Life is Like a Journey – Chapter 66
by Little PandaVolume 2: Inheritance
Sharing the Stage
Yu Gui’s first major surgery
The next morning, she was awakened by the neighbor’s cat kneading her. The sofa was too high for French Fries to jump onto, so it settled for curling up in her arms and purring. Hamburger, that silly dog, was sleeping like a pig.
Gu Yanzhi pulled the cat into her arms. Turning her head slightly, she caught sight of the doctor’s perfect profile. The strap of her nightgown had slipped, revealing a glimpse of her collarbone and fair chest – a hint of “spring scenery” (euphemism: “ζ₯ε ”, referring to an accidental reveal of skin). She quickly averted her gaze, quietly picked up her clothes, and prepared to leave.
She patted her silly dog, which barked twice. Gu Yanzhi quickly covered its mouth: “Don’t bark, let’s go.”
Hamburger obediently followed her out. Gu Yanzhi gently closed the door behind her.
Lu Qingshi hugged a pillow and rolled over, until the alarm clock rang.
Today was the day Wu Xinyuan was to be discharged from the hospital. Early in the morning, Wu Xinyu arrived at the hospital with a banner of gratitude and gifts. She gave a hand-drawn card to every medical staff member who had cared for her sister. The banner was meant for Dean Meng, but learning he was out attending a conference, she left it at the medical office.
She also left Lu Qingshi’s gift with Yu Gui to pass on. As her sister’s condition improved, the young girl’s face regained its radiance.
“If it weren’t for Dr. Lu, my sister wouldn’t have made it to the surgery. Although she didn’t perform the operation herself, we are very grateful to her.”
Yu Gui, holding the banner, felt emotional: “No matter what, when two people are together and depend on each other, life will gradually get better. Keep going!”
Although Renji Medical University had waived Wu Xinyuan’s surgery fees, the cost of previous treatments, even after insurance, was still an astronomical figure for them now.
This IOU was handwritten by Wu Xinyuan. Due to her still weak condition, the handwriting was a bit shaky and crooked. At the bottom, both of their names were signed with fingerprints.
“I’m truly grateful that you’ve given me a second chance at lifeβ¦ Once I’m feeling a bit better, I’ll start tutoring. Xinyu has also come up with an idea to earn some money by drawing for people. Please, you must accept this IOU.”
Yu Gui carefully folded this precious token of sincerity and put it in her pocket. “Don’t worry, I’ll pass it on to the medical office.”
The morning sunlight fell upon them as Wu Xinyu pushed her sister’s wheelchair down the hallway, gradually moving further away. Yu Gui watched them leave, but unexpectedly, as they were waiting for the elevator, the girl suddenly ran back and threw herself into Yu Gui’s arms.
“Thank you, Dr. Yu.”
Yu Gui stumbled a bit from the impact, but once she regained her composure, she slowly returned the embrace. A clean, soft, and powerful hug took place in the July sunlight.
As they let go, she said: “Foujitailai” (blessings come after extreme misfortune).
Wu Xinyu clenched her fist and said: “Foujitailai. I hope the next time we see you, Dr. Yu, you’ll be wearing the badge of an attending physician.”
In the six months since coming to Renji Medical University for standardized training, she had been misunderstood, teased, and bullied. She had also experienced many unfair things: leadership’s abuse of power and harassment, her mentor’s verbal abuse, and life-and-death moments in emergency situationsβ¦
But never had she felt as happy as she did at this moment. It was a different kind of happiness from being with Zhiyou. It was the satisfaction and joy of realizing her life’s greatest value, making the young doctor laugh heartily while her eyes brimmed with tears.
“I will. I hope next time I can go see your art exhibition.”
“The investigation report on the Jinzhou City Chemical Plant explosion accident, which resulted in 45 deaths, was released this morning. The incident, caused by an employee named Chen smoking within the plant premises, led to significant casualties and property damage. Direct economic losses have already reached over 100 million yuan. The public security organs have now filed a case against the main persons in charge of the enterprise and taken criminal coercive measures. The provincial party secretary and relevant department heads visited the hospital to express condolences to the injured⦔
Lu Qingshi turned off the radio, abruptly cutting off the female announcer’s voice. She glanced at her wristwatch – five past eight. She had been stuck in traffic for half an hour already. It seemed she’d need to leave even earlier in the future. It was all Gu Yanzhi’s fault for playing games too late last night.
The doctor covered her mouth and let out a small yawn.
At 8:30, just an hour and a half after Wu Xinyuan’s discharge, an ambulance wailed through the congested traffic, arriving at the emergency center entrance as fast as wind and lightning.
Yu Gui pushed out a wheeled bed to receive the patient. As the ambulance door opened, she began to ask, “What’s the situation⦔
Before she could finish speaking, she froze in shock. Wu Xinyu, crying, grabbed her sleeve: “Saveβ¦ please save my sisterβ¦ Dr. Yu⦔
Jolted by the girl’s tears, Yu Gui snapped back to reality and quickly checked Wu Xinyuan’s vital signs. Blood pressure 60-80, heart rate 70, oxygen saturation 80 – all vital signs were concerning.
She shone a penlight into the patient’s pupils: “Quick, take her to Resuscitation Room One!”
Wu Xinyu ran alongside her into the emergency center but was stopped at the door of the resuscitation room: “Family members, please wait outside.”
Wu Xinyu grabbed her sleeve: “Dr. Yu⦔
Yu Gui, wearing a mask, patted her hand: “Trust me.”
Liu Qingyun, with a stethoscope around his neck, ran into the resuscitation room: “What’s the situation?”
“Multiple organ failure of unknown cause,” Yu Gui was extremely worried and troubled: “We need to find the cause to treat it effectively.”
“Do a bedside echocardiogram, X-ray, and schedule a CT scan too, quickly.”
Chen Yi, leaning over the bed, successfully completed the tracheal intubation, but the oxygen saturation still didn’t improve: “This won’t do, we need to think of something fast.”
In a flash of inspiration, Yu Gui thought of a possibility. She grabbed the phone and shouted: “Emergency department calling for a consultation with Gastroenterology Surgery, Oncology, Anesthesiology, and General Surgery!”
Later, the CT results came out, confirming her suspicion. The tumor had metastasized, and there were new shadows in the stomach area.
Wu Xinyuan, lying on the hospital bed, suddenly vomited a mouthful of foul-smelling black blood, completely soaking the oxygen mask. Yu Gui turned her head to the side to prevent blood from choking the airway. She looked back at everyone and said: “Let’s take her to the operating room.”
“Yu Gui, you’re really out of your mind! With Dean Meng not here, who’s going to perform the surgery?! You?!” Liu Qingyun followed closely behind her, his words seemingly trying to stop her, but he still helped push the patient into the operating room.
Yu Gui changed into surgical attire: “Don’t we have a colleague from Gastroenterology Surgery here?”
“I-I-Iβ¦ I’m just a junior attending⦔ The young attending physician who had been dragged in for consultation was already scared out of his wits, trembling at the operating room door: “Our department head is out for training today⦔
Yu Gui grabbed him and pulled him in: “Change into scrubs. It’s you.”
Hao Renjie held his forehead, wondering how this person seemed to be becoming more and more like Lu Qingshi.
“Don’t be afraid. Follow the surgical navigation. We’ll be your assistants. Just completely remove the tumor and reconstruct the digestive tract.”
Based on Wu Xinyuan’s tumor condition, Yu Gui had previously prepared several surgical plans. At this moment, she had some confidence. Teacher Lu once said, “Doing it doesn’t guarantee success, but not doing it guarantees failure.”
She glanced at Wu Xinyuan, who had a tube in her mouth and was under anesthesia, thinking: “Come on, it will surely be foujitailai.”
The lead surgeon across from her held the scalpel, hesitating to make the first cut. Everyone was watching him as the anesthesia time ticked away.
Yu Gui snatched the scalpel: “If you won’t do it, I will.”
“Yu ‘daizi’ (a term of endearment meaning ‘silly person’), why don’t we wait for your Teacher Lu to arrive⦔
Yu Gui made an incision on the disinfected skin: “We’ll wait for her to handle the crucial part. I’ll stop the bleeding first, otherwise, the patient won’t last long.”
Chen Yi stood up from the anesthesiologist’s position and looked at her: “Have you ever performed this kind of surgery?”
“I’ve done it on rabbits in the simulation operating room,” Yu Gui put down the scalpel. “Chest retractor.”
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Hao Renjie, with tears in his eyes, handed her the instrument: “Daizi, our future careers are in your hands now.”
“Muscle retractor. Pull, pull, pull. Hold it there. A bit more to that side.”
“Good, that’s it.”
“Suction.”
Fresh blood was continuously collected into the blood storage tank. The tumor’s location was now fully exposed.
A thin layer of sweat appeared on Yu Gui’s forehead as she steeled herself and said: “Monopolar electrocautery.”
She was about to make the incision when the operating room door suddenly opened. Xu Qiankun strode in, with a nurse running behind him, tying his surgical gown.
“Stop! This patient is a volunteer for nanoknife surgery. Her operation can only be done with the nanoknife!”
Yu Gui gripped the electrocautery tightly: “Her condition is so complex now, the nanoknife can’t possibly cure it completely!”
Xu Qiankun walked to her side: “Move aside. Who’s the department head, you or me? If I say it can be treated, then it can be treated!”
Of course, he wouldn’t joke with a patient’s life. He needed this patient to provide valuable clinical data for his research, so his paper could be published in journals and gain precious impact factor.
Yu Gui stubbornly refused to yield, her neck stiff with defiance. Several people pulled her away, their hands all over the place. The monopolar electrocautery fell into the tray with a “guang dang” (onomatopoeia for a clanging sound).
Hao Renjie held her arm: “Don’t be impulsive. Although he acts recklessly, he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be in the position of department head.”
Yu Gui glared at him with reddened eyes. If anything went wrong with Wu Xinyuan, she’ll swallow him alive.
“Bring the nanoknife.”
The assistant connected the equipment and glanced at him: “Ready, Director Xu.”
Xu Qiankun inserted the probe into the patient’s abdominal cavity, finding the right position: “Prepareβ”
Before he could finish, steady footsteps approached. Lu Qingshi, wearing green scrubs, slowly walked in.
“You can’t perform this surgery.”
Chen Yi, quick as lightning, turned off the switch.
With the help of the surgical nurse, Lu Qingshi put on her surgical gown, tying the strings as she walked.
“Move aside.”
Yu Gui wept with joy: “Teacher Lu!”
Xu Qiankun’s lips trembled with anger: “Lu Qingshi, don’t go too far!”
“The one going too far is you. For the sake of some disgusting paper, you disregard the patient’s safety and even drag Dean Meng into this. If the surgery succeeds, everyone’s happy, but if it fails, you’re using him as a scapegoat! Xu Qiankun, you’re unfit to be a doctor!”
She rarely lost her temper, but her tone was forceful and powerful. Those eyes, even behind magnifying glasses, remained cold and sharp, looking down at him with an imposing presence.
The operating room fell silent, everyone as quiet as cicadas in cold weather, not daring to make a sound. Only the sharp beeping of the machines could be heard.
The anesthesiologist stood up: “Not good, she’s lost too much blood. Blood pressure is dropping further!”
Lu Qingshi shouldered her way to the lead surgeon’s position: “Yu Gui, go submit a request for blood transfusion.”
“Anesthesiologist, prepare for extracorporeal circulation!”
“Gauze, give me the gauze.”
Lu Qingshi took it and pressed it down: “4.0 absorbable suture.”
“Administer 6mg of dopamine through the catheter into the vein.”
Lu Qingshi’s pace was lightning fast. The entire operating room staff was running around like spinning in circles (describing busy, hectic activity), no one was idle.
When Yu Gui rushed back with the blood, she almost collided head-on with Hao Renjie, who was delivering the pathology results.
“Teaβ¦ Teacher Lu, the blood’s here!”
She leaned in for a closer look. It had been less than ten minutes since she left to expedite the blood request, but the digestive tract had already been repaired. Lu Qingshi had cut another 2 millimeters from the edge of the previous surgery site and sent it for pathology.
The pathology results quickly came back to the operating room. She picked up the monopolar electrocautery: “The pancreas can’t be saved.”
Yu Gui gritted her teeth: “The prognosis will be very poor in that case⦔
The patient might need to live with an insulin pump for the rest of her life.
Lu Qingshi didn’t hesitate at all: “Saving her life is the priority. Go talk to the family.”
The grayish-black, hardened pancreas was removed from the abdominal cavity. Yu Gui placed it in the tray and sighed with relief: “Pancreas removal complete.”
Lu Qingshi was dealing with the secondary tumor in the stomach: “Suture.”
Yu Gui glanced at the surgery time on the wall clock. There were thirty minutes left before the anesthesia wore off. Splitting up to complete their respective parts was the fastest method.
She nodded: “Alright.”
No sooner had she spoken than a jet of blood sprayed onto the magnifying glass. Her vision blurred as warm, foul-smelling blood splattered all over her face. Her mind went blank, and she could only hear her own rapid breathing.
Yu Gui’s hand holding the needle holder began to shake. Cold sweat rolled down her forehead, and her back felt ice-cold.
In her daze, she heard the operating room descend into chaos: “Quick, get five units of red blood cells!”
Lu Qingshi roared: “There’s no time! Start the autologous blood recovery machine!”
“Anesthesiologist, hang the mannitol!”
“Use dopamine to maintain the blood pressure, now!”
She glanced at the dazed Yu Gui across from her, wishing she could grab her by the collar and shake her awake: “What the f*ck are you standing there like an idiot for? Hurry up and suture!”
“Teacher Luβ¦ I⦔ Her gaze fell to her right hand, shaking uncontrollably.
“Fifteen minutes left of anesthesia time,” the anesthesiologist pressed the stopwatch and started counting down.
Lu Qingshi’s hands never stopped moving. Her work was far more complex than Yu Gui’s. The digestive tract hadn’t been fully reconstructed yet, and the bile duct and intestine anastomosis was in progress. At this point, they couldn’t afford to stop at any step.
“Don’t be afraid of bleeding. Even in minimally invasive procedures, there’s no such thing as a completely bloodless surgery in clinical practice. This is a rite of passage for every doctor. If you can’t overcome this level of bleeding, how can you talk about staying at Renji Medical University as an attending physician? What a joke!”
“I hope the next time I see Dr. Yu, you’ll be wearing an attending physician’s badge.”
The young girl stood before her, speaking with eyes full of trust and admiration.
Yu Gui took a deep breath: “I understand.”
“Forceps.” A blood-stained hand reached out, and the instrument nurse placed the tool in her palm.
“Hemostatic clamp.” Yu Gui extended her other hand, firmly grasping the hemostatic clamp.
Operating with both hands simultaneously is one of the more challenging techniques, but her proficiency was high. She stood at the operating table opposite Lu Qingshi, both pairs of gloved hands moving swiftly under the shadowless lamp.
“4.0 absorbable suture.”
“4.0 absorbable suture.”
They both reached out at the same time, and the nurse handed them needle holders with the sutures already threaded.
“Ten minutes left until the end of surgery.”
Threading the needle, pulling the suture, and tying knots were basic operations Yu Gui had practiced thousands of times in private. Her movements were meticulous within the rough (indicating attention to detail while maintaining speed).
Lu Qingshi, on the other hand, displayed a different kind of beauty in her movements, flowing like clouds and water. She stood at the operating table with a commanding presence, her eyes sharp and focused, each stitch and suture perfectly placed.
“Five minutes left until the end of surgery time.”
The anesthesiologist announced the time again.
A thin layer of sweat appeared on Yu Gui’s forehead.
“Bile duct and intestine anastomosis complete.”
Lu Qingshi put down the needle holder: “Give me 6.0 absorbable suture.”
As expected from a doctor with years of clinical immersion and rich surgical experience, even though Yu Gui was giving it her all, her speed was still negligible in Lu Qingshi’s eyes.
“Three minutes left of anesthesia time.”
Yu Gui silently bit her lower lip, her eyes bloodshot.
Must not lose.
Absolutely must not.
The observing doctors gaped in exaggeration: “This⦔
In the final three minutes, Yu Gui and Lu Qingshi’s speeds maintained a delicate balance.
From an observer’s perspective, Lu Qingshi was slightly faster, but from a professional standpoint, Yu Gui could by no means be called slow.
“So impressive⦔ An intern who had started at the same time couldn’t help but praise.
“Could you do it?” The question was directed at the winner of this round’s intern competition.
After pondering for a moment, he shook his head: “I couldn’t do it in such a short time. Besides⦔
He turned his gaze towards Lu Qingshi: “With that surgical machine-like presence, just standing next to her is pressure in itself.”
“Countdown, ten.”
The anesthesiologist pressed the stopwatch. Everyone were breaking out in a cold sweat for them.
“Six.”
As the count reached six, Lu Qingshi put down her needle holder: “Digestive tract reconstruction complete.”
She turned to watch Yu Gui, who is turning a deaf ear to her gaze, fully immersed in her own world, her hands moving without slowing, swiftly pulling the needle and tying knots.
“Four.”
All eyes were on her.
“Three.”
Due to the prolonged high-speed exertion, her wrist protested under the strain, sending a heart-piercing pain.
Yu Gui bit her lower lip hard, sweat sliding down her face, which the nurse wiped away for her.
“Two.”
She pulled through another stitch.
“One.”
Her right hand deftly tied a knot.
Just one more stitch for a perfect suture.
She inserted the needle holder again.
“Zero! Surgery time’s up!” Cheers erupted simultaneously with the anesthesiologist’s announcement.
Yu Gui managed to pull through that final stitch at the last moment, tying the knot with one hand.
The anesthesiologist stood up and loudly announced the surgery’s success, with the patient’s vital signs stable.
Hao Renjie rushed over and gave her a hearty shoulder bump: “Impressive, Yu daizi!”
Yu Gui hadn’t fully come to her senses yet, and the bump caused the instruments in her hand to fly out. What brought her back to reality was the intense cramping in her wrist.
Cradling her right hand, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Her expression was a mix of conflicted emotions, pain, and immense joy.
Lu Qingshi put down her needle holder, took off her gloves, and tossed them in the trash: “Too slow. Be quicker next time.”
Everyone bowed to her as she left: “Thank you for your hard work, Director Lu.”
She walked out of the operating room without looking back, a slight smile on her lips.
Yu Gui, eager to share the good news with Wu Xinyu, also took off her surgical gown and ran out. Chen Yi called out to stop her.
“Dr. Yu.”
She turned around.
The anesthesiologist stood up from his chair: “Thank you for your hard work.”
Liu Qingyun: “Good job.”
Hao Renjie: “Well done, Yu daizi.”
An intern from her cohort: “Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Yu. We must learn from you next time.”
Yu Gui’s lips curled into a slightly shy smile as she bowed deeply to everyone.
“Thank you, everyone.”
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