Chapter 385 Practicing Medicine on the Side

Chapter 385 A Side of Medicine

Lu Hanchuan first caught up with Liu Yuan.

When asked about recent events, Liu Yuan couldn’t help sighing.

"My wife is sick, and it’s pretty serious. I’m thinking of taking her to another hospital."

Lu Hanchuan asked, "Can’t they treat her in Beijing?"

The best medical resources were in Beijing. If even they couldn’t help, other hospitals would likely be worse—unless they got lucky with a great doctor.

Liu Yuan shook his head. "I’ve tried everything. This time, I’m planning to go to Shanghai, so I might have to sell all the dogs in this yard."

Though he’d hired help for the dogs, leaving them for too long still worried him.

Most importantly, his wife’s medical costs were a big expense, and he needed to save more money.

Lu Hanchuan knew Liu Yuan had married not long ago.

The pain of such things was something only those involved understood. Liu Yuan was only in his thirties, yet his temples were already graying.

Ye Xiaoxiao had been sipping water quietly nearby, but when Liu Yuan mentioned his wife’s illness, she looked up.

"Did the hospital figure out what’s wrong?" She thought even if she couldn’t treat it, she could recommend some reliable doctors.

Liu Yuan replied, "They haven’t pinned it down, but her legs are swollen, and she can’t walk. She’s tried a bunch of meds, but nothing helps."

Ye Xiaoxiao asked, "Is your wife home now? If you’re okay with it, I could take a look."

Swelling had many causes—heart disease could also cause edema—but since Liu Yuan hadn’t mentioned a heart condition, it was likely a spleen or kidney issue, keeping the body from flushing out dampness.

To know for sure, she’d need to examine her in person.

Liu Yuan stared at Ye Xiaoxiao, surprised, clearly unaware of her profession.

Lu Hanchuan also agreed—anyway, no harm in looking. He said with a touch of pride, "My wife’s a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner."

This was a lucky break for Liu Yuan, though he wasn’t too hopeful.

He’d already failed too many times.

If big hospitals couldn’t fix her, how could a young TCM doctor help? Still, he was willing to try.

"My wife needs rest—she’s staying in the backyard, where it’s more peaceful." Liu Yuan led them toward the backyard.

The rooms there were a lot nicer than the front, a clear sign of how much Liu Yuan cared for her.

Lu Hanchuan stood in the living room. "I’ll stay out here. Xiao Xiao, you go ahead."

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded and entered.

Liu Yuan’s wife could only lie in bed now, but the room didn’t smell bad—he’d taken good care of her.

Liu Yuan introduced Ye Xiaoxiao first.

Zhao Xiaoli sat up, looking pale and worn out.

Her illness left her barely able to walk, let alone do anything else.

Ye Xiaoxiao first took the patient's pulse, then inquired about her physical condition and bowel and bladder habits. Noticing her pale, swollen tongue with tooth marks on the edges, she recognized clear signs of qi deficiency.

Combined with Zhao Xiaoli's symptoms like cold feet and frequent nighttime urination, Ye Xiaoxiao diagnosed kidney yang deficiency.

Based on Zhao Xiaoli's condition, Ye Xiaoxiao formulated a prescription in her mind.

"Eldest Brother Liu, I think you can hold off on going to Shanghai for now. Let me prescribe some medicine to try for a week and see if the edema improves."

Hearing this, Liu Yuan thanked her profusely, "Thank you so much! If this really works, you'd be doing our whole family a huge favor."

"No need to thank me. I'll just prepare the prescription. To get the medicine filled, I recommend going to Rende Pharmacy personally. I believe there's a new branch opened nearby, so you don't need to travel all the way to the main store."

Ye Xiaoxiao recalled that one of her senior fellow apprentice had recently opened a shop in the area. Though unsure of the exact location, she knew it was already operating.

This suggestion was made for the patient's benefit, as fake medicine might make things worse.

Liu Yuan nodded, "Got it, I'll be sure to go to the right place."

Ye Xiaoxiao wrote down the prescription: "30g Raw Astragalus, 12g Han Fangji, 15g Raw Coix Seed, 30g Motherwort, 5g Processed Aconite, 12g Poria Cocos Peel, Winter Melon Peel... 10g Stir-fried White Atractylodes."

Seven doses total - try them for a week.

Handing over the prescription, Ye Xiaoxiao advised the patient to stick to light, easy-to-digest foods, avoid raw, cold and greasy items, and keep the legs warm while trying not to stand for too long.

"When lying down, it's best to elevate the legs with a pillow to help blood flow."

Liu Yuan made careful note of everything.

Zhao Xiaoli also looked at Ye Xiaoxiao gratefully before reminding her husband, "With my legs in this condition, I can't cook. Liu Yuan, you must make sure to take good care of Comrade Lu and his wife."

Liu Yuan carefully stored the prescription, "Of course, we'll eat at a nearby restaurant later."

Ye Xiaoxiao initially wanted to decline the hospitality but decided to follow the host's arrangements since she couldn't cook either.

In the living room, Lu Hanchuan said, "No need for such trouble. We'll leave after buying the dogs. Besides, I'm driving today and can't drink."

Liu Yuan insisted, "That won't do. Even without alcohol, we must share a proper meal together."

Lu Hanchuan and Ye Xiaoxiao finally agreed.

Before dinner, Liu Yuan showed them the dogs.

"If you want them to bond with you, it's best to raise them from puppies. Let me show you some puppies."

"Great," Ye Xiaoxiao nodded, thinking the puppies looked friendly.

Then Lu Hanchuan saw the tiny puppy that barely reached his foot.

"I need it for guarding the house. You really think this'll do the job?"

Liu Yuan assured, "It'll grow into a big dog by next year."

Ye Xiaoxiao said, "Look how tiny and cute it is!"

She watched as a little golden retriever that had escaped its cage tugged at her pant leg, only to trip over its own paws in its excitement.

Since Ye Xiaoxiao liked it, they went ahead with the purchase.

However, Lu Hanchuan's intention of putting the dog to work might not be achievable.

Liu Yuan: "We just got a retired military dog here. If you'd like, you can adopt it too."

He didn’t feel right handing over such a well-trained dog to just anyone.

But he knew Lu Hanchuan’s character—he’d never mistreat an animal.

Lu Hanchuan went to take a look. Military dogs usually retire around seven years old.

It was an impressively well-built German Shepherd.

"This is Lightning. Though he’s over seven, he’s still in his prime years and very intelligent."

Liu Yuan gave a few simple commands, and Lightning understood every one.

He didn’t bark for no reason or jump all over people.

Lu Hanchuan really liked Lightning but wanted Xiao Xiao to check him out first.

Xiao Xiao, holding the unweaned little golden retriever in her arms, quietly edged closer to get a look at Lightning.

"Wanna take him?" Lu Hanchuan asked.

Even though Xiao Xiao thought the German Shepherd was pretty big, considering its military background, it might be even steadier than she was.

She nodded. "Yeah, let’s take him."