Chapter 50: Hollowed Out

Excellent! Truly excellent! Zhou Yichen felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and their conversation grew even more lively.

He would periodically pose questions, each one precisely striking at the key points that Doctor Sun mentioned. These questions not only sparked deeper discussion but also never felt out of place.

As for Doctor Sun, the more he spoke, the more astonished and invigorated he became.

This young man was no ordinary talent!

The last time they met, he had thought Zhou Yichen had a solid foundation but lacked breadth of knowledge.

Yet today, during their exchange, he realized Zhou Yichen’s questions were not only well-structured but also far deeper than before, even subtly touching upon some core principles of syndrome differentiation and treatment!

“Yichen,” Doctor Sun couldn’t help but interrupt, curiosity evident in his voice, “have you been reading a lot of medical books these past few days? Your questions today run much deeper than the last time we talked!”

Zhou Yichen’s heart stirred, knowing he might have pushed a bit too far.

He scratched his head and offered a slightly shy smile.

“You have a keen eye that can’t be fooled. Recently, I went to the commune hospital to buy silver needles, and Director Zhou gifted me a few medical books. After reading them, I did gain some insights, but many parts I only half understood. So, I came to seek guidance from you, the esteemed senior.”

His words both reasonably explained the rapid progress in his medical skills and subtly paid respect to Doctor Sun.

Sure enough, Doctor Sun’s expression brightened with understanding, and his heart felt immensely comforted.

“Good! A thirst for learning is a virtue! If anything confuses you, just ask! This old body will share all I know!”

“Yichen, Grandpa Sun, the meal is ready. Let’s eat first and continue our talk afterward,” Jiang Xiaoman’s clear voice came from beside the stove.

She bustled about like a diligent little bee, bringing dishes to the small table on the kang.

There was a glistening plate of twice-cooked pork, its aroma enticing; a plate of crisp, emerald stir-fried cabbage; a tangy, appetizing dish of spicy shredded potatoes; and a large bowl of steaming radish soup.

For this era, it was quite a feast.

Taking a moment, Zhou Yichen’s thoughts drifted to his talent panel, quickly casting a glance.

[Medical Skill: LV1 (951/1000)]

In just a short while, his proficiency had surged by sixteen points!

Zhou Yichen felt deeply reassured.

At this rate, it wouldn’t take long before his medical skill naturally advanced to level two.

“Grandpa Sun, let’s eat first and chat while we do!” Zhou Yichen suppressed his excitement and warmly invited Doctor Sun.

At the table, he and Jiang Xiaoman played the perfect hosts, eagerly offering dishes to Doctor Sun.

“Grandpa Sun, try this pork. I just bought it from the supply and marketing cooperative today, rich and tender!”

“Grandpa Sun, have some soup to warm you up.”

Jiang Xiaoman, unusually well-behaved, tucked away her usual carefree demeanor and called out “Grandpa Sun” with a sweet, crisp tone each time.

Doctor Sun was visibly pleased by the attentive hospitality from these two young people, his face glowing with satisfaction.

He picked up a piece of twice-cooked pork and savored it—fatty yet not greasy, bursting with flavor.

“Delicious! Delicious!” he nodded repeatedly, looking at the pair before him—so close in manner and warm in hospitality—with a smile lighting his cloudy eyes.

“Little Xiaoman is a skilled cook, and Yichen, this young man is talented and well-mannered. Good, very good!”

“Grandpa Sun, you must try this. Speaking of which, today when I was assisting with a cow’s delivery, I used some finesse and suddenly recalled what you mentioned about ‘qi’ last time.”

“Is the ‘qi’ in the human body connected to the strength in the cow in some way?”

At this, Doctor Sun’s eyes lit up instantly!

“Ah! You’ve hit the nail on the head!”

He set down his wine cup with a sharp clap, forgetting to eat, his whole spirit stirred.

“Connected? More than connected! It’s essentially the same principle!”

“A doctor’s art lies in intention! Whether treating humans or animals, it’s about managing a certain ‘momentum’—guiding the flow of ‘qi’!”

“Take bone setting, for example. You might think it relies on brute force? Wrong! It depends on feeling the tension, following the misaligned ‘qi’ and smoothing it out!”

Doctor Sun grew more and more excited, putting down his chopsticks to gesture along the meridian pathways in the air.

Zhou Yichen listened with shining eyes, nodding repeatedly, his heart burning with enthusiasm.

This was it!

Exactly what he sought!

The most fundamental and essential truths distilled from practical experience!

[Medical Skill: LV1 (965/1000)]

In his mind, the clear number jumped upward once again.

Overjoyed, Zhou Yichen quickly posed another question without pause.

“If the ‘qi’ you speak of is deficient, how should one nourish it?”

“Is it simply by using qi-tonifying herbs such as astragalus and codonopsis, or is there a more nuanced method?”

“Well asked!” Doctor Sun slapped his thigh, looking at Zhou Yichen as if beholding a flawless, uncut gem, filled with admiration.

“Herbal tonics are only part of it! Dietary therapy is even more crucial! Why is Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang so effective at replenishing primordial qi? Because it follows the principle of monarch, minister, assistant, and courier herbs, harmonizing the spleen and stomach so the body can generate and nurture qi on its own!”

“There’s a profound method behind this!”

What began as a meal turned into an impromptu medical symposium.

Jiang Xiaoman listened beside them, somewhat lost in the complexity, but seeing Zhou Yichen’s focused, radiant gaze and Grandpa Sun’s eager sharing, she said nothing.

She quietly finished her meal and carefully cleared the dishes away to the kitchen.

When she returned, the two were still engaged in animated discussion.

One question was more probing than the last, and one answer more impassioned than before.

Sunlight streamed in through the window lattice, casting a golden halo around them both.

Jiang Xiaoman smiled faintly at the scene.

She tightened the scarf around her neck and glanced at the clock on the wall.

Time was running late; it was time to return to work and earn labor points.

Without disturbing them, she quietly closed the door behind her, like a silent cat that had come and gone, leaving this small world to the two immersed in the art of medicine.

Unaware of this, Zhou Yichen and Doctor Sun remained lost in their realm of yin and yang, the five elements, qi and blood, and the meridians.

Zhou Yichen’s Heaven-rewarding diligence talent was now at its peak.

Doctor Sun’s decades of medical experience and insights—fragmented, unsystematized, even those he had never fully organized—were instantly grasped, comprehended, and absorbed the moment he spoke them.

It was as if an invisible net carefully lifted each pearl of knowledge, threading them together swiftly and seamlessly.

One proof would forever be proof!

Once knowledge was received by him, it transformed immediately into his own, leaving no trace of unfamiliarity.

[Medical Skill: LV1 (981/1000)]

[Medical Skill: LV1 (993/1000)]

[Medical Skill: LV1 (999/1000)]

Time flowed on, and the tea on the kang had been replaced three times.

Doctor Sun’s voice gradually lost its initial vigor, taking on a slight, barely noticeable hoarseness.

Sweat beaded finely on his forehead, and his gaze began to waver.

This young man… what was going on?

Was his mind made of iron?

His questions grew deeper and more nuanced with each one, some even touching on matters that Doctor Sun, after decades of practice, had only ever glimpsed in fleeting moments but never deeply explored!

He felt as though he was not teaching but being thoroughly drained!

The small reservoir of knowledge in his mind was being sucked out at an alarming pace, emptied by this relentless youth.