Chapter 66 — Medical College Dean Guan Xuewen (Second Update Today, Please Recommend, Bookmark, and Give Me All Kinds of Support, Thank You Everyone)

%....................

The car pulled up at the entrance of Xuehai Bookstore. Wei Zhao had not expected them to pass by Songshan No. 1 High School along the way - it turned out the bookstore and the school were barely a stop apart, so after buying his books he could simply walk back.

Wei Zhao paid the fare, stepped into Xuehai Bookstore, asked a clerk at the door for directions, and headed straight for the medical books section.

At this hour the bookstore was not crowded, and the medical section had even fewer patrons - just an elderly man of scholarly appearance standing before a bookshelf, leafing through something.

Following the labels on the shelves, Wei Zhao located the books he needed and began to read. He wanted to double-check the properties of several uncommon Chinese herbs. Yang Huaijun's internal injuries were extraordinarily complex - his bodily functions had been thrown into complete disarray by the suppression of painkillers - yet for some unknown reason he had not died. Presumably some master was also tending to Yang Huaijun's body; after all, the power of the Yang family behind him was not to be underestimated.

"Young man, are you interested in Chinese medicine?" At some point the scholarly old man had drifted up beside Wei Zhao. Glancing at the book in Wei Zhao's hands, he spoke up without preamble.

"I have a modest interest," Wei Zhao smiled and nodded to the old man.

"Are you a student at the medical university nearby?" The old man showed no intention of letting the matter drop.

"No - I attend Songshan No. 1 High School." Wei Zhao answered casually. He did not dislike the old man; he could tell this was the scholarly type who genuinely devoted himself to research. Had it been someone merely feigning friendliness for some ulterior purpose, Wei Zhao would not have bothered saying a single word more.

"Oh? A high school student?" The old man was visibly surprised. Nowadays very few young people took an interest in Chinese medicine. Students from medical universities who came to the bookstore to look up materials for exams were one thing, but even they harbored no real interest in Chinese medicine. For years Guan Xuewen had been searching for a closed-door disciple to inherit his mantle, with no success - and now, of all places, here in a bookstore, he had stumbled upon a high school student who was genuinely intrigued by Chinese medicine.

There were quite a few students at the medical university with a decent grounding in Chinese medicine, but the vast majority leaned toward Western medicine. Studying Chinese medicine merely broadened their horizons; they had never once contemplated making it their future career or field of research. This left Guan Xuewen deeply disappointed.

To inherit his mantle, one first had to be genuinely interested in Chinese medicine. If one already believed Western medicine to be superior, what talk was there of carrying on a legacy?

"Young man, which do you think is more powerful - Chinese medicine or Western medicine?" Guan Xuewen could not help pressing.

"Each has its strengths, though I lean toward Chinese medicine." Wei Zhao closed the book in his hand, picked up another one beside it, and found the reference material he was after. "Western medicine treats the symptoms; Chinese medicine treats the root cause. In some cases you must treat the symptoms before you can treat the root - but treating only the symptoms without ever addressing the root is hardly good either."

Though Wei Zhao's words were somewhat equivocal, they struck Guan Xuewen right in the heart. He was no die-hard devotee of Chinese medicine himself - on the contrary, he also possessed a deep understanding of Western medicine. Each had its strengths, and only by taking what each offered best could one truly serve the world and save lives.

"Young man, would you consider applying to a medical university?" Guan Xuewen had been seized by an appreciation for talent, and the more he looked at Wei Zhao, the more he found him agreeable.

"That... I have not given it much thought... it would depend on my family's wishes." Wei Zhao genuinely had not considered it. Which university he applied to was not his decision to make - the Old Man and Gu Pengzhan decided that. And if he got fired in the meantime, university was the least of his concerns - he would head straight back to the mountains.

"I see..." Guan Xuewen was somewhat disappointed after hearing Wei Zhao's reply, but still unwilling to give up, he reached into his pocket, produced a business card, and held it out. "Young man, here is my card. Take it home and discuss it with your parents. If you are interested in studying medicine, I can arrange your admission paperwork - I do have that authority."

Wei Zhao received the card with a flicker of surprise.

Dean of the Chinese Medicine College, Songshan City Medical and Pharmaceutical University - Guan Xuewen.

Seeing Guan Xuewen's title, Wei Zhao no longer doubted what the man had said. Never mind the dean of a college within a university - even a department head wielded considerable authority.

"Thank you." Although Wei Zhao had no intention of pursuing medicine, he still tucked the card away with perfect courtesy.

"Of course, if you ever have any questions about Chinese medicine, you are welcome to call me," Guan Xuewen said. Though he had not achieved his objective, he still hoped Wei Zhao would stay in touch.

"All right, Dean Guan." Wei Zhao nodded.

Guan Xuewen apparently had other matters to see to. He took the few books he had selected and left first, leaving Wei Zhao alone to continue going through his reference material.

Wei Zhao did not take this little interlude to heart. When it came to medical skill, who could compare with his own old man? He had heard that in his youth the old man had casually offered a few pointers to some young traditional doctor, and that doctor had later become a celebrated physician of his generation.

Of course, Wei Zhao had only heard this once when the old man was drunk, so whether it was true or not hardly mattered. But over the years Wei Zhao had genuinely learned a great deal from the old man.

Having found what he wanted, Wei Zhao put the books back. There was no need to buy them for now; carrying them back to school would likely draw a great deal of attention, and to this day Wei Zhao still preferred to keep a low profile.

But by now it seemed a low profile was no longer an option, for Wei Zhao's name had spread across the entire campus starting from that day's morning exercises.

On his way back to school, Wei Zhao casually bought a jianbing guozi from a street stall to fill his stomach. Returning at this hour, the cafeteria was surely out of food.

Wei Zhao went straight back to the classroom, where he found Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu both at their seats, still watching the Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf cartoon. When he came in, Shen Yushu glanced up at him and poked Gu Mengyao with her finger.

Gu Mengyao lifted her eyelids, then went right back to the MP4 in her hands. Wei Zhao paid them no mind and went to his own seat.

"Hey, Yao Yao, Arrow-Brand Guy is back. Looks like he didn't suffer any inhuman abuse." Shen Yushu had read too many novels and assumed that anyone who got hauled into a police station came out flayed within an inch of their life.

"Hmph, would that little wench Qiu Lingshan have the heart to do anything to him? Coming out this fast, she must have let him go." Gu Mengyao pursed her lips, seeming displeased that Wei Zhao had gotten out of the station so quickly.

"Heh... Yao Yao, you don't think the two of them did that in the police station too, do you?" Shen Yushu let her imagination run wickedly wild.

"Xiao Shu, you're too wicked." Gu Mengyao frowned. "Don't gross me out. I don't want to throw up what I ate at noon."