This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

After the check-up, Du Heng didn't say much. He turned to Wu Buwei, who was waiting nearby, and said, "Buwei, for the prescription you wrote, go fetch another set of the Medicine Ingredients, decoct them, and bring it to my office. Oh, and ask Dr. Yu to come here."

Then he turned to the young men and said, "Help your friend over here and let him lie down on this bed."

Afterward, he went upstairs to get a few moxa sticks from a nurse.

When he returned to the Department, Yu Haiting was already waiting. "Dean, you wanted to see me?"

"This is a Patient who's been suffering from diarrhea for two days. You need to rehydrate him."

Yu Haiting glanced at the Patient lying on the examination bed, asked some basic questions, and then went to prepare the infusion.

Meanwhile, Du Heng sterilized the needle utensils. When Yu Haiting left, Du Heng took the needle utensils to the Patient's side. "Come, lend a hand. Lift his shirt to expose his lower abdomen and pull up his pant legs."

Seeing the needles in Du Heng's hand, the three young men quickly helped.

Du Heng first inserted a needle at the ST-36 acupoint, then at the KI-13 and Diarrhea Stopper acupoints, located 1.5 inches and 2.5 inches below the navel, respectively.

Normally, needling ST-36 and KI-13 would suffice. However, because the Patient's diarrhea persisted, he added the Diarrhea Stopper acupoint.

After adjusting the needles, he took the moxa sticks he had just retrieved and performed moxibustion around the Patient's navel.

Visibly, the Patient lay flat on the examination bed, smoke rising from around his navel. Along a straight line below it, two long needles trembled slightly.

"Watch your friend carefully. Don't let him move and knock over the moxa sticks, or he'll get burned."

"Alright, Doctor, we'll watch him."

As they were speaking, Yu Haiting walked in with the prepared infusion. "Dean, should I administer it now?"

"Start it now. The Patient is already showing signs of exhaustion." As Du Heng spoke, he had already moved aside for Yu Haiting.

About ten minutes later, the moxa stick had burned down. Du Heng removed the remainder of the moxa stick and, at the same time, the needles. "Has the Patient eaten anything today?"

"He doesn't dare to eat. If he eats or drinks even a little, he has to rush to the toilet."

"Prepare something for him to eat, like rice porridge or noodle pieces, low in salt and oil."

"Alright, I'll go back to the Dormitory and prepare it now."

Seeing the young man who had agreed about to leave, Du Heng quickly called him back, "Wait a moment."

"What is it?"

"Do you have the Medicine Ingredients the clinic prescribed?"

"No, they provided the decoction of medicine service for everything."

Du Heng hesitated. Considering the Patient's condition, Wu Buwei's treatment should have been effective. The problem must lie with that clinic. But the Patient used their decoction service, so he has no leftover Medicine Ingredients, not even dregs, which makes things difficult.

After a brief thought, Du Heng decided against getting to the root of the matter. The Health Clinic has some supervisory and advisory power over village doctors, but it has no control over private clinics like that. Besides, these young men are cooperative. They just want their friend treated and aren't looking for trouble. It's better to avoid unnecessary complications. He'd solve the Patient's problem and leave it at that.

"Then it's fine. When you prepare the meal, make noodle pieces. Make them small and thin, and remember, less salt and oil."

"I understand." The young man in charge of cooking replied and turned to leave.

The leader of the group had been observing Du Heng's expressions. Seeing Du Heng's earlier hesitation, he too became thoughtful. After the young man left to cook, he also went out. The two of them murmured in the Hall for a good while before parting ways.

Du Heng didn't know what their leader was up to; he still had to continue the acupuncture and moxibustion for the Patient on the bed.

"Doctor, I need to use the bathroom," the Patient suddenly said, clearly in distress, asking Du Heng for permission.

Du Heng heard him and also the RUMBLING sound from the Patient's stomach.

"Hold on a little longer, until the moxa stick burns down."

Looking at the moxa stick, already more than half-burned, Du Heng didn't grant the Patient's request.

In the Hospital, one had to listen to the doctor. Though uncomfortable, the Patient endured it.

However, he couldn't hold on for more than two minutes. "Doctor, I really can't hold it anymore!"

Seeing the situation, Du Heng no longer insisted and quickly removed the moxa stick and the needle utensils from the acupoints.

The instant they were removed, the Patient clutched his stomach, rolled off the bed, and staggered towards the bathroom.

Perhaps because of the severe diarrhea over the past two days and not eating anything, his legs were so weak he nearly fell.

Although the Patient rushed out, their leader was quick-witted. As Du Heng was removing the moxa stick, he had already taken the infusion bottle in hand. Now, as the Patient headed out, he followed immediately, not wasting a second.

They were gone for about five minutes. When the Patient returned, he looked on the verge of collapse, walking in listlessly.

This trip to the toilet had made his complexion even more wax-yellow.

Just as he lay down on the bed, Wu Buwei came in carrying the Decoction medicine.

"Here, drink this. I'll continue the moxibustion," Du Heng said, picking up a few more moxa sticks.

After everything was set up, Du Heng instructed, "Just rest here; you don't need to go anywhere. When your Colleague brings the meal, eat it right away."

The effects of Du Heng's acupuncture, moxibustion, and the Decoction medicine were indeed quite remarkable.

After drinking the Decoction medicine, although the Patient's stomach still RUMBLED, he no longer needed to go to the toilet. Moreover, his complexion gradually regained some color, and his lips became moist.

Time passed. Seeing their companion's condition steadily improving, the young men's initial hostility lessened.

Near the end of work hours, the Colleague who had gone to cook returned.

He carried a lunch box in one hand and a kraft paper Bag in the other.

Their leader took the paper Bag, walked over to Du Heng, and said, "Doctor Du, this is another Bag of Medicine Ingredients I had my brother go get. Can you see if it's alright?"

Du Heng looked at the young man, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected him to be so thoughtful. No wonder he was considered the 'Big brother' among them.

Taking the paper Bag, Du Heng poured out the Medicine Ingredients inside and separated them one by one.

After separating all the Medicine Ingredients, Du Heng's eyebrows knitted into a frown.

He stared at them intently for a moment, then got up and went to call the Pharmacy Doctor, who was about to leave work. "Hold on, don't go yet. Come take a look at something with me."

The Pharmacy Doctor returned to the Pharmacy, put down his belongings, and asked, "What happened?"

"The friend of the Patient with diarrhea just brought back a Bag of Medicine Ingredients. Something seems off. I need you to help me check it."

"What seems odd? Dean, can't you identify it?"

"I have no problem with the Drug Combination, but I suspect there's an issue with the processing of the Medicine Ingredients."

As they spoke, they both entered the office.