Merchant and doctor

Chapter 2525 A Low-Level Elegant Life

As evening fell, as soon as she got off work, Bian Mu quickly convened a video conference with all her colleagues from the three branch libraries in front of their computers.

The meeting was quite simple. Using the case of the third-year male college student from earlier that day as an example, Bian Mu reiterated what should be paid attention to in current TCM diagnosis.

In the video, Bian Mu emphasized: "Currently, interpersonal interactions are many times more frequent, in form, in degree, and in intensity of conflict than in the past few decades. This applies to blood relatives, family members, classmates, colleagues, and even neighbors. If a patient grew up in a large city like Lijiang, the impact will only be greater. Introverted patients are no exception, only their expressions are more subtle and hidden. Therefore, when making various diagnoses, we suggest considering the unique 'human context' of each patient in the present day, which is clearly a product of its time." The 'human environment' affects every patient through various forms of energy conduction, magnetic field interaction, and information interweaving, with almost no one exempt. To exaggerate a bit, the homeless people you occasionally bump into on the street these days are vastly different from those of a few years ago. For one thing, the ever-present smartphone is a significant factor. Starting today, this will be added to the medical record format within our clinic. If any colleague finds it difficult to adapt, please write 'None' at the end of each patient's consultation. I'll at least understand that the patient you're treating has been less affected in this regard.”

In the video footage, the colleagues had different expressions, but at least no one said anything in response.

"I'm just making a suggestion. If any colleague doesn't quite accept it right away, let's agree to disagree. We can hold a meeting at Lianhu Park later, once the relevant case statistics are out, and chat while we have some fun!" Bian Mu concluded with a smile.

Applause erupted, and everyone except Liang Xiangyin seemed to be in high spirits.

"I've kept everyone from getting off work, meeting adjourned!" With that, Bian Mu turned off the intranet video software.

……

At nearly 10 p.m. at the Wu family's old residence, Liang Xiangyin sent a text message saying that Bian Mu's remedial action was quite timely. The medical record writing format and professional level of the clinic should indeed be comprehensively improved, at least to be among the top in the country. Moreover, Liang Xiangyin emphasized that medical records are never trivial matters, and whether the medical insurance center can find out or not is a minor issue.

Bian Mu quickly replied with several messages, expressing his sincere gratitude to Elder Liang.

The other colleagues didn't say anything, and they remained quiet until late at night.

……

That noon, after a while, Bian Mu helped Xiao Xiaoqin grind several precious medicines, and naturally stayed a little longer.

I had just sat down by the window and taken a few sips of water when I saw Xiao Xiaoqin leading two middle-aged women toward me. I felt like I recognized the shorter one somewhere.

"This is Director Qi from Yuangu. He has something to discuss with you. Is this a convenient time?" Xiao Xiaoqin introduced the two with a smile.

"Oh...we've met once before, right? Hello, Director Qi!" Bian Mu said, exchanging pleasantries with the other tall, middle-aged woman.

"We're so sorry to have bothered you! Our staff misunderstood you that night, which was extremely rude of them. We haven't had a proper chance to apologize to you yet, and we feel really bad about it!" Qi Ruilian said politely for a while.

After exchanging pleasantries, Bian Mu invited the two ladies to sit down, while Xiao Xiaoqin went to prepare tea and fresh fruit.

"Thanks to Xiao Xiao, I'd like to trouble you to take a look at my cousin. We had already made an appointment online beforehand, but her condition is quite special, which is why we had to wait until the last minute. Please explain further, Master. Please forgive any rudeness!" With a beaming smile, Qi Ruilian was very eloquent. "Oh! We're all family here, Director Qi, you're too kind! Next time, don't bother with that; just come over and chat for a bit." Bian Mu replied politely with a smile.

The finest tea, once the lid is lifted, releases a delicate fragrance rarely found in the market, immediately captivating the senses and prompting the two female guests to praise it repeatedly.

Xiao Xiaoqin was very perceptive, and since the pharmacy was indeed very busy, she exchanged a few polite words and then went back to her work.

After they had almost finished their tea, Bian Mu took the pulse of the tall, middle-aged woman.

"You must be around 45 this year, right?" Bian Mu asked casually after taking his pulse.

"I'm 46 years old (by Chinese reckoning), and I've already had my birthday. Lately, I've been feeling listless, which has started to affect the company's business. Also, since last week, my eyes have been wandering, and I can't seem to focus properly. I've been getting a little anxious, so I asked my sister to come and ask the curator to take a look."

"You do seem a bit exhausted. I wonder what kind of work you're doing?" Bian Mu asked calmly.

"I work at a securities firm, mainly responsible for data aggregation. I've been doing this for almost seven years now. Actually... by the fourth year, I was already feeling a bit overwhelmed. But... it's a high-paying job. My wife's company hasn't been doing very well, our eldest daughter went abroad to study in high school, and we have four elderly parents to support, so the burden is quite heavy... That's why I haven't dared to mention a job transfer to my boss until now..."

"Well... that's not hard to understand. Let's take an example: do you usually drive?"

"I haven't been driving in recent years. I do have a driver's license, and my wife usually drives me around. What's wrong?"

What gear does your spouse drive in?

"It's a little over a million, in installments. There's nothing I can do about it. Our company and their company are both superficially glamorous... My colleagues drive cars worth at least 30 yuan each. We are both business managers at a certain level, so... I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

"I understand, I understand! Don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just using the car as an analogy. In your situation, it's a bit like a good engine that isn't used at high speeds, running at a low level for a long time, causing carbon buildup! It turns a perfectly good engine into a defective part. How should I put it, please forgive me if I'm wrong, but the life you two are living right now is probably the kind of low-level elegant life. Not just you, your spouse is probably in a similar situation. They don't have any major illnesses, nor will they get any sudden illnesses, but their life force is constantly in a low-level state of waste, and they have little vitality. Let me put it this way, how old is your spouse this year?"

"51!"

"If you give him a hand gripper, how many kilograms do you think he can grip tightly?" Bian Mu suddenly asked.

"Well... he doesn't usually like to exercise, he's weak and listless, he sweats easily even carrying 10 pounds of rice, and he just gives up on anything heavier than 50 pounds!" the tall middle-aged woman replied casually.

"No wonder... You'll probably have to take a break from your current job for about seven months, otherwise you're more likely to develop heart failure. At first, it'll be a temporary acute condition, but if it drags on, it will develop into a chronic condition."

Upon hearing this, the two ladies sitting opposite them immediately turned pale.