This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Hmm?

Du Heng was slightly surprised.

But he quickly understood and grasped Liang Lihai’s reluctance.

Firstly, he was afraid of the cost; otherwise, he wouldn’t have waited until Du Heng returned home for the New Year to seek his help.

Secondly, he had an instinctive fear of surgery, especially an operation on his spine.

Du Heng lowered his head, looking at the X-rays in his hand that he had just been about to put down, and fell silent.

Can medicine be prescribed? Yes, but it won’t solve the root problem. Can the problem be solved without surgery? It’s possible. Using an orthopedic method, the dislocated lumbar vertebra could potentially be twisted back into place. But I don’t want to do it. It’s too dangerous. One wrong move, and the slipped area could completely separate, causing irreversible paralysis. Moreover, even if it were pushed back, the patient would need at least three months of bed rest, avoiding any heavy physical labor. If an accident occurred, it would be far more serious than doing nothing, possibly even damaging the spinal cord. Surgery, on the other hand, is different. After the operation, steel pins provide fixation and auxiliary support. The lumbar vertebrae then have a point of leverage. As long as there’s no sudden, violent, or large-angle use of the waist, it should generally be fine. After a year or two, when the body has healed sufficiently, the steel pins can be removed, and the person will be like normal.

With a decision made, Du Heng looked up at Liang Lihai and said, ”I suggest you have the surgery. It won’t significantly affect your future recovery or your ability to work. You’ll be just like a normal person.”

Subsequently, Du Heng also explained the risks of the bone-setting method, so Liang Lihai would understand that it wasn’t that Du Heng wouldn’t treat him, but rather that he was helping him choose the most advantageous and best treatment plan.

After listening, Liang Lihai no longer insisted on Du Heng prescribing medicine, but his expression remained hesitant.

Seeing this, Du Heng knew he was likely worried about the medical expenses and said again, ”Wait a moment. I’ll call my classmate and ask.”

After chatting with Jin Zan and learning the approximate cost of the lumbar disc herniation surgery, Du Heng hung up the phone and then said to Liang Lihai, ”The total cost will be around 50,000 yuan. You’ll be able to get out of bed and walk on the third day after the surgery.”

”50,000 yuan?” Liang Lihai replied softly.

And from that one sentence, Du Heng understood that his earlier guess was correct; he was indeed worried about the money.

Then again, in the current rural areas, which family isn’t worried about money? A couple, both able-bodied laborers, working away from home—one earning a bit over three thousand a month, the other a bit over four thousand—would only make a little over 80,000 yuan a year combined. The problem is, with two elderly parents to support and at least one child below, after deducting costs for food, drink, and normal expenses, if the family could save 20,000 yuan in a year, they were already living very frugally. If the elderly at home were in poor health and a child had just started university, they’d be lucky to avoid debt, let alone have savings. And all this presupposes that the couple earning the money don’t fall ill.

Du Ping’s eyes darted around, glanced at Du Heng, and then looked towards the card still on the table.

Du Heng shook his head slightly.

He understood what his elder brother meant by that look—he was planning to offer a loan. Previously, Liang Lihai’s family, both old and young, had helped Du Ping and his brother a great deal, so it wasn’t surprising that Du Ping had this idea.

Du Heng looked at Liang Lihai and said, ”Actually, it won’t end up being that much.

”Now, medical insurance has been reformed. If you’re hospitalized in a Class A hospital like the Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, as long as you’re a local resident, you can have the expenses reimbursed directly upon discharge—roughly a little over half.

”If you don’t mind the hassle, you can first go to the Health Clinic and have them issue a referral certificate. Then, go to the District Hospital to get another certificate. This way, the reimbursement can reach seventy to eighty percent.

”Also, there’s commercial insurance included in the medical insurance. This can provide a second reimbursement on top of the first one. The final cost should then be just a little over 20,000 yuan.”

Hearing Du Heng say this, Liang Lihai visibly sighed with relief. ”A little over 20,000 yuan... If it’s that much, I think we can manage by pooling some money.”

Du Heng didn’t respond but glanced at Du Ping. Some things were better said by his elder brother than by him.

Sure enough, after Du Ping saw Du Heng’s signal, he said to Liang Lihai, ”Don’t worry about the money. Once the New Year festivities are over these few days, you should hurry and get admitted to the hospital.

”If you don’t have enough money, just let me know. I’ve managed to earn a bit this year, more or less. When the time comes, if you’re short, I’ll help you make up the difference.”

Liang Lihai looked at Du Ping gratefully, but he also appeared very embarrassed. To bring up money matters right during the New Year celebrations... it felt quite awkward.

They had just seen Liang Lihai off when more people started arriving, and their numbers only grew.

Everyone knew Du Heng was highly skilled and held a leading position at a Big Hospital. They also knew he would only be staying in the mountains for these few days of the New Year. So, one after another, they came—some carrying X-rays they had already gotten, others arriving empty-handed—directly to Du Heng’s door to have him take a look.

Although everyone’s motives were quite clear—firstly, to benefit from his reputation, and secondly, to get a free consultation—Du Heng didn’t refuse them. Instead, right there in his elder brother’s living room, he began to address their questions and alleviate their concerns.

For people from the village to come seeking his medical advice, it showed they held him in high regard. At the same time, he empathized with these villagers; earning money was truly very hard for them.