Finally finishing his meal, Li Zheng walked out of the hospital cafeteria. The cold spring breeze blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness.
He subconsciously touched his pocket, and found only a crumpled 87.30 yuan and two fifty-cent coins in his bag. This was what was left after he paid one thousand yuan for his cousin's hospital bill that afternoon.
My cousin's hospitalization fee is estimated to be another 1,000 yuan, because he needs to deal with his leg fracture later and will most likely need surgery.
Li Zheng couldn't help but think of the flying knife surgeries in his previous life. He could earn thousands or tens of thousands of yuan for any one surgery. He would perform at least three surgeries in one trip, and sometimes five or even more. He didn't have to pay taxes on the money he earned.
Back then, I was full of energy and had a comfortable life. But now I am in such a difficult situation.
It’s time to work hard to make money!
In the surgery department on the third floor of the inpatient department, the intensive care unit at the end of the corridor is lit with warm yellow light.
Li Zheng was carrying a net bag filled with apples, bananas and oranges. These were the best-looking fruits that he had carefully selected from a vendor at the hospital entrance, and they cost him another 5 yuan.
He came to the nurses' station, where the nurse on duty, Ma Xiaofeng, was copying nursing records under the dim light.
At that time, fluorescent lamps were not yet fully popularized in county hospitals in the central region. In Guang'an County Hospital, only special departments such as the operating room and emergency room were equipped with them. In order to save costs, incandescent lamps were used in the wards and corridors.
The light was a little dim, so Ma Xiaofeng added an old-fashioned desk lamp to her desk, and the halo of light dyed her white coat a warm yellow.
"Xiaofeng, which bed is Li Weidong staying in?" Li Zheng asked softly.
Ma Xiaofeng looked up at the sound, and the moment she saw Li Zheng, her eyes suddenly lit up. Li Zheng was now standing tall, his eyes revealing determination and vigor, a stark contrast to the muddle-headed man he used to be.
"Doctor Li, you're here!" Ma Xiaofeng quickly stood up, pointed to the end of the corridor, and said, "In the intensive care unit, your cousin's condition is stable and he just finished the IV."
Li Zheng was slightly stunned. Just as he was about to ask why he was placed in the intensive care unit, Ma Xiaofeng seemed to have guessed his thoughts and spoke first, "Director Zhang said that this patient is special and must have a good recovery environment, so he was placed in the intensive care unit and the fee will not be increased."
Li Zheng felt a surge of warmth. The intensive care unit was vastly different from a regular ward. Emergency medicine and equipment were all individually equipped, and each patient was in a single room, allowing them to wash their own clothes and cook their own meals. Of course, the bed fee was much higher than a regular ward, making it unaffordable for most people. Director Zhang's arrangement was truly thoughtful.
Li Zheng nodded, took out a few oranges from his net bag, handed them to Ma Xiaofeng, and said with gratitude: "Please pay more attention to my cousin!"
Ma Xiaofeng took the orange, turned around and shouted to the liquid preparation room behind the nurses' station, "Xia Xia, come out quickly, Doctor Li is giving us oranges to eat!"
A younger nurse, Xiaoxia, ran out and happily took the orange from Ma Xiaofeng. She smiled sweetly at Li Zheng and said crisply, "Don't worry, Doctor Li, we will take good care of your cousin!"
Li Zheng thanked him again and turned to walk towards the intensive care unit.
As soon as he left, Ma Xiaofeng and nurse Xiaoxia began to chat quietly.
"Wow, Dr. Li is so handsome!" Nurse Xiaoxia was amazed, her eyes wide open, looking at Li Zheng's back.
"Yes, I haven't noticed it before!" Ma Xiaofeng also agreed with a hint of joy on her face.
"What a pity he was fired! We won't be able to see him anymore!" Nurse Xiaoxia said regretfully.
"I heard that the hospital won't fire him for the time being and will send him to the emergency room." Ma Xiaofeng said mysteriously.
"Really? No wonder Lin Xiaomei came here to clean up just now. She said the hospital transferred her to the emergency department." Nurse Xiaoxia suddenly realized.
"Xiaomei still has vision! I just don't know if Dr. Li will really become more motivated!" Ma Xiaofeng said a little worriedly.
Li Zheng came to the door of the intensive care unit and gently pushed it open.
My cousin Li Weidong was lying on the hospital bed, his face was a little pale, but he looked in good condition.
Third aunt was sitting on a wooden stool beside the bed. When she saw Li Zheng come in, she quickly stood up.
"Zhengwa, you're here, come and sit down, come and sit down!"
Third Aunt's voice was a little tired, but more of it was gratitude towards Li Zheng. "It's all thanks to you today. If it weren't for you, what would your cousin do?"
Li Zheng walked to the bedside, looked at his cousin, and said with concern: "Third Aunt, please don't say that. This is what I should do. How is my cousin feeling now?"
Li Weidong moved his lips slightly and said in a weak voice, "Brother, I'm fine. I just can't eat right now. I'm starving."
Li Zheng smiled and consoled him, "Cousin, bear with it a little longer. Once you're ventilated, you can eat. I plan to wait until you're feeling better, then recheck the X-ray of your left leg fracture and arrange surgery."
Upon hearing this, Li Weidong quickly said, "Brother, I trust you. I will only feel at ease if you perform this surgery on me yourself!"
Li Zheng nodded seriously, "Don't worry, Brother Weidong, I will definitely do it for you myself."
At this time, my third aunt took out a red cloth bag from her pocket, opened it carefully, and revealed a thick stack of banknotes.
"Zhengwa, here's two thousand yuan. Take it. If it's not enough, we can collect more!" Third Aunt's voice choked with sobs, "If it weren't for you, Weidong's life would be..."
Li Zheng quickly waved his hands and refused, "Third Aunt, what are you doing? My cousin saved my life when I was a child, and I've always remembered it. Now that my cousin is in trouble, it's only natural for me to help him. Please take back this money!"
Third Aunt's eyes were red. She took Li Zheng's hand and said tremblingly, "Zhengwa, you are such a good child. Your cousin loves you well!"
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