Chapter 86 - 086 County Town Old Doctor

Words : 1470 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Zhao Xinfang’s words deeply shook Du Heng’s heart. But he still harbored some worries and reservations, fearing Zhao Xinfang might make unreasonable demands. For instance, if he asked for an easy, high-paying job, considering his circumstances, that would put Du Heng in a difficult position. "What kind of job are you looking for? I can help you ask around," Du Heng inquired tentatively. "No need, brother-in-law. The people you know are probably doctors or big bosses. I have no education or experience, so even if you help me, I might not do well. I’d only make things hard for myself and embarrass you in the process. That wouldn’t be good." Zhao Xinfang’s hand reached for his cigarette pack again. "I know my own situation. I just want to find something I can actually do. I heard that in Jinzhou, being a courier or a food delivery driver pays pretty well, and the requirements aren’t high. I’ll look for that kind of work. If that doesn’t work out, being a security guard is also an option." Zhao Xinfang chuckled. "I’m young and quite handsome; they’d definitely be eager to hire me as a security guard." Despite the sudden joke, Du Heng didn’t find it amusing watching the young man say it. "That’s fine," Du Heng said. "As long as it’s legal and doesn’t break any laws, it doesn’t matter if it’s a bit tiring or hard, as long as you can earn money. When you decide to come, call me and your sister in advance, and we’ll try to help you make some arrangements." Zhao Xinfang grinned. "Of course. I’m going to Jinzhou specifically for you two. You can’t not help me." Du Heng laughed along, though his face felt a little hot. He felt his earlier thoughts had been quite shameful; he had completely misjudged a noble person with his own petty assumptions. After that, the conversation opened up considerably, flowing freely from astronomy and history to celebrity gossip and international affairs. Their discussion seemed to have no limits that day. Throughout this, however, Wang Shuqiu’s father remained silent, merely observing their chat. Occasionally, when his gaze met Du Heng’s, he would simply smile, then notice if Du Heng’s cup was empty and refill it. At the dinner table, Wang Shuqiu’s mother became the main conversationalist. However, the awkward situation Du Heng had braced for didn’t materialize. The questions Mother asked were typical inquiries any Parent would make, such as about his salary, how many people were in his family, what they all did for a living, and so on. After dinner, seeing it was still light out, Du Heng discussed it with Wang Shuqiu, and they managed to coax and drag Zhao Xinfang along with them to their county. His brother-in-law was a good man, and his sister was wonderful too. More importantly, Du Heng felt a sense of shame and wanted to make a gesture. Doctor Xu was indeed old, looking to be around seventy or eighty. Moreover, his appearance was truly remarkable, exuding the aura of an immortal sage. His silver hair was combed meticulously, while his eyebrows were jet-black. A few long white hairs were mixed in at the ends of his brows, making his eyes appear particularly bright and spirited. The most striking feature was his white beard, about two hand-spans long. It was meticulously groomed, each strand distinct, without a speck of dirt or any hint of disarray. With such an appearance, if you said he wasn’t a Divine Doctor, you wouldn’t even believe it yourself. Sir was meticulous when seeing patients, adhering to the old traditions of traditional Chinese medicine. On his desk, aside from prescription paper and a pen, there was only a very clean pulse diagnosis pillow; nothing else. And he didn’t engage in much idle talk; moreover, his memory was outstanding. Take Zhao Xinfang, for example; he had seen the doctor half a year ago, and with just a slight reminder, Sir recalled the details of that previous consultation. This was something Du Heng admired from the bottom of his heart. Take himself, for example. If it weren’t for a particularly unusual disease record, he might see a patient and then forget the details. For patients he hadn’t seen in half a year, he might at most remember their face and that they had come to him. But recalling the specifics of their illness or the circumstances at the time? That would be absolutely impossible for him. His image was good, and his diagnoses were excellent, but his fees were indeed expensive. Sir’s consultation fee—which was like a hospital’s registration fee—for pulse diagnosis and writing a prescription was 100 yuan. Du Heng was secretly astounded. He remembered Zhao Xinfang mentioning that his previous visit had only cost 50 yuan. However, considering the stream of patients in the small clinic and Sir’s age of seventy or eighty, Du Heng suspected the fee might not be for profit, but rather to deter some patients, allowing Sir to rest a bit more. When they were getting the medicine, Du Heng glanced at the prescription. It was similar to what he would have prescribed, but the dosages were slightly larger. Du Heng was also an expert in internal medicine. After a moment’s thought, he understood the reasoning behind the larger dosages. At that moment, a sense of admiration for Sir welled up in him again. Truly, age brings mastery. Sir’s use of medication was exceptionally skilled and bold. Du Heng felt that with his knowledge, he was already quite bold in prescribing medication. However, seeing Mr. Xu’s prescriptions, he realized he was still constrained by the Pharmacopoeia and regulations, his approach somewhat timid and overly cautious. He then reflected on his prescriptions for Xu Pinglin, Bao Mi’s father, and even during his time seeing patients in the upper village; in many cases, his use of medication had been relatively conservative. If he had followed his true clinical judgment for dosage, the patients’ conditions might have improved enough to shorten their treatment by two or three courses. But then he thought, never mind. Unless it was a Critical Illness, he probably lacked Mr. Xu’s decisiveness in prescribing medication. It was better to remain steady and cautious. Watching Mr. Xu treat patients, Du Heng suddenly had the idea of chatting with the old sir. However, the old sir paid him no mind. Du Heng felt a bit awkward. It seemed he had thought too highly of himself, while others didn’t consider him significant at all. Seeing that Wang Shuqiu had accompanied Zhao Xinfang and they had already collected the medicine, Du Heng quickly paid and they headed out. If Wang Shuqiu found out about this, she would undoubtedly use it as ammunition to tease him later. By the time they left the clinic, the sky had already darkened. Fortunately, Du Heng had already driven the route twice, so he was somewhat familiar with the roads. Though their progress was slow, it was steady and safe. "Du, what do you think of the old sir’s medical skills? Are you comparable to him?" Wang Shuqiu had heard from Wang Zhenzhen that Du Heng was a very skilled doctor, but she had never seen him practice firsthand, so she wanted to compare him with Doctor Xu. "He’s highly experienced, a person of true skill. I have much to learn from the old sir," Du Heng replied without the slightest hesitation. Laymen watch the excitement, while professionals watch the subtleties. The way Sir handled Zhao Xinfang’s diagnosis and prescription today might have seemed simple and casual to an outsider. But in Du Heng’s expert eyes, it was a perfect fusion of the old sir’s experience and knowledge. With his three-finger pulse diagnosis, the syndrome differentiation was practically flawless. A novice, or someone lacking experience, would need three to four minutes just for the syndrome differentiation process. Two months ago, Du Heng himself diagnosed patients that way. Once he had taken the pulse, he would have to quiet his mind, deeply contemplate the knowledge in his head, and then form a judgment. That process was relatively lengthy. This was a limitation imposed by one’s accumulated knowledge, experience, and the summarization of disease records. Having seen Doctor Xu treat patients today, Du Heng felt his own skill level wasn’t necessarily inferior. However, when it came to using medication, he lacked the old sir’s experience and boldness. That was why his answer to Shuqiu had been so quick. "I thought you’d brag about yourself a bit." "You’ve got to be kidding. Look at Doctor Xu’s age, and then look at mine. These senior doctors have practiced medicine their entire lives; they all possess one or two unique skills. That’s something I can’t compare to yet." One must be self-aware, but not arrogant.

Chapter 86 - 086 County Town Old Doctor

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