Zhang Dehai was in high spirits after the big deal was done. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked with a smile, "Who did you learn these surgeries from? Your father isn't as good as you, and the old guys in the general surgery department at the Municipal Hospital aren't as skilled as you. Don't tell me you're self-taught."
Li Zheng stroked the red embossed characters "Serve the People" on the back of the teacup and said seriously, "Last month, I was poisoned by fake alcohol. During the emergency treatment, I had a long dream... In the dream, there was an old military doctor with a white beard who taught me for seven days and seven nights..."
"Stop, hurry up and eat! After dinner, have a good rest this afternoon. I'll call the hospital committee to finalize your case. You'll report directly to the emergency room tomorrow!"
Dean Zhang threw two meal tickets to Li Zheng and kicked him out.
As soon as I reached the door, I found Chen Dayong's tall body standing there.
"Brother, why have you guys been talking for so long? My stomach is protesting!"
Li Zheng shook the meal ticket in his hand and said, "Let's go, the cafeteria will provide you with enough food."
The two came to the hospital cafeteria, the staff restaurant on the second floor.
The air was filled with the aroma of vinegar-fried shredded potatoes, and the "54 System of Food Hygiene" on the wall had turned yellow from the smoke.
Chen Dayong pressed Li Zheng onto a long bench that was polished to a shine, and took the meal ticket to get two boxed lunches. The steel rice bowls were so full that the food was about to spill out.
"Tell the truth!" Chen Dayong slammed the rice bowl down on the table. "Have you been practicing secretly this year?"
Chen Dayong was quite depressed. His level was only slightly lower than Li Zheng's, but today's operation completely refreshed his understanding of high-level surgery.
Today, he felt that these idioms, such as "with ease", "at one's will", and "make light of a heavy task", had more concrete meanings.
Li Zheng picked up a piece of shredded potato with chopsticks and said: "I had a dream. I dreamed that I became a surgeon. Do you believe it?"
"I don't believe you at all, you...it was just a dream!" Chen Dayong sat down angrily.
Li Zheng smiled but said nothing.
The radio at the next table was playing "Young Friends Come to Meet", and the song mixed with the sound of spatulas colliding floated in the greasy air.
"Doctor Li!"
A clear female voice came from behind.
Li Zheng turned around and found that it was Lin Xiaomei, who was wearing a beige bat-wing sweater, flared jeans, and two pigtails hanging in front of her chest.
She was holding an aluminum lunch box in her hand, her cheeks flushed.
“I…I brought dumplings…”
Chen Dayong whistled: "Hey, Comrade Xiaomei, this is..."
"Shut up!"
Li Zheng kicked him.
Lin Xiaomei sat across from Li Zheng and carefully opened her lunch box. The aroma of chives and eggs wafted out.
"Doctor Li..." Lin Xiaomei lowered her head, twisting her pigtails with her fingers, "You're really amazing today..."
Chen Dayong suddenly stood up: "I'm going to buy a bottle of soda!"
Li Zheng looked at his back and shook his head helplessly.
Lin Xiaomei picked up a dumpling, dipped it in vinegar and put it in Li Zheng's bowl: "Try it..."
The dumpling wrappers were a bit thick, and the chives weren't chopped finely enough, but the food of this era had a natural feel. Li Zheng recalled the Michelin three-star restaurant he had in Shanghai in his previous life, but it couldn't compare to the dumplings in his mouth.
He looked up and saw Lin Xiaomei's expectant eyes, "Delicious!"
Lin Xiaomei smiled sweetly, but suddenly her face turned red and she looked very nervous.
"Doctor Li...I...I have something to give you..."
Li Zheng looked at her curiously.
Lin Xiaomei took out a neatly folded piece of pink letter paper from her pocket, and it seemed to have a faint scent of cold cream.
At this moment, the hotel loudspeaker suddenly sounded: "Emergency notice! The hospital emergency room has admitted a critically ill patient. Doctor Li Zheng, please return to the department immediately!"
Li Zheng stood up reflexively and ran out. Lin Xiaomei chased him to the door, and the letter fell to the ground, blown away by the wind.
She looked at Li Zheng's receding back and whispered, "Have you really come back...will you...accept me?"
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