Chapter 31 - Why Are Rice Cakes So Delicious?

Chapter 31: Why Are Rice Cakes So Delicious?The Disulfiram-like Reaction, also known as the Alcohol Aversion Reaction occurs when, after taking cephalosporin antibiotics, one consumes alcoholic beverages, leading to a toxic reaction due to the accumulation of acetaldehyde in the body. Therefore, an appropriate amount of disulfiram is also used in the field of alcohol addiction treatment.

Patients experiencing a disulfiram-like reaction may exhibit symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, chest tightness, limb weakness, and decreased blood pressure. In severe cases, allergic shock may occur.

The sixth brother’s real name was Wang Liu. Because he was the sixth in the family, his parents, who were not well-educated, directly gave him the name Wang Liu. When he was a child, people called him Xiao Liu, and as he grew up, he became Liu Zi. Now that he’s married, people call him Lao Liu.

Three days ago, Wang Liu was suffering from frequent nighttime urination, which resulted in severe sleep disturbances. So, he went to the urology department of the hospital to make an appointment. After a series of examinations, it was finally found to be a urinary tract infection, along with some prostate enlargement. As a result, the doctor prescribed some medication for him, including cephalosporin antibiotics.

Wang Liu was a simple man with little knowledge of daily life, and he didn’t usually use the internet to learn about the dangers of combining cephalosporins with alcohol through online sources. So, when others urged him to drink, he didn’t pay attention to whether he had taken cephalosporins. In the end, it led to a tragic outcome. Not long after, an ambulance arrived at the scene.

“Dr. Lu?” The doctor and nurse who came down from the ambulance were surprised when they saw Lu Ming.

“The patient took cephalosporin antibiotics and drank heavily. Now, he’s experiencing symptoms of poisoning.”

“After arriving at the hospital, we immediately started intravenous fluids and sobered him up, and then, based on specific tests, we’ll proceed with the appropriate treatment.” Lu Ming directly shared the information he had with the doctor from the ambulance.

“Alright, I understand.” The doctor from the ambulance nodded repeatedly. They trust Lu Ming.

“Have you contacted his family? Is there anyone who can go to the hospital with him?” Lu Ming then turned to the group of Wang Liu’s drinking buddies. “Notify Wang Liu’s wife. I’ll talk to her again and tell her to go directly to the hospital.”

“I’ll go to the hospital with him.” Some of the drinking buddies spoke up one after another. As they watched Wang Liu being loaded onto the ambulance and taken away, the remaining drinking buddies lost interest in continuing to drink, settled the bill, and went their separate ways.

Meanwhile, Lu Ming and Tang Xiaorou returned to their table. For them, it was a minor incident that didn’t affect their appetite. During the day, Lu Ming watched autopsy videos as “appetizer dramas”!

“Ah, it’s cold.” Tang Xiaorou sighed. Because the rescue delayed them, the barbecue had gone completely cold. Cold skewers meant the meat had become very dry and hard to swallow.

“Please wait, both of you! I’ll go prepare another serving for you right away!” Upon hearing Tang Xiaorou’s sigh, the owner immediately approached and offered to remake their order.

“Don’t rush to decline. If it weren’t for you guys being here today, this person might have died at my stall. My little stall only makes a gross profit of seven to eight thousand annually. I can’t afford to lose a life!”

After hearing the owner’s explanation, Lu Ming and Tang Xiaorou voiced no further objections.

One hour later, Lu Ming, feeling full and satisfied, yawned. He glanced at the time on his phone. It was already 2 AM. Goodness, if he waited to finish taking Tang Xiaorou back and then returned to the hospital, it might be 3 AM. There might be no need to sleep tonight. “Shall we go?” Lu Ming looked at Tang Xiaorou, who was wiping her mouth with a napkin and asked.

“Let’s go,” Tang Xiaorou nodded.

After dropping off Tang Xiaorou and returning to the hospital, it was already 3 AM. Lu Ming didn’t bother going back to the dormitory. Instead, he took a short nap on the folding bed in his office.

At 7 AM, the hallway outside gradually filled with the sounds of footsteps. Doctors and nurses were coming in for their shifts. Lu Ming slowly sat up from the folding bed and stretched with a big yawn.

“Ah… Slept for a little over three hours. I hope today is not too busy. I could catch a nap at lunchtime.”

After a quick wash-up, Lu Ming immersed himself in his demanding work.

Lu Ming’s supervisor was not only a chief physician but also the head of the department. While taking care of patients and their treatments, he also managed the overall operation of the emergency department. Every matter, big or small, in the emergency department, had to go through his approval.

So, sometimes, even replying to a single WeChat message was a luxury. To get in touch with Lu Ming, it might take three or more consecutive phone calls! However, occasionally, they could establish contact without making a phone call.

Just like now. Lu Ming, who hadn’t officially started working yet, had just opened the door to his office when his phone started vibrating repeatedly. He took out his phone and saw a message from one of the interns he had supervised.

“Teacher! Requesting assistance! Special case: I can’t handle it! Cowering in the corner, trembling, feeling isolated meme.jpg.”

Lu Ming sighed and replied, “Hang in there, I’ll be right there.”

Lu Ming put his phone back in his pocket and headed to the first-floor emergency department lobby, preparing to go to the outpatient clinic. Suddenly, a middle-aged man slid off his seat and lay on the floor. The people around him quickly stood up and moved away from him. Lu Ming assessed the man’s condition and immediately made a judgment that there might be food blocking his airway. The man was curled up on the ground, clutching his neck with his hands, his face turning red, clearly struggling to breathe.

“Someone help! Quick, we need help!” Others also noticed that something was wrong and began to call for assistance.

Without hesitation, Lu Ming rushed over and pulled the man up from the ground. He then began performing the Heimlich maneuver. Lu Ming stood behind the man, wrapped his arms around him, and overlapped his hands on his abdomen. He applied forceful abdominal thrusts to dislodge the obstruction.

After performing a dozen or so forceful abdominal thrusts, Lu Ming heard a clear “pop.” Immediately, an object flew out of the man’s mouth and landed on the floor. Lu Ming squinted to get a better look and saw it was a glutinous rice cake-like substance. With the airway obstruction cleared, the man breathed heavily, and his complexion gradually returned to normal. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴ0velFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Thank you, doctor,” the man expressed his gratitude as his brain regained oxygen supply, and he regained consciousness.

“Did you eat this entire box of rice cakes?” Lu Ming pointed to a box of snacks on a nearby seat where the man had been sitting. It was a box of glutinous rice cakes with twelve pieces, and only one was left. Each rice cake was about the size of an adult’s palm and about five to six centimeters thick.

“Well, I came with my family for a medical appointment,” the man replied. “I didn’t have breakfast.”

“I was having this box of glutinous rice cakes in my bag, so I ate them,” the man explained.

Lu Ming shook his head and reminded him, “Keep an eye on your stomach for any discomfort later. If you experience stomach discomfort, consider getting some digestive tablets.”

The man seemed puzzled and asked, “Why?”

Lu Ming explained that it’s not advisable to consume too much glutinous rice and glutinous rice products at once because they are relatively hard to digest. For people with poor digestion, consuming a large amount of glutinous rice products in one go can lead to adverse reactions such as stomach pain, bloating, and nausea.

Furthermore, it’s best to eat glutinous rice or glutinous rice products when they are warm, as this aids in digestion.

“Is that so?” The man blinked, clearly hearing this for the first time.

Lu Ming provided an example: “We once had a case where a woman ate sixty glutinous rice cakes in one sitting!”

“And as a result, her entire intestine was blocked!”

“The doctor had to spend three hours clearing her intestines.”

The man’s expression turned to one of horror, and some of the patients and their family members around him were equally shocked, their mouths hanging open. Eating too many glutinous rice products could lead to intestinal blockage.

That sounded terrifying!

They all vowed to consume glutinous rice and glutinous rice products in moderation. As the commotion subsided and people gradually dispersed, the lobby returned to its usual order.

At that moment, a young nurse who had come over upon hearing the commotion suddenly approached Lu Ming.

“Dr. Lu.”

Lu Ming looked at the somewhat adorable young nurse, puzzled, and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“The case you just mentioned,” she said.

“Yeah? What about it?” Lu Ming asked.

“I want to know, what brand of glutinous rice cakes were so delicious that they caused intestinal blockage? Did the patient mention the brand?” Asked the young nurse.

Lu Ming’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the young nurse. The young nurse’s eyes, on the other hand, were filled with the devoutness of a food enthusiast.

Lu Ming facepalmed mentally. Dear heavens. Is your focus here?! The focus should be on educating people not to overindulge in glutinous rice products, right?!

But for the young nurse, the most pressing question was the brand of those delicious glutinous rice cakes.