Chapter 23 - 023 Nourishing blood and calming the mind

Words : 1511 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 23: 023 Nourishing blood and calming the mind"Xiao Heng, this is my younger sister, Wang Shuqiu. She’s an elementary school teacher. Pretty, isn’t she?" Wang Zhenzhen said enthusiastically, holding Wang Shuqiu’s hand as she introduced her to Du Heng. "Xiao Qiu, this is Du Heng, the backbone of our hospital, the one I told you about." Wang Shuqiu glanced at Du Heng, sizing him up from head to toe. She stated indifferently, "So you’re the one who stood us up the day before yesterday." Du Heng smiled awkwardly. Standing someone up was wrong, regardless of the reason. "Yes, that was me," he admitted. "I’m truly sorry. Something urgent came up the day before yesterday. I’m here today specifically to apologize." "Your attitude isn’t bad. Have a seat." With a twist of her slim waist, Wang Shuqiu sat down beside Wang Zhenzhen. Du Heng’s brow twitched; this girl seems a bit arrogant. Sensing the somewhat chilly atmosphere, Wang Zhenzhen took the initiative, trying to draw them both into a casual conversation. However, Wang Shuqiu maintained her aloof demeanor towards Du Heng, remaining cold and distant. She would only speak if spoken to, offering brief replies, and remained quiet otherwise. If she did initiate conversation, it was only with Wang Zhenzhen, perhaps to comment on how delicious the hot pot was. Du Heng took a bite of food, chuckling softly as he chewed with his head down. You can give me the cold shoulder all you want; I have no interest in sucking up to you. Sure, you’re pretty, but it’s not like I get any special favors for it, right? What good does putting on that arrogant act do you? Du Heng stopped trying to make conversation and focused on the hot pot before him. Still, he had to admit, the hot pot here was genuinely delicious. "Oh my! You’ve already started eating?" Just then, Wang Zhenzhen’s husband, Gong Daoyang, Chief of the Zhonghu Town Police Station, walked in, rubbing his hands together and blowing out a breath of cold air. Gong Daoyang knew Du Heng. Aside from Du Heng being Wang Zhenzhen’s colleague, their workplaces—the Police Station and the Health Clinic—were close by. One was on the left side of the street, the other on the right, no more than a hundred meters apart. Gong Daoyang’s arrival livened up the dinner table, and Du Heng finally had someone else to chat with. Sёarch* The novёlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chatting with the two women earlier had felt a little awkward. During a lull in the meal, Gong Daoyang suddenly asked Du Heng, "Brother Du, could you take a look at me? Lately, I haven’t been sleeping well at night. I have trouble falling asleep, and when I finally do, I dream a lot. I wake up feeling sore all over, almost worse than if I hadn’t slept at all." Du Heng put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth, carefully studying Gong Daoyang’s features. "You do look a bit off-color," he observed. "Lack of sleep is one factor, but overwork could also be contributing. Give me your hand; I’ll take your pulse." "Please do! This has been torturing me. Every time I think about going to the Hospital, I can’t find the time. By the time I get off work, the Hospital’s outpatient services are closed. And it’s not like you can go to the emergency room for something like this; they wouldn’t see me." Du Heng began the pulse diagnosis, casually asking, "Gong, do you drink alcohol?" "I was drinking almost daily for a while." Du Heng nodded in understanding. "Any other symptoms?" "There are... um, my wife probably told you everything last time." "Oh. Wang, did you perform the massage I showed you?" Wang Zhenzhen replied, "Yes, I’ve been doing it for the past three days." "Has it been effective?" "I think so? We haven’t... well, you know... tested it yet. But he has been sleeping more soundly these past two days." Gong Daoyang shot his wife a glare. What does she mean, ’haven’t tested it yet’? Nonsense! Wang Zhenzhen, not to be outdone, glared right back. Well, I haven’t! Did I say something wrong? We were having a perfectly nice meal, how did it suddenly turn into a medical consultation? Wang Shuqiu watched Du Heng with curiosity, intrigued by the traditional Chinese medicine method of diagnosing and treating illnesses anytime, anywhere. She remembered when she felt dizzy a while back and went to see a doctor. She’d barely exchanged two sentences with the physician before she was sent on a tour of various examination rooms. After a whole battery of tests—blood work, B-ultrasound, and whatnot—the inspection sheets were thrust into her hands, and just like that, the entire morning was gone. Back in the consultation room, the doctor gave the results a cursory glance, diagnosed her with mild anemia, prescribed some medicine, and sent her on her way. Four hours wasted that morning, less than three minutes of actual conversation with the doctor, and nearly 400 yuan out of pocket—the memory alone made her frustrated. After checking the pulse, Du Heng smiled and said, "It’s nothing serious, Gong. You’ve likely just been overworking yourself. Some simple treatment, a prescription to nourish the blood and calm the mind, and plenty of rest should do the trick." "How do you treat it?" Du Heng thought for a moment, then opened his bag and took out his needle tool kit. "I’ll give you some acupuncture now. Afterward, you can get the medicine and take it at home." Du Heng intended to perform the acupuncture on Gong Daoyang right there at the dinner table. As for any potential risks, Du Heng considered them negligible. In his hands, treatment risks were practically non-existent. As for other kinds of risks—like being falsely accused if something went wrong—Du Heng glanced at Wang Zhenzhen and Gong Daoyang. They don’t seem like that type of people. While Du Heng was preparing, Wang Shuqiu couldn’t help but ask, "When you traditional Chinese medicine doctors diagnose illnesses, don’t you usually talk about things like ’wind’ and ’evil,’ or whether meridians are ’blocked’ or ’clear’? Why aren’t you saying any of that for his treatment?" This was the first time Wang Shuqiu had directly addressed Du Heng all evening. He glanced at her casually. He didn’t really feel like explaining. But ignoring her would be impolite and would also put Wang Zhenzhen, who had arranged the meeting, in an awkward position. So, he offered a soft explanation, "Pattern differentiation is primarily for the physician’s own understanding, to more accurately pinpoint the cause of the illness and thereby prescribe the correct treatment. Besides," he added, "you likely wouldn’t understand the technicalities even if I explained them. Isn’t it better if I just tell you the condition in a simple, clear way, like I just did?" After speaking, he walked over to Gong Daoyang with the prepared needles. "Alright, Gong. These are the same acupoints Wang was massaging for you the other day. Go ahead and expose them." Gong Daoyang wasn’t a fussy person and quickly rolled up his sleeves and pant legs. The acupoints—PC-06, LI-11, SP-06, and ST-36—were indeed located on the forearm and lower leg. Without further ado, Du Heng began the acupuncture, applying the strong stimulation method at each acupoint. Wang Shuqiu watched with fascination. She wanted to ask questions but was afraid of disturbing Du Heng, so she held her tongue. Only her large eyes, wide with curiosity, followed his every move. When he judged the time was sufficient, Du Heng removed the needles. As he disinfected them and packed his needle tool kit, he said, "Gong, come find me tomorrow morning. One more session should do it." "Okay, I’ll definitely be there tomorrow." Gong Daoyang pulled down his sleeves and pant legs, gently moving his limbs to feel the effects. "Brother Du, do I still need to take medicine then?" "Yes, medicine is still necessary. Would you prefer a Decoction medicine or pellet medicine?" "Is there a difference?" "Decoction medicine can be inconvenient to prepare, and it’s often bitter and difficult to drink, but it takes effect quickly. Your condition should improve significantly after just three or four doses. Pellet medicine is convenient and easy to take. However, many commercially available pellet medicines are simplified formulations, so treatment might take a little longer." Gong Daoyang thought for a moment. "Let’s go with the pellet medicine then. When work gets hectic, there’s no telling where I’ll be. Pellets are convenient; I can just pull them out and take them when it’s time." Du Heng understood his concerns. As a rural police officer, Gong Daoyang’s days were unpredictable. One moment he might be in a remote mountain gully helping a fellow townsman search for lost sheep, and the next he could be mediating a dispute at someone’s front door. Eating meals on time was a luxury, let alone brewing and taking Decoction medicine.

Chapter 23 - 023 Nourishing blood and calming the mind

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