Chapter 20: A First Encounter with Medicine

The next morning, as the first light of dawn touched the horizon, Li Yifei hurried to Professor Lu's office. Pushing open the door, he found the professor already hunched over his desk, his focused expression commanding immediate respect.

Li Yifei knocked gently and, upon being invited in, asked politely, "Professor Lu, I wanted to ask about my schedule moving forward."

Professor Lu looked up, adjusted his glasses, and said kindly, "Yifei, spend the next few months clearing your English proficiency exams; that shouldn't be difficult for you. As for the rest, focus on finishing these books first. No need to run back and forth—come see me once you've completed them. If you have time to work on your thesis, do so, and bring it to me when it's ready. For anything else you don't understand, consult your senior fellow students; your senior gave you his contact information last time." With that, the professor picked up a reading list from his desk and placed it gently in front of Li Yifei.

Li Yifei received the list with both hands, nodded, and said, "Understood, Professor Lu. I'll take my leave now. Goodbye, Professor."

After leaving the office, Li Yifei lost no time heading to the offices of the law and medicine professors.

The instructions from the law professor were much the same as Professor Lu's: Li Yifei was to read through several essential legal codes before returning for further discussion. Recognizing the significance of these texts, he carefully noted the professor's requirements.

Professor Xia, the medicine professor, had a different plan. He told Li Yifei to begin shadowing his clinical consultations the very next day. Li Yifei realized that the three professors must have coordinated with one another, tailoring his study plan to the specific demands of each discipline.

As for the professors from the physics and geology departments, Li Yifei had already spoken with them previously. Both had advised that, given the heavy workload of studying so many subjects at once, he should simply read their recommended texts whenever he had the time.

Leaving the professors' offices, Li Yifei went straight to the library, where he checked out every book required. Carrying a heavy stack of volumes back to his dormitory, he plunged headfirst into an ocean of learning. He estimated that finishing the books would take about a week, and with the added clinical sessions under Professor Xia, his schedule was packed. Yet, far from shrinking back, Li Yifei felt only a surge of determination.

***

The next day, before the sky had fully brightened, Li Yifei arrived at the hospital. He located Professor Xia’s office and waited quietly by the door.

Time ticked by. Just before eight o'clock, Professor Xia approached with two individuals in tow. Li Yifei guessed they must be the professor's students—his senior fellow students.

Li Yifei quickly tucked away the copy of the *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon* he had been reading and said respectfully, "Good morning, Professor Xia."

The professor smiled. "Yifei, you're here so early. No need to arrive quite so early next time; I forgot to mention it yesterday. These are your seniors, Wang Yang and Gu Caili."

As they entered the clinic, Professor Xia introduced them: Wang Yang was a doctoral candidate, and Gu Caili was pursuing her master's. Li Yifei understood that the professor was treating him like a graduate student, providing direct, hands-on clinical training, for he knew that textbook knowledge differed vastly from actual practice and required constant learning in the field.

After exchanging greetings, Li Yifei sat quietly to the side, observing the professor’s diagnostic process with rapt attention. Professor Xia utilized the traditional methods of inspection, auscultation, olfaction, inquiry, and palpation with ease and precision, every movement and question imbued with professional rigor.

Li Yifei dared not slacken for a second. He committed every diagnostic step to memory, cross-referencing his own knowledge to understand the reasoning behind each decision. Through this, previously vague concepts from his books began to crystallize, deepening his grasp of medicine.

The morning flew by in an instant. As Professor Xia washed his hands, Li Yifei noticed the two seniors looking like frightened quails, their bodies trembling slightly and their faces etched with tension. He was confused, wondering what had happened.

Professor Xia then spoke up: "You've been watching all morning. Who can tell me how many types of conditions we saw, their characteristics, what precautions were taken, the treatments used, and the expected recovery times?" He looked at Wang Yang.

Wang Yang took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "We saw 30 patients this morning across about 10 conditions, primarily unexplained fevers, tumors, and gastrointestinal disorders. Treatments were a combination of medication and acupuncture." He spoke for about five minutes, detailing his observations.

***

Next, Professor Xia turned to Gu Caili. She did not fall behind; building on Wang Yang's report, she added further details in her own five-minute response.

Finally, the professor’s gaze fell on Li Yifei. Professor Xia had intended to tell Li Yifei to keep studying and that he would be questioned later, but before the professor could speak, Li Yifei, assuming it was his turn, stood up. "Professor Xia, we saw 32 patients today; two were added as walk-ins. The primary diagnostic methods were the four examinations, and the conditions can be summarized as heat syndromes and metabolic imbalances." To the astonishment of everyone present, Li Yifei began to analyze every single patient, from symptoms and etiology to treatment and prognosis, with impeccable logic and clarity.

Wang Yang and Gu Caili stared, wide-eyed, muttering that it was impossible, feeling as if their own years of study had been for naught. Professor Xia’s eyes gleamed as he thought to himself, *I've struck gold!* A smile tugged at his lips, and he was too excited to even bother reprimanding the two seniors.

However, no sooner had the seniors breathed a sigh of relief than Professor Xia launched into a five-minute lecture.

"Look at you both," he said sternly. "You are studying the same material, so why is the gap so wide? Yifei has only just arrived, and yet his performance is this strong. You should reflect on your own attitudes and methods. Medicine is a rigorous discipline that tolerates no sloppiness. You must work harder, observe more, think more, and summarize more..." Listening to the lecture, Wang Yang and Gu Caili lowered their heads in shame, their eyes reddening with regret and frustration.

Watching this, Li Yifei felt a complex mix of emotions. He knew his performance was due to his diligent study, but he also realized that the path of medicine was long and arduous, and this was only the beginning.

In the days ahead, he would need to continue learning and practicing, improving himself under the guidance of his professors and the help of his peers, constantly advancing toward higher goals. This day had taught Li Yifei that learning is endless and that reading books without application is futile; only when the knowledge in one’s mind is put to use can it become a weapon for progress.