Chapter 24: The Blind Date Who Played ‘very Wildly’
In Feng County, at noon, the scorching sun was once again fierce.
The pretentious coffee shop was decorated with a strong sense of plastic, playing slow-paced ‘foreign exotic’ music.
Lu Cheng closed his mobile phone on the table and introduced himself with a light smile, “My name is Lu Cheng. Aunt Wang should have introduced me. I’m an emergency department doctor at the County People’s Hospital.”
The person who arrived was a girl in her mid-to-late twenties, with a delicate face, a good figure, and an elegant temperament. As she put down her bag, she apologized slightly, “After I got off work, another parent came to ask about grades, so I was a little delayed.”
“Doctor Lu, didn’t my aunt（ aunt） say you were an orthopedic doctor? Why do you say you’re an emergency doctor?”
Lu Cheng was on a blind date. It’s a common pairing for introducers to match teachers with doctors.
“This month, just yesterday, I applied to transfer to the emergency department. I used to work in orthopedics.”
Lu Cheng casually explained and then asked, “Teacher Wang, are we just going through the motions today, or are we ticking a box?”
Lu Cheng had about seventeen or eighteen blind date experiences, so he was quite familiar with the ‘process’ of blind dating. Some people can’t stand their families urging them, so they just go through the motions.
The woman chose to turn off her mobile phone at this moment and asked curiously, “Doctor Lu, naturally I’m here for a proper blind date. I’m not here to tick a box or go through the motions.”
“Why did you transfer from orthopedics to the emergency department? Orthopedics is so good, and the salary is high.”
“The emergency department is tiring and doesn’t pay much?”
The corner of Lu Cheng’s eye twitched. “You also think the income from orthopedics is very high? That’s true, but the situation in our hospital is a bit different.”
“The hospital’s establishment is based on differential performance. Remuneration is redistributed according to performance points. However, there are five chief physicians in our department. I’m just a junior attending physician… so the performance doesn’t concern me…”
“That’s why I went to the emergency department.”
‘Wang Xinyue’ suddenly realized and expressed understanding, “So that’s how it is… Doctor Lu, what are your future career plans? Have you ever thought about venturing out?”
This is also a common question during blind dates. Generally, teachers who stay in the county town are content with their current situation and do not want their blind date partners to leave, wasting their time.
Lu Cheng shook his head, “Not for now.”
“For now? That means you might work elsewhere in the future?” ‘Wang Xinyue’ was not surprised.
“I can’t rule out that possibility. Mainly, you can’t learn much in a county hospital, and there aren’t many surgeries. Slightly complex patients are quickly pushed away… it’s a bit like a senior guide…”
“Of course, it’s not as simple as me wanting to leave.”
“Medicine is highly competitive.”
“Without academic qualifications, you won’t have an ‘elegant’ stepping stone.”
“Without connections, you won’t get a comfortable position either.”
“Without cases and learning opportunities, you won’t acquire techniques that others don’t have.”
“So it’s just a one-sided wish,” Lu Cheng replied.
The barriers in medicine are very high. Although it’s a field where one earns based on ability, to possess ‘irreplaceable’ strength, one needs to learn from a mentor, not just ‘self-reflection.’
The learning, practice, and mastery of any technique require years of painstaking effort…
“Then you could take the postgraduate entrance exam? Many of my medical classmates have pursued postgraduate studies or even doctorates.” ‘Wang Xinyue’ seemed to treat this blind date not as a ‘formal blind date,’ but rather as an opportunity to chat.
Lu Cheng chuckled, “I’ve never been competitive before. Now that I’m so old, there’s no chance to take the postgraduate entrance exam anymore.”
Of course, Lu Cheng added, “Well, actually, pursuing postgraduate studies or a doctorate isn’t something you can do just because you want to. Every year, there are a large number of current and former students taking the postgraduate entrance exam, and only a small fraction manage to get accepted.”
‘Wang Xinyue’ asked with interest, “Doctor Lu, did you encounter unfairness when you took the postgraduate entrance exam before?”
Lu Cheng fell silent, remaining silent for a full minute. “Not exactly.”
‘Wang Xinyue’ said, “I heard you were from Hanshi University before. That’s a top university! How could you not succeed in your postgraduate entrance exam?”
Hanshi University’s overall ranking was within the top ten nationwide. While its medical program wasn’t that outstanding, the admission scores were certainly not low.
“Medicine is an empirical discipline. Postgraduate and doctoral entrance exams have little to do with academics,” Lu Cheng said casually and then added, “Teacher Wang, let’s talk about something else.”
“I’ll briefly outline my basic situation. I’ll be thirty in September. I have a mortgaged apartment, and my car was bought outright for over a hundred thousand yuan.”
“I smoke, don’t drink, don’t eat betel nuts, have no romantic experience… I’ve been on over a dozen blind dates…”
“Teacher Wang, do you have any other questions?”
‘Wang Xinyue’ listened, and her phoenix eyes slightly lifted, “Doctor Lu, Teacher Wang is busy today. Actually, my name is Han Jingyi…”
Lu Cheng’s expression was calm, “Then Teacher Han, please ask the questions.”
There are many forms of blind dates; some have friends attending, some have parents attending, and some even have boyfriends attending personally…
Han Jingyi thought for a moment and suddenly asked, “Doctor Lu, do you mind if I switch blind date partners?”
Lu Cheng’s expression flickered.
The games modern women play seem to be a bit outrageous?
Lu Cheng: “…”
After a careful look, Lu Cheng realized that the girl sitting opposite him was also a beauty. She had a standard oval face, naturally long eyebrows that didn’t need to be drawn, large eyes with dark, bright pupils, a well-defined nose bridge, and a slender neck…
He didn’t know if she was here to test him, but since she was playing such games, Lu Cheng felt he didn’t need to treat her as a ‘normal person’!
“That’s fine then!~” Lu Cheng forced a smile.
“Doctor Lu, would you mind if your blind date partner had a higher academic qualification than you and was also in the same profession?” Han Jingyi asked.
“You’re a doctor too?” Lu Cheng looked at the girl opposite him with surprise.
Han Jingyi lowered her head slightly and said discreetly, “Mm, I suppose so. Doctor Lu, I’m just an academic doctorate now. I’m only in my first year of pursuing my doctorate…”
Upon hearing this, Lu Cheng asked, “Doctor Han, you’re not here to test me on behalf of Teacher Wang, are you?”
“There’s really no need for that. If she didn’t want to go on the blind date, she could have just replied to a message. There was no need to go through so many detours.”
Han Jingyi looked up and shook her head, “Not at all, Senior Brother Lu… Take a good look again? Do you remember me?”
Lu Cheng looked at Han Jingyi carefully again. His mind couldn’t match her with anyone he had met before. However, her calling him Senior Brother made Lu Cheng a bit uneasy.
“I really don’t remember,” Lu Cheng said.
“Hanshi University, Zhongnan Hospital, Orthopedics Department Two…”
“You were a standardized training doctor then, and I was a research assistant working with Professor Lan,” Han Jingyi explained earnestly again.
“You were also the first in the written examination at Shanghai Huashan Hospital.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Cheng’s eyes became clearer. “Han? Why are you here? Are you also from our Xiangzhou?”
Han Jingyi shook her head, her eyes clear. “No, I’m from the neighboring Feng County. Wang Xinyue and I were high school classmates. After graduation, I came to Long County and got a position on the establishment. She said she didn’t want to go on a blind date.”
“So she asked me to stand in for her. I happened to be on vacation, and when I realized it was you, Senior Brother, I walked in.”
“Senior Brother Lu, why didn’t you try for the second round of examination again back then? Your scores were so good…” Han Jingyi asked.
Lu Cheng and ‘Han Jingyi’ were old acquaintances, so he replied, “I was young and proud, and hadn’t experienced the harsh realities of society. I thought I could make a name for myself even without a good mentor.”
“As a result, I was beaten down like a drowned rat, and I couldn’t even stay in my original orthopedic department.”
Medicine is an empirical discipline. Without good teachers to guide you and sufficient patient cases for support, even great talent is useless, let alone someone with just a bit of aptitude!
It’s useless to awaken a system if there are no patients.
“Actually, looking back, I shouldn’t have aimed too high back then. I should have diligently applied to our own hospital or chosen to retake the exam.” Lu Cheng’s voice carried a hint of melancholy, but he wasn’t entirely dejected.
Perhaps having a little talent wasn’t enough to support Lu Cheng’s ‘arrogance,’ but with a system, it might be possible.
“Senior Brother Lu, I heard that you applied to Fuda University for college entrance exams and postgraduate entrance exams. You were so fixated on Fuda University? Is there some secret?” Han Jingyi asked seemingly casually.
Lu Cheng straightened his posture slightly, carefully sizing up the person before him, his eyes narrowing, and he asked with a laugh, “Doctor Han, are you here for a blind date or for gossip? I feel like your intentions are not quite pure?”
Han Jingyi nodded towards a certain direction thoughtfully, “A bit of both… I was actually assigned too.”
Lu Cheng turned his head to look, and a figure that appeared more mature yet familiar was seated there. As Lu Cheng looked, she became ‘familiar’ and nervous again…
