Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor Gao-Yuan

The powder and pills were delivered quickly.

Gao-Yuan divided them into five portions and instructed the patient to take one dose every two hours.

The decoction was left to soak for an hour before being boiled over high heat for ten minutes to produce two Jin of medicinal soup.

The high heat served two purposes: to retain the pungent dispersing effect of raw gypsum and not compromise the purging power of rhubarb. Normally, rhubarb should be added towards the end of the boiling process, but in this case, it wasn’t necessary.

Once the medicinal soup was ready, Gao-Yuan instructed, “Divide these two jin of soup into five portions and administer one every three hours, day and night, without interruption until the crisis passes!”

Only then did Director Qi Dongsheng breathe a sigh of relief. For a moment, he had thought Gao-Yuan was going to have his grandson drink the entire two jin at once. Thankfully, it was divided into five doses to be taken gradually.

“He’s cautious after all,” Director Qi mused, glancing at Gao-Yuan. He recalled yesterday when Gao-Yuan had first arrived, full of youthful confidence, even bordering on arrogance. But once his treatments began to take effect, Gao-Yuan’s demeanour changed, becoming humble and even speaking up for Dr. Li Runyu.

Now, treating his own grandson, Gao-Yuan had shown a similar change. At first, he appeared fierce, like a warrior raising the mighty Green Dragon Crescent Blade. But as the treatment proceeded, he demonstrated caution and precision, wielding the figurative blade not with brute force but with the skill of a master engraver, working with delicate finesse.

Yesterday, Director Qi had called Gao-Yuan only because Doctor Li was unavailable. Gao-Yuan had been his second choice. But now, watching the young man at work, Director Qi wondered if Gao-Yuan might actually be his best option. His eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation.

Meanwhile, Doctor Zhao Huanzhang was also observing Gao-Yuan’s methods, noting how the dosage was carefully controlled. While the medicines were potent and the amounts large enough to be alarming, administering them in divided doses significantly reduced the risk of overwhelming the patient's system.

“Is this the secret behind his daring use of such high doses?” Zhao muttered to himself.

Doctor Xiao Tian, on the other hand, was full of curiosity and whispered to Doctor Qiao Zheng, “Teacher, did you hear him say that the child would be out of danger? Is he implying that he alone can handle this without sending the child to the city hospital?”

Doctor Qiao was equally unsure.

Despite Gao-Yuan’s earlier display of skill, they still found it hard to believe that traditional Chinese medicine alone could cure such a critical condition. At best, they thought, the treatment might stabilize the patient enough to transport him to the city hospital for further care.

After all, stabilizing the condition was already a major challenge. They had worked all night yesterday with little effect. But now… Gao-Yuan seemed serious about this.

“We’ll wait and see,” Doctor Qiao replied cautiously.

The medicine was brought in, and the child was promptly given the first dose.

Everyone stayed in the ward, including Gao-Yuan, who adhered to his practice of remaining by a critically ill patient’s side until the crisis had passed.

After about twenty minutes, the child’s condition appeared stable.

Director Qi, relieved, stood up and approached Gao-Yuan, intending to speak. But just then, both Gao-Yuan’s and Zhang Yuancai’s stomachs growled in unison.

Director Qi paused, then slapped his forehead. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry! In the rush to bring you here this morning, I completely forgot you haven’t had breakfast yet. My apologies!”

Gao-Yuan reassured him, “It’s alright. Saving lives is the priority.”

Director Qi glanced back at his grandson and then said, “The child’s condition is stable for now. Let’s get some breakfast. There’s a place nearby that sells morning meals.”

Gao-Yuan looked at the child and then nodded. “Alright, downstairs then. That way, we can still keep an eye on him.”

The group headed downstairs.

The breakfast consisted of flatbread, fried dough sticks, porridge, soybean milk, and steamed buns.

This was a luxury available only in town. In the countryside, they rarely had the opportunity to eat fried food, even once a year.

As they ate, Gao-Yuan asked, “Director Qi, how is your hiccuping now?”

At this, Zhao Huanzhang immediately put down his bowl and turned to look at Director Qi.

Director Qi replied, “With all the chaos, I almost forgot to mention it. Yesterday, I had some relief after I rushed to the hospital, but the hiccups returned later. By then, I was too busy to deal with it and just let it be. Later that night, I finally had a bowel movement, passing some small black pellets like sheep dung.”

“Around ten o’clock last night, I suddenly developed a fever and began to shiver uncontrollably. To be honest, at that moment, I cursed you a few times in my mind, thinking you had misdiagnosed me. Otherwise, why would I be getting worse?”

Zhao Huanzhang glanced cautiously at Gao-Yuan, but Gao-Yuan remained calm.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Director Qi continued, “My grandson’s condition was so severe that I couldn’t leave to seek treatment for myself, so I just endured it. Then, after midnight, I broke out in a heavy sweat, and with it, the fever subsided. I felt much better. At dawn, I had another bowel movement, passing more black pellets, and finally, I felt completely relieved. The hiccups stopped, and my body felt at ease.”

“For the first time in days, my mind is clear, even after an entire sleepless night. That’s when I realized your prescription worked—just one dose was effective. So, I sent Xiao Zhang to fetch you right away.”

Hearing this, Gao-Yuan nodded slightly.

Director Qi, looking a little sheepish, added, “Doctor Gao, I must apologize. Last night, I doubted you. I ignored an experienced doctor like Li Runyu and chose to trust a young doctor instead. That was reckless of me. Please don’t hold it against me.”

Gao-Yuan waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t mention it. It’s nothing. Don’t take it to heart.”

Director Qi nodded and then asked, “But I’m still curious. Since your prescription was right, why did my condition fluctuate so much last night, with the ups and downs?”

Gao-Yuan explained, “There’s an old saying in traditional Chinese medicine: ‘No recovery without a crisis.’ Sometimes, after taking medicine, symptoms may worsen before they improve. This is often a normal response, part of the body’s process of expelling illness. As healers, we must maintain the composure of a general—calm and steady, letting things unfold naturally. Why rush the bullet’s flight?”

Director Qi looked at Gao-Yuan in amazement and said, “I’ve learned a lot from you.”

Zhao Huanzhang stared at Gao-Yuan in awe. Gao-Yuan’s composure and daring far exceeded his own.

Director Qi, now filled with even more respect for Gao-Yuan, said, “Oh, by the way, you both mentioned having something to discuss with me yesterday. I was in such a rush that I didn’t have a chance to talk to you. What’s it about? As long as it doesn’t violate any regulations, I’ll do my best to help.”

Hearing this, Zhao Huanzhang’s eyes lit up. Director Qi had finally opened the door for them to talk about the clinic’s unpaid debts!

Gao-Yuan glanced at Director Qi, then turned to look at the clearly excited Zhao Huanzhang. In the end, Gao-Yuan shook his head and said, “It’s not appropriate to bring up requests at a time like this. Let’s wait until the child is fully out of danger.”

Director Qi looked surprised. He knew they had come to ask for something, but now he felt like he was the one who owed them a favor, yet they were letting the opportunity pass.

Zhao Huanzhang was also taken aback.

Director Qi nodded slowly, then solemnly said to Gao-Yuan, “Thank you, Doctor Gao.”