CHAPTER 56: 056 LOSING BLOOD AND ESSENCE

At this point, the leader’s face was dark throughout the entire episode.

Even if there were issues with the Health Clinic, Xu Pinglin could have dressed them down thoroughly in the meeting room, behind closed doors. What is he trying to achieve by causing such a scene in front of so many onlookers now? Is he deliberately trying to pick a fight with me because he has some personal grudge? True, you’re the Deputy Director of the Provincial First Hospital, and I’m just a minor official in the district Health Bureau. You look down on me. But who doesn’t have connections? In a city as large as Jinzhou, within our small Health System, you think we can’t find someone to put you in your place?

Now, almost everyone was looking at Xu Pinglin as if he were an idiot, wondering when this fit of madness would end.

"What do I want to do? I want to expose your ugly faces," Xu Pinglin declared, his face a mask of righteousness.

Du Heng looked at the already frenzied Xu Pinglin and felt a sense of helplessness. "How are we ugly? Besides, you’re a senior doctor. It’s one thing for you to criticize me, but you should show some respect to the patients and their families."

"What a joke! Are they patients? Are they patients’ families? If you want my respect, fine. Didn’t they say you can cure everything? Come on, cure a case of hemiplegia on the spot for me to see. If I’m wrong, I’ll kowtow and apologize to you."

Du Heng shook his head. This man must have some underlying psychological issue. Suppressed for too long, it’s erupted suddenly, causing him to completely lose control.

"Why are you shaking your head? Are you scared?"

Du Heng strode confidently before Xu Pinglin. "There’s nothing to be scared of. It’s disrespectful to experiment on others. Since Deputy Director Xu has made the request, how about I demonstrate on Deputy Director Xu instead?"

Xu Pinglin’s eyes narrowed, but he agreed readily, adding sarcastically, "Do you need me to find you a table and chair? Don’t make excuses if you get it wrong."

"No need."

Du Heng smiled faintly. He raised his left hand, took firm hold of Xu Pinglin’s left hand, and extended three fingers of his right hand to rest on Xu Pinglin’s wrist.

The moment his three fingers made contact, a flicker of understanding crossed Du Heng’s eyes.

This Deputy Director Xu really does have a problem, and it’s not a minor one.

Then, his three fingers began to move, light and agile as dancing butterflies, or like fingers gracefully playing a piano.

For the past month, Du Heng’s pulse diagnosis had always been unpretentious and straightforward; he never showed off or resorted to gimmicks.

But today, he intended to display his skill.

Soon, Du Heng raised an eyebrow, glanced at Xu Pinglin with renewed surprise, and then took his right hand as well.

"Don’t rush. Take your time with the pulse diagnosis. Don’t make a mistake and then look for excuses."

"Heh heh," Du Heng chuckled without humor. "Deputy Director Xu, not only is your hair white, but you also show signs of hair loss, don’t you?"

"Heh, and I thought you were so perceptive. At this distance, anyone who isn’t blind can see that."

"Don’t be impatient, Director Xu. Let me ask you, do you persistently experience symptoms like dizziness and a sensation of coldness on your scalp?"

This time, Xu Pinglin remained silent, staring intently at Du Heng.

After finishing the pulse diagnosis, Du Heng released Xu Pinglin’s hand and once again sized him up from head to toe, making Xu Pinglin’s scalp crawl.

That gaze seemed to penetrate right through him, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"You’ve finished taking my pulse. So, what illness do I have?"

"It seems Deputy Director Xu is aware he has an illness. Don’t worry. Let me first describe the symptoms, and you can tell me if I’m correct."

"Go on."

Du Heng took a step back. "Deputy Director Xu, are you married?"

"Yes, I am. What does that have to do with my diagnosis?"

"Director Xu, you don’t have any children yet, do you?"

"Hmph, that’s hardly a secret."

"Director Xu, please don’t be upset. By the way, Director Xu, you’ve sought treatment at the Nephrology Department and the Gastroenterology Department before, haven’t you?"

"Is there a problem with that? Can’t doctors also be patients?"

Du Heng smiled and shook his head. "What I mean is, did the doctors who examined you all say that you weren’t ill, that your body was in good condition?"

"Yes, they all said my body was fine. What about it?"

"Nothing."

Du Heng sighed, looked at Xu Pinglin, and continued, "The kidney, its bloom is in the hair. Hair is the residue of blood. Deputy Director Xu, your hair turned white at a young age, and there are signs of hair loss. This indicates a deficiency in both the liver and kidney."

Xu Pinglin instinctively wanted to touch his hair, but then he remembered the current setting and lowered his hand. Frowning, he urged, "Stop beating around the bush and get to the point."

Du Heng, however, was in no hurry. He said slowly, "Deputy Director Xu, please don’t be anxious. Your pulse reveals a complex situation, what we call ’one pulse, three patterns’: Deficiency, Hollow, and Slow. It’s clear that your illness is quite serious."

Saying this, he turned to look at Wu Buwei, who was standing behind him. His impromptu quiz was about to begin again.

"Buwei, describe the characteristics and associated conditions of these three pulse types."

Wu Buwei was delighted. He stepped forward and said loudly, "Yes, Senior Brother."

"Hollow pulse is floating, large, and soft, feeling empty in the middle; it primarily indicates blood loss. Slow pulse is defined as three beats per breath, arriving slowly; this reflects Yang failing to overcome Yin, leading to coldness in qi and blood. Deficiency pulse is Yin in nature and indicates a deficiency syndrome, most often due to insufficient qi and blood or a deficiency in the viscera."

Du Heng clapped softly. The young man had truly made him proud today.

"Deputy Director Xu, did you hear all that? Extreme deficiency leads to exhaustion; a hollow pulse indicates blood loss; and a slow pulse signifies cold. You have a syndrome of qi and blood deficiency. As the medical texts state, the liver stores blood, and the kidney stores essence. Your deficiency of qi and blood implies a deficiency in both your liver and kidney, which is a syndrome of loss of blood and essence."

Du Heng glanced at Xu Pinglin. "Deputy Director Xu, judging from your pulse, this condition has been with you for some years. In such circumstances, it would be a miracle if you were able to have children."

This statement seemed to strike a raw nerve. Xu Pinglin’s face flushed crimson, and he retorted angrily, "Nonsense! So many excellent doctors in Grade 3A hospitals couldn’t find anything, yet you can tell just by taking my pulse?"

"Simple? Heh, Director Xu, I’m afraid you misunderstand the concept of ’one pulse, three patterns.’ Let’s not talk about Western medicine; that’s your expertise. We’ll discuss traditional Chinese medicine. These three pulse types are very easily confused. If the pulse isn’t diagnosed correctly, the syndrome differentiation cannot be correct. Your previous traditional Chinese medicine treatments focused either on your qi deficiency or your blood deficiency. As a result, your condition didn’t improve; it actually worsened."

Du Heng put his hands in his pockets and asked earnestly, "Director Xu, you also experience lienteric diarrhea, don’t you?"

Xu Pinglin hesitated for a moment before admitting, "Yes."

"Then that confirms it. Lienteric diarrhea, and the pattern of loss of blood and essence." Du Heng chuckled. "In fact, Director Xu, you must have been consuming a lot of rich, nourishing foods recently to try and compensate. Your pulse shows some signs of dryness from it."

Xu Pinglin fell silent. Du Heng had described his condition with such clarity that he was left speechless. But because it had been laid bare so precisely in front of everyone, his face burned with a mixture of anger and shame, a dark flush spreading across his features.

"Director Xu, your outburst today isn’t just because you think we’re faking it or because you dislike us; it’s also a release of your suppressed emotions." Du Heng turned serious and looked at Xu Pinglin. "Long-term suffering from your illness and the pressure of not having children have caused your emotions and temperament to become extremely suppressed. You aren’t an introverted person by nature, so in your daily life and at work, you likely lash out and get angry without apparent reason. This would cause discord in your family and with your colleagues at your workplace.

This only intensifies your emotional burden. Then, under such immense pressure, the moment you find an outlet, you release everything uncontrollably. However, this kind of release cannot truly heal your emotional state. If this continues, your mental health will eventually suffer."

Xu Pinglin was silent for a long time before finally asking, "Then what should I do? Should I see someone in the Psychiatry Department?"