At the county hospital.

"Dr. Gao."

Gao Yuan asked, "Where’s the patient?"

"Second floor," Qiao Zheng replied.

Gao Yuan headed upstairs quickly, saying, "Tell me about the patient’s condition."

Qiao Zheng explained, "The patient is a 10-month-old male infant. He has been coughing with significant phlegm and experiencing fever for over ten days. His current temperature is 40.3°C. His development and nutritional status are average. On examination, he has rapid breathing, a red and swollen throat, slightly enlarged tonsils, dullness on lung percussion, coarse breath sounds in both lungs, and medium-to-fine crackles in the right lung. Lab tests confirm adenovirus pneumonia."

Hearing this, Gao Yuan paused slightly, then turned to look at Qiao Zheng.

Qiao Zheng added, "We’ve used tetracycline, sulfonamides, and other Western medicines on the child, but they didn’t work. The family also sought treatment from a TCM clinic and tried herbal medicine, but it was ineffective."

"The child’s condition is severe—persistent high fever that hasn’t subsided. Dr. Gao, you’ve mentioned before that if we encounter a difficult infectious disease, we should inform you. So, I asked Xiao Tian to invite you for a consultation."

Gao Yuan nodded slightly, his expression turning more serious. It seemed adenovirus pneumonia had indeed become a major issue. He said, "Let’s check on the patient first."

"Alright," Qiao Zheng agreed and led Gao Yuan inside.

Miao Ran was already in the ward. Seeing Gao Yuan arrive, she excitedly told the family, "The TCM doctor we invited is here."

The child’s parents, however, couldn’t share her enthusiasm. The mother sighed bitterly, "We’ve already tried TCM before, and it didn’t help."

The father also let out a sigh.

Miao Ran quickly reassured them, "But you need to know which TCM doctor you’re dealing with. This time, it’s Dr. Gao Yuan!"

Both parents froze in surprise.

The mother asked hurriedly, "Which Gao Yuan?"

The father added, "You mean the one who cured leukaemia and encephalitis?"

Miao Ran laughed, "Yes, the very same Gao Yuan who saved our county’s war hero, Su Pingchuan!"

The parents’ faces lit up with joy. They had heard of Gao Yuan’s reputation before. Now seeing that he had come all this way to treat their child, they were deeply moved. They quickly went outside to greet him, and as they stepped out of the ward, they saw Gao Yuan approaching.

The father rushed forward, grabbing Gao Yuan’s hand, and said excitedly, "Thank you, Dr. Gao!"

Gao Yuan took a step forward, about to respond politely.

But the father bypassed him entirely and grabbed Shen Congyun’s hand instead, shaking it vigorously.

Shen Congyun was completely dumbfounded.

Both Qiao Zheng and Miao Ran were stunned as well.

Shen Congyun had been filled with regret ever since missing the chance to help treat Su Pingchuan. He had resolved to follow Gao Yuan everywhere, believing that as long as he stuck close to Gao Yuan, he’d encounter significant cases. Today, he had insisted on accompanying Gao Yuan to the county. However, he hadn’t expected to be mistaken for Gao Yuan and grabbed so fervently by the child’s father.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

The father, full of gratitude, said, "Dr. Gao Yuan, I’ve heard so much about you. Your work treating Su Pingchuan is the talk of the town. Everyone says you’re a bold and skilful doctor, using four taels of Sichuan aconite and eight taels of processed aconite in a single day to save our war hero’s life during a critical moment!"

Shen Congyun could only manage an awkward smile and muttered, "I just try my best."

"Huh?" The father didn’t understand.

Qiao Zheng, thoroughly exasperated, said, "You’re grabbing the wrong hand. That’s not Gao Yuan. He’s over there."

The father turned around and saw Gao Yuan already entering the room.

Inside, Miao Ran reported the previous treatment details to Gao Yuan: "The infant had a sudden high fever on the 27th of last month and experienced two seizures. After treatment, the fever subsided, and the condition stabilised. The child was sent home for recovery but soon developed another fever, with temperatures ranging from 38.5°C to 40.3°C."

"Antipyretics brought the fever down temporarily, but it quickly returned. We administered tetracycline and sulfonamides for four days without success. The infant's coughing worsened, with audible phlegm in the throat, rapid breathing, nasal flaring, chest retractions, persistent high fever of 40–40.3°C, no sweating, irritability, dry lips, poor appetite, thirst for warm drinks, nausea, drooling, five to eight watery stools per day, and reduced urination."

Gao Yuan nodded, acknowledging the report, and knelt to examine the infant. The child, only ten months old, lay quietly in bed. At an age when he should have been active and playful, he now wore an oxygen mask, looking frail and ill.

Gao Yuan carefully observed the child. He noticed a phlegmy cough, puffiness in the face and limbs, chest and abdomen bloating, and a yellowish tinge to the swollen face. The sclera appeared blue, and the forehead was warm with slight sweating, while the hands and feet were cold.

Examining the fingerprints revealed faint markings, and the pulse was deep and soggy. A tongue examination showed a pale tongue with a greasy, dark-grey coating.

The father and Shen Congyun entered the room at this moment. The father, realising his mistake, felt deeply embarrassed. He had heard of Gao Yuan’s reputation but hadn’t expected him to be so young.

After concluding his examination, Gao Yuan furrowed his brow slightly. The child had been ill for over ten days, and his condition was severe—advanced adenovirus pneumonia.

After some thought, Gao Yuan asked, "You mentioned he had taken herbal medicine before. What formula was used?"

Miao Ran looked to the mother for confirmation.

The mother immediately replied, "We consulted Dr. Yan Qiao; as you know, his family has a long-standing reputation for traditional medicine in this county."

Hearing this, Gao Yuan glanced at Shen Congyun.

Shen Congyun, who was notoriously uncomfortable with any mention of Yan Qiao, immediately fidgeted uncomfortably. Even hearing the name "Yan Qiao" was enough to unease him.

"This is the prescription," the mother said, handing over the prior prescription sheet to Gao Yuan.

Reviewing it, Gao Yuan noted heavy doses of modified Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang and Yin Qiao San combined with Zixue Dan. Later, Qinghao Biejia Tang was modified with rhinoceros horn and Saiga antelope horn powder.

After reading, Shen Congyun exclaimed, "Even with such potent prescriptions, the fever still hasn’t subsided? It’s still at 40°C."

The mother looked distressed. "Yes, we’ve already spent a lot of money."

Shen Congyun, less skilled than Yan Qiao, turned to Gao Yuan and asked, "Dr. Gao, why didn’t these treatments lower the fever? Even rhinoceros horn and saiga antelope horn powder didn’t work."

The parents anxiously looked at Gao Yuan, their worry evident.

The mother quickly explained, "I didn’t mean to complain about the cost. As long as the child can be cured, we’re willing to spend whatever it takes. Money... we’ll find a way."

Gao Yuan, observing their modest attire, realised they weren’t wealthy and must have already strained their finances for treatment. He reassured them, "Don’t worry, I’ll do my best."

After carefully considering the prior prescription, Gao Yuan decided to use a formula combining Guizhi Renshen Tang with Erchen Tang.

Shen Congyun, puzzled, approached and asked, "After a ten-day fever, you’re still using warming therapy?"

Gao Yuan explained, "The infant’s central Yang is failing, and the lungs and stomach are unresponsive. This is a case of vital deficiency with pathogenic excess. Further use of cooling therapies would only worsen the condition. Now, we must warm and unblock the two Taiyin meridians while simultaneously opening the Taiyang meridian. Let’s proceed—prepare the medicine first, and I’ll explain more later."

"Understood." Shen Congyun, without further questions, took the prescription and headed downstairs.

The county hospital lacked a TCM pharmacy, so they relied on Li Runyu’s clinic on the ground floor for herbs. The father followed to pay and collect the medicine.

However, the group waited and waited, and neither returned.

Curious, Gao Yuan stepped out into the hallway. From the second floor, he could hear faint sounds of arguing from outside. Looking down, he saw a crowd gathered at the entrance of the clinic.

Among the commotion, he spotted Shen Congyun being shoved backward, stumbling several steps before landing on the ground with a thud.