Could it be that from this perspective, I’m more amazing than the emergency doctors at the Municipal First Hospital? Du Heng mused. No, that’s not it, he thought. It’s just that the philosophies of our two medical systems are different, and so are our treatment methods. Zhou Yixian and his colleagues’ approach was to identify the problem and then directly solve that problem. Du Heng’s method was to find the cause of the problem. Why aren’t you working? Too heavy a burden? Then I’ll help lighten your load. Unhappy with low pay? Then I’ll compensate you. Thieves? I’ll help drive them away. Robbers? I’ll help you eliminate them. One of the Eight Methods of traditional Chinese medicine would always be suitable. Thıs content belongs to 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦•𝘯𝘦𝘵 Then, the visceral organs could function smoothly and without issue. The male doctor departed quickly and returned just as swiftly. Zhou Yixian hadn’t yet managed to ask his second question when the male doctor strode back in, accompanied by a man and a woman—the patient’s family. Upon entering, the first thing the two family members did was to look at their comatose mother on the bed. They grasped her hand, their eyes welling with tears. Seeing the dense network of tubes and wires covering her body, their heartache intensified. The male doctor cleared his throat. "You two, this is Doctor Du, whom we’ve invited. He has some questions for you." The two family members composed themselves and, following the male doctor’s gesture, looked at Du Heng, who was standing to one side. This glance, however, left them slightly taken aback. He’s so young, they thought, he doesn’t look like an expert. But the Municipal First Hospital is such a major hospital; surely they wouldn’t gamble with our mother’s life. The two family members managed to maintain their composure and voiced no immediate questions. Du Heng had grown accustomed to such scrutiny. He couldn’t help but smile wryly. I can’t just dye my hair white and grow a beard, can I? Big brother Du Ping would probably kill me. Du Heng coughed lightly twice, taking the initiative to break the silent, somewhat awkward atmosphere. "Ahem, I have a few questions, please answer them truthfully. The first question: did your mother often eat cold-natured foods when she was at home?" The two family members snapped back to attention. The man, presumably the son, hurriedly replied, "My mom often complains about a dry mouth and throat, and feeling unbearably hot inside. Since it’s summer and the weather has been particularly hot these past few days, she might have eaten more fruit." He quickly added, "Also, we were worried that eating too much fruit would be bad for her, so we bought her some ice cream. But we controlled the amount—she only ate one a day. We didn’t let her have more." Du Heng sighed. "You said your mother often complained about feeling hot. Have you ever seen her sweat?" The siblings exchanged a glance, confusion evident in their eyes. "No, we’ve never seen her sweat. But isn’t that normal? She stays at home all day with the air conditioning on constantly; how could she sweat?" Does feeling hot always necessitate cooling down? This was precisely what Du Heng feared most. An ordinary person might not be affected, but this patient suffered from pulmonale. With two major visceral organs already malfunctioning, her other organs couldn’t possibly be functioning normally; otherwise, acute renal failure wouldn’t have occurred. With so many cold-natured foods ingested, her gastrointestinal transformation processes would undoubtedly be compromised, not to mention the constant exposure to air conditioning. This created a situation where the internal cold attempted to escape through the skin, only for the external cold to relentlessly force it back in. However, this wasn’t the time to debate the rights and wrongs of their actions. Identifying the root cause was paramount. "Why was your mother admitted to the hospital?" "My dad is bedridden at home and has some incontinence, so the house often has an odor. At night, I would open the windows to air out the house and let in some fresh air." "That particular day, there was a nice breeze, and it felt refreshingly cool. When my mom heard there was a breeze, she also went to the window to enjoy it for a while. But in the middle of the night, she started running a fever. By morning, she was delirious and gasping for breath. When it looked like she could barely breathe anymore, we rushed her to the hospital." After the siblings finished their explanation, they both stared intently at Du Heng. By this point, the Municipal First Hospital had repeatedly advised them to arrange for their mother’s discharge. Even though Du Heng was so young, he had become their last hope. Everything crystallized for Du Heng. The family’s account perfectly matched his syndrome differentiation: the patient frequently consumed cold-natured foods and was subsequently exposed to external cold. These were the triggers. Generally, patients don’t deteriorate so suddenly. Without external factors, the illness would progress slowly, like a frog in gradually heated water, eventually leaving no chance for rescue. But in this instance, she has been revived multiple times, indicating her visceral function is still present and capable of sustaining her life. However, the introduction of these external factors disrupted the existing delicate balance, overwhelming her cardiopulmonary system and leading to her current critical state. Noticing Du Heng had finished his questions, Zhou Yixian asked, "Doctor Du, what are your thoughts?" Du Heng mentally reviewed the information and organized his thoughts before speaking. "The patient consumed a large quantity of cold-natured foods, leading to an accumulation of coldness within her body. This, combined with an incidental exposure to external cold, has resulted in her current state where excessive yin cold permeates her internally and externally, obscuring her consciousness." They seemed to grasp some of it, yet not entirely. "So, Doctor Du, do you have a solution?" Zhou Yixian pressed. "Warm the interior to dispel cold, open the exterior closure, dispel phlegm, and awaken the spirit." Hearing there was a clear approach, Zhou Yixian visibly relaxed, a sigh of relief escaping him. "In that case, Doctor Du, please formulate a treatment plan. We will offer our full cooperation." Du Heng didn’t speak immediately, pausing for a moment. This time, I’ll still use the Extraordinary Heart-saving Decoction, in combination with the Minor Green-Blue Dragon Decoction. The aim is to revive Yang, secure stem desertion, and pull her back from the brink of death. I’m confident she’ll show improvement within two doses at most.