A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

Zhou Hongmei knew that Zhou Mingyu was a man of action, but the formal process for purchasing medicinal herbs was complicated, and whether it could be implemented as soon as possible was still unknown.

Unexpectedly, just two hours later, Zhou Mingyu called back, his tone filled with obvious joy: "Hongmei, great news! I just spoke with the Party Secretary of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, explaining in detail the medical needs of Shihezi, and mentioning how you used traditional Chinese medicine to save patients, and how patients are now coming to you seeking your help. The Party Committee immediately held a meeting and decided to donate this batch of medicinal herbs free of charge!"

"A donation without compensation?"

Zhou Hongmei could hardly believe her ears; her voice trembled with excitement. "Really? Director Zhou, you're not kidding me, are you? So many medicinal herbs, they must be incredibly valuable!"

"Of course it's true!"

Zhou Mingyu said with a smile, "The school said that providing counterpart assistance to Xinjiang is a major event, and they have an unshirkable responsibility to do something practical for the people of Shihezi."

This batch of medicinal herbs consists of high-quality slices commonly used in the pharmacy of their affiliated hospital; their quality is absolutely guaranteed. The logistics department has already been arranged to pack them overnight, ready for shipment.

Zhou Hongmei's eyes welled up with tears, her heart overflowing with warmth: "Thank you so much, Director Zhou, and please thank Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for me! This has truly solved our urgent problem; otherwise, I really wouldn't know how to face those patients waiting in line."

"Don't be so polite, we're all doing this for the people of Shihezi."

Zhou Mingyu said, "The school has arranged for Han Jidong, the director of the logistics department, to be in charge of transportation. He will contact you directly. I have already told him to make sure the medicinal materials are delivered safely and on time."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Hongmei paced excitedly back and forth in her office several times before rushing to tell Dean Zhang the good news. Dean Zhang was both surprised and delighted: "That's wonderful!"

Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is amazing! This not only helped our hospital, but also the people of Shihezi!

Soon after, Director Dong Yan from Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine called, her voice efficient: "Dr. Zhou, hello! This is Dong Yan from the Logistics Department of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in charge of transporting this donation of medicinal herbs. We have already packed the herbs into sealed trucks to ensure they don't get damp, and we'll try our best to get them to you as soon as possible."

Zhou Hongmei repeatedly expressed her gratitude: "Director Dong, thank you for your hard work! Please be careful on the road, don't rush, the safety of the medicinal herbs comes first."

"Rest assured, we have extensive experience in long-distance transportation and will ensure that the medicinal herbs are delivered intact."

But fate is unpredictable. On the third day after the transport convoy set off, Dong Yan called, his voice filled with anxiety: "Dr. Zhou, we've encountered a sandstorm. It's not too big, but the visibility is very low. The convoy can't move forward and has been stuck for two hours. There are still a lot of gravel and branches blown by the wind on the road. We need to clear them before we can go."

Zhou Hongmei's heart tightened: "Are you safe? Are the medicinal herbs alright?"

"We're fine. We're all in a safe area. The medicinal herbs are covered with double-layered waterproof cloths and moisture-proof mats, so they're definitely not damp. Don't worry, I'll take the lead in clearing the roadblocks right now and try to set off as soon as possible so as not to delay you from administering the medicine to the patients."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Hongmei remained anxious, sending a message to Dong Yan every hour to inquire about the situation.

It wasn't until that evening that Dong Yan called again, saying that the roadblocks had been cleared, the convoy had set off again, and it was expected to arrive in two days. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Two days later, the convoy loaded with Chinese medicinal herbs finally arrived at Shihezi People's Hospital. Zhou Hongmei, Dean Zhang, and Zhou Mingyu, who had come specially for the occasion, greeted them at the entrance.

Watching boxes of neatly packaged medicinal herbs being unloaded from the truck, Zhou Mingyu smiled and said, "Hongmei, look, this is the strength of our counterpart support. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, just let me know."

Dong Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead and handed over a list. "Dr. Zhou, Dean Zhang, Director Zhou, all the medicinal materials are here. We checked the list three times, and nothing is missing. They are all high-quality medicinal materials that have undergone strict inspection."

Dean Zhang grasped Dong Yan's hand tightly, then looked at Zhou Mingyu, "Thank you so much! Thank you to Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for your selfless donation, and thank you to Director Mingyu for coordinating everything. This is truly a timely help!"

After the medicinal herbs were delivered, a new problem arose: the pharmacy's warehouse was damp, and many of the herbs had already become moldy and spoiled. It would be a great pity if this new batch of herbs wasn't stored properly.

Looking at the damp walls in the warehouse, Zhou Hongmei suddenly thought of the karez irrigation system in Xinjiang: "Karez systems rely on underground passages for ventilation and moisture control. Could we use this principle to make a simple ventilation modification for the warehouse?"

She immediately found the pharmacy manager and explained her idea in detail: "Make a few ventilation holes at the bottom of the warehouse wall and a few exhaust windows at the top to create air convection. Then spread a layer of dry wood ash on the ground to absorb moisture. This will effectively prevent the medicinal herbs from getting damp."

The pharmacy manager thought the method was feasible and immediately organized people to make the changes. Zhou Hongmei went to the site every day to provide guidance, adjusting the position and size of the ventilation openings to ensure effective ventilation.

To everyone's surprise, Ayiguli took the initiative to come to him, smiling and saying, "Dr. Zhou, let me help you organize the medicinal herbs. I studied traditional Chinese medicine, so I can be of help with organizing the herbs and optimizing the dispensing process."

Zhou Hongmei was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and agreed, "That's great! With your help, it will definitely be much faster."

During this time, Aygul watched Zhou Hongmei use traditional Chinese medicine to save lives and clear up the misunderstanding surrounding her mother's death, and her reservations about traditional Chinese medicine have been completely eliminated.

She wanted to take this opportunity to make up for the lack of traditional Chinese medicine knowledge she had acquired over the years and truly become a qualified TCM doctor.

When organizing medicinal herbs, Ayiguli categorized them according to their effects, labeled them clearly, and optimized the Chinese medicine dispensing process based on her professional knowledge, putting commonly used herbs together to make it easier for pharmacists to dispense the medicine quickly.

"Dr. Zhou, do you think this classification method is okay?" Ayiguli pointed to the neatly organized medicine cabinet and asked Zhou Hongmei for her opinion. "We can categorize them into major categories such as invigorating qi, promoting blood circulation, clearing heat, and removing dampness, and then further subdivide each major category. This will save a lot of time when dispensing medicine."

Zhou Hongmei glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction: "Great! This is both standardized and efficient. Ayiguli, you've really been a great help."

Looking at the rows of neat medicine cabinets and boxes of high-quality medicinal herbs, Zhou Hongmei felt a great sense of accomplishment, thinking that patients would no longer have to delay treatment due to lack of medicine.

Looking at the Chinese medicinal herbs in her hand and smelling their faint fragrance, Aygul felt a sense of belonging. She had finally let go of her long-held obsession and rediscovered her original passion as a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.

She secretly resolved to learn diligently from Zhou Hongmei, to pass on authentic Chinese medicine techniques, and to use her professional knowledge to help more patients.