Chapter 1 Wisdom Tooth Pain
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"After this year's year-end bonus is paid, I want to buy a new energy vehicle. I won't have to wait an hour in the snow like today, when there are only 688 people in the queue ahead of me."
Earlier this month, the coffee shop downstairs from my office had already been decked out with Christmas decorations, and people kept popping in to check in and take photos. The busiest scene was outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, where two Christmas trees made of red paper cups were the star attraction.
Meng Weishen and Kuang Jia occupied their old seats by the window, ate dinner, worked the water, and queued for a ride-hailing car.
However, today's dinner was not peaceful. The first snow seemed to have brought people's interest in taking photos to the extreme. There was a constant stream of excited people checking in outside the window. They were like monkeys in the glass windows of a zoo.
Since she started preparing for pregnancy, Kuang Jia has not only successfully quit smoking, drinking and drinking coffee, but her temper has also become much more stable. Even when she was forced to appear on camera several times, she rarely failed to get angry, and there is no trace of the fierce female gangster style of the R&D team:
"I advise you not to have too high expectations for your year-end bonus. Aside from games and communications, the profitability of the company's other businesses will only be worse than last year, including our department. Of course, a small bonus is fine, but as long as they don't announce further salary cuts at the annual meeting, I'll resist slapping my boss in the face."
Naturally, no one wanted to experience the hushed silence of last year's annual meeting again. But the thought of cars still lingered in his mind, and Meng Weishen hesitated. "I can't rely on Tesla, but BYD is okay, right? I can also seamlessly connect with ride-hailing drivers after work."
"Still want to drive to get off work? Apply for a parking space in our park first. Parking in the nearby parking lot for a month is more expensive than both of our lives."
"The company's annual layoff numbers are obvious. As long as the previous generation leaves, there will always be vacant parking spaces for the next generation..."
Meng Weishen couldn't argue any further. His attention paused on the department's large group interface, and his tongue subconsciously pressed against the inside of his canine teeth, where there was a not-so-smooth indentation.
The administration just sent the latest version of the energy-saving initiative, and even made a PPT for this purpose. When you click on it, you'll see beautiful bar charts and tables that are really eye-catching.
In comparison, the PPT content is much more lackluster. It simply encourages those who work overtime the latest to turn off the lights, use double-sided black and white printing for documents, and avoid using fine bottled mineral water when meeting clients.
Kuang Jia also glanced at the PPT out of the corner of her eye, deliberately clicking her tongue a few times, and then spoke with the earnestness of someone who has experienced it: "See? Frugality is advocated everywhere now. You can't spend every penny. At your age, it's time to save some money. It will come in handy in the future. In short, don't worry about your new energy vehicle."
Meng Weishen exhaled slowly several times and announced, "Alright. I'll also practice frugality and put off buying a car for now. I'll save the little bonus I get for gaming."
"But then again, being unmarried is good." Kuang Jia propped up her chin with one hand, her eyes fixed on the snowflakes outside the window. "I don't have to worry about financial problems at all. I can buy whatever I want."
Out of sight, out of mind. Meng Weishen closed the group chat interface and switched to the taxi app, which showed that there were still more than 500 warriors blocking his way home.
The thought of buying a car was about to resurface, and he needed a distraction. So he quickly scraped the base of the chocolate chiffon cake off the plate, then picked up the thick black down jacket and zipped it up to his chin.
"What time are you planning to work until today?" Kuang Jia really thought that he was going back to the company to work overtime.
"Until now."
Having been Meng Weishen's direct supervisor for three years, Kuang Jia fully recognized his work ability and was tolerant of his occasional slacking behavior. She only raised her eyebrows subtly and said, "Single person, are you anxious to get home to feed your baby or wash diapers? Aren't you worried about your performance review?"
"I'm not going home." Meng Weishen tapped his left cheek. New flesh had grown on the innermost part of his gums, and the sutures hadn't been removed yet, which occasionally caused a sore and swollen foreign body sensation. "Since I can't get a taxi, I'll go to the dental clinic across the street and have the stitches removed for my wisdom teeth."
——
Meng Weishen was used to staying indoors in a well-heated room, so he always felt that the temperature outside was colder than he had imagined. And when the light turned red, he stood by the curb, stamping his feet in the cold.
At seven o'clock in the evening in the capital, the roads on the navigation map were the same dark red as blood vessels. Seeing that the streets were already jammed with traffic, the constant honking of horns only served to hasten the snow. He simply ignored the red light and zigzagged through the jammed traffic to get across.
Meng Weishen declined the guidance of the outpatient receptionist and walked skillfully towards Dr. Jiang's office.
The clinic's heating was better than the office's. As he walked, the snowflakes clinging to the soles of his shoes and coat fell off, melting completely on the clinic's tiled floor, forming streaks of wet water.
It was a weekday, snowing outside, and the dental clinic was even quieter than he'd imagined. His footsteps echoed through the hallway. It wasn't until he approached Dr. Jiang's office door that the soft, childlike sobs began to fill the air.
The door was closed, and the little girl's voice came from inside: "Uncle Doctor, I'm scared. What kind of insects are woodworms? Are they like ants? There are black ants eating my teeth?"
The previous little patient was still receiving treatment, so Meng Weishen had to wait outside the door.
He heard a calm, low male voice, the voice of Dr. Jiang in his memory: "Termites are a type of bacteria, very small, you don't usually see them, don't be afraid."
"But I was still scared and I didn't want to have my teeth pulled."
"Then you should eat less snacks in the future. Termites love snacks. Take this bud back home. It will supervise you on my behalf."
It's really meaningful work.
Meng Wei was deeply moved.
He paused beside the outpatient clinic's medical and nursing introduction wall. Dr. Jiang's face was truly eye-catching, a beauty both inside and out. At first glance, he easily found her photo and resume.
The clinic also cast a soft light on the photo. Meng Weishen bathed in the holy light, and his earlobes, numb from the cold, began to feel hot.
Meng Weishen began to read silently: "Preface by Jiang Ran." Doctor of Dental Medicine (Orthodontics). Specializes in early correction of malocclusions in children and adolescents, specialized diagnosis and treatment of pediatric comfort, and diagnosis and treatment of underlying pediatric oral diseases. Available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
There are countless times in a person's life when they regret choosing a major for the college entrance examination, and Meng Weishen is no exception. So, why didn't he choose P University Medical School?
Oh, because of his mother, Ms. Meng Lirong's forward-thinking vision. In her excited description, he returned from the great capital of the Republic, having completed his studies, and was promoted straight to director of the Provincial People's Hospital. From then on, the Meng family, for eighteen generations, achieved medical communism, with no waiting lines for appointments and no fees for hospitalization. It was a scene of clamorous drums and gongs, and the sound of firecrackers.
Meng Weishen imagined himself returning from ten years of study, only to find himself still circling his shabby hometown, without a high-speed rail connection, and still obeying his mother's curfew. He suddenly felt that his life was doomed. So, his rebellious nature erupted, and he applied for the top computer science program at the prestigious university next door, T.
Meng Lirong couldn't possibly arrange for him to be the computer room teacher in her high school. He believed that Mr. Meng, a provincial outstanding teacher, could not afford to lose face like this.
The sound of a door sliding open reached my ears. A family emerged from the clinic, the father holding the child while the mother paid the bills. They were quietly discussing whether to have coconut chicken or casserole congee for dinner. Tears still clung to the girl's face, her left cheek swollen and red. Fortunately, she was able to cling to her father's shoulder, and with a chubby tooth puppet in her arms, she had stopped crying.
Meng Weishen made eye contact with the grinning doll. He quickly retracted his thoughts and slipped into Dr. Jiang's office.
Disinfectant and penicillin are the perfume of dentistry. Once you smell this cold, astringent odor, your mind immediately flashes with images of tweezers, scissors, pliers, and electric drills, a process that could be described as modern-day capital punishment.
As the executioner, Jiang Ranxu also adopted this cold tone. If he didn't smile or speak, he would come across as unapproachable. Just like now, he was standing by the sink, washing his hands. His mask and gloves had been removed, and his white coat was hung on a hanger behind the door. He only wore a slim-fitting black sweater.
Fortunately, Jiang Ranxu turned around and looked at him, then smiled at him: "Our busy man is here? How rare."
"Doctor Jiang." Meng Weishen felt that Jiang Ranxu looked a little unfamiliar. He nervously pressed the tip of his tongue against the indentation inside his canine teeth. "Sorry, are you off work already? Or should I come back another day?"
"It's okay. You just had your wisdom teeth removed a few days ago, so you must have something important to tell me. Are you feeling any discomfort?"
Meng Weishen shook his head. "I think the wound has almost healed. I happen to be free today. Can I remove the stitches in advance?"
Jiang Ranxu didn't respond, continuing to wash his wrists under the running water. Meng Weishen remembered that the other party had said that the stitches could not be removed for a full week, and thought he was going to send him away, but Jiang Ranxu turned on the water and said, "Lie down. I'll take a quick look at you."
Meng Weishen lay down obediently on the hard dental chair.
After a rustling sound, Jiang Ranxu appeared above his field of vision. He had changed into his white coat again, and the fingers that reached for his chin were now covered with plastic gloves. When they touched his skin, he felt a strange feeling of slippery and coolness.
Whenever he saw Jiang Ranxu leaning over, Meng Weishen would subconsciously open his mouth, as if it had become muscle memory.
"It will be a little painful, bear with it."
As soon as Jiang Ranxu finished speaking, Meng Weishen felt a cold foreign body on the inner wall of his mouth. The metal mouth mirror with the smell of disinfectant was pressed against the edge of his gums, pulling the new flesh that had just grown on both sides of the suture line.
This slight pain wasn't unbearable. To cooperate with the other person's treatment, Meng Weishen remained frozen, not daring to move. His gaze was fixed on the other person's fingers, which were covered by plastic gloves, but the joints could still be seen. Above him was the face, very close, the lower half of which was also obscured by a mask.
The consultation was over quickly before he could help but change his posture.
Jiang Ranxu took back the mouth mirror: "No, your gums haven't fully grown yet. Come back to see me next week."
Meng Weishen thought of the more than 500 warriors in front of him. Somehow, he felt a little lost. "Okay, I'm leaving now. Thank you, Doctor Jiang."
"Meng Weishen, did you get a taxi?" Jiang Ranxu suddenly asked.
"I've given up hope. I'm going to take the subway."
"How about this, wait for me to disinfect the clinic." Jiang Ranxu took off his white coat and changed into a black coat. "I'll drive you home. I also have something to give you."
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