Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 68: An Unexpected Result
"Dad, don’t you know Grandma’s in bed, practically dying from the pain?"
Song Sisi practically shouted.
On the other end of the line, her father’s voice was laced with exhaustion. "Sisi... your grandmother is eighty-seven..."
"So what?!" Song Sisi felt her heart turn cold.
"The elderly in the village... it’s like this for all of them..." Her father sighed. "If you want to take her to the hospital... then take her..."
Song Sisi hung up.
She called her two uncles and her aunt, but their responses were all the same—
"Don’t go to all this trouble so late at night..."
"The old lady herself said it was her time to go..."
"If you insist on being the dutiful one... we won’t stop you..."
After hanging up, Song Sisi was trembling all over.
She finally understood. In everyone else’s eyes, her grandmother was already a corpse waiting for burial.
For the past three days, they had taken turns bringing food and medicine, but only to let the old woman "pass away comfortably."
The wail of an ambulance siren grew closer.
Song Sisi wiped away her tears and gently lifted her grandmother.
The old woman was terrifyingly light, as if she were nothing but a bag of bones.
"Grandma, we’re going to the hospital."
...
The ambulance sped along.
It finally stopped at the City People’s Hospital.
After an examination, the ER doctor reassured Song Sisi, "Don’t worry. She’s just getting on in years and has a bit of osteoporosis. She’ll be fine after being hospitalized for a few days to get some injections."
"Huh?"
Song Sisi was stunned.
’I can’t believe this is the diagnosis.’
She pressed, "Doctor, are you sure? My grandmother is in extreme pain, and she feels... like she’s on the verge of death."
The ER doctor smiled. "I’m sure of it. Many elderly people have these symptoms. If I’m not mistaken, your grandmother is from the countryside, isn’t she?"
"Yes."
"After she’s discharged, make sure she gets proper nutrition. Supplement with Vitamin D and calcium."
"Oh, thank you, Doctor."
"Go handle the admissions paperwork. We’ll run some routine tests tomorrow morning."
...
Song Sisi finished the admissions paperwork.
She then carried her grandmother and moved her to the hospital bed.
A nurse came over shortly after and hooked up an IV.
Once things settled down, Song Sisi felt like she was in a dream.
’I thought Grandma was gravely ill and about to die... I never expected such a twist. It was just pain from osteoporosis all along.’
Her phone rang.
She thought it was her father or one of her uncles.
But it was Li Xu.
"How’s your grandmother?"
Song Sisi wiped away a tear, glad to have someone to confide in. "...They were all just waiting for Grandma to die. It never occurred to them that she could actually live..."
"What’s the diagnosis? Is it serious?"
"Osteoporosis. The doctor said it would cost a few hundred yuan at most."
Choking back sobs, Song Sisi haltingly explained the situation.
’So that’s what happened...’
Li Xu had a moment of realization.
’No wonder the system didn’t give me any intel on this.’
’It turns out Song Sisi’s grandmother’s condition was so simple that any doctor could diagnose it.’
’Of course there was no need for a special alert.’
"...Grandma held on for three days without passing... She said even Heaven wouldn’t take her, that it wasn’t her time to die, and that’s why she called me..."
Song Sisi said through her tears, "And because she couldn’t bear the pain anymore..."
Li Xu fell silent.
As an outsider, he could see things more clearly.
’Were Song Sisi’s father, uncles, and aunt really short on a few hundred yuan?’
’Of course not.’
’They just didn’t want to add another burden to their lives.’
’Not even for their own mother.’
’Not everyone is willing to provide long-term care.’
The real reason was cruel, but it was the reality of the situation.
Song Sisi’s father, uncles, and aunt were afraid that sending their mother to the hospital would mean not only spending a lot of money but also dedicating someone to care for her.
It’s often said that a long illness will exhaust even the most devoted child.
’As the granddaughter, Song Sisi could accuse her father and uncles of being heartless right now, but could she really care for her grandmother indefinitely?’
’She had her thesis defense coming up.’
’After graduation, she’d have to take the hospital recruitment exams.’
’If she got a job at a hospital, she’d be even busier.’
’She would have absolutely no time to provide constant care for her grandmother.’
’Ultimately, the responsibility of caring for her grandmother would still fall to her father, uncles, and aunt.’
Song Sisi clearly understood this as well, because after her initial accusations, she didn’t say anything more.
"I’ll head over to check on things."
Li Xu hung up and hailed a taxi to the City People’s Hospital.
In the hospital room.
After the injection, Song Sisi’s grandmother was in less pain. Having been in agony for days, she finally couldn’t stay awake any longer and fell into a deep sleep.
"Shh!"
Li Xu quietly entered the room, motioning for Song Sisi to be silent.
He then sat down beside the bed, gently took the grandmother’s arm, and held her wrist to check her pulse, performing a careful diagnosis.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, osteoporosis is known as "bone atrophy," "bone impediment," or "bone withering," and falls under the categories of "atrophy syndrome" and "consumptive deficiency."
TCM holds that its fundamental cause is a deficiency of kidney essence and a lack of nourishment in the bone marrow, and it is closely related to imbalances of the liver, spleen, qi, and blood.
It is further divided into three types.
The first is the Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis type. Its main clinical manifestations are significant swelling and pain in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and the limbs, leading to restricted movement. It can also present with a dark, purplish tongue and a wiry, choppy pulse.
The second is the Liver and Kidney Deficiency type. It is most common in frail, elderly individuals and manifests as weakness and soreness in the lower back and knees, a red tongue with little coating, and a deep, thready pulse.
The third is the Qi and Blood Deficiency type. This can manifest as a pale complexion, shortness of breath, a disinclination to speak, a pale and white tongue coating, and a fine and weak pulse.
Li Xu checked her pulse. The grandmother’s pulse was fine and weak. Combined with her pale complexion, her condition matched the Qi and Blood Deficiency type.
’It’s a classic case of systemic pain caused by osteoporosis.’
’He could prescribe a remedy for this, too.’
’However, Song Sisi has already gotten her admitted, and she’s started on the injections.’
’There’s no need to move her.’
"It’s nothing serious. She’ll be fine after a few days of injections."
Li Xu placed her grandmother’s arm back under the blanket.
"Thank you."
Hearing Li Xu confirm the diagnosis, Song Sisi was completely relieved.
"Boss, you can go home. I can watch her by myself."
"Alright."
Li Xu didn’t argue. The clinic had to open for business as usual tomorrow.
He needed to get his rest.
"When you go for your thesis defense, remember to hire a caregiver. If you’re short on money, you can borrow from me."
"Okay."
Song Sisi nodded. "I will."
...
Even though he went to bed late last night, his internal clock woke Li Xu up at six as usual.
After washing up, he exercised for half an hour.
He ate breakfast out.
Back at the clinic, he started thinking about today’s intel.
The intel had provided a detailed formula for eye drops.
It was noted as being extremely effective at relieving eye fatigue.
’The system doesn’t exaggerate.’
’If it says ’extremely effective,’ then it must be true.’
Li Xu recalled a conversation he’d had with classmates back in school.
When they talked about the most profitable sectors of the medical industry, eye drops had come up.
A small bottle of eye drops can cost anywhere from a few yuan to several hundred, but the production cost is very low.
For example, Atropine eye drops have a gross profit margin of 82.18%.
Hylo eye drops, for instance, have an annual revenue of over 736 million.
It was a seemingly inconspicuous niche industry, but one that hid exorbitant profits.
Especially in recent years, with the proliferation of electronic devices.
The demand for eye drops has been increasing across all age groups, from teenagers to the middle-aged and elderly.
’If I were to get into this industry, I could definitely make a fortune.’
Li Xu then thought about the threat from his former teacher, Xue Shuheng.
’Right now, I’m weak and isolated.’
’But if I had immense wealth and a high standing in the industry, no one would be able to threaten me anymore.’
’And most importantly...’
Li Xu took the mutant foxtail grass from a cabinet beneath the medicine shelves. ’Only I have this particular kind of foxtail grass. Even if other people got the formula, they wouldn’t be able to replicate it.’
