When I lived in Beijing, I employed a cook (whose name I’ve forgotten) with unusual habits. Though mediocre at his job, he often starved himself while working but could devour enough food for three or four people in one sitting. He also insisted on drinking unboiled cold water despite others’ warnings, claiming, “I’m used to cold drinks—tea upsets my stomach.”
One day, he suddenly developed severe abdominal pain. Even small amounts of food made him vomit, his bowels stopped moving, and he lay sweating and writhing in agony. While others feared it was a critical emergency, I diagnosed it as “digestive collapse from overeating compounded by cold fluid stagnation” and predicted recovery through natural bowel movement. I deliberately withheld (used in traditional contexts).
After dinner, he tearfully begged for help. I sternly replied, “Your self-inflicted condition isn’t my responsibility. But if you insist, fetch ten buckets of water and transfer them between two vats thirty times.” He weakly protested, “I can’t even stand—how can I carry water?” I insisted, “No effort, no (supports).” Forced to comply, he struggled to work as colleagues criticized my harshness.
By the twentieth bucket transfer, loud gurgling erupted from his abdomen. Drenched in sweat, he rushed to the latrine for violent diarrhea, collapsing afterward. Colleagues carried him to bed, where he slept deeply. Waking an hour later, he felt light-headed but hungry.
I inspected his recovery: “Any pain?” “None.” “Nausea?” “Gone.” I explained, “Your (supports) required no herbs or acupuncture. Though laborious, was it worth it?” The cook shamefully apologized. I warned, “Control your appetite, or this will recur.” He vowed compliance.
When colleagues asked my methodology, I clarified: “The bending motions during water transfer massaged his abdominal organs, stimulating peristalsis.” Questioned why I avoided medicine, I replied, “Herbal formulas like Pingwei San (spleen-regulating powder) and Chengqi Tang (bowel-clearing decoction) could work, but active muscle engagement accelerates systemic healing beyond passive drug effects.”
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