Physician’s Odyssey

Not long after Su Tao returned to the Three Flavour Hall, Di Shiyuan visited with a black car. It was a message for the latter to come with this car since that meant that he’s here on official matters, which Su Tao figured that it must be related to the Jianghuai Hospital.

Di Shiyuan was still as cunning as ever. When he sat down, he did not go directly into the topic, but he started beating around the bush. He first praised the changes in the Three Flavour Hall before hinting on applying for a policy and funds for the Three Flavour Hall.

With a smile spreading on his lips, Su Tao immediately waved his hand. “Bureau Chief Di, we’re already so familiar with each other, so you don’t have to use this on me. You can stop beating around the bush and go straight into why you’re here!”

Letting out a cough, Di Shiyuan awkwardly smiled. “How about letting the resignation matter pass?”

After a brief stun, Su Tao wryly smiled. “Bureau Chief Di, why are you going against your words?”

Di Shiyuan’s face turned solemn as he patiently explained, “The reason why I went along with you through the phone was because I knew you were still fuming back then. So if I were to reject your request, wouldn’t that make you even more unhappy? Since there’s a problem, then we have to deal with it. How about this, since Wang Hong made you unhappy, I’ll reprimand him and get him to apologise to you.”

Shaking his head, Su Tao rejected, “President Wang is an upright person, and it’s understandable for him to have an opinion about me. If it was an employee in the Three Flavour Hall holding such a high position and didn’t contribute, I would also feel uncomfortable in my heart. So even if that person was talented, I would find a way to make them leave.”

Di Shiyuan did not expect that Su Tao would think of the matter this way and deeply sighed, “You have to view this matter in two angles. Firstly, you can’t resign from Jianghuai Hospital for both the Three Flavour Hall and your development. You might be skillful with fame now, but you will need an official identity if you want to walk further in a society like China. Putting it in a nutshell, your responsibility as Jianghuai Hospital’s Vice-President is just temporary. Secondly, the TCM Building is all due to your outstanding performance. So if you leave, how am I going to explain this matter to the leaders and the public?”

The two reasons given by Di Shiyuan were reasonable without any concealment, which left Su Tao a little moved when he heard him. Di Shiyuan was his benefactor who recognised his talent, which Su Tao never doubted that fact.

Locking his brows together, Su Tao helplessly shook his head. “Bureau Chief Di, I’m grateful for your appreciation towards me. But if I don’t leave, I’m afraid it won’t be easy to justify to President Wang. After all, he had a knot in his heart that’s hard to untie!”

Di Shiyuan smiled. He seemed to expect that to be Su Tao’s reply. “It was Wang Hong who asked me to persuade you to take back your resignation. He also reflected on this matter, and he knew that he was wrong in the past. So he would like me to apologise to you on his behalf.”

Hearing Di Shiyuan’s words, Su Tao felt conflicted. It was no wonder why Wang Hong could receive the recognition of Di Shiyuan, they were both similar in style. Wang Hong was an upright person who could even let go of his pride and bear the responsibility if he’s in the wrong.

If he still dwelled on this matter, it would make him seem petty instead. Hence, Su Tao finally gave in, “Help me tell President Wang that since I’m part of the Jianghuai Hospital, I will definitely contribute to the hospital’s development. In the future, I will arrange my schedule well and make my presence in the hospital.”

However, Di Shiyuan waved his hand and smiled. “You don’t have to give yourself too much pressure. Jianghuai Hospital won’t be the same as it has been in the past, and no one will give you any pressure. The hospital is doing pretty fine recently, and there won’t be an issue of giving you a salary of ¥45,000 monthly. But I’ll be frank that it will be considered as a future investment in you!”

Su Tao smiled. “Bureau Chief Di, isn’t this investment a little too risky? Many people invest in real estate, shops, and the internet. There is hardly anyone who invests in TCM!”

Shaking his head, Di Shiyuan smiled. “You’re wrong! A brilliant investment doesn’t lie in the project, but the investor. Because people create all projects, and China’s medical industry is lacking an outstanding talent like you. I believe that in the future, you will shock everyone.”

Hearing the praises from Di Shiyuan, Su Tao’s face turned red as he smiled. “Alright, then I won’t leave Jianghuai Hospital!”

Seeing that Su Tao gave in, Di Shiyuan knitted brows loosened up. “It looks like my trip wasn’t in vain!”

Inwardly, Su Tao sighed since it wasn’t easy to resign.

When he saw Di Shiyuan finally take a sip of tea, he asked, “Are you having poor quality of sleeping recently?”

After a brief stun, Di Shiyuan nodded his head with a wry smile. “The changes in work have been increasing my pressure, which I’m still finding my way through. Hence, my sleeping quality has deteriorated.”

As a smile crept on Su Tao’s face, he wrote two prescriptions and handed them over. “The one above is for you, and the one below is for Sister-in-Law.”

“You can just give me a prescription to treat my insomnia, but why are you also giving me one for my wife?” Di Shiyuan was startled as he looked at Su Tao.

“Your condition originates from internal heat and the imbalance in Yin and Yang, which causes signs such as hair loss and insomnia. So I’ve prescribed you medicine to clear the internal heat, this is what Emperors used in the past, and it will take effect in a week. Furthermore, it can also nourish your body, allowing you to maintain vigorous energy.” After a brief pause, Su Tao continued, “Furthermore, Sister-in-Law should have a snoring condition, and it should be pretty serious. So it might worsen if she’s not treated in time!”

After a brief analysis, Di Shiyuan smiled. “You’re truly godly. How did you know that she has a snoring condition?”

Su Tao smiled. “I visited your house before, and caught a glance at her. Furthermore, from how you told me that you have insomnia, I figured that the snoring condition must be related to it. Snoring is a condition that plump people would usually have as we have to breathe even when we’re asleep. So for plumper people, their windpipe would be narrower than an ordinary person’s, hence emitting a noise when they breathe from vibration. Sister-in-Law has inflammation in her throat, so it’s easy for her to snore.”

Raising his thumbs towards Su Tao, Di Shiyuan sighed, “I’ve been trying to persuade your Sister-in-Law to visit the hospital. But when she heard that she had to undergo surgery for her snoring condition, she wasn’t willing and was afraid at the sheer thought of it.”

Su Tao continued to explain, “There are different reasons that causes snoring, which plumper people will have to remove the abnormal tissue. But it won’t work for Sister-in-Law. This prescription is a form of tea medicine, which is convenient to bring around. This condition is related to her profession. As a teacher, she often has to teach kids, and it is easy for her voice to turn coarse. As time passes, it will slowly form into inflammation. Although it can be treated with medicine, for the time being, it’s considered an occupational illness and it will relapse.”

With his heart filled with admiration for Su Tao, Di Shiyuan smiled. “Today, I’ve learned a lesson that life is all about constantly learning.”

Recently, Su Tao has been studying the Song Sichen’s medical notes. Although he was familiar with the Imperial Physician Scripture, Su Tao realised that it wasn’t as ample as Song Sichen in modern illnesses. Like occupational illnesses for teachers, private hires, and white-collared professionals. The Imperial Physician Scripture recorded the condition of Emperors and their concubines, but it was blank in terms of modern occupational illnesses. Hence, Su Tao had greatly benefited from Song Sichen’s medical notes.

Although Su Tao might give off the misconception of being frivolous, he’s actually someone who liked to research. The prescription that he gave to Di Shiyuan was a prescription that Song Sichen gave to a female teacher in the past, which Su Tao made some alteration in it due to the difference in traits between Xiangnan and Huainan Provinces. That teacher from Xiangnan Province liked eating spicy food, so Song Sichen added a higher quantity of medicine in the prescription. On the other hand, Di Shiyuan’s wife wasn’t a fan of spicy food, so Su Tao had lessened the quantity, or it would cause problems in the future.

Knowledge cannot be entirely reliant on experience, but thoughts and considerations had to be injected in as well.

Stowing the two prescriptions, Di Shiyuan asked, “How’s your preparation with the National Healer Candidacy?”

Su Tao had once mentioned it to Di Shiyuan. He smiled. “The National Healer Candidacy isn’t like others as it tests the accumulated and comprehensive ability of a person. It’s pointless to try and tackle the preparation, so I purposely tried not to be bothered about it. I’ve recently been researching Old Song and Old Dou’s medical notes, and both their knowledge and experiences are simply amazing!”

Nodding his head, Di Shiyuan said with a weighty voice, “Those two have been in society for a long time, and they’re definitely grandmasters ranked at the Top 10. It’s good that you can have them as your masters. Even if the National Healer Candidacy judges on a person’s comprehensive ability, you still have to pay attention to it since it’s an important learning experience for you.”

Su Tao immediately, solemnly nodded his head. He could sense Di Shiyuan’s sincerity behind his words. Despite all his outstanding performances, Di Shiyuan has continuously been reminding him, and based on that, Su Tao could view the latter as a genuine companion.

Compared to drinking buddies, a true friend was worth a hundred of them!

Due to Di Shiyuan’s busy work, his phone had been constantly vibrating while the two of them were chatting, which Di Shiyuan would occasionally glance at it. Seeing that they weren’t important matters, he immediately ignored the call.

After appeasing Su Tao’s emotions, Di Shiyuan went to the counter to get the medicine for the prescription that Su Tao gave him. Amidst the whole event, he was like ordinary people as he kept haggling on the price, which Su Tao helplessly gave him a discount in the end. After Di Shiyuan paid for the prescription, he left happily.

Under She Wei’s help, the Three Flavour Hall found a reliable and steady supply of medicine that was all imported from He City’s Medicine King Valley. The costs were significantly reduced, which granted them the advantage in price throughout the entire Huainan Province.

As for the National Healer Candidacy, the documents have already been submitted, and all the candidates have already gone through the strict investigation on their qualifications.

With Sire Shui and Sire Cao as his guarantors, it wasn’t an issue for Su Tao’s missing history for the past ten years.

But surprisingly, the two old men were rapport as they did not enquire about his experience in that period!

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I can foresee a new event unfolding now!

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