Zhang Fan hurriedly spoke first, saying, “I just have one simple request. Sir and Ma’am, please move to my new apartment that just got finished with its renovations! I shouldn’t have been the one to say this, but I heard from Shao Hua that you didn’t really want to move, so I take this opportunity to say it. Both of you are getting older, and we have the financial ability to take care of you. Please live comfortably while you can. I wouldn’t be saying this if I didn’t have the ability to take care of you. Besides, Shao Hua is your only daughter. You deserve to live in a new place.”

It was so silent after this that you could hear a needle drop!

After Zhang Fan said this, his status within the Shao Family was now solidified. Shao Hua’s father would no longer be able to bully Zhang Fan every day in Chinese chess.

[Author’s note: I don’t know what it’s like in other countries, but this is how it is in China. A fiancé would be like half a son. If this fiancé was capable and could take care of his fiancée’s parents, then he would be treated as the head of the household. This wasn’t something only in name! This was how things were in life. If you were considered to be the most reliable, it also typically meant that you had the heaviest responsibility!]

Originally, after Shao Hua talked to her mother about moving, she then told Zhang Fan that since a fiancé was different from a son, her parents felt really awkward about moving into his apartment. This was especially so for her father as he felt like he wouldn’t be able to move into Zhang Fan’s apartment, because it’d mean a loss of face.

Zhang Fan thus took today’s opportunity to speak in an incredibly frank manner. Otherwise, this matter might really have to be set aside. Since Zhang Fan also had parents of his own, he could understand Shao Hua’s feelings and why it was difficult for Shao Hua’s parents.

Shao Hua’s mother wasn’t even able to react to Zhang Fan’s words at first. He almost never spoke so directly. Typically, he seemed like the gentlemanly type. As for Shao Hua’s father, he took a drink of wine from his wineglass and then exchanged glances with Shao Hua’s mother. Things were different depending on whether Shao Hua was asking them or Zhang Fan was asking them.

If Shao Hua was the one asking them to move, her parents could easily find reasons or excuses to reject the request. However, this wouldn’t do if Zhang Fan was the one making the request. Shao Hua’s parents would need to give a clear answer to him on moving. They would also need to consider his feelings! Chinese society was so difficult to navigate! Relationships were so complex!

“We’re getting old and becoming a burden to you. I truly don’t feel good about this!” Shao Hua’s father said.

“What do you mean? If you move there, I’ll be able to eat Ma’am’s cooking even while I’m working at the hospital. Go ahead and move! There are elevators at that apartment, after all. It’s also a higher floor, which is good to live on.”

“Then…” Shao Hua’s mother glanced at her husband. This was a major decision that would require his agreement. Zhang Fan was being incredibly direct, which was breaking typical Chinese etiquette, and likely making it difficult on Shao Hua’s father. Was Shao Hua’s father supposed to get angry? He wasn’t, since Zhang Fan was offering to do something so nice. But, if he didn’t get angry, what was he supposed to do about how forceful and direct Zhang Fan was acting today?

“Dad, you should move. Your always mention how your legs ache. Of course your legs would ache because we live on the fourth floor in this apartment and have to climb the stairs every day. All you have to do is go easy on Zhang Fan in Chinese chess in the future!” Shao Hua acted spoiled to her father. She also wanted her parents to move over to Zhang Fan’s apartment. Besides, since Zhang Fan was directly making the request, it would really make him feel awkward if her father ended up rejecting the request.

Shao Hua’s father took a big gulp of wine. Exhaling an alcoholic breath, he said, “Fine, we’ll move! My wife and I really thank you for your heartfelt intentions!”

Shao Hua instantly broke out into a big smile. She had been worried that her father would find it difficult to accept. Chinese men in the northwest would commonly be somewhat of male chauvinists. They would consider it as really losing face if they had to live in a son-in-law’s home.

Although the apartment’s renovations were complete, the apartment was still completely empty, with no furniture or anything else. Shao Hua’s parents refused to take any money from Zhang Fan. They intended to use some of their savings accumulated over the years to buy new furniture!

If this apartment had been their own, they definitely would have purchased cheaper furniture, but since this apartment was Zhang Fan’s, that wouldn’t do. They had to buy better furniture for the sake of face! The furniture had to look good! Shao Hua would deal with buying the furniture, and Zhang Fan wouldn’t need to worry about a thing!

On the next day, cardiothoracic Director Liu looked over the ruptured pulmonary bulla patient that Zhang Fan performed surgery on for an incredibly long period of time in silence. He found that the surgery had been performed perfectly and that the clipped locations were excellent.

At the end of the department’s daily morning meeting, Director Liu announced to the other doctors, “Last night, Doctor Zhang and Doctor Tang did an excellent job on performing an emergency surgery. Doctor Zhang’s share of bonuses from our department will be equivalent to an attending physician’s. I believe that nobody will have objections? Also, from now on, I’ll be in charge of coming over for emergency surgeries for three nights per week, and Doctor Zhang will be in charge of coming over for four nights per week. Is that alright with you, Doctor Zhang?”

“Not a problem, it’s what he deserves!” Tang Xiong agreed. The other doctors didn’t say anything. They didn’t dare to object to the director’s order, as that would mean going against their boss. Zhang Fan also nodded in agreement.

Director Liu was highly fatigued. He was the only doctor in the department who was capable of independently performing cardiothoracic surgeries. At first, he had been really happy about this as this meant his income would be very high, but patients would always come, not caring about day or night, not caring if he was resting or not. Director Liu became stuck at the hospital seven days a week with very little rest time. Although his income was excellent, he really was becoming quite fatigued as this had gone on for several years already. Now that Zhang Fan had been temporarily rotated to his department, he immediately took this opportunity to give Zhang Fan some of his workload.

After the morning departmental meeting was over, it was now time to check up on the patients. “Let’s have Doctor Zhang lead you guys in checking up on the patients today. Tang Xiong, help me perform outpatient services. I’m a little tired today!”

Last night, Director Liu had a fun night out with friends and drank too much alcohol. He woke up this morning with a bad hangover, and was still suffering. Luckily, he found that Zhang Fan was highly skilled at cardiothoracic surgery, so he figured that it would be no problem at all to leave checking up on the patients to Zhang Fan.

After Zhang Fan checked up on the patients, he talked to the department’s head nurse and had yesterday’s ruptured pulmonary bulla patient transferred to a private patient room. There were very few patients in the cardiothoracic department, so there were many empty patient rooms, which meant it was easy to do. This would have been much more difficult to do in the bigger departments where all the patient rooms were forever full.

The majority of cardiothoracic patients in the department were patients with lung problems as patients with heart problems preferred to go to the better provincial hospital. The patients often had to rest on their beds with closed chest drainage systems attached to them, relying on gravity in order to create a pressure gradient by which air and fluid would leave the chest. Zhang Fan only gave the patients a cursory checkup. He was only a mere resident doctor who was here on rotation. He didn’t dare to do too much which might offend the attending physicians!

The director was giving him face by letting him lead the checkups. The director could also not give him face by telling him to only write medical reports. Besides, records of the patient checkups needed to be kept. If the checkup was done by a resident doctor, but the doctor in charge of the patient was an attending physician, the hospital auditor would laugh to death! That was why Zhang Fan only hurriedly gave the patients a cursory checkup before beginning to deal with his own patient.

Giving face was a mutual process. Since Zhang Fan was giving face to the cardiothoracic department doctors, the doctors also gave him face. The director’s actions only represented the director. The director also couldn’t go too overboard, or he wouldn’t be able to lead the department anymore.

Shao Hua was really delighted that her father had agreed to move. She took her parents out shopping for new electronics and furniture. They would need to purchase a new television and new refrigerator. Their television was really old, had a small screen, and was ridiculously heavy, while their refrigerator sounded as loud as a tractor in the middle of the night.

Shao Hua’s mother had prepared 50,000 yuan for purchasing new electronics and furniture, but when she saw how Shao Hua was acting, it seemed that 50,000 yuan wouldn’t be enough! Shao Hua’s mother felt some pain as she said to her daughter, “How about we pick some cheaper things instead? The ones you picked are a little expensive!”

“Let’s just buy these! Zhang Fan is even willing to spend more than 100,000 yuan on an apartment for you, so we have to pick appropriate furniture that will fit the apartment. Just buy it!”

Although Director Liu had declared that he would be on call for three nights per week for any emergency patients, when it really came time for him to be on call, he changed his mind.

“Doctor Zhang, are you married?” Director Liu asked.

“Not yet, Director.”

“Oh, that’s good then! I’m a little tired from the past few days. Could you help me by being on call instead of me? Remember, you absolutely can’t drink alcohol while you’re on call. Although you don’t need to stay at the hospital, your cell phone absolutely must remain on, and you can’t drink alcohol!” Director Liu tossed his work over to Zhang Fan!

“Sure thing, Director Liu!”

Maybe Director Liu had been far too fatigued over the past few years from being the only capable cardiothoracic surgeon in the department. He started letting Zhang Fan be on call all seven nights of the week for emergency patients. Zhang Fan was more than happy to do this as his favorite thing to do in the world was to perform surgeries. He wanted to do as many different types of surgeries as possible while he was still a rotation doctor as he figured he wouldn’t have many chances to perform other departments’ surgeries once he was permanently assigned to a department.

Ma Wentao’s hospital received its first patient who required surgery! The patient had a fractured humerus (upper arm) bone. The patient was a coal mine worker who was brought here due to Ma Wentao’s arrangement with the mine owners. In the mines, the heaviest mining equipment would weigh at least several tons. This mine worker had accidentally been seriously injured by such heavy mining equipment.

When the ambulance brought the patient to Ma Wentao’s hospital, his legs started becoming wobbly. He slightly regretted starting a hospital now. So far since Ma Wentao opened his hospital, he had only seen patients here for internal medicine and the government employees here for checkups.

Although those people might not all necessarily be rich, they would at least dress cleanly. Their problems which required internal medicine would typically be chronic illnesses that couldn’t be seen on the surface. The doctors that Ma Wentao hired as department directors were also real experts. They had gotten accustomed to seeing all sorts of major illnesses, and wouldn’t be flustered by anything that they saw. They were steady and reliable.

The patient had been injured by an overturned mining cart. He was actually quite lucky already. Only his arm had been smashed. He would have died if he had been standing just two steps forward. A mining cart combined with the coal inside would weigh several tons. That would be more than enough smash any person into a flattened meat pancake with a direct hit!

The patient was in such pain that he no longer had any strength. Dark red blood had already soaked through his work uniform. Someone had tied the upper part of his arm with a shoelace. If the patient kept his eyes and mouth closed, he would look just like a black rock lying on the ground due to all the coal that he worked with staining him black. It would be difficult to tell that he was human.

Ma Wentao peed his pants when he saw the appearance of the coal miner who was brought to the main hallway of his hospital! He could only support himself against the wall because his legs were so wobbly. Meanwhile, the doctor in charge at the surgical department was merely an intern doctor who had recently graduated from medical school. The intern doctor was also panicking, and didn’t know what to do. Luckily, the head nurse of the surgical department was experienced. She brought the patient to the emergency treatment room, and told the intern doctor, “Hurry and call the surgical department director. Why are you just standing still! Hurry!”

Very few experienced nurses from proper hospitals would have tiny voices. The only nurses who might have tiny voices would be the ones in charge of giving medical advice to the patients! Ma Wentao also regained his senses when he heard the nurse’s urgent tone. He was the first to take out his cell phone and call Chen Qifa. “Chen Qifa, hurry, there’s an emergency surgery patient.”

Ma Wentao’s apartments for his hospital employees were in a nearby district. Chen Qifa was currently eating a meal, but he immediately left his food behind and ran over as fast as he could when he heard how Ma Wentao’s voice was trembling.

Chen Qifa hurried into the hospital. On the way, he had been extremely worried. He would be able to show his skills if the emergency surgery patient required hand or foot surgery! But as for other types of surgeries, even if Zhang Fan was willing to come over and help, what if Zhang Fan was currently busy with his own work? Emergency patients would need to be operated on within a short time period. If the hospital was unable to accept its first ever surgery patient for an operation, his boss Ma Wentao would surely be furious.

But when Chen Qifa saw that the patient had a humerus bone fracture, he was no longer afraid. His anxious heartbeat calmed down. Chen Qifa then turned to look at his boss Ma Wentao, whose face was incredibly pale! Ma Wentao was currently supporting himself against the front desk counter and averting his gaze, not daring to look at the patient!

“Go into the emergency treatment room and call the anesthesiologist. Hurry! Just what are you all doing! Immediately remove that shoelace. Otherwise, it might lead to necrosis due to lack of blood flow. Prepare soap and water to wash the wound with. The injury is far too dirty. Start the IV drip in the foot. You, go and have blood prepared for blood transfusion!” Chen Qifa began issuing orders from where he stood in the hospital’s main hall.

The doctors and nurses that Ma Wentao hired had all gone through the necessary professional training. Although they were unable to treat this particular patient, they all knew what they should and needed to do as long as someone was commanding them. Chen Qifa’s words instantly calmed down the panic in the hospital and changed everything to become tense yet orderly.

Ma Wentao’s condition only slightly improved after the patient was taken to the emergency treatment room. Chen Qifa didn’t waste any time, and immediately went to the emergency treatment room as well. Ma Wentao’s hand trembled severely as he looked at the blood and coal dust remaining on the ground!

What was a miserable tragedy to behold? This was a miserable tragedy to behold. Any coal mine workers who were seriously injured while working would be a miserable sight to see.

There was a certain saying among coal mine workers. “In life, never borrow or loan money from others. In death, never wear white!” This was because the mine workers knew that their job was dangerous. It was possible that they might never come out of the mine again one day. That was why they typically wouldn’t borrow or loan money, and since they always worked with coal, their bodies were quite blackened, which was why they would rarely wear white clothing.

Ma Wentao slowly walked into his own office. His hand was trembling so much that he was unable to even hold his teacup properly!

“Could it be that I was wrong?” he muttered to himself. Ma Wentao had been born as a rich kid who had never seen such a bloody sight before. The coal mine worker’s gruesome serious injury had given him far too much of a visual impact. Ma Wentao was an incredibly stubborn person, yet even he was now beginning to have doubts about the business he chose to start. That was how much of an impact he had received.

The mine manager, accountant, and several other mine workers had brought the injured mine worker to the hospital. Typically, private mines would have some cash on hand in order to deal with unexpected situations, such as someone trying to stir up trouble or an unannounced government inspection. Cash was more useful than anything else in such situations!

A mine worker being seriously injured was also one such unexpected situation. *Bam!* Several thick wads of Chinese yuan bills were suddenly placed at the hospital’s fee collection window. “Will 60,000 yuan be enough?”

The young woman working at the fee collection window had never seen such a situation before. “It’s sufficient! It’s not sufficient! I don’t know!” The surgery hadn’t even started yet. A young and inexperienced employee like her had no idea how much money would be enough for the surgery!

“Accountant Wang, that’s enough. It’s probably sufficient. Call the owner. Tell him that we brought the injured employee to the hospital that he asked for!” The mine manager was in a bad mood. Previously, the mine would always send injured employees over to Chasu City Hospital. He felt that sending an injured employee to a new private hospital instead was reckless disregard for the workers’ lives!

However, the mine manager’s boss, the mine owner, had given an absolute command. The mine manager was ordered to bring all injured employees to this private hospital first, and only take injured employees to Chasu City Hospital if the private hospital refused to accept the patient!