After considering it for a while, Song Zihe shook his head and politely declined Mi Changli's offer, citing his old age and lack of strength. The patients who came to Ping'an Hall for treatment were mostly poor families from rural areas. The low price of traditional Chinese medicine was affordable for them; minor illnesses could be resolved for a few dozen or a hundred yuan. If they went to the hospital, in addition to the expensive medical fees, a series of tests would cost several hundred yuan before even seeing any medicine, although sometimes necessary tests were still required. In most cases, however, the doctors in the hospital directed the patients, and unnecessary tests were performed under the guise of legitimacy. Often, once in the hospital, the patient had no choice. In such situations, doctors, for the sake of profit, also had no choice. Therefore, to reduce the burden on the patients who trusted him and came specifically to him, Song Zihe declined Mi Changli's offer.
"Well... Lao Song, you'd better think it over. I'll wait for your reply in a couple of days." Mi Changli chuckled awkwardly, then left dejectedly with a displeased expression. A bureau chief like him had been humiliated; he was truly upset.
Mi Changli had already selected a site for his hospital in Baihe Town and construction was underway. Once completed, without renowned doctors practicing there, while the hospital could sustain itself financially, making a fortune in the short term would be difficult. Mi Changli, "condescending" to visit Song Zihe at Ping'an Hall twice more, was politely refused each time. Later, Mi Changli sent several intermediaries to persuade Song Zihe, explaining the situation, but Song Zihe remained unmoved. This angered Mi Changli.
"You old fool! You won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences! Don't you know I'm in charge of you?" Mi Changli said angrily.
So, taking advantage of an annual inspection, Mi Changli confiscated Ping An Tang's medical license, claiming that Song Zihe did not have a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner's certificate, which did not comply with national regulations, and therefore the license was invalid.
It's also because Song Zihe never obtained a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner's license. When he founded Ping'an Hall, the then-director of the health bureau saw Song Zihe's superb medical skills, his practice of treating patients in seclusion in the countryside, and how his medicine always cured illnesses. The director marveled at his miraculous skills, thinking it was a pity that he was traveling around the countryside to practice medicine. So, he gave Song Zihe special treatment and granted him the first individual medical practice license in the county, which led to the establishment of Ping'an Hall, which continues to this day. Unexpectedly, he offended Mi Changli, who seized on this as leverage.
A renowned doctor, now stripped of his medical license—how ridiculous! Song Zihe knew Mi Changli was settling a personal score, but the law was being enforced with sound reasoning, leaving no room for argument. Left with no other option, Song Zihe wrote an application to reapply for his medical license, much to the astonishment of everyone in the Health Bureau. People soon understood the reason; some felt sympathy, but no one could help him, because it was a one-man show, where the top official had the final say. The application vanished without a trace, tossed into the wastebasket by Mi Changli.
Song Zihe was a skilled doctor, but he was unaware of the wickedness of human nature and did not heed the advice of wise people. He knew that if he wanted to make a living as a doctor, he couldn't afford to offend Director Mi. So he continued to treat patients at Ping An Tang and waited for a reply from above.
Song Hao, however, didn't take the matter seriously. He believed that with his grandfather's skills, there was no reason for him to be prevented from practicing medicine. He thought that Mi Changli was just deliberately making things difficult for them, and the medical license would eventually be returned to Ping An Tang. The grandfather and grandson were both focused on studying medicine and were oversimplifying the matter.
On this day, Song Zihe and Song Hao were seeing patients in Ping'an Hall, with more than a dozen patients sitting next to them waiting for their turn.
Suddenly, a creaking sound came from outside the door, and a police car stopped in front of Ping An Tang. Four police officers in uniform got out of the car.
Upon entering the room, a policeman with a gloomy face looked around and said coldly, "Do you have a medical license? Let me see it. Someone reported you for practicing medicine without a license here."
These words shocked everyone.
Song Zihe sighed inwardly, already knowing what had happened. Even if someone was practicing medicine without a license, the Health Bureau's Medical Administration Department would first investigate. The fact that the police came directly to his door meant that Mi Changli was using coercive tactics to force him to comply.
Song Zihe's guess was correct. The policeman in charge was a relative of Mi Changli named Zhang Wu. He had come on orders to scare Song Zihe and force him to join his hospital as a doctor.
"No way, how could Ping An Tang not have a medical license? You must be mistaken!" a middle-aged man waiting for his turn asked in surprise.
Zhang Wu glared at the middle-aged man, who immediately lowered his head in fright and dared not utter another sound. The other patients were all ordinary people, and seeing Zhang Wu's arrogant attitude, they avoided him like the plague, so none of them dared to speak.
"Ping An Tang has been in Baihe Town for over twenty years, how could someone report us? Someone must be making trouble out of nothing! Framed us!" Song Hao said angrily. Only then did he realize that things were not so simple.
"Since that's the case, then show me your medical license. We're just doing business as usual!" Zhang Wu said with a sneer.
"We haven't gotten it back from the health bureau yet!" Song Hao said helplessly.
“Ping An Tang is very famous. We called the Health Bureau before we came, and they said your original medical license has been invalidated. It would be illegal for you to treat patients now. So, we would like to ask Dr. Song to come back to the county bureau with us to clarify the matter.” Another policeman said rather awkwardly.
"You..." Song Hao was so angry he couldn't speak. He finally understood that it was all Mi Changli's doing.
"Alright! I'll go with you." Song Zihe stood up and said calmly.
"Grandpa!" Song Hao exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.
Chapter Nine: Departure from Baihe Town (Part 1)
The Bladder Meridian of Foot Taiyang originates at the inner canthus of the eye, ascends to the forehead, and intersects at the vertex. One branch runs from the vertex to the upper corner of the ear. The main branch enters the brain from the vertex, then emerges and descends down the neck, following the inner side of the shoulder blade, flanking the spine to the waist, entering the lumbar region, connecting with the kidneys and belonging to the bladder. Another branch descends from the waist, flanking the spine, passing through the buttocks and entering the popliteal fossa. Yet another branch descends from the inner side of the shoulder blade, flanking the spine, passing the hip joint, following the outer side of the hip, descending along the posterior border to join the popliteal fossa, then down the inner side of the calf, emerging behind the lateral malleolus, following the sternum to the lateral side of the little toe. —Selected from *Ling Shu Jing*, Chapter Ten: Meridians.
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Meanwhile, Song Zihe was taken to the county public security bureau in a police car. As soon as he got out of the car, someone exclaimed in surprise, "Dr. Song, what brings you here?"
Then a dignified middle-aged man walked over.
"Chief!"
Zhang Wu and the others quickly stood at attention and called out, their expressions somewhat flustered. The visitor was Liu Haitian, the director of the county public security bureau. They knew Song Zihe because a family member had been seriously ill and had been saved by a few doses of herbal medicine.
"Oh! It's Director Liu. You asked me to come and explain things, so I couldn't refuse!" Song Zihe said with a wry smile.
"What happened?" Liu Haitian asked seriously.
"Someone reported that Ping An Tang was practicing medicine without a license, and we have confirmed that Song Zihe is indeed no longer qualified to practice medicine, so..."
"Bullshit!" Liu Haitian roared before Zhang Wu could finish speaking, "If Doctor Song doesn't have a medical license, then there are no doctors in the world! Who told you to act so recklessly? Send Doctor Song back to his place right now!"
"Yes! Yes!" Zhang Wu and the others said in a panic.
"Forget it, you don't need to do anything. I'll personally escort Dr. Song back to Baihe Town later. Remember, if there are any more of these pointless reports in the future, detain the person who made the report first. They're just wasting their time! Dr. Song, come on, let's go to my office for a cup of tea to calm your nerves. I'll personally take you back later. My men were impetuous, please forgive them! I promise, nothing like this will ever happen again," Liu Haitian said apologetically.
It was already evening when Liu Haitian escorted Song Zihe back to Ping'an Hall. Song Hao was still standing in front of the door waiting for his grandfather to return, without moving an inch. Only when he saw Song Zihe return safely did Song Hao show a relieved smile.
Liu Haitian had heard Song Zihe recount the whole story. He was furious, but also felt helpless about this kind of retaliation within the industry. He offered some words of comfort and then drove back.
In the following days, not a single patient came to Ping An Tang for treatment. It was because everyone had heard about Ping An Tang's situation, and in order not to cause trouble for Song Zihe, those kind-hearted but powerless patients had no choice but to endure their illnesses and wait until the matter was resolved before coming to seek treatment. The once bustling Ping An Tang suddenly became deserted, and Song Zihe and his grandson Song Hao remained silent.
Song Zihe went to the health bureau to inquire about applying for a medical license. The person who received him shook his head helplessly and showed a sympathetic expression. Song Zihe already knew that he could no longer practice medicine in Baihe Town. Disappointed, he returned home in a sullen mood.
"Song Hao!" After considering for a long time, Song Zihe said decisively to Song Hao, who was sitting next to him in a low mood, "Pack your things, sell the house and leave!"
"Grandpa!" Song Hao was stunned. Song Zihe's decision was far beyond his expectations; he was just giving up Ping An Tang, which he had run for more than 20 years.
"Grandpa, it's my fault for being useless. I didn't get into medical school. Otherwise, I could have obtained a medical license after graduation. It's a pity that a vocational nursing school diploma isn't enough." Song Hao said, lowering his head in guilt.
“With that person around, even the highest level of education we have won’t help. It’s come to this, so let it go. We can’t blame anyone else; fate is cruel, and we were destined to take this step.” Song Zihe sighed, then smiled and said, “This is good too. It has given me the determination and time to take you back to our hometown in Shandong. It’s been decades since I’ve been back. The last time was when your great-grandfather took me back when I was young. This time, it can be considered a return to our roots.”
"If this place won't keep me, there are plenty of other places that will! If you don't believe me, with our skills, there's nowhere in the world that won't have food to eat." Song Hao slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said resolutely.
“Well said! As the saying goes, ‘Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.’ You should also go out and see the world. Each medical profession has its own strengths. It’s difficult to develop by sticking to one school of thought. Only by experiencing the medical styles of the best doctors in the world can you know your own shortcomings. I’ve had this idea for a while, so let’s take this opportunity to get away.” Song Zihe said cheerfully.
The grandfather and grandson couldn't help but smile at each other, their worries of the past few days vanishing instantly. Both were open-minded people; they hit it off immediately, set off on their journey without any constraints—one has to admire them.
Over the next few days, Song Zihe sold the storefront of Ping'an Hall at a low price, and also sold the medicine cabinet and remaining medicines at a low price to another traditional Chinese medicine clinic in Baihe Town, so that the money could be paid in full at once. Song Jingchun had left behind a batch of medical books, but there were too many to carry, so Song Zihe called his relatives back home, got an accurate address, and prepared to mail the medical books and a few other important items back, while also informing them of his intention to return to his hometown to settle down. Although Song Zihe hadn't returned to his hometown in Shandong for many years, he had never lost contact with his relatives there.
When Ping An Tang made this move, the neighbors on the street felt regret and pity. It was too late; who could stop this renowned grandfather and grandson doctor duo?