Dr Wang felt that Ms Zou seemed to be speaking up for him, yet at the same time, she seemed to be pricking his heart.
However, it was probably just his imagination. How could Ms Zou deliberately prick his heart?
It was a fact that Dr Wang was an older single man. Ms Zou had merely spoken the truth.
Even so, thinking about how he had beaten countless competitors in the gaokao to gain high marks and admission to medical school, then endured eight gruelling years of integrated undergraduate and postgraduate studies, and finally edged out other equally qualified candidates to stay at the best hospital in Modu, yet with such an inspirational CV, he still failed repeatedly in arranged dates, Dr Wang felt a bit bewildered.
Why did he always fail at arranged dates?
Clearly, there were people uglier than him, poorer than him, with lower qualifications, shorter than him… yet they still found partners, while he remained single. What was the logic in that?
Once upon a time, the young nurses in the hospital always lingered around him. Later, those young nurses all paired off one by one, while Dr Wang remained a single dog.
One arranged date had said Dr Wang was too straightforward.
Dr Wang found it baffling. Did being a doctor require understanding too many twists and turns? Was it not enough to have excellent medical skills? Hmph!
The straightforward Dr Wang bypassed the heart-pricking fact of being an “older single” and asked Xie Qian directly, “Actually, we have discussed it. You could have the surgery in the country too. It is not cancer treatment that requires the latest drugs. You are so clever. You should realise that any surgery needs massive practice. In that regard, Hua country’s large population base offers a great advantage…”
“Yes, I know. I have my own considerations.”
There was still a long recovery period after the surgery. Staying in the country would indeed be convenient.
However, after much thought, Xie Qian still decided to have the surgery abroad.
If he stayed in the country, he would not hold out for a few days before softening and surrendering to his hamster.
His current condition was truly terrible. If his hamster saw him, she would surely cry for a long time again.
After the surgery, Xie Qian would probably have to toddle like an infant and relearn to walk… He wanted to appear before his hamster in good condition, make up for that missed dinner, and under the accompaniment of a live band, present the gift he had prepared.
Everything should be the best.
His hamster deserved the best.
This was one reason Xie Qian decided on surgery abroad, but not the only one.
When trapped in the situation, it was easy to lose sight of developments. Stepping out of the current environment, on the contrary, allowed him to sort out the threads of the whole affair from a bystander perspective.
Why did Zhang Zhijun do these things?
Simply to seize “Jinhu”?
Hua people placed great emphasis on bloodline inheritance. Zhuo Chen was not Zhang Zhijun’s son. If Zhang Zhijun went to such great lengths merely to clear obstacles for Zhuo Chen, it hardly made sense.
For love?
Xie Qian could not understand that kind of love.
Xie Qian decided to step out of his existing knowledge and reorganise the relationship between Sara Zhuo and Zhang Zhijun.
If there was a chance, Xie Qian also wanted to meet the children of the old overseas Chinese merchant.
Or perhaps, while abroad, investigate Zhang Zhijun’s border trade business from multiple angles.
Xie Qian once again strengthened his conviction. He must work hard to recover, quickly find a breakthrough, so he could quickly return to his hamster’s side.
…
Beijing.
Xie Yuping put down the documents in his hand, rubbed his temples, and asked Zhong Yong, who had just entered, “Xie Qian should have boarded the plane by now, right?”
Zhong Yong nodded. “The plane has already taken off. Before boarding, Young Master Xie called the old lady at your home. The old lady’s speech is still unclear. Young Master Xie instructed her to cooperate with the doctor’s treatment, saying he would be back soon.”
A touch more softness appeared on Xie Yuping’s face.
That child Xie Qian never spoke sweet words to coax elders. Because he was too clever and matured early, and because of that early maturity, he was not as clingy as other children his age. In outsiders’ eyes, he was aloof.
Aloofness was the appearance. In fact, Xie Qian had always cared deeply about family.
Xie Yuping also hoped Xie Qian would recover quickly.
After talking about happy matters, inevitably came the unhappy ones.
“Still no leads on the car accident?”
Zhong Yong looked ashamed. “If cash was used, with current technology, it is very hard to trace. I have had people watching for a long time. The truck driver’s family shows no unusual behaviour.”
There was neither panic nor any spending beyond what the truck driver’s family should have.
If the truck driver had been bribed with money, with the driver still in a coma, the family would surely show some signs.
No matter how one looked, nothing was abnormal. It was not that Zhong Yong looked down on ordinary people, but he knew well that without training, let alone ordinary citizens, even so-called elites would struggle to stay this calm for so long!
Could it really be a coincidence?
Zhong Yong’s phone suddenly rang. After answering, his expression changed. “The hospital says the comatose driver has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.”
Xie Yuping was surprised. “He has been hospitalised for over 20 days. Only now do they find cancer?”
“The truck driver injured his head. The doctors did not initially think of cancer. They only performed head surgery. I hear early to mid-stage pancreatic cancer does not show abnormalities in blood reports and has no external symptoms. Diagnosing it in a normal person requires doctors to combine imaging reports for comprehensive judgement, let alone in…”
“Let alone a car accident victim who has received multiple critical condition notices.”
Xie Yuping finished Zhong Yong’s sentence.
Treat illness when ill, but treat injuries first when injured.
Most aggressive-looking diseases have a survival period. Severe injuries, however, can kill at any time.
“You see, now the truck driver has a motive for being hired to commit the crime.”
Normal people, no matter how greedy, would not trade their lives for money. Cancer patients are different. Pancreatic cancer is highly malignant, progresses quickly, and drains savings without saving the life… If at that point someone offered the truck driver a large sum, asking him to trade his already limited remaining life for his family’s future comfort, the truck driver might well agree!
Xie Yuping said decisively, “Investigate. Continue investigating. If the truck driver received money, he could not hide it from his whole family. Someone must know of his sacrifice. To collect the ‘reward’ he traded his life for, whether cash or other benefits, it will surely surface!”
Zhong Yong had taken everything Hou Zhixiu could remember that Zhang Zhijun had sent to the Xie family over the years for testing, including the unfinished red sausage Hou Zhixiu had kept in the fridge. The results showed no problems at all.
The things Zhang Zhijun sent to Xie Yuping’s home were not particularly valuable, but very thoughtful.
If Zhang Zhijun had not admitted himself that Zhuo Yue was his biological daughter, even Zhong Yong would suspect Xie Qian had wronged a good person.
Xie Yuping said nothing.
Regardless of whether the things Zhang Zhijun sent home had issues, Xie Yuping no longer planned to eat or use them.
In fact, after Xie Qian decided on surgery abroad, Xie Yuping had a brief conversation with him.
Xie Qian felt Sara Zhuo and Zhang Zhijun were allies, yet for some reason, their alliance seemed odd.
Lu Meishu’s suicide was a point of doubt.
With Lu Meishu’s death, Sara Zhuo could not clear her name no matter what. If Zhang Zhijun truly cared for Sara Zhuo, he should not have let Lu Meishu succeed in suicide!
“If their alliance is not solid enough, can we find a way to divide them?”
Xie Yuping was still pondering Xie Qian’s suggestion when his phone rang. It was Xie Tang.
This summer, Xie Tang had planned to stay in Modu. When the old lady fell ill and was hospitalised, Xie Tang returned to Beijing to care for her with mother Hou Zhixiu.
The night Zhang Zhijun and Lu Meishu came to Xie Yuping’s home to apologise, Xie Tang was at the hospital with the old lady.
Xie Tang learned of Lu Meishu’s suicide from Peng Guoqing.
Zhang Zhijun was close to the Xie family. With his wife passing, the Xie family would certainly attend the funeral.
Only then did Hou Zhixiu, fearing Xie Tang would continue to be deceived by Zhang Zhijun, explain the whole story to her.
From Xie Qian’s car accident to Zou Weijun and Xie Jinghu’s divorce, to Zhang Zhijun bringing his wife to apologise, to Lu Meishu’s suicide… this series of events in just a few days truly took Xie Tang a while to digest.
Fortunately, Xie Tang regained her senses after a few days. Knowing the family was unsettled lately, she paid special attention to whispers in their circle.
Hearing Xie Yuping’s voice, Xie Tang sounded anxious. “Dad, you said the news of Xie Qian’s car accident is temporarily known only to our immediate family, right?”
“Yes. Even to little Wen’s side, I did not let Zhong Yong reveal everything. Only a few of us in the family know about Xie Qian’s car accident. Even Xie Qi and the others are unaware.”
Xie Yuping gave a firm answer.
Xie Tang sneered. “Then it is strange. Xie Qian told his friends before leaving the country that he was going abroad for a new project. As soon as he boarded the plane, here in Beijing I heard someone say Xie Qian had a serious car accident with severe brain damage and was sent abroad for treatment while in a deep coma!”
