Chapter 225: The Joy of the Pond Fish

Chapter 225: Chapter 225: The Joy of the Pond Fish

It was called a casual chat, but in reality, it was mostly Xin Ziqi asking questions and Ji Huan answering.

Xin Ziqi was a bit hesitant at first, but when he saw that Ji Huan had no intention of holding anything back, he gradually relaxed and opened up.

Naturally, their conversation revolved around the anesthetic, the plaster cast, and the strange, peculiar words that Ji Huan would occasionally let slip during the surgery.

By the end of their talk, Xin Ziqi sighed with admiration. "Your esteemed master is truly someone to be revered."

’This master was a peculiar one. It was one thing for someone with such profound medical expertise to leave no trace in the apricot forest, but to then pass on his life’s work to a female disciple was another matter entirely.’

He didn’t mean to look down on Ji Huan. On the contrary, he was now thoroughly impressed by her.

But such were the times.

It wasn’t unheard of for women to be among the wandering bell doctors, but orthodox medical schools absolutely forbade accepting female disciples.

Those who could successfully become an apprentice, let alone receive their master’s true teachings, were exceedingly rare.

This also proved that Ji Huan must possess some extraordinary quality in her character and aptitude. Otherwise, why would that great senior have favored her and her alone?

Ji Huan coughed, feeling a little guilty.

’She had tons of teachers,’ but explaining it would be too much trouble. She had simply concocted a single persona: a highly skilled, reclusive master who was indifferent to fame and fortune and had long since passed away. She hadn’t expected Xin Ziqi to buy it so completely.

Not only did Xin Ziqi believe her, but he also couldn’t wrap his head around one thing.

"Since you’ve inherited your esteemed master’s unique knowledge, why don’t you practice medicine?"

"Doctor Xin, you must be joking. To practice medicine in a clinic, you have to register for the Medical Bureau’s examination. Only after passing can you obtain a license to practice."

It wasn’t that Ji Huan was afraid she couldn’t pass the exam; her problem was that she couldn’t even get past the registration stage.

"Ah, I was being foolish."

Xin Ziqi felt it was such a shame for Ji Huan that he had completely forgotten the most crucial prerequisite—only men could participate in the examination.

Ji Huan tilted her head back to look at the star-dusted night sky and sighed.

It wasn’t that she felt sorry for herself.

This era had the leisure and tranquility she yearned for, but at the same time, it was cruel to women.

From birth, a woman’s world was drawn into a circle that became her prison, and she would spend her entire life within its invisible walls.

Clip their wings, and they lose the heart to fly. Shackle their feet, and they lose the ability to walk away.

How many brilliant and talented women spent their entire lives running in circles within this small "world," assisting their husbands and raising their children, their original radiance dimming with each passing day?

’But what’s the use of feeling sorry about it? An individual’s power is just too insignificant.’

’Practice medicine in a clinic disguised as a man? Become world-famous because of anesthetics?’

’Setting aside the feasibility, even if she succeeded, it would be difficult to gain public acceptance in an era where men were held supreme.’

’Most importantly, she was just too tired.’

She hadn’t studied medicine voluntarily in the first place, nor did she have some heroic complex about being a doctor or any noble sentiments.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have secretly switched her major from surgery to anesthesiology behind her parents’ backs, purely out of a rebellious streak.

When people think of surgery, they usually think of two types of doctors: the surgeon and the anesthesiologist.

The importance of the surgeon goes without saying, but the anesthesiologist is often underestimated.

In many people’s eyes, the anesthesiologist’s job is just to "give the patient a shot" before surgery. In reality, it’s far from that simple.

As the saying goes, "The surgeon cures the disease, the anesthesiologist preserves the life." The anesthesiologist is the patient’s guardian angel during surgery. They must not only ensure the patient falls asleep peacefully but also that they wake up safely—it seems simple, but there is so much involved in between.

Before surgery, they rely on various complex and precise instruments to accurately diagnose the patient’s condition. Then, they must fully consider individual differences to choose the right anesthetic method, prepare the right anesthetic drugs, and formulate the optimal treatment plan.

During surgery, they must constantly monitor the patient’s vital signs from the instrument panel, tracking crucial indicators like respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, and nervous system function. They have to identify risks in a timely manner and take countermeasures to ensure the patient’s safety.

This requires anesthesiologists to master a variety of anesthetic techniques and be intimately familiar with every anesthetic drug—its indications, contraindications, side effects, and common dosages.

Anesthesiologists perform thousands of such surgeries every year for cases like car accidents, cerebral hemorrhages, and severed limbs.

Most people in the anesthesiology department are in a constant state of fatigue, and they rank highest in the sudden death rate among medical staff.

And Ji Huan had been one of them.

Now that she had finally escaped that life where she had no control, she no longer had the strong heart to go through all that trouble again.

Xin Ziqi was still feeling sorry for her situation.

Ji Huan spread her hands. "What’s there to be sorry about? Someone like me isn’t cut out to be a doctor. I don’t have a selfless heart, and I wasn’t born with the compassion of a Bodhisattva. My medical ethics and skills are both just so-so. The noble work of practicing medicine to help the world, save the dying, and heal the injured... that’s best left to others."

Xin Ziqi couldn’t agree with that.

"Who can be entirely selfless? I have my own selfish desires, but that doesn’t conflict with healing the sick and saving lives. The reason Yide Hall is called Yide Hall is that the Xin family ancestors wanted to remind future generations to always maintain a measure of benevolence toward their patients. My father also said that as long as I have that measure of compassion and am willing to put in my full effort, I can become a good doctor."

Ji Huan sincerely admired how the Xin family taught by both word and deed.

"You’ll definitely become a great doctor."

"Then what about you?" Xin Ziqi still wanted to persuade her.

’It was one thing that women couldn’t practice medicine. Besides, it seemed Ji Huan wasn’t particularly skilled at hands-on treatment anyway.’

’But she could do something else, like making medicine. She seemed to be more proficient at developing various kinds of pharmaceuticals.’

Ji Huan smiled and shook her head. "Compared to people, I’d rather deal with medicine. And compared to medicine, I’d rather deal with fragrances."

"What kind of twisted logic is that?"

"Just the joy of a fish in a pond."

Since Ji Huan had put it that way, Xin Ziqi felt he couldn’t press the matter further. In the end, it was a personal choice. Others could only offer advice, not interfere.

"Rest assured, I will not tell another soul about what we discussed today, nor about the anesthetic and other such things. I won’t use them myself without your permission either," Xin Ziqi promised solemnly.

Ji Huan was surprised. "Why can’t you tell anyone? And why can’t you use it?"

"This is a secret technique from your school..."

Ji Huan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She waved her hand. "My school doesn’t have so many strict rules. Since I’ve told you about it, there’s nothing to hide. Use it as you please, pass it on as you please. I don’t mind."

Now it was Xin Ziqi’s turn to be stunned. "You... you..."

’What medical practitioner didn’t treasure their own knowledge like a worn-out broom? To see someone so generous, revealing everything she knew and holding nothing back... Xin Ziqi was truly at a loss for words.’

"What, you think I’m crazy?"

Xin Ziqi didn’t answer, but that was clearly what he meant.

Ji Huan said, half-joking and half-serious:

"Actually, I have other plans. That new pharmaceutical workshop of yours... besides producing hand cream, you could open up another production line specifically for anesthetics. On a small scale, you could sell it to other medical halls and make a fortune. On a grand scale, who’s to say you couldn’t benefit the entire medical world?"