Song Hao was surprised to hear this, only then realizing that Lin Fengyi's medical diagnosis involved a complex procedure.
Lin Fengyi accepted Song Hao's toast and then said, "Song Hao! I know you are a diligent and ambitious young man, and your master, Master Xiao, went to great lengths to introduce you. But let me tell you clearly, you cannot learn my pulse diagnosis technique. It's not that I'm stubborn and unwilling to teach you, but this pulse diagnosis technique requires at least ten years of dedicated study. Furthermore, you must first calm your mind for three years, ignoring all external affairs to maintain a peaceful state of mind. You are even less capable of this." As he spoke, he glanced at Tang Yu and Luo Feiying, his meaning self-evident.
Upon hearing this, Song Hao smiled and said, "Please rest assured, Teacher Lin. I understand the principle of being able to take a pulse when the mind is calm and undisturbed. Furthermore, my master has taught me Taoist meditation techniques, so nothing can disturb me. Not to mention three years, even ten years, I will continue to learn pulse diagnosis from Teacher Lin."
Lin Fengyi shook his head and said, "Whether one's mind is calm or not is not something that can be said casually. Putting that aside for now, there is another important point: to enhance the sensitivity of the fingertips when taking a pulse. It takes two or three years of practice to achieve this. Otherwise, one cannot diagnose the subtle changes in the minute details."
Tang Yu said, "These are not difficult problems. As long as Teacher Lin is willing to teach Song Hao pulse diagnosis, we will help him solve any difficulties, no matter how big they are. I just don't know how to practice this method of increasing fingertip sensitivity?"
Lin Fengyi, upon hearing this, had no choice but to say, "I can tell you. I'll write a prescription in a moment. After you get the medicine, boil it, and once it's at a suitable temperature, soak your hands in it for at least an hour every day. After three days, the skin on your hands will peel off. After three layers have peeled off, the sensitivity of your fingertips will improve. Then take a small pinch of millet and spread it under your fingers. Once you can distinguish the number of grains, that is, more than twenty grains under one finger, then cover it with a thin film to simulate the skin, and then distinguish the number of millet grains underneath. If all goes smoothly, it will take two years. This is the foundation, and you must achieve it first. Otherwise, learning pulse diagnosis will always be something that is easy in your mind but difficult to discern with your fingers. You might study it your whole life and still not know what pulse diagnosis is."
Volume Two: The World of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Tianyi Hall, Chapter Two: Transformation (1)
The pulse is the precursor to qi and blood. When qi and blood are abundant, the pulse is strong; when qi and blood are deficient, the pulse is weak. When qi and blood are hot, the pulse is rapid; when qi and blood are cold, the pulse is slow. When qi and blood are weak, the pulse is feeble; when qi and blood are balanced, the pulse is gentle. —Selected from the *Zhongzang Jing*
After Lin Fengyi finished speaking, he raised his fair and delicate hands, which were indeed tender and smooth. It was unknown how many times they had been soaked in the medicine and how many layers of skin had been peeled off to make them look like this.
"See? The pulse diagnosis is based on seeing the illness through the hands, and it must be combined with the heart to examine all the ailments in the body. When you meet the requirements I've set, then come back and talk to me about becoming my apprentice." Lin Fengyi fiddled with his hands and smiled. Clearly, he wanted to discourage Song Hao from pursuing his studies.
Song Hao smiled gratefully, "Since Teacher Lin has shown me the method of learning pulse diagnosis, I'll go back and try it out. We agreed that if I meet Teacher Lin's requirements, he will accept me as his apprentice."
Lin Fengyi smiled and said, "No problem! Actually, I also hope that you can meet my requirements as soon as possible. You know, it wasn't easy for me to master this pulse technique, and I don't want it to just wither away on its own. It's just that it's too difficult to find someone who can truly understand the essence of pulse techniques. Especially for young people nowadays, with love, marriage, work, housing, and a whole host of other life issues, how can they not be distracted and unable to calm their minds and learn this tedious pulse technique? True disciples are hard to find, and the great path is hard to pass on, which is just how it is."
Luo Feiying sneered, "Teacher Lin, you think that no one in the world can learn your pulse technique just because you learned it with great difficulty. I think Teacher Lin just wants to claim that you are a genius."
Lin Fengyi shook his head and said, "At my age, fame and fortune have no meaning anymore. If you two girls want to learn, you can practice with Song Hao. Once you meet my requirements, I will teach you."
Tang Yu was delighted and said, "Teacher Lin, it's a deal then. I hope we can all become Teacher Lin's true students in the future."
Hearing this, Song Hao was pleased, but then he remembered something and said, "Teacher Lin, there is something I'd like to discuss with you. Is that alright?"
After a few drinks, Lin Fengyi was in high spirits and waved his hand, saying, "Speak up, as long as you don't force anyone."
Song Hao said, “It’s like this, Teacher Lin. The three of us come from families that practice traditional Chinese medicine and have some knowledge of prescriptions. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask the three of us to accompany you as interns when you have your next clinic session. After you make your diagnosis, we can prescribe medicine based on your diagnosis, so that patients don’t have to go elsewhere. I believe that with your accurate diagnosis, the medicine we prescribe will also be effective, saving patients the trouble of running around.”
Lin Fengyi smiled and said, "You want to secretly learn pulse diagnosis, don't you? Remember, even if I sincerely teach you, you might not be able to master it, and just watching from the sidelines won't work. However, if the three of you really have the ability to prescribe medicine, I would welcome you. As you saw today, I saw about two hundred patients. If I prescribe medicine, the pharmacy will be in a tight spot. The hospital leaders would love for me to do this. Alright! The three of you can go over next Sunday."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao and Tang Yu exchanged a smile. Luo Feiying had never seen Lin Fengyi's pulse diagnosis before, so she didn't take it seriously at the moment. However, seeing Song Hao and Tang Yu going together, she didn't want to be left behind and nodded in agreement.
Tang Yu then asked Lin Fengyi for the prescription for soaking hands to increase the sensitivity of the fingertips.
After dinner, Luo Feiying offered to drive Lin Fengyi home, but Lin Fengyi waved her hand and refused, then went straight home on his own.
"Is this person's pulse diagnosis really that amazing?" Luo Feiying asked.
Watching Lin Fengyi's departing figure, Song Hao sighed, "When you witness his pulse technique next time, you will understand what true pulse cultivation is."
Tang Yu said, "I went to his house today and learned a bit about it. Now it's just him and his wife living there, and their son works in another city. They live in two single-story houses, and their financial situation isn't exactly comfortable."
Song Hao said, "I've also figured some things out, so I asked the three of us to help him prescribe medicine. This will increase his income, and at the same time, we can practice pulse diagnosis. Hopefully, over time, even if we don't meet his specific requirements, he will still give us some pointers. Of course, I need to meet those demanding requirements in the shortest possible time and thus master the true art of pulse diagnosis."
Tang Yu said, "You didn't follow him for nothing all day; your attitude has changed a lot!"
Song Hao said, "Teacher Lin isn't as stubborn as we thought. He just believes that good disciples are hard to come by, which is why he ignored us at first. Anyway, since he has already agreed to let us apprentice with him, we've already succeeded halfway."
Luo Feiying said, "Song Hao, you're not really going to soak your hands in that medicine that makes your hands peel, are you? This is the first time I've ever heard of learning pulse diagnosis like that. That would be so painful!"
Song Hao laughed and said, "Extraordinary people must have extraordinary abilities, and extraordinary techniques must have extraordinary methods. Let's give it a try."
Tang Yu said, "I'll go to the pharmacy over there and get the prescription that Teacher Lin wrote. You two go back first."
After Tang Yu finished speaking, she turned and left. Song Hao and Luo Feiying then headed towards the apartment.
“Miss Luo, this Teacher Lin’s pulse diagnosis technique is miraculous. Such an opportunity is rare, and I hope you can also learn it diligently. Of course, if you have something to do, you don’t have to stay here with me,” Song Hao said.
"Are you trying to kick me out?" Luo Feiying asked unhappily.
"Not at all! Didn't I already say you can learn pulse diagnosis from this Teacher Lin? I just hope it won't delay your plans because of me. I won't leave until I've learned something here, so you're just wasting your time here." Song Hao said with a double meaning.
"Hmph! You still don't trust me. Let me tell you, Song Hao, I really did listen to my uncle and no longer have any designs on you. If you continue to treat me like this, be careful, I might change my mind again," Luo Feiying sneered.
"No, no! I'm scared! You can stay here if you want," Song Hao hurriedly said.
“If you can get Tang Yu to protect you, why can’t I protect you too? You’re not in any major danger now, but if something happens to you, it will be a big deal, so I’m worried about you,” Luo Feiying said, looking very aggrieved.
"I know you won't hurt me," Song Hao said before entering the apartment.
"Good to know, otherwise you wouldn't be here studying pulse diagnosis in peace!" Luo Feiying muttered, and followed her inside.
Tang Yu returned with the medicine and shook her head, saying, "I don't know where Lin Fengyi got this hand-soaking recipe from. Some of the ingredients are poisonous, like an ancient 'skin-peeling water.' Although it can change a person's skin appearance, it is quite irritating. I think it's best to use it with caution."
Luo Feiying said, "Could it be that Lin Fengyi didn't want to teach Song Hao, so he came up with a way to harm you, cripple your hands, and make you give up in the face of difficulties?"
Song Hao said, "How could it make the epidermis of both hands peel off without a certain level of medicinal power? Fortunately, it's a topical medicine, so I'll give it a try."
Tang Yu said, "Let's try again tonight. I'll cook it and soak it in a raw pig's trotter first."
"Hehe..." Luo Feiying chuckled incessantly.
"What's wrong?" Song Hao asked in surprise.
“This prescription is supposed to be used by butchers to soak pigs’ trotters to remove their hair, but you’re using it to soak your hands, it’s just…” Luo Feiying laughed uncontrollably.
Upon hearing this, Tang Yu chuckled and said, "You'll need to add vinegar to this! Not only will it peel off several layers of skin from your hands, but it will also soften your bones. You might not even be able to hold a needle in the future."
"If that's the case, you two can each take one and eat it like pig's trotters!" Song Hao laughed.
Luo Feiying laughed and said, "I won't eat it, I'm afraid of getting poisoned."