Life is Like a Journey – Chapter 34

Volume 1: Rise

Objective

End of Suspension

On the night of the day when the laparoscopic cholecystectomy was completed, after Xu Qiankun came down from the wine table, Yu Gui’s senior brother proactively informed him about the gauze being left behind and frankly stated that he would take full responsibility.

            

Xu Qiankun initially wanted to get angry, but upon hearing this, his mood turned from cloudy to sunny, and he praised the young man, saying he was clever and promising with a boundless future.

In the following days, he successively called in several of them for talks. When Hao Renjie came out, he had a joyful expression, while Yu Gui glanced at him and remained silent.

“Come, Xiaoyu, have a seat, and try this Da Hong Pao​¹ from Fujian. It’s picked from the mother plant at Jiulong Nest, and it’s priceless.”

            

Xu Qiankun scalded the tea bowl with boiling water and personally poured a cup of tea for her, placing it by her hand.

Yu Gui quickly stood up: “Director Xu, I won’t drink the tea, please just tell me if you have any instructions.”

Still quite perceptive.

            

Xu Qiankun’s eyes shifted, and he took an envelope from the drawer, placed it on the table, and pushed it over: “I heard your family is having a hard time, that little living subsidy isn’t enough, right? When you have time, bring the elders to the city to have some fun, or go home for a visit.”

He spoke sincerely, and the slightly bulging envelope also showed full sincerity.

Yu Gui recalled her promise to Fang Zhiyou: 「When I have money, I’ll bring you and aunt to the city for medical treatment.」

            

The tender young person swallowed, her gaze fixed on the envelope, unable to move.

Lu Qingshi usually eats simply at home, opting for instant products or plain noodles in clear soup, for one reason: convenience and speed.

Today, however, she unusually brought out the electric pressure cooker and the clay pot for making soup.

            

Yesterday, after Gu Yanzhi’s check-up showed everything was normal, she was transferred to a general ward. Having not touched oily food for over half a month, she instantly became ravenous at the smell of food from the next bed, begging the nurse to buy food for her. So, when Lu Qingshi entered, she was holding a chicken wing in her left hand and a duck paw in her right.

Lu Qingshi was very angry, throwing the food into the trash on the spot and strictly forbidding anyone from buying her anything else. Her stomach and intestine functions had not yet recovered to their original state, and she could only digest liquid food.

After returning, Gu Yanzhi sat on the hospital bed with her head drooped, her aggrieved eyes lingering in Lu Qingshi’s mind.

            

Lu Qingshi rolled over twice in bed, sighed deeply, and got up to cook.

She could still manage to cook simple porridge, putting in the rice, adding water, plugging in the power, and sitting to wait for the water to boil. However, she was troubled by the old hen at her side; she knew how to dissect it, but how to actually prepare it was quite a challenge.

She took out her phone, pressed the dial key, and cleared her throat: “Um… how do you make chicken soup?”

            

Qin Xuan thought she was calling early in the morning for something important, but it turned out to be about this, leaving her speechless: “Sister, you really don’t partake in worldly affairs.”

“Don’t waste words, just tell me quickly.”

“Okay, okay, okay,” she said helplessly, having to find the recipe and send it to her, only after reminding her of important points did she put the phone into her pocket.

            

The person waiting opposite wasn’t the slightest bit impatient, still smiling at her, and even considerately set up the bowls and chopsticks for her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, a friend called,” Qin Xuan sat down and handed a hand-wiping tissue to Nanke.

“Boyfriend?”

            

Qin Xuan smiled and thanked her: “No, just a colleague from the hospital.”

She had an early shift today and came to this shop for morning tea, not expecting to meet Xiang Nanke. This female police officer left a very good impression on her, so she went over to greet her and incidentally asked if the suspect had been caught. She didn’t expect Lu Qingshi to call suddenly, making the officer wait so long, which was quite embarrassing.

Feeling somewhat ashamed, Qin Xuan ordered extra, intending to pay the bill herself. However, she didn’t expect that in her absence, Xiang Nanke had already taken care of the bill.

            

“I can’t share too many details about the case investigation, but I can tell you that we are very grateful to your hospital for providing the embryo, as the DNA extraction work has made great progress.”

Qin Xuan’s face lit up with joy, and she stood up to shake hands and say goodbye: “You all have really worked hard; we are very thankful.”

“Not at all, it’s what we should do,” she gently returned the handshake.

            

Xiang Nanke smiled, wearing a sky blue summer uniform with her tie impeccably tied. She draped a black police uniform over her arm and stood under a banyan tree, watching as she boarded a black BMW and drove away, leaving a trail of dust.

The gentle smile on the police officer’s face completely faded as she pressed the micro communicator on her collar: “Target has appeared, team one standby, team two follow.”

Having not been on the operating table for more than half a month, the emergency doctor was eager to put her skills to use. She vividly took a soup-making old hen as a dissection subject. Lu Qingshi picked up iodine to pour when she suddenly realized something was wrong—oh, this is for people to eat, can’t use this.

            

So she lifted the old hen and placed it into a pot of boiling hot water to disinfect. Next came bleeding, deboning, stripping blood vessels and nerves, with the extracted bones piling up on the cutting board, forming the complete shape of a bird’s skeleton. (LP: Is this how surgeons cook?)

Lu Qingshi was very satisfied; this is what you call deboned chicken, ensuring it’s easy for Gu Yanzhi to digest without hurting her teeth.

While waiting for the chicken soup to finish stewing, Lu Qingshi went next door to play with Hamburger for a while. As she was leaving, the large dog bit her pant leg and barked, as if knowing she was about to go see its owner. Lu Qingshi squatted down to rub its head.

            

“Hamburger, be good. Your owner still can’t get out of bed, but in a few days, I’ll take you to see her.”

Hamburger seemed to understand and licked her palm, its emotions calmed, obediently standing in place wagging its tail as it watched her leave.

The clay pot on the gas stove sizzled, and Lu Qingshi ran over and lifted the lid, but exclaimed as she was burned quite badly. Her white tender fingertips became red and swollen over a large area, so she quickly turned on the faucet and ran cool water over them. With her other hand, she took a cloth to pad it and slowly lifted the pot lid.

            

The fragrance was enticing, and it seemed quite good.

Gu Yanzhi held the still-warm bowl of soup in her hands, with thinly sliced chicken, bright red goji berries, and also dangshen and danggui. Her heart felt warm, and she didn’t know why her nose felt a bit sour.

Lu Qingshi sat down by her bedside: “Try it.”

            

“Thank you, Doctor Lu,” Gu Yanzhi said softly, as she took a spoon and scooped a small bite into her mouth, her hand holding the spoon slightly stiffening.

Lu Qingshi noticed her unusual expression: “Doesn’t it taste good?”

It was her first time making it, and she looked at her with hesitant eyes.

            

“Doctor Lu rarely cooks?” Gu Yanzhi asked, lowering her head and holding the soup bowl tightly.

The person opposite her rarely showed an awkward expression and reached out her hand: “Um… let me taste it.”

Gu Yanzhi’s gaze fell on her very red fingertips, and the other quickly withdrew as if burned by fire.

            

She held the soup bowl and smiled happily: “It’s very delicious. Since Doctor Lu specially made this for me, I’m going to drink it all up and won’t share it with you.”

Not knowing why, the word “specially” made the thin-skinned doctor feel a bit warm in the ears: “Then… you eat first, I’ll go to orthopedics for a recheck.”

After saying that, she picked up the imaging bag and fled in panic to the corridor.

            

So… this is what it feels like to be specially cared for?

Gu Yanzhi took another sip of the soup, which was unsalted and a bit fishy, but because it had the intention of the maker in it, she didn’t find it hard to swallow.

She liked it very much and honestly finished drinking it one mouthful at a time.

            

Lu Qingshi stood in the corridor for a while, not heading towards orthopedics but pressing the button for the dean’s office floor.

As she came out, she bumped into Xu Qiankun. She nodded slightly in greeting, intending to pass by and leave, but he grabbed her sleeve. Xu Qiankun, eyes glaring with anger, said, “Doctor Lu, you can’t harm me like this!”

Lu Qingshi shook him off, flicked the nonexistent dust off her body, turned, and walked away.

            

It was reported that Xu Qiankun stayed in the dean’s office for a long time that afternoon, and when he came out, his face was livid.

Then afterward, Lu Qingshi received a call from the medical office, ending her suspension early and inviting her back to work.

At that time, she was walking with Hamburger downstairs, one hand in her pocket, speaking coldly: “I refuse.”

            

Hearing the beeping sound from the receiver, Director Liu slammed down the phone: “This is outrageous! If she wants to be suspended, then let her continue her suspension!”

Dean Meng turned from the sofa chair, seeming to suddenly age a lot, with more white hair appearing at his temples.

“She’s still holding a grudge against us for using her, it seems.”

            

“What do you mean by using or not using? Don’t speak so harshly. Shouldn’t she be making some contributions to her own hospital?” Director Liu held the phone, feeling indignant.

Meng Jihua laughed and trembled as he stood up from his seat: “In Lu Qingshi’s eyes, there’s no such thing as a hospital or not a hospital; the organization is just a place to perform surgery for her.”

Such a person is undoubtedly the best of the best as a doctor, but if placed in a leadership position, she is greatly unqualified. This is also why he has always tolerated Xu Qiankun, not because he turns a blind eye, but because they mutually restrain each other. Xu Qiankun manages the administrative work well, while Lu Qingshi manages the ward. Such an emergency department is a well-organized, invincible team, and also his unsheathed sharp sword.

            

Liu Changsheng came to support him: “Is last time’s medicine still not working?”

Meng Jihua’s hand holding the lab coat was shaking. He flexed his stiff wrist and, with help, put on the lab coat: “Old problem, it’s fine, let’s go inspect the work in the emergency department.”

After sewing grapes in the simulation operating room for a month, Yu Gui received a new task: polishing eggs. Fragile fresh eggs were placed in the center of the operating table, clamped with a fixture. She just turned on the electric drill and approached, and the eggshell cracked, with egg liquid flowing all over the surgical drape.

            

Yu Gui held her forehead, and Lu Qingshi signaled her to move aside, pulled down the magnifying glass, and put it on.

“The wrist must be steady, don’t stab down suddenly. The human body’s blood vessels and nerves are even more fragile than this. Use upper arm strength to drive the forearm, and control the muscles to avoid shaking.”

As she spoke, she polished, quickly making a five-millimeter hole in the egg. The egg stood firmly, and the egg liquid did not flow out.

            

“Monopolar electrosurgical knife.”

Yu Gui handed the instrument over, watching as she lightly made a small cut, then took the suture to sew up that small cut. The speed of her knotting almost dazzled her. It was the day after day, year after year of practice that created the Lu Qingshi of today.

“Cut the thread.”

            

To be honest, apart from being eccentric and not very personable, Lu Qingshi is considered an excellent teaching mentor in other aspects, and she has never bullied her.

Yu Gui’s feelings towards her are really very complicated, with both respect and fear, along with a trace of admiration for an idol. Looking at her clean profile under the shadowless lamp, Yu Gui secretly clenched her fist and cheered herself on in her heart:

Work hard, Yu Gui, and strive to someday stand at Teacher Lu’s operating table.

            

Lu Qingshi placed the needle holder into the tray: “Alright, finished.”

She took off her gloves and threw them into the trash can, and Yu Gui slightly bowed to bid her farewell.

During these days of suspension, Lu Qingshi unexpectedly had a quiet vacation, sleeping until she naturally woke each day, getting up to cook, taking Hamburger for walks, visiting Gu Yanzhi at the hospital every few days to improve her meals, teasing Yu Gui in her spare time, and flipping through medical magazines. One morning, she was woken by the alarm clock, and as she picked up her phone, she realized that an uneventful month had just passed like this.

            

Upon reinstatement, she collected her IC card from the medical office and pinned it to her chest, her hair neatly tied up. She hung her stethoscope around her neck, inserted a ballpoint pen into her chest pocket, lifted the curtain, and walked out slowly.

“Good morning, Director Lu”

“Hello, Doctor Lu”

            

“Doctor Lu”

“Doctor Lu”

Passing medical staff greeted her one after another by lowering their heads. Hao Renjie stood up from the reception desk: “Sister Lu, you finally returned…”

            

Lu Qingshi threw the medical records into his arms: “Don’t dawdle, ward rounds.”

“Teacher Lu, sorry I’m late!” Yesterday, after sewing eggs in the operating room for half the night, Yu Gui arrived late, yawning and holding medical records, standing at the back.

Lu Qingshi originally wanted to get angry, but when her gaze fell on Yu Gui’s obvious sleep-deprived dark circles and the egg liquid on her white coat sleeves, her lips moved, but she said nothing and turned to leave.

            

After a morning of tense and busy work, there was a short two-hour rest period. Lu Qingshi was in the office eating a boxed lunch while reviewing medical records. The sunlight in May was exceptionally bright, pouring down through the glass, warming half of her body.

The emergency center was on the first floor, and Gu Yanzhi was sitting in a wheelchair being pushed by a nurse, quietly watching her through the glass. She initially just wanted to see what she was doing, but unconsciously started to zone out.

Due to staying up late for many years, her skin wasn’t very good, but it was very white. The tear troughs under her eyes made them appear deeper, like a serene blue lake. Sunlight fell on her, and fine dust danced around her.

            

Lu Qingshi was writing something on paper and seemed to sense something, so she slightly turned her head. Their gazes met, and she saw her lips curl up, she saw her eyes fill with laughter.

Lu Qingshi put down her pen and disappeared from the office, only to appear in front of her shortly after.

Afraid she might be angry, Gu Yanzhi proactively spoke: “The weather is very good today, I… I haven’t gone out in a month… so I just wanted to come out and walk around…”

            

Lu Qingshi nodded and did not blame her for being rash: “Coming out to bask in the sun is also good, just remember to wear a mask next time.”

She took a disposable mask out of her white coat pocket, tore open the packaging, and handed it to her: “There are too many dust and bacteria outside, be careful not to get infected.”

Looking at the white, slender hand in front of her, Gu Yanzhi was momentarily stunned. Seeing her delay in accepting it, the other party possibly realized that standing while the other was sitting and handing things over seemed impolite, so she squatted down, bringing their eyes level.

            

Lu Qingshi extended her hand, and Gu Yanzhi quickly held her wrist: “No need, no need, I can do it myself.”

Lu Qingshi raised an eyebrow and stood up: “You overthought it; it was meant for you to put on yourself.”

The nearby nurse couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud, while the handsome fire instructor felt her face heat up and hurriedly put it on.

            

Lu Qingshi, bathed in sunlight, extended her hand to her: “Come, try to see if you can walk?”

---

---