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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 154: Remembering Parental Grace
"Can you treat illnesses here?"
A tall and handsome man in his thirties, well-dressed, supported an elderly woman who appeared to be his mother as he approached to ask.
If the elderly woman had come forward to inquire herself, she would likely have been dismissed. However, among the three doctors in Doctor's Robes at the Free Clinic, there was a woman in her thirties whose eyes lit up like stars when she looked at the man.
No wonder people say that women in medicine have strong desires; this was quite blatant! Wei Yuan, standing nearby, felt embarrassed for the woman.
"We can... we can treat illnesses. Are you looking for care for this elderly lady?" the Female Doctor asked first, clearly hoping that both could be seen, and she would take care of the man.
However, the reality was that the Thirty-something Handsome Man smiled and said, "It's mainly my mother who wants to see a doctor."
The woman in Doctor's Robe felt somewhat disappointed, but the two people beside her were even more disheartened. Their medical skills were not particularly high, and they had planned to use the Free Clinic as a way to promote a new drug for a pharmaceutical company while treating some ailments. That was their true purpose for being at the Free Clinic.
The elderly woman sat in a chair, and those around her didn’t even dare to queue up, fearing that she might have some contagious disease and they would catch something instead of benefiting from the free clinic.
Even the three doctors at the Free Clinic looked awkwardly at the mother and son, seemingly unwilling. Only the Female Doctor continued to gaze dreamily at the elderly woman's son.
Having lived for decades, how could the Old Woman not see through this? She understood that no matter how skilled these three doctors were, their abilities were limited. Coupled with the strange looks from those around them, she couldn't take it anymore: "Why don't we just leave without seeing anyone?"
She said to her son, but he replied, "Mom, since we’re here, let’s give it a try."
Hearing that the elderly lady might not seek treatment brought joy to the three doctors. Although their abilities were limited, they still had good judgment.
In other places, just the terrible scar on her neck reveals that this must be a result of long-term chemotherapy. What kind of patient needs long-term chemotherapy?
The answer is obvious: Critical Patient.
Especially those suffering from tumors or cancer, using chemotherapy to kill tumor cells in the body is definitely a treatment method that harms oneself while trying to defeat the enemy.
From the deep-colored scar on the elderly woman's neck, one can see how many times she has endured suffering and how many near-death experiences she has gone through to hold on.
How should one view such a patient?
The two men in White Doctor's Coats at this moment wished they could finish off the woman next to them before killing her. This was his infatuation acting up again; could such a patient be casually treated?
I am here to sell medicine; the Free Clinic is just a side job. Do you really think we are Huang Feihong? Even if it were Li Shizhen, it might not guarantee a cure.
However, given the situation and with so many onlookers, he had to brace himself and ask, “When did your mother’s condition start?”
“I don’t know the exact time; I wasn’t by her side then,” the Thirty-something Handsome Man replied awkwardly.
At this point, the onlookers began to discuss among themselves: “It turns out this young man seems quite filial, but he’s just putting on an act. He doesn’t even know when his mother fell ill.”
Someone nearby chimed in, “He looks good, but he’s also a worthless son. Look at him; he can’t even bear to spend money on her. What good will bringing her to this Free Clinic do?”
The discussion was among two women in their forties or fifties. Women of this age have seen all kinds of men and know well that handsome men are not necessarily reliable.
However, several young girls nearby looked unconvinced, unwilling to believe that this seemingly handsome and tall man could be so contradictory. One girl next to Wei Yuan even whispered, “It shouldn’t be like that; he doesn’t look like that.”
"Do you not know when your mother fell ill?"
The Female Doctor in the White Doctor's Coat asked with a look of surprise.
The man explained, "It should have been when I just got accepted into college. That winter break when I returned home, I noticed something was off with my mother's health, but she didn't tell me. I didn't expect it to be this serious."
As the man continued to explain, everyone began to understand the family's situation: just as he mentioned, when he was accepted into college, his mother was diagnosed with a Tumor. However, at that time, to allow him to focus on his studies, she kept it from him. The couple not only had to earn tuition and living expenses for their son but also faced severe hospital and treatment costs.
Tragedy struck again that year when the man's father was killed by a Sports Car. Although the family lost their primary breadwinner, the wealthy car owner provided a substantial Compensation, which barely covered the mother's medical expenses and allowed for the son's tuition and living costs.
However, over the next two years, that high Compensation gradually dwindled. The mother lost her ability to work and could only do some handicrafts at home to earn a meager living while still needing to send money to her son for school every month.
One can only imagine what kind of life the Old Woman was leading at that time.
Having just recovered from a serious illness, she should have been eating well and using relatively expensive nutritional supplements to regain her strength. Instead, she could only afford meals like Sauerkraut with Porridge so her son could complete his studies smoothly.
Rare is the love of a mother; only one's own mother can selflessly think of the next generation.
At this moment, as these matters were discussed, Wei Yuan noticed that the old woman's eyes were already red. Indeed, a mother's sacrifices are made without expecting anything in return, but she also hopes her son knows.
Hearing her son's heartfelt words and seeing a grateful son brings a mother the greatest comfort.
Among the onlookers, most were women who had already burst into tears. Even Lan Xue, who seemed strong beside Wei Yuan, was affected and had red eyes as well. Wei Yuan felt deeply moved and suddenly thought of his own unfortunate mother.
The woman in the White Doctor's Coat and two other men also appeared touched; whether their emotions were genuine or not was hard to tell. Regardless, at this moment, even if they couldn't cry, they had to feel moved; otherwise, it would be quite embarrassing.
Feeling moved is one thing; medical skills do not improve because of emotions. These three individuals were merely at the level of Barefoot Doctors and could not come up with any solutions after their inquiries and examinations.
"The medical conditions here are limited. We recommend that you go to a larger hospital for a check-up."
The three individuals were busy listening and taking pulses, using every method they knew on the elderly man, but ultimately came to a disappointing conclusion.
However, Wei Yuan felt that these three people were not entirely unpleasant. He had already seen their capabilities; they could probably handle common colds and fevers, but if they dared to give a casual conclusion on a condition that could be life-threatening at any moment, it would be truly unethical.
Using the Free Clinic to promote medications was somewhat unscrupulous, but it couldn't be considered a great evil.
For those who are ill, especially Critical Patients, the worst thing is misdiagnosis by incompetent doctors—those who pretend to understand but end up endangering lives are the ones who deserve severe punishment.
Everyone is just trying to make a living, and Wei Yuan had no intention of exposing them. He simply stood aside and watched the man, noticing that he looked somewhat dejected and disappointed upon hearing this. His expression was sincere, and his emotions were genuine; it truly came from the heart.
He heard the man say, "I've been to most of the famous hospitals in the country, but none have been able to help. No matter what medicine I take, I just end up vomiting; the more I take, the less effective it becomes."
The elderly man's situation was clear. No matter which hospital the thirty-something man took him to, the diagnosis would likely result in prescriptions for herbal remedies or health supplements.
As for actually diagnosing a serious problem and suggesting chemotherapy or surgery, no doctor would dare to do such a thing. The reason was obvious: the elderly man was barely hanging on to life. Prescribing medication would not kill him.
However, if they dared to perform surgery, no matter how skilled the doctor was, it depended on whether the patient could withstand it. If he couldn't hold on, everything would be in vain.
At this moment, those around realized that this young man was not unwilling to spend money; rather, he had already spent a considerable amount without any results. In desperation, he was seeking help at the street-side Free Clinic in hopes of finding an exceptionally skilled traditional Chinese medicine practitioner.
Yes, it had to be traditional Chinese medicine.
In this situation, Western medicine could no longer be applied. Surgery was out of the question; even Western medications were not something the elderly man's body could endure.
Western medicine focuses on efficacy and speed and is generally suitable for younger individuals because they cannot afford to wait for slow recovery due to their career struggles.
Traditional Chinese medicine focuses on conditioning and nurturing, generally suitable for the elderly and children, as it is relatively less harmful. Although the treatment period may be longer, both the elderly and children can withstand this nurturing.
As the saying goes, "medicine is three parts poison." Quick recovery and significant efficacy sometimes imply that the dosage of the medicine is quite large, which can also cause considerable harm to the body.
Seeing the handsome man in his thirties supporting his mother as they prepared to leave, with a look of confusion and disappointment on his face, most of the women in the crowd were moved by him, watching him with eyes full of sympathy.
At that moment, the woman in the White Doctor's Coat candidly said, "Sir, let me be honest with you. Your mother's illness is something that ordinary doctors dare not treat. Even if they do, they wouldn't dare to prescribe strong medication; they would only prescribe some tonics that won't have much effect. As the saying goes, 'there are skilled practitioners among the common people.' I suggest you look for a highly skilled doctor who can provide some alternative remedies."
The handsome man nodded in gratitude but maintained his expression. In reality, true hidden experts are not easy to find; those who prescribe alternative remedies are mostly just quacks trying to make a living.
However, what that infatuated woman said had already made it clear to him: seeking help from regular hospitals or doctors would be futile; they wouldn't dare to operate or prescribe strong medications. They would only use some basic treatments to keep her alive to avoid ruining their reputation. It was either waiting for death or trying alternative remedies in hopes of luck—nothing more.
Lan Xue had been focused on that mother-son pair since they appeared. After hearing their story, she felt even more moved and tightly held Wei Yuan's hand.
However, Wei Yuan stood there expressionless, observing everything coldly. He was mainly analyzing whether these people knew each other, fearing that they might be acting together.
This was understandable; such coincidences were too suspicious. The mother was gravely ill, and the man happened to bring her to a Free Clinic—was it really just luck?
One should never harbor malicious intent but should always be cautious of others.
Since encountering people like Xu Feng and Shen Qingyi, Wei Yuan no longer dared to trust strangers easily. He had to keep his guard up and not misuse his compassion to avoid being exploited for money.
Yet amidst this coincidence, he saw no miraculous healer nor did he see a desperate mother and son asking for money. Thus, he no longer harbored doubts and concluded that he was simply being overly sensitive.
"Your family is in the pharmaceutical industry; can you tell what condition the old lady has?" Wei Yuan quietly asked Lan Xue, who was holding onto his arm.
Lan Xue's awareness and attention were still on that mother-son pair. When Wei Yuan asked her softly, she finally responded: "Of course I can tell. Just like her son himself, the elderly lady suffered from a Tumor in her earlier years and underwent long-term chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is essentially a Mutual Destruction treatment method."
“Mutual Destruction?”
Wei Yuan repeated the idiom used by Lan Xue, mainly to confirm whether Lan Xue had used it incorrectly. Her Language grades had always been average, especially in the application of idioms. Sometimes when Wei Yuan glanced at her essays and saw some randomly combined idioms, he couldn't help but find it amusing.
Lan Xue seemed to have noticed Wei Yuan's motive and defended herself, saying, “I didn’t use the idiom incorrectly; it is indeed Mutual Destruction. Long-term chemotherapy can produce many side effects, primarily leading to a weakened immune system, making the body prone to accumulating toxins. Not to mention, even the digestive system can face obstacles.”
“Is it that serious?”
Although Lan Xue came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, most of the medications available on the market today are Western medicines. Therefore, over time, she had naturally become somewhat of an expert on modern Western medical systems and tools.
On the other hand, Wei Yuan, who was self-taught, was studying the detailed annotations of the ancient treasure of the Purple Robe Pavilion, the Medicine King Divine Canon. Theoretically, this was profound traditional Chinese medicine knowledge, but each field has its specialties; he was completely unaware of Western medical treatment methods.
This was why he had such doubts. He only heard Lan Xue softly explain, “More severe side effects can occur. Western medicine emphasizes efficacy—cutting open bodies and using lasers and hormones—so the damage to the body is evident. Moreover, according to his method, after recovering from illness, the elderly person still went to university. To save up for tuition fees, even after recovery, there were no conditions for him to recuperate properly. Prolonged poor diet and improper rest only made things worse.”
Each field has its specialties; this saying proved true. Coming from a pharmaceutical family, Lan Xue usually exhibited a gentle and refined demeanor typical of a well-bred young lady. It was rare for her to speak at such length.
However, once it involved medical issues, she became somewhat of an expert. She could provide detailed answers to all of Wei Yuan's doubts. Even if she had never been exposed to traditional Chinese medicine and was just an ordinary girl from a regular family, Wei Yuan thought that marrying such a girl would be worthwhile.
Not only would it save on medical expenses, but it would also be incredibly comforting. In today's service-oriented environment, even if you were in a top-tier hospital room, it would be hard to find such high-quality service from beautiful and considerate nurses and doctors.
Lan Xue's explanation immediately helped Wei Yuan understand the elderly woman's condition better. He naturally felt more confident about it; however, these were all explanations from Western medicine.
Wei Yuan began to recall comprehensively through his extensive research on the detailed annotations of the book Yang Ying had given him—the Medicine King Divine Canon—to find explanations for similar symptoms.
Weakness and fear of illness, invasion by evil winds, difficulty in eating—these were the main symptoms of the elderly woman. As for corresponding remedies, Wei Yuan felt that he should consider starting from his Third Form’s Restorative Power.
After all, medicine is three parts poison; even traditional Chinese medicine with lower toxicity could harm the elderly woman's body. Where could his pure and natural Ability be more effective?
Wei Yuan had just advanced to the Third Form, which allowed him to utilize Restorative Power to heal the human body. It had been less than half a month since he gained this ability. So far, Wei Yuan had only attempted healing himself and a cat; he had not tried it on any other living person.
Deep down, Wei Yuan felt a sense of fear. After all, he was dealing with a living human being. The strong intervention of an inexplicable energy generated by his Ability could potentially have side effects. Even the most brilliant scientists and the most advanced scientific instruments could not provide a definitive answer.
Should he try or not?
Wei Yuan faced this dilemma. If he successfully healed the person, he would receive nothing more than gratitude and perhaps some good karma. However, if there were side effects, or worse, if he accidentally caused the elderly person’s death, the consequences he would face were unimaginable.
Was it necessary to involve himself in such matters, or should he simply let the elderly person wait for death?
As Wei Yuan grappled with this internal conflict, the crowd of onlookers began to disperse. The story had concluded; there was nothing more to be done.
The excitement had faded, and emotions had settled. Those who needed to leave did so without hesitation. Everyone had their own lives to attend to; there was only so much sympathy to go around. They enjoyed the spectacle on stage but cared little for the sorrow behind the scenes—such is human nature.
However, at that moment, they suddenly stopped in their tracks as Wei Yuan slowly stepped forward and stood in front of the mother and child.
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