CHAPTER 356: 332 TUMORS DISAPPEAR

Zhu Fanmin left without saying anything.

His receding figure looked much more hunched than before, no longer as tall and straight.

When Du Heng went to work the next day, he was still thinking about Zhu Fanmin’s departure.

Du Heng knew Zhu Minyan’s family. They weren’t wealthy but had enough to eat and drink, probably with tens of thousands in savings. With a relative like Secretary Zhu Fanmin, an influential figure, and Zhu Minyan herself admitted to Qingbei University, her family lived quite comfortably and with a great deal of prestige.

But now, this illness, malignant lymphoma, was likely to drain their entire family’s finances, perhaps even those of their relatives.

Even if they could get reimbursement, it would probably be more than their family could bear.

Chemotherapy isn’t something a farmer’s family can afford.

It was truly a case of twenty years of painstaking effort, all for nothing—back to where they started.

Wang Shuqiu had returned the previous night, and Du Heng was so overjoyed that he hadn’t paid attention to his phone, so he didn’t even realize it had run out of battery and shut down.

After charging his phone and turning it on, he saw several missed calls from Ms. Zhou.

Du Heng put aside Zhu Minyan’s situation and quickly called Ms. Zhou back.

There was nothing urgent; Ms. Zhou just informed Du Heng that the matter hadn’t been resolved and another hearing would be held in a week.

Just as he hung up, Gu Ping, the "little assistant" from Provincial First Hospital, called, his voice filled with excitement.

"Mr. Du, please come quickly! It’s great news!"

"Slow down. What happened?"

"Xue Yiwen is back for a follow-up examination!" Gu Ping’s voice trembled with excitement.

But Du Heng was stunned. Xue Yiwen? Who’s that? Why would his return for a follow-up make Gu Ping so excited?

"Who is Xue Yiwen?"

"Mr. Du, have you forgotten? He’s the patient with gastric lesser curvature cancer, the one who took the medicine you prescribed and never returned."

Du Heng slowly began to recall: a cancer patient sitting in the sunlight, flatly refusing treatment.

However, it had been almost two months, and he had vanished without a trace after they had met only once. Who would still remember him?

"So he’s back. What’s all the excitement about? If you have this much free time, you should be finishing the task I assigned you last week. Tomorrow is Wednesday, and I’ll be asking about it when I get to work."

"I know, Mr. Du, it’s just... that... Oh, I’m all flustered, I’m so excited! Xue Yiwen’s tumor is gone!"

Du Heng stopped abruptly, then quickly asked, "What do you mean?"

"Xue Yiwen—his tumor on the lesser curvature of his stomach is gone."

"Completely?" Du Heng was also getting excited now.

"Almost. There’s just a tiny shadow left; it’s practically completely gone."

"Alright, wait for me. Don’t let him leave. I’ll be there right away."

Du Heng found Wu Buwei, and once again, they drove to Provincial First Hospital in Wu Buwei’s car.

After prescribing medication for Xue Yiwen, Du Heng knew from the system’s feedback that it was effective. However, since the patient didn’t return for a follow-up, he had no further data.

He knew the medicine was effective, but he wasn’t sure about the extent of its effectiveness or whether it had met his expectations. He even suspected the system might have registered it simply because the drug had effectively controlled the tumor’s spread.

Now, Xue Yiwen’s reappearance, bringing such exciting news, gave Du Heng a much deeper understanding of the prescription he had formulated.

Digestion Department 1, Provincial First Hospital, Director’s Office.

There was an extra desk in the office, specially prepared for Du Heng.

After Xu Pinglin processed Du Heng’s external employment paperwork, this desk had been moved in.

Before this, Du Heng had only sat there once, on the day he signed the contract.

At this moment, Du Heng was meticulously examining the inspection sheet in his hand, reading it word by word.

Xu Pinglin sat in the chair opposite him, smiling, his hands clasped over his abdomen. His face was brimming with an enigmatic smile, a mix of pride and restraint.

Xu Pinglin wanted to laugh, to laugh out loud, to laugh with abandon.

Not long ago, the other two Gastroenterology Departments, and even the hospital administration, had their eyes on his department’s Deputy Director position; everyone wanted a piece of the pie.

Du Heng’s arrival had disrupted their plans.

Because of this, even though Du Heng was already an externally employed consulting physician in the Chinese Medicine Department, Xu Pinglin had faced ridicule when processing Du Heng’s paperwork. They mocked his Digestion Department 1 for declining to the level of the Chinese Medicine Department, even needing to externally hire a deputy director from a Health Clinic.

But now?

In just one month, outpatient visits to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic had doubled. Especially on Wednesdays, the patient volume for a single consultation room peaked at 143.

The clinic was originally scheduled to open at 8:00 AM, but Du Heng and the others now had to start at 7:30 AM.

It wasn’t for any other reason than the sheer volume of outpatients, forcing them to start earlier to gain a little more time.

Moreover, the number of inpatients in the Chinese Medicine Department had also more than doubled compared to before. Even the female deputy director, who was always causing a stir, now obediently assisted Du Heng and had to consult him when she encountered problems she couldn’t handle.

Now, finally, it was Digestion Department 1’s turn to shine, to hold their heads high.

Gastric lesser curvature cancer—disappeared!

This was an achievement sufficient to make the other two Gastroenterology Departments, as well as the Oncology Department, lose face.

Now, as long as he could find a few more patients with this condition for Du Heng to treat, to further test and refine his prescriptions, his department could become famous within Provincial First Hospital, in Jinzhou, perhaps even nationwide.

Even if Du Heng’s prescriptions weren’t always effective, there were still his surgical skills.

If the two of them cooperated well, they could become leading experts in the treatment of gastric cancer.

This was true integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine!

Xu Pinglin was ecstatic, and the entire department shared his excitement.

They were keenly aware of the importance of this disease record.

The doctors preparing for their deputy senior qualification exams were especially thrilled, almost trembling with excitement.

Not only had they secured their positions post-promotion, but they also saw a bright future ahead.

If they could truly make breakthroughs in treating gastric cancer, the reputation would be immense.

They could definitely achieve their dreams: a new car every year, a new house every three years, and a new wife every five years.

In the office, Du Heng finally finished reading the two thin pages of the report.

He let out a long breath and turned his gaze to Xue Yiwen, who was sitting upright and tense across from him.

At this moment, Xue Yiwen was both apprehensive and excited.

"Why didn’t you come back for a follow-up after being discharged?"

"I had already given up. I just wanted to spend some good time with my wife and children."

"Have you been taking the medicine continuously?"

"Yes, I’ve been taking it continuously."

Du Heng smiled. "You said you’d given up, so why did you continue taking the medicine?"

Xue Yiwen also smiled. "After taking the medicine you prescribed in the hospital, the pain eased slightly. When I went home, Director Xu gave me several more doses, and I continued to take them as you both instructed.

Gradually, the pain lessened, and my appetite slowly improved. But I thought it was a final resurgence before death, so I didn’t come for an examination. When the medicine ran out, I’d go to the outpatient service to get more, using your prescription."

"And they actually dared to fill this prescription of mine for you?"

"I was quite curious about that too. I remember Director Xu mentioning that the prescription I was taking was highly toxic. Yet, every time I went to the Chinese Medicine Department for the medicine, they would examine the prescription, ask me a few concerned questions, and then dispense it."

The Chinese Medicine Department?!!!

Du Heng and Xu Pinglin exchanged a look; they understood what had happened.

That prescription had been intensely discussed in the Chinese Medicine Department at the time, especially by Li Jianwei’s students, whom he had tasked with writing detailed analyses of it.

Besides, Digestion Department 1 had already dispensed over ten courses of this medicine, so they felt no psychological burden in prescribing it again.

His gaze returning to Xue Yiwen, Du Heng continued, "So, what made you decide to come for an examination today?"

"After taking it for two months, my stomach no longer hurt, and I could eat more. I figured that even if it were a final resurgence, this one was unusually strong and lasting far too long." Xue Yiwen smiled again. "Suddenly, I remembered what Director Xu had told me—that it was possible the medicine I was taking had actually cured me. So, I mustered the courage to come for an examination."

"Well, you weren’t disappointed, were you?"

"Not at all! I’m overjoyed. When I received the inspection sheet, I was so excited I nearly fainted. I even went to find the radiologist specifically, and he confirmed it was true, no mistake."

A final resurgence? Quite an interesting thought.

"Judging from the scans, there doesn’t seem to be any major problem. You’ve recovered very well. Come, give me your hand. Let me examine you again."

"Thank you, Doctor Du."

After the examination, Du Heng smiled and said, "No problems at all."

"Doctor Du, how should I proceed with treatment? Should I continue taking this medicine?"

"Continue taking it, but only for one more week. After that, we must change the medication. Also, I asked you to drink sophora wood ear boiled with tea. Have you been doing that?"

Xue Yiwen nodded vigorously. "Yes, I’ve been drinking it continuously. Director Xu instructed me that it was for detoxification, so I never dared to stop."

"That’s good. Don’t stop; just drink it like regular tea. Alright, go with Doctor Gu to get the medicine. This time, just five doses will be enough—one dose per day. No more than that."

Xue Yiwen stood up, thanked them profusely, and followed Gu Ping out of the room.

Once Xue Yiwen had left, Xu Pinglin also stood up. "It’s almost noon. Let’s go eat. We absolutely must celebrate properly today." As he spoke, he was already taking off his white gown.

Du Heng didn’t decline, as he happened to have something to discuss with Xu Pinglin.

However, when they arrived at the restaurant, Xu Pinglin’s wife, Deputy Director Liu Shengnan, was also there.

At this moment, Du Heng suddenly realized that he now knew two women named Shengnan.

He couldn’t help but start comparing them.

But after some comparison, there seemed to be no real similarities. The name Shengnan hadn’t bestowed any particular ’BUFF’ on either of these women; they were much like any other. Well, perhaps there was a slight difference. Wu Shengnan was an ingrate, quick to turn on people. Liu Shengnan, on the other hand, was alright; her attitude towards Du Heng was quite good.

The meal was enjoyable for everyone, and it truly seemed the couple had specially invited Du Heng.

But as it was concluding, Liu Shengnan suddenly touched her slightly, almost imperceptibly, protruding lower abdomen and said, "Doctor Du, my stomach has been feeling a bit uncomfortable lately. Could you take a look for me?"