The weather forecast predicts temperatures will remain high, reaching 42 degrees Celsius for the next ten days or so. When I stepped into the office, shivering in the heat, I found my colleagues drenched in sweat, drinking hot water, with the air conditioning off. I urged them to turn it on, worried they might get heatstroke. My colleague, Xiao Tang, laughed and said he came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, and that the sweltering heat was the perfect time for treating winter ailments in summer. He insisted on not using air conditioning or fans, drinking hot water to sweat and detoxify, and even going to the rooftop to sunbathe at midday. He claimed this would cure all illnesses and promote longevity. I kindly tried to dissuade them, worried they might get heatstroke, but my colleagues felt I was criticizing experts without understanding the underlying principles, going against the grain.
