Chapter 132: Group Fight
It was 9:40 PM, the dark sky was like a hanging curtain, dotted with stars.
“This parking fee is insane; it’s almost as much as my car fare from Hanshi City to En City,” Lu Cheng grumbled as he scanned his QR code to exit.
Mu Nanshu said, “Thirty yuan a day is expensive in En City, but in some places in Hanshi City, it’s considered reasonable.”
“But having a car is convenient after all,” Mu Nanshu said, sitting comfortably in the passenger seat and looking out the window.
“The scenery around the train station has changed a lot compared to before; it wasn’t like this back then.”
Mu Nanshu studied in Magic City for university. At that time, Long County didn’t have a train line yet, so her student discount zone was from Magic City to En City, while Lu Cheng’s discount zone was from Hanshi City to En City.
Lu Cheng and Mu Nanshu traveled together, but sometimes Mu Nanshu would buy a ticket from En City to Magic City and get off in Hanshi City, or Lu Cheng would extend his journey all the way to Magic City…
“Do you want to get off and buy something to eat? I wonder if that fried and braised duck collarbone place is still there,” Lu Cheng asked, turning on his left turn signal.
Lu Cheng and Mu Nanshu’s memories were filled with trivial bits and pieces, things they ate and drank, and nothing else.
Everyday memories are quite trivial.
“Let’s not do that. If we’re eating fried and braised food, we might as well go back to Long County for some barbecue,” Mu Nanshu shook her head.
Lu Cheng straightened his turn signal: “Then I’ll just follow the navigation back.”
“Mhm, okay!~” Mu Nanshu yawned.
She often stayed up late, but staying up late didn’t mean she wasn’t sleepy; she usually fought off her sleepiness to study and work.
It’s less than a two-hour drive from En City to Long County via the expressway.
Lu Cheng first took Mu Nanshu to Chengxin Plaza Residential Area where she lived. After taking her upstairs, he helped her make her bed.
“Then you rest first, I’m going back to work.”
“It’s 11:42 PM now, and I can just make it to the department to be on duty by midnight.” Lu Cheng glanced around; the floor still needed cleaning, but he genuinely didn’t have time.
“Go ahead. You have to go on duty, can you handle it?” Mu Nanshu asked.
Lu Cheng waved his hand indifferently, not lingering: “Ah, what’s there to handle in our line of work? We just endure it.”
Mu Nanshu watched Lu Cheng’s receding back and didn’t try to stop him. Only after Lu Cheng disappeared from the doorway did she start cleaning.
This time, if she were to seriously work on the research project in Long County, she would have to stay for at least a few months, or even half a year.
This is her first official research project after starting work, so she definitely had to do it well to account for it to the laboratory and her unit.
She is currently a full-time researcher. She can set her own holidays, but she must have output.
Papers and applying for research projects are all considered output.
And as long as you have enough output, no one will bother you even if you sleep at home every day.
“…”
“Brother Han, thank you for your hard work. I’m sorry, something truly delayed me, which is why I’m back late.”
“I’ll treat you to a meal another day.” As Lu Cheng entered the Doctor’s Lounge, Han Xiaoping was lying on the bed reading a novel.
Han Xiaoping jumped up and replied politely, “Brother Lu, you’re back. No need to be so polite. It’s just a matter of lying down and resting anyway.”
“You wouldn’t believe it, Brother Lu, but our department was a bit chaotic while you were on leave. Many emergency patients were asking where you went.”
“They heard you were on leave and complained quite a bit.”
Han Xiaoping gave a thumbs-up: “Brother Lu, you’re really amazing, you’ve truly made tendon suturing a specialty in our county.”
Tendon injury is an emergency condition. Before getting injured, no one pays attention to which doctor is good at it, but once someone gets injured, they’ll ask around through connections which doctor is good at suturing.
This is human nature.
However, Lu Cheng happened to be on leave to study, which was a legitimate reason. Techniques are learned, not conjured out of thin air.
“Did you get into any fights?” Lu Cheng asked Han Xiaoping with a smile.
“Arguing would be a valid reason too, right? Would an argument get you called back?”
“The hospital dispatched you to learn a technique; the procedures are all formal. Arguing wouldn’t solve anything, would it?”
“However, Dr. Peng Kun from the Orthopedics department has also been doing quite well with tendon suturing recently.”
“Although, like you, Brother Lu, the tendon areas he can adapt to are very narrow, Professor Chen said the surgery quality is good,” Han Xiaoping said.
Lu Cheng knew that Han Xiaoping might be worried about the Orthopedics department taking away the Emergency Department’s patient volume, so Lu Cheng replied, “It’s good if they do well. I can’t be on duty every day by myself, so it’s good that more people learn this technique.”
“Brother Han, you can go back now,” Lu Cheng said politely.
After Han Xiaoping left, he turned around holding his Square Head, saying, “Brother Lu, can you take some time to mentor me privately sometime?”
“Although I’m not as fast a learner as Tian Zhuang, I’ve put in the effort. It feels like I’m just one step away.”
Lu Cheng nodded and replied, “Sure, Brother Han. If you have any questions, just send them to me directly. I’ll reply when I see them. If you want to discuss it privately, we can schedule a separate time.”
“Thank you, Brother Lu.” Han Xiaoping bowed with a smile and left. Of course, as he released his clasped hands, he pointed to the takeout bag on the window.
There were two takeout orders: one was coffee, and the other was Big Bowl Rice from the place Lu Cheng and Professor Chen Song often ate.
While Tian Zhuang didn’t learn these methods of Lu Cheng’s, Han Xiaoping and Du Daihua actually grasped the ‘essence’!
Or rather, the two of them didn’t even need to learn; they weren’t much worse than Lu Cheng. It’s all about social graces; as long as one isn’t exceptionally difficult, they can learn the form.
With the items placed there, Lu Cheng couldn’t refuse.
Since he hadn’t eaten much that evening, and adhering to the principle of not wasting food, Lu Cheng started eating and drinking while on a video call with Mu Nanshu, watching her clean, which was quite the late-night temptation.
As a result, Mu Nanshu also ordered takeout and even complained to Lu Cheng a few times.
Hearing Mu Nanshu’s complaints, Lu Cheng was delighted rather than angered; this kind of Mu Nanshu was at least sixty to seventy percent back to her usual self.
Being magnanimous and considerate is about maintaining relationships through social graces, not through mere interaction.
…
After hanging up the video call, just as Lu Cheng was about to open a book, the door to the lounge was hurriedly knocked on by Nurse Yao Lina from the Nurse Station.
“Lu Cheng, come out quickly!”
“The police called to say they’re bringing over eight people… On-duty Zeng Huanqi has already called Director Lin and the others, and Orthopedics is also mobilized…” Yao Lina spoke and left in a hurry.
Long County is located in northwestern Xiangxi. The local customs are fierce, and arguments or fights are common if people disagree; many years ago, group fights and knife attacks were rampant.
For a period of time, anyone with Xiangxi origins was blacklisted for migrant work, and employers wouldn’t hire them.
After the severe crackdown, these local customs began to dissipate significantly, but incidents still occasionally occur!
They sent over seven or eight people in one go.
After hearing this, Lu Cheng hesitated for only two seconds before immediately calling the on-duty doctor in Orthopedics. As he ran out, he shouted rapidly, “Xiang Kuihua, Emergency Department, the police are bringing over eight injured individuals. Hurry and call Director Peng and Director Liu…”
“Holy cow, okay!~” Xiang Kuihua didn’t dare to delay and immediately hung up the phone in response.
