Chapter 112

"Master, the hot dry noodles are about to clump." At seven fifty, when Yuan Weihong would normally have already arrived at the outpatient consultation room to eat breakfast, he still hadn't shown up, so Fang Ziye sent a message urging him.

In this weather, the noodles won't just clump — if Yuan Weihong comes any later, he could eat Han City cold noodles instead.

"Coming right away, ran into an acquaintance on the way."

"You sure know how to stir up trouble for me." Yuan Weihong sent two voice messages, rapid and broken — the first three seconds, the second only two.

"?"

"Master, what's the matter?" Fang Ziye's expression tightened slightly; he really thought he had brought some trouble to Yuan Weihong.

"Someone wants to start meddling in your life's major event and wants me to be the matchmaker."

"Tell me, how could a proper big man like me do something like that?" Yuan Weihong probably couldn't say this out loud this time, so he typed a reply to Fang Ziye instead.

The heart Fang Ziye had lifted settled back into place.

This teacher really does have a bit of an arrogant streak.

Before long, Yuan Weihong came in, and Fang Ziye stood up to explain: "Master, I was afraid they'd clump, so I gave them another stir for you."

After standing, Fang Ziye conveniently closed the door behind him.

Yuan Weihong didn't mind at all and ate with great relish.

He'd been familiar with this taste since childhood; if he didn't have this familiar flavor every morning, he'd feel his whole day's spirit lacked flavor.

"You've eaten already, right?" After two big mouthfuls, Yuan Weihong paused for a sip of water.

Hot dry noodles are delicious, but even after eating them for years, they still occasionally feel a bit too salty, needing water to wash them down.

"Mm, Master. I've eaten."

"The thesis revisions — I'll send them to you tomorrow. I didn't find any free time all day yesterday." Fang Ziye sat opposite Yuan Weihong, pulling out one of the pens from his chest pocket and handing it to him.

The pair of black-ink and blue-ink fountain pens he'd given Yuan Weihong last time were now gone.

"You were just thinking about going off to dream yesterday."

"Don't you deny it — the reason you caused me trouble this morning was because of those twenty-eight characters you sent."

"Sounds pretty domineering, doesn't it? 'Bestowing upon you the First Peach of Yuanmen' — you plucked the peach, so you should run off now, right?" Yuan Weihong kept eating, not bothering with any pretense of decorum.

This was a skill honed during the total residency period.

Eat with decorum? A dying emergency consultation is lying in the emergency operating room, a professor from the next department tells you to be there in five minutes — you eat a what?

Fast eating, fast sleeping — same principle.

"No, Master. Peaches aren't for eating — they're for planting."

Fang Ziye thought carefully, then held out his fist: "Besides, there's no such thing as a peach tree eating a peach. Master, want to add some meat points?"

Master's graduation, PhD admission notice right before his eyes — Fang Ziye's heart now was a smooth open road, comfortable and at ease.

Naturally he became much more lively and cheerful; plus, with his identity slightly changed, he no longer needed to be as silent and trembling as during his Master's stage — otherwise how would he face his fellow trainees later, or further on, when he became Chief Resident, how would he face a crowd of subordinates?

"Get lost!"

"I thought you weren't coming to clinic today at all. From now on just follow Professor Deng's clinic — enjoy the treatment only a Chief Physician's consultation room gets." Yuan Weihong's tone carried a sour, complex edge.

Just like the Moments post Yuan Weihong himself sent yesterday.

Your first time as disciple, my first time as master — none before you to compare, and after you, you're just the control group.

Fearful of unease, uneasy at all times.

A touch of regret, a touch of relief!

Congratulations on your graduation.

Yuan Weihong's writing wasn't as flamboyant as Fang Ziye's, but it was just as genuine.

Naturally, it was also complex — from the moment Fang Ziye graduated, his future students would have another master's title placed above them, and he would no longer be Fang Ziye's sole master.

Good thing only ancient times had the 'three-surnamed slave' saying; nowadays, you just don't adopt a father, studying under multiple masters is perfectly reasonable.

"Master, are you whipping me?"

"Over at Professor Deng's, do I still need to go pawing around? It's just that you took pity on me — back during my Master's, you pulled me ashore, otherwise I'd still be drifting in the water." Fang Ziye spoke with genuine feeling, sitting properly.

Fang Ziye would always remember his Master's entrance exam score — dead last. Back then, if Yuan Weihong had said he was no good in the slightest, someone else might have gotten the spot.

Reality is this cruel, and this lucky — the few others whose scores bordered his might have come down to a single whim of Yuan Weihong's.

After Yuan Weihong put the last mouthful of noodles into his mouth, he tossed the box into the trash can, took the tissue Fang Ziye proactively handed over, and said: "Were you soaking in a river or a sea before?"

Fang Ziye was being playful: "Master, whether river or sea, isn't it you who can pull me ashore?"

If I'm the River King, then you're the king of kings in the river — same in the sea.

"Go, go, go! ~"

"Shouldn't have let you graduate — the moment you graduate you start getting cheeky."

"Sigh, after all there's a better master now, isn't there? A Junior Attending like me, in front of your new master, isn't just a little fish and shrimp?" Yuan Weihong feigned a sigh.

Fang Ziye replied: "Master, let's see patients — it's about time."

Fang Ziye thought: Stop messing around!

If Professor Deng Yong really heard you talking like this all yin-yang weird, you'd probably get dragged off to the little 'grove' again.

After that, Yuan Weihong really didn't say anything more, still following the same rules as before.

Fang Ziye handled consultation and wrote medical records; Yuan Weihong only read the films.

If Yuan Weihong needed to issue medical orders, Fang Ziye wrote the examination application forms.

If Yuan Weihong said to do a physical exam, Fang Ziye was a premium physical examination technical worker — every coordination, honed over three years of grinding, fit perfectly.

Thirty morning patients — the two of them finished in exquisite coordination by eleven twenty.

Three hours twenty minutes, two hundred minutes total, thirty patients seen — the speed was nothing if not fast.

Although Fang Ziye didn't have many opportunities, he still enjoyed himself in the process.

At noon break, Fang Ziye shouldered his backpack, put his white coat away properly, temporarily locked the consultation room door, and said: "Master, how about I treat you to a meal out today?"

"Why don't you call Teacher over too?"

Yuan Weihong glanced sideways at Fang Ziye: "You think Teacher really has that much time? He even specially came out at noon to eat a meal with you. Let me tell you, your Teacher works as a class teacher at an elementary school; at noon she still has to watch the students eat, and after that she still has to supervise their self-study."

"This bunch of brats."

"If they're upper grades it's fine, but if they're lower grades, they have to ask you how many sheets of paper even to take a shit, and there are even some ruthless ones who don't wipe their asses, play around and forget, then come running back to the office for you to wipe them..."

Today's Yuan Weihong was slightly more long-winded: "You spent quite a bit of money yesterday, didn't you?"

Fang Ziye's mouth twitched slightly. In his heart he silently said, not much, just over nine thousand.

My old dad almost thought I'd joined a pyramid scheme, but fortunately there were images as proof.

The Teacher Appreciation Banquet is a relatively traditional rule; if the family were truly in difficulty and couldn't produce a single cent, Fang Ziye would absolutely slack off and make it clear, but ten thousand yuan — the family could produce it without too much difficulty, just reluctance.

Fang Ziye therefore didn't dare propose breaking such a rule, merely felt that at twenty-six, approaching twenty-seven, still gnawing off the old, he had a few points of guilt, but such a thing, Fang Ziye felt must not repeat, and he also had to learn from classmate Luo Tingzhu and earn some money.

"This money can't be reimbursed; if you have difficulties, you can speak up."

"Teacher Deng said the alcohol money doesn't need to be paid. You and Sun Shaoqing are both his students; he wouldn't go so far as to ask you for money."

"Also, Teacher Deng said, although you've graduated with your master's, your standardized training hasn't graduated yet, so don't be negligent."

"Without the Standardized Residency Training completion certificate, the doctoral admission procedure will be very troublesome." Yuan Weihong nagged another sentence.

"Master, rest assured, this assessment isn't difficult." Fang Ziye reminded.

Master, if even our department's this cohort of master's students can't pass, then it's pure bad luck, accidentally violating principles — that's accidental, not a competence issue; and if it were a competence issue, over ninety percent of orthopedics standardized trainees in the whole province wouldn't pass.

Fang Ziye had this confidence.

Not to mention nationwide, at least ninety percent of orthopedics standardized trainees and master's students in the whole province can't compare to himself.

"That's true." Yuan Weihong nodded again.

"You know, hey, where were we?"

"What to eat?" Yuan Weihong looked at Fang Ziye; his speech logic was slightly unclear, probably because his heart was also full of sentiments, still unable to fully accept the fact that this 'Orthopedics Teletubby' had grown into an orthopedics elementary student.

"Master, how about just eating nearby casually?"

"Good!" Yuan Weihong nodded, then walked toward the 'Fly Restaurant' behind the hospital.

By the time it was nearly afternoon outpatient clinic time, Yuan Weihong went back to rest for an hour; his mood only then gradually returned to normal, and Fang Ziye also returned to normal, and seeing Yuan Weihong, even found it a bit funny.

Yuan Weihong, himself — two grown men; clearly nothing had happened, yet both acted exceptionally sentimental and awkward.

However, Fang Ziye could roughly understand Yuan Weihong's mood; once Yuan Weihong said that Fang Ziye's this stage was absolutely the most fragile, weakest time during his supervisor phase; the future him would definitely be more powerful than now.

But for Fang Ziye, regardless of how Yuan Weihong was, powerful or weak, as long as he treated him well, that was Master.

Otherwise, even some high-level team, not treating him as a person but only as a tool — such a Master, calling him Teacher casually would do; until graduation, might only recognize your name and face.

What meaning would that have?

In the afternoon, Yuan Weihong directly handed over the entire outpatient clinic to Fang Ziye, while he rested properly on the side.

Fang Ziye didn't shirk either; methodically, bit by bit, he began seeing outpatients, seeing follow-up patients.

Today's Yuan Weihong didn't take back Fang Ziye's attending duties, letting Fang Ziye see nearly thirty-two initial and follow-up patients straight through to five PM, at once reaching sixty knowledge points, averaging nearly two points per patient.

Fang Ziye was astonished that if outpatient volume were sufficient, knowledge point gains were actually also enormous.

Yuan Weihong said: "Theory still needs continued strengthening; your current theory is middling among graduate students, but to become Chief Resident, breadth is still insufficient."

"Chief Resident stage, you must at least proficiently master all orthopedics sub-specialties' routine theory, common diagnoses, classifications, treatment methods — from theory, at least you must understand: in our greater orthopedics, if you can't solve it yourself, who exactly can solve it for you, what level lets you solve it."

"Second, film-reading level must also improve; this is an unspoken rule not in the Training Room assessment scope."

"At this time it's not just trauma surgery's common X-rays and CTs, but also MRI and so on..."

"Third, specialty physical examination — so far, there's still a certain distance from a highly professional orthopedics doctor."

"The highly professional orthopedics doctor I refer to is benchmarked against the likes of Qin Geluo, against a mature orthopedics doctor like me, not master's and doctoral students like you."

"Fourth, animal experiment technique — must start learning."

"The reason I haven't started yet is I plan to personally take you through it once."

"Plenty of people can do cell experiments very well, but people who can do animal experiment operations well — there aren't that many; many don't even touch this scope during master's and doctoral stages."

"Your current conditions are quite good; your Master back then, everything was self-taught, no one teaching on the side."

Hearing this, Fang Ziye asked: "Master, did Grandmaster not take other Teachers before?"

Yuan Weihong, taking off his white coat: "When your Grandmaster left, he was already old; I was his last student, but before that he also hadn't taken master's and doctoral students for several years, but later it was a Hospital-assigned task to Professor Chu, and at that time there was only me."

"Fortunately later other professors were willing to help, otherwise I couldn't even do my doctorate." Yuan Weihong shook his head.

"Okay, Master."

"The next few months, I'll properly follow Master learning to do experiments." Fang Ziye nodded busily.

Master had it so hard back then; I ought to work hard.

Yuan Weihong laughed casually, finally rubbed Fang Ziye's head, then rubbed his head again.

"Little guy, you've reached the doctoral stage, letting your Master me have one less regret."

"Tonight's dinner is on your own; your Master's going to have a private dinner date with your Teacher." Yuan Weihong didn't avoid suspicion, feeding Fang Ziye dog food.

After work, Fang Ziye first checked his lab appointment schedule, confirmed it was 7:30 PM, then hurried to the Training Room.

Taking advantage of the remaining time, do some more operations in the Training Room.

At this moment, the Training Room already had quite a few people.

Li Yuanpei alone, sweating profusely, even his disposable cap damp. Yet he remained meticulous, conscientious.

Because only effort prevents slacking, prevents giving up.

Also, Lao Xiong was in the Training Room, cautiously starting tofu suturing of suturing technique, slow and steady.

After Fang Ziye entered, Xiong Jinhuan took the initiative to call out, "Industry Brother."

"Older Brother Huan, good afternoon." Fang Ziye stood on tiptoe to look around, and there actually wasn't a single free operation station.

And upon seeing Fang Ziye arrive, Lan Tianluo and Jie Han, who were adjacent to each other, glanced at Fang Ziye and asked, "Senior Brother, want to come over and practice skills?"

Fang Ziye shook his head: "No need, no open spot, I'll just go back first."

Fang Ziye turned his head and walked toward the home direction.

However, Fang Ziye had just come out of the training room when Luo Tingzhu followed right after; she probably didn't even pack up the operation station.

She was still wearing a mask, hat, and operation gloves.

"Junior Sister, what's this about?" Fang Ziye was slightly puzzled.

"Senior Brother? Did anyone tell you anything yesterday?" Luo Tingzhu asked.

"Ah? No, I just went to be an audience member later. Inside the KTV, I was only responsible for clapping." Fang Ziye thought for a moment, and also didn't understand what Luo Tingzhu meant by whether anyone had told him anything.

After Luo Tingzhu finished asking, she let out an "oh," then immediately turned and left.

"Eh?" As Fang Ziye turned around, Luo Tingzhu had already re-entered the skill training room, which left Fang Ziye feeling a bit baffled.

In a trance, Fang Ziye was just about to ponder whether to properly inquire who exactly sent Luo Tingzhu back yesterday, but Fang Ziye remembered it seemed to be a waiter from the restaurant; he didn't know him, so forget it.

Ask again when doing the experiment in the evening.

Fang Ziye went to eat a meal first.

In the evening, at seven o'clock, Fang Ziye was indeed in the laboratory and saw Luo Tingzhu.

However, the current Luo Tingzhu had slightly changed from her previous generous and composed manner; upon seeing Fang Ziye, she felt slightly guilty.

She evasively focused her gaze on her experiment procedure record sheet, as if it were engraved with gold.

Fang Ziye walked over, watching to see what exactly Luo Tingzhu was looking at so carefully.

He patted her once: "Eh, Junior Sister, are you okay?"

"This is cell culture technique; you learned it even earlier than me, why are you looking so seriously?"

"Is something uncomfortable somewhere?"

Luo Tingzhu tilted her head, shook her head.

"Senior Brother, shall we go do the experiment? Today you're supposed to do the lactic acid quantification absorbance measurement, right?" Luo Tingzhu changed the topic first, stood up in one motion, hands behind her back.

Actually, psychologically she was nervous to the extreme.

Last night, after she took a sip, she was half-drunk, not fully drunk.

As a result, she didn't say much at the scene, but on the return journey with that older sister sending her back, Luo Tingzhu was completely awake the whole way as she poured out her heart and asked questions, and then was coaxed into revealing a lot of words.

At the time Luo Tingzhu didn't feel anything, but what if that older sister goes back and tells Fang Ziye about it.

Luo Tingzhu feels future interactions would be very awkward.

Because Luo Tingzhu feels that when facing Fang Ziye, she is the greedy one.

Talent? Fang Ziye is strong.

Capability? Fang Ziye is strong.

Research? Fang Ziye is strong.

Family background? She has no family background; this is her only weak point and shortcoming; even for many years Luo Tingzhu has felt that the person she likes might look down on her because of this.

Besides being good-looking, Luo Tingzhu feels she has nothing else to show.

Because Fang Ziye is also quite handsome!

(Chapter End)