Chapter 97: Doing Good Requires Strength

"A bit busy." Yu Dazhang answered instinctively.

"What time is it and you're still busy?" Qu Tuotuo clearly didn't believe him, raising her voice:

"Who are you trying to fool!"

Whether from hunger or distress, Yu Dazhang's voice was somewhat low:

"I really am busy. Another day, another day I'll treat you to a meal."

He couldn't muster any other thoughts now; his whole mind was on Xiao Liu Ying's situation.

Sensing Yu Dazhang's mood was somewhat downcast, Qu Tuotuo's tone softened:

"Working overtime at the station today?"

"No." Yu Dazhang replied offhandedly:

"I'm at the hospital."

"Which hospital?" Qu Tuotuo's tone changed, carrying a hint of nervousness:

"Are you sick? I'll come find you right now."

It was clear her mood was agitated at that moment, even her speaking speed had increased significantly.

Yu Dazhang finally came to his senses.

A complete misunderstanding.

He had come to the hospital for work; she thought he was sick.

Feeling the other party's concern, Yu Dazhang felt warm inside, and his speech was much lighter than before.

"I'm not sick, no need to come over."

"I don't believe you, speak quickly." Qu Tuotuo urged.

Yu Dazhang explained a few more times, but the other party simply wouldn't listen.

Finally, Qu Tuotuo gave a reason he could barely accept.

"How about this, you tell me first which hospital you're at. If you really aren't sick, I'll take a look and leave."

This proposal wasn't unreasonable.

Yu Dazhang didn't want to mix life and work together.

But seeing Qu Tuotuo care for him so much, he couldn't bear to let her worry wildly, so he told her the hospital's name and the specific department.

After hanging up the phone, he ate half a bowl of noodles, then returned to the hospital's pediatric department.

Going upstairs, he constantly reminded himself in his mind: Yu Dazhang, stay rational, don't do anything beyond the scope of your duties.

Ma Jian saw him return and immediately stood up, saying:

"I just went into the ward for a look; the child's condition isn't good."

Hearing this, Yu Dazhang walked quickly toward the ward.

After entering the room, he saw Xiao Liu Ying lying on her side, her head covered in sweat, and her lips had become cracked.

Even so, she still held that picture frame tightly in her arms.

He reached out his hand and touched the child's forehead.

Hotter than before... Yu Dazhang felt urgent in his heart, knowing that if they dragged on any longer, a life would truly be lost.

"Xiao Ying, Xiao Ying..." he called softly, hoping to wake the child, but got no response at all.

Just as he didn't know what to do, the child's lips moved, as if saying something.

Even with Yu Dazhang's superhuman hearing, he couldn't make it out clearly.

He had to lean his head close and listen carefully.

"Goodbye, Mom, goodbye, Dad..."

After hearing clearly what she was saying, Yu Dazhang's last shred of rationality vanished completely.

He dared not delay, immediately going to the nurses' station.

"Where are the doctors?" Yu Dazhang, no longer caring that this was a hospital, shouted loudly:

"Hurry and find a doctor! That child is dying."

"Please be quiet." A nurse frowned and looked at him:

"This is a hospital; your behavior will affect other patients."

Her gaze was so cold... even though he was anxious in his heart, Yu Dazhang was left stunned.

This hospital is awesome~

The nurses they hired all possess an assassin's aura.

Just that one look, Yu Dazhang even felt his eyes pricked.

Knowing it was futile to talk to these nurses anymore, he instructed Ma Jian with a sentence, then quickly went to the doctors' office.

Inside the room was only one male doctor wearing glasses; after explaining the situation, Yu Dazhang said in a pleading tone:

"You lower her fever first, lower the fever first, isn't it okay if I pay for it?!"

That male doctor pushed the glasses on his nose bridge and replied carelessly:

"Officer, for patients with outstanding fees, the hospital has regulations, and now everything is a computer system; after falling into arrears, no medicine can be dispensed."

The meaning was clear: helpless.

Yu Dazhang also noticed his gaze was even colder.

What bullshit regulations; it's just an excuse to stop treatment.

Yu Dazhang didn't want to waste words with him anymore and asked directly:

"How much money is needed to continue treatment?"

He also saw it; talking soft words to these people was useless; they simply wouldn't listen. That male doctor glanced at him, seeming quite disdainful of this kind of saintly behavior.

"Then you'll have to go ask at the payment window."

Yu Dazhang paid him no more attention and turned to walk out the door.

After confirming the window's location on the sign outside, just as he was about to head over, he suddenly saw Qu Tuotuo coming out of pediatrics, heading his way.

The two locked eyes, and Qu Tuotuo quickly came up to him:

"I just went to pediatrics and couldn't find you. I was about to call you."

"Believe it now?" Yu Dazhang waved his hand:

"I've still got things to do. You should head back."

Saying so, he stepped around Qu Tuotuo and walked briskly toward the payment window.

Arriving at the window, he quickly gave Liu Ying's name and the department she was in.

Over twelve thousand in arrears... Upon hearing that number, Yu Dazhang immediately sobered up.

Please... save... your... 6... 9... book....!

Had he been too impulsive just now?

This was a textbook case of not having a clear grasp of one's own ability.

Rash.

Damn it, in his haste he'd actually forgotten — doing good requires the means to back it up.

He'd originally assumed the arrears would be at most a thousand or two yuan, that he'd cover it himself first, and settle things with the child's parents once he found them.

Over ten thousand — it's not that he didn't want to help, he just didn't have that kind of money... Only now did Yu Dazhang realize the importance of money.

He'd only been on the job a short while, and on top of that his salary wasn't high to begin with — he had no savings to speak of.

"Are you paying or not?" the person inside the window asked impatiently.

Yu Dazhang scratched his head and offered an excuse:

"I forgot to bring the payment slip."

"You can pay without a slip." The cashier, seeing Yu Dazhang about to leave, immediately called out to him:

"It's all computerized now — once we look up the account, you can pay."

Can you pay even without money... Yu Dazhang nearly asked out loud.

"Swipe the card." A voice, like that of a girl-next-door, rang out:

"Swipe twenty thousand first, the extra as a prepaid balance."

Yu Dazhang turned to look.

Qu Tuotuo was standing right beside him, a bank card in her hand, passing it to the cashier inside the window.

"You..." Yu Dazhang was momentarily at a loss for words.

After a pause, he finally stammered out:

"You didn't leave."

Qu Tuotuo, keying in her PIN as she spoke, replied:

"If I'd left, just look at what you'd have done."

"This money..." Yu Dazhang swallowed hard and clenched his teeth:

"Consider it a loan from you. I'll write you an IOU in a bit."

He felt this matter had to be made perfectly clear.

Until now, he'd never intended to let Qu Tuotuo help.

Spending someone else's money to soothe your own conscience — how is that any different from being a two-faced bitch?

Since the money was already paid, he'd just pay her back.

He didn't have much to spend on normally anyway, so he'd pay it back slowly.

Once they found the child's parents, he'd get the money back from them.

"What are you saying?" Qu Tuotuo, quite unbothered, teased:

"This money will be deducted from your bride price."

"What bride price?" Yu Dazhang didn't catch her meaning.

Qu Tuotuo said with a smile:

"Weren't you asking for a one-million bride price? Today counts as you taking an advance."

Yu Dazhang realized she was joking and laughed along with her.

After paying, taking the payment slip, Qu Tuotuo gave him a push:

"Get going, don't waste any more time."

Back at pediatrics, after handing the payment slip to the doctor, the child quickly received treatment.

Doctors and nurses filed into the ward one after another.

What struck Yu Dazhang as odd was that the medical staff didn't seem particularly eager.

At least from their expressions, you couldn't tell they were all that enthusiastic.

He even caught a look of annoyance on one nurse's face.

This left Yu Dazhang thoroughly perplexed.

The money was paid — how could they still act like this?

Was he being oversensitive, or was something off with them?

Just as he was mulling over where the problem lay, Qu Tuotuo beside him nudged his arm:

"Something's a bit off about the nurses at this hospital."

(End of chapter)