Chapter 537: Chapter 229: Is It the Doctor Who Changed, or the Patient’s Heart?_2

It can be said that Lu Xuan explained the step of refining honey in great detail, afraid that his explanation might not be thorough enough, and the woman wouldn’t know how to make the Honey Pill afterwards.

Moreover, refining honey is indeed a crucial step, as improper handling can directly affect the efficacy of the medicine.

This step was listened to very seriously by both Ji Xiuwen and the woman.

Not just these two, even Li Feng and Lu Xuan’s cousin were all ears, listening intently, scared of missing even a slight detail.

Lu Xuan said, "If the honey is not refined to the right degree, it can’t be made into pills. Of course, too much is also not good, so it’s essential to control the level of heat.

And refining honey is divided into three types: young honey, medium honey, and old honey.

How to explain?

Young honey involves heating raw honey to a boil until the temperature reaches 105℃～115℃, then filtering out the foam. Its color change is not significant, with less water loss and slight stickiness, suitable for making pills from materials containing more starch, mucilage, sugars, fats, and other highly adhesive substances;

Medium honey involves boiling raw honey for a longer period or continuing to heat young honey to 116℃～118℃, where the foam has a light red sheen, sticky by hand but cannot be pulled into long white threads, suitable for making pills with mildly adhesive or fibrous materials;

As for old honey, it’s heated even longer or the young and medium honeys are further heated to 119℃～122℃, allowing full evaporation of moisture, the bubbles turn reddish-brown with sheen, extremely sticky by hand, and can be pulled into white threads, suitable for making pills from fibrous or less adhesive substances like minerals.

There’s no need to think too finely about the temperature; a rough idea is enough.

In our daily preparation of Honey Pills, most of the time we use medium honey. About 1000g of raw honey can yield approximately 800g of refined honey, for 1000g of traditional Chinese medicine powder, about 1200g of refined honey is needed."

"Once the honey is refined, the next step is to mix and blend the medicine, which is relatively simple compared to refining honey, with not as many things to keep an eye on."

Lu Xuan smiled and said, "Pour the refined honey into a sterilized basin containing the medicine powder with a spoon, while stirring the powder with a thick bamboo chopstick, just like adding water and dough to make dumplings at home. Continue adjusting while pouring the honey, and stop adding when you can barely see any dry powder. Ensure not to add too much honey, as it would make the pills hard to form.

Start by adding less, it’s easier to add more refined honey than to remove an excess; if that happens, you’ll have to add more powder to rectify it.

After mixing, we can knead the medicine and honey into a mass in the sterilized basin, just like dough."

Saying this, Lu Xuan chuckled, "Once the dough is ready, the next steps are rolling it into strips and forming pills, which are even simpler. The only thing to watch out for is to prevent the mass from sticking to your hands or tools. Use a small amount of sesame or peanut oil on your palms during the rolling and shaping process, making the pills smooth and shiny."

"Dr. Lu, I’ve noticed that some pills are small while others are large, especially the particularly large ones. When I make Honey Pills, what size should I choose?" the woman asked.

Lu Xuan replied, "You can choose freely. With small Honey Pills, you’ll need to consume more at once, while for large pills, one is enough per dose. Comparatively, large pills are more convenient, less of a hassle. Without tools, making small pills can be less convenient, whereas for large ones, as long as sanitation is taken care of, you can shape them directly by hand."

Upon hearing this, the woman immediately smiled, "That seems to make sense."

"However, typically homemade Honey Pills won’t have preservatives; how can we know if they’ve gone bad?"

Laughing, Lu Xuan explained, "Pill preservation should be sealed and moisture-proof. Generally, placing them in a cool, dry indoor environment suffices. Yet, improper storage or extended keeping can cause pill spoilage and degradation. Spoiled pills should not be consumed, as they lose efficacy, potentially causing new health issues.

To check if pills have spoilt, observe their appearance and color. Healthy Honey Pills should be smooth and spherical, brown-yellow or dark brown; those coated with vermillion or gold leaf appear respectively vermillion or gold;

Plus, fresh normal pills emit a distinct herbal fragrance. Honey Pills should retain the aroma of honey. If pills smell strange, sour, and lack an herbal scent, that’s a sign of spoilage.

Moreover, if unsure by the above methods, you can taste them. Normal pills have a rich medicinal flavor, whereas spoiled ones taste sour and rotten, without stickiness. Sensitivity is heightened when taken on an empty morning stomach, so cease immediately if spoilage is suspected."

The woman nodded, "It doesn’t seem that difficult after all."

"It’s really not hard, yet for those who’ve never made Honey Pills, they assume only professionals can do it at the mere mention of ’making pills’. It’s not just you; most people think this way." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Lu Xuan said, "After making it once yourself, it’s not as hard as imagined. In contrast, making Honey Pills is quite simple. Treat it like kneading dough for buns at home; aside from refining honey, there’s little difference. Try it and see."

"I’ve noted that, thank you, Dr. Lu," the woman said quickly.

Lu Xuan said, "No need to thank me; it’s just a doctor’s duty."

The woman shook her head, disagreeing, "Dr. Lu, you’re mistaken. If I asked other doctors how to make pills, I might have gotten a scowl or even been dismissed immediately. But you not only explained but did so meticulously.

I understand some about traditional Chinese medicine. To date, perhaps only you, Dr. Lu, are akin to those ancient doctors who wholeheartedly cared for their patients.

Every word and deed is for the patient’s benefit, unlike others who care only for money. What’s worse is lacking ability on top of greed, fueling immense frustration."

The woman seemed burdened with many stories, her gaze acquiring a coldness as she spoke.

Lu Xuan noticed but didn’t pursue further.

These stories didn’t particularly relate to the medical condition; it wasn’t his place to probe.

Nevertheless, pondering over it, Lu Xuan said, "I’m not as good as you say, but good doctors do exist, many of them, maybe you just haven’t encountered many."

"Perhaps," the woman had no intention of arguing.

Like the middle-aged man before, even though Lu Xuan insisted there was no need to pay medical fees, the woman did, willingly compensating not just for the consultation but also for the valuable lesson in making Honey Pills.

Watching the woman leave, Lu Xuan sank into thought, later turning to Ji Xiuwen, "Xiuwen, why is the current doctor-patient relationship so strained? Have doctors changed or have patients? Why now does the relationship pale in comparison to before, not just with Western but also with traditional Chinese medicine?"

Ji Xiuwen shook his head, "If you don’t know, I surely don’t."

"Perhaps it’s the human heart that has changed." As silence enveloped them, Li Feng, from his perch by the herb cabinet, voiced out surprisingly, catching the trio’s attention.

Their gazes fell in unison upon Li Feng.

Seeing himself the center of attention, Li Feng felt he’d spoken too boldly, yet under their unwavering stares, he sighed and said, "In the past, everyone mostly worried about the next meal. Back then, getting enough to eat was a struggle, surviving even more so, leaving little room for other concerns.

This reality pertained not just to ordinary people but to doctors too.

Today, living conditions have improved; few worry about their next meal. Regardless of quality, at least survival isn’t a concern anymore, leaving minds free to wander.

Doctors strive for wealth to transform their lifestyles, mirrored by patients too. Life’s temptations have multiplied, making it hard not to notice the shift in human nature!"