This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

After a period, as times changed, these windows evolved into sliding ones. At that point, they could still be opened fully. A few years later, restrictions were placed on these sliding windows, allowing them to open only halfway. In recent years, for all newly constructed hospital buildings, regardless of the room type, four-fifths of the window area is fixed and cannot be moved. The operable part is no longer the previous style with two panels that slid left and right or pulled open entirely. Instead, it has become a window that pushes outward from the bottom, leaving a gap only the size of a fist.

Since this window type became standard, natural breeze rarely entered the buildings. In summer, temperature regulation relied entirely on air conditioning. Moreover, cleaning the glass became difficult, requiring professionals to do it from the outside. At first glance, such a design seems unreasonable, as it increases the hospital’s operating costs. However, this window style was eventually adopted by hospitals nationwide, a decision born from countless hard-learned lessons, experiences paid for in blood and tears.

For instance, an elderly patient, hospitalized and unattended, might become despondent and jump from a window in the dead of night. Subsequently, their devoted children and grandchildren would descend upon the hospital, wailing and demanding compensation. Or consider a terminal cancer patient who, due to unbearable pain, the inability to afford medical expenses, or an unwillingness to burden their family, chooses to jump. Their relatives would also relentlessly pursue compensation from the hospital. Then there are cases where a couple, stressed from illness, might quarrel heatedly, leading one to jump. The surviving partner would instantly transform into a grieving, devoted lover, and if the hospital refused compensation, they would undoubtedly stage a dramatic scene comparable to Meng Jiangnu weeping at the Great Wall. There were countless other examples; so many incidents like this, all of them lessons learned through blood and tears.

In fact, from another perspective, the evolution of hospital windows also indirectly reflects the changing dynamics of doctor-patient relationships.

Du Heng, having snapped back to reality, smiled at the man outside the window. He then lowered his head, intending to finish his instant noodles and go to sleep. However, after taking a bite, he looked up, puzzled, at the man outside. The man hanging outside the window appeared young, likely in his early twenties, but his complexion and temples suggested he might be closer to thirty. Seeing Du Heng look at him, the man offered a gentle smile in return.

Du Heng didn’t quite grasp the meaning of the smile, so he asked through the small window opening, ”Is there something you need?”

”No, I’ll just wait for you to finish eating before I continue cleaning,” the young man replied, his voice quite loud.

Du Heng had a moment of realization and quickly said, ”Oh, it’s alright. Please, carry on with your work.”

”It feels a bit strange, me working up here while you’re eating right below by the window,” the young man said with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Du Heng glanced around the dormitory with his bowl of noodles. Besides the table he was at, only the bed offered a place to sit. But if he sat on the bed, there’d be nowhere to put his noodles.

”Alright then. Why don’t you take a short break? I’ll finish up quickly.”

”No problem, take your time.”

Du Heng put down his noodles and began to eat in big mouthfuls. However, with someone watching him as he ate, he started to feel a bit self-conscious. He stood up, poured a cup of water from the dispenser, and passed it through the window gap. ”Brother, have some water. I’ll be done in a couple more bites.”

The young man seemed genuinely thirsty. He actually loosened his safety rope a bit, took the water, and began to drink. ”Thank you,” he said.

Du Heng smiled and, while finishing his noodles, struck up a conversation through the window. ”Brother, judging by your accent, are you from the Northwest?”

”Yeah, I’m from Lin County.”

”Really? I’m from Jinzhou! We’re fellow townsmen!” Du Heng felt a sudden pleasant surprise.

The man outside the window smiled more sincerely. ”Jinzhou, you say? That’s right next to Lin County. We really are fellow townsmen!” He looked at Du Heng with an expression that was clearly envious.

The same region, roughly the same age, yet one was inside the window, the other outside; one sitting, the other suspended.

Du Heng didn’t notice the look in the young man’s eyes. He was simply happy to have met a fellow townsman so far from home and wanted to finish his meal quickly so the young man could resume his work. Being suspended in midair like this is not only uncomfortable but also quite dangerous, he thought.

”Brother, what made you decide to come to the Capital?” Du Heng asked, continuing to chat as he ate.

”To earn money, of course,” the young man said, laughing as he watched Du Heng wolf down his food. ”There’s more work here, and the pay is better. Don’t rush, eat slowly. I’m in no hurry.”

Du Heng nodded, though the pace of his eating didn’t slow at all. ”By the way, what’s your name? I’m Du Heng. I work in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Internal Medicine Department at the hospital.”

”My name is Huang Jufu.”

”That’s a good name.” Du Heng sipped his soup, then quickly stood up to clear his bowl. ”Alright, bro, I won’t keep you from your work any longer. I need to get some sleep too. Remember my name, Du Heng. If you ever need anything, or even if you don’t, come find me. We can grab a meal together.”

The young man laughed heartily and promised he would.

After this brief interlude, Du Heng flopped onto his bed, pulled the covers over his head, and fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, it was nearly time for the lunch break. After such a deep sleep, all of Du Heng’s joints ached. He couldn’t help but think, It might have been better if I hadn’t slept at all.

After a quick wash, Du Heng slowly ambled towards the hospital wards. He hadn’t checked on his patients since the previous afternoon. There wasn’t much to see, though. Cao Binghe and the others had managed everything well; there were no issues.

However, when he reached Gu’s hospital room, Du Heng couldn’t help but grit his teeth. This woman is treating the hospital like a hotel; she doesn’t want to leave! No, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Internal Medicine Department only has this one single patient room. I can’t let this woman keep occupying it. She has to go.

Thinking this, Du Heng stepped into the hospital room.

Gu, who had been idly playing on her mobile phone, showed a flicker of excitement when she heard him enter. Her eyes lit up, and the phone in her hand instantly lost its appeal.

”Du, you’re here?” Her voice was a little sweet, a little cloying.

Du Heng couldn’t help but shiver internally. ”Stop with the ’Du’ this and ’Du’ that. Call me Doctor Du, or Director Du. If that’s too much, just use my name.”

”But no~, my dad specifically said before he left that I should treat you like my own older brother.”

Du Heng rolled his eyes. That was just some polite nonsense from that Mr. Gu—I don’t even know what his position is. I’m certainly not taking it seriously. Besides, I have a nagging feeling Mr. Gu said that to try and take advantage of me.

Gu continued, ”Besides, Shengnan and I call each other sisters. You’re older than us, so it’s perfectly normal for me to call you ’brother’.”

Sisters, my foot! Du Heng’s eyes nearly did a full 180-degree roll. He didn’t want to get bogged down in this argument over address terms, so he cut straight to the chase. ”Gu, your current condition no longer benefits from hospital treatment. From now on, it’s about letting it recover slowly and naturally. Please consider when would be a convenient time for you to complete the discharge procedures.”

Gu looked at Du Heng with a playful pout. ”Why ’Gu’ all the time? My name is Gu Qinghong. You can call me Qinghong, Xiao Hong, or Xiao Qing. Why do you always call me ’Gu’ like we’re strangers?”

Du Heng felt a surge of exasperation. Are we really that familiar with each other?

Seeing Du Heng remain silent, Gu Qinghong pressed on, ”I’m not getting discharged. My face hasn’t fully recovered yet. I have to wait until it’s completely healed before I can leave the hospital.”

Du Heng walked over, gently took Gu Qinghong’s face in his hands, and examined it carefully. The side of her face that had been stiff and drooping now only showed slight sagging at the corners of her mouth and eye. Otherwise, that half of her face had recovered to a delicate and fair complexion.

”There’s no need for you to stay in the hospital. Even if you did, I can’t prescribe any more medicine for you. Aside from daily massage, there are no other treatments. You should go home, find a professional masseuse, explain the necessary precautions to them, and you can continue your treatment at home.”

”I don’t want to.”

HISS... Du Heng suddenly got goose bumps.