Chapter 13: Let Whatever Happens, Happen
Listening to the crowd chatter, each person eager to praise him to the skies, Zhou Yichen felt a splitting headache coming on. He forced a bitter smile onto his face and waved his hand helplessly.
“Folks, I’m really not being modest,” he said. “I just know my own business.”
He sighed inwardly. With his current level, treating a life-threatening emergency like angina pectoris was like forcing a duck to fly.
The condition was complicated—behind it could be coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, and a host of other issues. Without detailed examinations, who could say exactly which one it was?
He glanced at the talent panel in his mind.
[Medical Skill LV1 (656/1000)]
Just now, performing emergency aid on Elder Zhang had increased his proficiency by 13 points, bringing him closer to level two.
But to confidently handle such a disease, he reckoned he’d need to reach at least level two first.
As Zhou Yichen pondered how to calm these enthusiastic villagers, an auntie from the crowd suddenly asked, “Hey, young man, after all this talking, which production team’s health worker are you, and what’s your name?”
At once, all eyes swiveled sharply back to Zhou Yichen.
He steadied himself and answered loudly, “My name is Zhou Yichen. I’m a newly arrived educated youth as of yesterday, and the health worker for the Xiangyang Brigade.”
“What? The Xiangyang Brigade’s?”
“Ours?”
The villagers’ surprise and disbelief exploded like a powder keg the moment those words left his mouth.
A middle-aged uncle widened his eyes. “How come we never knew the brigade suddenly had a health worker?”
Another woman nodded repeatedly. “Yeah, yeah, never heard a thing!”
They were all native to the Xiangyang Brigade; not a whisper of news escaped their ears.
Jiang Xiaoman, seeing this, lifted her chin proudly, puffed out her chest with pride, and said crisply, “Brother Yichen’s health worker status was just confirmed this very noon!”
“The brigade office even broadcast it on loudspeakers!”
“Oh? Just appointed at noon?”
“No wonder we didn’t know—at noon, I was still in the county!”
“So it’s a brand-new health worker!”
The villagers’ faces cleared instantly, breaking into smiles brighter than before.
“That’s wonderful! This is great news!”
“Now our brigade has its own doctor!” an old granny beamed, showing her missing teeth.
“Exactly! Before, if you had a headache or fever, you had to run all the way to the neighboring Hongqi Brigade—not to mention the distance, they might not even want to treat us!”
“If it was an emergency, by the time you got there, it’d be too late!”
“But now, having our own health worker is so much more convenient!”
Watching their happy, radiant faces, Zhou Yichen felt an even worse headache coming on.
He took a deep breath and reluctantly poured cold water on the celebration again.
“Friends, don’t be too quick to rejoice,” he said. “My medical skills are still quite basic—I can at most handle common colds and minor ailments.”
“For emergencies like Elder Zhang’s chest pain, I honestly can’t guarantee a cure. What I did just now was only a temporary measure.”
He truly wished to improve his medical proficiency quickly through practice; after all, diligence would be rewarded.
But he knew better than to gamble with people’s lives.
Besides hands-on practice, medical skill could also be raised by reading and studying—just more slowly.
Besides, there would be plenty of chances to improve; one patient like Elder Zhang was no big deal.
Yet, his well-meaning explanation only sounded like something else to the simple villagers.
“Oh, Doctor Zhou, you’re just too honest, too modest!” the auntie who’d spoken earlier praised warmly. “We all saw it with our own eyes—Elder Zhang was almost done for, and you brought him back in just a few moves!”
“That’s not shallow medical skill? Then the doctors at the commune hospital haven’t even stepped through the door!”
Others chimed in eagerly.
“Exactly! Doctor Zhou, please don’t be modest!”
“People with real skill like you don’t like to show off!”
Elder Zhang, meanwhile, treated Zhou Yichen’s words as if they were whispers in the wind. He was resolute.
He waved his hand vigorously, grinning broadly with yellowed teeth.
“Doctor Zhou, I’m not going to the hospital! No matter what, I’m not going!”
“That place is just a money pit! I’m as good as ever now—just couldn’t catch my breath earlier, but I’ve recovered!”
“If this old ailment acts up again, I’ll come find you! I trust you!”
Seeing the villagers’ chatter and their honest, stubborn faces, Zhou Yichen knew further explanations were pointless.
He shut his mouth and remained silent.
If reason didn’t work, then so be it.
If Elder Zhang was set on trusting him, then so be it.
He figured that although his medical skill was insufficient to cure Elder Zhang’s angina, he could at least use some methods—acupuncture combined with herbs he could find—to stabilize the condition and buy time.
With his “Diligence Rewards” talent, his medical skills would improve quickly with effort.
Perhaps in time, when his skill level rose, he’d find better solutions.
Time was on his side.
Seeing Zhou Yichen’s silence, the crowd immediately rejoiced.
“See! Doctor Zhou isn’t saying anything! That means he agrees!” the auntie was the first to realize, clapping and laughing.
“I told you! Doctor Zhou definitely has a way!”
“Now, Elder Zhang, rest easy! With Doctor Zhou treating you, you’ll be fine!”
The villagers all took his silence as assent.
Elder Zhang nodded repeatedly, the weakness from his illness seeming to vanish.
His gaze fell on the bundles and bags at Zhou Yichen and Jiang Xiaoman’s feet, and he warmly beckoned.
“Oh, Doctor Zhou, and young miss, how much stuff did you buy?”
“Look how heavy your loads are!”
“Quick! Get on my wagon! I’ll take you back to the brigade!” Elder Zhang slapped his chest and said heartily.
Jiang Xiaoman’s eyes brightened. After such a long walk, she was exhausted.
She glanced at Zhou Yichen, hope shining in her eyes.
Zhou Yichen didn’t hesitate. Under the circumstances, having someone to give them a ride would save a lot of trouble.
“Thank you very much, Elder Zhang,” he nodded in gratitude.
“No need for thanks! I should be thanking you!” Elder Zhang waved his hand, grinning ear to ear. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead right here today!”
“Come on, hurry and load the stuff up!”
Together, Zhou Yichen and Jiang Xiaoman lifted sacks, iron pots, and sundry items onto the wagon.
Several helpful villagers stepped forward to assist.
“Doctor Zhou, put it here!”
“Miss, I’ll take this!”
Soon, everything was securely stowed.
“Everyone, get aboard! Get aboard!” Elder Zhang called.
Besides Zhou Yichen and Jiang Xiaoman, two villagers heading the same way also climbed onto the wagon.
Though small, the wagon could hold them all if they squeezed.
Jiang Xiaoman sat close to Zhou Yichen and whispered, “Finally, no more walking. My legs almost gave out.”
Zhou Yichen smiled slightly and patted her shoulder.
Elder Zhang sat up front on the wagon pole, spiritedly raised his whip.
“Giddy-up!”
The whip cracked crisply in the air. The old horse picked up its hooves, pulling the wagon along the bumpy road toward the Xiangyang Brigade.
The previously tense atmosphere vanished, replaced by warmth and curiosity.
“Doctor Zhou, are you really our educated youth from Xiangyang Brigade?” asked a middle-aged man who had helped support Elder Zhang earlier, his face a mix of disbelief.
Zhou Yichen nodded. “Yes, I just arrived yesterday.”
“Well, that’s really a coincidence! Our brigade has finally been blessed with a doctor!”
“Yes, yes! Before, seeing a doctor was a death sentence!” another woman added. “Doctor Zhou, you came from the city—how did you think of coming to our remote, poor countryside as a health worker?”
Jiang Xiaoman joined in proudly, “Brother Yichen applied to come down to the countryside so his younger sister could keep his city job! He’s amazing—he self-studied a lot of medical books before coming!”
“Giving up a job quota?”
“Oh, that’s truly noble and selfless!”
“Doctor Zhou, you’re really something!”
Hearing this, the villagers looked at Zhou Yichen with even greater respect.
Zhou Yichen felt a bit embarrassed by the praise and smiled humbly.
Wanting to learn more about rural life, he asked, “Everyone, what do you mainly grow around here in the Xiangyang Brigade? How are the harvests?”