DSMIS CH31

Chapter 30: Hero, I Think I Might Be Sick

On Wednesday morning, an ambulance pulled up to the entrance of the rear building, and Liu Xiaohu was wheeled out. Jiang Lin, looking sharp in his police uniform, brought Black Panther to see him off. Black Panther was almost impossible to hold back, straining against his leash and lunging toward the person on the bed.

Cao Shulan carefully tucked the blankets around her son, holding his hand as she tearfully murmured a stream of parting words. Her eyes were red, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

She watched her son being loaded into the ambulance, waving long after the vehicle had disappeared through the hospital’s side gate.

Shen Xing watched the scene from an upstairs window, feeling a tug at his heart. For a moment, it felt as if he had traveled back in time to his first year working at the hospital. Because he had skipped grades as a child, he was always younger than his classmates.

By the time he entered his medical residency, he was three or four years younger than his graduating peers. Even though his professors had warned since his undergraduate years that doctors shouldn’t over-empathize and needed to establish emotional boundaries, hearing the advice and internalizing it were two different things. B

ack then, he simply didn’t know how to navigate the distance between doctor and patient.

During that first year, he had secretly paid two months’ worth of salary to cover the medical bills for a patient from a rural village. When he assisted his supervising doctor in his first amputation surgery, he had been terrified to walk into the ward and face the family’s crushing, desperate devastation.

As the years passed, he gradually learned the survival mechanisms of a surgeon. He also learned how utterly insignificant one person’s power could be. ‘Saving the world’ was a dream meant only for children; the older he grew, the more he realized that simply doing his own job well was already incredibly difficult.

He was only a doctor. All he could do was give his absolute best to treat the patient in front of him. He couldn’t cure their poverty, change their family circumstances, or save their entire lives.

Down below, the figure holding Black Panther’s leash had disappeared at some point.

“Doctor Shen, we’ve finished calling the numbers for the morning session. Also, the Cardiology Department requested a consultation just now.”

Lobsang’s voice pulled him back to reality:

“Alright, I’ll head over now.”

In the blink of an eye, Shen Xing had been in this small county town for nearly two months. Truth be told, in all his years of working, he had never lived such a regular, predictable life.

In the mornings, he hitched a ride with Jiang Lin to walk the dogs, then hitched another ride to the hospital. At a small county hospital, surgeries weren’t scheduled every day, meaning he could hold his outpatient clinic daily.

A morning session usually only saw a dozen or so patients. He had even started picking up a bit of the local dialect and grew accustomed to the way many elderly patients described their symptoms like long, meandering stories, often missing the point entirely.

The county hospital wards rarely saw critical orthopedic cases, as patients requiring high-risk, major surgeries were transferred to higher-level hospitals. Therefore, aside from elective minor surgeries, debridements, and some fracture repairs, as long as no emergencies rolled into the ER, he could usually clock out on time.

Having been a doctor for six years, Shen Xing never imagined he’d ever be associated with the phrase “clock out on time.” Was it comfortable? Of course, it was. After all, he was a human being, not a donkey turning a millstone.

But then again, after living as a donkey for so long, suddenly reverting to being human left him feeling a bit unaccustomed.

For instance, it was currently 3:30 PM. He had finished seeing all his outpatient cases. Both of his fracture surgery patients from yesterday had been discharged, and the ER was quiet. Astoundingly, Shen Xing found himself able to sit behind his computer holding a cup of tea, enjoying the 3:30 PM afternoon sun.

Suddenly, someone called out from the doorway:

“Director Shen.”

Shen Xing shot up from his seat, assuming there was an emergency in the ER. Instead, he found the head nurse standing at the door, tossing a card right into his hands:

“Director Shen, our New Year’s welfare benefits have arrived. This is a 1,000 yuan supermarket shopping voucher. There are also a few boxes of food waiting for you at the nurse’s station. Don’t forget to grab them when you leave work.”

When it was time to clock out that evening, a black Land Cruiser pulled up to the outpatient clinic entrance. As Jiang Lin swung the car door open and stepped out, he saw Doctor Shen waiting by the entrance, surrounded by five or six boxes of various sizes near his feet.

There were nuts, fruit juice, canned goods, fresh fruit, and even two bottles of champagne. Jiang Lin went over to lift them, but Shen Xing immediately blocked him with an elbow:

“I’ll do it. Your hands are precious.”

Last week, the medical equipment their hospital had donated to the county hospital finally arrived, which included the specific equipment Jiang Lin needed for his treatment. For the past week, Captain Jiang had been faithfully coming to the hospital for check-ups and therapy twice a week, strictly adhering to Doctor Shen’s medical orders.

Jiang Lin, however, used a clever bit of leverage to snatch the heaviest box of drinks right out of Shen Xing’s hands:

“You’re a surgeon. Your hands are the truly precious ones. Besides, don’t I still have one perfectly good hand?”

They loaded all the boxes into the trunk. Shen Xing slid into the passenger seat, and Jiang Lin got in behind the wheel:

“They gave you quite a haul.”

“There were also two bags of rice and a jug of cooking oil, but I gave those to Lobsang to take home. Time flies so fast; it’s almost New Year’s Day. Did your bureau hand out benefits too?”

Jiang Lin grabbed a few vouchers from the center console and handed them to him:

“We got ours today too.”

Shen Xing inspected the vouchers. There were supermarket cash vouchers, a voucher for a cooked deli meat gift box, and a fresh produce voucher, all requiring in-person pickup. After checking them, he heard Jiang Lin say:

“It’s Friday today. Should we pick up this meat and have hot pot, or go eat at the canteen?”

With hot pot on the table, Shen Xing decisively rejected the canteen.

The fresh produce store where they needed to redeem the voucher was in the center of the county town. Even though it was only just past six o’clock and the town wasn’t experiencing a true traffic jam, cars were still crawling along the road at a snail’s pace. Because the holiday was fast approaching, decorative lights that were usually off were now shining brightly. The streets were noticeably more crowded, with many shops hanging ‘New Year’s Sale’ banners along the roadside. Promotional jingles played constantly, and lines were forming in front of the night market snack stalls. The atmosphere was bustling with voices and activity. The festive spirit in this small county town was actually far thicker than in a large city filled with illuminated CBD skyscrapers, giving Shen Xing a nostalgic feeling of returning to his grandfather’s house in a county town for the New Year when he was a child.

Parking in this area was practically impossible. Jiang Lin pulled the car into a freshly vacated spot along the curb:

“There probably won’t be any parking spots further up. It’s only 300 meters away; let’s walk the rest.”

Shen Xing had no objections. He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out. The moment he stepped out, the blaring loudspeaker from a roadside fruit stall, mixed with the jingle for Bobo Chicken, assaulted his ears:

“Apples, two yuan fifty-eight fen a jin! Dragon fruit, ten yuan for three…”

“Bobo Chicken, Bobo Chicken, one yuan a skewer Bobo Chicken.”

Jiang Lin walked on the side closest to the weaving electric scooters, turning his head to look at Shen Xing, who had turned to stare at the Bobo Chicken stall. Over the past few days, Jiang Lin had keenly sensed that Shen Xing seemed a bit unhappy. It wasn’t overly obvious, just a subtle lack of energy. He suddenly bumped into the person beside him. Shen Xing was still wearing that easily identifiable, bright yellow short down jacket today. When the two down jacket-clad figures collided, it looked like two fluffy loaves of bread bumping into each other. Shen Xing turned his head.

“If you want Bobo Chicken, we can go line up and buy a few skewers.”

A line of students, likely middle schoolers from nearby judging by the school uniforms visible beneath their winter coats, had formed in front of the Bobo Chicken stall. Shen Xing shook his head:

“I don’t really want any, the ad jingle is just too brainwashing. We’re going home to eat hot pot later, why would I waste stomach space on Bobo Chicken?”

There was also a line at the fresh produce store. Shen Xing turned around and held out his hand:

“Give me the vouchers. Go find a place to sit.”

“Doctor Shen, I really don’t hurt right now. Besides, there’s nowhere to sit. I can’t exactly sit on the trash can, can I?”

Shen Xing looked around; there truly was nowhere to sit. The only thing that looked remotely sit-able was a short, squat trash can.

Fortunately, most people were just redeeming vouchers for gift boxes, so the line moved quickly. It didn’t even take ten minutes before it was their turn. On the way back, they stopped at a roadside vegetable stall to buy hot pot base and ingredients to boil. Since the gift boxes contained beef tripe and yellow throat (aorta), they unanimously agreed on a spicy beef tallow hot pot.

After lugging everything upstairs, Jiang Lin carried the bags, unlocked his door, and said:

“Let’s eat at my place. Do you want to bring Qianjin over?”

“Sure, give me a sec.”

Jiang Lin left his door open. Shen Xing went home, unpacked the gift boxes, and carried half the contents over to Jiang Lin’s apartment, followed closely by a rotund, fluffy furball.

When he walked in, Jiang Lin was already in the kitchen washing vegetables and preparing the pot. His movements were swift and efficient—clearly not in the same league as Doctor Shen, whose culinary repertoire was limited to ‘Deluxe Braised Beef Noodles.’

Feeling embarrassed to just sit and wait to be fed, Shen Xing hovered at the kitchen doorway:

“Hero, is there anything I can help with?”

Jiang Lin didn’t even look up:

“Nope. Go prepare dinner for those two starving dogs.”

“OK.”

Ever since witnessing the farewell scene between Black Panther and Liu Xiaohu, Shen Xing’s heart had swelled with affection for the dog. Black Panther had also grown familiar with the man who walked him every morning. As a result, when Shen Xing hugged him, Black Panther aloofly rubbed against his face. Shen Xing rubbed the dog’s head even more vigorously. Just as his hand landed, Qianjin’s barking rang out from the side, as if voicing dissatisfaction that he was petting Black Panther instead.

Shen Xing raised a hand and poked Qianjin’s forehead:

“You little vinegar jar (jealous one).”

He let go of Black Panther and opened his arms, ready to welcome the pouncing Samoyed. However, the next second, he watched helplessly as the fluffy white ball bypassed him completely and lunged at Black Panther instead. Qianjin rubbed all over Black Panther, whining and whimpering, and didn’t stop humming until Black Panther pressed his face against Qianjin’s, just as he had done with Shen Xing.

Shen Xing… So he was jealous ON BEHALF of Black Panther? Truly, children grow up and leave the nest.

Shen Xing poured dog food for the two furbabies and opened two small cans of wet food. By the time he stood up, the hot pot was already on the table. Jiang Lin closed the bedroom door and opened a window. Before long, the rich aroma of spicy beef tallow hot pot filled the room. Beef, tripe, yellow throat, and washed vegetables were arranged plate by plate on the table.

Jiang Lin noticed the items Shen Xing had brought sitting on the floor:

“Why did you bring so much over?”

“I can’t finish it all by myself, so I’m splitting it half-and-half with you. I’ve never tried this champagne before. Do you want to try some?”

Jiang Lin turned around:

“I’ll go get some glasses.”

The pale yellow champagne bubbled in the clear glass cups. Shen Xing also opened a can of strawberries and poured them into a bowl. The table was absolutely packed. Looking at it, it really did feel festive:

“We’re celebrating New Year’s Day early.”

Jiang Lin smiled and raised his glass:

“Happy New Year.”

Shen Xing clinked glasses with him:

“Happy New Year. Early is fine with me. I actually won’t have time for hot pot on New Year’s Eve anyway. I swapped shifts with a local colleague, so I’m working the night shift that day.”

Jiang Lin smiled as well:

“What a coincidence. I’m working the night shift that day too.”

New Year’s Day was the day after tomorrow, falling on a weekend. Since they were both here alone anyway, they figured it was better to let their local colleagues go home and properly celebrate the holiday.

Red chili oil clinging to beef tripe, followed by a sip of champagne—Shen Xing let out a deep sigh of satisfaction. Jiang Lin dropped a portion of shrimp paste into the boiling pot:

“Has something been bothering you lately?”

Shen Xing’s chopsticks, mid-air with a piece of tripe, froze:

“Clairvoyant, you saw through me again?”

Jiang Lin laughed, jokingly pinching his fingers together in front of him to signify his fortune-telling prowess. Shen Xing had been feeling stifled for days, and right now, he didn’t want to hold it in anymore. He swallowed the tripe in one bite, then stared at the person across from him with his large, bright eyes:

“Hero, I think I might be sick.”

Jiang Lin’s expression immediately tightened:

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

He had noticed Shen Xing lacking his usual enthusiasm during lunch all week. He hadn’t even finished more than two skewers of his favorite grilled squid. Could he really be physically ill?

“Yeah, I’m feeling unwell right here.” He tapped his chest.

Jiang Lin breathed a sigh of relief:

“Tell me about it. Maybe this clairvoyant can help you.”

“I joined Yuetan Hospital right after graduation. Starting as a resident doctor… they really meant ‘resident.’ It practically meant living in the hospital, on call 24/7. Sometimes when I stepped out of the hospital, I wouldn’t even know what year it was. My mom used to joke that once I started working, I forgot which way our front door faced.

Later, I became an attending physician, and I was even busier, constantly run off my feet. It was common to pull a 24-hour shift and then jump straight into back-to-back surgeries. During outpatient clinics, I didn’t even dare drink too much water, terrified that taking one extra bathroom break would mean I couldn’t finish seeing all my patients. I worked like a donkey in a production brigade, constantly turning the millstone without a moment’s rest. Sometimes I was so exhausted I didn’t want to speak a single word. Back then, I used to dream about the day I could clock out on time, drink tea, and read the newspaper.

But since I got here… I really can clock out on time occasionally. I only see a dozen or so patients in a morning, and I can even brew a cup of tea during outpatient duty. I don’t perform surgeries every day either. But now that I have this free time, my entire body feels restless and uncomfortable. Tell me, have I caught a ‘donkey disease’ from working like one for too long? Does not turning a millstone just make me panic from idleness?”

Shen Xing lay his head on the table, his expression completely helpless. Jiang Lin was amused by his last sentence:

“You aren’t feeling uncomfortable just because you aren’t ‘turning a millstone,’ are you?”

Shen Xing felt as if his inner thoughts had been precisely skewered. Using his chopsticks, Jiang Lin transferred a beef meatball into his bowl, then poked it repeatedly with the chopsticks:

“Doctor Shen, put it out of its misery. Stop desecrating the corpse.”

Shen Xing silently ate the meatball:

“Actually, I love performing surgeries. I love treating patients. I love the feeling of using my skills to relieve people’s pain. But here… any severe cases are immediately transferred to a higher-level hospital. I feel completely dispensable here, truly like I’ve been exiled.”

In the past, at Yuetan Hospital, he was always the one receiving patients from lower-level hospitals. Now, he was the one sending patients away. It was a genuinely hard feeling to describe.

Looking at the person across from him, who resembled a dejected cat with drooping ears, Jiang Lin felt an inexplicable tug at his own heart. He pressed his lips together slightly:

“How about I tell you my story? Let’s see if it can offer you some comfort.”

Shen Xing obediently nodded, only to have Jiang Lin leave him hanging:

“Eat some more first. My story is a bit grim. I’m afraid you won’t have an appetite after hearing it.”

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Author’s Note:

In Officer Jiang’s eyes, Doctor Shen looks like a sad kitty [Pity]