Chapter 39: The Way of Great Learning Lies in Manifesting Illustrious Virtue

Gui Cui stood up and said, "I work in the pharmacy and handle the register, so I have the most say regarding what has happened over these past two days."

Four pairs of eyes turned toward her in unison.

Unfazed, Gui Cui continued, "Simply put, Doctor Zhang treated a few patients, and Director Huang suspects that he hired them as shills."

"Hired shills?" Ma Hui looked at Zhang Jing, noting his calm and composed demeanor; he showed no signs of panic.

She shook her head and turned to Huang Biao. "I don't believe that. Old Huang, do you have any evidence, or are you just guessing?"

Huang Biao had long known that Ma Hui favored Zhang Jing; otherwise, there was no way Zhang Jing could have remained employed for nearly half a year with almost no business to his name.

When Zhang Jing first interviewed at the clinic, Huang Biao had tested him on the *Tang Tou Ge Jue* (Rhymes for Decoction Formulas), only to find he couldn't recite a single line. He immediately concluded that Zhang Jing's foundational knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine was poor.

In reality, Huang Biao didn't know that the formula rhymes in Zhang Jing's university textbook were entirely different from the *Tang Tou Ge Jue*. Furthermore, those rhymes were merely mnemonic aids, useful perhaps to the average person.

Zhang Jing, however, possessed an extraordinary memory and was a diligent student; he clearly had no need for such crutches.

Huang Biao admitted he was of mediocre talent himself, but in his view, TCM relied primarily on clinical experience. Even if Zhang Jing appeared clever, he had been working for less than six months. Huang Biao wouldn't believe that Zhang Jing was capable of independent practice with such remarkable results even if his life depended on it.

With this in mind, Huang Biao said confidently, "I would like to ask everyone: before I took leave the day before yesterday, had any of you ever seen Zhang Jing successfully treat a patient?"

"That’s only because no one gave him a chance to work," Wang Sen immediately retorted.

"Oh, Wang Sen, it seems you think Zhang Jing has good medical skills too. Then I find it strange—he works under you, so why didn't you give him a chance to see patients?" Huang Biao, caught off guard by the interruption, immediately fired back.

"I truly underestimated Doctor Zhang before. It wasn't until yesterday that I realized how incredible his skills really are!" Wang Sen explained with a look of admiration.

"Wang Sen, I’ve always heard you calling him 'Little Wang'—why is it 'Doctor Zhang' this and 'Doctor Zhang' that now? You haven't been brainwashed by him like Gui Cui, have you?" Huang Biao scoffed.

"Bullshit! I only called you 'Director Huang' to your face out of respect for your age; don't think I actually view you as a director. Don't you have any self-awareness regarding your own medical skills?"

Seeing Wang Sen resorting to profanity, Ma Hui could no longer contain herself. With a dark expression, she snapped, "We just said we were a family—why are you cursing at each other? Can’t you speak like civilized people?"

Seeing Ma Hui truly angry for the first time, everyone fell silent, not daring to utter another word.

"Xiao Jing, you tell me—did you hire those shills?"

"No," Zhang Jing said firmly.

"Good, I believe you!" Ma Hui replied just as decisively.

After a moment of reflection, Ma Hui continued in a sincere and earnest tone: "Everyone, regardless of what you might be thinking, I truly consider you all part of my family."

"You all know that I’ve been divorced for several years and have only one daughter studying at a university in the city." She paused briefly.

"Boss Ma even went to visit her daughter today to bring her some comfort," Huang Biao quickly interjected. This was clearly intended for the other three colleagues to demonstrate his closeness to the boss and imply that they shared everything.

Ma Hui nodded. "Old Huang is right. But what you might not know is that I have no family left, so my daughter is my only concern."

People often say middle age is stressful because you have aging parents and young children to care for. Yet, they fail to realize that this is also a form of happiness—perhaps a "sweet burden." After all, there is no greater pain in life than wanting to provide for one's parents only to find they are no longer there.

The people sitting there grew even more silent. They never imagined that Ma Hui, who always wore a smile, harbored such deep sorrow.

However, Ma Hui quickly regained her composure and smiled slightly. "Let me ask you all: does anyone know why I named the clinic 'Ming De Tang'?"

No one spoke, primarily because no one was confident enough to answer.

"Xiao Jing, you have the highest academic qualifications in this clinic. Why don't you give it a try? It doesn't matter if you're wrong."

Zhang Jing had been curious about the name when he first joined and had researched it. "I believe the name 'Ming De' is taken from *The Great Learning*..."

Before he could finish, Huang Biao interrupted, "Zhang Jing, you're just making things up. Everyone knows Boss Ma only has a vocational school degree and never went to university."

"The 'Great Learning' I am referring to is not a school, but a book titled *The Great Learning*."

"I know that," Gui Cui said, raising her hand. "It is one of the Four Books of Confucianism, along with *The Analects*, *The Mencius*, and *The Doctrine of the Mean*."

Ma Hui nodded approvingly. "Yes, Xiao Cui, you know quite a bit. Xiao Jing, please continue."

"The very first chapter of *The Great Learning* states: 'The way of great learning lies in manifesting bright virtue, in loving the people, and in abiding by the highest good.' Therefore, I believe the name 'Ming De Tang' comes from this."

"Exactly, exactly! I knew I hadn't misjudged you." Ma Hui’s smile widened, and she said excitedly, "Xiao Jing, explain to everyone what these sentences mean."

"I haven't studied the Confucian classics in depth, so I can only explain them literally. It essentially means that the purpose of learning is to promote upright virtue, to encourage renewal, and to help people reach the most perfect state."

"Excellent! Excellent!" Ma Hui repeated the word twice; this was clearly the answer she had hoped for.

As for the others, Gui Cui and Wang Sen looked at Zhang Jing with admiration, while Huang Biao’s face turned bright red with shame. He regretted his earlier snide remarks; he had truly embarrassed himself.

Ignoring the shift in the room's atmosphere, Ma Hui continued, "Now you should understand why, even though the clinic has been operating at a loss for so long, I haven't been anxious."

"My insistence on opening this TCM clinic was never about making money. In fact, I never expected to turn a profit. I only wanted to promote traditional Chinese medicine and do my small part."

"Perhaps you think I'm being pretentious, but if I tell you something from the bottom of my heart, you might change your minds." Ma Hui grew more passionate as she spoke.

She hadn't intended to reveal her secrets, but given today's events, a deep rift had formed within the clinic. If she didn't stop it now, the clinic would risk dissolution. After a fierce internal struggle, Ma Hui decided to lay it all on the line.