Chapter 22 Mulberry and Melon Drink

The imprint of the original family is deeply engraved in the depths of the soul. In Chen Ruogu's memory, Teacher Zhou is like the spring sunshine, always full of love and patience.

Even if there are disagreements between mother and daughter, she will put her daughter's feelings first.

It's a pity that such a friendly mother is no longer with us. Although Ruogu feels regretful, he is not heartbroken.

She said with a bewildered look on her face: "Although my mother wanted me to inherit her legacy, after knowing that I was interested in traditional Chinese medicine, she was very supportive of my choice. She also helped me choose a traditional Chinese medicine hospital university for my college entrance examination."

Principal Wu showed a sentimental look on his face, and he said sincerely:
“I admire Teacher Zhou’s teaching ability and his noble character of never giving up on his students.

She never backed down when faced with difficulties, but bravely moved forward to overcome them. This courage and perseverance is admirable, and young teachers today should learn from her."

Teacher Gao said, "Then we should launch a week to learn from Comrade Zhou Qin. Her achievements in situational teaching are remarkable and can be displayed on campus to inspire young teachers."

Chen Ruogu listened silently. His original mother was actually a great scholar with both virtue and talent. If she were still alive, Huaixi would benefit a lot.

Principal Wu put his hands behind his back, thought for a moment and said in a deep voice:
"I think this is feasible. Today's young teachers are just getting by and have no ambition to develop their careers. How can we achieve the goal of revitalizing the country through education if this continues?"

Although Teacher Gao is old, her thinking is not old-fashioned. She said bluntly:
"We can't blame them entirely, it also has something to do with the current social atmosphere and education environment. In the past, standing in the corner or being spanked was common, but now people don't dare to say harsh words when they do something wrong.

Whenever something goes wrong, teachers are always blamed, and their psychological problems are getting worse. They are lucky to avoid safety accidents in their daily work, and they are under great pressure in life, so where do they get the energy to study teaching?"

How could Principal Wu not know the reality? However, as a leader, he had to be firm in his stance and attitude. He turned around and saw Chen Ruogu standing beside him, and changed the subject:
"Today we are here to show our support for Dr. Chen, so let's not talk about irrelevant topics."

He looked at Ruogu with a smile and said gently:
"Doctor Chen, I heard that you are very good at acupuncture. You cured Mr. Gao's migraine that had lasted for many years. I have never met a Chinese medicine doctor as good as you. Can you give me acupuncture? I am old and have many health problems."

Chen Ruogu was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He said, "Principal Wu, you can't just randomly inject this needle. It depends on what disease you have. You have to prescribe the right medicine to treat it."

Teacher Gao joked to Ruogu, "Old Wu has become a doctor after suffering from illness for a long time. If he feels unwell, he will just look it up on the Internet and then go to the pharmacy to buy medicine to solve the problem. If he wants an acupuncture, just give him one. It won't kill him anyway."

Principal Wu pointed at her angrily, but he was angry but dared not say anything. If Teacher Gao was unhappy and gave up her job and ignored the students, he would have nowhere to cry.

Chen Ruogu knew her limits and etiquette. She didn't interrupt the elders when they spoke, but just listened quietly. After they finished speaking, she smiled and said:

"How about I take the principal's pulse first, and then decide whether to give him medicine or acupuncture, what do you think?"

Chen Ruogu's father was a famous Chinese medicine doctor in Wanling. Many hospitals invited him to join, but he refused and stayed in his hometown to treat patients. Principal Wu knew the background of the Chen family, so he did not doubt Ruogu's ability.

He said cheerfully, "Are you sitting over there to take my pulse?"

Ruogu nodded and politely took him to the consultation table. Teacher Gao also walked with them. The air conditioner in Jishidiang was on, and it became cooler as they walked inside.

He Hui was originally sorting medicines at the counter. When he saw Teacher Gao standing there, he hurried over to get a stool for her to sit down. Teacher Gao sat down and glanced around the clinic, and said with satisfaction:
"Although your Chinese medicine clinic is not large, the decoration is simple and practical, and the service attitude of the staff is also very good. It looks really good."

Chen Ruogu had his finger on Principal Wu's pulse and chuckled when he heard this:
"I feel relieved to have the approval of Professor Gao. My clinic is my own house and I don't have to pay rent. I can decorate it in a practical way. There is no need for fancy decorations. The materials used here are all the most environmentally friendly. Although it looks ordinary, the investment is actually not low."

Teacher Gao believed that she was telling the truth. Those rows of medicine cabinets looked very high-quality and must have cost a lot. This was enough to show how wealthy Chen Ruogu's family was. Even though she had not worked for more than ten years, she was not short of money.

Chen Ruogu looked normal when she felt his pulse, and there was nothing unusual. She said in a soft voice:
"Does the principal often feel hot and thirsty, and sometimes have a tingling sensation on the skin of his calves?"

Principal Wu nodded hurriedly. He was impressed by the magic of Chinese medicine. He asked with some concern, "Doctor Chen, you are right. I have only had these symptoms in the past two or three months. I have been so busy lately that I have not been able to go for a check-up. Is there anything serious?"

Chen Ruogu said calmly: "Don't worry, let me take a look at your tongue first."

Principal Wu stuck out his tongue in cooperation. Chen Ruogu looked at it carefully and said softly, "The tongue is red with ecchymosis. Is it because of difficulty in defecation and frequent urination?"

Principal Wu nodded somewhat embarrassedly. He was a respectable man, and it was inevitable that he felt embarrassed to say this. However, Chen Ruogu did not feel strange at all. She explained calmly:
"Principal, you have diabetes, which is now called diabetes. Your disease belongs to the blood stasis type. The treatment requires clearing away heat, promoting body fluid, and promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis."

Principal Wu frowned, and the wrinkles on his forehead became more and more obvious. He couldn't figure out:

"I don't like sweets, I don't drink much, and I eat two large bowls of rice for every meal. How could I get diabetes?"

Without waiting for Ruogu to answer, Teacher Gao sneered:

"I heard that you like to eat porridge with steamed buns for breakfast, and sometimes just a big bowl of noodles. Those are all starchy foods with a lot of sugar. It's not unfair that you have diabetes."

Principal Wu was speechless. He had always thought that his diet was quite healthy, but he didn't expect it to be like this. He said with some concern:
"Complications of diabetes are very troublesome. Do I have to strictly control my blood sugar and take Western medicine every day in the future?"

Chen Ruogu smiled faintly and said, "Don't be nervous, it's not that serious. I have a prescription for the right medicine. I'll prescribe a few doses for you to take. If you continue to take it for three months at most, your blood sugar will return to normal. You don't need to take western medicine every day."

Principal Wu was skeptical and said, "What kind of medicine is so powerful? The old guys around me who have diabetes always take Western medicine. How can Chinese medicine be so powerful?"

Chen Ruogu did not argue with him and explained in a good-tempered manner:
"I'm prescribing you a recipe for mulberry and melon drink. The ingredients may be slightly modified based on your physical condition. In fact, Chinese medicine is more stable than Western medicine, has a mild and long-lasting effect, and the medicinal materials are basically non-toxic and have no adverse reactions.

You can take it for seven days, one dose a day. If you are worried, you can buy a blood glucose meter to monitor it. If you feel that it is not good, it is not too late to take western medicine. "

Principal Wu remained calm and said, "I'll listen to you and take Chinese medicine first. The wisdom of our ancestors over thousands of years must be correct. Chinese medicine is all natural and is definitely better than Western medicine."

Although Chen Ruogu is a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, she has no intention of belittling Western medicine. She smiled and said:
"Both Chinese and Western medicine have their advantages. As long as they can cure the disease, any method will do. If you are sure you want it, I will prescribe it for you."

Principal Wu gestured for her to write a prescription directly. Ruogu calmly picked up the brush on the table and wrote on the paper as naturally and smoothly as flowing water.

Principal Wu was a little surprised and couldn't help but stop to watch. He saw her flexible pen strokes jumping on the paper as if they had life, and the writing was vivid and lively.

"The handwriting is full and round, very smooth, and makes people feel relaxed and happy. Doctor Chen's family has a long history of calligraphy." Chen Ruogu said modestly: "Principal Wu is overpraising me. My handwriting is just barely acceptable. My daughter's handwriting is outstanding, and she is better than me."

Principal Wu's biggest hobby is calligraphy. His eyes lit up and he asked Teacher Gao:

"The student you told me before that you were going to transfer to our school and repeat a grade, is she Dr. Chen's daughter?"

Teacher Gao nodded and said with a smile, "That girl's hard pen calligraphy is pretty good. I didn't expect her brush calligraphy to be even better. She's smart and studious, and she's a good candidate for admission to Peking University or Tsinghua University."

Principal Wu cherishes talent the most. He smiled and said, "Is the little girl at home? Can you ask her to write a few words for me to see?"

In Chen Ruogu's eyes, his daughter is shining and he is not worried that she will make a fool of herself in public. He believes that whenever she appears, she will perform well. Ruogu has this confidence.

She said lovingly, "That girl came out to join in the fun this morning and then went back. She should be lying by the bay window reading a book now. She brought back a lot of books from Teacher Gao."

Teacher Gao said with a smile: "She came to take the books as if she was robbing. This girl is someone who truly enjoys learning."

Principal Wu liked it more and more as he listened, and couldn't wait to say:

"Then let her write a few words for me. Last semester, the city held a calligraphy competition, and we lost to No. 6 Middle School in the brush calligraphy competition. We have to get the first prize back next year."

Chen Ruogu said gently: "Then I'll call her and ask her to come down."

She handed the prescription to He Hui, then walked to the corner to call Huai Xi. After the call was connected, Ruogu explained the matter in a few words and urged her daughter to go downstairs quickly.

Huai Xi was absorbed in reading a book, so she was unwilling to be called out at this moment. However, Principal Wu and Teacher Gao had a bearing on her three years of junior high school studies, so she had to go down no matter how reluctant she was.

Huai Xi likes to wear loose pajamas when she stays at home. She took out a beige floral dress from the closet and put it on. The waist-hugging design and calf-length dress made her look tall and slender.

Although she did not have as much Qi as her mother, the airflow as thin as a hair could make her body pure and clean, and her skin as white as jade, which was unforgettable.

Her hair was trimmed to shoulder length and hung down softly. One could tell at a glance that she was a treasure who was carefully cared for by her family.

Sister Yang specially stewed some papaya milk for her in the morning and put it on the table. She drank the last two sips and then went downstairs slowly and calmly.

Yu Huaixi is a noble lady who was brought up in a noble family. She has a graceful and flexible figure, and her temperament is elegant and dignified.

When Principal Wu saw her for the first time, he thought she was a lady from a painting of a court lady walking down the stairs. If she were born into an ordinary family with such temperament and appearance, it would be a disaster.

However, he saw that Doctor Chen had an extraordinary demeanor in his every move, and that a lot of money had been invested in this clinic, so he thought that his family was not poor.

Yu Huaixi walked up to everyone and stood in front of them, greeting them gracefully.

"Hello, Principal Wu! I'm Yu Huaixi, a student of Teacher Gao!"

Her words were neither stage-frightened nor overly flattering, and at the same time expressed her closeness to Teacher Gao. Teacher Gao loved her very much, put his arm around her shoulders, and said lovingly:

"Don't be nervous, Huaixi. Principal Wu is your grandmother's apprentice. He came to support your mother's clinic opening. He heard that you write well with a brush, so he wanted to see your calligraphy. Our Principal Wu likes talented students the most. Can you write for him to see?"

Huai Xi is not the type of person who loves to show off, otherwise she would not have been able to wait until she got engaged in the Bo's Mansion. She is low-key but not afraid of this situation. She first looked at Ruogu and silently asked for her opinion. This action shows that she is well-educated.

Chen Ruogu said softly, "I'll grind the ink for you, and you can write on the consultation table."

Yu Huaixi nodded in agreement. He saw Chen Ruogu holding the ink stick in his right hand and slowly turning the inkstone with his left hand. There was a slight friction sound between the ink stick and the inkstone. After grinding, the ink was as shiny as black lacquer and was extremely smooth to write with.

Principal Wu's eyes lit up as he watched. All their actions proved that the mother and daughter were not simple people. If they were not from a family with a rich background, they would never have been able to raise such a girl.

Yu Huaixi walked lightly to the table. She picked up the brush, and the brush seemed to have life dancing in her hand. The tip of the brush moved on the rice paper, sometimes as smooth as flowing water, and sometimes as steep as rocks. Every movement was full of beauty, and her skill was fully displayed between the strokes.

Principal Wu was stunned for a moment. He said excitedly:

"Your writing is brilliant, and every word is like a pearl, showing the calligraphy master's skill and accomplishment. Wanling Middle School has gained another amazing talent. Can you give me this work of yours?"

The look he gave Huai Xi was particularly ardent and he was in high spirits, but Huai Xi was not frightened. She felt that most literati had some quirks.

She said politely and obediently, "It's an honor for the principal to want it. Why don't I wait until it's dried and framed before sending it to you."

Principal Wu waved his hands quickly and said with a smile:
"I have ready-made mounting tools at home. I will mount it myself. I am worried that your teacher Gao will take the calligraphy away. She also likes it and has many of them hung in her study at home."

Teacher Gao said with disdain: "You are already so old and still so petty. If I want it, can't I just let Huai Xi write it for me alone?"

She turned to Huai Xi and said, "I like "沁园春.雪". Please write me a copy when you have time."

Yu Huaixi said obediently: "Others may not want it, but if the teacher wants it, there is absolutely no problem."

Everyone was happy to hear her words. Principal Wu felt that the trip was worth it. He didn't even care about the medicine he had prescribed. His whole mind was on the calligraphy and painting, and he simply couldn't let it go.

Chen Ruogu carefully packed the medicinal materials and handed them to Principal Wu, who then came to his senses and paid the consultation fee. Ruogu symbolically collected some money for the medicine.

The old rule is that you can't deliver medicine directly to people, even if the price is small, you have to accept it, mainly for good luck.

(End of this chapter)