Chapter 42 - 30: The Long Road of Medicine

"You’re not in the hospital, call me Uncle Gao!" Gao Xinhua corrected.Xu Chunliang laughed and said, "Uncle Gao, you should wait for me. I’ve been practicing acupuncture recently; you should experience my skills."

Gao Xinhua said to Xu Changshan, "Uncle Xu, this kid wants to use me for practice!"

Xu Changshan laughed heartily and said, "Young people want to improve, we must support them, right?" He had finished inserting the needles and withdrew them. He then used a gauge-2 moxa stick and applied the first-degree injury moxibustion method, placing it on the Dazhu point, Jianwaishu point, and Jinggu point.

Gao Xinhua didn’t pay for the consultation; even if he wanted to, Xu Changshan wouldn’t accept it. Of course, he didn’t come empty-handed either; he specially brought two bottles of 15-year-old Honghualang, knowing Elder Xu had a taste for it.

Xu Changshan picked up a towel, wiped his hands, and said, "You two chat, I’ll go prepare some dishes. Let’s have a drink tonight."

Gao Xinhua said, "No need, no need, I’ll go home to eat later."

"If you go, don’t come to Huichun Hall again."

Gao Xinhua knew his temper and had to agree.

Xu Chunliang brewed him a cup of Taiping Houkui and waited on the side.

Gao Xinhua lay on the bed. "I heard you’ve been doing outstanding work recently. Director Zhou has already requested to keep you in the medical department."

Xu Chunliang laughed and said, "The medical department is a place full of troubles; there’s always some commotion. It’s not as peaceful as the electricians’ team."

Gao Xinhua laughed heartily, "Young people should have something to do. Would you be happy lounging around doing nothing every day?"

The time was almost up. Xu Chunliang helped him remove the moxa sticks. Gao Xinhua stretched his neck and limbs, feeling no pain at all. He had to admit, Elder Xu was indeed skilled.

Xu Chunliang jokingly said, "We have a ready-made Traditional Chinese Medicine department at our hospital. Director Zhu Mingyuan is even the vice president of the Dongzhou City Traditional Chinese Medicine Association. Why don’t you consult these renowned doctors?"

Gao Xinhua understood what he meant, deliberately setting himself up to say that Zhu Mingyuan wasn’t as skilled as Xu Changshan. Although that’s what he thought, he couldn’t say it; he had to uphold the expertise of his own hospital’s specialists.

"I’ve gotten used to it. Since I was young, whenever I had any ailment, I came to your grandfather first. It’s become a psychological habit."

"Make sure outsiders don’t find out that you’re coming to Huichun Hall for treatment, or they’ll think that even Dean Gao doesn’t trust his own hospital’s medical skills, suggesting Changxing’s level is very low."

Gao Xinhua jokingly scolded, "Sly one, remember you’re also part of Changxing. You’ve got to have a sense of collective honor and not badmouth your own hospital."

"I haven’t badmouthed our hospital, Uncle Gao. There’s no one else around; be honest. How does Old Zhu’s skill compare to my grandfather’s?"

"Experience is very important in Traditional Chinese Medicine." Gao Xinhua implicitly acknowledged that Xu Changshan’s skills were superior to Zhu Mingyuan’s, but he didn’t say it out loud.

Elder Xu treated Gao Xinhua like an honored guest, sincerely grateful. If it weren’t for the idea that Gao Xinhua came up with, his precious grandson would still be at home doing nothing. Since Xu Chunliang joined Changxing, he underwent a delightful transformation, like a completely different person. Whatever Gao Xinhua’s intentions, he had genuinely done him a great favor; it was a debt of gratitude.

Seeing the table full of delicious dishes, Gao Xinhua exclaimed, "This is too much, Uncle Xu. If you spoil my taste, I won’t be able to eat my food at home."

Xu Changshan laughed and said, "If you like, come over every day to drink with me. I can afford it."

Xu Chunliang filled their glasses with wine.

Gao Xinhua first toasted Elder Xu and drank two glasses of wine. Xu Changshan asked when his father would return. Gao Xinhua’s father, Gao Jian Country, had been an old friend of Xu Changshan’s. A couple of months ago, he went to the Capital City to visit his daughter. Elder Xu missed his old friend after two months apart.

Gao Xinhua said, "My dad does want to come back, but my sister won’t let him. She insists he stay for a few more months, at least until after the National Day parade."

Xu Changshan said, "I thought he might have met some charming old lady in the Capital City and was too enchanted to leave."

Gao Xinhua laughed, "I wouldn’t mind if he found a companion. My mom passed away early, and he took on both parental roles, raising my sibling and me, and sacrificed his own personal life. We owe him too much when you think about it."

Xu Changshan drank a glass of wine and said, "That’s not bad; both of you turned out well and are so filial."

"Your three children are more successful than us, and they’re filial too."

"Filial, my foot! Seeing them is harder than a prison visit." The thought of it made Xu Changshan angry, and he banged his wine glass heavily.

Realizing he had misspoken, Gao Xinhua quickly made amends, "Chunliang is great. Nowadays, very few grandchildren are as close to their grandfathers as he is."

Talking about Xu Chunliang brightened Xu Changshan’s mood. The grandson had indeed become more sensible and showed great aptitude in medicine. It seemed that he finally had someone to carry on his legacy.

Xu Changshan sighed, "Everyone hopes for clever children, but I wasted my life on cleverness. I only wish my child to be simple-minded, to live a trouble-free life." This is a well-known poem by Su Dongpo.


Reciting the poem reflected Xu Changshan’s feelings. All his children were highly educated, considered successful and capable in others’ eyes. Yet, the more capable they were, the farther they drifted. Sometimes, Xu Changshan envied those with ordinary children. Although they didn’t have high education or prestigious jobs, their parents could see them whenever they wanted.

Whenever he wanted to see his children, he could only hope for a holiday. Sometimes, they were too busy to even return for New Year’s, making it feel just like a prison visit.

Without the company of his grandson, it was hard to imagine what Xu Changshan’s life would be like. Perhaps he would have given up long ago and closed Huichun Hall.

Hearing the poem also moved Gao Xinhua. His daughter was outstanding, unlike Xu Chunliang’s four attempts at the college entrance exam, four failures. His daughter graduated at the top of Dongzhou City’s science division and was admitted to Shuimu. But she definitely wouldn’t return to Jiangzhou for work after graduation. Her plans included further studies abroad, and Elder Xu’s regret today might be his own future.

Watching Xu Chunliang pouring wine for Elder Xu, Gao Xinhua felt a twinge of envy. How nice it would be to have his daughter nearby.

Xu Changshan talked about how Xu Chunliang was learning medicine from him. The country now recognized the issues in developing Traditional Chinese Medicine and had stepped up policy support.

The TCM mentorship program was an excellent policy. With it, Xu Changshan could formally take his grandson under his wing and pass on his skills. Of course, the formalities were quite complicated.

The process required a "Traditional Medicine Mentorship Contract," a "Hospital Permission to Teach" certificate, the apprentice’s ID card, and educational qualifications. The mentor needed four certificates: a medical practitioner’s qualification, practice certificate, title certificate, ID card, and a photocopy of the medical institution’s practice license with an official stamp, plus a notarized document. Everything was essential.

Gao Xinhua took care of this entire process. Initially, Xu Changshan wanted his grandson to join the Traditional Chinese Medicine department at Changxing Hospital or even planned to collaborate with Changxing to open a specialty clinic and personally mentor his grandson. Later, at Gao Xinhua’s urging, he decided to let go. In hindsight, it was a very wise decision.

Young people need to become independent eventually, and excessive control isn’t necessarily beneficial to their growth.

Though Xu Chunliang’s work at the hospital was gradually settling in, Elder Xu still had some regrets. After all, he hoped his grandson could become a doctor. Working in the hospital administration never felt like a proper path.

Xu Changshan said, "Xinhua, when will Chunliang be able to join the TCM department?"

Gao Xinhua initially thought the old man had long let go of this matter, but to his surprise, he was still concerned. Xu Chunliang lacked the medical practitioner’s qualification and practice certificate and was in no condition to be a doctor. Honestly, what’s wrong with administrative work? The kid’s already adapted to the medical department’s duties, hasn’t he?

Gao Xinhua said, "He’ll have to wait until he’s completed his studies and passed the ’Graduation Examination.’"

"Wouldn’t that take three years for him to become qualified?"

"Chunliang’s still young; he’s got plenty of time." Gao Xinhua looked at Xu Chunliang and said, "You must study diligently. The ’Graduation Examination’ isn’t easy. You’ll need to test both foundational theories and practical operations and undergo a TCM clinical defense."

Xu Chunliang wasn’t too interested in any "Graduation Examination." He didn’t think he needed a test to prove his abilities. Rumor had it that people like Zhu Mingyuan would oversee the TCM clinical defense; how could they be qualified to be his examiners?

Xu Chunliang said, "Uncle Gao is right, I have plenty of time. No rush."

"The most important thing is to learn real skills." There was an unspoken truth: even if Xu Chunliang passed the "Graduation Examination" smoothly, it was only equivalent to an ordinary diploma. He’d need to complete a one-year internship, then apply for the assistant doctor examination, and after five years as an assistant doctor, he could take the medical practitioner’s exam. The path to becoming a doctor is long and arduous.