The Young Urban Doctor

Luo Liansheng gestured to a stool, inviting his grandson to have a seat.

He obeyed and sat in front of Luo Liansheng, waiting for his grandfather to speak.

“Little Ling, you’ve learned medicine from me for so many years and your skill in medicine is good. But know this,” he paused for a while before he continued, “Due to many reasons, there hasn’t been any new breakthrough in traditional Chinese medicine. Most practitioners have only relied on books for information and treatment methods from books that had stopped making any progress since ancient times. No one is willing to innovate. No one to start anything new. That is the sad state Chinese medicine is in. We know that every sector of science has been continuously making progress. The only way to make breakthroughs is by having many people behind the wheel to push forward. It is such a shame!”

Luo Liansheng sighed heavily before he continued.

“Our own Chinese medicine practitioners have been sitting, enjoying the success of our predecessors. There was no work put into innovating, change… This is the result. Many had already started to agree that Chinese traditional medicine is nothing but pseudoscience. When someone gets sick, they consult doctors of modern science. When modern science can’t save them, they would consult traditional medicine practitioners with a dying mindset. This is the despair state of traditional Chinese medicine.”

After listening to his grandfather speak, Luo Ziling got confused. He asked, “Grandfather, why did you want me to learn western medicine?”

Did he really think that Chinese medicine was a dying practice and his grandson should learn western medicine instead?

“We absorb what we can in place of our own deficiency. If you can do that, you’ll become a respectable physician of this generation,” said Luo Liansheng as he smiled in a way that hid a deeper meaning.

“There are many inaccuracies in Chinese medicine, proven, in fact, throughout the generations. Western medicine has the same flaw. Actually, any form of science has the same flaw. We delete the false and only keep the truth. We cannot afford to take past research and remain adamant in its relativity. Innovation through change. That is the only way to make progress. To be honest, there is no need for us to compare Chinese and western medicine. Both have their merits. However, if you can learn from both, take the advantages from both sides and apply them to your own, wouldn’t that make you an even better physician?”

“You are right, Grandfather. That should be the way,” Luo Ziling concurred as he nodded.

Truth be told, his grandfather had been doing what he had just described. How else would Luo Ziling be so proficient in surgery? He had learned many things that were not considered to be part of traditional Chinese medicine. Absorb the best to replace one’s deficit—that was a necessity for any field of science if one was to make progress or prevent oneself from being obsolete.

“What do you think you would learn if you went to a Chinese medical school?” Luo Liansheng grinned as he asked.

“Any of the lecturers in those schools wouldn’t be able to teach you anything more. You, yourself could even become a teacher to those lecturers! I want you to go and study Clinical Medicine, to learn the basis of western medicine and gain knowledge, especially in pharmacology. After you have learned, you will be able to bring out the benefits of Chinese medicine better, furthering the cause of China’s traditional medicine.”

Luo Ziling was moved by his grandfather’s speech. He could not bring himself to say anything after that.

“That’s an important factor for you to study at Yenching University but not the most important one.”

Luo Liansheng grinned again.

He paused at each segment of his sentence as he said, “You are already twenty years of age. You cannot be staying in this rural village by the mountain anymore. You need to get out, see the world, and join modern society. That is what I wish for you, and it’s also… her request.”

Luo Liansheng was adamant. Perhaps, something good would happen after he told his grandson about her.

Luo Ziling froze. He knew who exactly his grandfather was referring to when he mentioned “her”.

After all these years, his grandfather had never once brought the person up. Today was the first time.

The moment he thought about her, he started to have mixed feelings about it.

Luo Liansheng sighed and said nothing more.

He walked deeper into the house and returned with an old photo.

“Take it,” he said as he handed him the photo.

Luo Ziling got to his feet, and took the photo from his grandfather.

He had sneaked and looked at the photo a number of times.

There was a woman in the photo, a woman so beautiful that one could never find the words to describe her beauty. Her eyes stared back at him as if they could speak.

Luo Ziling averted his eyes yet he could still feel the warm gaze coming from the woman in the photo.

There was a faint hint of melancholy as Luo Liansheng looked at his grandson. He hesitated a while but ultimately chose to speak up.

“Little Ling, do not bear ill feelings toward her. She had no choice. She did everything that she could. Go to Yenching University. I believe that the two of you will meet again.”

“Grandfather, I haven’t been thinking about her. Since I’ve never met her before, seeing her again won’t be of any importance to me.”

Luo Ziling lowered his head and whispered, “The only important person in my heart is you.”

“I know that you’re lamenting about her for leaving you when you were young.”

Luo Liansheng sighed heavily again.

“I don’t blame you. Anyone would bear some form of enmity for being treated that way. I just hope that… you won’t be too hard on her. After all these years, she’s still the one who has had it worse. It must have been hard for her. Sigh…”

Luo Ziling parted his lips. He wanted to ask something but no words escaped his mouth.

“Know this, there is no other woman in this world who could love you more than her.”

His grandfather’s words drove deep into his heart, pushing him to the verge of tears.

Luo Liansheng sighed as Luo Ziling could not hide his sadness. Words failed him at that moment.

The two spoke no more until the grandfather remembered something vital.

“There is something else, something important that I need you to do,” said Luo Liansheng as he held his grandson’s hands, signaling him to sit down again.

Luo Ziling sat down obediently.

“Do you remember a little girl you met when you were about five years of age? She was a pretty one,” he asked.

“There was another old man, someone my age back then. He was a very tall elderly gentleman. The little girl was here to seek medical help.”

“I do.” Luo Ziling nodded. The girl was his companion when he was very young. She was a prideful one, like a princess. After so many years, Luo Ziling could still remember her pretty face.

“Good. That year, her grandfather and I arranged an engagement for you!” said Luo Liansheng, smiling bitterly.

“Huh?” Luo Ziling gasped. His mind drew a blank for a moment.

That beautiful little girl he remembered was his fiancée?

At that moment, his heart rate elevated.

Did his grandfather get him to study in Yenching University and get married to that girl along the way?

“Take this. It’s a letter. Bring it to her grandfather and call off the engagement.”

Luo Liansheng took out a letter and handed it over to Luo Ziling.

Luo Ziling was caught in a daze again. He felt like his brain power was insufficient to process what had just happened.

Luo Liansheng smiled faintly and explained, “She’s older. It won’t be appropriate. There are also certain parties who disagree with the matter. That’s why you should call off the engagement when you’re in Yenching University.”

“Very well,” Luo Ziling responded almost mechanically as he was still not reacting correctly. To think that the ups and downs of his life had come too fast.