Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 138: Four-Ingredient Soup

But the good times didn’t last.

When Wang Ruiying’s period arrived, things took a turn.

On the first day, she took out her hairdryer as usual and aimed it at her abdomen, but the familiar warmth was slow to come.

Instead, her lower abdomen felt as if a block of ice had been shoved inside. Waves of cramping pain washed over her, and even her lower back ached and throbbed.

She used the hairdryer for twenty minutes until her skin turned red, but the chill deep inside didn’t lessen one bit.

’That’s strange. It always worked before,’ Wang Ruiying thought, curled up on the sofa with a hot water bottle, a cold sweat beading on her forehead.

She remembered Li Xu saying that a hairdryer was especially effective for symptoms caused by cold and dampness, but might have limited effect on problems stemming from other causes.

On the second day, there was no sign of the abdominal pain letting up.

Wang Ruiying decided to make another trip to Li’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.

During her lunch break, she hurried to the clinic, only to find the main door shut tight.

She wasn’t surprised.

Li’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic was often closed.

Sometimes, it would be closed for two days in a row.

This also gave the Weimin Clinic next door a chance to scrape by.

Some regular patients who couldn’t wait would just go to the Weimin Clinic instead.

’Of all the times for this to happen...’ Wang Ruiying sighed in disappointment. As she turned to leave, she saw Aunt Li riding a tricycle, having just returned from cleaning.

"Aunt Li, do you know where Doctor Li went?"

"I don’t know. He wasn’t here yesterday either. That boy, he’s become quite capable now. Sometimes he has to see patients at the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and he also has to go purchase medicinal herbs. If you’re in a hurry, you should give him a call and ask when he’ll be in."

"Okay, I will."

Wang Ruiying went home but didn’t call Li Xu.

She had her own ideas.

She found traditional Chinese medicine fascinating.

Previously, Li Xu had cured her son’s post-cold lingering symptoms using only common herbs.

Lately, she had been reading articles and watching short videos about traditional Chinese medicine.

She felt she had gained some understanding of it.

"Four-Ingredient Soup..."

Wang Ruiying recalled a video she had watched a few days ago.

The video had been about the Four-Ingredient Soup.

Back at the office, during a break from work, Wang Ruiying typed "menstrual cramps, TCM, Four-Ingredient Soup" into a search engine.

A huge amount of information immediately popped up on the screen.

She clicked on what looked like an authoritative traditional Chinese medicine website, which detailed the composition and effects of the Four-Ingredient Soup:

"The Four-Ingredient Soup, from the Song Dynasty’s *Taiping Hui Min Heji Ju Fang*, is hailed as ’the foremost gynecological formula.’ It consists of Dried Rehmannia Glutinosa, Danggui, white peony, and Chuan Xiong. It has the effects of enriching and harmonizing the blood, regulating menstruation, and relieving pain. It is primarily used to treat menstrual irregularities, painful periods, amenorrhea, abdominal pain during menstruation, and other symptoms caused by blood deficiency and blood stasis..."

The more Wang Ruiying read, the more excited she became. ’Aren’t these my exact symptoms?’

Monthly menstrual cramps, a light flow, dark red blood with clots—it perfectly matched the website’s description of dysmenorrhea from blood deficiency and stasis.

She continued to browse and found many users sharing their experiences with the Four-Ingredient Soup:

"I drank it for half a month, and my menstrual cramps are completely gone!"

"My menstrual blood went from dark red to bright red, and I have fewer clots."

"My hands and feet aren’t cold anymore, and even my skin has improved."

What caught Wang Ruiying’s attention the most was that ready-made Four-Ingredient Soup was sold online at shockingly low prices.

She opened Taoduo.com and typed in "Four-Ingredient Soup."

Countless listings for Four-Ingredient Soup formulas appeared.

One shop called "Kangtai Chinese Medicine" had a listing that read, "Classic Four-Ingredient Soup, five doses for only 20 yuan, free shipping."

’So cheap?’ Wang Ruiying thought, remembering that the Chinese medicine from Li Xu’s clinic had cost over thirty yuan for a single dose.

She carefully checked the product details: each packet contained Rehmannia Glutinosa, Danggui, white peony, and Chuan Xiong, prepared according to the classic ratio. All she had to do was add water and decoct it.

Most of the user reviews on the site were positive:

"Works well, my stomach stopped hurting after I drank it."

"Much cheaper than the pharmacy, and the quality is good too."

"Fast delivery, good packaging."

Wang Ruiying was tempted.

She still didn’t know when Doctor Li would open his clinic.

And her abdominal pain was becoming unbearable.

’Instead of just waiting around, why not try this classic formula first? Besides, the Four-Ingredient Soup is a thousand-year-old recipe. There shouldn’t be much risk.’

She clicked on the purchase page, selected "5" in the quantity field, and then clicked "Buy Now."

During checkout, a dialog box automatically popped up: "Based on your browsing history, we recommend purchasing ’Moxibustion Sticks’. Use them with the Four-Ingredient Soup for better results."

Wang Ruiying hesitated for a moment, then read the description for these "Moxibustion Sticks". They could also help regulate menstruation and cost 15 yuan a box.

’Since I’m trying to treat this, I might as well try them together,’ she thought. So she checked the box for the recommended item, bringing the total to 35 yuan.

Before paying, she noticed a line of small text at the bottom of the website: "The medicinal products on this site are for health reference only. Please follow a doctor’s advice for specific use."

But this didn’t catch her attention. ’What could possibly go wrong with a common formula like Four-Ingredient Soup?’

After confirming the order, the page showed an estimated delivery time of two days.

Wang Ruiying breathed a sigh of relief, as if she could already see the light at the end of the tunnel of her menstrual suffering.

She imagined going to the clinic to find Li Xu after she recovered. He would surely be surprised. ’You used Four-Ingredient Soup on your own? How were the results?’

’Excellent!’ she rehearsed her answer in her mind. ’I bought it online. It was cheap and effective!’

Closing her computer, Wang Ruiying rubbed her still-aching lower abdomen, eagerly awaiting the delivery.

「Two days later.」

When Wang Ruiying received a call from the courier, she was in her office clutching a hot water bottle. The pain in her lower abdomen was like a thin steel wire, tightening intermittently.

She hurried downstairs and signed for the small cardboard box, a wave of anticipation washing over her—perhaps tonight, she would finally be free from this agonizing menstrual pain.

Returning home at noon, she couldn’t wait to tear open the package.

Inside were five kraft paper packets of Four-Ingredient Soup herbs, each tied securely with a thin hemp string. Next to them was a complimentary box of Moxibustion Sticks.

She picked up one of the packets and brought it close to her nose. A rich, medicinal aroma hit her, tinged with a faint sweetness and a slight bitterness.

"This looks pretty legitimate," she muttered to herself. Following the online instructions for decocting, she poured the herbs into a small clay pot, added water, and set it to simmer on low heat.

The medicinal brew gradually turned a deep brown, GURGLING as it bubbled. The entire kitchen filled with the scent of herbs.

Full of hope, Wang Ruiying poured out a bowl, blew on it to cool it down, and carefully took a sip.

"Ugh... so bitter!" she frowned, but still pinched her nose and gulped it down in one go.

However, by the afternoon, her stomach still hurt.

She was a little puzzled, but then she thought, ’Maybe the effects just haven’t kicked in yet. I’ll wait a bit longer.’

Before bed that night, she decocted a second bowl according to the instructions. After drinking it, she lay in bed, her hands crossed over her lower abdomen, hoping the warmth would gradually drive away the pain.

But by midnight, she was still curled up under the covers, drenched in a cold sweat, the cramping in her abdomen not having eased in the slightest.

’Could the dose be too low?’ she thought groggily, deciding to try the Moxibustion Sticks the next day.

...

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