CHAPTER 441: CHAPTER 440: FAMILIARITY

The woman in her forties was fair-skinned and charming. She must have been a beauty in her youth, and Beisitian felt a sense of familiarity because she resembled Luo Jiali by about seventy percent!

I believe that in another twenty years, Luo Jiali will look just like her.

"This is Xiao Zhou, Zhou Wenwen. Before you came, she was the youngest in our department; she’s thirty-two this year. This is Luo Xinfang, you can call her Sister Luo. Like me, she can apply for early retirement in two years. And this is our new recruit, Xiao Bei, Beisitian!"

At work, calling someone brother or sister is a formal title. If the age difference is too large, you might feel calling them brother or sister is inappropriate, so you can call them master, which also shows respect.

Zhou Wenwen had light makeup on her face, with her shoulder-length hair cascading down, almond-shaped eyes, and willow eyebrows. Her small face was the size of a palm, looking like a Southern woman. She smiled and said, "I didn’t expect that before retirement, I could shake off the title of the youngest, but you are too young. At your age, people are usually still interning, yet you’ve already gotten a permanent position."

Beisitian smiled at these words, noticing that Zhou Wenwen either had a straightforward personality or didn’t fear offending others.

Luo Xinfang wasn’t very sociable, merely smiling at Beisitian.

Beisitian looked at Luo Xinfang and politely asked, "Sister Luo, do you know Luo Jiali?"

Luo Xinfang was taken aback by the name, raised her head to look at Beisitian, and said, "That’s my niece. Do you know Jiali?"

Beisitian realized and smiled, saying, "No wonder there’s such a resemblance. Jiali and I were colleagues in the health team of the 119th Division where I used to be."

Luo Xinfang was even more surprised and muttered, "How did that child end up there? Do my brother and sister-in-law know? It’s really reckless!"

Beisitian sensed there might be some hidden story behind this, but since she wasn’t familiar with Luo Xinfang, she thought it best not to inquire further.

"We have a total of five doctors in our TCM department, and now with you, six. Additionally, there’s a specially appointed associate professor from the Capital Medical Research Institute who visits on Thursdays and Fridays for half a day, but not every week. Of course, they don’t come here; a special consultation room has been set up in the surgical building," Shi Hongxing said.

Compared to other departments, the TCM department is much simpler, with mostly older staff and no internal conflicts. Everyone chats and sees patients every day; the days pass quickly, and by retirement age, one can open a small clinic independently. Having the 232 Military District Hospital’s title means not worrying about making a living.

Everyone harbors this thought, after all, difficult diseases seldom arrive at their door. Most people come here for body conditioning.

"It’s quite leisurely here; usually, no complex ailments come in. With complicated cases, we wouldn’t dare treat them; we’d risk delaying the patient’s recovery," Zhou Wenwen said while pouring water from the thermos.

Beisitian sat silently, realizing that these people didn’t seem ambitious, yet she could understand their perspective. She had seen imaging scans where internal changes were visually evident, although the error margin was significant, still less than with TCM.

Moreover, many ailments progress rapidly, risking delay if treated with TCM.

Though Beisitian didn’t want to admit it, the reality was as it stood, forcing her acknowledgment.

Beisitian wasn’t disheartened; each system has its strengths and advantages. TCM might not rival Western medicine in some areas, yet there are fields where Western medicine is unmatched.

Beisitian understood well that becoming a Mystic Doctor remains rare and can’t be widely spread.

Suddenly, Zhou Wenwen remembered something and said, "Should we add another table, Brother? Since there’s only one in diagnostics room one, how about adding it there?"

Actually, a room with one large table is made of two tables combined, thus having two diagnosing doctors.

Looking at Beisitian showing puzzlement, glancing between her and Shi Hongxing, Zhou Wenwen smiled and explained, "We aren’t siblings. His surname is Shi, so we call him Brother Shi because calling him Brother Shi is awkward. It’s easier to call him Brother Shi Hongxing."

Beisitian laughed, following suit in calling him Brother Shi Hongxing.

The TCM department saw only three patients the whole morning; two were for menstrual regulation, and one had gastrointestinal issues, seeking a few doses of herbal medicine.

Conditioning is long-term and requires several treatments to show effects. The effectiveness also depends on individual bodies; if one absorbs medication well, the result is quick, varying from person to person.

Watching them diagnose and prescribe, Beisitian found each with unique expertise and rich experience in practicing medicine.

The herbal and Western medicine dispensaries are separate, both located in the ground-floor lobby with dedicated cabinets for herbs. Beisitian was surprised to see some prescribed herbs already prepared.

Zhou Wenwen took out a palm-sized dark brown herbal soup, sealed in a plastic bag, "Isn’t there such herbal medicine in Anding City?"

Noticing Beisitian’s gaze remained fixed on the medicine bag, Zhou Wenwen added, "This is medicine I take, also prescribed by the 232 Military District Hospital."

Beisitian shook her head.

Zhou Wenwen looked at Beisitian as if she was a country bumpkin, "Small hospitals usually don’t have it; this is a kind of patent Chinese medicine, pre-cooked, directly drinkable once opened, or can be heated."

Patent Chinese medicine is now available in big hospitals, so it’s normal that Beisitian hadn’t seen it before, being from out of town.

"May I taste it?" Beisitian asked as she watched Zhou Wenwen heat the medicine bag in a pot.

Zhou Wenwen chuckled; though tasting delicacies is usual, testing medicine was a first!

Seeing Beisitian’s genuine curiosity, once the medicine was heated, Zhou Wenwen tore open the bag, poured some into her cup, and said, "It’s not good to drink medicine without cause, just taste it."

Beisitian took a sip and tasted various Chinese herbal flavors at the tip of her tongue. However, compared to fresh brewed herbs, the efficacy was much reduced, and there seemed to be quite a bit of residue; glancing at Zhou Wenwen’s medicine bag, some black sediment remained inside.

"The efficacy is greatly reduced," Beisitian frowned and said.

Shi Hongxing sighed, "Nothing can be done, TCM’s social standing is waning. It’s imperative to adapt; as lives get busier, Western medicine can be gulped down with a sip of water, while TCM requires lengthy brewing. Who has the time! Although the efficacy of these medicine bags is lower, they’re convenient, widely praised, and gradually gaining popularity."

Beisitian nodded silently, confirming this indeed.

TCM is adapting, innovating, lest it be forgotten faster by society.