Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2002 Separation of Qi and Blood
Taking a break from his busy schedule, Bian Mu went to the reception area and chatted with the three booksellers for a while.

The other party was very frank. They were offering a high price for the manuscript, but this time it was for a Chinese-style surgery, specifically an academic monograph on traditional Chinese medicine bone setting. They also mentioned that they planned to apply for it as a supplementary textbook for universities, making it a legitimate academic research project in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. The old bookseller in charge replied that it was recommended by the office of a university of traditional Chinese medicine, and all the procedures were done properly.

This means that Bian Mu's involvement in this matter is equivalent to participating in a school-level academic research project.

To be honest, Bian Mu was a little hesitant.

What a rare opportunity!
Even now, busy making a living, Bian Mu hasn't even applied for the intermediate professional title yet. Lu Yisi suggested that he directly apply for the associate senior professional title through special procedures. If he accepts this lucrative offer today, Bian Mu might actually be able to get the relevant official application form around July next year.

that……

After hesitating for a long time, Bian Mu, being honest and straightforward, replied truthfully and then politely declined.

The three booksellers were astonished. Seeing Bian Mu's firm refusal, they thought, "He's a cultured man! How could he sit there and pester me? Besides, only a lunatic would stay there and 'hang out like mushrooms' with such a refined sentiment. Moreover, the clinic is indeed overcrowded, and the three of them have come at an inopportune time." The older bookseller in the lead shook his head slightly, exchanged a few polite words, and then took his two colleagues and left.

This time, Bian Mu naturally didn't bother to find out who was instigating trouble behind the scenes. Now that he had grown into a "top influencer" with more than a hundred interests at stake, it seemed normal for such a cushy job to occasionally come knocking on his door. Oh well! Let it be!
Bian Mu is an honest person. He hasn't even fully mastered the clinical skills yet, but he's in such a hurry to publish a monograph. This is truly harmful! Deep down, this is probably a trendy "praise-to-death" tactic. He's praising himself too high, preparing for other consequences beforehand, and then he'll bring himself down hard. Disgrace and ruin would be the least of his worries!

I hadn't walked more than a few steps after getting up when my phone vibrated a few times.

It was Dean Lu calling again; it would be impolite not to answer this time.

"I didn't expect your organization to be so full of talent, even just one of your colleagues is so amazing! I'm impressed! No problem, then... let's schedule a time so I can send a car over to pick them up?"

"No rush! Let me investigate further. In any case... that hospitalized patient has a rather special status! We should be cautious!"

"The curator is absolutely right! However... please hurry! This matter is always on my mind, and it's even made my sleep worse."

"I'll explain things clearly within three days and then let him go."

"Thank you very much! I won't bother you any longer at this hour. Let's talk again later!" With that, Dean Lu hung up the phone.

The next patient was a middle-aged man, 36 years old according to his electronic medical record. He was of medium height, somewhat overweight, with a protruding belly, and had a bit of the greasy, street-smart look of a middle-aged man. His symptoms were quite simple: he ate half the amount of food his age, gained weight easily no matter what he ate, and had little appetite for many years; he had shallow sleep, easily awakened by the slightest noise in the house, and could only lie awake looking out the window waiting for dawn; what was even stranger was that no matter where he was or what time it was, day or night, he couldn't sit still for long, and after a certain period of time he would feel uncomfortable all over his body, including his cervical spine, lumbar spine, buttocks, back... even his two knees would feel uncomfortable.

Everything else is normal.

The patient, from out of town, came from Nanjin and was accompanied by relatives from Lijin. They had come seeking medical help because of the doctor's reputation. Although the patient was not particularly handsome, he wore a luxury watch with the character "Li" on his wrist. According to Qi Yuewei's usual standards, this model was worth at least 300 million yuan on the market. In addition, he wore a gold-inlaid jade ring on his left hand. The workmanship was extremely exquisite. Even Bian Mu, who regarded gold and jade as worthless, would glance at it from time to time. The ring shimmered and shone, and it was definitely not an ordinary item.

Taking the pulse, examining the tongue coating, reviewing past medical records... Bian Mu strictly followed the established procedures... "Mr. Shen! All the famous doctors in the top-tier hospitals recommend that you see a decent traditional Chinese medicine doctor?" Bian Mu asked with a smile.

"Yes! We've traveled all over the country, but we still can't find anything. Look at my belly, it's made me look 30 years older than I am. Can you explain why?" the man asked, frowning.

“Your illness has a bit of an archaeological feel to it…” Bian Mu said with a smile.

"What do you mean?! I work in finance, and in three generations, not a single person in my family has ever been involved in archaeology. Don't just spout nonsense!" The man immediately started nitpicking.

The relatives accompanying him also looked at him with a critical eye, feeling that Bian Mu did not have the demeanor of a renowned doctor of the time.

"Hehe... There's been a misunderstanding. I meant that your illness was a prevalent disease back in the old days, a kind of disease of the rich. In the last two years, people with this disease have almost disappeared. To put it simply, the discomfort you have is quite ancient. In medicine, it's somewhat like a medical fossil or archaeology. Does this explanation make sense to you?" Bian Mu explained with a smile.

"You're not saying... that the disease I have was something only princes and nobles could get in ancient times, are you?!" That man was clearly from a wealthy family; his way of thinking was quite different from that of children from ordinary families.

"Hehe...that's roughly the idea. In the old days, wealthy families, like the noble families you mentioned, owned manors, estates, villas, hunting lodges, and so on. They were always moving around, never settling down. Over time, they became separated from their surroundings, unable to adapt to the southern environment, and even less so to their northern hometown. If they moved east, they'd be even less comfortable in the west. To give an analogy, some men who spend half their lives constantly traveling for work are prone to this kind of 'illness.' But since they're working class, with their poor diet and lack of sleep, they somehow manage to adjust quite well. In our line of work, we jokingly call it 'travel sickness.' You're different; your family is well-off, and your health..." "Your physical and mental abilities are completely self-sufficient. Slowly, they sink down, and the root of the illness accumulates at the very bottom of your stomach qi. The same goes for your kidney qi, lung qi, heart qi, spleen qi... It's almost the same in every aspect. They all sink to the bottom. Logically speaking, you should be sleeping all day and not exercising, and you should gain at least 30 to 50 pounds. However... your family is very wealthy! You are still so young, and your five elements and six qi are relatively healthy. You just don't let those few breaths sink to the bottom! You try to lift them up whenever you get the chance. Once you lift them up, you can't eat well, sleep well, sit comfortably, or stand for long... that's why you can't stand well!" Bian Mu explained as if telling a story, as if drawing a picture. Everyone around was dumbfounded and didn't recover for a long time.

"Huh?! This so-called disease of the rich! Damn it! What bad luck, it's not even as easy to cure as... is it?"

"It's treatable! Strictly speaking, it's not exactly a specific illness, more like a rhythm disorder! However... you really have to strictly follow the doctor's orders from now on, otherwise, you'll still have a relapse at a certain age. There's nothing I can do about it, since your family owns houses all over the country and abroad!"

Hearing this, everyone was amused by Bian Mu.

The prescription is very simple: two ounces of dried tangerine peel, one ounce of fresh ginger, and 15 sand dates. Simmer in the rice water of high-quality millet for 45 minutes. Add more rice water as needed. It should not be too thick or too thin, just right. Drink it like a decoction. Take it once at 6 a.m. every morning and once at 18 p.m. every evening. If you forget or get the time wrong, don't drink it.

In addition, Bian Mu required the patient to come back for acupuncture three times a month, on the 1st, 7th, and 15th of the lunar month. There were no other restrictions, and the patient could continue living as usual.

It's alright. The man seemed to trust Bian Mu quite a bit. He said his family owned a budget hotel in Lijin, and he would come over to get acupuncture treatments on the appointed day.

No sooner had the family left than Bian Mu sent the man's pulse and other diagnostic results to Dian Shuhua, asking him to come up with an acupuncture treatment plan, as a way of further evaluating him.

This time, the standard answer is just four words: Qi and Blood Separation!

Just now, Bian Mu spoke casually in front of that man's family, but in fact, Bian Mu really didn't know about Nie Yixiong's side. Even if Qi Shangqi were to be present, he might not dare to easily administer this kind of treatment needle.