Chapter 1 Pharmacy

  A chill wind swept through the empty corridors of the county hospital, blowing against the white curtains hanging in the outpatient department, which were already somewhat dirty, making a rustling sound, and making the empty corridor even more desolate.

  Zuo Shaoyang stood at the entrance of the pharmacy, his hands inserted into his trouser pockets, his neck shrunk in, gazing somewhat despondently at the cold and deserted hospital outpatient department. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine has been out of favor, and there are usually few people coming to the hospital for treatment; now that it's New Year's Eve, there's even fewer people around.

  After graduating from a traditional Chinese medicine university, he went through a painful job search and finally got hired at this TCM hospital as a pharmacist. He had originally wanted to work in the outpatient department as a doctor, despite having passed the national medical licensing exam and obtained his license, but for some reason the unit never assigned him to clinical work.

  At this time, an old woman emerged from the outpatient department, hunchbacked, with her hair somewhat disheveled in the cold wind, rubbing her temples with one hand and bending down to hold a prescription slip up to her eyes with the other, slowly making her way to the cashier.

  Zuō shǎo yáng zhī dào tā hěn kuài huì lái ná yào, biàn zhuǎn shēn jìn le yào fáng, zhàn zài chuāng kǒu hòu mian, qīng qīng duò zhe xiē jiān yìng de jiǎo, bǎ shǒu ná chū lái hā le kǒu qì, xiāng hù cuō zhe. Yào fáng lǐ méi yǒu kōng tiáo, zhī yǒu yī gè xiǎo xiǎo de diàn nuǎn qì, fàng zài qiáng jiǎo de, fā chū shēn shēn de shēng yīn, bù jǐn bǎ wū lǐ wēndù tígāo shén me, fǎn dào ràng rén tīng zhe xīn fán.

  After a moment, the footsteps drew near, and the woman's face appeared at the small window, full of fine wrinkles. She moved her frozen face, trying to squeeze out a smile: "Trouble you to get some medicine, thank you!"

  Zuo Shaoyang took over the prescription, carefully read it once, then placed the prescription on the desk, weighed it down with a paperweight, spread out several sheets of kraft paper on the desk, and began to measure out the medicine with a small scale.

  The medicine was grabbed well, Zuo Shao Yang said: "Auntie, how will the medicine be decocted?"

  "I know! I've taken this medicine before."

  "Oh, okay then, remember to wait until the medicine cools down a bit before drinking it."

  The old woman looked at him in surprise and asked: "Wait for it to cool down before drinking? Why?"

  "Auntie, the medicine prescribed by the doctor is called 'Wu Zhu Yu Tang', it's for treating liver and stomach deficiency and cold syndrome. You often have dry vomiting and headaches, right?"

  "Really? - Hey, young man, how did you know?"

  "Haha, I saw you walking over just now, constantly rubbing your temples with your hand."

  "Haha, what you said is right, after eating, I feel like vomiting, but nothing comes out, just some sour water. My head hurts in this position and painkillers don't work. Oh, and my hands and feet are cold, and I have diarrhea."

  Zuo Shaoyang smiled and said, "That's right. The 'Shang Han Lun' says: 'Dry vomiting, spitting saliva, headache, Wu Zhu Yu Tang is the main treatment.' This prescription is just for treating your illness."

  "Why must it be cooled before drinking? I'm already uncomfortable in my intestines and stomach, and on a cold day like today, wouldn't it be better to drink it hot and warm myself up?"

  "Auntie, you don't know that the dosage of this medicine is quite special. Your illness is due to a cold and weak liver and stomach, while Wu Zhuyu is a highly spicy and hot medicine, it must be cooled down before drinking, in order for the medicine to take effect better. As the saying goes 'treating cold with heat, and cooling with movement'. This is called the 'reverse assistance' method of taking medicine."

  The woman blinked and still looked puzzled, asking: "Fan Suo? What does that mean?"

  "It's just the opposite, originally, your illness is a cold syndrome, and coldness requires heat to be treated with pungent and hot medicinal herbs. However, if these pungent and hot medicinal herbs are drunk while still hot, it will trigger an alarm for the internal cold illness, making it difficult to cure the disease smoothly. Wu Zhu Yu Tang is a very hot medicine, but when cooled down and drank, the illness in the belly thinks it's a cold medicine, since it's originally a cold illness itself, it won't be afraid of it. By the time it realizes, the medicine has already subdued the illness."

  The woman smiled and said, "I understand. Taking hot medicine to treat a cold disease is like two armies fighting each other. The soldiers of the two armies must be wearing different clothes, which can be seen at a glance. Once they face each other, they will definitely fight hard. But if our army wears the enemy's uniform and uses only their own recognizable signs to identify themselves, the enemy will easily become numb. When our army infiltrates the enemy's interior and then suddenly launches an attack from within, the enemy will be thrown into great confusion and we can win the battle. Isn't that right?"

  "Really? Auntie, you're a teacher, right?"

  "Oh yeah? How did you know that?"

  "You can use vivid metaphors to explain an abstract problem, which is a method often used by teachers. Also, there's still white chalk dust in the creases of your fingers."

  The old woman quickly rubbed her fingers with her hands, a bit embarrassed: "Hehe, I just got out of class and came here, forgot to wash my hands. —— Young man, you're really observant."

  "We study traditional Chinese medicine, and when treating patients, we emphasize the four diagnostic methods of observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. The first method is observation, and if one does not observe carefully, they cannot fully grasp the patient's symptoms."

  "Right! Young man, you're absolutely right, you'll definitely make a good doctor in the future!"

  "Thank you, Auntie, for the compliment. - Here's your medicine, by the way, after taking this medicine, remember to lie down on the bed for 20-30 minutes, didn't the doctor tell you that?"

  "What?!" The old teacher was even more astonished. "You have to lie down for half an hour after drinking Chinese medicine? What's the reasoning behind this? I've never heard of it before."

  "Not every Chinese medicine requires lying down, but after drinking Wu Zhu Yu Tang, you need to lie down for a while. Because Wu Zhu Yu Tang has a side effect, after drinking it will cause dizziness, chest tightness, and sometimes nausea, this is a normal phenomenon that occurs after taking this medicine, and no special treatment is needed, just lying down for a while is fine."

  "Is that so? No wonder I felt this way after drinking it before, every time was like this. I thought the medicine wasn't right for my condition, so I came to ask Doctor Wang from Traditional Chinese Medicine Department. He didn't explain it to me as carefully as you did, just said 'it's nothing' and that was it."

  "Heh heh, maybe Director Wang is too busy and can't be bothered to say anything."

  "Busy? Hmph! He's busy... " The old teacher glanced sideways at the clinic and said in a low voice, "He's busy playing computer games! I asked him, he was impatient, staring at the computer screen, only saying 'nothing'! Not even looking at me, I thought how could it be nothing? You drank your medicine, feeling dizzy and nauseous, and you still say it's nothing?! I'm so angry inside, thinking he was busy with something important, so I left. When I looked back, on his computer screen was a poker game! What is he busy with? Busy playing cards on the computer! Sigh... Young man, if doctors were as patient as you, that would be great! Is there anything else to pay attention to? Please tell me more."

  Zuo Shaoyang hesitated for a moment, then said: "This medicine has quite a lot of side effects. It's best to add some Huanglian. Huanglian can weaken and control the toxic side effects of Wu Zhuyu, which will alleviate many of the symptoms. However, this combination is not used in Wu Zhuyu Tang, and I'm not a doctor, so I shouldn't be prescribing medicine for you. So..."

  "It's okay, I believe you! What you said must be true. Give me some Huanglian and I'll give you money."

  "No, no! Auntie, you have to go to Director Wang and let him add it. My pharmacy can't directly prescribe medicine for you. Chinese patent medicines are fine, but this is a decoction with added flavorings, which must be prescribed by a doctor. Just tell him that you heard Huanglian can reduce the side effects of Wu Zhuyu Tang, and you want to add a little Huanglian, no need for much, 3 grams will do."

  "Alright then, you give me the prescription and I'll go find Director Wang."

  The old doctor took over the prescription and turned towards the outpatient department.

  Zuo Shaoyang took out the cowhide paper and placed it on the table, holding the medicine scale to weigh the Coptis chinensis. Just as he finished weighing the medicine, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. The door to the pharmacy burst open with a loud crash, and a gust of cold wind swept in, blowing the cowhide paper that was spread out on the table all the way to the ground.

  "What's going on here?!" The one who pushed open the door was Wang, the director of the Traditional Chinese Medicine department. His face was filled with anger, and behind him followed that old teacher, looking terrified.

  "Director Wang, what's wrong with me?"

  "What's wrong?" Director Wang shook the prescription in his hand, "I'm asking you, did I write this prescription incorrectly?"

  Zuo Shaoyang hastily said: "No, your prescription is very suitable for the symptoms."

  "What right do you have to put medicine in my son's rice?"

  Zuo Shaoyang hastily accompanied with a smile: "I didn't, Director Wang, you misunderstood me. I just suggested that we can add a little Huanglian in the formula because Huanglian and Wuzhuyu are mutually inhibiting, which can reduce..."

  "How dare you teach me?" Director Wang, with a sudden burst of anger, shouted: "When I was treating patients, you were still doing somersaults in your mother's womb!"

  Zuo Shaoyang's smile froze, and he said in a cold voice: "You are an old doctor and also our leader, I respect you, but please also respect me!"

  "Do you respect me? Is adding medicine on your own in my dish also a form of respect?"

  "I'm just suggesting!"

  "What advice? Don't forget you're just a pharmacist now! Not even a doctor, what qualifications do you have to prescribe medicine?"

  "I have already passed the qualification examination and obtained the certificate. I am qualified to practice medicine, but the hospital has never adjusted my position!"

  Director Wang raised his voice: "What do you mean? Are you saying that our hospital leadership is not as good as Bole, and doesn't appreciate a talented doctor like you? Don't you know that you're a divine doctor? Humph! Even if you are a divine doctor, after you start your own practice, you can do whatever you want, just don't add any extra medicine to the prescriptions I write!"