Xiao Dong's clinic in the city was not far from where Weiwei worked, and it was only two intersections away from their new home.
On Xiao Dong's first day at the clinic, the old Chinese doctor told him, "You don't need to do anything. Just watch. I'll tell you what to watch. Observe the patients' complexions and their gait. If a patient speaks, you don't need to listen to what others say. Focus your mind on listening to the feeling of the patient speaking, and gradually comprehend it. There are many patients here with all sorts of conditions. Just observe and comprehend with your heart."
Xiao Dong nodded, half understanding. He thought, "This old man is quite eccentric. He’s not letting me do anything on my first day. That's rare." Although Xiao Dong didn't quite understand, he still did as the old Chinese doctor instructed.
The clinic was simply furnished. Upon entering, one could see the Chinese medicine cabinet. In front of the cabinet was the counter. Directly in front of the counter was a desk, which was the old Chinese doctor's. On the examination bed, there was an acupuncture model, and next to the model was a jar for acupuncture needles. Next to the needle jar was a jar of tongue depressors, like popsicle sticks. Next to the tongue depressor jar was a small pillow, a pulse diagnosis pillow used for pulse diagnosis.
The old Chinese doctor didn't talk much. When there were no patients, he would read by himself. The books were in traditional Chinese characters, which Xiao Dong couldn't understand. If he wasn't reading, the old Chinese doctor would sit there with his eyes closed, resting.
At this moment, the old Chinese doctor was resting with his eyes closed when a person, dark-skinned and gaunt, entered the clinic. Every few minutes, he would cough twice. The cough sounded as if the entire body was empty, the sound hollow and empty. Looking at the patient's complexion, his dark and thin face had a pale and weak color, his eyes were dull, and his cheeks were deeply sunken. The man said as he entered, "Doctor Lǐ, I've been coughing badly these past few days. Please take a look at me again."
The old Chinese doctor glanced at him and said, "Sit here. Extend your hand and place it on this. I'll take your pulse." The old Chinese doctor gestured to the chair in front of the examination table and the pulse diagnosis pillow on the table.
While taking the pulse, the old Chinese doctor said, "You didn't listen, did you? I told you to hold back first. Now look, you're sick again."
The patient said, "Last time, after I got acupuncture and took the Chinese medicine from you, it worked immediately. I thought I was cured, so I couldn't resist. My wife also told me that if I was better, I shouldn't hold back. As a result, in just two nights, I started coughing again. The cough is unbearable."
"Stick out your tongue, let me see." The old Chinese doctor asked the patient to stick out his tongue. "Xiao Dong, come and take a good look too." The old Chinese doctor glanced at Xiao Dong.
Xiao Dong saw that the patient's tongue had a very thick white coating.
The old Chinese doctor said, "I'll give you some acupuncture later and write a prescription. Go back and recuperate well. Absolutely do not engage in sexual intercourse until you are completely recovered. Don't stay up late; you must sleep after nine o'clock. Have your wife stay at your mother-in-law's for a few days. Come into this small room; I'll give you some acupuncture."
The patient and the old Chinese doctor went into the acupuncture room together. Xiao Dong watched from the doorway.
Xiao Dong saw the old Chinese doctor insert needles into the patient's wrists, then on the back of his hands, his chest, his back, and his calves.
After the needles were inserted, the old Chinese doctor came out of the acupuncture room, wrote a prescription on the examination table, and handed it to another doctor to prepare the medicine, saying, "Bring it to me after it's prepared!"
The old Chinese doctor asked Xiao Dong, "Can you understand what's going on?"
Xiao Dong shook his head and said, "No, I don't understand."
The old Chinese doctor chuckled and said, "Heh heh, it's okay if you don't understand now. You will!"
About ten minutes later, the old Chinese doctor went into the small room to remove the needles from the patient.
The old Chinese doctor asked, "How do you feel?"
The patient said, "I feel like someone is pumping air into my kidneys, like pumping air into a bicycle tire."
The old Chinese doctor said, "Good, that's right. That feeling is correct. Don't take a bath today after the acupuncture. If you do, take it tomorrow morning. Come back for acupuncture the day after tomorrow, once a day, for seven sessions. That's about half a month, and you'll be seventy percent better."
The patient asked in surprise, "Only seventy percent? What about the remaining thirty percent?"
The old Chinese doctor looked at the patient's face and then scanned his lower body with his eyes, saying, "Abstinence. If you can practice abstinence for half a month after the acupuncture course is finished, this illness will be basically cured."
The patient responded with a thoughtful "Oh."
Another ten minutes passed, and the old Chinese doctor removed all the needles from the patient. He said to the patient, "You're done. The acupuncture session is over. The medicine is also prepared; it's on the examination table. The method for boiling and taking the herbal medicine this time is the same as before. Take it twice a day, morning and evening. Take the evening dose before bed, and the morning dose about half an hour after breakfast. Remember?"
The patient said, "I remember."
The old Chinese doctor said to Xiao Dong, "Xiao Dong, please get the herbal medicine from the examination table for him."
Xiao Dong handed the medicine to the patient. The moment Xiao Dong handed the herbal medicine to the patient, he felt a faint chill. This cold feeling emanated from the patient.
After the patient left, the old Chinese doctor looked at his retreating back and sighed, shaking his head.
Xiao Dong watched, very puzzled. Why was the old Chinese doctor sighing? Not only sighing but also shaking his head. What did it mean?
The old Chinese doctor turned and saw Xiao Dong looking at him with confusion, so he said, "Xiao Dong, you just got married. You don't know what exhaustion is yet. Young people must practice moderation. Don't be like this patient; otherwise, you'll suffer greatly later."
Xiao Dong was stunned by these words. He thought: This old man is amazing. Can he also tell fortunes? How did he know I just got married?
Several more patients came to the clinic one after another, all to buy medicine.
In the evening, after work, Weiwei rode her scooter to pick up Xiao Dong. As soon as Weiwei entered the clinic, she called out to the old Chinese doctor.
This shout startled Xiao Dong.