Chapter 171: A Face-Slap Delivered to the Door

Chapter 171 -170: A Face-Slap Delivered to the Door

For Luo Qing right now, the greatest fear was infection!

Yu Zhiming couldn’t move her from the operating room rashly, so he, Professor Qi Yue, and the anesthesiologist and nurse waiting outside went to check on the injured person in the hallway.

The injured person was unconscious—and drunk.

Even before Yu Zhiming got close, he could smell the strong stench of alcohol coming off the man.

Although Qi Yue was a nationally renowned diagnostic expert, as an internal medicine physician, he hadn’t wielded a scalpel in years.

When it came to emergency trauma care, he was far less practiced and skilled than the current Yu Zhiming.

In a situation like this, Yu Zhiming, with his talent for diagnosing injuries, naturally took the lead.

The drunk man had two stab wounds, both in his lower abdomen. The anesthesiologist was applying pressure to stop the bleeding.

Yu Zhiming placed his hand on the man’s lower abdomen, patting and pressing for a moment before ordering, “Scalpel, hemostat!”

After a flurry of hurried footsteps, a large, round, long-handled scalpel was placed in Yu Zhiming’s hand.

With a swift movement, Yu Zhiming made an unexpectedly deep incision in the man’s lower abdomen near his left waist.

The next moment, Yu Zhiming reached for the hemostat, inserted it into the fresh incision, and clamped a blood vessel.

He had done this because he had detected that one of the man’s celiac artery branches had been severed.

Arteries are elastic and retract when severed, making it difficult to find the disconnected vessel at the wound site.

Most importantly, Yu Zhiming didn’t have the facilities here to perform a laparotomy and suture the vessel.

So, he simply located the proximal end of the bleeding artery branch and clamped it upstream.

He used this temporary measure to stop the bleeding for the time being.

Having done all this, Yu Zhiming stood up.

“Start two IV lines on him. Infuse saline, glucose, and anti-inflammatories.”

“Then dress the wound and get him to a hospital, quickly!”

Following Yu Zhiming’s orders, the nurse scurried back to the temporary operating room to get the medication and dressing supplies.

A middle-aged police officer standing guard by the drunk man asked worriedly, “Doctor, if we send him off just like this, will something happen on the way?”

Yu Zhiming patiently explained, “His severe bleeding just now was because a branch of his celiac artery was severed. I’ve already stopped it with a hemostat.”

“Also, the stab wound injured his small and large intestines, but no other organs were damaged.”

“With this type of injury, and with the main source of bleeding controlled, he’ll be fine for another two or three hours.”

Qi Yue also explained, “This is a temporary operating room for brain injuries. Not only are we short on the right medications for this kind of abdominal trauma, but we don’t have the full set of surgical instruments either.”

The middle-aged officer didn’t quite understand what Qi Yue was saying, but Yu Zhiming’s words, “he’ll be fine for another two or three hours,” registered with him.

After the IV was set up and the man’s wound was simply dressed, the officer and his colleague hurriedly carried the unconscious drunk out…

Yu Zhiming then began the process of transferring Luo Qing.

The most critical step was carefully moving her into a sterile transport isolette.

This sterile transport isolette was like a larger version of a neonatal incubator, shaped like a large, transparent box.

Yu Zhiming and a nurse changed into fresh sterile gowns, carefully lifted the still-anesthetized Luo Qing into the isolette, and then moved the isolette to the ambulance waiting at ground level…

Afterward, acting as the temporary transport physician, Yu Zhiming and Luo Ying escorted Luo Qing back to Huashan Hospital…

Back at Huashan Hospital, another flurry of activity ensued.

By the time Yu Zhiming finished his work and finally returned to his residence at Zijin Garden, it was past midnight.

He quietly opened the door to find that his Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and Gu Qingning were all still awake.

They had all been waiting for him.

“Fifth Brother, you must be exhausted and starving, right? Go wash up first. There’s a huge feast waiting for you…”

After a quick wash, Yu Zhiming sat at the dining table. Looking at the spread his Third Sister had made, including steaming hot dumplings, he felt a warmth spread through his heart.

‘It feels so good to have family who cares about you.’

“Third Sister, thank you!”

Yu Xinyue huffed softly, then urged him with a pained look, “Fifth Brother, stop getting all sentimental and just eat.”

“Lao Si said that since you came to Binhai, you’ve been leaving for work early in the morning and not getting back until it’s completely dark. You work so hard every day.”

Yu Zhiming chuckled. “Isn’t that how it is for all young doctors? We’re not afraid of being busy, we’re afraid of our superiors not giving us any work.”

“Most importantly, I’m not just spinning my wheels. While I’m improving myself, the pay is also quite substantial.”

He ate a dumpling, and seeing that his Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and Gu Qingning were still just watching him without picking up their chopsticks, he asked, “Why aren’t you eating? Have you all eaten already?”

“There’s so much food on the table.”

At his words, Yu Xinyue, Yu Xiangwan, and Gu Qingning all picked up their chopsticks and took a few token bites of food.

“Fifth Brother, we’ve been snacking on fruit and other things all evening while waiting for you. Even though we haven’t had a proper meal, we’re pretty much full.”

Yu Xiangwan explained.

Gu Qingning placed some chive and egg on Yu Zhiming’s plate and changed the subject. “Zhiming, we went to buy fruit this evening and made a special trip to that fruit shop Xiaoxue mentioned.”

“The owner’s wife was minding the shop. She said her husband had surgery at the hospital and is now recovering.”

At the mention of this, Yu Xiangwan said with a note of dissatisfaction, “Zhiming, that woman didn’t mention at all…”

“…that it was thanks to a kind and highly skilled young doctor that her husband realized something was wrong and was able to go to the hospital for a check-up and treatment in time.”

“If you ask me, they’re not grateful people.”

Yu Zhiming smiled and said nonchalantly, “It was just my professional instincts kicking in. I saw something was off with him and helped with a quick check-up, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting anything in return.”

Yu Xinyue nodded gently. “Fifth Brother is right. If you do a good deed expecting a reward, it’s not really a good deed anymore.”

Gu Qingning also offered her opinion, “Ungrateful people are in the minority. Societal pressure and public opinion will teach them a lesson.”

“Just like that family of three we met by Ning’an Lake. Didn’t they end up making a special trip to deliver a silk banner and flowers?”

Yu Xiangwan chuckled. “That’s true. Fifth Brother, more than one person must know about you helping that fruit shop owner.”

“That couple runs a business. If their new and old customers find out they don’t repay kindness, they’ll most likely stop buying fruit from them.”

Yu Zhiming couldn’t help but laugh. “Fourth Sister, you’re so focused on them being grateful. Are you hoping to get free fruit from their shop?”

Yu Xiangwan shot him a look and retorted, “Am I that shallow?”

“It’s not like I can’t afford the fruit.”

“It’s just that with the way society is these days, people are afraid to be good Samaritans.”

“If you do a good deed and don’t even get a thank you, then over time, there will be fewer and fewer good people and good deeds.”

Yu Zhiming chuckled. “I never knew you were so enlightened, Fourth Sister. So worried about the state of our social etiquette.”

Yu Xiangwan huffed loudly and said smugly, “Fifth Brother, your Fourth Sister has always been highly enlightened.”

“Take my short-term rental business, for example. Subjectively, I’m serving the families of patients from our hometown, providing them with a clean and affordable place to stay. Objectively, I’m just making a little pocket money on the side.”

Gu Qingning suppressed a laugh and said, “Sister Xiang Wan, speaking of your short-term rental business, capsule rooms might be a good fit.”

But Yu Xiangwan shook her head. “I’ve looked into it. Those capsule units cost tens of thousands each. They’re quite expensive.”

“I’ll start by renting a few apartments and take it slow. Later, when the business grows and I have the money…”

Yu Xiangwan declared heroically, “I’ll fund the construction of my own small-unit apartment building just for rentals…”

Yu Xinyue teased, “You’re going to talk the ears off all the cows back home. Hurry up and eat.”

“Finish up so you can rest. Fifth Brother has work tomorrow!”

After dinner, Yu Zhiming took some time to digest. Since he also had trouble falling asleep, it was past two in the morning by the time he finally drifted off.

This led to him showing up for work at the hospital the next morning with dark circles under his eyes again, looking lethargic.

As soon as he arrived at the Qi Yue Medical Research Center, Yu Zhiming was summoned to the director’s office by Qi Yue.

“Zhiming, do you remember that young patient who was chronically weak and ill for unknown reasons?”

Yu Zhiming nodded and replied, “Of course. The one from the rich family, who got poached by Qiu Yi midway through.”

“What about him? Didn’t Qiu Yi already diagnose him?”

“Don’t tell me there’s another problem.”

Qi Yue let out a hearty laugh and said, “The child’s parents have come back to apologize to me, asking us to take over the child’s treatment.”

Yu Zhiming’s spirits lifted. “Professor, you didn’t refuse, did you?”

Qi Yue said pretentiously, “This concerns a child’s health, even his life. As a doctor, how could I let my personal feelings get in the way?”

“I naturally agreed.”

Yu Zhiming grinned to himself. ‘An opportunity for a slap in the face to be delivered right to our door? Of course you wouldn’t refuse, Professor.’

“Zhiming, get ready. This Sunday, you’ll accompany me to the Capital City for a house call to diagnose that child.”

A house call, and this Sunday at that. Yu Zhiming was in a bind…

P.S.

Thank you to reader “Four-Eyed Hamster Dad” for the tip!