Chapter 17

Gao Xinhua burst into laughter, drank two toasts, and said to Zhou Wenbin, "Old Zhou, you should guide Xiao Xu more in his work. He just came to Changxing and doesn't know anything. If he makes any mistakes, feel free to criticize him."

Zhou Wenbin replied, "Director Gao, you're making it sound too formal. Your nephew is just like my own. I particularly like Xiao Xu; he's smart, enthusiastic, and responsible!" He wasn't trying to take advantage of Xu Chunliang; in terms of age, he could indeed be his uncle.

Zhao Yongsheng said, "I agree. Xiao Xu, have you practiced martial arts? I heard that you threw Wang Dali to the ground with a big backflip at the medical office that day. Impressive! It was satisfying!"

Many people in the hospital knew that Xu Chunliang had taken Wang Dali to the police station, but not many had seen him perform the big backflip. Zhao Yongsheng had only heard about it.

Xu Chunliang said, "That's not true; he slipped on his own."

Tang Mingmei said, "Mr. Xu from Huichuntang is a celebrity in Dongzhou. I've heard that great traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are both skilled in medicine and martial arts."

Gao Xinhua laughed, "Who told you that? Does every traditional Chinese medicine practitioner know martial arts? Director Zhu, does that mean you must know martial arts too?"

Zhu Mingyuan knew he had offended Gao Xinhua, who often directed his criticism at him. If he had known this situation, he would never have come to this dinner. Although he was unhappy, he couldn't show it in front of his superiors. He smiled and said, "What martial arts? I'm so weak I can't even tie a chicken. Our duty as doctors is to heal and save lives, not to fight."

Xu Chunliang said, "My grandfather told me that the paths of medicine and martial arts should complement each other. For example, in acupuncture, to master the technique, you first need to strengthen your wrist and finger strength."

Although Zhu Mingyuan agreed that acupuncture required hand strength, he dismissed the idea that medicine and martial arts should complement each other.

Cheng Xiaohong, who had finally recovered, joined the conversation, "Traditional Chinese medicine is quite amazing. I'm most curious about the human acupoints. Director Zhu, you must be very familiar with them, right?"

Zhu Mingyuan smiled faintly, "Knowing the locations of acupoints is the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine. If you can't identify the acupoints, how can you perform acupuncture or massage? Nowadays, many people pretend to be traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, learning a bit and calling themselves masters, using so-called family secrets to deceive patients and make huge profits."

Gao Xinhua gently placed his wine glass down. If it were another occasion, Zhu Mingyuan's words wouldn't be problematic, but with Xu Chunliang present, whose grandfather, Xu Changshan, was a famous traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in Jiangzhou and the founder of Huichuntang, it was a bit unkind. Gao Xinhua was considering whether to speak up for fairness.

Xu Chunliang spoke up.

"Director Zhu, I have a question. How many acupoints are there in the human body?"

Zhu Mingyuan smiled at Xu Chunliang, "Xiao Xu, you can find the answer in books. There are 361 acupoints in the human body, which are the 14 meridian points recognized worldwide. As for the extraordinary points, ancient texts record thousands, but most are rarely used and have been lost."

Xu Chunliang said, "My grandfather told me that the 12 regular meridians and the 8 extraordinary meridians run through the body, connecting various acupoints. The acupoints on the 12 regular meridians are called regular points, totaling 365. Including the acupoints on the 8 extraordinary meridians, there are 720 acupoints in total, of which 52 are single points, 309 are bilateral points, and 50 are extra points. Among the 720 acupoints, 108 are vital points."

Zhu Mingyuan said, "The 361 acupoints I mentioned are officially recognized by the World Acupuncture Congress and are the most practical. Their functions and effects are based on solid theoretical foundations. The acupoints you mentioned are folk beliefs, and the truly meaningful ones are no more than these 361."

He looked down on Xu Changshan, a folk doctor who relied on a few family recipes, pretending to be mysterious and deceiving people, yet was still called a master.

"How many do you recognize, Director Zhu?"

Asking this question in front of so many people was clearly provocative.

Zhu Mingyuan said, "I am familiar with all 361 acupoints."

Xu Chunliang said, "My grandfather often said that if the human body is compared to the universe, each acupoint is like a star. Each star has its reason for existence, and it's impossible to master them all in a lifetime. Director Zhu is much more confident than my grandfather. I will definitely learn more from you when I have the chance."

Gao Xinhua almost laughed. Xu Chunliang was clearly teaching Zhu Mingyuan a lesson. His words were full of defiance, and Gao Xinhua liked this young man more and more. It was strange that he hadn't noticed these qualities before.

Zhao Yongsheng also sensed the tension and raised his glass, "Let's not talk about work while drinking. Xiao Xu is very diligent and eager to learn. He can go to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department to learn from Director Zhu, who is a guest professor at Dongzhou Medical College and an authority in traditional Chinese medicine, known for mentoring new talent."

Zhu Mingyuan couldn't hide his displeasure and said, "Xiao Xu comes from a family of renowned doctors. Mr. Xu from Huichuntang is a famous physician in Jiangzhou. I can't afford to mislead him."

Xu Chunliang smiled, "Director Zhu, you're overthinking it. I can tell right from wrong."

Everyone could see that these two didn't get along.

Zhu Mingyuan didn't want to argue with a junior. It would lower his status. He raised his glass, "Director Gao, I toast to you. Your card skills are excellent. You really stunned me today."

Gao Xinhua laughed, "My card skills aren't that good; it's all about luck." He couldn't openly show his dissatisfaction with Zhu Mingyuan in front of everyone, so he clinked glasses with him and drank.

Tang Mingmei said to Xu Chunliang, "Xiao Xu, let's have a drink."

Xu Chunliang quickly stood up, and Tang Mingmei waved him back, "Sit down. In Dongzhou, standing while drinking doesn't count."

Xu Chunliang said, "Nurse Tang, I toast to you."

Tang Mingmei giggled, "We're not in the hospital. Don't call me that. I'm not much older than you. Just call me Tang Jie."

Gao Xinhua thought, "You're old enough to be his mother," but it was normal to call her that in the same unit. Tang Mingmei was a well-known figure at Changxing Hospital. When she was young, many young men would come to the hospital for injections and IVs just to catch her attention. Once, two groups of young men even fought over her, causing a police response.

What a beauty! Gao Xinhua sighed. But Tang Mingmei's luck wasn't good. Her ex-husband, a university professor, was suspicious and violent, often abusing her. They eventually divorced, and their only daughter was awarded to him.

After the divorce, Tang Mingmei still had her share of trouble. Many people in the hospital had designs on her, and there were many rumors. However, she was very capable and skilled in dealing with people. The leadership had already decided internally that she would soon become the head of the nursing department at Changxing Hospital.

Xu Chunliang called her Tang Jie and sat next to her, drinking a toast and refilling her glass. Drinking should be done in pairs for good luck.

After drinking, Tang Mingmei's cheeks flushed, making her even more charming and alluring, even outshining the much younger Cheng Xiaohong.

Tang Mingmei asked, "Xiao Xu, do you have a girlfriend?"

Xu Chunliang honestly said he didn't.

Gao Xinhua said, "Tang Jie, introduce some excellent girls to Xiao Xu."

Cheng Xiaohong, who was also single, felt a bit awkward discussing this topic and lowered her head to drink her beverage.

Tang Mingmei laughed, "In this day and age, young people don't need introductions. Xiao Xu is so excellent; there must be many girls chasing him."

Zhao Yongsheng looked at her meaningfully, "That's not true. Good men often don't have good wives. Usually, the best cabbages are eaten by pigs." He had always had a crush on Tang Mingmei, but she kept him at a distance, which only made him more eager.

Zhu Mingyuan laughed, "Old Zhao, you're old but not in heart. Your wife would be furious if she heard this."

Zhao Yongsheng's wife was fierce, and Zhu Mingyuan knew his old classmate's thoughts. He had also pursued Tang Mingmei in the past, but she was proud and had many suitors, so she never considered the young doctors in Changxing.

But times had changed. After her father's death, Tang Mingmei's luck turned bad. She met her ex-husband, Sui Guangyuan, through an introduction. Unfortunately, he was a hypocritical and jealous man who often abused her. That marriage was a nightmare for her.

After the divorce, Tang Mingmei's career began to improve. She was the first person in the nursing department at Changxing Hospital to earn a master's degree. She worked hard and set a good example, and her work ability was well-known in the hospital.

The current head of the nursing department was retiring next month, and the hospital leadership had decided to appoint Tang Mingmei, having already discussed it with her.

Zhao Yongsheng and Zhu Mingyuan had been rivals for many years. When they both pursued Tang Mingmei, they saw each other as competitors, but neither won her heart. They often joked about it.

Despite his successful career and family, Zhao Yongsheng was never satisfied. Every time he saw Tang Mingmei, his heart raced. He believed she had rejected him because he was from a poor rural background.

But now, things were different. He was the head of the neurology department at Changxing Hospital, a chief physician with a high income. He no longer felt inferior in front of Tang Mingmei. Many young women were attracted to him, but he still had a soft spot for her. He even believed that conquering her would be the ultimate success.

Tang Mingmei was an extremely intelligent woman who understood Zhao Yongsheng's thoughts. Despite his success, his vulgar nature couldn't be changed. She didn't look down on his background but on his mindset and perspective. Even though he tried to hide it, his smugness was evident.

What she couldn't tolerate was that he wanted to prove his worth by conquering her. However, she was skilled at hiding her emotions and could still smile warmly at people she disliked.

Tang Mingmei skillfully changed the topic, "Director Zhu, are the acupoints in martial arts novels real?"

Zhu Mingyuan said, "Martial arts novels are all made up. Acupoints aren't that magical."

Cheng Xiaohong asked, "Director Zhu, are there really acupoints like the mute point, the numbness point, and the laughing point?"

Zhu Mingyuan said, "These are artistic creations by martial arts novelists with no scientific basis." He glanced at Xu Chunliang, "Xiao Xu, you come from a famous lineage. Ask him."

He passed the ball to Xu Chunliang, intending to challenge him.

Xu Chunliang smiled at Cheng Xiaohong, "Just because something is beyond your understanding doesn't mean it doesn't exist." Everyone could tell this was directed at Zhu Mingyuan.

Zhu Mingyuan said, "Xiao Xu, it seems you're an expert in acupoints."

Xu Chunliang said, "I've been learning pulse diagnosis and acupoint techniques from my grandfather since I was young. I can find the exact locations even with my eyes closed. The mute point, the numbness point, and the laughing point all exist and are not just one point."

Zhu Mingyuan sneered inwardly, thinking this young man was overconfident. The so-called mute point usually refers to the Dumb Gate point, but being hit there doesn't necessarily prevent someone from speaking. He wanted to challenge Xu Chunliang.

Gao Xinhua, sensing the tension, said, "We agreed not to talk about work while drinking. Why are we discussing this again?"

Zhou Wenbin quickly agreed, "Exactly. Xiao Xu, you're young. You should learn more from Director Zhu." He had already noticed the young man's rebellious nature.

Tang Mingmei smiled, "The younger generation is pushing the older one. The future of Changxing belongs to the young."

Zhao Yongsheng laughed, "Well said, Tang Jie. Let's have a drink. I remember you started working a year before me. I, the younger generation, toast to you."

Tang Mingmei immediately understood his hidden meaning. He was trying to take advantage of her verbally. She replied, "Xiao Xu is the true younger generation. Don't try to act young."

Zhao Yongsheng said to Zhu Mingyuan, "See, Nurse Tang doesn't think I'm young anymore."