Chapter 35: Teacher Zhang, my wife’s cooking is delicious
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
Anyone who knew Zhang Fan and saw the job requirements posted by Chasu City Hospital’s orthopedic surgery department would realize that this job had been set aside especially for Zhang Fan. Yang Chengming ground his teeth so hard that they almost shattered. He also liked orthopedic surgery, and he had previously studied for half a year in Chasu City Hospital’s orthopedic department. He had been preparing to sign up for their hospital recruitment exam, but when he saw the job requirements, he realized that his dreams had been ruined.
Zou Pingshan was truly unfortunate. Kuake City Hospital had never accepted fresh college graduates before through the government-organized hospital recruitment exams. This was a new policy at the time that was just enacted before Zou Pingshan became hospital superintendent.
The fresh college graduates of this year all signed up for the biggest city hospitals’ recruitment exams. The most skilled college graduates would sign up for the best and biggest city hospitals, while the ones who knew they were less skilled signed up for Class B hospitals in the bigger cities. At any rate, nobody wanted to come to a tiny city like Kuake City.
This was truly an unfortunate timing. Right after Zou Pingshan became a superintendent, the previous group of fresh college graduates all left. It was only natural that his superiors would be angry at him. All Zou Pingshan could do was open up recruitment exams and offer more than 20 open job positions. The only requirement was that the candidate had to have graduated from an undergraduate medical school.
Zhang Fan was quite fatigued from all the successive exams. Zou Pingshan reclaimed Zhang Fan’s private bedroom in the hospital’s rented house ever since Zhang Fan was sent to Sumutai Village. The director of Kuake City Hospital’s administrative department helped move Zhang Fan’s things back to the hospital dorm.
Zou Pingshan had originally wanted to improve his relationship with Zhang Fan, but then he heard that Zhang Fan had signed up for Chasu City Hospital’s recruitment exam. Zou Pingshan thus decided to ignore Zhang Fan for the remaining time that the latter was staying at Kuake City Hospital. Meanwhile, Chen Qifa was far more spirited than before, and even much friendlier. He also treated Li Liang much better since the latter had visited him in Sumutai Village.
Zhang Fan continued grinding as many surgeries as he could. Previously, he was only practicing surgical sutures, but now, he even took as many general surgeries as he could. However, not a single person in the general surgery department or the orthopedic surgery department dared to say anything about it to Zhang Fan. It wasn’t because Zhang Fan was arrogant or anything like that. His skills were truly too high for Kuake City Hospital—high to the point where he completely suppressed anyone else.
Kuake City Hospital purchased laparoscopes for the first time. However, nobody apart from Zhang Fan knew how to use them. Appendectomies, gallstone surgery, fenestration and drainage of hepatic cysts, and drainage of hepatic abscess were all surgeries that Zhang Fan performed as long as the patient was willing to be treated at Kuake City Hospital.
Li Liang followed Zhang Fan as closely as possible. When Zhang Fan used laparoscopes, Li Liang would hold the laparoscopes for him. When Zhang Fan needed to perform a surgery, Li Liang would hold the surgical retractors. No matter if Li Liang learned anything else or not, he became Zhang Fan’s main surgical assistant at Kuake City Hospital.
Li Liang was quite clear what a large difference there was between him and Zhang Fan. While Li Liang had still been practicing how to tie a surgical knot properly, Zhang Fan had already become the best doctor in the surgical department. Li Liang felt that he would be able to learn many things by following Zhang Fan. Zhang Fan wasn’t the selfish type. As long as Li Liang was willing to learn, Zhang Fan was willing to teach.
Surgical department #1, or the general surgery department, had doctors with better work attitudes than surgical department #2 did. The doctors here were younger on average, better motivated, and more willing to learn. Laparoscopic surgeries were a completely new type of surgery for Kuake City Hospital. Not a single attending physician or even the director of general surgery knew how to do them.
Luckily, Zhang Fan was willing to teach everyone. Boring a hole, inflation, ligation, and separation. Zhang Fan explained the entire process in detail step by step, explaining clearly about all the difficult parts and what needed the most attention.
Zhang Fan felt like he would miss things here now that he was almost about to leave. It was Kuake City Hospital which took him in right after graduation when he couldn’t find a job. This was his first ever hospital. This was where he obtained his Medical System. This was where he performed his first surgery. This was where he saw his first and only patient so far pass away right in front of him.
Although it was a tiny hospital, his coworkers here were all quite direct. They were all the type that wore their heart on their sleeve, so it was quite easy to tell if they liked or disliked you. However, he would have to leave here now. Zhang Fan felt that this place would forever become a wonderful memory in his mind.
The results of October’s hospital recruitment exams came out. Zhang Fan and Li Hui were the only two who passed the hospital recruitment exams at Chasu City Hospital. This made Zou Pingshan even more misfortunate. He had thought that all the fresh college graduates from the last batch would be leaving, yet only Zhang Fan and Li Hui would. Zou Pingshan had opened up more than twenty job positions with far too low requirements, so more than twenty people had passed Kuake City Hospital’s recruitment exams. He was so angry that he smashed a cup. Maybe Kuake City was a jinx for him as everything he did went wrong here.
Now that the hospital recruitment exam results were out, Zhang Fan soon received an official notice for him to report to Chasu City Hospital for work at the beginning of November. Everyone in Kuake City Hospital knew that Zhang Fan and Li Hui were leaving. Since Zhang Fan was very well liked, and he was going to the largest and best hospital in the area, it seemed likely that maybe Kuake City Hospital would still need his help in the future. Thus, Zhang Fan was invited every day to many meals.
Surgical department #2, surgical department #1, emergency department, and so on. Zhang Fan was busy being treated to meals every day. Shi Lei also invited Zhang Fan to a private dinner that the latter wasn’t allowed to refuse, and on the final day before Zhang Fan left, surgical department #2 reserved one of the largest private rooms at Kuake City Hotel. Nuar, Tu Xun, and Shi Lei all participated in this farewell dinner for Zhang Fan. The newcomer college graduates who were just accepted to Kuake City Hospital were truly astounded by such a grand dinner!
Since Zhang Fan was visiting Kuake City Hotel for a meal, the fat manager that he’d previously performed surgery on naturally came to toast him with drinks. After the hotel manager toasted Zhang Fan with drinks, he reported this dinner to Tang Jingjing, informing her that Zhang Fan was leaving and that Kuake City Hospital was holding a farewell dinner party for him. Once Tang Jingjing learned of this, she naturally told Kang Hua, and Kang Hua thought about it for only a moment before deciding to go attend Zhang Fan’s farewell party. Tang Jingjing went there first to inform everyone. Shi Lei was astonished to hear that the Kuake City Leader was coming, and he had all the tables restocked with the best food.
With Kang Hua arriving, Zou Pingshan immediately arrived right after her. He had become much smarter, and had people in every department who would report directly to him. The participation of so many higher-ups in this simple farewell party for a coworker made things suddenly so much more formal.
Zhang Fan was famously known for being unable to hold his alcohol, so after Kang Hua arrived, nobody dared to force him to drink. Shi Lei finally understood. ‘No wonder Batu was always so careful and treated Zhang Fan so well! So Zhang Fan had connections to our City Leader!’
“That’s not nice of you. You’re leaving, but didn’t even tell me? It seems like you don’t view me as a friend after all.” At such a dinner party where Kang Hua was the highest in ranking, nobody dared to force Kang Hua to drink alcohol, either. Tang Jingjing was quite happy to have some free time, so she started teasing Zhang Fan.
“That’s truly not it. The recruitment exam results just came out a few days ago, and my coworkers have been treating me to meals every day. I can’t hold my alcohol, so I always get drunk instantly. If it weren’t for the two of you arriving today, I’d have probably collapsed already by now. Besides, I’m only going to Chasu City, which is pretty close to here.”
“Alright, I’ll let you off the hook this time. Leader Kang Hua learned that you were leaving, and especially came over to send you off. You’ve gained so much face.”
“It’s all thanks to Miss Tang looking out for me.”
“You say that, but you don’t mean it. Don’t leave right after dinner. Leader Kang Hua wants to talk to you.” Tang Jingjing saw that Kang Hua got up to leave, so she immediately followed her boss.
After Kang Hua left, Zou Pingshan and Shi Lei both understood something—Shi Lei understood now just whom Zhang Fan had been secretly treating after work every day, and Zou Pingshan understood why Kang Hua had been so angry at him. Both of them were now speaking with an even more polite tone to Zhang Fan.
“We’ve only worked together for a short while, but Doctor Zhang is leaving already. Still, Chasu City is quite close to our smaller Kuake City. You should come back to visit often. This place will forever be your home, and if there’s anything that inconveniences you at Chasu City Hospital, let me know. I’ve worked there for more than twenty years, so I might be able to help out a little.”
Zou Pingshan used the warmest and friendliest tone he could. He had previously bullied Zhang Fan, but if he had known about Zhang Fan’s connection to the city leader, he definitely would have treated Zhang Fan like a buddha. Now, Zou Pingshan was using the friendliest attitude he could in hopes that Zhang Fan wouldn’t hate him as much.
“Bro, it’s a good thing that you’re going to a bigger and better hospital. If you need anything, just call me. While I’m not in charge of management, as a vice superintendent, I still have some power. Helping write fake invoices or something for you won’t be any trouble at all.” Shi Lei had high emotional intelligence, although he was still slightly less experienced than Batu.
“Bro, once you make a place for yourself there, I’ll follow you and continue working under you.”
“Teacher Zhang, next time you return to Kuake City, you should visit my home and taste my wife’s noodles. You’ve been here for so long, but I’ve never invited you to a meal at my home before. I feel so bad about that.” Chen Qifa was feeling the most emotional of all of them. He kept pulling on Zhang Fan’s hand as he was especially grateful to the point where tears were rolling down his cheeks.