Chapter 23: Early New Year’s well-wishing
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: Kurisu
It was now past December, and it was freezing. Zhang Fan had never worn a cap in his life before, but even he was forced to purchase a warm fur cap to keep his head warm.
It was just so damned cold. Over the past ten or so days, Zhang Fan had plenty of chances to enjoy driving. Every afternoon, he would drive to Chasu City and give Wang Qian a back massage. The skies would darken by the ti he was finished, so he would stay the night at the hotel. The next morning, he would drive back to Kuake City Hospital for work there.
It was almost New Year’s. While Kuake City Hospital’s internal dicine departnt still had so patients, there were almost no patients coming in for surgeries.
The treatnts for Wang Qian weren’t as effective as for Kang Hua. However, Wang Qian no longer felt any pain in her legs at all. She was really excited about this. Since she was in such a great mood, she seed far more energetic than before. She kept forcing Zhang Fan to eat dinner at her ho every night. Yet, Zhang Fan hadn’t t her husband a single ti. As Wang Qian put it, “My husband serves the country. Soone who doesn’t die while working for the country isn’t a good servant to the people.”
Over the past several days, Zhang Fan felt like Wang Qian was easier to get along with than Kang Hua. To him, Kang Hua had that type of indescribable political aura around her. In comparison, Wang Qian was much better.
“Eat up! Back when my son was still in high school, he was also a really big eater. For soone who loves to cook like , the best thing is to see all of my food being eaten by soone else!” Wang Qian’s son was currently in college, and her husband was really busy with work. She was always bored when she was at ho. Over the past several days, she felt like this doctor, who was only slightly older than her son, was incredibly skilled and had an honest personality.
Zhang Fan was the type who wouldn’t act reserved once he got to know soone better. “Mrs. Wang, since you probably can’t eat all this anyways, I’ll just take all the remaining at buns and eat them for breakfast tomorrow.”
“Sure! How about I also fry so eggs for you now!”
“That would be great!”
In Wang Qian’s family, since her husband was a politician, and she also had a good position at a bank, they didn’t lack money and led a comfortable life. As long as her back beca better, they would basically be a perfect family.
Since the snowfall sealed the mountain paths this year, when Kuake City Hospital finished its end-of-year accounting, the hospital’s overall profit actually exceeded last year’s profit significantly. This was money that was clearly on the accounts, so Batu couldn’t spend it as he wanted. Thus, he figured he could use it to purchase new equipnt for the hospital. He gathered all the hospital departnt directors and head nurses for a eting.
“The year 2008 is almost finished now. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we saw 40% more patients than last year, and doubled the number of surgeries. I hope that we’ll continue making everyone recognize how great our hospital is next year and rise even higher!
“Now, we have so extra money in our account books. The hospital’s board of directors has discussed things, and agreed to purchase a new CT scanner.” CT scanners were large-scale dical equipnt, and the top-quality ones could cost more than ten million yuan. Batu was intending to use this opportunity to take one final, large kickback for himself while he was still the hospital superintendent.
In Kuake City which had so many minorities, the ethnic minority doctors would work whenever there was a Chinese holiday, and the Han Chinese doctors would work whenever there was an ethnic holiday. However, surgery departnt #2 was an exception. Director Nuar was completely unreliable, and Tu Xun was currently out on sick leave, saying that he had hemorrhoids.
Vice Director Shi Lei couldn’t help the situation. He talked things over with Chen Qifa and Zhang Fan. Shi Lei already knew that the superintendent had sent Zhang Fan to nearby Chasu City to treat a patient there, although Shi Lei wasn’t clear on the details. Batu had told Shi Lei this as the reason why Zhang Fan was unable to work night shifts.
“How about this, over the seven-day New Year’s holiday celebration, I won’t be doing anything except stay at the dormitory regardless. I’ll work the day shift on all seven days.” Zhang Fan hadn’t been on the night shift for quite so ti now. Although nobody ntioned anything to him, he felt quite awkward about it.
“I’ll take the night shift on the first three days, then. My grandfather’s birthday is at the end of the holiday celebration, so I have to return.” Li Liang imdiately volunteered for so shifts after seeing Zhang Fan speak up. Shi Lei then glanced at Yang Chengming, but Yang Chengming remained silent.
Since this was the first year that all these recent college graduates were working here, Superintendent Batu had announced that they could all take the New Year’s seven-day holiday off and properly enjoy the holidays. Yang Chengming ignored Vice Director Shi Lei completely since the superintendent had said so.
After noticing that Yang Chengming wasn’t going to say anything, Shi Lei then said, “Li Liang, you don’t need to take any night shifts. Get so good rest over the holidays, and make up for it with hard work after the next year starts. I’ll take the first three days’ night shifts. Old Chen, you take the next four days’ night shifts. Is that alright with you? We can also switch if you want.”
“That’s fine, we can do as you suggested.” Chen Qifa had no objections to taking the later four night shifts.
“We’ll be counting on Doctor Zhang over the holidays this year!” Shi Lei politely thanked Zhang Fan for offering to work all seven days of the New Year’s vacation holiday.
Later in Batu’s office, Batu spoke to Zhang Fan, “Be my driver today. We’re going to visit Leader Kang Hua’s ho. How is it, will you be allowed to enter?”
“Probably.” Zhang Fan had no idea what Batu wanted to do.
“Silly youngster, we’re going there to wish her a happy New Year’s. This will all depend on your face today. You should first check to see if she’s ho or not right now.” Typically, Zhang Fan always left his car at the hospital dormitory unless there was an ergency. He rarely drove it to the hospital.
Zhang Fan contacted Tang Jingjing, and confird that Kang Hua was indeed ho. Zhang Fan and Batu then set out. Batu drove his own car over and opened up the trunk, taking out so objects from within. Zhang Fan looked there and saw two cartons of smokes, a box filled with wine, and a slaughtered animal that seed larger than a sheep and smaller than a cow.
“We’re going to go wish her an early happy New Year’s. If I get a chance, I’ll ntion how the hospital wants to purchase a new CT scanner, and most importantly, that I’d like to beco the leader of the Bureau of Public Health. At that ti, try and help out from the sidelines,” Batu told Zhang Fan as he sat down in the latter’s car.
“Not a problem. But, Superintendent Batu, isn’t the head of the Bureau of Public Health equal in rank to your hospital superintendent position? Why go to the trouble of going there instead?”
“Sigh! You have no idea. In our Kuake City, there’s three major industries supporting our city. Making bread, pasture grazing, and our Kuake City Hospital. I’ve already been a superintendent here for ten years. I’ve had to be so careful on top of being careful. Right now, there’s so many people both openly and secretly trying to cause trouble. That’s why I want to go over there for sothing more reliable.”
It was almost New Year’s. Kang Hua had been ho every day over the past few days. She would lose a significant amount of money from potential bribes if she wasn’t at ho.
At the ti that Zhang Fan had arranged with Tang Jingjing, he arrived and knocked on Kang Hua’s door together with Batu. Kang Hua was obviously treating Batu like a higher-up would a subordinate, but she was quite friendly with Zhang Fan.
“We’re here to wish Leader Kang a happy New Year’s.” After Zhang Fan and Batu put down the presents, Kang Hua invited them to sit down. Zhang Fan had looked over the presents while moving them. They were quite expensive. The smokes were from the top-quality Zhonghua brand, and the wine was a local liquor that Zhang Fan knew to be relatively expensive.
After sitting and chatting for ten or so minutes, Kang Hua ntioned that Batu could co visit her at her governnt office when she resud working for the remaining specifics.
“Is there any hope for you at all?” Zhang Fan was feeling confused, so he asked this question as he and Batu left. All they chatted about had been hospital construction, but Batu hadn’t ntioned a single thing about purchasing the CT scanner or wanting to beco the leader of the Bureau of Public Health.
“Of course there is. Didn’t you hear her telling to visit her office after the New Year’s? You need to learn from this. This is how to negotiate.”
Right after leaving Kang Hua’s residence, Zhang Fan and Batu ran into Wang Qian.
“Zhang Fan! When did you arrive? Are you on vacation break from the hospital?”
“Mrs. Wang, this is our hospital superintendent. I’m not on vacation break from the hospital.”
“Oh, please wait here a mont for . My ho’s been rather ssy the past few days, so I won’t invite you in. I have so things I’d like to give to you.” Wang Qian didn’t give Zhang Fan a chance to refuse as she hurriedly went back to her ho.
“This is the Mrs. Wang that Politician Kang wanted you to treat?” Batu whispered to Zhang Fan.
“Yeah.”
“Do you know more specifics on her yet?”
“She works at a bank, and her na is Wang Qian. I haven’t asked her anything else, nor has she ntioned anything.”
“You!” Batu sighed regretfully.
So ti later, Wang Qian ca back with several large black bags. “I know that you smoke, so I’m giving you so cartons of smokes, and so small presents from my workplace. Don’t refuse these, you know what I’m like.” She stuffed the bags into Zhang Fan’s hands, and then left after nodding politely at Batu.
Zhang Fan and Batu didn’t stay long in Kaifa District. Almost everyone who lived in this district was a big shot. Batu was afraid of eting soone he knew here. After leaving Kaifa Disctrict, Batu’s curiosity got to him as he flipped through the bags that Wang Qian gave to Zhang Fan. “These are all really nice! It’s such a waste of good resources on you!”
Zhang Fan could tell that Batu’s voice sounded slightly sour, so he asked, “How co I couldn’t tell?”
“What would you know?” Batu looked outside the car window, feeling sowhat gloomy.
Wang Qian had given Zhang Fan two cartons of Zhonghua smokes, along with so gifts that others had given to her husband—an Apple phone, two leather belts, and several ties.
So while later, Batu spoke up again. “Cultivate a good relationship with that Mrs. Wang. Perhaps you’ll need her help with sothing one day.”
“Sure, I’ll listen to you,” Zhang Fan agreed casually just to appease Batu.
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