Gao Xinhua laughed heartily, drank two glasses of toasting wine, and said to Zhou Wenbin, "Old Zhou, you need to guide Xiaoxu more at work. He's new to Changxing and doesn't know much, so don't hesitate to criticize him if he makes mistakes."
Zhou Wenbin said, "Dean Gao, you're being too formal. Your nephew is like mine. I particularly like Xiaoxu. He's smart, enthusiastic, and responsible!" He wasn't trying to take advantage of Xu Chunliang. In terms of age, he could indeed be Xu Chunliang's uncle.
Zhao Yongsheng said, "I agree. Xiaoxu, have you practiced martial arts? I heard you threw Wang Dalei to the ground with a great move in the medical office the other day. It was fantastic! Quite satisfying!"
The matter of Xu Chunliang getting Wang Dalei into the police station was known by many in the hospital, but not many saw him teach Wang Dalei a lesson with that throw. Zhao Yongsheng had only heard about it.
Xu Chunliang said, "That's not true; he slipped and fell on his own."
Tang Mingmei said, "Mr. Xu from Huichun Hall is quite famous in Dongzhou. I've heard that top-notch traditional Chinese medicine practitioners excel in both medicine and martial arts."
Gao Xinhua laughed, "Who told you that? Does being a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine mean you must know martial arts? Director Zhu, does that mean you also know martial arts?"
Zhu Mingyuan knew he had offended Gao Xinhua, so he often became the target. Had he known this was coming, he wouldn't have attended tonight's dinner. Although displeased, he couldn't show it in front of the leadership. He smiled and said, "What kind of martial arts would I know? I'm as weak as a kitten. Our purpose as doctors is to cure and save people, not to compete with force."
Xu Chunliang said, "My grandpa always told me that the path of medicine and the path of martial arts should complement each other. For instance, well-known acupuncture requires strong wrist and finger strength to master."
Although Zhu Mingyuan agreed that acupuncture required training in hand strength, he scoffed at the idea that traditional medicine and martial arts complemented each other.
Cheng Xiaohong, having recovered by now, tactfully joined the conversation and said, "Chinese medicine is truly fascinating. I'm most curious about human acupoints. Director Zhu, you must be very knowledgeable about human acupoints."
Zhu Mingyuan smiled faintly, "Knowing the location of acupoints is fundamental in Chinese medicine. If you can't even identify acupoints accurately, how can you perform acupuncture or massage on patients? Nowadays, too many people are using the guise of Chinese medicine to cheat others, learning a little and then claiming to be masters, using so-called secret recipes to deceive patients and make profits."
Gao Xinhua gently put down his glass. In another setting, Zhu Mingyuan's words might not have been a problem. But with Xu Chunliang here, whose grandfather Xu Changshan was a famous traditional Chinese physician in Jiangzhou and whose Huichun Hall relied on the Xu family's ancestral secrets, what Zhu Mingyuan said seemed a bit inappropriate. Gao Xinhua was considering whether to say something fair.
Xu Chunliang had already spoken up.
"Director Zhu, I just happen to have a question to ask. How many acupoints are there in the human body?"
Zhu Mingyuan smiled and looked at Xu Chunliang, "Xiaoxu, you can find the answer to that by reading more. The human body has 361 classic acupoints recognized by the World Acupuncture Conference, whereas the extra points noted in ancient texts number in the thousands but aren't often used and have mostly been lost. Xu Chunliang said, "My grandpa always said that the twelve meridians and eight extraordinary vessels run through the body's acupoints. There are 365 acupoints along the twelve meridians, known as the main points. Adding the points on the eight extraordinary vessels, there are 720 acupoints in total, 52 of which are singular, 309 are paired, 50 are extra points, with 108 being vital points."
Zhu Mingyuan said, "The 361 acupoints I mentioned are the ones officially recognized by the World Acupuncture Conference and are the most practical ones. Their functions and roles have a solid theoretical foundation. What you mentioned comes from folk sayings, and the truly significant ones are still those 361." In his heart, he despised folksy doctors like Xu Changshan, who relied on a few ancestral prescriptions, pretended to be mysterious, and tricked people, yet were somehow regarded as masters.
"How many does Director Zhu know?"
Asking Zhu Mingyuan this question in front of so many people was clearly meant to provoke.
Zhu Mingyuan said, "These 361 acupoints are ones I've mastered completely."
Xu Chunliang said, "My grandpa always says that if the human body were compared to the universe, each acupoint would be like a star in the cosmos, each existing for a reason. Even if one spent their entire life studying, they couldn't completely grasp them all. Director Zhu is far more confident than my grandfather. I'll definitely seek further guidance from Director Zhu if given the chance."
Gao Xinhua felt a bit like laughing. Xu Chunliang was clearly giving Zhu Mingyuan a lesson, and his remark was filled with defiance. This fearless attitude in someone so young made him like the kid even more. Strange, why hadn't he noticed these qualities before?
Zhao Yongsheng also sensed the tension in the atmosphere and raised his glass, saying, "Let's not talk business while drinking. Xiaoxu is truly diligent and eager to learn. He can visit the traditional medicine department to consult Director Zhu more often. Director Zhu is a visiting professor at Dongzhou Medical College and a traditional Chinese medicine authority in Dongzhou City. He loves mentoring newcomers."
Zhu Mingyuan could no longer hide his displeasure, and said indifferently, "Xiaoxu's family has a rich heritage. Mr. Xu from Huichun Hall is a famous physician in Jiangzhou. I wouldn't dare misguide such a talented student."
Xu Chunliang smiled, "Director Zhu is overthinking it. I can differentiate right from wrong."
Everyone could see that these two didn't get along.