Chapter 41 It turns out those two were behind it all.
The second day's rest time
In the hospital cafeteria, several department heads sat around a table.
"Old Yan, is it really as miraculous as you say?" Dr. Li, the head of internal medicine, asked with a hint of skepticism.
Yan Guoxiang smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out when you come with me."
Ten minutes later, a group of people appeared menacingly at the hospital cafeteria stall.
From afar, they could smell an enticing aroma.
“This is it!” Yan Guoxiang pointed to the longest queue.
At the front of the line, Su Yingxue was skillfully shoveling savory pancakes, while next to her, a large pot of Fuding meat broth was bubbling and steaming.
"Boss, a savory pancake and Fuding pork slices, please!" Yan Guoxiang was the first to line up.
The nurses in the group turned around and couldn't help but smile when they saw a group of people in white coats.
"Oh, Dr. Yan is here too?" a familiar nurse greeted.
Yan Guoxiang nodded awkwardly.
Soon, steaming hot savory pancakes and Fuding-style sliced meat were served.
Yan Guoxiang first took a bite of the savory pancake; the crispy crust paired with the rich sauce was indeed delicious. But when he tasted the Fuding pork slices, his eyes lit up.
"This...this sliced meat..." he chewed, "It's so chewy and springy, the broth is warm and appetizing, it's amazing!"
The other doctors started eating, and soon everyone's bowls were empty.
"Boss!" Dr. Li called out, "Who did you learn your skills from?"
Su Yingxue was wiping the table, not even looking up: "It's a family heirloom."
"A family tradition?" Yan Guoxiang raised an eyebrow. "Can you teach apprentices?"
Su Yingxue smiled: "Because... I only want to make it for those who want to eat it."
After saying that, she turned around and went back to her work.
Su Yingxue wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, handed the last portion of Fuding meat slices to the nurses in line, and turned back to continue kneading the dough. Her movements were skillful and elegant, as if some unknown secret was hidden in this simple kneading.
Several newly hired interns stood there, looking at each other in bewilderment. None of them expected that the usually serious supervisors would appear in front of this small shop.
"What a coincidence, Master!" Niu Yue and Wang Fei peeked out from the back door of the cafeteria, carrying takeout containers. They looked up and bumped into their mentors gathered around the food stall. They exchanged a knowing glance, scratched their heads, and gave shy smiles. "Um...we'd like to get some late-night snacks too..."
Yan Guoxiang, who was biting into a savory pancake, nearly choked upon hearing this. He swallowed the pancake in a few bites and glared at the two interns, annoyed. "I knew something was off lately! A couple of days ago, someone on the hospital forum was complaining about how bad the cafeteria food was, warning people never to eat savory pancakes there. Then I asked you guys, and you all said, 'It really is awful.' Good grief! Turns out you guys were secretly queuing up here, eating and taking some home!"
Niu Yue shrank back, and Wang Fei quickly chimed in, "Master, we were just worried you'd have to queue up so late at night! You see how hard you work, so we thought...we thought we could help out..." He rubbed his fingers together. "Next time you want some, just let us know, and we'll bring it to you!"
Yan Guoxiang snorted, but looking at the remaining half of the savory pancake in his hand, he couldn't resist taking another bite. The crispy crust cracked between his teeth, and the rich aroma of the sauce filled his mouth. For once, he didn't object, but simply nodded in agreement.
That evening, the emergency department on-call room
Unusually, Yan Guoxiang didn't touch the instant noodles in the drawer. Instead, he stared at the picture of Fuding pork slices made by Su Yingxue on his phone screen. After hesitating for a moment, he finally dialed the number: "Hey, Xiao Su, save me two servings of Fuding pork slices. I'll come pick them up in a bit."
After hanging up the phone, he noticed Niu Yue and Wang Fei eavesdropping. He raised an eyebrow and said, "What are you looking at? I'm on duty tonight, so don't even think about slacking off." He then pulled two bills from his white coat pocket and handed them to the two men. "Go run an errand for me."
The two interns were overjoyed and disappeared in a flash.
Half an hour later, when Yan Guoxiang took the still-steaming slices of meat, the familiar, delicious aroma made his mouth water. He found a quiet corner and carefully scooped up a spoonful of broth.
After the first bite, he completely relaxed.
The moment the sliced meat touched his tongue, a perfectly tender and bouncy texture exploded on his palate. The warm broth perfectly enhanced the meat's umami flavor without being overpowering. He closed his eyes, savoring this simple yet unforgettable taste. The fatigue from his days of shifts seemed to dissipate with that sip of broth.
"It really is delicious," he murmured to himself, his voice filled with a rare sense of satisfaction.
Just then, Niu Yue and Wang Fei peeked back, carrying two boxes of packaged savory pancakes.
"Master, this is for you!" Wang Fei handed over the box like a treasure.
Yan Guoxiang took the bills, then suddenly remembered something and pulled out a few more from his pocket: "Don't do it again. But..." He paused, looking at the expectant eyes of the two young men, and smiled, a rare occurrence, "Tomorrow... bring me two more."
Niu Yue and Wang Fei's eyes lit up, and they gave each other a high five in unison. Yan Guoxiang, meanwhile, gazed thoughtfully at the long queue still forming at the stalls in the distance.
A few days later, at the department's routine meeting, when the topic of the medical staff's dietary health came up, Yan Guoxiang, unusually, did not criticize takeout food. Instead, he casually remarked, "Appropriately improving our meals is necessary... Of course, we must choose clean and hygienic places."
After the meeting, the senior doctors exchanged knowing glances, all aware of which restaurant the director was referring to. Meanwhile, Yan Guoxiang's drawer still occasionally contained packaged Fuding meat slices and savory pancakes.
As for where those things came from, only Niu Yue and Wang Fei knew the answer. Whenever someone asked, the two would exchange a smile and say, "Just two words—delicious!"
However, in recent days, more and more people have been craving savory pancakes. This has even caused some trouble for the hospital.
After Cancan's video went viral online, the savory pancake and Fuding meat slice stalls were doing better and better every day. Su Yingxue felt she was getting too busy and was thinking of closing down. She looked out the window and thought, "Didn't they say it was just a few local doctors and patients eating here? Where are all these outsiders coming from?"
Little did they know, those outside had their own ways.
Yan Guoxiang was on duty at the emergency room today. There weren't many people before 8 AM; he had just seen a child with a fever and prescribed medication. Suddenly, a group of men and women rushed in. They were carrying DJI drones, video cameras, and cell phones. Some were even carrying takeout containers.
He was still muttering, "My stomach hurts, my stomach hurts. It hurts so much."
Yan Guoxiang clearly saw those people coming, yet he still rushed over. He looked full of energy and didn't seem sick at all.
He frowned as he looked at the group of people, all of whom were quite young. Each of them was clutching a spot and complaining of pain.
"You've come here for medical treatment? What kind of illness?"
"Doctor, our stomachs hurt! It hurts so much!"
"Stomach ache?" Yan Guoxiang looked suspiciously at the group of people holding small video cameras. Some of them looked somewhat familiar; Niu Yue had specifically told him during the last video they watched, "This guy is the funniest. He only eats rice every time he eats."
"Yes, yes, please prescribe some medicine for us. We'll leave then. Please."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com