But Lao He didn't do that. Firstly, he was a down-to-earth person by nature, and secondly, he seemed to be at odds with Zhou Xuan, like a turtle eyeing a green bean, they just clicked.
Zhou Xuan thought for a moment, then said, "Old He, I want ginseng, he shou wu, and ling zhi, several of each. If you give them to me for free, I'll feel bad. I'm willing to offer a reasonable price. I can't let you suffer a loss!"
Old He waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's alright. If Xiao Zhou is going to live in New York for a long time, then we'll be friends. Since we're friends, we'll have a relationship. To be honest, this little thing isn't worth much money. If Xiao Zhou really wants it, then don't say anything more. Consider it a gift between us. As long as Xiao Zhou is willing, he can come over and chat with me often in the future, talk about his experiences with traditional Chinese medicine, discuss medical principles, and promote our Chinese medicine. That's enough!"
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "Alright, in that case, I thank you very much, Elder He. I'll take three or four plants of each kind. I think I'll bring Elder He back a surprise tomorrow!"
Old He smiled and said, "No need for surprises. If Xiao Zhou is interested, come and chat with me. In Chinatown, traditional Chinese medicine has really declined. If it weren't for the trust of many old customers who still patronize our place, it would be difficult to make a living!"
As he spoke, Old He went to the edge of the yard and found a small box. He filled it with some soil and said, "To cultivate them, they can't be separated from the soil. They will be damaged if they are separated from the soil. Plants are just like people. They will not adapt if they are separated from their growing environment. Just like people in water or fish on land, they will be damaged and get sick if they are separated from the soil!"
Zhou Xuan nodded. These principles are true, that's for sure.
Old He stepped into the soil, picked out a few ginseng plants that were growing vigorously, and used a small hoe to cut a circle around the ginseng seedlings, about two inches away from the seedlings, preparing to dig the seedlings up along with the soil.
The man named He San rushed in, calling out from afar, "Second Uncle, Mr. Chen's son, General Manager Chen, has come to ask you to come and take a look. He says that the old lady's rheumatism has flared up again, and she's in pain and moaning..."
Volume 1, Chapter 643: Treating Stubborn Rheumatism
Chapter 643 Treating Stubborn Rheumatism
Old He was taken aback, glanced at Zhou Xuan, and immediately said, "Little Zhou, look... why don't you wait a bit, I'll come back and get it for you later!"
Old He still didn't tell Zhou Xuan to handle it himself, which was obviously because he was a little worried about letting Zhou Xuan ruin his precious treasures. The old lady of the Chen family was his regular customer and a big client. In Chinatown, the Chen family was one of the wealthiest families. Old He received much higher consultation fees for treating the Chen family than for other customers, so he didn't want to neglect them.
Zhou Xuan's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, since Old He was so generous and easygoing, why not lend him a hand? After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "Old He, how about this? I also know a little about traditional Chinese medicine. How about I say that I am Old He's disciple and go on house calls with Old He to see and learn? Even if it's just to be Old He's assistant, it would be fine!"
After a moment's thought, Old He nodded and said, "Alright, come with me and take a look. But if they ask, just say you're a relative from China who just arrived and is my apprentice!"
Zhou Xuan was very much to his liking, and besides, with Zhou Xuan's medical skills, he was definitely not as good as his. Bringing him along wouldn't steal his thunder, so he simply agreed and went to the Chen family together.
Zhou Xuan followed behind Lao He with a smile. Lao He went into the shop in front, took out the medicine box, checked it again, took out the necessary instruments and medicines, and then closed the lid. He then beckoned to Zhou Xuan, "Let's go!"
In the clinic's waiting room, the driver sent by the Chen family was waiting. When he saw Lao He come out, he quickly stood up and followed him out.
The driver parked outside the clinic was driving an older model Rolls-Royce. Although the model was old, it was still quite valuable, indicating that the Chen family must be a very wealthy family.
The driver first opened the car door and invited Lao He to get in first. But when he saw Zhou Xuan also get in the car, he was taken aback for a moment. However, he quickly recovered, closed the car door, and then went to the front to get in and drive off.
Previously, only Lao He went on house calls alone. Today, a young man suddenly joined them, which surprised Lao He for a moment, but not too much. It's normal for a doctor to bring an assistant on a house call.
Zhou Xuan did not speak to Lao He in the car to avoid revealing any flaws and causing unnecessary trouble for Lao He.
The Chen family's house was not in Chinatown, but on Franklin Street. It was a very grand and luxurious building, and the interior was equally luxurious.
However, Zhou Xuan didn't care at all. Luxury was meaningless to him. Although the Fu family's modern style was not as impressive as this place, their priceless antique sandalwood and mahogany furniture had a much deeper cultural heritage. This alone showed the difference in quality. The Fu family was a truly wealthy family with real resources, while the Chen family, although also wealthy, seemed to lack the same grandeur and looked like nouveau riche.
In the Chen family's luxurious living room, Old Master Chen invited Old He and Zhou Xuan to take their seats. When he saw Zhou Xuan, he still looked at him with some surprise.
Old He immediately introduced, "Mr. Chen, this is Zhou Xuan. He is a relative from my hometown in China and can be considered one of my disciples. He just arrived in New York and is only at the beginner level in medicine, so I brought him along to learn from his experience!"
Mr. Chen nodded, not taking it to heart, and then instructed the servants, "Bring the old lady out!"
The old lady was Mr. Chen's first wife. She was over sixty years old, three years younger than him. Rheumatism was a chronic condition that had never been cured. Western medicine abroad had difficulty eradicating chronic rheumatism because it penetrated deep into the bones. Over time, even decades later, rheumatism became incurable. Although it wasn't a life-threatening disease, it was still a difficult one to treat. It was common for elderly people to be unable to walk when rheumatism flared up.
The old lady had also received treatment at a Western hospital, but the effect was not good. It was not as good as Lao He's acupuncture. When her rheumatism flared up, the numbness and itching were deep in her bones. She couldn't even scratch it, and it was very uncomfortable!
Old He's acupuncture was indeed somewhat effective, making the old lady feel a burning sensation deep in her bones, and it could suppress some of the numbness and itching. Old He had been treating the old lady's rheumatism for several years, but he could not cure it completely; he could only alleviate the discomfort.
However, the old lady was willing; less pain was better than nothing, and at least it would prove that Lao He's treatment was more effective than Western medicine.
After the maid pushed the old lady out, Zhou Xuan saw that she looked to be in her sixties, with a plump appearance, but at this moment her brows were furrowed and she was humming through her nose, looking very uncomfortable.
Old He frowned slightly. The old lady's flare-ups had become more frequent and severe in recent years, indicating that his acupuncture was no longer very effective. The rheumatism had penetrated deep into the bone marrow and become one with the bone, making it impossible to separate. This is why rheumatism is so difficult to treat.
Old He opened the medicine box, took out a small cloth bag, and opened the bag. Inside the bag was a row of gleaming silver needles.
Zhou Xuan immediately leaned closer and said to Old He, "Second Uncle, the acupressure massage technique you taught me is also very effective for rheumatism. Why don't I treat the old lady first?"
Old He was taken aback. When did he teach him acupressure massage? After a moment of surprise, he realized that Zhou Xuan wanted to treat the old lady's rheumatism. He couldn't help but feel a little unhappy. If it were in the clinic, and he wanted to try his medical skills on an ordinary patient, that would be fine. But this was Old Lady Chen, his big customer and client. How could he offend her?
Even if Zhou Xuanzhen is his disciple and has excellent medical skills, he still has to come out in front of Old Madam Chen himself to show his sincerity.
Moreover, the Chen family was somewhat unhappy. They had plenty of money to treat the old lady, and what they wanted was the best medical skills and the best treatment for the doctor. When would it be the turn of an apprentice to take the lead?
Zhou Xuan knew that Lao He and the Chen family would have the same idea, so he immediately said, "Grandma, the technique my second uncle taught me is very effective and can even cure rheumatism. Would you like me to try it?"
Originally, they all didn't want Zhou Xuan to take action, but Zhou Xuan's words that "it can be cured completely" surprised everyone. Even Lao He himself never dared to speak so confidently. When rheumatism is discovered early, it can be easily cured, but rheumatism is often contracted without anyone knowing it, over many years. By the time people can't bear it anymore, it's too late to cure it completely.
Whether it's traditional Chinese medicine or Western medicine, no one dares to claim a complete cure for chronic rheumatism. Zhou Xuan's statement surprised them all!
Old He was a little unhappy because he disliked people who boasted. Although rheumatism was not a terminal illness, it was definitely an incurable disease. Zhou Xuan was so young, and he was originally somewhat at odds with him, but this sentence immediately changed his opinion of Zhou Xuan.
However, the Chen family was quite interested. How could they not be delighted to hear that it could cure the disease completely? Even if it was just a trial, they would give it a try. If it didn't work, they would scold him.
"Sir, if you can cure my wife's illness completely, I'll pay whatever it takes!" Mr. Chen immediately offered a generous reward. He didn't specify the amount; as long as the old lady's rheumatism was cured, he would name the price himself. Over the years, he had spent a lot of money on his wife's rheumatism. If it could be cured, money would be no problem. What was truly good was relieving his wife's suffering.
Old He was speechless, his face dark. He hadn't expected Zhou Xuan to be such a law-abiding person. He had meant well for him, but Zhou Xuan was taking advantage of the situation and was now trying to ruin his livelihood.
But since Master Chen had already said so, he couldn't object and could only let Zhou Xuan take action for him.
Zhou Xuan showed no hesitation and stepped forward naturally to the old lady's wheelchair. He first asked, "Grandma, how long has your rheumatism made it difficult for you to walk?"
Although the old lady's rheumatism was severe, her hearing and eyesight were still very sharp. She heard Zhou Xuan's words clearly and immediately replied, "I haven't been able to walk for more than a year. It's not that I can't walk at all, but when my rheumatism flares up, I can't walk for at least seven or eight days or ten days. Whenever rainy weather is about to come, my rheumatism flares up. After this period passes, I can get better for another seven or eight days, but when it flares up again, I can't walk anymore!"
Zhou Xuan nodded, then extended his right index finger and gently placed it on the old lady's wrist, as if taking her pulse. In reality, he was using his special ability to probe her. The bones in the old lady's legs had changed color, as if they were corroded. Rheumatism had already penetrated into the leg bones. In this state, unless the leg bones were replaced, there was absolutely no way to cure the rheumatism completely.
However, Zhou Xuan was not within this limitation. His special ability could easily cure rheumatism, and he could even cure incurable diseases that were more difficult and severe than rheumatism. However, after his improved physique relapsed, when his lifespan was about to end, he was helpless.