Chapter 708: Livestream

Chapter 708: Chapter 708: Livestream

Soon, Xu Yuancai returned with the medicinal herbs.

His wife followed the special method Li Xu had instructed, first soaking some of the herbs in white liquor before starting a rapid decoction over a high flame.

During this time, Li Xu did not leave.

The patient was on the brink of death; she could stop breathing at any moment.

He had to personally stand guard by her bedside, constantly monitoring her condition until she was out of danger.

This was his habit, and a principle he had always followed as a doctor.

Whether his current role was as a hospital deputy director or a clinic physician, his dedication to treating patients and saving lives had never wavered.

About half an hour later, the fragrance of the medicine began to fill the air.

The decoction was ready.

Xu Yuancai’s wife brought the warm medicinal liquid into the room and fed it to the old woman, one spoonful at a time.

Although the old woman had difficulty swallowing, driven by a strong will to live, she still managed to drink most of the bowl.

After she finished taking the medicine, silence fell over the room.

Everyone stared nervously at the old woman, waiting for the medicine to take effect.

After a while, about twenty minutes later, Li Xu suddenly checked the time and turned to Xu Yuancai. "Go get a bedpan and have it ready."

"What?"

Xu Yuancai froze, not understanding.

’My mother hasn’t had any food or water for days and hasn’t urinated much. What’s the bedpan for?’

Li Xu said with certainty, "Hurry up. The medicine is taking effect. She’s about to expel a large amount of fluid."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Yuancai’s wife shouted from inside the room, "Yuancai, hurry up and bring a bedpan! Mother says she can’t hold it in, she needs to pee."

"Oh! Coming, coming."

Xu Yuancai quickly grabbed the bedpan from under the bed and ran into the inner room, exclaiming in amazement, "This is incredible! It hasn’t even been half an hour since she drank it."

Liu Quanshan, who was watching from the side, was dumbfounded.

Li Xu smiled faintly, knowing what to expect.

This was all thanks to the synergistic effect of the "Thousand Gold Reeds Decoction" and the "Trichosanthes, Chinese Chive, and White Wine Decoction."

They unblocked the yang and opened the orifices. Once qi transformation was restored, the body’s water channels would naturally clear.

This prescription was for treating the symptoms and providing emergency relief. It worked on the qi and water aspects, which is why its effects were so rapid.

In the short span of two hours after taking the medicine, the old woman actually asked to urinate four consecutive times.

Moreover, the volume of urine was significant each time, and its color gradually changed from an initial yellowish-red to clear.

Although they didn’t have a professional measuring cup at home and didn’t know the exact volume in milliliters, everyone could see the huge change with their own eyes.

As a large amount of urine was expelled, the bluish tinge on the old woman’s face, caused by the pressure from the pleural effusion, noticeably faded.

She was also able to close her mouth slightly and breathe more steadily through her nose.

Although her breathing was still a bit rapid, she no longer looked as though she might suffocate at any moment.

The improvement was visible to the naked eye.

Xu Yuancai’s wife, carrying the bedpan from the last time, reported to Li Xu, "Doctor Li, Mother says she feels much more comfortable. Her chest doesn’t hurt as much, and she can breathe now."

Hearing this, Xu Yuancai was so excited he became incoherent. "Divine Physician! Doctor Li, you’re truly Hua Tuo reincarnated!"

Li Xu’s expression remained stern.

"Two hours are up. Continue with the medication."

"Do as I say. Don’t stop. Take it once every two hours. These three doses must be taken without interruption to expel all the fluid from her chest in one go."

"If she can hold on through tonight, by tomorrow morning, the old woman should be completely out of danger."

"Yes, I’ll go get the medicine right now."

Xu Yuancai’s wife followed Li Xu’s words to the letter.

Liu Quanshan and Han Weimin, who had been observing from the side the whole time, witnessed this scene with their own eyes.

The two of them were left with nothing but shock and admiration.

...

「Inside Li’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.」

Although Li Xu had gone out on a house call, the clinic was still full of waiting patients.

No one complained, and no one left.

Everyone knew that not only was Doctor Li’s medical skill superb, but he was also famously responsible.

If he had left for an emergency, it must have been a matter of life and death.

Besides, most of the people queuing here had conditions that other hospitals couldn’t treat.

For common colds or minor scrapes, people would just go to a community hospital.

Among the waiting patients, a young man was particularly conspicuous.

He was holding a phone mount with a stabilizer, the camera pointed at himself, and was muttering something under his breath.

He was a minor internet celebrity, and his online handle was "Daoist Sun."

As his name suggested, his livestreams focused on traditional culture, Daoist wellness, and exploring certain esoteric mysteries.

A while ago, during the "Zuyou Skill Healing" ceremony at Golden Ray Monastery that caused a city-wide sensation, he had keenly seized the opportunity to ride the wave of hype. He went to the site, not only explaining the rituals of the ceremony but also pretentiously popularizing some Buddhist principles. To his surprise, he went viral, gaining nearly fifty thousand new followers.

Now that the hype from the ceremony had died down, he had set his sights on Li Xu.

As it happened, he hadn’t been feeling well the past couple of days, so with the dual purpose of "getting a check-up and uncovering secrets," he had come early to register at Li’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.

His livestream was running the whole time.

Daoist Sun lowered his voice and spoke to his phone, "Folks, your host is now at Feng City’s hottest spot, Li’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic. But Doctor Li just left to save a critically ill patient, so please be patient.

Take a look, the clinic is packed, and everyone is willing to wait. That just shows you how solid Doctor Li’s reputation is.

Good thing I came early and got a spot near the front of the line."

The number of viewers in the stream hovered around two to three thousand, and the bullet comments flew by quickly:

"Daoist Master, is Divine Physician Li really that amazing? You don’t think he’s just a product of hype, do you?"

"I’ve seen the reports. He can even treat early-stage lung cancer. He definitely has some real skill. Daoist Master, help us test him out later."

"We support you, Daoist Master! Make sure you let us see how the Divine Physician takes a pulse later."

Of course, some knowledgeable viewers also raised concerns: "Daoist Master, isn’t it a bad idea to livestream a doctor’s visit? Most doctors really hate this kind of thing. Not only is it an invasion of privacy, but if the treatment fails or he prescribes the wrong medicine, it could easily lead to a doctor-patient dispute and online harassment."

"Yeah, a lot of major hospitals explicitly prohibit recording in consultation rooms."

Watching the comments, Daoist Sun felt a bit hesitant himself.

He nodded. "You guys are right. When Doctor Li gets back, I’ll ask him first. If he doesn’t allow filming, then we’ll end the stream and just focus on the appointment."

Just then, the clinic door was pushed open.

Li Xu walked in.

"Doctor Li is back."

A stir went through the crowd in the waiting area, and everyone sat up straight.

Li Xu washed his hands thoroughly at the sink, put on his white coat, and sat down behind the consultation desk.

Daoist Sun quickly went up to him and asked, "Hello, Doctor Li. I’m a small-time streamer who popularizes traditional culture. Would it be okay if I kept my livestream on in here? I promise I won’t film any other patients’ faces. Is that alright?"

Li Xu glanced at the camera lens.

In the past, he might have refused.

But having seen some of the online slander against Traditional Chinese Medicine, he realized that TCM not only needed to cure illnesses but also needed a "voice."

"You can."

Li Xu said, "But don’t be loud or disturb the other patients who are resting and waiting for their appointments. Also, when other patients’ privacy is involved, please move the camera away."