When Zou Yan came looking for He Dongli, she had just finished an emergency consultation involving a facial debridement and tension-reducing suture.
There was a shift change going on.
Zou Yan asked He Dongli, who had just finished a 24-hour shift, “Outpatient clinic today?”
He Dongli, still in her scrubs, took off her surgical cap.
After the shift change, she had two more surgeries scheduled for the morning, both under their Director.
“Outpatient surgeries in the afternoon, what about it?”
Zou Yan had gotten the news—
He Dongli’s attending physician appointment letter had arrived.
He had rushed over to congratulate her.
“You’ll have to treat us.”
He Dongli smiled faintly.
“You still haven’t kept your promise to treat me. For the sake of environmental protection, let’s call it even.”
Zou Yan had also spent the entire night busy with surgeries in General Surgery.
He had even held his bladder just to come talk to her about something.
After shift change and rounds, he was off to fill in for his department on a popular science radio program.
Right now, He Dongli didn’t have time for small talk. Zou Yan got to the point, “On a serious note, the old lady is recovering well. They sent me pictures last night—the skin flap has completely adhered.”
He Dongli nodded, as if she already knew.
“Shixiong told me a couple days ago. When they removed the negative pressure and drainage, the old lady was already in good shape. Not easy, for someone almost ninety. Surgical tolerance is everything at that age.”
Zou Yan was about to say something more, but He Dongli hurried off for shift change, giving a few quick reminders before she left, telling the family to be careful with post-op care.
A month ago, Zou Yan had come to He Dongli and described his friend’s grandmother’s condition in detail.
The elderly lady was eighty-six, with a thirty-year history of hypertension and diabetes, seven years bedridden, and a massive deep pressure sore over her sacrum and greater trochanter.
Both the Feng Family Grandmother and Feng Mother had been teachers.
Having lived a dignified, decent life, the old lady could no longer endure the pain.
On nights when no one was around, she had tried to take pills to end her suffering, hoping to free her children from worry.
That was why Feng Mother insisted on getting treatment for her mother.
Her friend was still overseas, frantic with worry, and could only ask Zou Yan for help. Zou
Yan found He Dongli, hoping she could talk to their department head in Burn and Reconstructive Surgery to see if they could help with this operation.
He would cover all the costs.
But on one condition: don’t mention Zou Yan’s name.
He Dongli was a little confused.
After all, with Zou Yan’s status, he or his father could get any top surgeon they wanted.
But Zou Yan didn’t say more, just sincerely pleaded.
He and He Dongli had known each other for three or four years, ever since their residency rotations.
She’d never seen him ask anyone for help, let alone be so worried about something.
So He Dongli didn’t argue further and agreed to talk to their Director.
Zhao Zhenzhen had the same doctoral advisor as He Dongli; when they chatted, the advisor always joked that Dongli should call Zhao Zhenzhen “Shishu.”
Zhao Zhenzhen hated it—how could a woman be called “uncle”?
She blamed ancient patriarchy, how all traditions of passing on skills were structured around men.
He Dongli always addressed her properly as “teacher” or “Director.”
Of course, in private she’d grumble and call her Old Zhao, saying she was a mix of Little Dragon Maiden’s skills and Li Mochou’s temperament—brilliant and beautiful like Little Dragon Maiden, but with a temper as unpredictable as Li Mochou’s.
Zhao Zhenzhen’s teaching, clinics, and elective surgeries were fully booked, with several out-of-hospital operations in between.
She first scolded He Dongli—at this age, with wounds like these, the family clearly wasn’t attentive enough.
“What kind of friend is this?”
Got it.
He Dongli kept her eyes down, almost wanting to use Zou Yan’s name, but since he’d gone out of his way to avoid it, she didn’t push.
Fortunately, Zhao Zhenzhen forwarded her a WeChat contact, telling her to reach out to this person, who happened to be in the area for Expert Clinic these days.
On the day of the scheduled surgery, He Dongli happened to be off.
After contacting Shixiong, he invited her to assist.
It was a meticulous and efficient free large skin flap repair.
While suturing the skin graft donor site, Shixiong asked He Dongli, “How are you related to the old lady?”
He Dongli, focused on suturing, answered, “A friend’s grandmother.”
Shixiong didn’t say more.
Small talk in the OR was routine.
After the successful surgery, He Dongli met Feng Mother, whom Zou Yan had mentioned.
Shixiong, as lead surgeon, gave the family a detailed account of the operation.
The Feng Family wanted to treat them to a meal in gratitude, but Shixiong politely refused.
After leaving the county hospital, he drove back to the city and asked He Dongli how she got there.
Upon hearing she took a rideshare, he offered to give her a lift.
He Dongli called him Shixiong because he was Zhao Zhenzhen’s first Master’s Degree Student.
On the way, He Dongli, out of courtesy, made sure to keep the conversation going.
Shixiong worked and lived in Shanghai.
Though passing through S City on his way back, he still made a point to give her a ride.
Once in the city, He Dongli took the initiative, saying she’d invite him to stay a couple more hours, and that she’d call Director Zhao to invite both mentor and teacher to dinner.
Shixiong smiled and declined, asking her to pass along his regards to Teacher Zhao, saying he was in a hurry—he had a friend waiting for him in Shanghai to discuss something.
And so, they parted ways in a rush.
Zou Yan later updated her on the family’s latest feedback.
By the time He Dongli finished her surgeries, it was nearly noon.
She ate in the OR lounge, then after a short rest, caught the shuttle to the outpatient building, updated Shixiong on the patient’s progress, praised his technique during the follow-up, and thanked him once again for his help.
Tan Zhengjin had recently welcomed his second daughter and was beaming with joy.
When he sent a “three-day celebration” gift to Teacher Zhao, he also sent one to Dongli.
The next day, he received a congratulatory gift from his junior.
At the time, he was still seeing patients in another hospital district.
His wife was at the postpartum center, with friends and relatives visiting non-stop every day.
Gifts from colleagues and juniors didn’t always catch the family’s attention.
It was his mother-in-law and mother who, while organizing the gift list, came across this gift box.
It was signed: Affiliated Hospital of S University, He Dongli.
Someone picked up the box—a luxury brand’s newborn baby set.
And a Bunny Rabbit Plush Toy from Jellycat.
When Tan Zhengjin arrived, his mother-in-law called him to wash up and eat.
He answered, then remembered something and asked, “Did Zong Chi come by today?”
His mother-in-law nodded.
The Tan Family and the Zong Family were sworn relatives.
When Zong Chi was little, he was sickly, and someone suggested a folk remedy: have him become the “third son” in a family with two boys, and he’d recover.
Zong Mother, desperate, tried everything, and miraculously, he did get stronger within a few years.
He was still one of the shortest boys in his class when he started middle school.
After washing up, Tan Zhengjin didn’t rush to eat.
He first went to see his wife and daughter, then told his eldest not to jump around and to go to bed early with the nanny since there was school tomorrow.
His wife showed him the gifts Zong Chi and his mother had brought.
Both were extravagant, especially the one from Zong Mother—a heavy, traditional gold and jade necklace.
“This isn’t just for a baby’s three-day celebration; it could be worn for a wedding.”
Tan Zhengjin smiled, wiping his wife’s hands, comforting her, “Then save it for her wedding day.”
His wife scolded him for being unserious, then told him something odd, “Hey, Zong Chi isn’t as uptight and showy as the news says. He was teased by your mom into holding the baby, looked so awkward, and ended up taking a plush toy. Said he’d make it up by sending two more for the baby later. He’s quite amusing.”
“A plush toy?”
His wife then explained that the gift was probably from one of his students.
Only then did Tan Zhengjin go over to check the name and address on the gift box, suddenly realizing and smiling before answering his wife, “It’s fine, let him take it.”