At this mont, Wu Buwei was a bit drowsy and didn’t quite understand what Han Yujian ant. After going in and telling Du Heng about the patient’s condition, he casually ate sothing and went to sleep.
However, when he woke up refreshed, he thought about what Han Yujian had said and felt that sothing was off, as if there was more to Han Yujian’s words.
After all, no matter how he thought about it, he was just a newcor who had only been on the job for a year. Why would Han Yujian be so kind as to push him forward?
Unable to figure it out, he found Du Heng after finishing his morning tasks, repeated what Han Yujian had said, and asked Du Heng with confusion, "Senior Brother, what does Doctor Han an? Besides, Director Yu is currently also in charge of the dical Affairs Office, and he’s doing a great job."
Du Heng laughed heartily. "It doesn’t concern you, so don’t overthink it. Just focus on doing your job. By the way, I just rembered sothing. It’s been more than half a year since Yang Yuansheng was discharged from the hospital. Has he co back for any follow-up checkups?"
Du Heng’s sudden question left Wu Buwei puzzled. Who was Yang Yuansheng?
He thought for a long ti before rembering: it was the patient with swollen abdominal whom Du Heng had helped last year in cooperation with the Township Governnt.
"Now that you ntion it, Senior Brother, I do rember this person. After he was discharged from the hospital last year, he would co back for a checkup every month. However, after you left for the Capital in November, he never ca back."
Du Heng responded, "Oh. You didn’t try to contact him? His ascites problem was resolved, but his liver cirrhosis needs to be treated slowly; he can’t stop his dication."
"I tried calling him, but at first, no one picked up, and later his phone was disconnected."
Du Heng’s brow furrowed slightly. Yang Yuansheng’s liver cirrhosis was very severe. If he didn’t receive continuous drug treatnt, ascites would undoubtedly recur, aning the previous treatnt would have been in vain.
"Here’s what you do: try contacting him again now to see if you can get in touch. If you can, ask about his situation and find out what’s going on."
"Alright, Senior Brother, I understand."
Wu Buwei had co in confused and left even more bewildered. He hadn’t figured out his own situation, and now he was tasked with a patient from half a year ago. What was all this about?
After sending Wu Buwei away, Du Heng didn’t pay much attention to the matter and instead called Cui Guanghaia to discuss things further.
Around noon, Cui Guanghaia finally ca out of Du Heng’s office. Du Heng’s voice could still be heard from behind him, "Dean Ruoge, please make this a priority and implent it as soon as possible."
Cui Guanghaia acknowledged and then turned into his own office.
Wu Buwei arrived just at the right ti and also heard Du Heng’s last words. He was very curious about what Du Heng was actually planning to implent.
However, he didn’t dare ask and just said to Du Heng, "Senior Brother, I’ve tried contacting Yang Yuansheng, but his phone is still disconnected, and I can’t get through to his son’s phone either. Also, the village doctor, Yang Zhengnong’s phone isn’t being answered either. And I checked; Yang Zhengnong hasn’t reported the basic situation of the villagers in their village to the Health Clinic since last December."
This made Du Heng a little puzzled. He thought for a mont, took out his Mobile phone, and was about to call their village.
But just as he was about to dial, he thought of that old village doctor’s typical difficult nature, and Du Heng abandoned the idea of making the call. "You tidy up, hand over your current work to soone else, and accompany to Yang Yuansheng’s house."
Wu Buwei asked doubtfully, "Senior Brother, why don’t you just call their Village Committee and ask? Why do we have to go there in person?"
"One reason is to check on Yang Yuansheng, and the other is to see what that old man Yang Zhengnong is up to."
Du Heng had been very dissatisfied with this old man, even feeling exasperated, ever since taking office. He had sold inferior dicine Ingredients to people of the sa village and surna, had his head split open with a hoe by soone, and was also later involved in selling health products as dicine.
Arriving at Yang Yuansheng’s house again, they saw the sa large wooden door; the hole in the wooden door was still there.
Compared to last year, however, the door was even more dilapidated, a piece of the wall had collapsed, and the sound of dogs barking no longer ca from the courtyard.
Du Heng stood at the entrance and called out a few tis, but receiving no response from inside, he once again peeked through the hole in the door.
It was deserted and silent.
Wu Buwei climbed onto the wall to take a look. "Senior Brother, I don’t think anyone’s living here. Look, the window over there is broken."
Du Heng sighed. "Let’s go ask the Village Committee."
As they walked toward the Village Committee, Du Heng looked at a wall that was still vivid in his mory and said emotionally to Wu Buwei, "The first ti I ca to find Yang Yuansheng, it was right at this spot that a kitchen knife flew past my face, inches away."
He even walked a few steps towards the wall, pointing to a notch in the corner of the opposite wall. "Look, that’s the mark left by the kitchen knife back then."
Wu Buwei knew about this incident, but hearing Du Heng recount it again at the actual location still made him feel that Du Heng had been very lucky. He also sincerely marveled at how fierce the woman involved had been.
However, when they passed by the house of the woman involved, they also saw a tightly shut door.
...
"You’re asking about Yuansheng? He’s dead."
After finding the village director and explaining their purpose, the village director gave them this unexpected news.
Du Heng’s eyes flickered. "How did he die?"
"Didn’t he have a small truck? After being discharged from the Health Clinic, he started driving it for work in the second month. In November, while transporting goods at night from the cold storage on the east side of the city to the city center, he was hit by a large truck that ran a red light. He died instantly."
A car accident!
Du Heng felt a bit disheartened. The man he had cured with such great effort, taken away by soone who ran a red light.
The village director sighed. "Yuansheng lived an unfulfilling and frustrating life, and even his death reflected that. When he was young, his wife left him because of his drinking, and he struggled to raise their two children alone. Then, his eldest daughter paid him back in kind, running off just like her mother had. She didn’t even co back when Yuansheng was on his deathbed. But this ti, when she heard her father had died and there was compensation money to be had, she suddenly appeared. For that bit of compensation money, with Yuansheng not even buried yet, she and her younger brother started fighting right there at the wake. It was utterly disgraceful."
Du Heng and Wu Buwei were also silent. They knew about Yang Yuansheng’s family situation, but they hadn’t expected his passing to be so troubled.
Still, with the compensation money, his youngest son’s university education, which Yang Yuansheng had worried about most, should be covered now.
The village director had an expression as if he were constipated, a mix of anger and sadness. "His youngest son isn’t a good person either. Last year, he fought with his sister at Yuansheng’s wake. After collecting the compensation money, he buried his father and then just left. He didn’t burn paper offerings on the seventh day after the death, nor did he return to burn paper offerings for the New Year, and he didn’t even co back for the Qingming Festival that just passed. I don’t know what Yuansheng did to deserve raising two such ungrateful wretches."
Was Yang Yuansheng a good person? Du Heng wasn’t sure. But he definitely couldn’t be considered a bad person.
As the two left the village director’s house, Du Heng was still pondering a question: What exactly had Yang Yuansheng lived for all his life?
They walked silently to the side of the village clinic. As they were about to step onto the stairs, they encountered a woman heavily bundled in clothing.
Seeing the woman’s hurried footsteps, Du Heng could only step back to let her pass first.
But the woman, after stepping down, didn’t leave. Instead, she slightly pulled down her face mask and lifted her cotton hat a bit.
After looking carefully at Du Heng, she hesitated and asked, "Are you President Du?"
Du Heng was stunned for a mont, then slowly nodded. "I am Du Heng. And you are? I’m sorry, you’re wrapped up so warmly, I didn’t recognize you."
The woman’s voice imdiately turned joyous, and she pulled down her mask. "I’m You Fang, Yang Wei’s wife!"
Du Heng looked at the woman’s slightly chubby cheeks but couldn’t find any trace of familiarity.
Seeing Du Heng’s confused gaze, the woman quickly explained, "Last year, in June, my husband and I had a fight, and I threw a kitchen knife."
"Oh!" Du Heng’s face showed sudden realization. "So it’s you! You’ve gained so much weight; I really didn’t recognize you."
"I just gave birth and am still in my confinent period," You Fang said, looking at Du Heng with a joyful face.
Hearing this news, Du Heng was also very happy. The recent matter concerning Yang Yuansheng had left him feeling quite down.
"Then you should quickly put your mask back on, don’t catch a cold," Du Heng said with a smile. "Since you’re still in your confinent period, why are you out alone? Where’s Yang Wei?"
"He went to the Health Clinic to look for you. Next week is my son’s one-month celebration, and we want to invite you to his Baby Steps party."
"That’s great! I’ll definitely be there. You haven’t told why you’re out. Is your mother-in-law not around?"
"My mother-in-law has a stomachache and can’t get up, so I asked her to watch the baby while I rushed out to buy so painkillers."
Du Heng quickly made way. "Then you should hurry back. I’ll definitely co for your son’s one-month celebration."
You Fang wanted to say a few more words to Du Heng, but thinking of her mother-in-law and child at ho, she quickly ran back.
As You Fang trotted away, Wu Buwei asked Du Heng with a smile, "Senior Brother, is this the woman who threw the kitchen knife during that fight?"
Du Heng also chuckled. "What do you think? Hard to tell, right? I didn’t recognize her at first either. Now that she’s a mother, she’s put on so weight and has softened considerably."
"Indeed, it’s hard to tell. To think that this smiling woman could actually make such a deadly move so quietly."
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