Chapter 8: You Have Been Eliminated

"Ah..."

Yanguo was so frightened that his whole body trembled, his legs went weak, and he almost fell to the ground. This was because he saw that after listening to the student's explanation, a smile actually appeared on Old Mu's face.

Zheng Qian continued, "Rhubarb can clear heat and detoxify, and purge damp-heat. Rhubarb can expel all of these. As for increasing the dosage, it's because the patient often had indigestion before catching a cold. Although there was no food accumulation in the stomach, there was still some in the intestines. The extra rhubarb will help clean the patient's intestines and stomach."

"Good, good, good!"

As soon as Zheng Qian finished speaking, Old Mu said three "goods" in a row, his face full of joy.

Yanguo immediately understood that this young man's explanation had even won Old Mu's approval, which was no small feat.

However, Yanming didn't understand. Seeing that Zheng Qian had even won Old Mu's approval, he became even more anxious. "Old Mu, this guy is just talking nonsense. You can't listen to him. We must not hire such a quack for our hospital!"

Old Mu's face turned dark. He turned to look at Yanguo and said in a calm voice, "Is this your nephew?"

Yanguo broke out in a cold sweat and, without a word, slapped Yanming hard, making him stagger and bleed from the corner of his mouth. It was clear that he had used a lot of force.

"Get out of here," Yanguo shouted. "From today on, you are fired. Get out!"

Yanming immediately wilted, his face full of sorrow as he clung to Yanguo's leg. "Uncle, Uncle, you can't do this. You promised to help me get a permanent position as a chief physician. What about the red envelope my father gave you?"

Yanguo's face turned extremely dark. Damn it, even mentioning the red envelope in front of Old Mu, have you lost your mind?

At that moment, Yanguo, regardless of his image, fiercely fought with Yanming.

However, security soon came and carried the two away. Many hospital leaders also received the news and rushed over, including Deputy Director Yuan Changming.

"Old Mu, are you okay?" Yuan Changming asked respectfully. "Rest assured, I will severely punish these two scoundrels and report to the health department to revoke their medical licenses!"

At this, Old Mu's face improved. He ignored Yuan Changming and looked at Zheng Qian, sighing, "Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer traditional Chinese medicine practitioners like you. If there were more, we wouldn't have to worry about the decline of traditional Chinese medicine."

"Old Mu, you flatter me!" Zheng Qian's face turned red with embarrassment. He had only mastered these skills through the legacy of Sun Simiao, but he also decided to make good use of this legacy and promote it.

"Huang Ning, you look puzzled," said Huang Ning, looking at Zheng Qian and Old Mu. She knew Old Mu's reputation and had already researched all the experts and famous doctors in the city hospital to treat her mother.

Old Mu was a pillar of the city hospital, a former national-level doctor who, after retiring, was invited by the Hancheng Hospital director to take charge.

"There's no need for anything else. Just follow this young man's prescription. I, Mu Yuan, guarantee that one dose will cure her!" Old Mu said with a smile.

Deputy Director Yuan Changming, a sharp-witted person, stepped forward and said to Zheng Qian, "I heard you graduated from a medical university and came to our hospital for an interview. With your medical skills, you are more than qualified to be a formal physician. You can start working tomorrow!"

Zheng Qian was taken aback, but Old Mu laughed, "Little Yuan, your hospital has gained another strong force!"

Zheng Qian quickly bowed and thanked him, "Thank you, Director Yuan!"

Soon, someone brought the medicine according to Zheng Qian's prescription. Huang Ning fed it to her mother. At that moment, all the doctors' hearts were in their throats. Although they were Western medicine practitioners, they recognized the herbs.

"Pfft!"

A moment later, a light sound came from the bed, and a foul smell filled the room.

"Pfft!"

"Pfft!"

Soon, one after another, Liu Ying opened her eyes, her face full of pain.

"Mom, Mom, what's wrong?"

Huang Ning was anxious, holding Liu Ying's hand.

Zheng Qian stepped forward, helped Liu Ying up, and said to Huang Ning, "Quick, help Auntie to the bathroom!"

Huang Ning nodded and, with the help of a few nurses, took her to the bathroom.

After that, Zheng Qian had someone buy a bowl of light congee and a few dishes.

When Huang Ning returned, Liu Ying, who had been nearly unconscious, could walk on her own. Her bloated stomach had completely deflated, though she still looked a bit weak.

"Auntie, how do you feel?" Zheng Qian asked, helping Huang Ning support her to the bed.

"Much better!" Liu Ying closed her eyes, nodded, and took a breath.

Zheng Qian checked her pulse again and found no problems. He then had Huang Ning feed her the congee and left with the others.

Liu Ying needed to rest and recover, as she was still weak.

As they left, Old Mu and Zheng Qian discussed various cases. Old Mu was very impressed with Zheng Qian's insights and smiled throughout the conversation.

"Traditional Chinese medicine has a bright future with you!" Old Mu patted Zheng Qian's shoulder and smiled.

Hearing the praise, Zheng Qian felt a bit embarrassed but said firmly, "I still have much to learn. As a doctor, I will dedicate all my efforts to traditional Chinese medicine!"

"Good, good, good!" Old Mu's eyes narrowed into slits. "It's good to be humble."

Hearing Old Mu's praise, the doctors following Yuan Changming were all envious. Old Mu was a towering figure in the medical community of Hancheng. For him to praise a junior so generously was enviable.

They all stared at Zheng Qian, wishing they could take his place.

After a few steps, Old Mu suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. I have to go to the second round of interviews today. By the way, Little Zheng, do you want to come and listen? With your level, you can handle the interviews of the new graduates!"

Zheng Qian smiled bitterly. He was also a new graduate.

Old Mu realized something was off and Yuan Changming stepped in to smooth things over, "Yes, we will definitely cultivate Little Zheng well. Today, he can come with Old Mu to observe!"

Zheng Qian had no choice but to agree.

In the interview room, two senior doctors were already seated. When they saw Old Mu bring in a student, they thought he was there for the interview. But after Old Mu's explanation, they looked at Zheng Qian in disbelief.

They had also examined Liu Ying and prescribed medicine, but it had been ineffective. They couldn't believe that this student had cured her.

With some doubt, the first two interviewees were handed over to Zheng Qian. When they heard Zheng Qian's interview questions, Old Mu and the other two were stunned. But upon reflection, they realized that Zheng Qian's questions were truly practical, while their previous questions were just rote memorization of pharmacological knowledge.

After interviewing a few people, the two senior doctors were shocked and convinced. Old Mu also sat back with a smile, no longer speaking.

"Next!"

After interviewing a few more, Zheng Qian became more proficient.

"Creak!"

The door opened, and a head poked in. Seeing the familiar face, Zheng Qian was stunned, and the person at the door was also stunned.

"Zheng Qian, you've been eliminated, so why are you still here? I need to prepare for my interview. Don't let me see your face and affect my performance!"

Yang Yunyun's voice came, and she quickly entered, nodding to Old Mu and the other two senior doctors.

Old Mu was taken aback. Who was this girl? What did she just say?

Zheng Qian was speechless and simply said, "Recite the 'Tangtou Song' first!"

"What are you? Do I have to recite it just because you say so? Is this hospital run by your poor family? Get out if you failed the interview, don't interfere with me here!" Yang Yunyun, who had just sat down, stood up and shouted at Zheng Qian.

After speaking, she seemed to realize her rudeness and quickly turned to Old Mu to explain, "Sorry, interviewers, this person used to pursue me. He's a country bumpkin who wouldn't let me go after I rejected him. His studies were terrible. He's been eliminated, right? So get him out of here."

Old Mu didn't speak, just glanced at Zheng Qian. The other two also looked at each other. After the previous interviews, they had no doubt about Zheng Qian's abilities. Now, hearing this girl's words, they didn't know what to say.

Zheng Qian wasn't angry. He looked straight at Yang Yunyun and said, "You can barely recite the 'Tangtou Song' and don't understand the properties of herbs. You are eliminated."

"What?" Yang Yunyun exploded, jumping up from her chair and pointing at Zheng Qian. "What are you? What does it matter to you if I can recite the 'Tangtou Song'? How do you know I don't understand the properties of herbs? Can you decide whether I'm eliminated?"

Zheng Qian remained calm. He was indifferent to Yang Yunyun and said calmly, "First, you recite the 'Tangtou Song' by rote without understanding its meaning. This was a method I helped you with years ago. Second, if you understand the properties of herbs, explain the use of rhubarb!"

"You..." Yang Yunyun was furious and rushed over to confront Zheng Qian. Seeing Huang Ning earlier, Yang Yunyun was already jealous that Zheng Qian had found a better girl. Now, with this provocation, she exploded.

"You are eliminated!" Old Mu couldn't stand it anymore and said calmly.