Chapter 380

Although I am not someone who studies medicine, the old tradition of mountain physiognomy, medical destiny, and divination has been passed down; traditional medicine also originally developed from source Dao medicine, and he merely exists in this world in another way.

Pangzi's mood was very low; the old man's words, though short, everyone could feel the sense of desolation in his heart; a simple sentence, yet it fully explained the current predicament of traditional medicine; therefore, Pangzi, this apprentice who entered Seventh Master's door to study medicine, could not lift his spirits.

The situation of not being able to gather all the medicines—let alone in Aomen; even in the interior, in places like Guangdong and Shenzhen, sometimes if you want to collect a few prescriptions, you have to run to several more pharmacies. Traditional medicinal herbs, from cultivation to nurturing, to processing into medicine, require a long period of time. Moreover, the shelf life of medicines is limited; if they are not used for a long time, the medicines will mold, and that will affect their efficacy.

So many pharmacies, like the one just now, do not have expensive medicinal materials, because he fears that if no one comes to buy, they will be wasted for nothing.

But why would the shopkeeper worry that no one will buy medicine?

Because nowadays people increasingly prefer Western medicine and abandon traditional Chinese medicine, they cannot afford the time to adjust their bodies; many drugstores dare not stock up, many even refuse to sell traditional Chinese medicine, selling only Western medicine, because the cost of traditional Chinese medicine is high, profit low, and business is also difficult.

With the rapid development of the times, people nowadays rarely take traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine is bitter and slow to take effect; people living under high-pressure rhythms seem to prefer this quick way of Western medicine treatment, which is time-saving and swift.

But who knows that medicine is three parts poison, especially Western medicine's toxicity is greater and stronger? Like Analgin, Lincomycin, Dexamethasone—these hormones. Although they help cure your illness, they also invisibly affect your constitution; after the illness is healed, your immune system will keep deteriorating, so when you fall ill again you still have to use these hormones, and because your body has developed resistance from using these drugs, you need to double the dosage to see any effect.

Zen Easy Hall also accommodates traditional Chinese medicine business, so I and Pangzi have seen many examples. Some parents, because they come from the countryside and have little education, due to lack of knowledge, therefore they bring their children to see a doctor without ever asking what medicine the doctor uses. Firstly, asking wouldn't help them understand; secondly, they think as long as it works quickly that's enough.

I once saw an example: a child, whenever he fell ill, his parents would take him to the clinic for an injection. The injection would either be Analgin or Dexamethasone; even if he had a fever of 39 degrees, the fever would drop immediately the next day after the injection. Compared to its speed, traditional Chinese medicine could be said to be as slow as a snail.

But accompanied by this superficial speed, it is actually a chronic poison that penetrates to the marrow. Once you use too much of these two drugs, your body will become addicted to them like a drug; when you next have a fever, if you don't inject these two hormones, no medicine can reduce your fever.

What's more frightening is that it invisibly affects your sexual development and brain cells; of course, this chronic condition is not noticeable to ordinary people, but anyone with a bit of medical knowledge knows the harm of these two drugs.

Compared to those Western medicines that act quickly but have large side effects, traditional Chinese medicine is much gentler and does not harm the body. However, traditional Chinese medicine has two drawbacks: one is that its speed of effect is not as fast as Western medicine's; the other is that it is bitter.

Moreover, with society's rapid development, people's life pace keeps getting faster; many young people of the new generation are too lazy to see a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and also dread taking these bitter medicines; people prefer to choose a quick and comfortable way to treat bodily ailments.

Thus, in this era, traditional Chinese medicine has become increasingly rare; herbal medicine shops can only scrape by in second- and third-tier cities, struggling to survive; in first-tier cities, even if they exist, pharmacies only accept those with lower costs; moreover, many pharmacies, out of respect for the profession of traditional Chinese medicine, out of respect for traditional Chinese medicine as a cultural heritage left by our ancestors, unwilling to let it be lost, have therefore opened a corner dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine inside the pharmacy.

Even QingSongShu's Zen Easy Hall, although many people come to see a doctor, QingSongShu hardly makes any money; he operates at a loss, upholding the spirit of promoting traditional Chinese medicine.

However, how many people in the world are like QingSongShu? Some rely on this to make a living; if the business cannot continue and they cannot support a family, they have no choice but to seek another path.

At this moment, my heart is filled with an indescribable sorrow; I do not deny Western medicine—it being accepted by so many people certainly has its merits; however, traditional Chinese medicine, which has been passed down for countless ages, now finds itself in such an embarrassing situation; to say my heart does not ache would be false.

Among the five arts, apart from medical technique, the other four—mountain physiognomy, fate, and divination—are labeled as feudal superstition, given a name not understood by the world. Only medical technique is permitted by the world and has been transmitted for thousands of years.

But now, social development is becoming more and more open; third-tier and second-tier cities will sooner or later become first-tier cities. In a hundred years, a thousand years, people's lives will become ever more exhausting, and the pace of life will only quicken. By then, who will come see a Chinese doctor when they fall ill? Who will still remember the medical culture our ancestors left us? Who will still use Chinese medicine to regulate their own bodies? Perhaps, by that time, Chinese medicine will also be forgotten.

Could it be that Chinese medicine will really decline because of this?

"No, certainly not," Pangzi clenched his fists, his voice rising and falling, speaking each word clearly: "Chinese medicine will certainly not decline because of this; as long as there remains a single spark, it will be passed down through generations. Our ancestors endured countless hardships, and that is why they left us this cultural treasure of saving the world and healing people; it will certainly not decline because of this… I will strive to learn medicine well from Seventh Uncle, to carry it forward and glorify it, I must…"

Pangzi's eyes faintly glistened with tears, and he let out a loud roar from his throat—this is the unwillingness of a bearer of ancient cultural heritage, the sorrowful cry of one who has personally witnessed the gradual decline of ancient culture.

……………………

After calming our upset feelings, Pangzi and I again bought honey and some food from the street, then returned to Grandma Zhao's house.

Shi Shi was still asleep, Grandma Zhao was looking after her, while Yao Yirong and Silijing sat in the hall chatting.

After returning, Pangzi said nothing, directly lowered his head, carrying the medicinal herbs and honey into the kitchen.

The prescription Pangzi wrote called for processed ephedra, not raw ephedra. But the pharmacy only had this stuff, so he had to buy raw ephedra and process it himself.

How to process it? Pour the ephedra into a wok, drizzle honey over it and heat it once—that's processed ephedra.

"What's wrong with Weiqiang? He seems downcast." Silijing watched Pangzi walk into the kitchen without saying a word, turned her head, and asked me puzzledly.

I lightly shook my head and said it was nothing; in fact I understand Pangzi's inner gloom—a medical heritage bearer who has personally witnessed the desolation of the Chinese medicine industry, to say he isn't heartbroken and suffering would be false.

Not long after, Pangzi also came out; his mood seemed much improved, he picked up a pair of chopsticks, opened the lunchbox, told everyone to eat, and then began to shovel rice into his mouth big mouthfuls.

Although Pangzi had returned to his former optimistic demeanor, no one knows whether he still feels distressed inside.

He is too skilled at disguising himself, always putting on a carefree front, hiding all his sorrow, pain, and unhappiness, using a lewd smile to mask himself, never letting his emotions affect those around him.

Such a person is born a cheerleader, one who swallows bitterness in his stomach yet can still keep a smile on his face.

"Right, Yirong, how did you and Sister Silijing come to Aomen? And you came together." This was my initial puzzlement when I first met them, but now I use it to make small talk.

"Don't you know? I and Sister Silijing have always been close sisters; what's strange about us coming together to Aomen for a trip?" Yao Yirong snorted, laughing at me for overreacting.

I rolled my eyes and said irritably, "How would I know if you don't tell me? You think I can read her mind, huh!"

"You didn't ask us two either!" Silijing and Yao Yirong said in unison.

I…………

"Hai Sheng, why don't you help out? You promised me!" Fortunately, Grandma Hong's anxiety timely interrupted our conversation; otherwise I wouldn't know how I'd keep being embarrassed.

Of course, this is merely my wishful thinking; Grandma Hong's voice could be heard only by me and Pangzi, not by Yao Yirong or Silijing.

"Grandma Hong, you didn't say Shi Shi's Spiritual Aperture was injured, did you? Since it's injured, how could you still sign the contract?" I said this to the air, my appearance of talking to no one naturally drew Yao Yirong's and Silijing's attention. They even quietly asked Pangzi, "Hai Sheng, who are you talking to?"

Pangzi lowered his head and explained to them at length, but I had no mind to pay attention to their conversation, because, from Grandma Hong's mouth, I heard five characters.

"Eight Treasure Purple Gold Blossom"

These five words struck me like thunder, leaving me dazed for a long time; even Pangzi, who was half-explaining, half-flirting with Silijing beside me, couldn't help but turn his head in astonishment at Grandma Hong……

Eight Treasure Purple Gold Blossom, that is a divine pill said to belong exclusively to Daoist physicians in legend.

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