Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 13 "The village committee has given you an empty house for a clinic.
Cai Xing immediately said, "Actually, in my private hospital system, there are some doctors who, like you, don’t like being managed by others."
"Of course, while most of them are very capable doctors, there are also many who lack ability and don’t want to take responsibility. In that, you are different." Cai Xing looked at Wang Jian with genuine admiration. Although their acquaintance was brief, he believed in the childlike sincerity Wang Jian projected. He trusted even more in the acupuncture technique he had demonstrated.
"They don’t need to hold regular office hours. They just need to be available for house calls or to perform surgeries when needed."
"Is that so?"
Wang Jian’s interest was piqued. If he could be a quiet village doctor and still experience the challenges of a large hospital, that would be the perfect situation for him.
"Yes, and they are very well compensated." Seeing the expression on Wang Jian’s face, Cai Xing knew he had swayed the young man. But that wasn’t his final trump card. He slowly opened his mouth and continued, "Each person has an individual compensation package. For you, how does an annual salary of 500,000 yuan plus a share of various fees sound?"
Wang Jian was tempted. He was in dire need of money, having used all his savings from the past few years to pay off debts. Who wouldn’t want more money?
"Mr. Cai, to be honest, your offer is very tempting," Wang Jian said. "But I must be clear about something I mentioned yesterday: I only enjoy the simple act of practicing medicine and saving lives. If there’s something I don’t want to do, and someone tries to force me, I would rather remain a small village doctor. Furthermore, I refuse to be involved in anything that goes against medical ethics.
"Some doctors, just to gain experience, will even take on patients they know would be better treated by someone else, simply to practice and pad their resumes. Others, out of pride, will press on with cases they know they can’t handle. Many more just do the bare minimum, always scheming and playing games... The list goes on...
"I just don’t like these things. Do you understand, Mr. Cai?"
Private hospitals were a chaotic world. Although there was a lot of money in the field, it was extremely disordered. This was the most profound lesson Wang Jian had learned during his years as a doctor in Capital City.
Cai Xing understood Wang Jian’s meaning and nodded immediately. "Rest assured, we can write these terms into the contract if you wish. This is a form of external employment, after all. If you’re unhappy, you can unilaterally terminate the contract at any time."
This was like a pie falling from the sky. Wang Jian had no reason to refuse and accepted the offer on the spot.
Cai Xing was also delighted. Wang Jian’s age and medical skills were undeniable; his medical system had just gained a powerful new member. A privately contracted doctor this skilled could even help Cai Xing expand his network of powerful connections. After all, in this world, what patient could refuse a good doctor?
With both parties satisfied, one began to sip his hot tea and wait for noon, while the other returned to the kitchen to help his sister-in-law with the cooking.
But Wang Jian had barely settled down when he heard a knock on the courtyard gate, accompanied by the shouts of several people. He and Xu Qian immediately stopped what they were doing and went outside.
The two exchanged a glance but still said nothing. Perhaps even Cai Xing wouldn’t believe that they hadn’t spoken a single word to each other since the previous night. Even now, with someone knocking at the gate, they merely looked at each other, remaining silent. The truth was, neither of them knew how to break the silence; things had been different between them since last night.
Wang Jian unlocked the latch on the courtyard gate and opened it to see the village chief, Li Dayu, and Uncle Zhang Quan. Both men wore happy, slightly urgent expressions.
"Ah, Wang Jian, you finally opened the door!"
Village chief Li Dayu beamed as if seeing his own son, his chubby face wrinkling with a smile, his enthusiasm for Wang Jian nearly overflowing. He even gestured as if to pull Wang Jian closer in a show of affection.
Although the village chief and the Wang family had been on good terms during Wang Jian’s childhood, and he had always been warm toward him, this level of fervor after eight years apart seemed a bit alarming to Wang Jian.
Wang Jian deftly sidestepped the ham-fisted grab. "Village Chief, Uncle Zhang, what brings you two here?"
"Ha!" Li Dayu patted his belly and chuckled. "Listen to you. Can’t I come looking for you if there’s nothing wrong? Our village’s medical student has come home. As the village chief, it’s only natural for me to stop by and show some concern. Nothing strange about that."
"Hahahahaha." After speaking, even Li Dayu himself felt it sounded insincere. Seeing the speechless expressions on Zhang Quan and Wang Jian’s faces, he laughed it off and continued, "Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about."
"I heard you were a doctor at the Capital City General Hospital for a few years and have come back to open a clinic in the village?"
Wang Jian nodded. There was no reason to hide it.
"Here’s the thing. Last night, Uncle Li learned about this and made some plans for you." Li Dayu finally revealed his purpose for coming. "There’s a vacant building in the village committee courtyard. We’ve been wondering what to do with it. Now that you want to open a clinic, it’s the perfect spot. It’s a win-win."
This sudden good news was so unexpected that Wang Jian spoke with surprise, "Of course, I have no problem with that, Village Chief. Are you sure? Is there anything I need to prepare?"
Li Dayu was notorious for skimming off the top, so Wang Jian was wary, fearing it was a trap, especially after Li Shuang’s behavior the day before.
To his surprise, however, Li Dayu just kept smiling without giving any hint of wanting something in return. He even said proactively, "What’s there to prepare? You just worry about what you need for your clinic. I’ll hand the site over to you today. When you’re free around noon, just stop by the village committee office to handle the paperwork. Uncle Li has arranged everything. If you don’t believe me, ask your Uncle Zhang." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
With that, he pulled Zhang Quan forward, clearly using him as a witness in case Wang Jian was still skeptical.
Zhang Quan nodded. "It’s true, Xiao Jian. The village chief already notified us in the WeChat group last night. Just go over at noon."
This is really odd. He doesn’t want any kickback? Could Li Shuang have actually changed his ways and simply told his father what I needed instead of trying to cause trouble for me?
Based on what Wang Jian knew of Li Shuang, this was clearly impossible. And from what he’d heard of the village chief’s usual methods, the situation was definitely not normal.
Wang Jian was completely baffled until he saw Uncle Zhang giving him a meaningful look. Then, it dawned on him.
It seemed Zhang Quan had smoothed things over for him. That family was something else. If Wang Jian hadn’t known they were doing this to secure a doctor for their family’s future, he might have been genuinely moved.
The three exchanged a few more pleasantries. Wang Jian didn’t even invite them in for tea, simply chatting about the clinic in the yard. After agreeing to meet the village chief at noon, Wang Jian saw them out.
Throughout the entire conversation, Xu Qian had merely stood quietly to the side, not saying a word.
When Wang Jian turned to share his joy with his sister-in-law, Xu Qian had already turned and headed back to the kitchen. Wang Jian’s outstretched hand froze in the air. He felt an indescribable sense of loss that diminished much of the happiness from the news about the clinic.
By noon, a Mercedes drove into Paigou Village, attracting a great deal of attention.
The car stopped at the village entrance. A man in a suit emerged from the back seat, respectfully made a phone call, and then stood there without moving.
This scene was quite the spectacle for Paigou Village.
Many villagers wanted to get a closer look but didn’t dare approach. Instead, they sat on small stools in their doorways, chatting while stealing glances in that direction.
Only a few small children ran over excitedly. They circled the car before getting scared and hiding off to the side, their games forgotten. They just stared, filled with curiosity about both the car and the man.
