Chapter 11: The Medicine Guide

The afternoon tour was rather dull.

After it ended, a small staff member from the Department of Science and Education explained the relevant precautions for the exam at eight o'clock tomorrow morning.

Most of the other Pre-service Trainees were somewhat anxious, and a few of them looked at Ji Xiang with a strange gaze.

They were all young people; who didn't have a competitive spirit?

Especially the son of Dean Zhao; the way he looked at Ji Xiang was clearly unusual.

When interning in a department, in order to compete to see who could endure more, some students would not even leave the department for a month.

This was all to make a good impression on the Attending Teacher so that they could get on the operating table when they finally left the department.

Therefore, the fact that Ji Xiang was called away directly by a professor from the Surgery Department today made people envious and jealous.

After Ji Xiang left, one person said disdainfully, "I don't know what kind of relationship his family has with the Second Hospital."

"Probably a second-generation medical professional; look at how arrogant he is."

"Does that have any benefits?"

A student who was still wet behind the ears adjusted their glasses and asked.

"Benefits? The benefits are huge. If the older generation has enough capability, they can add an extra name when publishing an SCI paper, tsk tsk."

The saliva of envy was already flowing down.

"It seems like other disciplines are the same; marrying your own mentor naturally comes with all sorts of benefits."

"Keep your voice down, if the teacher hears you, you'll get a zero tomorrow."

"It's the truth, though."

Although they said that, the person's voice lowered.

Some things are better left known, but who told their own parents they couldn't write SCI papers?

Hearing the others say this, Zhao Tianjiao felt a sense of pride rise up in his heart amidst his frustration.

His family had already arranged everything for him, and a "Zhong"-prefixed journal article was already being prepared for publication, with him as a Common First Author.

However, Zhao Tianjiao always remembered his family's instructions—act low-key, and never screw over your father.

"Tianjiao, how did your family arrange things for you?" one person asked.

"No arrangements," Zhao Tianjiao said humbly and low-key, "The ones you're talking about are those big shots; my family doesn't have that ability."

"I don't believe it."

Just as they were talking, Zhao Tianjiao saw Ji Xiang walk over to the Shared Bicycle area, "pick" a gaudy bicycle, get on, and ride away.

"What the... Ji Xiang likes that style?"

"This bike... hahaha, it's just too damn girly!"

"Exactly, do shared bicycles even come like that? I want to try it too."

Zhao Tianjiao's family told him to be low-key, but there was someone who wasn't low-key at all, stealing all the limelight like a crane in a flock of chickens.

At this moment, the classmate saying Ji Xiang was a bit girly sounded incredibly pleasant to Zhao Tianjiao's ears.

"Perhaps he just likes this." Zhao Tianjiao felt uncomfortable all over whenever he thought of Ji Xiang's one-meter-eighty-eight back, so he turned and left, "Following a teacher to do a few surgeries is a small matter; failing the exam would be a huge embarrassment."

……

……

When Ji Xiang returned home, the old man was wearing an apron and chatting with a woman in her fifties.

"Ji Xiang is back," the middle-aged woman greeted him very enthusiastically.

"Aunt Chen," Ji Xiang said.

"Then you two keep chatting, I'll go check on the Red Braised Pork in the pot," Ji Xiang's father quickly used the excuse to leave and gave Ji Xiang a look.

Ji Xiang's father liked quiet; there wasn't even a nanny in the house, and the hourly worker who came to clean every day had a set schedule.

Escaping at this time was also within Ji Xiang's expectations.

"Xiao Ji, I heard you went to the Second Affiliated Hospital," Aunt Chen said with a smile, "Your family is about to eat, I won't disturb you, I'll just get straight to the point."

"……"

A bad premonition washed over him.

Ji Xiang scratched his head, "Aunt Chen, I'm just a Pre-service Trainee, a gofer. Besides, I'm not even considered a Standardized Training Student yet; if I don't pass the exam tomorrow..."

"Look at you."

Ji Xiang's words were interrupted by Aunt Chen.

"Why is it so hard to ask you for a favor? You're exactly the same as your dad."

"……" Ji Xiang was speechless and had to smile, "Aunt Chen, what is it?"

"I have a relative who developed a strange illness. They went to many big hospitals, but it was useless. Later, they found a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor and got a prescription."

"Oh, that's good if they got a prescription. Is it effective? There are many illnesses that Western medicine can't handle, but Traditional Chinese Medicine can cure them, though you have to find a reliable doctor," Ji Xiang said perfunctorily.

"The medicine is easy to get, it's just the 'medicine guide' that's hard to come by," Aunt Chen sighed softly, but her eyes remained fixed on Ji Xiang.

"A medicine guide?"

"They said it needs a stone from a Kidney."

"!!!"

"I managed to get a stone a while ago, but it wasn't effective. I had that old Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor look at it, and he said the stone was too small for the medicinal effect to kick in."

"Aunt Chen," Ji Xiang was caught between laughter and tears; he never expected this neighbor to come to him for such an absurd reason.

"You have to see a proper Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor. Nowadays, many scammers pretend to be doctors, ruining the reputation of Traditional Chinese Medicine."

"They are a proper Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor, they have an ancient prescription passed down in the family for thousands of years, passed down to sons but not daughters."

Passed down to sons but not daughters?

Ji Xiang didn't believe this kind of talk at all.

And using a Kidney Stone as a medicinal ingredient... there really is everything under the sun in this world.

There are people who dare to say it, and there are actually people who dare to believe it.

Believing it isn't even the half of it; they actually dare to put it in their mouths.

Putting it in their mouths isn't even the half of it; they even dare to swallow it.

Don't they know that a Kidney Stone is soaked in urine? Soaked for how many years, from small to big, "marinated to perfection" doesn't even begin to describe it.

What is the difference between eating this thing and eating a rock?

Ji Xiang stared blankly at Chen, his mind full of Kidney Stones; his silence made Chen very dissatisfied.

"Xiao Ji, this is called Stone Strangury, people have already inquired about it clearly," Chen said, frowning. "We've been neighbors for many years, and I've watched you grow up; surely you wouldn't refuse to help with such a small matter?"

"Chen, listen to yourself," Ji Xiang said, his head splitting with pain. "I have an exam tomorrow, I don't even know if I can get into the hospital."

"You've been good at studying since you were a child, how could you not get into the hospital?" Chen pressed step by step.

"If I get access to a Lithotripsy Machine, I'll find a chance to keep a piece."

Ji Xiang was helpless and had to prevaricate. At this moment, he understood the meaning behind the look his old man had left him.

Chen nagged for a few more minutes, then took her leave amidst the polite offers from Ji Xiang's father to stay for a meal.

"Dad, what are Chen and the others thinking?" Ji Xiang was extremely helpless.

"The hospital can't cure it, so they look for folk remedies everywhere," Ji Xiang's father said with an open mind, wiping his hands on his apron. "Eat."

"But they can't just eat stones."

"There's no other way. If they could be cured at the First Affiliated Hospital or the Second Affiliated Hospital, who would want to eat stones? It's just that they have no choice. By the way, you have an exam tomorrow, how are your preparations?"

"I have no problem," Ji Xiang said as a matter of course. "Dad, what illness does Chen's relative have?"

"Don't know." Ji Xiang's father took off his apron, and the two sat at the table.

"Want a drink?" Ji Xiang's father asked.

"Did it go up today?" Ji Xiang asked curiously.

"It has nothing to do with ups or downs," Ji Xiang's father said. "You've grown up, you're going to start working."

"I won't drink, I still need to review tonight." Ji Xiang was thinking about the System Space and declined his father's invitation.

Ji Xiang's father didn't mind, chatting lightly with Ji Xiang while pouring drinks for himself.

"Dad, you look a bit too happy today."

"Do you remember what you said when you were a kid?" Ji Xiang's father asked with a smile, but he didn't keep him in suspense and continued, "Once, on your birthday, your wish was to have one hundred yuan of pocket money every day."

"..."

"At the time, I was really afraid you'd only earn three thousand a month in the future."

"..."

"Although the family doesn't rely on you to earn money, in a commercial society, being able to earn money is a skill. I heard the salary for a Standardized Training Student isn't low?"

Ji Xiang scratched his head, not expecting his father to be thinking about this.

"Your mom said she'd call you tonight, and she also warned me to tell you to work less overtime."

"It's not like I have a say, Dad, does Mom actually want me to get ahead or not?" Ji Xiang asked.

"You have a share in the family startup fund; just the interest alone is enough for you to live on every month," Ji Xiang's father said calmly. "Your mom is afraid you'll get into trouble, and having a proper job to tie you down is enough. As for me, I actually hope you make something of yourself."

"Dad, how much money is actually in the startup fund?"

"In '01, when your uncle took it out to start a business, it was said to be one point five million."

Ji Xiang had no concept of money and wasn't interested; he chatted lightly with his father, picked up his rice bowl, and shoveled down three big bowls of rice with Red Braised Pork.

Ji Xiang's father ate in a slow and orderly manner; he had reached middle age and could not eat without restraint like a young person.

Although the Red Braised Pork was made with rock sugar and was no longer greasy after being carefully cooked, eating several mouthfuls in a row would definitely make it stick in his throat.

At his age, watching someone trim donkey hooves wouldn't cause any emotional fluctuations.

After finishing his meal, although Ji Xiang was anxious to go to the System Space to take a look, he still accompanied his father for over an hour.

After clearing the bowls and chopsticks and tidying up, Ji Xiang washed up early and lay down on the bed.

Closing his eyes and focusing his mind, after a few attempts, Ji Xiang entered that mysterious state and arrived at the System Operating Room.

In the hallway of the operating room, the System NPC stood with his hands behind his back and his waist hunched at the door of the Operating Room.

"You're here."

"I'm here." Ji Xiang walked over enthusiastically with long strides. "Teacher, I performed 12 Anesthesia procedures in a row today without needing a top-up needle!"

"Not bad, but also normal," the System NPC said slowly.

"Teacher, I want to learn more surgeries." Ji Xiang rubbed his hands excitedly, eager to try.

"Good." The System NPC raised his hand and patted Ji Xiang on the shoulder. "Then today I will teach you how to perform..."

Ji Xiang was somewhat excited.

Although there aren't many emergencies in the Urology Department, adrenal Tumor and Kidney Transplantation are all major surgeries!

Like a little beast, he was full of anticipation for the future.

"Then today I will teach you how to perform Stapler Circumcision," the System NPC said.

"..."

Can we just not do a circumcision for once!

Ji Xiang felt a lump in his throat, his heart filled with frustration.

"Don't want to learn?" The System NPC saw through Ji Xiang's thoughts and asked with a smile.

Ji Xiang nodded.

He wanted to learn more advanced surgical techniques; what was the point of such a "tiny" surgery like cutting a foreskin?

"Stapler Circumcision is the most performed surgical procedure nowadays," the System NPC said, looking at Ji Xiang with a hoarse voice.

"Anything else?"

"The surgery time is short; without the LV4 hand speed bonus, it generally takes an average Doctor about 30 minutes to complete a Manual Suturing. But using a stapler only takes about 10 minutes. For a Doctor with fast hand speed, it takes 5 minutes per case."

Ji Xiang didn't ponder the matter of patient volume at all; he temporarily abandoned his yearning for higher-difficulty surgical procedures, his eyes shining as he looked at the System NPC.

More surgeries meant more Experience Points, and meant the completion of the Long-term Main Quest.

Although that was a quest that seemed completely unreliable to Ji Xiang.

"We begin now."

The System NPC walked into the operating room with hands behind their back.

(End of this chapter)