Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2257 Black Coffee

Man Laosan is an old bachelor who runs a small tavern across the street from the TCM culture studio. It's a small restaurant of just over 70 square meters with only 5 tables. It's an old-fashioned business model; he doesn't aim to get rich, just to make a living.

Ever since the studio opened, Lao Hou and Man Lao San have gotten along very well. They often sit together, chat, and have a drink, enjoying each other's company.

Spicy spinach with vinegar, deep-fried pine nut meat, beef strips, ants climbing a tree (a Sichuan dish), steamed fish with rice flour... all local snacks. Lao Hou didn't need to drive in the afternoon, so Bian Mu specially ordered him half a jin of "Drunken Moon White" liquor to enjoy.

"Were the senior artists who sent the painting highly skilled?" Old Hou asked with a smile.

"It's alright! I'm more knowledgeable in pharmacy." Bian Mu replied with a smile while eating fried pork chops.

"Can you tell which school of thought it belongs to?" Old Hou pressed.

"The Daoist medical school!" Bian Mu replied confidently.

"affim?"

"Pretty much! The true and authentic methods of using medicine cauldrons all come from the Daoist medical school; that's their specialty!"

"How about Sima Kui's branch?" Old Hou asked with a smile.

"Each has its strengths. Generally speaking, the Daoist medical school is still stronger. After all... Situ Jianqing was a genius, and his master was too outstanding. Like the blazing summer sun, he completely overshadowed the only moonlight that his three disciples possessed. It was somewhat unprecedented and unparalleled. In fact, in terms of medicine making, Daoist medicine is more systematic. Over the years, there has been almost no break in the lineage. After Situ Jianqing passed away, his disciples, by the time of Cao Xiuyi's generation, had almost all faded into obscurity, resulting in a direct break in the lineage! Therefore, the Daoist medical school is still more dominant." Bian Mu explained with a smile.

"I see... So... will we cooperate with them in the future?"

"Definitely! It's just that they've always been quite secretive about their whereabouts. We'll just have to wait for them to show up on their own; we definitely won't have anywhere to look for them," Bian Mu replied with a smile.

"So... after seeing that oil painting, how might they react?" Old Hou asked curiously.

"If nothing unexpected happens, they might send someone to deliver one or two physical items, like the Luban Lock, with many traps, to test whether our intelligence meets the standard," Bian Mu replied with a smile.

"Are you so sure?! Did you receive some prior notice?" Old Hou asked with surprise.

"No, not at all. I read a lot of leisure books when I was in school. Now I realize that leisure books are not leisurely, and serious books are definitely serious! They always follow the rules and rarely make mistakes."

"Testing the waters back and forth? You have to pass every test before their bigwigs will agree to meet with us?" Old Hou pressed.

"That's pretty much it. There's nothing we can do about it. The Chinese medicine industry is a bit chaotic in some areas. It's actually quite advisable for our seniors to be cautious. After all... once we cooperate with them, the annual output value of the traditional Chinese medicine we produce might directly exceed 100 million!" Bian Mu replied confidently.

"Hundreds of millions?! How much will we get?"

“Let’s look at the proposal I drafted earlier… at least we should get 10%?” Bian Mu replied with a smile.

"No way! Even 10% is tens of millions, I can't wait..."

"Heh... It's easier said than done. When it comes to the crucial period of cooperation, it's actually easier to mess things up!" Bian Mu responded dismissively.

The two were chatting happily when they noticed a number of passersby gathering not far from the tavern.

"Has something happened over there?" Bian Mu asked.

Turning his head, Old Hou glanced around casually. "Did it get hit by an electric scooter?! Should we go check it out?" Knowing that Bian Mu was always helpful, Old Hou asked for Bian Mu's opinion.

"Anyway, we've almost finished eating. You can have your drink, I'll just go over and take a look." As she spoke, Bian Mu glanced at the spot where her small backpack was.

Old Hou immediately realized what was happening, nodded slightly, and indicated that he would take good care of it to prevent it from being stolen again.

Bian Mu had just stood up when he saw Man Laosan rush in from outside the door with a look of anxiety on his face.

"Boss! Is it convenient for you to go and take a look? There's a woman, not even forty years old, who suddenly can't breathe. Her husband said she's never had asthma or anything like that, but now she's having trouble breathing. The ambulance won't be ready for a while, and her lips are even turning a little purple..." Man Laosan was always a kind-hearted person, and since the woman had fallen in front of his own shop, he felt he had to help the couple out of consideration for avoiding any appearance of impropriety.

"It's that serious?! Master Man! You go about your business, I'll go take a look!" With that, Bian Mu strode towards the door.

As the crowd grew larger, Bian Mu had no choice but to loudly declare that he was a doctor and asked everyone to make way.

It was alright. The crowd of onlookers made way for him, though it was a bit crowded. Bian Mu walked over to the middle-aged woman who was lying diagonally on the ground. At that moment, a kind-hearted man was kneeling beside her, pinching her philtrum and patting the inside of her arm, looking quite skilled.

Bian Mu stood there calmly and observed for a while, constantly comparing the various illnesses he had encountered before with those in his mind, like sifting through a sieve, very quickly!
"Are you her husband?" Bian Mu asked a man next to her who looked extremely anxious.

The man glanced at Bian Mu with great surprise, nodded slightly, and then looked at her again with a look of utter astonishment, his eyes filled with despair.

"What did she drink about twenty minutes ago? I mean something that's not commonly found in daily life," Bian Mu continued to ask.

"Who are you?!" the man asked rather rudely.

"Just a casual question from a regular doctor. Perhaps her current condition is related to the drinks you've been having..." Bian Mu continued calmly, having grown tired of such stares and no longer taking them seriously.

"I just came out of the coffee shop, what's wrong?!" the man questioned.

"Black coffee?! The expensive kind?!" Bian Mu continued to press.

"Huh?! What's wrong? That kind of coffee is pretty good..." "Okay," the man seemed to realize something and quickly replied. In any case, his mind works faster than most people's.

"That's right. I said, could someone go and get some Korean ginseng from nearby, and preferably a cup of hot water too? Hurry!" Bian Mu called out a few times to those around him.

"Oh! I'll go give it a try!" Luckily, a young man responded and ran off.

"I'll go to the pharmacy and ask. You need hot water, right? Is there anything else you need?" A middle-aged woman seemed to recognize Bian Mu and quickly replied.

"No need, as long as there's ginseng and hot water, it must be Korean ginseng, other types won't do!" Bian Mu loudly reminded.

……

With the ginseng and hot water ready, Bian Mu took out a small medicine bottle from his pocket, took out a small pill, and threw it into a cup of hot water. It dissolved instantly, and the ginseng slices dissolved like juice as soon as they saw this mixture.

With everyone's help, Bian Mu managed to get the woman who had the accident on the ground to drink a few sips...

Not long after, the woman was finally able to breathe normally again.