Meanwhile, Song Zihe, still puzzled, turned back to look at the child. The little boy had already woken up, his big eyes wide open, looking around curiously. He was very quiet, unlike most children who would burst into tears when they were in unfamiliar surroundings or saw unfamiliar people.
Song Zihe stared blankly into the little boy's deep, bright eyes, momentarily stunned. The child's expression evoked an overwhelming sense of warmth within him. He thought that if his son, Song Qiang, hadn't died, he would surely have a grandson just like this child in a few years.
The little boy suddenly grinned at Song Zihe, his smile radiant as if he had seen a long-lost relative. This smile captivated Song Zihe, making him almost lose control. He reached out and grasped the little boy's chubby hand, saying affectionately, "Do you know me? You seem so familiar to me!"
"Grandpa!" the little boy called out timidly, his childish voice carrying a hint of confident loudness.
"Good boy! What a polite child!" Song Zihe replied happily. His eyes were slightly moist; how wonderful it would be if this child were his grandson.
"Tell Grandpa, what's your name?" Song Zihe asked kindly.
"Haohao!" the little boy called out, then sat up abruptly, looking around as if searching for his parents.
"Your parents had to leave first, but they'll come to pick you up in a few days. Would you like to stay with Grandpa for a few days?" Song Zihe said hurriedly, afraid that if Hao Hao started crying, it would be difficult to handle.
"Mom!" Hao Hao called out pitifully, glanced at Song Zihe, and stubbornly held back his tears.
Seeing this, Song Zihe was greatly surprised. What a special child! He had managed to hold back his tears in front of strangers, which showed his remarkable resilience. He quickly found an object for him to play with and brought him a plate of candy to distract him from his longing for his parents.
Children are naturally happy when they have food and toys. Song Zihe felt relieved; it seemed this child was indeed easy to take care of.
However, after coaxing Hao Hao to sleep, Song Zihe sat there, troubled. The child was too young, and he had to see patients during the day, leaving him no time to care for Hao Hao. Why would his parents abandon this young child and leave in secret? What urgent matter must have occurred to make them do such a thing? They had never met before, and this was completely unexpected.
Song Zihe sensed something was amiss, but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. He shook his head, sighed helplessly, and resigned himself to the fact that he would have to wait a while until the couple came to take the child away.
Nothing happened that night.
The next morning, Song Zihe found a middle-aged woman, known as Aunt Wang, and asked her to take care of Hao Hao during the day. He explained that a distant relative had an emergency and had no choice but to send the child to stay with them for a while. Song Zihe was a kind and amiable man with excellent medical skills, respected by all the neighbors. As soon as he explained his situation, Aunt Wang readily agreed and took Hao Hao to her home.
Five or six days passed, and the couple still hadn't come to pick up their child. Song Zihe began to panic. Had something happened to the couple? What would they do if this continued?
Another half month passed, and there was still no news from the couple; it seemed they weren't coming back. Song Zihe regretted not memorizing the car's license plate number; otherwise, it would have been a clue. When asked about his parents' names and address, Hao Hao shook his head blankly, not knowing. He was too young to understand such things. Hao Hao had been quite well-behaved these days, neither crying nor fussing. When he missed his parents terribly, he would sit quietly to the side, ignoring everyone, just stubbornly holding back his tears. It was pitiful to see, yet one couldn't help but admire his resilience at such a young age.
Chapter Three: Everything Can Be Medicine
A month passed, and the couple seemed to have vanished forever, as if they had never been there. Song Zihe's hopes finally turned into disappointment. He knew that something must have happened to the couple, otherwise they wouldn't have abandoned such a lovely child with him. Helpless, Song Zihe began to plan how to raise Hao Hao.
"You child, could it be that we are destined to be together? Did Heaven send you here?" Song Zihe murmured to himself, gazing at the sleeping Hao Hao. He seemed to see a hope in Hao Hao, a hope that the Song family's medical skills could be passed down. A look of surprise shone in Song Zihe's eyes, for this child gave him a strong feeling that he was a promising candidate for medicine.
"You, an orphan abandoned by your parents, will take my surname and be called Song Hao. I will train you to become an outstanding physician. My Song family's medical skills have been passed down for fourteen generations, and we really need you, little fellow, to inherit them!" Song Zihe said excitedly. On this ordinary evening, he made this decision, which also determined the birth of a famous doctor in the future.
From then on, whenever he had free time, Song Zihe would teach Song Hao to memorize some traditional Chinese medicine rhymes, such as "The Rhyme of Decoctions" and "The Rhyme of Medicinal Properties," as well as the Song family's proven prescriptions, which Song Zihe also compiled into rhymes that were easy to recite and remember.
Traditional Chinese medicine rhymes are the experiential wisdom of physicians throughout history. Medical theory is vast and complex, and certain fundamental knowledge and skills must be memorized to ensure proficiency and ease of application in clinical practice. Rhymes, compiling essential elements, serve as a resource for aspiring physicians to memorize. This is a fundamental skill in learning traditional Chinese medicine, and all renowned practitioners have undergone this process. A single rhyme, resembling a poem, can encapsulate the composition, efficacy, and indications of a prescription, sometimes even using just one or two characters to express multiple meanings—a testament to the wonder of the Chinese language.
Every night, the innocent voices of children could be heard from the Heian-do Hall.
"The Four Gentlemen Decoction is harmonious and righteous, containing ginseng, atractylodes, poria, and licorice. Adding pinellia and tangerine peel makes it the Six Gentlemen Decoction, which eliminates phlegm, replenishes qi, and tonifies yang deficiency..."
"Rhinoceros horn relieves heart heat, antelope horn clears lung and liver heat. Alisma promotes urination and relieves strangury while replenishing yin deficiency, seaweed disperses goiter and breaks up qi stagnation, making hernia treatment easy..."
True TCM education should begin in early childhood. While this is challenging, as ordinary families lack the advantages and resources of those with medical backgrounds, most renowned doctors come from established families. Although some unwavering individuals become self-taught and forge their own path, the influence of the family environment is crucial for a physician's development. Traditional TCM education follows a traditional model: family instruction and master-disciple mentorship. This unique learning atmosphere, through constant exposure and instruction, allows students to gradually grasp the essence and mysteries of TCM. Conversely, some superficial learners, despite spending their entire lives in the medical field, never truly understand TCM.
More than a year passed, and there was still no news of Song Hao's parents, as if they had never come at all. Song Hao was a gift from heaven to Song Zihe. Song Zihe had worried before, that perhaps one day Song Hao's parents would suddenly appear and take him away, and Song Zihe would truly be reluctant to part with him. Later, he came to terms with it; even if Song Hao's parents appeared, he would beg them to let Song Hao stay and learn medicine from him. Song Zihe believed he could persuade them, and his heart felt at ease. In fact, he also knew in his heart that even if Song Hao's parents didn't come, his family would definitely come looking for Song Hao and make him acknowledge his ancestors. In any case, this child, whom he had already taken as his grandson, was the successor of his Song family's medical skills, because he felt that this child had an innate talent for medicine, and was the good apprentice he had longed for.
Everyone in Baihe Town knew that Song Hao was a child adopted by Song Zihe from a relative's family, assuming he was adopted out of wedlock. No one knew the real reason behind it. As time passed, no one mentioned it anymore. Song Hao had long since come to believe that he was Song Zihe's biological grandson and had completely forgotten about his mysterious origins.
In his spare time, Song Zihe would hold Song Hao and teach him to identify the Chinese herbs in the medicine cabinet: angelica, white peony root, rehmannia root, gardenia fruit… explaining their properties, meridians, and their hot, cold, warm, and cool natures, all while referring to the "Pharmacopoeia of Herbs" that Song Hao had previously memorized. It didn't matter how much he could remember or understand; the important thing was to give him an impression. Children are innocent and focused, especially around three or four years old, which is the best time for them to memorize things. For example, when families teach children to recite Tang poems and nursery rhymes, children learn extremely quickly; adults might recite them casually once, and the child can remember the gist. Early childhood education is crucial for a child's future success.
Song Hao was quite clever; he had long forgotten his parents' existence and regarded Song Zihe as his grandfather. He learned things extremely quickly; Song Zihe only needed to explain a few times, and he would remember it without needing much explanation. Seeing this, Song Zihe was overjoyed. This Song Hao was much easier to teach than his own deceased son, Song Qiang, had been as a child. Due to Song Hao's unexpected arrival, Song Zihe's grief over losing his son gradually faded; time is perhaps the best healer.
When Song Hao was five or six years old, he had already memorized the traditional Chinese medicine rhymes and poems. Song Zihe then began teaching him to recite classic chapters from texts like the *Huangdi Neijing* and *Shanghan Lun*, regardless of Song Hao's understanding. He forced him to memorize them. In particular, Song Zihe made sure Song Hao memorized the original texts of the twelve meridians in the *Huangdi Neijing*. This foundation laid in the *Huangdi Neijing* played an immeasurable role in Song Hao's later development into a renowned physician.
Inside the Ping An Hall was a plastic acupuncture model, marked with acupoints all over the human body. Song Zihe taught Song Hao to recognize them. The acupuncture model was like a toy, something that had previously piqued Song Hao's interest; he often disassembled and played with the arms and legs. Unexpectedly, the small dots on the lines were also something he could learn. He learned quickly, mastering the Twelve Meridians of the Hand and Foot, such as the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin and the Liver Meridian of Foot-Jueyin—merchandises he had already memorized. Connecting theory with practice, memorizing the rows of acupoint names was quite easy. Song Zihe watched with delight; all his passion and hope were poured into Song Hao, a source of solace in his later years.
After Song Hao became familiar with the hundreds of Chinese herbs sold at Ping An Tang, he began taking Song Zihe with him whenever they went to the county town to purchase herbs from the herbal medicine company. This was because the herbal medicine company's warehouse contained thousands of kinds of herbs, including some rare and uncommon ones. At that time, herbal medicine companies were common throughout the country and were the only channel for individual traditional Chinese medicine clinics to purchase herbs. Later, the herbal medicine market was liberalized, and herbal medicine dealers from several major producing areas flocked in, leading to the closure and dissolution of the herbal medicine companies. In a market economy, there is no longer any reason for a single company to dominate.
Standing in the warehouse of the medicinal herb company, Song Hao's eyes were opened, as he freely explored this sea of Chinese medicinal herbs. Song Zihe was a major customer of the company and was already familiar with the employees. Several veteran pharmacists had long heard that Song Zihe had a grandson who, at the age of five or six, could identify hundreds of Chinese medicinal herbs. They were all delighted with Song Hao's intelligence and allowed him to identify herbs in the warehouse. They tested Song Hao several times, asking him to identify dozens of herbs, and he answered correctly each time, astonishing the veteran pharmacists. After many visits, Song Hao had identified all the herbs in the warehouse. This extraordinary ability to identify and remember herbs, appearing in a child, only earned him admiration and praise. Later, he even earned the nickname "Little Herb King."
As Song Hao grew a few more years and became able to walk longer distances, Song Zihe took him to the mountains near Baihe Town to collect medicinal herbs. Sometimes they would even venture to Wansongling, allowing him to identify the wild herbs and gather fresh ones suitable for medicinal use. Wansongling was a natural treasure trove of medicinal herbs, boasting thousands of medicinal plants and insects. At this time, a concept took root in Song Hao's young mind: everything is medicine! This concept of everything being medicine is one of the essences and core tenets of Traditional Chinese Medicine; it all depends on how the physician perceives and uses it.
Whenever Song Hao watched Song Zihe treat patients at Ping'an Hall, he gradually realized that the things his grandfather had taught him could relieve people's suffering. He vaguely sensed that he too would one day engage in this "sacred" work, just like his grandfather. Although the meaning of "sacred" was still unclear to Song Hao at this time, he knew it was a remarkable thing, because he also wanted to be a remarkable person, a person respected by everyone, just like his grandfather.
As I learned more about medicines, I naturally learned more characters, and I could read medical books, though not with a deep understanding. Sometimes I could even explain the reasons behind them.
One day, the Ping An Hall was filled with patients waiting for their appointments. Song Hao had just entered from outside when a middle-aged man recognized him as Song Zihe's grandson and jokingly said, "Little miracle doctor, please take a look at my illness. There are too many people, and your grandfather can't wait any longer."
Song Hao looked up at the middle-aged man and said, "Dark complexion, weak voice, kidney deficiency! Sexual dysfunction."
Chapter Four: Superb Finger Strength
When Song Hao turned seven, he was old enough to start school, so he enrolled in a primary school in Baihe Town. Song Hao had previously learned to memorize the names of medicinal herbs, and he had almost mastered all the Chinese characters, surpassing even the school's language arts teacher.
Once, Song Hao mischievously wrote the two characters "葳蕤" and went to his homeroom teacher, Chinese teacher Wang, to have them identified. Poor teacher Wang looked at it for a long time but really couldn't recognize it. Embarrassed, he scratched his head and said helplessly, "Well… how about I check the dictionary and tell you?"
"It's the name of a medicine called Wei Rui!" After saying that, Song Hao ran off with a grin.
"This child! No wonder he is Doctor Song's grandson! He is very knowledgeable!" Teacher Wang was not angry at all, but praised him sincerely.
Later, after observing Song Hao for a while, Teacher Wang found Song Zihe and said, "Song Hao's abilities are not up to par. It would be a waste of time for him to continue in the first grade. Why not let him skip to the second grade?"
"Okay!" Song Zihe nodded. He then went with Teacher Wang to find the school principal. The principal had also visited Song Zihe's Ping'an Hall for medical treatment, so they were acquaintances. Hearing Song Zihe and Teacher Wang's explanation, the principal summoned Song Hao for an assessment. Finally, he clapped his hands and decided, "This child is truly remarkable! He can skip to the second grade then."
As a result, Song Hao skipped to the third grade after studying in the second grade for less than half a year.
At this time, Song Zihe had already begun teaching Song Hao acupuncture. He first found a thick-skinned watermelon and solemnly said, "The true essence of our Song family's medical practice lies in acupuncture. You've probably read the *Huangdi Neijing* (Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic) twice, even if you only skimmed through it. More than half of its content is about acupuncture. The wonder of acupuncture lies in its simplicity, speed, and responsiveness. True acupuncture isn't just about randomly finding the acupoints and inserting a needle; the key is the technique of applying the needles. And the success or failure of this technique depends on the finger strength you develop over time. My Song family's ancestral secret technique—the Nine Needles for Resuscitation—cannot achieve such life-saving effects without a certain level of finger strength."
As Song Zihe finished speaking, he took out a three-inch-long acupuncture needle and casually inserted it into the thick-skinned watermelon. His technique was light and agile, as if piercing tofu. Keep in mind that the watermelon was only partially ripe, its skin tough and chewy; even Song Hao would have struggled to cut it with a knife, let alone with that slender needle. Song Hao was astonished; today he truly witnessed his grandfather's acupuncture prowess. Before, when he saw his grandfather inserting needles into patients, he thought it was something anyone could do, since it seemed so casual.