Physician's Odyssey

Chapter 431 - Gasping as the Kidney isn’t taking any air

Translator: Thyaeria

She wouldn’t know anything if she hadn’t searched about it, but she received a great fright when she did. Ni Jingqiu managed to find tons of information on Su Tao, since he had several dazzling titles on him. It was no wonder why he could treat Huo Kun and even see through her hidden condition!

Ni Jingqiu had this condition for a long time, which accompanied her through her entire adolescence. She tried taking both Western and TCM medicine, but they only managed to alleviate her condition.

Now that she was about to enter the wedding hall, she felt a lack of confidence due to her condition. She holds Huo Kun with high importance, and she felt guilty since it wasn’t fair for her to marry Huo Kun with a condition.

Since Su Tao managed to see through her condition, then did he have any solution to it?

Ni Jingqiu’s heart trembled and she decided to contact Su Tao.

The moment Su Tao entered his apartment, his phone suddenly trembled, so he glanced at the number and sighed. Ni Jingqiu was indeed a smart person. He had just only pointed out her condition, and she had already called him now.

A smart person wouldn’t do something as foolish as refusing medical attention. Although Ni Jingqiu’s condition was something that wasn’t easy to treat, Su Tao was confident that she could be spared from the torment of pain.

Answering the call, Su Tao smiled, “Hello, Chairman Ni!”

“Divine Physician Su, I’ll not beat around the bush, I’ll like to ask you something. Since you’ve seen through my condition, can you treat it for me?” Ni Jingqiu sincerely asked.

“There are no doctors in the world who can give a guarantee before treating the illness, but I do have a treatment method for your condition, and it just depends on whether you’re willing to cooperate with me.” Su Tao replied.

“Then I’ll come and look for you!” Ni Jingqiu rejoiced.

“I’ll send you the address in a moment!” Su Tao admired Ni Jingqiu. She’s an entirely different person from her boyfriend, Huo Kun. But despite their differences, they managed to be together.

Roughly half an hour later, Ni Jingqiu found her way to Su Tao’s apartment according to the address that he had given.

“Please, enter!” Su Tao smiled.

As Ni Jingqiu changed her shoes, she looked around and asked, “Rushan isn’t around?’

After a brief pondering, Su Tao decided to keep it a secret and lied, “She just went out to buy something.”

With something haunting her mind, Ni Jingqiu did not notice the unnatural expression in Su Tao. She gravely said, “I’ve searched you on the internet. You’re currently the publically known youngest physician, not to mention that you’ve even successfully treated leukemia and a vegetative patient. So I believe my issue won’t be difficult for you, right?”

Su Tao was briefly stunned by Ni Jingqiu’s words. Although he managed to treat a leukemia and vegetative patient, he couldn’t make any guarantees. After all, every person differed from one another, and that didn’t mean that he could repeat the same miracle on another patient with leukemia or in a vegetative state.

Letting out a sigh, Su Tao truthfully replied, “As the saying goes, a famous doctor doesn’t treat asthma, and even if they do, they won’t reveal their faces. Asthma isn’t easy to treat; it’s easy to relapse, and there won’t be a significant effect from the treatment. Hence, those that aren’t experienced won’t be able to treat it, and this is also the reason why no one is willing to treat it.”

“To be able to detect my asthma while we’re having a meal speaks for your ability.” Ni Jingqiu sighed.

Su Tao sighed as well, since he couldn’t possibly reject Ni Jingqiu after seeing how confident she was with him.

“Bring out your hand, and let me take your pulse!”

Ni Jingqiu immediately rolled her sleeves and revealed her fair wrist.

Su Tao had relied on his observation diagnosis to detect Ni Jingqiu’s asthma. Her complexion was yellowish and dry without any luster, which was a sign of an illness. Her slightly swollen eyes revealed the heat in her spleen, and not to mention that she was skinny, which showed that she’s suffering from Yin deficiency, which makes it easy for her to contract any lung-related condition.

After taking her pulse, Su Tao had verified all his speculations.

Seeing that Su Tao was keeping silent, Ni Jingqiu couldn’t help feeling nervous as she asked, “How is it? Can I be treated?”

“Your condition belongs to inborn asthma that usually relapses during winter and spring. When it breaks out, your breathing will be rapid, which expends a huge effort, and you’re not able to lie down flat. At the same time, there will be a wheezing sound when you breathe. Furthermore, you must have a family history of asthma, and one of your parents might have it, which affects the next generation.” Su Tao said.

Hearing Su Tao’s words, Ni Jingqiu’s confidence in him rose as she revealed the truth, “Indeed, my mother has asthma.”

Nodding his head, Su Tao continued, “If you periodically take medicine, your asthma can be controlled, and you will be like any other ordinary person as long as it doesn’t break out. But the moment it does, it will be extremely excruciating.”

Holding onto Su Tao’s hands, Ni Jingqiu’s eyes turned red. “As long as you can treat me, I can give you anything you want as long as I have it!”

Su Tao was briefly stunned as he sighed. It was a common reaction from patients, as everything was important to them when they’re still healthy. But the moment there’s something wrong with their body, they would realise that their health was of the utmost importance.

“Don’t worry. I will do my best to treat you!” Su Tao patiently comforted.

Hearing Su Tao’s words, Ni Jingqiu’s expression became better and sighed, “Then, I’ll be troubling you.”

All of a sudden, the doorbell rang, so Su Tao walked over and opened the door. It was Gu Rushan who paid a visit in her pajamas and sandals. She said, “The flush toilet at my home...”

Gu Rushan was really treating Su Tao as a coolie, since she even came to look for him with regards to her toilet being clogged up.

But before she managed to finish her words, Su Tao immediately covered her mouth. Just when she wanted to dodge it, she was hugged by Su Tao.

To express his unhappiness, Su Tao purposely applied force when he hugged her, which he could feel Gu Rushan’s body squeezing on his body and he laughed, “Opps, wifey, you’re finally back! There’s a guest at home; Chairman Ni came over!”

Gu Rushan’s expression underwent numerous changes in an instant. She first felt furious that Su Tao forcefully embraced her before she felt a chill down her spine and cold sweat covered her forehead, fearing that the secret might be exposed.

“Really?” Gu Rushan pushed Su Tao away and she stared at the latter before saying, “Then, we have to receive her properly!”

When Gu Rushan walked into the room, Ni Jingqiu believed at this moment that they’re a couple. After all, why would she wear pajamas if they’re not a couple?

“The relationship between the two of you is pretty good!” Ni Jingqiu said with envy. She had been successfully deceived by the two’s “intimate” action earlier.

“Chairman Ni, why are you here?” Gu Rushan asked in perplexion.

“I’m here to have my illness treated!” Seeing that Gu Rushan and Su Tao were a couple, Ni Jingqiu did not conceal her purpose in coming over.

“So, that’s the case!” Gu Rushan did not ask any further. She turned around and gave an order to Su Tao, “Little Su, you have to take good care of Chairman Ni. After all, she’s my benefactor!”

Su Tao helplessly rolled his eyes. Gu Rushan was really not polite in bossing him around and smiled. “Didn’t you say that you were going to buy something? Where are the things?”

Gu Rushan was briefly stunned, since she knew that Su Tao was trying to make things difficult for her, so she smiled as she tactfully counterattacked, “I didn’t bring enough money! Do you have any money on you? Pass me some!”

Seeing the cunning smile hanging on Gu Rushan’s lips, Su Tao helplessly sighed, since he had to go on with this act. Thus, he took out his wallet with great reluctance. But just when he wanted to take one or two notes out, his entire wallet was immediately seized by the former.

“Alright, I’ll go and buy something. You guys can carry on!” Gu Rushan made a face to Su Tao before she pridefully strode out.

After a weak sigh, Su Tao wryly smiled. “That’s how she is, spending money like flowing water.”

“With your medical skills, you must have earned quite a bit of money. Don’t guys earn money for their woman to spend?” Ni Jingqiu smiled.

“I nearly forgot that you both are women.” Su Tao took out his needle pouch from his medical box and took a deep breath. “I will now conduct treatment for you. Treating asthma cannot be rushed, or I won’t be able to guarantee your recovery. So you have to nourish your body for two to three months based on the prescription I’ll be giving you to recover!”

Joy flickered in Ni Jingqiu’s eyes as she asked, “But will it pass on to my children once it’s treated?”

“Asthma is differentiated between endogenous and exogenous. Endogenous is caused by infection with symptoms like cough and phlegm. On the other hand, exogenous asthma is caused by allergies that include dust, pollen, fur, and cloth fiber. Aside from allergies, intense emotions and excessive exercise can also cause an outbreak. Your asthma belongs to the latter, and it is inherited. So even if I managed to treat you, I can’t change the genes in your body.” Su Tao helplessly replied.

Ni Jingqiu sighed in disappointment. “Then, please treat me first.”

Su Tao knew her current feelings, since no woman would want to implicate their children. Since Ni Jingqiu had such feelings, it meant that she’s a benevolent woman, and she would be a great mother in the future.

Comforting her emotions, Su Tao replied, “Although I cannot change your genes, I can change your body’s situation. Your asthma belongs to exercise-induced asthma, and as long as you maintain your health well along with treatment to change your physique, there’s a low chance for you passing it on to your next generation.”

Ni Jingqiu understood her own condition and she knew that she had exercise-induced asthma, where she would experience coughs, chest distress, and gasping for breath that lasted for an hour after intense exercises. Hence, she tended to bring her medication around with her for emergencies.

Regardless of how she goes for checkups and treatments, she couldn’t get it treated once and for all.

“I’ve made trips to various large hospitals, but those medicines aren’t effective for me.” Ni Jingqiu bitterly smiled.

“In the Yellow Emperor’s Internal Canon, there’s this saying, coughing is caused by wind-heat invading the lungs; the moment the spleen isn’t good, it will cause extended coughs. The weakness of lungs causes coughing, a weakened spleen causes phlegm, and gasping is caused when the kidney isn’t taking any air. Most of the medication that you’re taking moistens the lungs to stop coughing. It’s something that treats the symptoms and not the roots.” Su Tao explained in layman’s terms as much as he possibly could. “The treatment method for how you’ve been treating your lungs is wrong, you have to treat your kidney if you want to treat your condition.”

“My kidney?” Ni Jingqiu blushed. But it was surprising, since the kidney was usually related to the human’s sexual function.

“That’s right; your asthma lies in your kidney function, which has some issues. This is also the reason why you would cough the moment you go through intense exercise.”

Su Tao sighed. Ni Jingqiu probably jogged frequently in the hope that she could train her physique, but she did not grasp the cause of the problem. There’s a problem with her kidney, and it was an inborn condition. Thus, it’s not something that could be easily changed with exercise.