Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 228: Struck it Rich

Li Xu continued, "Western medicine uses steroids. It's like spraying a powerful fertilizer on the 'branches and leaves' of a dying tree. It might make the leaves look a bit greener temporarily, but the problem with the 'root' isn't solved. Once the medicine wears off, the leaves will just keep withering. What's more, this powerful fertilizer is toxic itself and will corrode the trunk and roots. The avascular necrosis you mentioned is the same principle."

"Yes! Yes! That's exactly it!" Guo Hengchang nodded repeatedly. It was the first time he had heard someone explain his illness so thoroughly.

"So, to cure the disease, we can't just focus on the 'branches and leaves.' The key is to 'enrich the soil and strengthen the root.'"

Li Xu said seriously, "What I need to do is replenish your lung qi, and more importantly, your kidney qi. This will make your 'roots' strong and vigorous again, able to firmly grasp the qi. Only with deep roots can the leaves flourish. Once the root is strong, your wheezing will calm down, and you'll be able to catch your breath."

After speaking, Li Xu said no more and began writing a prescription on his computer.

The prescription he wrote was the very same one from the intelligence report—a formula created by modifying and combining the Golden Cabinet Kidney Qi Pill and Lung Replenishing Soup.

He used Astragalus Root, Stalactite, Ginseng, Fresh Rehmannia Glutinosa, Poria Cocos, Mulberry Bark, Atractylodes, Schisandra, Polygala Tenuifolia, Ophiopogon Japonicus, Aster, processed Aconite, Large Dates, tangerine red, Magnolia Bark, Cinnamon Bark, dried ginger, Achyranthes bidentata, licorice...

This formula was tailor-made for Guo Hengchang by the system's intelligence.

It was a one-hundred-percent match for his condition.

The formula used large doses of Astragalus Root and Ginseng to greatly supplement the Primordial Qi in the lungs. These were the "sovereign" herbs and the core of the Lung Replenishing Soup, intended to repair the damaged "branches and leaves."

Combined with the Golden Cabinet Kidney Qi Pill, it used processed Aconite and Cinnamon Bark to warmly supplement the Yang Qi in the kidneys and help them absorb qi. This was the key to "enriching the soil and strengthening the root."

Fresh Rehmannia Glutinosa nourished the kidney yin. Used together with the Aconite and Cinnamon, it supplemented both yin and yang.

Stalactite warmed the lung qi, directed qi downward, and calmed wheezing. Mulberry Bark purged the lungs to relieve asthma and promoted urination to reduce swelling. Schisandra astringed the lung qi; paired with Astragalus Root and Ginseng, it created a balance of supplementing and astringing to prevent the dissipation of lung qi.

Ophiopogon Japonicus and Aster nourished yin, moistened the lungs, resolved phlegm, and stopped coughing. Polygala Tenuifolia, tangerine red, and Magnolia Bark regulated qi, resolved phlegm, expanded the chest, and relieved stuffiness.

Poria Cocos and Atractylodes strengthened the spleen and dried dampness. Because "the spleen is the source of phlegm," strengthening the spleen eliminates the root cause of phlegm production, reflecting the therapeutic principle of treating the lungs, spleen, and kidneys simultaneously.

Dried ginger warmed the middle burner and dispelled cold, while Achyranthes bidentata guided blood downward to treat the edema in his lower limbs.

The entire formula supplemented while also purging, warmed while also moistening, and addressed both qi absorption and phlegm resolution. It took into account the lungs, spleen, and kidneys, with a precise and rigorous combination of herbs that demonstrated a master's touch.

Li Xu had to admit, 'without looking at the intelligence, I couldn't have come up with such a perfect formula on my own.'

At the same time, Li Xu was confident that when Guo Hengchang took this formula, the effect would be as swift as a drumbeat.

'While it wouldn't be an instant cure upon finishing the cup, it would take effect very quickly.'

Li Xu printed out the prescription and handed it to Song Sisi, asking her to fill it. At the same time, he instructed Guo Hengchang, "Boss Guo, let's start with a seven-day supply. One dose per day, decocted in water, to be taken once in the morning and once at night. While you're on the medication, avoid raw, cold, spicy, and greasy foods. Keep warm, and do not overexert yourself."

Guo Hengchang had never received such a thorough explanation when seeing doctors elsewhere. A glimmer of hope sparked for his future. "Doctor Li, this illness of mine... is there really still hope?"

"I can't say if it can be completely cured. Pneumoconiosis is an organic lesion, and the pulmonary fibrosis is very difficult to reverse."

Li Xu told him the truth, not wanting to give him unrealistic fantasies. But then his tone shifted, becoming firm. "However, I can guarantee that as long as you take the medicine on schedule, after these seven doses, your coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and edema will all see significant improvement. At the very least, you'll be able to get a peaceful night's sleep and walk without gasping for breath."

"Then, come back for a follow-up in seven days. I'll adjust the prescription. After a few courses of treatment, you should at least be able to live a normal life."

To get a peaceful night's sleep!

To live a normal life!

For Guo Hengchang, who had long been tormented by insomnia and difficulty breathing, these two simple phrases were like the music of the heavens!

His eyes instantly reddened. This tough man, who had struggled in the stone quarry for half his life and endured all kinds of hardship, suddenly felt the urge to cry.

He took a deep breath, pulled out his phone to scan the payment code, and asked, "Doctor Li, how much is the fee?"

Li Xu glanced at the prescription and explained, "Boss Guo, a few of the herbs in your formula are quite expensive, like Ginseng and processed Aconite. Some are inherently valuable, and for others, we're using higher-quality grades. So, let's say 100 yuan per dose, for a total of 700 yuan for seven doses."

Guo Hengchang, phone in hand, froze.

It wasn't that he thought it was too much. On the contrary, he thought it was too little—so little it was unbelievable.

Over the years, trying to cure this life-threatening disease, he had visited nearly every well-known hospital in the province.

He had seen both Western and traditional Chinese medicine doctors.

With Western medicine, every visit involved a battery of expensive routine tests: high-resolution CT (HRCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), complete blood count, pulmonary function tests... A full set would cost at least a thousand yuan.

Adding the prescribed inhalers and steroids, even without hospitalization, each visit would cost two thousand yuan, yet the effects were minimal.

Some of the more famous TCM clinics were just as expensive.

Registration fees were easily one or two hundred yuan, and it was common for a single dose of medicine to cost two to three hundred. A seven-day course of treatment would similarly run one to two thousand yuan.

He had even gone to a so-called "famous old TCM master" in the provincial capital who specialized in lung diseases. The man took his pulse, muttered a few incomprehensible words, and wrote a prescription for three doses of medicine that cost him eighteen hundred yuan.

But this Doctor Li before him had been meticulous in his observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. He analyzed the pathology of his disease so logically that Guo Hengchang was completely convinced.

The prescription he wrote was a long list of over twenty herbs, including valuable ones like Ginseng and Aconite. And seven doses cost only 700 yuan.

This... This was simply a "conscience price"!

Guo Hengchang's trust in Li Xu deepened even further.

He no longer hesitated and quickly scanned the code to pay.

Song Sisi was quick and nimble. She soon weighed out each herb according to the prescription, packed them into seven kraft paper bags, tied them neatly with thin twine, and handed them to Guo Hengchang.

Guo Hengchang took the seven heavy bags of medicine, stood up, and prepared to leave.

"Boss Guo, one last piece of advice," Li Xu said with a serious expression. "For your illness, overexertion is the biggest taboo. Your health is your most important asset. That stone processing plant of yours—if you have to, just shut it down for a while. Nothing is more important than your life."

Hearing this, a bitter smile appeared on Guo Hengchang's face. He sighed, sat back down as if he had found someone to confide in, and lamented, "Ah, Doctor Li, don't worry. It's not that I don't want to work. It's that I can't even if I wanted to now."

"Oh? Why is that?" Li Xu was a little surprised.

"The environmental protection pressure is too great now." Guo Hengchang shook his head, filled with helplessness. "The city and the county have issued repeated orders, forbidding the stone business. All the quarries in our Mopan Mountain area were forcibly shut down some time ago. That's why a 'man of leisure' like me has the time to come to the city for treatment."

"I see..." Li Xu said in a moment of realization.

He recalled Ding Kaifang mentioning a few days ago that the municipal government planned to have several large corporations develop the abandoned mining areas in Shanyang County. It seemed Guo Hengchang's stone processing plant was one of those shut down during this environmental crackdown.

"So, are they planning to build a retirement and leisure resort in your area?" Li Xu asked casually.

"Huh? Doctor Li, you're really well-informed!" Guo Hengchang gave Li Xu a surprised look, then curled his lip in disdain. "The city has that idea, but it's pure nonsense! You've been to that place. The transportation is inconvenient, it's far from the city, and the surrounding mountains have been stripped bare by our digging over the years. There isn't even a decent patch of forest left—just bare, rocky mountains and abandoned pits. Build a leisure and tourism resort there? Who would come? I think it's completely unrealistic."

"Is that so," Li Xu nodded.

He had been to Mopan Mountain and had a firsthand impression of the area. It was just as Guo Hengchang described: the natural environment had been severely damaged, making it completely unsuitable for a tourist resort.

Guo Hengchang continued, his tone bleak, "Sigh, actually, even if quarrying wasn't banned, we couldn't have lasted much longer. We've been mining for so many years, all the good stone in that area was dug out long ago.

Last month, the final batch of bluestone I quarried came out of the mountain completely shattered from the blasting. Too many cracks. It was useless as building material and could only be sold as scrap.

So, I won't be going back into the stone processing business."

"That's for the best then." After listening, Li Xu actually thought this was a good thing. He comforted him, "Perhaps this is fate's way of telling you to stop, rest well, and focus on healing your body. Once you're better and no longer suffering from this cough, what can't you do?"

Hearing this, Guo Hengchang felt a lot more at ease.

'That's right. You can always earn more money, but if you lose your life, you lose everything.'

The two chatted for a little longer as other patients began to arrive at the clinic.

Seeing this, Guo Hengchang stood up and took his leave.

The day passed quickly.

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Li Xu woke up out of habit and immediately checked the system intelligence in his mind.

[Today's Intelligence: Mopan Mountain, Shanyang County. Its main mineral, bluestone, has been completely depleted. However, beneath the mountain, there are vast layers of argillaceous rock buried due to geological changes.

These rock layers contain a massive amount of ancient mammalian fossils, including the skeletal remains of elephants, three-toed horses, rhinoceroses, deer, and bovines, with reserves as high as 3.99 million cubic meters.

Their texture is pure and rich in calcium, qualifying as high-quality 'Dragon Bone' according to TCM theory. It can be used to prepare the Chinese patent medicine 'Dragon Horn Powder'...]

[Appendix: Dragon Horn Powder (Optimized Formula): Dragon Bone, Knotweed, almond, Polygala Tenuifolia, licorice...]

At the end of the intelligence report, there was also an optimized formula for Dragon Horn Powder provided by the system, along with a detailed process for preparing the Dragon Bone.

Li Xu's breath caught in his throat. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

He blinked, re-reading the contents of the intelligence report in his mind several times to be sure.

3.99 million cubic meters!

High-quality Dragon Bone!

"I've struck it rich!"