Chapter 555: Clothes for the first generation, food for the second generation, and entertainment for the third generation
On the first day of treatment, acupuncture was performed once in the morning and again in the afternoon.
After dinner, Yiting came to my room.
I said, "Sit down."
Chunlai made tea and placed it on the coffee table between our two sofas.
After thanking him, Yiting said, "Mr. Wan, please allow me to be so presumptuous. Is it enough to just give me two acupuncture treatments a day?"
When I heard this, I understood that she was asking on behalf of the Chalun family.
The Chalun family must have been bewildered—they were in a major hospital, their rooms furnished with ECG monitors and ventilators. There was a saline drip hanging from the bedside, a nurse would come to take their blood pressure every so often, and a doctor would come back later to ask questions.
I only had two needles inserted, one on the top of my head and one on the bottom of my foot, and they were removed after only half an hour.
They will definitely ask, is this how Chinese people treat illnesses? Can they be cured this way?
I took a sip of tea and said, "Two injections a day, this will take a week."
"A week?"
"Yes. You can tell Mr. Chalun that I won't write a treatment plan until a week later."
"Aren't you in treatment now?"
"Yes, this isn't a treatment. It's like a physical examination in Western medicine. These two needles, one on the top of the head and one on the bottom of the foot, are like a measuring instrument.
After a week, the skin in certain areas where the dampness is present will turn blue. I will then insert acupuncture needles into the nearby acupoints."
Yiting finally understood and said, "Can I tell you what I understand?"
"Can."
"These two needles are like a leaky tire. First, inflate the tire, then place it in water. Wherever bubbles appear, that's where the damage is. Right?"
I looked at her with a smile and said, "Yes, your analogy is very appropriate. You can tell Mr. and Mrs. Chalun this easy-to-understand analogy."
She was very happy to hear my praise. Chunlai, who was sitting nearby and listening, pointed to the cup and said, "Ms. Zheng, your tea is ready."
She nodded and said, "Thank you for your reminder, but we are used to drinking herbal tea."
Chun said, "It's already cold."
She made a face at him. "I didn't express myself clearly. It was cold."
I said to Haru: "They are used to adding ice."
Chunlai said apologetically, "But we don't have any ice here."
Yiting said: "Yes, it's in the refrigerator."
After she said that, I realized that there was indeed a refrigerator in the living room. Chunlai walked over and added ice to Yiting's glass.
Yiting said, "Mr. Wan, so this week was very relaxing for you?"
I said calmly, "I'll always be relaxed."
She couldn't help but look at me with some admiration, took Chunlai's iced tea, took a sip, and then said:
"You are amazing." After saying that, Yiting stood up and said goodbye.
I knew her boss was waiting for the result of her communication, so I stood up to see her off.
She took three steps back and put her hands together: "Stay."
Chunlai closed the door, turned around and said, "It turns out there's everything in the refrigerator. Do you want some fruit? I'll go wash it."
I waved my hand and said, "Take a shower first. I'll talk to you about treatment ideas later."
Chunlai went to take a shower. I reported my arrival in Thailand in the "family group", sent a short text and a few photos.
The group was very quiet and no one paid attention to me.
I guess Xiaolin, my sister, and my brother-in-law are all busy. My mom doesn't have WeChat, and my dad rarely checks it.
I sent another WeChat message to Mr. Deng to report the situation.
Mr. Deng replied immediately, writing:
"Xiao Liming has reported your situation to me. Especially your speech that night, it was very good. I hope you become very famous in Thailand. In the future, we can open an acupuncture clinic in Thailand."
I sent a smiley back and wrote, "I see a tree, you see a forest; I see a patient, you see a group of patients. You are truly an entrepreneur."
Mr. Deng wrote: "I found out through my friends in Thailand that Charun is very famous in Pattaya. If you can cure her daughter, you will be a walking advertisement."
While we were chatting, the doorbell rang. I hurriedly replied, "I'm busy. Let's talk next time."
A maid stood at the door. She bowed slightly and said, "Hello, Mr. Wan. I can give you your clothes."
I clasped my hands together and said, "Wait a moment, I'll come back to pick it up in half an hour."
She didn't leave and said, "There's a cart in the bathroom. You can put your clothes on the cart and leave it outside the door."
After Chunlai finished washing, I went to take a shower. There was indeed a milky white cart in the washroom. I couldn't help but smile: It seems that I, Wanshanhong, am still far from the life of a truly wealthy person.
I took a good shower and washed away the heat from my body.
When I came out of the bathroom, Chun said, "Teacher, let me help you wash your clothes."
"Chunlai, let me teach you." Then I walked towards the bathroom and pointed to a small white cart. I said, "Put your dirty clothes in this cart and push it to the door. Remember, we are Chinese doctors with servants."
Chunlai scratched his head embarrassedly and his face turned red.
He put his clothes in order, pushed them out the door, and said to me, "Teacher, I have been in the countryside. Please teach me more."
After saying that, he picked up the kettle and added water for me.
I waved to him and he sat down on the sofa opposite me.
Before discussing the treatment plan, I wanted to talk to him about his outlook on life.
After taking a sip of tea, I said earnestly:
"Spring has come. There are many things I don't understand yet. I will learn slowly. When we deal with wealthy families, we must follow the local customs. Since someone washes for us, we shouldn't wash it ourselves."
He nodded, eager for me to continue.
"However, in our daily lives, we should try to do what we can ourselves and not develop extravagant habits. Otherwise, one generation will have clothes, the next will have food, and the third will have play."
He looked confused and asked, "What does it mean that the first generation has clothes, the second generation has food, and the third generation has play?"
“That is to say, it takes three generations for a family from the lower class to enter the upper class to have a sense of wealth.
For example, if you become rich through hard work, your generation will pay attention to your appearance because you often attend important events and meet high-ranking figures.
You need to dress smartly and presentably. It's important for you to understand how to dress. However, you may not necessarily be an expert at eating.
You don't have that much time to think about food. Because you don't come from a wealthy family, you are content with just having enough to eat, so you are not that picky.
This is called the first generation of clothing.
Your son's generation has been wearing branded clothes since he was born. He has known about dressing since he was a child. He is a second-generation rich man and does not need to work as hard as you did.
Well, he is very particular about food, from the way he eats to the ingredients he uses.
This is called second-generation eating.
By the time your grandchildren's generation comes around, they'll have everything they need, from a young age. They'll start playing. Those who are good at playing will become Go masters, chess masters, calligraphers, and painters.
Those who were not good at playing would engage in dog fighting, cock fighting, cricket fighting, playing cards, women, eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and anything else. For example, Li Hongzhang's grandson, Li Zijia, had a huge fortune, but because of his playing, he later became a beggar and died without a burial.
This is called three generations of play.
You either become an artist or a beggar. However, the former is rare. This is what we often say: wealth cannot last for more than three generations.
So, we do what we can ourselves. When we go to a wealthy family like Charon, where there are dedicated chefs and laundry people, it is only a temporary phenomenon. "
Chun said: "Teacher, I have learned a lot from you."
I said, "This is a temporary phenomenon, and we have to adapt to it. If there's a dedicated chef, we only wash our hands while eating. If there's a dedicated person doing laundry, we just leave the cart at the door. Don't be modest."
Chunlai understood immediately: "Too modest does not make a good doctor. Because we represent traditional Chinese medicine. Is that right?"
I laughed heartily. "You are a teachable child. Now, I will explain my treatment plan to you."
Chunlai immediately went to the room and found a notebook.
I said one thing and he asked three questions.
Only after I understand it will I write it down.
Finally, he asked, "On the sixth day, we'll go to the street to buy Chinese medicine, and on the seventh day, I'll take a day off?"
I patted his shoulder: "Smart."
He suddenly had some doubts: "Can we collect all the Chinese medicines we need here?"
"Yes, there are many Chinese people in Thailand. On July 1, 2000, on the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, the Thai government officially announced the legalization of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Thailand is the first country outside of China to legalize Traditional Chinese Medicine.”
Chunlai's eyes widened: "Teacher, how do you know everything?"
"Read more books, any kind of books. I learned this from a diplomat's memoirs. The more you read, the more you'll be able to apply what you've learned to other areas, and you'll know everything."
Chunlai said: "Luckily I came out with the teacher, otherwise I would have been at home touching my hands for the rest of my life."
I laughed out loud. "That's an interesting dialect. Touching the left hand and the right hand, but the end result is the same. Your pulse-taking technique will be perfected."
…
On the sixth day, we went out to the streets to collect Chinese herbs.
The seventh day was the most crucial day, because on this day, Dana had to take off her clothes and let me do a full body examination.
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