Chapter 51: Chapter 46: Dong’s Acupoints

On the way home, Tian Xuelin looked around aimlessly.

He still couldn’t understand why Lu Jiu could tell he had hotpot yesterday just by feeling his pulse.

Tracking?

Impossible, Lu Jiu isn’t that bored.

Besides, the hotpot yesterday was a spur-of-the-moment decision with colleagues.

Could it be a coincidence?

That’s even less likely; Lu Jiu hardly ever eats hotpot, especially not at night.

It can’t be surveillance, right?

Tian Xuelin laughed, that would be the most absurd.

Ah, Chinese medicine is indeed a strange profession; I’ll have to be wary of Lu Jiu in the future. If I’m not sick, I mustn’t let him feel my pulse, or all sorts of trivial matters will be revealed, which would be embarrassing.

Beep beep beep~

“Hello, boss, I’m asking for a leave tomorrow morning.” After reaching home, Tian Xuelin dialed his department head’s number.

“What’s the matter?” asked Ma Nanping.

“Feeling a bit uncomfortable,” Tian Xuelin replied.

“Is it serious?” Ma Nanping asked.

“Mild fatty liver; it might need a long time to regulate,” Tian Xuelin replied.

“What? Fatty liver? You? Last time during our department’s health check, wasn’t your health quite good? How did you suddenly have fatty liver? Which hospital did the examination?” Ma Nanping was exceptionally surprised.

“No, it was a classmate of mine; he’s a Chinese medicine practitioner. He felt my pulse during dinner,” Tian Xuelin replied.

“Chinese medicine? Felt your pulse and diagnosed fatty liver? Xuelin, you want to take half a day off, even if there’s no reason, I’d approve it, but do you need to come up with such a flimsy excuse?” Ma Nanping cried and laughed.

“Director, it’s true; he described my symptoms perfectly. I can’t disbelieve it, not to mention, given our relationship, he definitely wouldn’t lie to me,” Tian Xuelin replied.

“I find it hard to believe that just feeling your pulse could tell you have something growing in your liver. How about I give you a two-day leave, you go to the hospital for a thorough check-up, make extra preparations to be safe, don’t let it drag on until it becomes serious, then it’s more troublesome,” Ma Nanping advised.

“Alright,” Tian Xuelin replied.

Although this director is a bit nitpicky at work, he’s quite caring towards subordinates.

Usually when there’s work, he persuades them to work overtime crazily, but once there’s no urgency, he’s lenient about clocking in.

This creates a particularly harmonious work environment in Tian Xuelin’s department.

With two days off, Tian Xuelin was a bit delighted. After hanging up, he sat in his study to play computer games.

Meanwhile, Ma Nanping, just finished his call with Tian Xuelin, was dining in a private room with Director Mao Dawei from the Cultural and Tourism Bureau beside him.

“Director Ma, who was that? I think I heard you talking about fatty liver,” Mao Dawei inquired with a smile while holding his wine glass.

Ma Nanping immediately picked up his wine glass to clink with Mao Dawei’s, skillfully lowering it half an inch below Mao Dawei’s glass, “Ah, it was our department’s Xiao Tian, he just called to request leave, saying his Chinese medicine friend diagnosed him with fatty liver. Isn’t that unfounded nonsense? I’ve seen him working hard these past two weeks, so I agreed to give him two days off to catch his breath. Usually, he’s quite slick, but today he acted a bit foolish.”

Hearing this, Mao Dawei’s already small eyes squeezed into a squint, “Which Chinese medicine practitioner was it?”

Ma Nanping smiled, “I didn’t ask, but from Xiao Tian’s tone, it should be in Jianghan. Director Mao, you didn’t believe it, did you?”

Mao Dawei replied, “Whether I believe it or not isn’t important, what matters is whether the treatment works. My brother-in-law also has fatty liver, medium severity, seen many doctors, but treatments weren’t ideal. Later found a Chinese medicine practitioner who prescribed a proprietary medicine called… San Qi Fat Granule, supposedly effective, but the fatty liver hasn’t reduced much.”

“Over the years, he’s seen numerous doctors, even at provincial hospitals, with little effect. If your department’s Xiao Tian shows improvement, let me know, otherwise, just leave it.”

Ma Nanping nodded repeatedly, “Don’t worry, if he’s not making it up, I’ll definitely report to you.”

Mao Dawei nodded and continued clinking glasses with several business bosses at the table.

…

Early the next day, Tian Xuelin headed to South Garden Road.

Back in high school, he often visited Lu Jiu here, so he’s naturally very familiar with their family clinic.

At eight forty in the morning, Tian Xuelin finally stepped into Lu’s Clinic.

Seeing him arrive, Lu Jiu threw the herbs he grabbed onto the table into the decoction pot.

“Good morning, Grandpa Lu,” Tian Xuelin greeted.

“Xuelin, heard you have fatty liver now?” Lu Mountain asked.

Tian Xuelin scratched his head, “I’ve been too careless usually.”

“Young age and you’ve ruined your body; you’ll pay for it in old age, don’t feel indifferent. When you need others to feed you and help you walk, then you’ll know how uncomfortable it is, you must take it seriously, do you hear me!” Lu Mountain spoke forcefully.

Tian Xuelin dared not utter a single protest, “Yes, yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hey, why is there a cat here?”

Lu Jiu replied, “Found it.”

Tian Xuelin stroked the cat’s head, “Quite cute, but a bit lacking in fur.”

“It had ringworm, shaved it when I brought it home,” Lu Jiu only uttered half before Tian Xuelin withdrew his hand, “but now it’s mostly healed.”

Tian Xuelin awkwardly smiled, reaching out to pet Xiao Tu’s head again, “Haha, it’s better now.”

For some reason, Xiao Tu seemed to sense Tian Xuelin’s hesitation; when he reached out again to touch it, it tilted its head, stood up, and jumped off the table, giving him no chance to approach.

After lighting the fire, Lu Jiu took a few disposable finest needles from the drawer and pointed to a small bed beside him, “Come here, lie down, and take off your pants.”

Tian Xuelin was taken aback, “Huh? Why take off pants?”

Lu Jiu explained, “For acupuncture.”

Tian Xuelin inquired, “Where?”

Lu Jiu answered, “Thigh.”

Tian Xuelin exclaimed “Oh” and then sat down on the small bed, took off his pants, and obediently lay down.

Lu Jiu then accurately targeted the central point on the inner thigh between the high bone inside the knee and the groin, inserting a needle there, and followed by two more needles each an inch ahead and behind the center.

These three needles belong to Dong’s Acupoints: Upper Three Huang, comprising Celestial Yellow, Ming Huang, and Qi Huang points, specialized in treating liver diseases.

Dong’s Acupoints aren’t part of the body’s 365 acupuncture points; they’re extra points developed recently by an acupuncturist named Dong Jingchang.

Lu Jiu wasn’t initially proficient in this technique, but recently acquired the leg acupuncture method from Dong’s Acupoints, making it perfect for use on Tian Xuelin.

Of course, besides acupuncture, Lu Jiu prepared a prescription for Tian Xuelin named Liver Detox and Cooling Formula.

Tian Xuelin often engages in social events and easily holds stress at work, naturally leading to liver dysfunction, excessive damp heat, phlegm turbidity obstruction, with fatty liver being a substantial manifestation of these symptoms.

Liver Detox and Cooling Formula contains gentiana, Baical Skullcap to cleanse liver meridian damp heat, Plantago, Alisma, Akebia to eliminate damp heat through urination, Bupleurum Root, licorice to soothe liver and relieve stress, Danggui, Radix Rehmanniae to nourish blood and liver, gardenia fruit to protect liver and promote bile flow; this whole formula works together to clear heat, remove dampness, soothe liver and regulate circulation.

The herbal formula effectively clears the liver yet has two shortcomings, one is not tonifying the spleen, the other is not regulating bowel movements.

Treating the liver presents two issues: firstly, preventing liver disease transmission to the spleen, hence during liver treatment, protecting the spleen and stomach prevents further liver degeneration. Secondly, restoring liver’s dispersing function, Liver Detox and Cooling Formula disperses but lacks draining, providing only some urinary relief. Therefore, another area to address is the intestines.

The large intestine appears independent but its excretory function actually aligns with the liver; bodily excretion functions are referred to as liver in Chinese medicine, similar to how spleen governs transformation; organ transformation processes are termed spleen alike.

Tian Xuelin suffers from constipation, undeniably signaling liver draining dysfunction.

Hence, if you don’t approach based on functional perspectives regarding Five Viscera, grasping disease treatment opportunities is challenging.

Considering these issues, Lu Jiu added three more herbs to the Liver Detox and Cooling Formula: Poria, Hawthorn, Arborvitae Seed.

Poria and Hawthorn are self-explanatory; these herbs promote spleen digestion and easing food stagnation, Hawthorn also dissolves stasis, Arborvitae Seed moistens intestines, regulates bowel movement, nourishes heart and calms the mind.

With acupuncture and herbal prescription, Lu Jiu employed all these measures…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep