RETURNING TO THE OLD LIFESTYLE 1

Zhu Su and Zhu Youdun knew the answers for sure - the answers they had got from school. But they were sure Gao Qing would not like it, so they were just quiet while getting busy thinking.

"To be honest... I've never thought about that matter too much, Sir..." Zhu Youdun spoke out.

"Or more precisely to say, you don't dare to think about it? Because it is such dangerous matter to do? You are going to oppose a perennial system of authority lasting for so long?"

Quieting for a moment, Zhu Su and Zhu Youdun nid-nodded.

"But even if it's dangerous, you should think about it. Why? Because it is important to do. Many people do not dare think or do something because they don't want to deal with risk, even though it is important for them to do so. But that's why humans can't achieve progress, that's why they can't actualize the meaning of their lives as humans. If someone wants to achieve progress, it requires courage for him to face risk. And that's why great people are often not the smart ones, but those who get out of their comfort zone and take risks boldly."

"But, Sir. If we try to break a perennial system, we will carry out revolutions and rebellions, and that will result in a negative effect on society?"

"Does thinking deeply have the same meaning as doing breakthrough?"

"No."

'You're right. It's different. That's why people say "Don't just think, act." Thinking isn't always ended up with doing. Likewise, many actions do not result from deep thinking. There's nothing wrong with thinking, it's wrong if we have thought about it and we know it's wrong, but we still do it. But how do we know something is right or wrong if we've never thought about it?"

From a trivial thing, they moved towards something else that also seemed trivial, and then jumped to another trivial thing. But unexpectedly, it turned out that those which seemed trivial actually kept something very meaningful. All this time Zhu Su only percusved everything carelessly, as though it meant nothing to him, but Gao Qing attempted to grasp the very deep meaning of everything, no matter how insignificant it was.

Trivial things have deep meanings, and deep meanings often seems insignificant, isn't it the same with the basic principle of Yin Yang Theory? Which states, there is Yang inside Yin, and there is Yin inside Yang?

Speaking of Yin Yang Theory, Gao Qing also asked about it.

"Explain your understanding about Yin Yang."

Understanding very well with Gao Qing's true intention, Zhu Su thought for a moment, busy composing the theory he had studied for this time and building his new own opinion.

"Wu Ji (Ultimateless) generates Tai Ji, Tai Ji (Grand Ultimate) generates Yin Yang. So we can say that Yin Yang emerges from emptiness, and more interestingly, each of Yin and Yang can still be divided into another Yin and Yang, and continue to be divided again, until it reaches limitless, no end. Yin Yang is the categorization of two different things, but interestingly, it also talks about the unity between the two different things."

"Can you give an example for that?"

"If men and women are categorized as Yin and Yang then men are categorized as Yang while women are Yin. Men and women are different, but they will unite by marrying and giving birth to children."

"And what about the example of Yin Yang in Yi?"

"Some diseases belong to Yin, while the others belong to Yang. The "Excess" diseases belong to Yang, while the "Deficiency" diseases belong to Yin. Here the meaning of "Excess" is not that our body owns excessive blood or energy, instead, it is "exceeded" by Xie Qi - the Pathogens - that come from outside and invade our bodies. Meanwhile, "Deficiency" is a condition when the body lacks of Useful Energy and thus becomes weak and vulnerable to illness."

Gao Qing nodded. "Very good. You've improved more than before. And so do both of you." He nodded at Zhu Youdun and Hu Nayin. "Now is the time for you to realize your talent, by working."

"Working?..."

"Of course! How do you think you will fend for yourself? By collecting taxes like when you were still the prince before?!"

"You're right... but... what should we work as?..."

"Didn't your son say you have published a medical book? Then it means that you are an expert in Yi? So, of course you will work in Yi, treating people?"

Therefore, from now on, they started to work officially. Together with Gao Qing, they worked as physicians and treated sick people.

Zhu Su felt as though he was repeating his life that once being cut off, to do his routine activity as he once did in Yunnan. The differentiation was just, this time he did it at a small town in a foreign country, and it was the foreigners who became his patients. The last part stating before made him have to deal with some difficulty.

A tanned skin mother with a little girl whose face was similar to her mother were sitting before him. Zhu Su was sure they must be mother and daughter, even though he could not question them because of the difference of languages. The woman continued to explain in detail to Zhu Su in Shan language while Zhu Su could merely say nothing to reply to her. However the woman kept talking, since Zhu Su's expression while listening appeared cool and serious it indeed made people misinterpret him - thought Zhu Su was watching her explanation seriously.

Zhu Su was very annoyed as Gao Qing was unwilling to translate for him.

"The first time I came here, I did not understand Shan. But finally, I've mastered that language. And no one taught me. It's the same with you, in the end, you will be able to do it by yourself. You have to learn about it. Besides, I've told you before. The most important thing in communicating is not language. It is, Aura."

Inevitably, Zhu Su just kept silent like a dum-dum while listening to the woman's long explanation.

But despite being upset with Gao Qing, Zhu Su knew that there was another way he could do to diagnose the patients.

In Yi, physicians do physical examinations based on the Four Examinations * . Observation, Auscultation and Olfaction, Inquiry, and Palpation. I can get rid of the inquiry section here. Three must be enough. It is said that Bian Que can already know the kind of illness someone suffers by just looking at the patient's face. I can use three parts, more than enough. Well then, let's do that!

After listening patiently to the woman who was now silent, Zhu Su took the girl's right hand. He looked at her index finger, very thoroughly.

"Stick out your tongue," Zhu Su said.

Both of them were startled.

Ah, I forget, they can't speak Chinese! Biting his lips, Zhu Su then showed what he instructed, he stuck out his tongue, and pointed at himself.

Contrary to what he expected, the girl was instead laughing out loud.

"Ahahahaha!" The girl continued to laugh to the extent that she held her stomach. Meanwhile, the woman now spoke in an inducing tone to her daughter, but at the same time, her facial expression was just as though she was restraining her laughter.

Right now it was Zhu Su who got startled at the woman's behavior. "What's wrong with them?" He asked, confused.

Coincidentally Zhu Youdun passed by. "What's wrong, Dad?" He asked. Now he used the word "Dad" instead of "Fu Wang" so as not to inflict suspicions of those who understood Chinese.

"I want to see the shape of this girl's tongue and tell her to stick out her tongue. In order to make her understand what I mean, I demonstrate how to do it by sticking out my tongue. Yet, she laughs instead!"

Zhu Youdun gazed at the girl. A second later, he also laughed.

...

* Four Examination in Chinese Medicine = X-ray photography or stethoscope did not exist in the past, so Chinese ancient physicians created four diagnostics through long practice, the examination consists of observation, auscultation, and olfaction, inquiring, and palpation.