Fang Yuan bought a jin of White Rabbit milk candy from Shanghai in the provincial capital. She left half of it at home and brought the rest to the hospital, distributing it to Yao Hongying and several nurses she was close to.
As soon as Nurse Xu received hers, she unwrapped one and popped it into her mouth, carefully folding the candy wrapper before slipping it back into the pocket of her white coat.
“Doctor Fang, you only went to attend a wedding, so why are you handing out wedding candies now?” she teased with a grin, speaking through the candy in her mouth.
“If eating candy still can’t keep your mouth shut…” Yao Hongying gently pinched Nurse Xu’s cheek. “Our Doctor Fang is thin skinned, so you’re not allowed to tease her.”
Then she turned to Fang Yuan with a flattering smile. “I’ve already prepared my wedding gift money, so you’d better hurry up.”
Before Fang Yuan could respond, she had already laughed and run off.
Fang Yuan shook her head with a faint smile and returned to the consultation room to begin work.
“Doctor Fang, the cadre surnamed Zhang came looking for you this morning. I told her you were on leave and hadn’t come back yet. She said she’d come again tomorrow,” a nurse came in to inform Fang Yuan.
“I understand. Thank you.”
By the time the wedding had ended yesterday, it had already become very late. The buses back to the county had long since stopped running, so she had stayed overnight in her apartment in the provincial capital and only caught the bus back that morning.
Today was Zhang Huiyun’s scheduled acupuncture session. She had not had time to notify her in advance, causing her to make a wasted trip.
There was an amputation surgery that afternoon. Fang Yuan served as Doctor Jiang’s surgical assistant, and by the time they came out of the operating room, it was almost time to get off work.
When she returned to the consultation room, she discovered that Zhang Huiyun was already waiting there.
Fang Yuan walked over with a smile. “I’m sorry. I took leave this morning without letting you know in advance. The nurse told me you said you’d come back tomorrow. Why did you come again this afternoon?”
A faint smile appeared on Zhang Huiyun’s face as she replied reservedly, “It’s alright. I only arrived a little while ago myself. Today was my scheduled acupuncture session, and I was afraid that if I postponed it until tomorrow, the results wouldn’t be as good.”
After only two acupuncture treatments, she had already felt obvious improvement. She wanted to continue until her chronic condition was completely cured. Besides, she had other plans today as well.
Fang Yuan merely smiled without saying anything. She asked Zhang Huiyun to remove her shoes and lie down on the examination bed, then began the acupuncture treatment.
By then, the other doctors in Consultation Room One had gradually finished packing up and left. While the needles remained in place, Fang Yuan took the opportunity to write up the day’s shift handover notes, recording the conditions of the patients under her and Doctor Jiang’s care so they could hand everything over to the doctor on duty after work.
When the time was up, Fang Yuan removed the needles for Zhang Huiyun, completed the entries in her medical record booklet, and handed it back to her before returning to her desk to continue writing the shift handover.
After tidying her hair and clothes, Zhang Huiyun did not hurry to leave. Instead, she sat down across from Fang Yuan.
“Doctor Fang, your handwriting is so elegant. The handwriting of the other doctors all looks so messy that I can’t make out what they’ve written.”
When Fang Yuan wrote surgical plans and progress notes, she used normal handwriting. However, when writing medical records and prescriptions, she used the almost indecipherable “doctor’s script,” also known as “cipher script.” It was probably readable only among doctors themselves. There were many reasons why doctors wrote so carelessly, and she was merely following the example set by her predecessors.
“Comrade Zhang, it’ll still be a while before I get off work. Since your acupuncture treatment is finished, you may leave now.” Fang Yuan looked up with a smile before continuing to organize her work.
“I’m waiting for my son to pick me up. I’ll keep you company for a while first.” Zhang Huiyun leisurely crossed one leg over the other and looked Fang Yuan up and down.
Fang Yuan paid no mind to it. After finishing the shift handover log, she took it to the duty room, then returned and tidied up the small consultation room once more.
“Comrade Zhang, I’m about to get off work. No one is allowed to remain in the consultation room after hours. Why don’t you wait in the lobby outside?” Seeing that Zhang Huiyun was still there, Fang Yuan reminded her.
Zhang Huiyun stood up, picked up her black imitation leather handbag, nodded, and followed Fang Yuan outside.
Fang Yuan went directly to the women’s changing room, took off her white coat and hung it up, then changed into a beige khaki jacket. She let down her beautiful hair before neatly braiding it into two braids, which she crossed behind her head in graceful arcs and secured with hairpins.
As she walked out of the main building, she saw Comrade Zhang standing in the open area in front of the hospital. A young man had ridden up on a bicycle and stopped beside her, and the two were quietly talking together.
Zhang Huiyun also noticed Fang Yuan. Without her white coat, Fang Yuan looked completely different from her usual capable and professional appearance. Instead, she possessed a youthful and delicate beauty. She raised her hand and called out, “Doctor Fang.”
Fang Yuan smiled and nodded to her. “Comrade Zhang, take care and get plenty of rest. I’ll see you in two days.”
The young man beside Zhang Huiyun was momentarily stunned when he saw Fang Yuan. His eyes remained fixed on her without the slightest attempt to hide it.
When he saw Fang Yuan about to leave, he quickly tugged at Zhang Huiyun’s sleeve.
“Doctor Fang, let me introduce you. This is my son, Xue Wenqing. He works at the Grain Bureau now.” Zhang Huiyun smiled proudly as she pointed toward the young man beside her.
Xue Wenqing was about the same height as Fang Yuan. His skin was somewhat fair, with high cheekbones and slightly protruding eyes. He could barely be considered a reasonably good looking young man.
Fang Yuan nodded in greeting, though she felt somewhat puzzled. Why did the name Xue Wenqing sound so familiar? It seemed as though she had heard it somewhere before.
“Doctor Fang, thank you for actively treating my mother’s back pain. A good doctor like you deserves recognition. When I get home, I’ll write a letter of appreciation to your hospital’s leadership.” Xue Wenqing parked his bicycle, strode over enthusiastically, and extended both hands toward Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan felt slightly uncomfortable with his sudden enthusiasm. Deliberately ignoring the hands he had extended, she waved hers dismissively instead. “You’re too polite. This is simply my duty. Please don’t send any letter of appreciation.”
With that, she turned and left.
Halfway home, she suddenly remembered. Xue Wenqing? Wasn’t he the nephew Doctor Zhang had wanted to introduce to her? That meant Zhang Huiyun and Doctor Zhang were sisters?
Connecting everything together, she finally understood. No wonder Comrade Zhang had looked her up and down and judged her from head to toe during their first consultation. She had actually come to inspect her as a potential match. And today, she had even brought her son to look at her as well?
The thought made Fang Yuan feel annoyed. She thought the entire family had behaved in extremely poor taste.
Xue Wenqing awkwardly withdrew his outstretched hands. It was only after Fang Yuan’s figure disappeared from sight that he finally came back to his senses. Turning to Zhang Huiyun, he said, “Mom, this introduction was finally a reliable one. Doctor Fang really is wonderful!”
Seeing the dazed look on her son’s face just now, Zhang Huiyun had already become rather displeased. She jabbed him with a finger. “You’re hopeless. You already think she’s wonderful? At this rate, you’ll definitely forget your mother as soon as you get yourself a wife.”
Xue Wenqing quickly wrapped an arm around his mother’s shoulders and coaxed her. “How could I? I could forget anyone else, but never you. Ask Second Aunt to put in a little more effort. Have her speak with Doctor Fang soon, then we can settle the marriage.”
Zhang Huiyun shook her shoulder, throwing off her son’s arm. “You make it sound so simple. Marriage is no trivial matter. This Xiao Fang barely meets my standards for now, but I’ll need to observe her a while longer. I’ll see how she conducts herself first. At some point, we’ll have her bring out her household registration booklet so we can investigate her family class background. We have to make sure her background is politically impeccable.”
“She was able to attend university and was assigned to work at the county hospital. She definitely can’t be the child of one of the Five Black Categories. Just focus on making this happen. Don’t you want to hold a grandson?”
“Political background checks weren’t as strict before, so it’s inevitable that some people slipped through the cracks. Seeing how impatient you are, I almost regret letting you come today. Look at how enchanted you’ve become. And now that I’ve taken another look, this Doctor Fang isn’t as simple as she seems. She’s like a little vixen.”[1]T/N: Say whaattt??? (╯˙ᵕ˙ )╯︵ ┻━┻ jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2960596_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2960596_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });
After hearing his mother’s words, Xue Wenqing became somewhat nervous and regretful. He quickly straightened his attitude and said, “When was I impatient? I just wanted to settle the marriage sooner so I could devote all my energy to my work and serve socialism wholeheartedly.”
Zhang Huiyun rolled her eyes at her son and ignored him. She urged Xue Wenqing to push the bicycle over. Then she hopped onto the rear seat, and the mother and son rode away together.
When Fang Yuan arrived home, she saw Fang Xiaoqin staring absentmindedly at Xu Dajiang’s sweater.
“Mom, why have you taken Dad’s sweater out again?” Fang Yuan hung up her cloth bag and walked over to put an arm around Fang Xiaoqin’s shoulders.
“I was thinking of unraveling it so I can knit a sweater for you, and then knit a vest for Da Mao.”
“Can you really bear to?” Fang Yuan asked.
Xu Dajiang had not owned many clothes. This was his only winter sweater without patches. For so many years, Fang Xiaoqin had never been willing to unravel it. She would even take it out regularly to air it in the sun so moths would not damage it.
“He’s been gone for so many years. What’s there to be reluctant about? If your father knew this sweater would be worn by you children, he’d be happy too.” Fang Xiaoqin gathered herself and asked, “Would you like a crew neck or a V neck?”
Fang Yuan picked up the gray sweater and smelled it. All that remained was the pungent scent of mothballs. The smell that had belonged to her father had long since disappeared.
“Why don’t you knit sweaters for both Da Mao and Xiao Mao instead? I already have several sweaters. I don’t need another one yet.”
“I’ve already thought it through. There isn’t enough yarn to knit sweaters for both Da Mao and Xiao Mao. Two of your sweaters have become too small, and the sleeves have ridden halfway up your arms. I’m planning to unravel those and use the yarn for the two boys,” Fang Xiaoqin said.
“You decide. Just remember to knit one for Aili too.” Fang Yuan went inside first to wash her hands.
Fang Xiaoqin laughed despite herself and muttered, “You really think I’d neglect your little sister.”
During dinner, Fang Yuan told Fang Xiaoqin what Aunt Xiao from the provincial capital had told her.
Fang Xiaoqin put down her chopsticks with a worried expression. After thinking for a moment, she urged Fang Yuan, “Eat quickly. After dinner, let’s go to your eldest aunt’s house and ask her to help us think of a solution.”
Seeing that her mother had lost her appetite, Fang Yuan regretted mentioning it so soon. She should have waited until later to tell her.
When Lu Yongjun and Fang Xiaoyu saw Fang Xiaoqin and Fang Yuan arriving so late in the evening, they thought something serious had happened. After hearing Fang Yuan explain that the vacant apartment in the provincial capital had attracted the covetous attention of a neighbor, Fang Xiaoyu burst into angry curses.
“Those shameless scoundrels. They don’t have the ability to earn anything themselves, so now they’re eyeing someone else’s property. Are they trying to steal it outright?”
Lu Yongjun told Fang Yuan not to worry. He would find time over the next couple of days to make a trip to the provincial capital and first learn exactly what was going on.
Fang Xiaoqin said gratefully, “Brother in law, we’ll have to trouble you then.”
Her elder sister’s family had always taken good care of them, especially after her husband’s death. Even Xu Dahai’s eldest son, Xinhong, had only been able to join the army through the connections of her brother in law. Now that there was no adult man in their household, only she and her daughter remained. Whenever something major happened, they could only come here and seek their help and advice.
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