Seeing Wu Buwei flee in embarrassnt, Du Heng couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.
Traditional Chinese dicine has many folk redies, all capable of curing diseases. However, the reason they are called folk redies is that the content of their formulas is often quite peculiar. They might be toxic, or the thods sowhat cruel or bloody. So, often, even when people knew of such a redy, a look at its ingredients and thods would make them keep their distance, feeling it wasn’t sothing good. Over ti, these folk redies gradually disappeared.
Of course, folk redies also fail at tis, mainly because many patients don’t clearly understand their actual illness and use a redy simply because their symptoms seem similar. When the dicine doesn’t match the ailnt, their illness isn’t cured and instead worsens. For example, boiling green onion root and raw ginger in water to drink is a folk redy widely known to treat the common cold. However, this particular redy treats cold syndros, not heat syndros. Many people can’t distinguish between cold and heat syndros; they only know that a headache, fever, and runny nose an they have a cold.
After Wu Buwei ran out, Du Heng was alone in the office again. An irrepressible curiosity welled up, and he unconsciously summoned the screen.
2/1000
Another case completed.
Du Heng was beginning to understand more clearly how the system tallied cases. Judging by these two completed cases, it ant that as long as the treatnt direction and dication were correct, it counted as an effective treatnt. It wasn’t as he had worried—the patient didn’t need to be completely cured for it to count as an effective case. After all, with current dical thods, many diseases can’t be completely cured; they can only be controlled or their symptoms alleviated, such as hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis. According to the statistical analysis currently provided by the system, as long as the condition could be controlled and the patient’s suffering alleviated, it was considered a completed task.
In that case, completing 1,000 effective treatnts didn’t seem too difficult after all. However, he still needed to find ways to attract more patients.
Du Heng stroked his chin, pondering for a good while. Feeling bored alone in the office, he stuck his hands in his pockets and sauntered out into the hall.
The registration window was empty, save for Wang Zhenzhen inside, scrolling through her phone. Du Heng leaned against the window to chat with her. "Sister Wang, you’re not supposed to be on your phone during work hours. Don’t get caught."
Wang Zhenzhen rolled her eyes at Du Heng from inside but dutifully put her phone away. Nowadays, all administrative units were cracking down hard on slacking off during work hours. Undercover inspectors from the district or city could show up at any mont. Besides, there were plenty of busybodies who, upon seeing such behavior, would report it without a second thought. By then, they’d face criticism and wage deductions; it simply wasn’t worth it.
"What are you doing out here instead of treating patients in the office?" Wang Zhenzhen asked.
"Well, there are no patients right now. I ca to see if you, Sister Wang, could send a few more patients my way."
Wang Zhenzhen gave him a sidelong glance, took two oranges from her drawer, and handed one to Du Heng. "That Dr. Zhang was looking for you earlier, wasn’t she?"
While peeling the orange, Du Heng casually asked, "How did you know?"
Wang Zhenzhen sneered. "That shrew just threw a fit at , blaming for processing Fan Yuxiang’s hospital transfer. I gave her a piece of my mind. It’d be a miracle if she didn’t take it out on you."
Du Heng chuckled and leaned closer to the window. "You guessed right, Sister Wang. But I gave it right back to her. Then, as luck would have it, Director Li ran into her and gave her another good dressing-down."
Wang Zhenzhen spat out an orange seed, laughing with schadenfreude. "Serves her right! Let her be arrogant. I’ve been sick of her attitude for ages." Perhaps finding her orange a bit too sour, she stuffed the rest of it into Du Heng’s hand. "I never realized how capable you are, kid. In the past, when patients ca that you couldn’t handle, I sent them all her way. I didn’t expect you to have such skills! Don’t worry, from now on, I’ll register all incoming patients under your na. Let’s see if she dares to snarl at then. I’ll put her in her place!"
Du Heng was delighted. A 400-yuan al for three people... Honestly, this was the most extravagant al I’ve had since I graduated and started earning money, he thought. He hadn’t expected it to yield such great results. "Then I really must thank you, Sister Wang. If you need anything in the future, just say the word."
"You said it." Wang Zhenzhen smiled, her eyes darting around cautiously before she lowered her voice. "Actually, I do have sothing I need your help with. See if you have a way. But you absolutely cannot tell anyone."
"Don’t worry, Sister Wang. You don’t trust to keep a secret?"
"You cheeky brat! It’s not like I’ve ’used’ your mouth before, so how would I know if I can trust it?" Wang Zhenzhen retorted playfully.
Du Heng nearly choked. Are all young married won this wild?
I’m not sure how to respond to that!
After her playful jab, Wang Zhenzhen leaned in and whispered, "Lately, your brother-in-law... well, maybe he’s too tired, or perhaps it’s his age... he’s a bit... a bit..."
"Sister Wang, please be clear. A bit what? How can I make a judgnt if you don’t tell plainly?"
"Oh, he’s just a bit too fast."
"Fast?"
Du Heng froze for a mont. It took him a good while to realize what Wang Zhenzhen ant.
This woman is really sothing else!
Sighing inwardly at her directness, Du Heng could only press for more details. "Are there any other symptoms?"
Wang Zhenzhen thought for a mont. "Well, recently he’s beco rather irritable and hasn’t been sleeping well. Sotis he’s up all night, sitting on the sofa smoking. Then, when it’s nearly dawn, he’s too drowsy to get up. And, well, he’s just too quick... you know. Xiao Du, do you think there’s sothing wrong with him? Like kidney deficiency or sothing like that?"
Too fast?
Just how fast?
Du Heng really wanted to ask for specifics, but fearing Wang Zhenzhen might call him a pervert, he skipped the question. He pondered carefully. It doesn’t sound like kidney deficiency... more like neurasthenia. This was because neurasthenia could also cause symptoms like nocturnal emissions and premature ejaculation. Yet, many people mistakenly assud it was a kidney function problem, buying all sorts of kidney tonics to no effect. So, Du Heng could understand Wang Zhenzhen’s suspicions.
"Sister Wang, I recall brother-in-law was promoted to Station Chief just before the New Year, wasn’t he?"
"Yes, he was promoted right after New Year’s Day. We initially thought that becoming Station Chief would make things a bit easier, but he’s ended up even busier than before."
"It’s quite normal for soone at the police station to be busy. Besides, brother-in-law is in his pri, career-wise. If he weren’t busy, you’d probably be more worried."
Wang Zhenzhen sighed, "You’re right."
Du Heng considered for a mont, then said, "Since brother-in-law isn’t here, I can’t make a definite conclusion. How about this: I’ll teach you a thod you can try first. Then, when there’s ti, have brother-in-law co in so I can give him a proper check-up."
"That’s fine, tell ."
"Every night before bed, have brother-in-law soak his feet in hot water. As for you, you can massage his acupoints: CV-04, SP-06, CV-03..."
"Wait, let find a pen to write this down." Wang Zhenzhen hurriedly picked up a pen and paper from a nearby table, spread them out, and said, "You can say it now."
Du Heng couldn’t help rolling his eyes. She’s really taking this seriously, he thought. "...then ST-36, BL-23, and KI-13. For these six acupoints in total, use your thumb to apply pressure and knead in small circles. The sensation should be a dull ache or distension—don’t press too hard, as it can cause injury, but don’t be too gentle either, or it won’t be effective. While you’re doing it, frequently ask brother-in-law how he feels." As Du Heng spoke, he demonstrated the massage technique.
Wang Zhenzhen watched attentively. "Okay, I’ll try it tonight. By the way, where exactly are these acupoints?"
Du Heng was speechless. Seriously? You think you can rember all that after hearing it just once?
"When you get ho tonight, look them up on your phone. There should be diagrams. Take your ti, don’t rush." Du Heng paused, then added, "Or, you could have brother-in-law co see now. I’d have more confidence in diagnosing him directly."
"Sigh, I’ve asked him several tis, but he always says he doesn’t have ti. Never mind, I’ll try your thod first."
Watching Wang Zhenzhen take out her phone and start looking up the locations of these acupoints, Du Heng was about to go upstairs to check on the facial paralysis patient he had just treated when Wang Zhenzhen called out to him again.
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