Chapter 6 — Medicinal Garden After Hospital

During the whole week after the meeting, Quyen devoted almost all of her energy to completing the detailed project as requested by Mr. Hung. Every evening, after work, she sat down with Mr. Loc and her father at the small desk, diligently sketching each planning drawing, calculating each expected cost for renovating the garden.

"We need a detailed map, clearly showing which areas remain unchanged for growing medicinal herbs, and which areas can be ceded to new projects," Mr. Loc said, pointing to the preliminary drawing placed on the table. "He thinks, if we rearrange it a bit, we can keep about sixty percent of the current garden area, still enough land for the hospital to build a new building."

Quyen nodded, her hand quickly recording the numbers and ideas that Mr. Loc had just proposed. Although the work is difficult and requires a lot of knowledge that she lacks, she feels that with each passing day, she learns a lot of new things, not only about medicine, but also about herself.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, a difficult case suddenly appeared, attracting the attention of the entire Internal Medicine Department. A man in his eighties, named Mr. Vong, was admitted to the hospital with severe weakness, prolonged insomnia, and poor appetite. Even though he was treated with many sedatives and nutrients according to Western medicine regimens, his condition still did not improve significantly.

"I really don't know what to do anymore," Bao Nam shared with Quyen one afternoon, when he stopped by the pharmacy to discuss a new prescription for Mr. Vong. "His test indicators were all within the normal range, no serious physical diseases were detected, but his physical condition continued to weaken day by day."

Quyen pondered, trying to remember what she read in her mother's notebook. "Can you show me your medical record?" she asked, her eyes filled with concentration. "Maybe this is not simply a physical problem, but also involves psychological and spiritual factors."

Bao Nam showed her the medical record and told her more about Mr. Vong's situation - his wife had just passed away three months ago, his children all worked far away, he lived alone in a small house, and had little communication with neighbors. Hearing this, Quyen suddenly remembered a note in her mother's notebook about a similar case.

"My mother once recorded a case similar to this," Quyen said, her voice excitedly flipping through the notebook she always carried with her. "She called this 'heart deficiency and blood deficiency' due to prolonged psychological trauma, often seen in the elderly after losing a loved one. In addition to taking blood-boosting medicine, my mother always emphasized that the most important thing is mental therapy, needing someone to accompany and talk to regularly."

Bao Nam listened attentively, his eyes shining with genuine concern. "Do you think we can try a combination? I will continue to monitor the medical indicators, and you can advise more about blood-boosting remedies according to Oriental medicine, along with appropriate psychological therapy?"

"I think this is a good opportunity to test the combination method we've been working on," Quyen replied, her voice filled with determination. "But of course, everything needs to be done carefully, with close medical supervision on your part."

Together, the two of them developed a combined treatment regimen for Mr. Vong - in addition to maintaining the necessary nutritional medicines according to Western medicine, Quyen added a gentle dose of blood tonic medicine based on the formula her mother left behind, and proposed appointing someone to regularly talk and read books and newspapers to him every day.

Chinh Quyen also takes time every afternoon to visit Mr. Vong, sit and chat, and tell him about the medicinal garden and memories with his mother. Gradually, Mr. Vong began to open up more, telling stories about his late wife and the years the couple overcame difficulties together.

After nearly two weeks of combined treatment, Mr. Vong's condition had marked changes - he ate and slept better, his mind was clearer and happier, and his health indicators gradually stabilized. The day he was discharged from the hospital, Bao Nam could not hide his joy and surprise.

"This is truly a result beyond my expectations," he told Quyen, his eyes filled with admiration. "I learned a valuable lesson, that sometimes, medicine is not simply about numbers and test indicators, but also about understanding and empathizing with the patient."

"That's what my mother always thought," Quyen replied, her smile beaming with pride. "She always said, healing is not just about healing the body, but also about the soul."

Mr. Vong's case quickly became a topic of active discussion throughout the hospital, reinforcing the belief of many colleagues in the true value of combining Eastern and Western medicine, and at the same time becoming a vivid and convincing demonstration for Quyen to include in the project she is urgently completing.

That evening, when Quyen stopped by Mr. Loc's house to tell the story, he could not hide his emotions. “This is exactly what your mother has always wanted to prove to everyone,” he said, his voice filled with pride. "She once told him, if one day, modern medicine and traditional medicine can truly join hands, instead of confronting each other, then that will be the best thing for the patient."

"I think, Mr. Vong's case will be the most convincing example in my project," Quyen said, her eyes shining with hope. "Not just dry research numbers, but a real story, a real person who was helped."

Mr. Loc nodded in agreement, then pondered for a moment before continuing. "But you should also prepare yourself mentally, not everyone is easily convinced by a story, no matter how meaningful it is," he reminded, his voice cautious. "I heard that there is a pharmaceutical company from the province eyeing this land. They may make offers that are much more attractive than what we can prove with reason."

Mr. Loc's warning made Quyen worried. She had vaguely heard that a few strangers, dressed politely, had come to ask about the garden in recent days, but she had not had time to find out in detail because she was still focused on completing the project. “I'll find out more about this,” she said, her voice becoming more serious. "If there really is a third party trying to step in, you need to prepare even more thoroughly."

On the way home, Quyen happened to meet Bao Nam waiting in front of the hospital gate, holding a small bag of fruit in his hand. "I intended to bring Mr. Vong some fruit before he was completely discharged from the hospital, but I heard that he had already returned to his son's house in the province," he explained, somewhat embarrassed. "I plan to save it, maybe you can take it with you when you visit my garden."

Quyen laughed at his unexpected thoughtfulness and accepted the fruit bag. "Thank you, let me bring it back to Mr. Loc, he will be very happy," she said. Then she told him about Mr. Loc's warning regarding the strange pharmaceutical company that was paying attention to the garden.

After listening, Bao Nam's face turned slightly serious. "If that's true, we need to speed up the project completion process even more," he said, his voice determined. "I will help you contact a few old colleagues at the provincial hospital to see if you can get any more research data to support your profile."

Bao Nam's endless support makes Quyen feel more heartwarming than ever. She realized that, although the road ahead still had many unpredictable unknowns, there was someone who was always willing to accompany and share the burden with her, which was no small blessing amidst the current chaos and difficulties.

"Thank you, for always being willing to help me in everything, no matter how big or small," Quyen said, her eyes looking at him filled with sincerity under the pale yellow streetlight shining down on the empty street. "There are times when I wonder if I'm bothering you too much."

"You don't bother me at all," Bao Nam replied, his voice gentle but sincere. "Actually, since moving here, this is the first time I feel like I'm actually doing something meaningful, not simply examining doctors and prescribing routines every day."

That statement made Quyen curious, but she also realized that perhaps this was not the right time to ask more deeply about what was hidden behind his sometimes distant eyes. She just smiled slightly and walked with him a short distance before turning in different directions, her heart filled with an unusually warm feeling that she still didn't dare to name clearly.