System Came When the Doctor was Thirty

The spicy pot restaurant was half-full, the whirring of the fans mingling with the gossip of the girls and the sound of the aunt dragging chairs across the floor.

An aunt in a red apron brought over a pot, raising it above her head while shouting, ”Make way, be careful not to get burnt!~”

”Make way, be careful not to get burnt.”

”B11, yes, that’s yours. I’ll go get your rice.” The aunt slammed the pot down between Lu Cheng and Mu Nanshu, causing the bamboo basket holding the pot to tilt awkwardly.

This sudden action cut off Lu Cheng’s words mid-sentence as he hurriedly tidied up the glasses in front of him, ”Do you often order takeaway? I remember you were quite a good cook?”

Mu Nanshu and Lu Cheng grew up in the town, both attending elementary and middle school there.

The town was considered semi-rural back then, Mu Nanshu’s parents were away for business, leaving her responsible for buying groceries and cooking.

Until the second year of middle school, when the Mu Family’s business improved significantly, and Uncle Mu hired someone to bring back the aunt to be a full-time companion for studies.

That’s how Mu Nanshu honed her cooking skills.

Today, Mu Nanshu wore a light blue version A blouse, with a simple silver beaded pendant around her neck, and as she tied her hair with a hair tie on her wrist, she looked rather proud.

Perhaps she realized the action was somewhat unseemly, so she slightly turned her body, ”I cook occasionally, but when you cook alone, there’s often too much food, and I’m too lazy to wash dishes.”

”The cafeteria is also too far, so I often order takeaway.” After tying her hair, Mu Nanshu habitually flipped her ponytail to the left side of her chest.

But realizing it was time to eat, she brushed her hair back as the aunt brought over the rice. Lu Cheng served a big bowl to Mu Nanshu first.

”I can’t eat this much now,” Mu Nanshu said, after pausing in surprise.

Lu Cheng then scooped some of the rice from his bowl and gave it to Mu Nanshu, ”No wonder you’ve lost weight.”

”You’re not on a diet, are you? Be careful of your stomach.”

Mu Nanshu shook her head, ”Nine out of ten Hua Country people abroad go hungry every day... they say they’re hungry, and after being hungry for so long, their appetite shrinks...”

”There’s no good Chinese food near our school.”

Picking up her chopsticks, Mu Nanshu first took a piece of bamboo shoot to her mouth, ”It tastes okay, but the seasoning is too strong, it lacks the fragrance of the pot.”

Lu Cheng said, ”That Wu’s Spicy Pot we had during undergrad is gone.”

”I’ve never had that flavor since; even the pots in Long County can’t replicate it.”

Wu’s Spicy Pot, as Lu Cheng mentioned, was from the Great Food Generation on Zhongbei Road; Lu Cheng even looked it up specifically today, intending to visit next time, but the shop was no longer there.

”Perhaps we didn’t taste as many good things back then, so the flavor remains in memory.”

”I actually think, the food in the country, eating it is a pleasure, even in this place,” Mu Nanshu puffed her cheeks and chewed slowly.

Lu Cheng wasn’t picky and, as a carb-loving guy, couldn’t feel full without rice or noodles.

In just a few bites, Lu Cheng finished his big bowl of rice.

When he went for more rice, Mu Nanshu had barely eaten a third of hers, and she wondered if the spicy pot was really that delicious.

But it had always been like this, watching Lu Cheng eat always gave her an ’appetite boost’ to eat another half bowl.

After the meal, it was twelve forty in the afternoon, and Mu Nanshu held an umbrella as she walked with Lu Cheng to digest their food.

Glancing at Lu Cheng, she said, ”Why are you walking so far away? Aren’t you afraid of getting sunburned?”

Lu Cheng raised his right arm, ”I never use umbrellas, always riding little electric scooters, getting tan is no big deal, it doesn’t matter.”

”A roommate of mine said your skills are really, really good, but I didn’t expect she’d also be your teaching mentor this time!” Mu Nanshu suddenly mentioned.

”Do you want some milk tea?” Lu Cheng asked instead of answering, seeing Bawang Chagee twenty meters ahead with quite a line.

Even in September, Han City was still hot. Most people couldn’t resist the refreshing beverage, and she was no exception, ”I’ll have a cup then...”

After ordering, Lu Cheng and Mu Nanshu sat by the floor-to-ceiling glass, enjoying the air-conditioning as they watched the outside.

Outside, delivery guys occasionally zoomed by, young couples wore carefree smiles, sanitation workers under the sun picking up cigarette butts, formally-dressed agents showing clients properties, and the bustling traffic.

Mu Nanshu sneaked a glance at Lu Cheng, asking again, ”Why are your skills so good?”

”They’re not, just the basics are good, nothing much to speak of,” Lu Cheng replied.

”What I know now wouldn’t impress even the department your roommate is in at Union Hospital,” Lu Cheng said.

Xiangya Hospital doesn’t even take tendon injury patients, let alone Union Hospital.

”It can’t be that simple, right? Xie Yuan’an is a bit on edge about it, from ten in the morning till now, subtly trying to find out many things,” in Mu Nanshu’s eyes, a complex light shimmered.

Her tone sounded casual, but there was a faint sense of ’urgency’ in it.

Lu Cheng turned, looked at Mu Nanshu, and scratched his head, ”Book Bag, if I said I didn’t know the specifics, would you believe me?”

”I’ve just been studying hard, no idea of the level I’ve reached or exactly what I can do with it,” Lu Cheng admitted.

Mu Nanshu trusted him, ”I don’t know much about clinical work; during postgrad and doctoral studies abroad, it’s mostly reading and research, not much clinical exposure.”

”Inpatient Doctor training there is when they formally integrate into clinical practice.”

”But to have Sister An react like that, you must be quite impressive...”

”She told me Professor Xie is willing to take you as a student, even recommending a smooth path.”

Advancing academia properly, even if one doesn’t end up at Union, the chances of finding good jobs in Han City are high.

Han City isn’t just about Union, Tongji, Provincial People’s Hospital, and Central South.

Lu Cheng gave Mu Nanshu a glance, unexpectedly raising his eyebrows, ”What if I said I don’t want to pursue further education now, just hanging on to my bachelor’s degree for a couple of years, what would you think of me?”

Mu Nanshu drew back her chin, speaking softly, ”I understand, but I don’t particularly support it.”

”Didn’t you mention the other day? Not caring about winning or losing, just seeking peace of mind, no need to delay yourself...”

”Following a mentor, fully immersing in learning is better than scattered study here and there.”

Lu Cheng nodded gently, ”That decision would have to wait until after the micro-surgery skills competition.”

”Actually, going directly into a teaching hospital for further study wouldn’t benefit my development right now.”

”I’m more suited for clinical!” Lu Cheng’s voice was firm.

Skill Points come from treating patients, not from just being in a lab doing research.

From Mu Nanshu, Lu Cheng understood that during master’s and doctoral studies, eighty percent of the time is spent doing research experiments.

Mu Nanshu chuckled, ”You must have your insight, I trust you won’t make a rash decision.”