Chapter 2952

"Impossible! You just pulled and pushed, and it’s fixed? That can’t be right." Saik shook his head. "This requires surgery to correct."

Yan Xiwan glanced at him. "That’s because you don’t understand the subtleties of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Bone setting in TCM is this simple."

"TCM? How can TCM do this? This defies scientific medical explanation," Saik insisted.

Yan Xiwan tilted her head, looking at her seriously. "Medicine exists to heal people’s pain, to help them regain health and live happily. That is the true essence of medicine. Regardless of the type, any medicine that serves the public is good medicine. Don’t you understand that?"

Her serious expression made Saik and the other three feel a sense of shame.

"Doctors should not show off. Saving lives is our duty. Gratitude from patients is their way of repaying us, but it is not our primary goal. I wonder what drives you to become doctors."

Yan Xiwan began to reveal the true purpose of this competition. "Some say doctors have an 'iron rice bowl'—a secure job. Others say it’s to live a better life."

She raised an eyebrow. "If that is your only motivation, I suggest you become nurses, dietary managers, or nutritionists. Why be a doctor?"

She paused. "Being a doctor looks glamorous, but the hardships are unknown to many. In our country, when disaster strikes, the first to arrive are our green-clad soldiers. The second are medical staff, the white-clad warriors. Both groups sacrifice their personal lives for the greater good. Their goals are the same: to protect the people and ensure a better life for citizens."

She sighed. "But now, I see many doctors putting the cart before the horse. They focus on subsidies, job security, and earning money. I won’t say this is wrong. Doctors do receive subsidies. As long as there are lives, doctors are needed. Even if only animals remained, veterinarians would be needed. So, the 'iron rice bowl' argument has merit. And yes, doctors earn money to support their families."

"But I ask you: when you chose to become doctors, was it only for these reasons?"

Her words were sharp, causing most of the doctors present to fall silent, pondering her meaning.

"Life involves birth, aging, sickness, and death. We strive to survive. I cannot control life and death, but what about sickness? In the past, many people suffered because they couldn’t afford treatment. They endured pain alone, and many young lives were lost. As a healer, I only wish for our medicine to benefit humanity."

"You might argue that we are human too, so why not benefit ourselves? Think differently. If citizens are healthy, you feel joy. You have fulfilled your duty. You demonstrate your skill, earn money, and solve your own living problems. This is a win-win situation."

Yan Xiwan scanned the crowd. "Remember, I said 'win-win.' In a win-win scenario, priorities must not be reversed."

She knew many might not fully understand yet. "You might ask: 'You also earn money, and doctors are still needed. Why did your view change from disapproval to win-win?'"

Yan Xiwan smiled lightly. "Because I changed the perspective."

She explained, "The first time I mentioned the 'iron rice bowl' and money, I focused on selfishness. Those who prioritize money over life, charging excessively and causing ruin, value wealth over life. They believe payment is owed for treatment. The second time, I focused on the patient. Income comes from healing. The patient’s life is more important than money. Different priorities mean different meanings."

"I am not asking you to be saints. Treating patients without pay is unrealistic. Most of you have families. You must be responsible for your patients and your families."

She turned to Saik. "Do you understand now? Your challenge was flawed from the start. Medicine has no superior category. Doctors specialize based on their skills to treat patients effectively. The fracture earlier was simple. It didn’t need surgery. A skilled bone setter could fix it. If the bone were truly broken, Western surgery would be needed. Different illnesses require different treatments. Doctors must know this. Saik, do you understand?"

Her final question struck Saik and his team like a thunderclap.

"So, you mean we were working in isolation?" Saik asked.

"Not just my meaning, but your actions proved it," Yan Xiwan replied.

After a moment, she added, "Losing a competition is not scary. Refusing to admit defeat is. Those who cannot admit loss have a sickness in their hearts."

Saik was shaken. Why couldn’t they admit it? They had always believed Western medicine was superior. Now, they saw TCM, which they deemed unscientific, outperform them in certain areas. It was hard to accept. But Yan Xiwan’s words made them reflect. They were young and reasonable.

Saik thought for a moment. "I understand partially, but not fully. However, I get your point. Patients are the most important. Let’s treat the remaining three patients."

She decided to ponder the deeper meanings later. Yan Xiwan did not force her to understand immediately. Some things must be realized personally for the best effect.

"Agreed. Let’s treat the patients," Yan Xiwan said seriously.

For the next three cases, Yan Xiwan let Saik’s team examine them first. They were competent and diagnosed the conditions correctly. However, their treatment relied heavily on Western medication.

Yan Xiwan used Chinese herbs, acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal fumes to cure the patients on the spot.

Since this was a competition among young doctors, the patients’ conditions were mild. Saik’s methods were not wrong, and the prescriptions were correct. But they were amazed that a few small needles could achieve such significant results.

Seeing this, Saik immediately said, "We concede."

This time, they surrendered with genuine respect.

Foreigners in China often carried an air of arrogance, feeling superior due to historical influences. Some Chinese people also looked up to foreigners, admiring those with foreign residency. But Yan Xiwan’s performance had humbled Saik and his team. They not only agreed to send the lost equipment back to their country but also wanted to stay and learn TCM.

"You want to learn TCM?" Yan Xiwan asked, looking at the four visitors.

"Yes," Saik said earnestly. "TCM is confusing to us, so we want to learn."

Yan Xiwan raised an eyebrow. "Do you know TCM is much harder to learn than Western medicine? You must memorize six basic books."

"The six great classics of TCM you mentioned?" Saik asked curiously.

Yan Xiwan nodded. "Here is a test. I will give you the 'Tang Tou Ge' (Soup Head Song). Memorize it. If you can recite it, you can learn TCM. If not, I suggest you stick to Western medicine."

"Okay, we are willing to try," the four said in unison.

Yan Xiwan did not make it difficult. She handed them the 'Tang Tou Ge'.

The song was not long, but the content was difficult and awkward to recite. Most TCM students struggled with it.

"In our place, children who love TCM memorize this as a nursery rhyme. There is usually a time limit. I give you one month to memorize the first ten verses. That should be enough."