at the woman who was crying incessantly, patted her shoulder and said, "Can I take a look?" She introduced herself, "My name is Shen Qingtang, and I know a little about traditional Chinese medicine."
Xu Cuilan looked at Shen Qingtang's excessively beautiful face and couldn't help but show a skeptical look. But when her eyes fell on her unconscious daughter in her arms, she gritted her teeth and decided to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless.
She looked at him expectantly and said, "Dr. Shen, thank you for your help."
"My name is Xu Cuilan. This is my daughter, Xiaohua. Although she is only six years old, she has always been in good health. She was fine just now, but suddenly she fainted. Her father died when she was three years old. Her mother-in-law is on her way. By the way, we only have a few plots of land and make a living by selling vegetables..." It was clear that the woman was extremely anxious, so her speech was incoherent, basically just saying whatever came to mind. Tears welled up in her eyes and fell again.
Hearing this, those around couldn't help but sigh and look at him with sympathy. He was another pitiful person, and they all pleaded for him.
"Dr. Shen, you have to help with this."
“I know this mother and daughter are from Xiahe Village. It’s pitiful that the man died early.”
"I've met this girl before. She's sweet-talking and has good grades."
"Exactly, is she suffering from heatstroke?"
...
After listening to a few words and getting a general understanding of the situation, Shen Qingtang waved her hand to interrupt and said calmly, "I understand. Everyone, step back and let me check on the child first."
Upon hearing this, although a small number of people were dissatisfied, most of them made room, and the originally stuffy air circulated a bit more.
Looking at Xu Cuilan, who was hesitant and seemed to want to say something but couldn't, Shen Qingtang examined the little girl in her arms and thought, "She has neither vomited blood nor is she in pain, so it shouldn't be a terminal illness. I will examine her pulse to determine the specific symptoms."
Upon hearing this, Xu Cuilan felt as if she had been given a reassuring pill, and breathed a sigh of relief, only then carefully wiping away the sweat beading on her nose. For some reason, the beautiful female doctor in front of her, though young, possessed a calm and composed demeanor that seemed capable of handling anything, like a block of ice in the scorching sun, instantly soothing all her anxiety and unease.
Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes "observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation." Observation refers to observing the patient's expression and state of mind; auscultation refers to using hearing and smell to detect symptoms from subtle details; inquiry refers to asking about the patient's medical history, symptoms, and lifestyle habits; and palpation refers to pulse diagnosis and palpation.
In today's world of advanced Western medicine and medical technology, some people often categorize Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a remnant of traditional Chinese culture. After all, compared to the precise diagnostic reports from instruments, TCM relies solely on pulse diagnosis, which seems far too crude and rudimentary.
The truth is not so. Laymen have no idea about the intricacies of pulse diagnosis, specifically the cun, guan, and chi positions. The left cun position corresponds to the heart, the right cun to the lungs, the left cun to the liver, the right cun to the spleen, the left cun to the kidneys, and so on. The intricacies are beyond words and cannot be explained in just a few words.
Maintaining absolute quiet and a calm state of mind is of paramount importance during this process.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Shen Qingtang calmly placed her hand on Xiaohua's wrist, feeling the frequency of her pulse, comparing the symptoms with the medical books in her mind, and finally said lightly, "It's alright, it's just heatstroke due to the high temperature, plus an acute wind-heat cold."
“But Xiaohua’s cold from a while ago is already better, isn’t it? She hasn’t been coughing or complaining of a fever.” Xu Cuilan asked, puzzled.
Shen Qingtang blinked slightly and said, "It rained a few days ago. Children's constitutions are not as good as adults', so it's normal for things to fluctuate." She paused and said, "If you don't mind, I can use a folk remedy to treat Xiaohua so that it won't get worse later." Looking at Xu Cuilan's eyes, she paused and said, "The ingredients are very cheap, not expensive at all."
Hearing this, Xu Cuilan breathed a deep sigh of relief and said gratefully with tears in her eyes, "That's wonderful, Dr. Shen, thank you."
Immediately, a chorus of praise arose from the crowd.
"Dr. Shen is truly beautiful inside and out."
"He looks so young, but his medical skills are amazing. He's a true miracle doctor."
"I don't know if she has a boyfriend. I can help introduce them."
"Come on, Dr. Shen is so beautiful, the line of suitors must stretch all the way to Paris."
"I don't know which company she works for, so I need to write her a thank-you letter."
......
Ge Youan came along hoping to see Shen Qingtang make a fool of herself, and then appear as a savior to rescue her.
Having studied under Master Huang for so long, she naturally possessed some genuine skills. In addition, having seen some similar cases, she immediately recognized that it was caused by heatstroke combined with acute wind-heat cold.
Why did she have to get involved in this mess?
Hearing all the praise that should have belonged to her being taken by Shen Qingtang, she felt as if thousands of ants were crawling all over her, making her heart not only itchy but also extremely uncomfortable.
Especially when she caught a glimpse of Huang Minmi's admiring look at Shen Qingtang in the distance, and then her disappointed and condemning gaze as she turned to look at her, her face felt burning hot, as if she had been slapped in the face.
She bit her lip, looking at Shen Ruoqi with some resentment, and said, "Ruoqi, didn't you say that Shen Qingtang was just someone who didn't go to university and barely graduated from high school? How could she know medicine?"
Watching Shen Qingtang take the pulse and pronounce the ailment with such skill, Shen Ruoqi was equally surprised.
But soon her eyes flickered with understanding, and she said, "You'an, we've probably been fooled by her. This person's acting skills are always excellent." Hearing the praise from those around her, she felt equally dissatisfied.
Ge Youan frowned and said, "Really? But she got the symptoms right."
Shen Ruoqi scoffed, "It's just a lucky break." She pouted and said, "It's hot now, everyone has some heatstroke and cold symptoms."
She gasped as if remembering something, her face filled with worry, "Shen Qingtang wouldn't really want to prescribe medicine for someone else, would she? She has no medical skills."
Upon hearing this, Ge Youan blinked, then suddenly chuckled coldly and raised his voice, saying, "Shen Qingtang, stop pretending to be a miracle doctor. You've only read a few medical books, yet you dare to treat people and prescribe medicine haphazardly. What if someone dies from it?"
Hearing these doubts, Shen Qingtang frowned and desperately searched her memory.
She didn't seem to know this person.
Her expression was indifferent, but the people around her who hadn't dispersed yet were helping to maintain order.
"Who do you think you are, little brat? How dare you talk to Doctor Shen like that?"
"He has a mean face and speaks meanly."
"Go away, go away, don't cause trouble here."
"Do you know medicine? Just say something."
......
Ge Youan never expected that she would be the first to be questioned. She crossed her arms, raised her head and said arrogantly, "Huang Linli is my master, and I am his disciple. Do you think I know medicine?" After saying that, she took out her TCM doctor's license from her wallet and said, "I am an intermediate TCM doctor. I used to intern at the Capital Medical University."
She deliberately raised her eyebrows at Shen Qingtang, smiling provocatively, and said, "I'm the kind with a certificate! Unlike you."
Although Huang Linli now resides overseas and rarely returns to China, he was once a renowned physician in Kyoto, and many people had heard of him. Seeing Ge Youan's resolute expression, many people's gazes towards him changed, filled with a sense of reverence.
Xu Cuilan's gaze lingered between Shen Qingtang and Ge Youan, appearing somewhat hesitant.
It wasn't that she didn't believe in Shen Qingtang's medical skills, but after all, the other party was a disciple of the famous Physician Huang. If she were to take a look as well... She hesitated, her eyes filled with guilt, and after a moment of silence, she finally spoke dryly, "Physician Shen, how about letting Physician Ge take a look at Xiaohua as well?"
As she finished speaking, her voice grew weaker and weaker.
Shen Qingtang nodded without changing her expression and said, "Okay, it's good to let her take a look." She and Xu Cuilan were complete strangers, so it was only natural for her not to trust her. Compared to Ge Youan, who had a license to practice traditional Chinese medicine, she did seem somewhat unreliable.
Ge Youan had already made up her mind, so as soon as she took the child's pulse, she hurriedly said, "It is indeed heatstroke combined with an acute cold." She took out a bottle from her purse, poured out a dark pill, and said, "Give the child this Biqing Pill, and he will be cured immediately."
She has treated many patients in this way.
Fearing that others might not believe in the efficacy of the medicine, she pointed to the logo on the bottle and emphasized, "This is a patented product that my master and a professor of Western medicine spent ten years developing. If you hadn't happened to meet me, you wouldn't be able to buy this kind of special medicine even if you had the money."
Hearing this, Xu Cuilan was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. Just as she was about to accept the gift, Shen Qingtang stopped her and said, "Wait, can I take a look at the ingredients?"
Ge Youan's face immediately turned extremely ugly. "Shen Qingtang, do you really think I would give you a fake medicine?" She raised her voice again to emphasize, "I am Huang Linli's most valued disciple, unlike you."
Shen Qingtang didn't understand why the woman in front of her had such hostility and prejudice towards her, but as a doctor, she couldn't just sit idly by and let the potential risks happen.
Therefore, when faced with Ge Youan's questioning, she did not say anything, but took the medicine bottle from the other party's hand, carefully turned the bottle, and fixed her gaze on the ingredient list. Then she shook her head and said firmly, "Xiaohua cannot take this pill."
Upon hearing this, Ge Youan instantly laughed in anger, snatched the medicine bottle from her hand, and said, "Shen Qingtang, you don't think that because I stole your limelight, you don't even care about the patient's life anymore, do you?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Cuilan's smile faded slightly, and she looked at Shen Qingtang with a wary and cautious expression.
Others exchanged glances of confusion, anger, or surprise, whispering amongst themselves, their gazes burning as if they could scorch one's back.
Shen Qingtang, however, seemed oblivious to everything, her tone as calm as a flowing river, without the slightest fluctuation: "I just carefully examined the medicinal ingredients here. It contains ethylene amino acids, which can cause liver damage in children if consumed in excess. Diphenhydramine can also cause drowsiness as a side effect, and even more deadly is that it contains [unspecified substance]." She paused, staring intently at Ge Youan, and continued, "You should know that this drug can cause symptoms such as palpitations or insomnia, and in severe cases, it can even cause intellectual development problems. Therefore, the medical community strictly prohibits children aged 6 and under from taking it."
Hearing these words, Ge Youan's face turned pale. As a top student from a famous medical university, she shouldn't be so ignorant of this basic common sense. However, she made a mistake that she had taken for granted. Her patients were mostly adults, and she rarely had children. Naturally, she had completely forgotten these taboos.
Xu Cuilan gasped, hugging Xiaohua tightly. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she stammered, still shaken, "My Xiaohua is exactly six years old this year." She then cast a grateful glance at Shen Qingtang, feeling a surge of relief. If Shen Qingtang hadn't stopped her, she would have immediately given Xiaohua the Biqing pill. Her clever little girl was going to become mentally challenged.
Then he spat at Ge Youan and said, "I think you're the fake doctor. You almost harmed my little flower."
The crowd belatedly realized the horror of the situation, and their previous respect vanished without a trace, replaced by contempt and resentment.
"Thank goodness Dr. Shen was vigilant and didn't let him eat it, otherwise this child would have been finished."
"Yes, a six-year-old child was almost ruined by her."
"Poor little flower, thank goodness Doctor Shen is here."
Of course, not everyone spoke in such a gentle tone.
"This woman is not skilled enough; what kind of illness is she trying to treat?"
"Exactly, it almost killed someone."
"Is this arrogant person really Dr. Huang's apprentice? Or is he just lying to us?"
Ever since Ge Youan became Huang Linli's disciple, he had been fawned over wherever he went, but now he was being booed by the entire audience, his face turning red, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
But she still bit her lip and said unwillingly, "This little girl has caught an acute cold. Even if you prescribe a medicine, it will be too late to get it now." In her anxiety and anger, she blurted out, "If I give her this medicine, even if she becomes an idiot, at least her life will be saved."
"If you keep waiting like this, you can just wait to collect her corpse!"
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