CHAPTER 336: 336 MONEY CAN’T MEASURE EVERYTHING

(Thanks to book friends 20190907061104011, Mournful Song, and Scholar Mad Wet Moon for their encouragement)

The group arrived at Linyu Villa in high spirits. Tang Dou was also ecstatic to see so many people suddenly appear. For it, spending every day alone in the empty villa was incredibly stifling.

The midnight snack was easily sorted: large bones brought back from Langtaosha. Although they had cooled by the time they got home, they still tasted great.

Even Tang Dou, while gnawing on its raw bones, would glance over at them, wondering why they had suddenly developed the same hobby.

「The next morning, Liu Banxia got up early.」

He first took Tang Dou for a walk around the complex, which made Tang Dou very happy.

Normally, when walking with Qiaoqiao, it had to take two steps and then look back, as Qiaoqiao walked slowly. Now, with Liu Banxia, it could at least run for a while longer. This was a completely different experience.

"WOOF, WOOF WOOF..."

Just as they finished their stroll, Liu Banxia saw Qiu Huaili leading Tiggie out for a walk too. The two dogs were good friends and greeted each other affectionately.

"Did this recent event also greatly affect you?" Qiu Huaili asked.

Liu Banxia smiled and nodded. "I was suspended for half a month, so I’m taking this opportunity to rest well. Ever since I started my internship at the Second Hospital, I’ve never had such a long break."

"Sigh... there are quite a few twists and turns in the medical field too," Qiu Huaili remarked.

"Actually, this is unavoidable," Liu Banxia said. "It’s due to being in different environments. Many things that seem perfectly normal can appear abnormal when viewed from a different angle or by a different person."

"Why don’t you play with Tiggie first? I’ll go check out the shop nearby and see if I can scrounge up something for Qiaoqiao to eat. The fridge at home is practically empty, if not completely."

"HAHA, you go and buy," Qiu Huaili said. "By the way, come to my house for dinner tonight. Since you’re free anyway, it’s a good chance for us to have a proper drink. Ming Yuan will also be back today, so we can all get together and liven things up."

"Alright then, I won’t be polite," Liu Banxia replied. "I also have two friends, Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa. They’re getting along great with Qiaoqiao and are both here."

"Bring them all over. Those two kids aren’t bad either," Qiu Huaili said. "I initially thought you were going to choose one of those two. I didn’t expect you to end up with Qiaoqiao. It’s great."

Liu Banxia gave him a helpless look, ruffled Tiggie’s head before leaving, and then led Tang Dou towards the supermarket in the complex.

The supermarket here was a fresh produce store run by the property management itself. The items inside were quite good, and naturally, the prices were a bit higher.

Liu Banxia didn’t usually cook at home, but he knew his culinary skills were at least somewhat better than Qiaoqiao’s. So, the task of making breakfast had to fall to him.

"Eh? Why are you up so early again? Why didn’t you sleep in?" Qiaoqiao, dressed in her pajamas, emerged and asked curiously as she watched Liu Banxia bustling about.

"I’m used to it. I also took Tang Dou out for a walk," Liu Banxia said. "Quickly wake those two girls up. After breakfast, we’ll head to Jinshui District. We’ll try the teppanyaki there, and Brother Qiu is treating us to dinner tonight."

"HAHAHA, okay," Qiaoqiao replied and immediately went to pester Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa.

Liu Banxia shook his head helplessly, wondering what those three girls had been up to last night and until what time. Anyway, after dinner, they seemed to have endless things to talk about, murmuring for a long time.

The meal was very simple: rice porridge, pickled vegetables, and Liu Banxia also fried some yellow croaker. This was very appetizing, and the three girls ate with great relish.

Liu Banxia also took care of Tang Dou, giving it two pieces of fish with less oil and no salt, and he even removed the bones for it.

This made Tang Dou very satisfied. This big companion is really great, much better than my own master. My master only ever ruffles my fur; when has he ever taken care of me like this?

However, after finishing breakfast, it still had to guard the empty house alone. It could only watch them drive away. A dog’s life is so hard! When will it end?

Xu Chengjun was also very happy that Liu Banxia had personally made the trip.

Both of them could be considered parties involved in this incident. Liu Banxia not only thanked him over the phone but also personally came to visit after his suspension. This was also a rare gesture.

"It seems you’ve really been able to let it go," Xu Chengjun asked with a smile. "How about it? Let’s have a good drink at lunch. Can they drive back?"

"Don’t worry," Liu Banxia said. "On the way here, I already told Qiaoqiao that she’ll drive back, so we can drink to our heart’s content at noon. By the way, Qiaoqiao is now my girlfriend."

Qiaoqiao grinned sheepishly; she was still a bit unaccustomed to this ’girlfriend’ status.

Xu Chengjun gave them a thumbs-up. "Excellent. A talented man and a beautiful woman—a good match. In that case, I’ll let loose too. I’m also currently suspended, but my suspension is shorter, only five days."

"You got a demerit too?" Liu Banxia asked. "Will it have any impact?"

Xu Chengjun waved his hand. "What impact could there be? After all, I’m the Chief Director. I can’t push all the blame onto those below. And as for this incident, well, that’s just how it is."

"To be honest, it’s also our fault here. If we had handled it more tactfully at the time, the matter would have probably blown over. Our considerations were somewhat lacking."

"I heard from others that it seemed to be because of the attitude of the medical staff?" Liu Banxia tentatively asked.

"That’s just a pretext," Xu Chengjun said. "The main issue was the patient in the same ward waiting for surgery."

"When this happened, the surgical procedures we had arranged with doctors invited from elsewhere naturally had to be put on hold. Some patients and their families couldn’t take it and naturally started saying things."

"Then this family vented all their resentment on the hospital, believing that our hospital had instigated the other patients’ families. And so, the matter blew up."

Liu Banxia pursed his lips. He hadn’t expected this to be the initial fuse. But on careful reflection, it probably was just that.

It’s like everyone is waiting to cross a bridge. If the first person to cross kicks the bridge down, wouldn’t those who haven’t crossed yet be anxious? Even if they could take a detour to the other side, it would not only waste time but also money.

"Chief Director Xu, then was Doctor Qin not involved in this at all?" Qiaoqiao curiously asked.

"That, I can’t say for sure. You know Qin Hai?" Xu Chengjun asked.

"Not really an acquaintance. I’ve seen him two or three times, was it?" Qiaoqiao said. "It’s always that Old Man Qin looking for trouble with him. He looks for trouble with or without reason. It’s so annoying."

"Chief Director Xu, please don’t mind her," Liu Banxia explained. "Qiaoqiao’s personality is just like that. She’s very straightforward, never hides anything, and says whatever she thinks."

"That’s as it should be," Xu Chengjun joked. "You’re her boyfriend; if you’re wronged, she’ll naturally stand up for you."

"But after this incident, it’s pretty much settled. The higher-ups won’t delve too deeply, as the impact has been too great. In a few days, new trial operation documents will be issued, but they’ll be similar to the previous guidelines."

"This matter of multi-site practice won’t be so easy to develop in the future. Many people will have concerns. The corresponding postoperative care and emergency response capabilities of local hospitals are also somewhat inferior compared to large hospitals, which will make more people opt for caution."

"The pay isn’t much, it’s hard work, and you have to bear responsibility—who would be willing to do such a thing? What are your thoughts for the future? I heard them say you mentioned on the show that you won’t be performing surgeries elsewhere in the coming years?"

Liu Banxia nodded. "One learns from one’s mistakes. I just don’t want to go through that kind of trouble for now. Besides, I’ve found such a wealthy girlfriend; the money I earn should be enough for my own expenses."

"Er... aren’t you afraid of gossip?" Qiaoqiao suddenly perked up.

"Why would I be afraid of that?" Liu Banxia said nonchalantly. "She’s my girlfriend. Our two families have always had vastly different economic strengths. It would be too shallow to fuss over these things."

"HAHAHA, great! Then let’s go buy clothes when we get back," Qiaoqiao said delightedly.

Qiaoqiao’s words amused Xu Chengjun. This couple is quite interesting. But perhaps only by being like this can they last long and eventually be together.

As they talked and chatted, the dishes were served. In front of Xu Chengjun and Liu Banxia, the three girls felt no burden at all and dug into the dishes with gusto.

"Banxia, if I may speak frankly," Xu Chengjun said after they had been eating and drinking for a while, "don’t take this matter to heart. Your future is bright; there’s no need to feel burdened by something like this."

"Chief Director Xu, it would be a lie to say I have no resentment, but it’s just a little," Liu Banxia said. "I thought it through last night. Otherwise, I’d be letting down all those in the hospital who care about me."

"From now on, I’ll just focus on improving my professional skills. When I go back to work, I’ll definitely be very busy. And I can take advantage of these few days off to work on that medical knowledge popularization project I was tinkering with before."

"Although I’ve been suspended, no one will say anything if I go visit my friends over there. I still owe patients several meals. I have to treat them, or they’ll keep nagging me."

"HAHA, that’s good," Xu Chengjun said. "I don’t get to enjoy such treatment anymore. Eating with patients is something I wouldn’t dare to imagine. At most, I can have small gatherings with friends to prevent people from gossiping."

This was perhaps one of the helpless aspects of being a leader. As doctors, they already had to be especially careful about invitations to meals. As the Chief Director, he had to be even more stringent in this regard.

Times were different now. What might have been just a simple gathering of friends could be twisted into who-knows-what if word got out.

Drinking and eating, the atmosphere was excellent. Although they said they would drink to their heart’s content, neither of them insisted on getting drunk to the point of collapse. The two of them shared a bottle, and it was no problem at all.

In Liu Banxia’s view, Xu Chengjun was a genuinely good person. Even though he had decided not to perform surgeries elsewhere in the future, if Xu Chengjun were to ask, he would still come.

This wasn’t a matter of money, but of personal connection. Some things truly cannot be measured by money alone.