Merchant and doctor

Chapter 1815 Calculations Down to the Hour

Bian Mu never dared to take anything Professor Mi specifically assigned lightly. The moment the Wang family of three left, he immediately called Professor Mi to report.

Professor Mi did not answer.

Not long after, Professor Mi's female assistant returned the call.

"Dr. Bian! Is there something you need me to pass on?"

"It's nothing important. When are you free, Teacher Mi?" Bian Mu replied with a smile on the other end of the phone.

"There's been a bit of a situation at the affiliated hospital, so Director Mi is temporarily overseeing things and can't return calls right now."

"Oh...which department? Is it convenient to ask?"

"We're all family here, don't be so formal. It was just a routine hemorrhoid surgery, but somehow it got infected. The patient had a high fever of over 40 degrees Celsius, and also developed allergies, infection, and cardiopulmonary syndrome... If it weren't for Director Mi's immediate decision to change the rescue plan, that person would have died by now!" The female assistant gave a brief explanation.

"Do allergies, infections, and cardiopulmonary syndrome occur simultaneously? Is it a male or female patient?"

"A male patient, in his early 40s, indeed suffering from allergies, a combined viral and bacterial infection, and cardiopulmonary syndrome! What?! Dr. Bian... do you have any new suggestions?"

"No, not at all. Male... in his 40s. Well... the patient's previous occupation was most likely related to prolonged sitting, and his lumbar and cervical spine have shown varying degrees of degenerative changes, probably for at least 10 years, right?" Bian Mu chuckled and casually guessed a few things over the phone.

"Amazing! Just now, the summary report of the patient's condition was handed to me. I only glanced at it, and the man is a taxi driver! He does have early-stage cervical and lumbar spondylosis. You're really amazing! So... are there any other things to pay attention to?! I'll give him a heads-up when I get over!" The female assistant's tone on the phone had noticeably changed.

"I'm just guessing. If he's been working as a taxi driver for a long time, he'd likely have hemorrhoids and other ailments, and then go into shock. He'd probably also have traditional symptoms like shivering. From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, this person has most likely worked as a long-haul truck driver. We believe that people in this profession often suffer from various 'work-related syndromes,' and the so-called shock is actually a sudden onset of these syndromes. Of course, I'm just chatting with you for a bit. I'm not here, so you can just take it with a grain of salt. You go ahead and do your thing. I don't have anything else to do, so I won't bother you any longer!"

"We're all family here, so let's speak frankly. We're happy to hear any suggestions or guesses about what to be careful about going forward; they're important information to consider!"

"That's all, just a professional habit, I just guessed. Oh right, how many hours has it been since he suddenly went into shock?"

"It'll be about two and a half hours. Do you have any suggestions?"

"It's nothing... I'm just guessing again! You'll see if I'm right then and there. In about two and a half hours... around 5 PM, his fever should break and his mind should gradually return to normal. However, around 11 AM tomorrow... with a margin of error of about 5 minutes, he'll have a fever again, and it'll be a few degrees higher than last time. I think it's nothing serious, just a normal reaction. Around 3 PM tomorrow, his fever will break again, and the situation the day after tomorrow will be similar to tomorrow's... This state will last for about three days, or 72 hours. This isn't because the rescue plan is wrong, and the relevant doctors shouldn't be held responsible. Anyone who encounters a patient like this is unlucky. Of course, this is all just my guess. We've come this far, so this is just us chatting privately. As for Teacher Mi... I trust you know what to do." Bian Mu nodded subtly a few times at the end.

"Understood! Any other medical orders?"

"That's all. Teacher Mi has been incredibly kind to me. I certainly can't keep anything I can think of to myself. After all, there are still significant differences in the perspectives of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine regarding certain special symptoms. I'm just afraid that Teacher Mi might make some harsh punishment decision in a fit of anger. We're all doctors, and it's so difficult to become a decent doctor, right?"

"That's right, that's right! That's exactly how it works. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!"

"Then you go ahead and do your thing, we'll talk later!" With that, Bian Mu hung up the phone.

After all that fuss, Bian Mu had missed lunchtime. It's summer, after all! She could just grab something to eat as long as her stomach wasn't empty! There was a pretty good liangpi (cold skin noodles) shop nearby, and with fewer customers around now, she didn't have to wait in line!

Standing at the street corner, Bian Mu pulled out a small bag of barbecued bread slices from her backpack, tore open the packaging, and ate three slices with the bag still attached. A gentle breeze caressed her face, and Bian Mu felt that this summer was significantly cooler than last year.

As a professional TCM doctor, no matter how busy I am, Bian Mu must take good care of his stomach and intestines; otherwise, how can he convince others in the future?

Steamed bread slices are a great choice for nourishing the stomach; those without sugar or salt are even more ideal.

"It's been a long time since I've observed the stars. This summer, the temperature has dropped significantly, by at least five or six degrees! What about the rainfall?! Sangong Lake is a natural geographical benchmark. I'll have to go and investigate it when I'm less busy. Also... if there really is a celestial anomaly, the rainfall back home should be much higher than in previous years... Right now, it's just speculation. If I have time tonight, I really need to deduce it. Uncle Ge's little shop is located in a low-lying area. If there's a series of heavy rains, it'll definitely be flooded. It's not safe for Dad to go out!" Thinking of this, Bian Mu had something on his mind.

When Bian Mu entered "Ru Ping Liangpi Shop", she found that there were only three or four empty seats. The number of customers had not decreased much, so it seemed that the shop was doing quite well.

A large bowl of rice noodles (without chili), two donkey meat sandwiches, three small portions of seasonal cold dishes, and a large bowl of winter melon and shrimp soup to cool you down—Bian Mu paid 68 yuan, which felt a bit pricey.

Bian Mu found a seat near the entrance, with her back to the street, and ate with great relish.

Not long after, a familiar figure hurried past him. Bian Mu couldn't help but look up and exclaimed, "Hey! Isn't that my intern, Shang?"

"Xiao Shang! Over here! Boss! His portion is on me!" Bian Mu said with a smile, waving his hand.

"Teacher Bian! I'm sorry to have troubled you again!" Turning around, the male intern surnamed Shang bowed to Bian Mu without any hesitation, went straight to the bar, grabbed a light meal, and sat down opposite Bian Mu.

"Wow! This kind of grilled food tastes best when stuffed with donkey meat, why did you stuff it with nothing but cold potato salad! Just wait!" With that, Bian Mu got up and went to the bar to refill his order with half a pound of donkey meat slices, two servings of cold dishes, and a large bucket of the shop's own fruit juice. After paying, he returned to his original spot with the food in his hands.

The two chatted and laughed as they ate.

"You didn't get off work late today! Why are you only eating now?"

“My classmate’s father suddenly became critically ill. She panicked and called me to come and keep her company.”

"Oh! Is everything alright now?" Bian Mu asked casually.

"Her vital signs have almost recovered, but her body temperature won't come down and she's not very lucid. Her family is from out of town, and many relatives and friends came later. The hospital said she's out of danger. I saw that she was much more stable, so I quickly went out to eat something and will bring her some food later."

Upon hearing this, Bian Mu was taken aback, thinking, "Could it be such a coincidence?!"