By the next day, three more doses of medicine were administered. Including the previous day's, a total of seven doses had been taken. After these seven doses, the patient experienced significantly increased urination, reaching up to 2,000 milliliters per day and night. His appetite improved remarkably, his breathing stabilized, and he could lie flat without discomfort. Even the heart palpitations that had plagued him for over a decade had ceased.
By evening, devoted family members, distant relatives, and old friends had gathered at the hospital. They looked at each other in disbelief.
They had come prepared for mourning, their emotions primed, tears welling in their eyes, ready to burst into wails of sorrow at any moment.
But instead, they found themselves watching as the supposedly dying Mr. Hao dashed around the room.
Yes, by evening, after seven doses of medicine, Mr. Hao was not only alive but also walking around.
Even his children were dumbfounded. This wasn't the feeble, bedridden man they’d known; he was healthier than he’d been in months. Their father, who hadn't been able to get out of bed for a long time, was now roaming freely, greeting the distant relatives who had come to bid him farewell. The only oddity was the flaking skin on his body, as if he were shedding an old layer.
The visitors didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The surreal sight of this vigorous man contrasted sharply with the mournful atmosphere they had expected. It was eerie in the dim hospital light.
An elderly man with a walking stick, who looked like a stern, old-school scholar, approached Mr. Hao's eldest son with a grim expression and asked, "Do you know the story of the beacon fire that amused kings?"
Mr. Hao's eldest son, sweating profusely, awkwardly replied, "I only know about pancakes rolled with green onions."
The old man struck the floor with his cane and bellowed, "Do you know how sharp this cane is?"
The eldest son shook his head, on the verge of tears. "Mother's chicken!" he blurted out in exasperation.
"Take this!" The old man raised his cane and began to strike him.
The eldest son darted away, dodging the blows. It wasn’t that the old man was particularly agile, but the gathered relatives were so numerous that the poor son kept stumbling over someone’s foot, receiving more hits in the process.
He was utterly devastated. A grown man getting scolded and beaten—what kind of absurdity was this?
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“How is he doing?” Hao Meiling anxiously asked Gao-Yuan.
Gao-Yuan was diagnosing Mr. Hao, who had now completed ten doses of medicine. The swelling had entirely disappeared, and his spirits were high. Gao-Yuan released Mr. Hao's pulse and said, “The recovery is excellent. The most critical stage is behind us. What remains is careful recuperation.”
Hao Meiling finally let out a long breath of relief. “So my father won’t relapse into such a critical condition again, right?”
Gao-Yuan deliberated briefly and said, “He won’t. For the follow-up treatment, you should consult Dr. Wan. He’s more experienced in this area. Since you’re based in the city, follow-ups with him will also be more convenient.”
Hao Meiling hesitated. “Dr. Gao, aren’t you based in the city?”
Gao-Yuan shook his head. “I’m stationed in a rural county.”
“A rural county? But didn’t you come from Beiping? You speak with a capital accent.” Hao Meiling was surprised. She had assumed Gao-Yuan was a prominent physician from the capital. How could he be a rural doctor? Could someone from the countryside really cure a terminal illness that even the provincial hospital couldn’t?
“I attended university in Beiping,” Gao-Yuan replied.
“University?” Hao Meiling was even more astonished. He was a university graduate? Then why was he practicing medicine in the countryside?
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Gao-Yuan didn’t elaborate. “Take care. I must return to the countryside. Excuse me.”
With that, Gao-Yuan rose and took his leave.
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Outside, Director Li and Wang Hanzhang were waiting for him. The medical staff from the city hospital had gathered in the first-floor lobby, while outside, the courtyard was packed with local TCM practitioners who had come to see him off. At the forefront stood Dr. Wan, leaning on his cane.
When they saw Gao-Yuan emerge from the consultation room, they broke into applause.
Gao-Yuan froze for a moment, taken aback by the unexpected scene.
But as he looked around, a smile spread across his face. As he smiled, his eyes began to well up.
Director Li and Wang Hanzhang stood before him, hands at their sides, smiling.
Gao-Yuan rubbed his eyes and smiled back, trying to make his grin as broad as possible.
Hearing the applause outside, Hao Meiling hurried to open the door and was stunned by what she saw.
Wang Hanzhang said to Gao-Yuan, “Let’s go.”
Gao-Yuan nodded and turned to face the city hospital’s medical staff in the lobby.
Standing straight, he gave them a deep bow.
Director Zhu led the staff in returning the bow, followed by the rest of the medical team, who all bowed in unison to show their respect.
“Goodbye,” Gao-Yuan said softly. Not daring to linger, he turned and walked out.
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Outside, the TCM practitioners, some familiar, some not, stood waiting.
Dr. Wan stood at the front, looking at Gao-Yuan with a smile.
Gao-Yuan smiled back.
Dr. Wan said sincerely, “I have studied medicine for over sixty years and practiced for more than fifty. Today, I finally understand what it means to be a true doctor.”
“Dr. Wan…”
Dr. Wan raised a hand to stop him. “Dr. Gao-Yuan, it’s a pleasure to know you. It’s an even greater pleasure to have someone like you in the TCM community.”
“Thank you,” Gao-Yuan said, bowing deeply to Dr. Wan and the gathered practitioners.
The TCM practitioners bowed in return.
Dr. Wan also bowed and then pointed upstairs. “They’re seeing you off as well.”
Gao-Yuan turned to see parents and children crowding the second and third-floor balconies. The parents waved, holding children whose conditions had stabilized thanks to him.
Seeing their smiling faces, a rare sight in a hospital, Gao-Yuan felt an overwhelming sense of contentment. No one knew what the future held, not even someone like Gao-Yuan who had been reborn.
But seeing these smiles was reward enough.
Do good deeds, and don’t worry about the future.
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As Gao-Yuan turned to leave, he saw Bureau Chief Yuan Hai arriving at the hospital in a car. He stepped out and said, “Hop in. I’ll take you to the station.”
The three of them were momentarily stunned. This area was so remote and underdeveloped that it was rare to see a car. Even the city government only had one car. Yet, Bureau Chief Yuan had borrowed it to pick them up. Such treatment was indeed extraordinary.
Seeing their hesitation, Yuan Hai chuckled and said, “Don’t just stand there. Gas isn’t cheap.”
The group burst into laughter.
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After they left, the remaining doctors lingered for a while.
Hao Meiling ran outside, but Gao-Yuan was already gone. She had seen him leave in a car. Looking at the grand send-off, she couldn’t help but ask Dr. Wan beside her, “Who exactly is Dr. Gao-Yuan?”
Dr. Wan thought for a moment and earnestly replied, “He’s a doctor.”
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In the countryside, the battle against adenovirus pneumonia finally ended thanks to everyone’s efforts. Gao-Yuan’s advocacy for integrating traditional Chinese medicine with modern Western medical practices proved to have remarkable advantages. It not only saved countless children’s lives but also deepened the bond between practitioners of Chinese and Western medicine, resolving previous tensions and fostering better collaboration.
This time, the city’s public health achievements were outstanding. Their efforts even garnered recognition and praise from higher authorities.
Meanwhile, far away in Huo Township, Dr. Shen Congyun, who had fought the battle alone, finally trudged out of the remote mountains. His steps were slow and unsteady, like a lone warrior emerging from a long, gruelling campaign. Step by step, he made his way forward.
Once he exited the village, he searched around for the welcoming committee he had envisioned—someone to greet him as the lone hero who had braved the ordeal. He looked and looked but found no one. Confused, he waited for quite a while longer, thinking perhaps they had been delayed. Yet, as the sun dipped below the horizon and darkness settled in, no one showed up.
“How could there be no one here? That doesn’t make sense,” Shen Congyun muttered to himself, utterly baffled.
Beside him, Wan Jinliang cautiously suggested, “Could it be… there was never going to be anyone to welcome you?”
Hearing this, Shen Congyun’s lips quivered slightly. He didn’t want to admit it. He wanted to wait a bit longer, still holding on to hope. But as the night deepened, the absence of people confirmed the disappointing truth. Hungry and exhausted, he finally relented and said, “Maybe they don’t know when I'm coming back. Let’s just head back to the clinic.”
The group trudged back to the clinic.
When they arrived, the clinic was lit by a faint glow from a kerosene lamp. Inside, there were still people.
As Shen Congyun approached the door, he heard the excited voice of Li Shengli from within.
“It’s true! A car actually came to pick him up! Wow, I’ve never even ridden in a car before. There’s only one car in the entire city, isn’t there? Hey, hey, what’s it like to ride in a car? Is it comfortable?”
Shen Congyun burst through the door, anxious and flustered. “What car? What kind of car are you talking about?”