Chapter 650: The Times Have Changed

Chapter 650: Chapter 650: The Times Have Changed

"The patient later learned from my father what that quack from the provincial capital had done to him. He was furious and filed a lawsuit against the quack, demanding he take responsibility for medical malpractice and compensate him for his losses."

Li Xu continued.

Lin Xiaoyu asked curiously, "What happened? Did the quack have to pay?"

To her, it seemed like an open-and-shut case of malpractice. The previous incident with the 40g of Banxia resulted in a 5 million yuan settlement, so surely this quack who had caused massive bleeding couldn’t get away with it, right?

However, Li Xu shook his head with a wry smile. "The result... was that the patient lost the case. He didn’t get a single cent in compensation and even had to pay for his own court fees."

"Huh?"

Lin Xiaoyu was so shocked she almost dropped her recording pen. "Why? That’s not fair!"

Li Xu explained in a heavy tone, "Because the law is all about evidence and standards. Even though that quack harmed the patient, every herb he prescribed, and their dosages, strictly complied with the regulations in the *Materia Medica*. Nothing exceeded the standard limits. As long as the dosage is within the prescribed range, if the treatment is ineffective or the condition worsens, it’s classified as ’individual variation’ or ’natural progression of the disease,’ not medical malpractice."

"As for his prescription philosophy, the law can’t touch that either. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners have the right to ’create their own formulas.’ He might not have understood pattern differentiation, but he understood ’pharmacology’."

"The forensic evaluation agency conducted a very ’scientific’ pharmacological analysis and proved that Schisandra does indeed contain active ingredients that can lower transaminase levels, that astragalus and ginseng can indeed replenish blood, and that isatis root does have antiviral and anti-endotoxin effects."

"So, from a ’scientific’ perspective, the logic behind his medication was valid, and he was not at fault. As for his ’three lows and one high’ dietary advice, that was perfectly in line with modern nutritional standards, so there was nothing wrong with it either."

"Actually..."

Li Xu sighed. "The right to interpret traditional Chinese medicine was lost by TCM practitioners a long time ago. It now belongs to chemists, to laboratories, to those ’experts’ who don’t understand yin and yang or the five elements."

"I made a point of following this quack afterward. He’s been taken to court several times, but he gets away scot-free every single time. It’s the victims who are left completely drained by the process."

"Heh... What’s even more ironic is that he’s been aggressively marketing himself online all these years, buying all sorts of ads and packaging himself as the ’Scourge of Liver Disease.’ Many out-of-town patients come seeking him out because of his reputation, so his rate of first-time consultations is extremely high. But who knows how many patients have had their treatments delayed, or have even died, because of him."

"I heard that with this knack for ’legally harming people,’ he’s already bought three properties in the provincial capital and drives a luxury car. Quite ’successful,’ wouldn’t you say?"

Li Xu turned to look at Lin Xiaoyu, his eyes full of helplessness. "Editor Lin, this is the reality we practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine face. It’s also why there are fewer and fewer genuine TCM doctors, while the number of charlatans keeps growing. Because being a charlatan is safe, it’s profitable. But a good doctor... has to risk their neck every day."

Lin Xiaoyu fell completely silent.

’She had thought this would be a lighthearted interview, a feel-good story celebrating a Divine Physician. She never expected it to hide such a heavy, even suffocating, topic. For a moment, she felt a sense of powerlessness. As a member of the media, she had a responsibility to expose the truth, but she wasn’t sure if a draft full of such controversial, even "negative," content could pass her chief editor’s review and actually get published.’

Li Xu seemed to see through her, smiling as he continued, "Actually, I was really lucky this time, treating Wang Guoliang."

"When I say lucky, I don’t mean I got lucky and cured the illness. I mean I was lucky enough to meet a kind and reasonable family member, as well as a group of good colleagues willing to bet their careers to save a life."

"Editor Lin, sometimes, you really can’t underestimate the wickedness of the human heart. Especially after working in a hospital for a long time, you see so many bad people that your own heart grows cold."

"It’s a bit better for traditional Chinese medicine, since most of our patients have chronic illnesses, so they can’t cause too much of a fuss. But on the Western medicine side, there have been so many incidents. Some people deliberately stage scams against hospitals and doctors, treating medical care like a business transaction."

"Take this patient, for example. What if his wife had been more ruthless, or had been instigated by some unscrupulous lawyer? His condition is improving now, right? But what if she had deliberately withheld the next few doses of medicine, or secretly swapped them out, causing his condition to worsen or even leading to his death?"

"Then, if she took the prescription with the overdosed herb to report me for improper use of medication, or sued me in court... Director Lin and I, and even the entire Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, would be in huge trouble. We’d lose the case for sure and be sued for everything we have."

"Don’t think something like that couldn’t happen. Reality is often more melodramatic than fiction. The human heart can be truly wicked at times—so wicked it makes you question everything."

Li Xu thought of his father.

Years ago, before they moved to the city, his father had practiced medicine in the countryside for decades. The farmers back then were poor, uneducated, and had no legal knowledge, let alone any idea about the regulations in the *Materia Medica*.

But they had their own internal compass; they knew that a doctor’s job was to save lives.

And so, in his entire career, although his father had encountered patients he couldn’t cure, he never once had to deal with a medical dispute. Instead, he received countless local goods and expressions of gratitude.

But things were different now.

The times had changed, and so had people’s hearts.

Even now, with his growing fame and his reputation as a Divine Physician, Li Xu still felt like he was walking on thin ice, constantly on guard against potential medical disputes and traps.

"So, this success wasn’t just a victory for medical skill, but a victory for human decency," Li Xu concluded.

Lin Xiaoyu carefully recorded every word Li Xu said. Closing her notebook, she said solemnly, "Dean Li, please don’t worry. I will pour my heart into writing this article. While some of the sensitive content might not be publishable, I will do my best to show everyone the hardships doctors face, and the struggles and perseverance of traditional Chinese medicine."

Li Xu smiled. "Then thank you. It doesn’t really matter if it gets published or not. It’s enough that you understand."

As they were talking, Lin Xiaoyu’s brow suddenly furrowed. She grimaced, sucking in a sharp breath as she clutched her jaw.

"What’s wrong? Toothache?"

Li Xu asked.

"Mmm... HISS..." Lin Xiaoyu winced. "It’s an old problem, a cavity. It’s completely hollowed out, so it hurts whenever I’m ’overheated.’ I went to the dentist a couple of days ago, and they said it’s a lost cause. I’m on anti-inflammatories now, and I’m scheduled to have it pulled in a few days."

Li Xu looked at the slight swelling on one side of her face and shook his head. "’A toothache isn’t a disease, but when it hurts, it can kill you.’ Since it’s already hollowed out and the nerve is damaged, there’s not much traditional Chinese medicine can do. You should listen to your dentist. Get the inflammation down and have it pulled. Better to get it over with."

"Sigh, I guess that’s my only option."

Lin Xiaoyu sighed helplessly. "Well, the interview is over, so I won’t bother you any longer. I’m going to go home and take some Metronidazole to stay alive."

...

P.S. Taking tomorrow off.

Also, wishing all my dear readers a Happy New Year and all the best.

Happy Spring Festival!