Hu Meiqiao didn't pay much attention to Wang Youqing.
However, even if she did notice, she wouldn't find anything surprising.
After all, she was previously on the same side as Wang Youqing, which meant no matter what, they had to persuade Ms. Wu's family to leave. At the very least, they couldn't take in a patient beyond the Health Center's treatment scope.
But unexpectedly, she changed her mind.
It was natural for Wang Youqing to feel surprised.
Leaving that aside, Ms. Wu's acceptance of these words was within Hu Meiqiao's expectations.
"Since that's the case, I'll be straightforward."
Hu Meiqiao paused for a moment and then continued, "Ms. Wu, your husband's condition is something you know better than we do. I won't beat around the bush. You can let Dr. Lu try, but as the patient's family, you'll have to sign an agreement with us, or rather, a waiver agreement."
"I'll sign anything as long as it saves my husband's life." Ms. Wu couldn't care less about the details.
"I'm fully aware of my husband's condition; we're treating him like a dead horse in hopes of a miracle. If anything goes wrong, it's his fate and cannot be blamed on Dr. Lu."
Hu Meiqiao breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as Ms. Wu understands, that's good."
She was genuinely worried that mentioning the need to sign an agreement would make Ms. Wu and her family uncomfortable or even lose control.
Thankfully, Ms. Wu remained relatively calm.
Turning her head, Hu Meiqiao said to Wang Youqing, "Old Wang, I'll leave the content of the waiver agreement to you."
At this point, Wang Youqing knew there was no stopping this and could only helplessly agree, "I'll get right on it."
Wang Youqing hurriedly left.
Hu Meiqiao then looked at Lu Xuan, "Lu, I'm leaving that person to you."
Lu Xuan gave Hu Meiqiao a grateful glance, now understanding her painstaking efforts. In his place, he might not have thought of having a signed agreement.
At most, he would have only mentioned it verbally, but verbal agreements wouldn't hold much weight.
Moreover, since Hu Meiqiao proposed it, she was undeniably cast as the villain.
If the treatment succeeded, Lu Xuan would gain the recognition.
If it failed, Lu Xuan might face trouble, but the most hassle would fall on Hu Meiqiao as the head of the center.
Lu Xuan didn't say anything but quietly nodded, then looked at Ms. Wu, "Let's head upstairs first."
"Alright, alright!"
The group of seven or eight people went to the second-floor Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinic.
Based on previous assessments, Lu Xuan meticulously reviewed the patient's condition and then took the medical record book handed over by Ms. Wu, jotting down the herbal prescription he learned from Aconite:
Aconite, dry ginger, baked licorice...
Due to the complexity of the herbs involved, he could only recall and write as he went.
Ms. Wu was a bit nervous, her lips turning pale, "Dr. Lu, does my husband still have a chance?"
Lu Xuan paused his writing, saying calmly, "It's hard to say. Whether he can be saved depends on the situation in the next two days. If the pathogenic factor can be expelled, there's hope. But if it continues to accumulate inside, I'm powerless."
Just as he finished speaking, his expression suddenly turned a bit grim.
"Dr. Lu, what's wrong?" Lu Xuan's sudden change in demeanor startled Ms. Wu, leaving her visibly pale and extremely anxious.
"It's nothing, it's nothing."
Lu Xuan waved his hand, indicating she shouldn't worry, then lowered his head to continue noting the prescription, though had Ms. Wu glanced down, she might have seen how grim Lu Xuan's face actually was.
"Those guys just won't let up."
Lu Xuan sighed inwardly. He was once again dissed by a group of herbs.
[Does Dr. Lu even have a grasp of the sparrow-peck pulse?]
[Is that for real?]
[But the prescription he gave matches almost exactly with what Aconite mentioned, even the doses. Could he really be confident?]
[Have we underestimated him all this time? Is Dr. Lu truly capable?]
All the big names among the herbs were amazed.
[Perhaps this little Health Center might just produce a true dragon! The TCM world needs doctors like Dr. Lu to stand up and restore its good name.]
This was said by Aconite and resonated with the other herbs.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has existed for over a millennium, curing countless patients, but as Western medicine prevails, TCM seems to be declining.
Of course, this isn't to dismiss Western medicine.
Western medicine has its strengths, and so does TCM.
However, the decline of TCM is an undeniable fact.
Lu Xuan's face displayed a rare smile. Once he finished writing the prescription, he reviewed it carefully, finding no differences from what he noted previously before standing up with the medical record book and heading to the herbal pharmacy.
In no time, Lu Xuan emerged with a plastic bag.
Placing the medicine bag in front of Ms. Wu, Lu Xuan instructed, "This is just one dose. Add 2500 milliliters of cold water and simmer gently until reduced to one-fifth of the liquid.
Additionally, brew the Korean ginseng separately, and mix its decoction with the herbal liquid. Drink it every three hours, finishing it in nine doses over two days. If sweating and urination increase after consumption, it shouldn't be too much of a problem, and further adjustment can be made during follow-ups.
By the way, do you have WeChat? Add me as a friend, so you can inform me directly if anything comes up."
Ms. Wu hurriedly took out her phone and, after adding each other on WeChat, continuously expressed her gratitude, "Thank you, thank you, Dr. Lu, thank you so much."
"No worries. As a doctor, it's my duty."
Lu Xuan glanced at the patient, who was barely conscious, and urged, "Take the medicine home and start brewing it right away."
Seeing her husband with more out-breath than in-breath, Ms. Wu didn't dare delay, repeatedly expressed her gratitude, then turned and left the TCM clinic with the medicine.
Wang Youqing had been standing outside the TCM clinic for a while, and after Ms. Wu came out, they quickly signed the agreement.
After handing the agreement to Hu Meiqiao, the two of them went to the TCM clinic, watching Lu Xuan immersed in writing something. Hu Meiqiao knocked on the door, "Lu, are we interrupting you?"
"No interruption, no interruption."
Seeing Hu Meiqiao and Wang Youqing, Lu Xuan quickly stood up to greet them.
After the two sat down and exchanged a glance, Hu Meiqiao spoke, "Lu, I couldn't ask in detail earlier in the registration hall, so tell me, Ms. Wu's husband's condition, how confident are you?"
Lu Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "I can't say how confident, but the illness stems from a cold, where the pathogenic factor goes inside and has no way out. If it finds a way out in the next two days, there's hope. Otherwise, if there's no improvement after two days of medication, it'll be time to make end-of-life arrangements."
"Could such a small cold be life-threatening?" Hu Meiqiao, unfamiliar with TCM, was curious to learn that the illness was caused by a cold.
"Yes, Lu. I'm not a TCM practitioner, but it's hard to believe such a severe illness could be triggered by a simple cold," Wang Youqing also expressed his doubts.
Lu Xuan explained, "The patient is already infected with Brucella, causing substantial damage to all the organs, although it hasn't manifested yet. It's akin to a pile of dry wood where a cold is the kindling, igniting all of the patient's symptoms. Only by extinguishing the fire can the remaining dry wood be handled."
The two were dumbfounded after hearing this, glancing at each other with confusion.
For two Western-trained doctors, Lu Xuan's TCM concepts were clearly beyond their comprehension.
However, there was one thing they did pick up on.
Lu Xuan seemed to have a fair amount of confidence in Ms. Wu's husband's condition.
Thinking about this possibility made the two of them exchange yet another look, each noticing a hint of surprise in the other's eyes.
Could someone on the brink of death be saved?
After all, this was a patient who had already been given a "death notice" by City First Hospital!