CHAPTER 164: 164 OPPOSING OPINIONS

"You two seemed to be engrossed in conversation. What were you discussing?" An Chunhui started his car and drove slowly out of the residential community.

Recalling the scene just now, Du Heng also found it unbelievable.

His original intention was to get to know more people and enrich his social network.

Unexpectedly, he’d run into a professor from his own school, and it was the one he had debated extensively with. From any angle, it all seemed rather amusing.

"They were both encouraging me to undertake their postgraduate program, a Master and Doctoral program," he revealed.

"Ha, and for what? To make yourself a lab rat at their mercy? Forget it," An Chunhui scoffed.

Du Heng chuckled. "I didn’t agree."

An Chunhui was in a good mood today. Du Heng had also earned him a lot of face, so he was inclined to chat a bit more. "Refusing their offer was the right move. Your career is just beginning; there’s no need to pursue further studies right now. However, if you plan to continue working on the frontline, a higher degree will be vital for your future progression. Once things have stabilized here and everything is sorted out, applying for a part-time postgraduate research program is a good option. It’s a straightforward way to enhance your qualifications."

"Thank you for the advice, leader. I will consider it carefully," Du Heng responded.

"Work hard. The Zhonghu Health Center is developing quite well currently, and I presume that you might be short of manpower. I’ll discuss with some other leaders to see if we can transfer one or two people to you from some clinics that aren’t performing as well."

Upon hearing these words, joy instantly welled up in Du Heng’s heart.

See, the benefits were already coming his way.

"Thank you for your understanding, leader. Rest assured, we’ll continue to strive harder and take our work to the next level," Du Heng assured.

"It’s all for serving the ordinary people," An Chunhui stated.

"You’re right," Du Heng replied.

An Chunhui couldn’t very well drive Du Heng all the way home. After a short distance, he dropped Du Heng off at an intersection, suggesting he hail a cab.

Watching the taillights of the retreating car, Du Heng was sorely tempted to flip him off.

What kind of person does that?

In the dead of night, where exactly was he supposed to go?

Not only had he missed his nephew’s birthday celebration, but there was also no one waiting for him back at his rented apartment.

The loneliness was truly chilling.

Yet, no matter how disgruntled he felt, he could only return to his rented apartment alone. He couldn’t exactly stumble his way up the mountain in the dark and have Wang Shuqiu drive down to get him again. That would not only be impractical but also dangerous.

「」

At dawn, the rising sun began its ascent.

Warm sunlight, mingled with a refreshing coolness, filtered through the air.

Vehicles of all sorts moved back and forth on the road outside the Health Clinic: small cars, large trucks, and agricultural tricycles spewing black smoke.

By the roadside stood trendy young women, clutching small bags, patiently waiting for their ride into the city for work. There were also well-dressed young men, anxiously glancing at their watches.

Older men in straw hats, carrying hoes and sickles—some with a hand-rolled cigarette of dry tobacco dangling from their lips—strolled leisurely towards the fields. Trailing behind them were women carrying thermoses.

None of them noticed their faces being subtly painted red by the sunlight as it quietly crested the mountain ridge.

Just then, a car heading against the flow of traffic sped past the pedestrians on the roadside and halted at the intersection. A man and a woman alighted from it.

The woman effortlessly closed the car door and stood to one side, a warm smile on her face.

The man who alighted was rather polite, waving his thanks to the driver.

They were none other than Du Heng and Wang Zhenzhen; Du Heng had merely hitched a ride.

The car continued along the main road for about sixty to seventy meters before making a U-turn and pulling into the nearby police station. Meanwhile, the two who had alighted walked down the side road and turned into the Health Clinic on their right.

Just as they reached the gate, they ran into Lu Zhongjiang, who had also just arrived. The three of them exchanged smiling greetings.

Upon entering the Hall, Wang Zhenzhen turned and went to her registration office. Du Heng, however, didn’t go upstairs to the Dean’s office, instead heading to the Chinese Medicine Department’s office on his left.

Seeing this, Lu Zhongjiang quickly called out, "Dean, do you have a moment? I need to speak with you."

Du Heng paused, then turned and headed upstairs. "I’m not busy today. Let’s talk in my office."

The early-to-work custodial staff had already cleaned the third-floor offices of the Dean and the Secretary spotless.

Moreover, a cup of steaming hot tea had been prepared on Du Heng’s desk.

Du Heng felt a bit helpless but couldn’t refuse everyone’s kind intentions.

At the end of May, those working at the Health Clinic received their first bonus beyond their salary.

The logistics staff received slightly less, only 300 yuan. Doctors and nurses received a bit more, 500 yuan. Of course, those involved in medical care also had additional commissions and subsidies, so 500 yuan wasn’t an insignificant amount.

Although not much, it signaled that things were beginning to change.

So, from that day on, Du Heng’s and Lu Zhongjiang’s offices were always the first to be cleaned each day. And on their desks, there would invariably be a cup of freshly brewed tea.

After putting his bag in his office, Lu Zhongjiang walked in, carrying a fragrant teacup, and moving with a slight sway.

Du Heng sniffed the aroma of the tea leaves in his own cup but felt a hint of disdain.

Compared to the tea he had drunk last night, the tea he had brewed himself seemed no different from withered leaves fallen from a tree.

Lu Zhongjiang placed his teacup on the tea table in the office and sat down on the sofa.

"Dean, I’ve finished looking into the matter you asked me about a while ago."

Although Du Heng was starting to feel critical of his own tea, he still walked over with his cup. "Secretary, you’ve worked hard."

"I’ve spoken briefly with everyone by phone. No one objects to the Training itself. However, when it comes to long-term, exam-based Training, although no one stated it outright, it’s clear they aren’t very willing. This is especially true for the older ones; their stance is more definite."

The Training of village doctors was something Du Heng had been considering recently. He had also prepared content for a traditional Chinese medicine Training, covering common Diseases like headaches, colds, and fevers. This ranged from Check-ups and pulse diagnosis to medication and prescription writing, totaling about ten sessions.

There were also materials on the common features of Chinese patent medicine, their contraindications, and the characteristics and contraindications of common fruits and vegetables, making up roughly three more sessions.

Du Heng had also reviewed the content prepared by Yu Haiting. The general direction was similar to his own, but Yu Haiting had slightly more sessions, around fifteen.

Each session they planned was mostly one and a half to two and a half hours long. Calculated this way, the total time commitment was indeed quite substantial.

But for this kind of Training, if it drags on too long without any assessment, it’ll be almost useless for these village doctors in rural areas.

Du Heng contemplated for a moment, took a few sips from his teacup, then spat the tea leaves from his mouth into the trash can.

"Secretary, did anyone offer any other opinions or suggestions?"

"Actually, yes." Lu Zhongjiang sat up a little straighter. "I’ve consolidated everyone’s feedback, and it boils down to these main points.

"First, regarding the Training content: everyone hopes for more training on handling acute illnesses. Conditions in the village areas are challenging. When a Patient falls ill, whether they’re waiting for an Ambulance or being transported to the Hospital, significant time is lost. If patients could receive prompt treatment at the onset of an illness, their chances of survival and good health outcomes would be greatly improved. Often, it’s because local practitioners don’t know how to provide initial treatment, leading to delays. By the time patients reach the Hospital, they have either passed away or developed lasting after-effects."

Lu Zhongjiang had clearly put genuine effort into this; he presented these points fluently, without needing to consult any notes or Materials.

"Take Paralysis and hemiplegia, for example. Our township currently has a recorded 135 cases. Among them, over 90 individuals suffer from after-effects due to delayed Treatment."

Du Heng was already aware of these figures, so he said calmly, "Secretary, please continue."

Lu Zhongjiang took a sip of tea, cleared his throat, and went on, "The second point concerns the timing of the Training. Could it be scheduled for after winter sets in? During that period, it’s the agricultural off-season, so people will have more free time and be more receptive."

"I’ll consider that."

Lu Zhongjiang nodded. "The third point, and what everyone is most concerned about: will this Training have a fee?"

"No charge," Du Heng stated decisively. "The purpose of this Training is to improve the level of Treatment in each village and prevent avoidable incidents. How would it look if we charged a fee? It will be completely free for everyone, and we’ll even provide meals during the Training period."