Chapter 61: One Good Turn Deserves Another

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: One Good Turn Deserves Another

At six o’clock on Wednesday morning, Yu Zhiming was jolted awake by his digital alarm clock.

He got out of bed and went to the bathroom, only to find two prominent dark circles under his eyes in the mirror.

Last night, Yu Zhiming had once again been studying the patient Xu Feng’s consultation notes and medical records, losing track of time until it was well past midnight.

He was trying to find another possible diagnosis to overturn his original hypothesis.

Or, failing that, to find more substantial evidence to support his own hypothesis about the shingles virus.

He had failed on both counts.

For once, it wasn’t the noise that kept him up last night; he had simply lain in bed, unable to fall asleep.

He knew it was a sign of self-doubt.

He was anxious and uneasy, knowing that a patient’s health—and life—could be in jeopardy because of his hypothesis.

’When it came down to it, it was because I have too little experience. My heart isn’t hard enough, not ruthless enough...’

Yu Zhiming methodically went through his morning routine: relieving himself, washing his face and brushing his teeth, and taking a quick, simple shower to wake himself up.

Then, he led a sleepy-eyed Fourth Sister and Xiaoxue through a twenty-minute aerobics routine.

Afterward, Yu Zhiming returned to his bedroom and, out of habit, took out a thick, foreign-language medical textbook to study...

At 7:20 AM, he was called out of his bedroom for breakfast.

Breakfast had been prepared by Yu Xiangwan and Fu Xiaoxue.

There was millet congee simmered with peanuts, mung beans, and red dates.

They each had two boiled eggs and two large slices of braised beef.

The main course was large steamed buns filled with minced pork and green beans, each the size of an adult’s fist.

Yu Xiangwan and Fu Xiaoxue had made them for their own dinner the previous night and had deliberately made extra.

This morning, they had reheated them in a steamer.

Yu Xiangwan had also prepared a small dish of pickled cucumbers and a salad of shredded cucumber, carrot, and kelp.

Yu Zhiming expressed his satisfaction with the rich and well-paired breakfast, praising Fourth Sister and Xiaoxue for their hard work and effort.

He also expressed his hopes for his Fourth Sister.

He hoped she would keep up the good work and not let it be a flash in the pan, only to resort to buying takeout for breakfast after a few days...

After breakfast, the three of them tidied up briefly, grabbed the things they had packed the previous night, and left the apartment together.

This morning, Yu Xiangwan and Fu Xiaoxue were going to accompany Yu Zhiming on his bike-share ride to Huashan Hospital.

Biking to and from work was a decision Yu Zhiming had made the night before.

He planned to use the bike-share service for a while first.

If this commute proved to be convenient and practical, he would then consider buying his own bicycle or e-bike.

The three of them each wore a large, bulging backpack, all filled with Yu Zhiming’s belongings.

There was the mug Yu Zhiming used for drinking water and making tea back at the county hospital, as well as a canister of Kuding tea, which his mother had personally roasted to help him stay alert.

There were also a light blanket, a quilt, a pillow, pajamas, slippers, two complete changes of clothes with shoes and socks, a travel-sized toiletries kit, an umbrella, and so on.

As a young doctor, night shifts were inevitable.

Sometimes, special, urgent cases came up, and he might have to stay at the hospital for days on end.

Therefore, it was essential to keep supplies for resting, changes of clothes, and personal hygiene at the hospital.

In addition, there were snacks to stave off hunger and provide an energy boost, like hard candies, crackers, chocolate, and walnuts.

These were for when he got too busy and missed a meal, or had no time to eat at all. The snacks would tide him over.

They had also packed several small jars of dried sweet potato strips, a favorite snack of Yu Zhiming’s that his mother also made for him...

Even at eight in the morning in late July, walking through the residential complex in Binhai was a sweltering, dry heat.

The sun beat down with a noticeable, burning intensity.

Unlike his sister and Xiaoxue, Yu Zhiming wasn’t armed to the teeth against the sun with protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.

’Even in the broiling heat of midsummer, a cumulative total of less than an hour of sun exposure per day is more beneficial than harmful.’

’It’s just that more and more people hide away in air-conditioned rooms all summer, causing their bodies’ ability to adapt to the heat to deteriorate.’

’Some people even develop vitamin D deficiencies from lack of sun exposure, leading to symptoms resembling arthritis, fibromyalgia—which is chronic muscle pain and fatigue—or even osteoporosis.’

Yu Zhiming had tried to explain this to his Fourth Sister and Xiaoxue.

But the two of them were far more afraid of getting a tan than anything else and wouldn’t listen to a word he said.

Not far from the complex entrance, the three of them used their phones to unlock three bike-share bicycles.

Yu Xiangwan led the way, with Yu Zhiming in the middle and Fu Xiaoxue bringing up the rear. They set off on their ride.

Since their route mostly consisted of small alleys between complexes and roads within older neighborhoods, there was little traffic. The buildings also provided plenty of shade, so Yu Zhiming found the ride quite pleasant.

At the very least, the journey was smooth and free of traffic jams, and they passed very few traffic lights.

As they wound through the streets and alleys, turning into an old neighborhood that could almost be called a shantytown, Yu Zhiming suddenly heard an incredibly familiar sound.

He squeezed his brakes instinctively and came to a stop.

Yu Zhiming looked in the direction of the sound...

In another narrow alley, a woman with a ponytail, wearing capri pants, sneakers, and sunglasses, was tapping a white cane lightly against the pitted concrete as she walked toward their street...

"Uncle..."

Yu Zhiming glanced back at Xiaoxue, who had stopped behind him, then pushed hard on his pedals and resumed riding...

At 8:13 AM, after a ride of eighteen minutes, the three of them arrived smoothly at Huashan Hospital.

Bike-share bicycles weren’t allowed inside the hospital grounds.

They had to park the bikes in a designated area by the road and walk into the hospital carrying their backpacks.

At 8:23 AM, Yu Xiangwan and Fu Xiaoxue accompanied Yu Zhiming to the main office of the Qi Yue Medical Research Center.

Yu Zhiming pushed the door open and saw that Zhou Mo was already there.

On his desk, he was surprised to see a new potted plant with lush, thick leaves so green they looked dewy.

"Zhou Mo, morning! This plant...?"

"Dr. Yu, good morning! It’s a succulent, a jade plant. A little welcome gift for you."

"Sister Yu, hello!"

"And this must be your beautiful and clever niece..."

Within a few sentences, the three women were chatting away warmly, leaving Yu Zhiming to put his things away by himself.

Fortunately, his belongings weren’t heavy and had already been organized, so all Yu Zhiming had to do was take them out of the backpacks and put them away in his locker and desk drawers.

After finishing the task in two or three minutes, Yu Zhiming looked over at his Fourth Sister, Xiaoxue, and Zhou Mo, who were all smiling and chatting happily.

"Fourth Sister, Xiaoxue, you two should get going."

Yu Xiangwan took a backpack from Yu Zhiming and said to Zhou Mo with a light laugh, "Zhou Mo, once we get more familiar with the neighborhood, we’ll have you over as a guest."

Zhou Mo replied with a beaming "Okay."

After seeing off Yu Xiangwan and Fu Xiaoxue, Zhou Mo looked at Yu Zhiming’s dark circles and laughed. "Dr. Yu, how many days will it take for you to get used to the new bed?"

Yu Zhiming touched the skin under his eyes and said evasively, "I just got here. Everything takes some time to get used to."

He glanced at the pretty, thriving plant and said in a polite but distant tone, "Zhou Mo, thank you for the plant."

"It’s just... I’m not very good at keeping plants. I’ve even managed to kill a cactus."

Zhou Mo smiled sweetly. "Dr. Yu, you don’t have to worry about it. Your only job is to enjoy looking at it."

"I’ll take good care of it for you."

Since Zhou Mo had put it that way, Yu Zhiming felt he couldn’t refuse her kind gesture.

A firm believer in reciprocity, Yu Zhiming gave Zhou Mo a small jar of the dried sweet potato strips.

"My mom made these herself. They’re not very sweet, but I think they’re delicious."

"You can have them as a snack..."

Zhou Mo accepted the jar with a smile, opened the glass lid, took out a small strip, and popped it in her mouth...

Seeing her jaw muscles clench with effort, Yu Zhiming quickly added, "They were dried for a long time."

"They’re pretty tough, not easy to chew..."

Zhou Mo took the sweet potato strip out of her mouth and saw two neat little indentations from her teeth, but she hadn’t managed to bite through it at all.

She gave an awkward laugh and said, not quite meaning it, "Heh, not bad. Good stuff. It’ll be a good workout for my jaw."

After a moment’s pause, Zhou Mo asked, looking a little embarrassed but also hopeful, "Dr. Yu, do you have any plans tonight?"

"If not, could I treat you to dinner?"