"No, Comrade Doctor, that’s not what I meant. Could we step aside for a moment?" the patient's mother asked anxiously.
The patient’s husband was standing guard nearby, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at Xu Qinghuan.
Xu Qinghuan was pulled to the end of the hallway by the patient's mother. Seeing no one was around, the woman stuffed a thick red envelope into Xu Qinghuan's hand. "Comrade, this is just a small token of our appreciation!"
In this day and age, the largest banknote denomination was ten yuan, commonly known as a "Great Unity."
Xu Qinghuan felt its thickness—it was likely around two hundred yuan, nearly half a year’s wages for an average worker. She pushed the money back. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I cannot accept this."
She never took money from patients. Once she put on her white coat, her mission was to save lives and heal the wounded. She loved money, but she would never tarnish her profession. Even at this moment, she was so poor that she had only twenty-seven cents to her name.
The patient’s mother insisted, but Xu Qinghuan’s expression remained solemn, and she firmly refused. When someone else walked by, the mother dared not persist and returned to the ward. The patient had just woken up and asked, "Mom, have you thanked our benefactor?"
During the delivery, the patient had been under partial anesthesia. She knew the attending physician’s skills were lacking; he had been fumbling around for ages, and she had been terrified, convinced she wouldn't make it off the operating table. It was that young doctor who had performed the surgery. For some reason, the moment the scalpel was in that young doctor’s hands, she felt a sense of calm.
"She wouldn't take it. No matter what, she refused, saying she wasn't a doctor. But if she isn't a doctor, how could she perform surgery? If it weren't for her, our little treasure wouldn't be safe and sound." The patient’s mother felt deeply regretful, her respect for Xu Qinghuan growing even more.
"I wonder if there is anything we can do to help her."
The patient’s husband stood up. "I’ll go ask Uncle Wu, and later we’ll bring some things to thank her."
"That works!"
After taking care of the work-related matter, Xu Qinghuan went to find Lin Xialan. She worked at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative near her home. Since it was just her lunch break, she grabbed her coat. "Let's go. I’ll treat you to a meal at the State-run Restaurant."
"Treat me? That's generous!"
Xu Qinghuan didn't stand on ceremony, and the two headed toward the State-run Restaurant together. "You know, I once learned a few things from an old doctor at our hospital. Today, I happened to encounter a pregnant woman suffering from a massive hemorrhage, so I stepped in and saved her. The hospital director was so impressed that he insisted I stay on and work at the hospital, but I politely declined."
Lin Xialan was stunned. "That’s amazing, Huanhuan! You have that kind of talent? That’s a good thing!"
She knew that Xu Qinghuan had once studied under an old doctor and truly loved the medical profession, but she hadn't realized her skills were that high.
"It is a good thing, but I can't afford to take it right now." Xu Qinghuan had two reasons for telling her this. "I gave him your contact information. After I head to the countryside, I’ll write to you. If he tries to reach you, could you act as a go-between?"
"Sure, no problem. Huanhuan, are you sure you don't want to reconsider? Being a doctor at the hospital would be wonderful!"
Xu Qinghuan didn't tell her that if she took the job, she would be starting at a Grade 5 position; there was no need to mention it and make Xialan feel even more regretful.
"Lanan, hasn’t your sister-in-law found a job yet?" Xu Qinghuan asked.
"No, no, Huanhuan. My sister-in-law doesn't know the first thing about medicine. She’s just a regular high school graduate with no special skills. Even if you handed a doctor's position to her on a silver platter, she couldn't handle it," Lin Xialan replied.
"It’s not a doctor’s position; the hospital offered me a spot as an intern nurse. As long as she passes the evaluation in the future, she can become a full-time nurse," Xu Qinghuan explained. "If your sister-in-law is interested, I can sell the position to her."
Years ago, Mother Lin had picked out a bride for her eldest son—a perfect match, someone from a family of equal status who already had a job working as a waitress at the State-run Restaurant. But her eldest brother insisted on marrying his true love, her current sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law held a rural residency permit rather than a commercial grain one and had no ration book. After she married in, the whole family had to scrape and save to buy high-priced grain for her.
In the book, Lin Xialan’s sister-in-law suffered from long-term emotional distress. Six months later, she hanged herself in the small grove behind the family quarters, leaving behind a suicide note saying the family had been good to her and never looked down on her, but she simply couldn't bear to be a burden any longer. Her own family refused to accept this explanation and reported the Lin family for abusing their daughter-in-law. Father Lin and Mother Lin were investigated. Even though all the neighbors testified that it wasn't true, the public outcry was too great. Father Lin couldn't keep his position as factory director, and Mother Lin was forced to step down as head of the Educated Youth Office. Her eldest brother had his legs broken by his brothers-in-law, leaving him permanently disabled and jobless.
Lin Xialan was overjoyed. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. If you need it, I'll save it for you." Xu Qinghuan didn't hide the truth from her friend. "You know my situation. My mother won't give me a single cent, and neither will my second uncle. Since I have to head to the countryside, I need to have some money on hand—to prepare supplies and to have something for emergencies."
"I know, I know. Huanhuan, I really should thank you. Don't worry, I will make sure you get a good price for it."
Nowadays, let alone a job, even a scrap of information about a job opening could be sold for a few yuan. That Xu Qinghuan had told her first instead of putting it up for auction was already a massive favor.
After returning home, Lin Xialan told her mother the news. "Mom, you have to give her a good price, and don't forget the ration coupons. Huanhuan has done our family a huge favor." It wasn't just about the job; with a job, her sister-in-law would be able to convert to a commercial grain residency.
"Do you think I don't know that?" Mother Lin shot Lin Xialan a look. She had always liked Xu Qinghuan.
Sure enough, when the family returned that evening and heard the news, everyone was delighted. Lin Xialan’s sister-in-law felt a wave of relief, so emotionally overwhelmed that her eyes welled up with tears. No matter how deep the love, it could be worn down by the daily grind of survival. She had been married into the Lin family for three years and had a two-year-old son, but without a job, she lacked confidence and couldn't stand tall. Even though she did all the housework, whenever it came time to eat, she couldn't bring herself to touch the better food. If she could do it all over again, she didn't know if she would have the courage to stick to her original choice.
Fortunately, destiny had taken a turn.
When Xu Qinghuan returned home, Xu Manman was already back, a white bandage wrapped around her head. Her delicate face was pale. Seeing Xu Qinghuan push the door open, she offered a weak smile. "Sister, where did you go? Why are you just getting back?"
Jiang Chengxu was sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to the door. He hurriedly stood up and turned around. "Qinghuan, you're back?"
He picked up his coat and said to Xu Manman, "Get some rest. I'll come see you again tomorrow."
Xu Manman let out an "mm" and closed her eyes, her face filled with dejection.
Xu Qinghuan couldn't bear to look.
Jiang Chengxu’s eyes were fixed only on her. "Qinghuan, I have something to tell you. Could we go outside to talk?"
Xu Qinghuan thought for a moment, nodded, and turned to head into the living room. Jiang Chengxu closed the bedroom door behind him and hesitated. "Qinghuan, have you eaten? Let me take you out to dinner."
"No need. Just say what you have to say."
"Then let's go downstairs?" Jiang Chengxu’s eyes were pleading, so Xu Qinghuan had no choice but to nod, rise, and follow him toward the door.
A pained "Ouch" came from the room, followed by Xu Manman’s voice: "Brother Chengxu, wuwuwu, my head, it hurts so much!"
Jiang Chengxu stood in the doorway, frowning as he looked toward the bedroom. Xu Qinghuan could clearly see the struggle in his eyes, mixed with a hint of impatience.
"I'll go downstairs and wait for you." Suddenly finding the whole situation meaningless, Xu Qinghuan turned and squeezed past him.