Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 225: A Miracle Happens
Time ticked by, second by second, and the air in the private room seemed to have frozen solid.
Everyone held their breath.
There was nothing they could do.
They could only wait.
Wait for the An Gong Bezoar Pill to take effect.
Wait for the ambulance to arrive.
One minute... two minutes...
Sun Qingli's condition showed no signs of improvement.
His face remained an unnatural, feverish red, tinged with an ashen gray. His breathing was still harsh and rapid, and more drool trickled from the crooked corner of his mouth.
Ding Kaifang's heart was in his throat as he looked anxiously at his father.
The Ding Group was hosting the dinner tonight.
If Sun Qingli died from the stroke... Ding Kaifang had no idea how he would face the man's family.
Ding Aiguo, however, remained calm.
He believed in Li Xu.
His trust bordered on blind faith,
born from the incredible miracles Li Xu had created one after another.
His wife, Xue Mei; his granddaughter, Duoduo... and even Elder Li.
Ding Aiguo firmly believed that the An Gong Bezoar Pill, personally prepared by Li Xu using the finest medicinal ingredients, was bound to work another miracle.
"Just a little longer..."
Ding Aiguo's voice was hoarse, as if he was trying to convince the others as much as himself.
Five minutes passed... then seven...
The wail of an ambulance siren became faintly audible from outside.
It would likely arrive in another two or three minutes.
Ding Kaifang was about to get up to meet them at the door.
And just then, without any warning, a miracle occurred.
Sun Qingli, who had been slumped limply in his chair, made a soft gurgling sound in his throat. It was no longer the ragged, wheezing gasp from before.
Immediately after, his tightly shut eyelids, as if weighted down by a thousand pounds, gave a faint, difficult flutter.
"He moved! He moved! His eyelids moved!"
Ding Kaifang cried out, his voice filled with incredulous joy.
Hope flared in everyone's eyes in an instant!
As if on cue, a series of changes followed.
Sun Qingli's harsh, ox-like breathing gradually grew steady and deep.
The morbid flush on his face began to recede, replaced by a thin sheen of sweat.
Though his face was still pale, the deathly gray pallor that signified mortal danger was visibly fading.
Even more astonishingly, the corner of his mouth, which had been severely drooping to one side, began to twitch and show signs of straightening out!
The fingers of his limp hand curled slightly.
"My God... This... this medicine is miraculous!"
President Qian's eyes went wide, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg. He rubbed his eyes, afraid he was seeing things.
Chairman Zhao was so excited he grabbed Ding Aiguo's arm. "Old Ding! It's a miracle! A genuine miracle! Old Sun... I think he's coming around!"
Ding Aiguo's tense body finally relaxed as a wave of immense joy, mingled with the last vestiges of fear, washed over him.
He knew he had made the right gamble.
In the race against death, this An Gong Bezoar Pill had truly seized a precious lead!
It had only been about ten minutes since they had administered the pill!
BANG!
The door to the private room was thrown open, and two doctors and a nurse in white coats rushed in with a medical kit, followed by two orderlies carrying a stretcher.
"Where's the patient? What's his condition?" the lead physician, Dr. Liu, asked urgently.
His eyes quickly locked onto Sun Qingli, who was sitting in the chair.
However, when the experienced doctor saw Sun Qingli's condition clearly, he froze. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
The call had described a patient suffering a sudden, severe stroke—unconscious and in extremely critical condition.
But this man... while pale and lethargic, was breathing steadily. His vital signs seemed far more stable than they had been led to believe.
Dr. Liu strode forward, pulled out a penlight, and lifted Sun Qingli's eyelids to check his pupillary response.
His pupils were a normal size and reacted to the light.
He then took out a blood pressure cuff and quickly took Sun Qingli's reading.
"One-sixty over one hundred... Still high, but he's out of the danger zone." Dr. Liu noted the numbers, then looked up at Ding Aiguo and the others, his face a mask of bewilderment. "Didn't you say on the phone that the patient was in critical condition? That he'd had a sudden stroke and lost consciousness?"
"Yes! That's right!" Ding Kaifang hurried forward to explain. "Just ten or so minutes ago, Uncle Qingli was perfectly fine. Then he suddenly collapsed. His mouth went crooked, he couldn't speak—it was an absolute crisis!"
"While we were on the phone, we gave him an An Gong Bezoar Pill."
"An Gong Bezoar Pill?" Dr. Liu started, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "Ah, so you used an An Gong Bezoar Pill... That would explain it. But..."
He continued, confused, "As far as I know, while the An Gong Bezoar Pill is an excellent first-aid treatment for strokes, it usually takes time to work. You might see significant effects in thirty minutes on the fast end, but it can take an hour or two on the slow end.
"It's been fifteen minutes, tops, since you called for an ambulance, which means he took the pill even more recently than that. For it to take effect in under ten minutes—and so powerfully that he's essentially out of mortal danger... The speed is practically instantaneous. It's unheard of."
"If you don't mind my asking, which company manufactured the pill you gave him? Such potent effects are incredibly rare."
A thought crossed Ding Aiguo's mind.
He knew perfectly well that Li Xu had made the pill.
And that its Natural Rhino Horn ingredient was now banned from use.
He couldn't very well say that out loud.
Otherwise, it would cause trouble for Li Xu.
He replied with a placid expression, "It's an old pill I came by years ago. From before '93, I was told. I've kept it treasured away, just in case. I never expected it to actually work so well."
"So it's an old pill from before '93!"
Dr. Liu's eyes lit up with understanding, his surprise replaced by admiration. "Well, no wonder! I've always heard that the old An Gong Bezoar Pills—the ones made with Natural Rhino Horn, natural musk, and Natural Bezoar—were extraordinarily effective. Seeing it today, I can say its reputation is well-deserved! The patient is truly blessed to have a benefactor like you!"
Dr. Liu asked no more questions.
He turned to the nurse and orderlies. "The patient's condition may be stable for now, but he still needs follow-up tests and treatment. Get him on the ambulance immediately! We're taking him to the hospital for a brain CT and admission for observation!"
Just then, a flurry of urgent footsteps and sobbing came from outside the room. Sun Qingli's wife and son, having heard the news, had arrived.
"Old Sun! Old Sun, what happened to you?" Lady Sun rushed to his side. Seeing her husband was weak but not in immediate danger, she breathed a small sigh of relief, though tears continued to stream down her face.
Ding Kaifang quickly explained what had happened.
After hearing the story, Lady Sun said nothing, but simply pulled her son forward and bowed deeply to Ding Aiguo.
"Brother Ding, words can't express our gratitude! You saved my husband's life, which means you've saved our entire family!" Lady Sun sobbed, unable to speak clearly.
"Please, don't do this!" Ding Aiguo quickly helped her up. "Old Sun and I have been like brothers for decades. It was the least I could do! Now, go on, the most important thing is to get him to the hospital!"
Amid the flurry of gratitude and activity, Sun Qingli was placed on the stretcher and transported to the hospital.
The dinner, of course, was over.
Ding Aiguo was also preparing to leave.
"Old Ding, wait a moment," Chairman Zhao called out, stopping him.
"Um... Old Ding, that An Gong Bezoar Pill... do you have any more? I'll be honest, my heart isn't in the best shape, and my parents are getting on in years. That thing is a true lifesaver. I was hoping... hoping I could get one from you to keep at home, for emergencies. Name your price. I'll pay anything!"
