Wang Youcai saw his son coming and rushed to Qi Lao Da, saying: "Old Zhuangzhu, this is my humble son Ping'an. Ping'an, don't you hurry up and pay respects to Old Zhuangzhu?"

  Wang Ping'an walked to the bedside of Qi Lao Da, cupped his hands and bowed, saying: "Junior Wang Ping'an pays respects to Old Master Qi." He saw that Qi Lao Da was almost seventy years old, with white hair and beard, tall and robust in stature. Although he was sitting on the bed, it could be seen that this old man must have been a towering figure over six feet tall when he was young, no wonder he could lead troops as a general and made contributions to the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

  "My son doesn't like going out, he just likes reading books. There's nothing else in the house except for books, over 10,000 volumes! I plan to let him go to Beijing next year to take the imperial examination and see if he can bring honor to our ancestors. If he can get an official position, I'll be satisfied with my life!"

  "Alright, when I was young, if you wanted to achieve success and fame, you had to be willing to take risks and face danger. Either you killed or were killed, there was no other way out. Now, young people have it easy, all they need to do is study and they can make a name for themselves. This child isn't bad, has he ever been married?"

  "Not yet, I plan to let him take the imperial examination first and then find a wife. If he passes, he'll marry someone from a good family; if not, it's okay, our family has already prepared for that. It's just that Danruo, a little girl, is quite diligent, Old Master Zhuang had seen her before!" Wang Youcai said.

  Old Qi nodded his head and said, "It's okay to have a woman, just hurry up and have kids, you can also hold your grandson early, don't be like us, having sons so late!"

  The two of them chatted idly at this time, while Wang Ping'an carefully observed Old Qi. He saw that the old landlord's face was swollen, his abdomen protruded under the thin quilt like a small hill, and he coughed several times after every sentence. Just talking for a short while, he spat out phlegm several times. He glanced at the spittoon by the bed and saw that it was half full of phlegm, clearly visible. The old landlord must have spat up a lot in one day.

  "Wang Ping'an asked: 'Old Master Zhang, how long have you been ill?'"

  Qī Lǎodà was somewhat tired, originally heard that Wáng Píng'ān would prescribe medicine himself, he still had some expectations, but as soon as they met, he found out it was a half-grown kid, not much stronger than the former snotty-nosed look, with only a few hairs on his chin, no mustache, and unsteady in handling matters, so he didn't believe Wáng Píng'ān could diagnose illnesses anymore.

  "It's been almost a year, I got it last year. Last year the harvest was poor, and some people from the village and the Zhuang family stayed in the fields for several days, watching as they didn't get much grain, feeling uncomfortable at heart, and when they returned home, they fell ill. Alas, time is unforgiving, thinking of how certain families were young and followed the great army to conquer Wu Zetian, going without sleep for several nights was no big deal, but now their energy and spirit are insufficient!"

  Wang Ping'an nodded slightly, having made a preliminary judgment in his mind. This was a case of dampness-induced swelling, which would lead to coughing and asthma later on. However, he couldn't make a definitive diagnosis yet, not until after taking the pulse. He said: "Old Master Zhuang, may I take your pulse?"

  Qizhuan also came in at this time and heard Wang Ping'an say so. He said: "Hiss, you know how to take a pulse?"

  Wang Ping An said without turning his head, "I know a thing or two." He placed Old Qi's hand on the bedside and began to take his pulse. After a while, he said, "Switch hands!" Then he took the other hand and continued to take his pulse.

  Qī Huán looked on from the side, scratched the back of his head and said: "It seems that you really know how to take a pulse. So, you... so Brother Wáng is actually skilled in medicine! I was rude to him just now!" He was a filial son, his father's illness had been weighing on his heart. If Wáng Píng'ān could cure his father's illness, he wouldn't even mind giving up the river water, let alone kneel down and kowtow to Wáng Píng'ān!

  Wang Youcai didn't understand medicine, but he wanted to boast about his son. However, he couldn't bring himself to do so. If Yang were present, she would have already bragged a lot. But Wang was a man of refinement and patience, waiting for his son to cure Qi's illness before boasting. In case the treatment didn't work... it was better to say less!

  Zi Lao Da stared into Wang Ping An's eyes, thinking to himself: "Can this kid really diagnose illnesses? When I saw him as a child, he seemed like he could only cry and runny nose, but now that he's grown up, it turns out he has some skills, he actually knows how to take pulses!"

  Wang Ping'an felt his pulse for a while longer before letting go and saying: "Old Master Zhuang, I need to take a look at your tongue coating!"

  Since Master Zhi fell ill, he has seen many doctors. He knew the drill well and opened his mouth to stick out his tongue for Wang Ping'an to examine. His tongue was covered with a thick layer of white fur, almost obscuring its original color!

  Wang Ping'an nodded and said, "From the pulse of the old master, the pulse is wet and slippery, and the tongue coating is white and thick. From the symptoms, it is a case of dampness and numbness not spreading. The reason for the numbness not spreading is due to the obstruction of qi and blood stasis!"

  Wang Youcai suddenly heard his son drop a sentence, and he thought: "Son, you say this, do they understand? Qi Huan recognizes a few words, but Qi Laozhuang is illiterate, you drop the book bag, they absolutely can't understand, even I don't understand!"

  There is no absolute truth; Wang Lao Ye didn't understand, but both Qi Lao Tai and Qi Lao Ye understood it together!

  Qī Huán Xǐ said: "It turns out that Wang Xian-di indeed has a good grasp of medicine, what you said is correct. Some time ago I invited doctors to come and they all said the same thing about Father's illness, calling it 'wet rheum disease'..."

  "What's with all this nonsense? Your dad is that kind of person? At their age, they're still messing around like that?"

  Wang Ping was secretly amused, and indeed, Qi Lao Da's illness was a dampness-induced disease. Those doctors hadn't misdiagnosed it, and the name of the disease wasn't to be taken literally either. However, since Old Zhuang didn't want to hear it, he didn't explain further. Following Qi Lao Da's words, he said: "Old Zhuang is a kind person, known by everyone in the surrounding villages. In fact, you have contracted dropsy, let me take a look at your abdomen!" Actually, before saying "dropsy", he should have added the two characters "wet paralysis", but since Old Zhuang didn't want to hear it, there was no need to say it out loud, and whether or not he said it wouldn't affect the treatment method anyway.

  "Yes, Wang Xiaoge is right. The patient's body is swollen, and he has a cough and shortness of breath, it must be edema!" Qi Lao Da lifted the quilt to let Wang Ping'an examine his belly.

  Wang Ping'an saw that his abdomen was bulging high, and when he pressed it with his hand, there seemed to be something inside. He understood in his heart that this was the cause of the stagnation. After examining him until now, he had basically made a diagnosis. He stood up and began pacing around the room.

  All three of them looked at Wang Ping'an, seeing him frowning and shaking his head from time to time, as if he was considering a very difficult matter.

  "Brother Wang, don't be too hard on yourself. This illness of mine is something that I'm aware of myself, and it's not going to last much longer. Think back to when I was young, I fought against Yuwen Huaji in the south and killed over 20 Tujue Huren in the north. That's enough for me. If this illness can be cured, then so be it. If not, then that's just how it is. It's getting late, you all stay here tonight and send someone back to report, so your family doesn't worry!"

  Wang Ping'an nodded and stopped in his tracks, saying: "The old master's illness is indeed serious, and it's quite troublesome to treat, but since the old master has a strong body, he should be able to endure the pain of taking medicine, so there's no need to worry about his life!"

  Wang Youcai and Qi Lao Da had not spoken yet, but Qi Huan was overjoyed, rushing forward to grab Wang Ping'an's hand, exclaiming: "Is this true? Can you really cure my father's illness?"

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  Special thanks to book friends 09100816373135, Ming Yan 86683 for rewarding this book. Peace and gratitude! Book friend 09100816373135 has rewarded twice in a row, peace and respect!

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  Introducing a medicinal wine to soothe the stomach, Half Summer Ginseng Wine, for your reference. Nourishing the stomach requires not only medication but also maintaining a good mood!

  Ban Xia Ren Shen Jiu

  Source: Treatise on Cold Damage

  Prescription: Pinellia ternata 30g, Scutellaria baicalensis 30g, Dry ginger 20g, Ginseng 20g, Roasted licorice root 20g, Coptis chinensis 6g, Jujube 10g, White wine 700ml.

  Method: 1. Pound the above 7 herbs together, wrap in cloth and soak in wine; 2. After 5 days, add 500ml of cooled boiled water, mix well, filter out residue and bottle for later use.

  Function and Indications: Harmonize the stomach and descend the adverse flow, relieve constipation. Mainly treats disharmony of stomach qi, cold and heat mutually binding, heart and abdomen hardness, nausea and vomiting, belching, diarrhea, lack of appetite, fatigue and weakness.

  Dosage and administration: 20ml each time, twice a day in the morning and evening, warm before drinking.

  Note: Banxia (Pinellia): pungent and warm, disperses stagnation and accumulations, harmonizes the stomach and descends rebellious Qi, to eliminate symptoms of stagnation, fullness, vomiting and rebellion. Ganjiang (Dried Ginger): pungent and warm, disperses cold. Huangqin (Scutellaria) and Huanglian (Coptis): bitter and cold, drains heat. When Banxia, Ganjiang, Huangqin and Huanglian are used together with their bitter and pungent properties, they can unblock and descend, sufficient to open up stagnation, disperse accumulations, and descend rebellious Qi that causes vomiting. Renshen (Ginseng) and Dazao (Jujube): sweet and warm, tonifies Qi, to supplement deficiency. Gancao (Licorice Root): supplements the stomach Qi and harmonizes all medicinals.