Chapter 503: Chapter 412: Who Would Want to Follow in Their Father’s Footsteps?

"Dr. Chen, how is the patient in the other car?"

Chen Mu opened the door.

The uncle in the cap on the police car was staring intently at the patient.

Fearing that any moment of inattention on his part

might lead to the patient’s condition worsening.

When the uncle in the cap saw Chen Mu come aboard, he inexplicably let out a sigh of relief seeing the white coat.

Chen Mu smiled: "The patient next door is not a big problem. At middle age, excessive emotional fluctuation leads to fainting easily."

"In today’s society, many people’s bodies are in a sub-healthy state."

The uncle in the cap glanced at Chen Mu: "Dr. Chen, quite a few people at our bureau have some occupational health issues. If they want to get a massage, what kind of Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic would you recommend?"

Chen Mu: "Clinics, in fact, vary in quality."

"This isn’t me discrediting my peers. You see, Hai City University’s hospital can only handle the basics."

"The simplest logical point is that Hai City University only has one school doctor, that’s me."

"If I were a quack, then the entire hospital at Hai City University would only have quacks."

The uncle in the cap: "..."

—

"Even though this logic is strange, I feel like what Dr. Chen said doesn’t seem wrong?!"

"Of course, there’s nothing wrong, but the main reason there’s nothing wrong is because if it weren’t for this show’s filming, Hai City University’s hospital only has Dr. Chen as the only doctor!"

"So there’s no problem with what he said, he’s the only doctor, and he indeed represents the level of the entire school hospital of Hai City University, right?"

"People who frequently visit small clinics for drips, silently raise their hands, a lot of small clinics in fact only have one doctor as well..."

"So, in situations where there’s only one doctor, the level of this doctor represents the clinic’s level."

"Oh! It really takes an insider to understand another insider, Dr. Chen’s logic point is something I had never considered before."

"..."

—

"Actually, if you’re worried about finding a good traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, you could simply register at a Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, like now we’re in Hai City, just go and register at the affiliated hospital of Hai City University of Traditional Medicine."

The uncle in the cap nodded.

Chen Mu’s logic seemed to have no problem.

But he couldn’t help but recall something he’d often heard before: "But wasn’t there a saying that skilled TCM doctors often aren’t in hospitals but among the common people?"

Chen Mu was taken aback.

Then he laughed: "Uncle in the cap, that was in the past!"

Saying so.

Chen Mu had already started re-examining the patient’s pulse.

And replaced a Silver Needle.

As Chen Mu spoke.

The uncle in the cap was still puzzled: "Traditional Chinese medicine of the past is TCM, and TCM now is TCM too, what’s the difference?"

Chen Mu grinned wryly: "What’s the difference? It’s a huge difference!"

"In the past, our country only had TCM!"

"But now, if you go to a top-tier hospital, except for specialized TCM hospitals, most of them study modern medicine, a significant science-based component, which is Western medicine."

"Traditional Chinese Medicine is no longer the mainstream..."

"Even I, who learned TCM from a young age, studied modern medicine at university."

Listening to Chen Mu’s voice.

The uncle in the cap was somehow silent.

He felt like he saw in Chen Mu a feeling he encountered when he met an elderly bearer of intangible cultural heritage while on duty.

Clearly about their own culture.

They should be proud, confident.

But sometimes.

Only helplessness and powerlessness remain.

Chen Mu began to check the patient’s pulse again.

But his words showed no signs of stopping.

Chen Mu: "In my father’s time studying medicine, it was common for the older generations to keep some things to themselves."

"Because that was their livelihood skill. And the older generations were also raised under the saying: ’Teaching the apprentice starves the master.’"

—

"I learned to create iron flowers, my master used to say this as well, but now only wants to take in more apprentices to pass on the craft."

"I study intangible heritage papermaking, now as long as someone is willing to learn, my master is willing to teach."

"The older generations didn’t do anything wrong; they just wanted to preserve their livelihood skills but didn’t realize that times change too fast, and fewer people want to learn these skills."

"To be realistic, many lost skills became so mainly because they didn’t earn much money."

"That’s true, I make purple clay teapots, these things aren’t cheap, people might think we earn a lot, but for a purely handmade workshop like mine, if we don’t meet discerning buyers, machine-made pots could overwhelm us."

"But without earning money, it’s not a sustainable craft, so fewer people are willing to pass it on..."

"So nowadays many bearers of intangible heritage are willing to contribute their skills to the country, just to ensure their skills are not lost..."

"..."

—

"At first, my father’s generation believed strongly in that saying."

"But as I gradually grew up, my father, who used to say he’d only have me as his heir,"

"Now has hundreds of disciples."

Listening to Chen Mu, even the uncle in the cap couldn’t help but be slightly shocked."

"Hundreds of disciples?"

Chen Mu nodded: "Yes, in fact, many older traditional Chinese medicine practitioners now take in many disciples. More than worrying about their skills being taken by others, they’re concerned about the future of TCM."

"It’s generally recognized that studying medicine takes a long time."

The uncle in the cap nodded: "I’m aware, graduating from medical school takes five years."

"If one wants to join a top-tier hospital and become a clinical doctor, they usually need a master’s, even a doctorate."

"When the doctorate is completed, around ten years have gone by."

"But even after ten years, when they get to the hospital, they’re just an intern."

With no diagnostic experience.

Everything is still a learning process.

Even the uncle in the cap, who was a fairly good student.

Listening to what the uncle in the cap said.

Chen Mu couldn’t help but smile wryly: "And that’s just learning modern medicine, which requires a significant time investment. In comparison, studying TCM requires even more time."

"Because of TCM pulse diagnosis."

"Even this single skill requires most doctors to spend many years mastering it."

"When I was young learning TCM, as long as my father was home, even before meals, we had to diagnose each other’s pulses. If we weren’t accurate enough, we’d get scolded and have to copy medical texts..."

Listening to Chen Mu’s description of his childhood.

The uncle in the cap felt a bit sympathetic towards Chen Mu.

Suddenly.

An idea flashed through his mind.

The uncle in the cap looked thoughtfully at Chen Mu and asked: "Dr. Chen, maybe you’re working this hard because you liked studying TCM since you were a kid?"

Chen Mu suddenly raised his eyes: "Are you kidding? How many young people enjoy taking up their parents’ profession, let alone kids!"