After chatting for a while with the staff of the Health Clinic about some interesting experiences in the Capital, Du Heng went to check on Liu Amei. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

By this time, Liu Amei had already relaxed and fallen into a deep sleep.

At her side were Wang Lili and others, busily working with utmost care.

It was the first time Wang Lili and her colleagues had seen a woman with such a large abdomen not due to pregnancy. Especially when they lifted her clothes, revealing her abdomen, distended and shiny, with prominent blue-black veins clearly visible, a chill ran down their spines.

They were terrified that the slightest misstep could cause Liu Amei’s belly to burst like an overinflated balloon.

After giving them a few instructions, Du Heng took the bank card and went to the registration office.

The usually deserted registration office was, for once, bustling. Wang Zhenzhen was no longer alone; a few colleagues were there, keeping her company.

When Du Heng walked in, Wang Zhenzhen seemed a bit uneasy.

Ever since the incident at Wang Shuqiu’s home, there hadn’t been any proper communication between Du Heng and her, or Gong Daoyang. Even when Du Heng had left for the Capital a month prior, they had only exchanged cursory greetings; he hadn’t specifically spoken with her.

They had initially meant well, but who could have known people could be so malevolent?

Now she, the former matchmaker, found herself in an incredibly awkward situation.

Just as she was hesitating over how to greet him, Du Heng walked in with a big smile. He came over to her, glanced at her prominently swollen lower abdomen, and said, "Zhen, you’re six months along, right? Have you found out if it’s a boy or a girl? Or perhaps a boy and a girl?"

Du Heng’s smile and words brought a great sigh of relief to Wang Zhenzhen. She replied with a smile, "Oh, I haven’t asked. They’re my own, so whether it’s a boy or a girl doesn’t matter."

"That’s a good attitude. But Gong must be under a lot of pressure, right? He’s about to be a father of three. Has he earned enough for milk powder yet?"

Wang Zhenzhen feigned anger. "Don’t even mention him. The further along I get, the busier he claims to be. He’s hardly ever home. I haven’t seen him for a week."

"No way! It’s one thing if he can’t make it home, but our workplaces are just a stone’s throw apart. He can’t even pop over to see you?"

"He says he’s busy, but I don’t know what’s keeping him so occupied."

Du Heng laughed. "Sounds like you need a new husband."

"That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking. I’m planning to move back in with my mother-in-law. Let him live alone."

"You definitely should," Du Heng agreed, then took out Liu Amei’s ID card and the bank card, placing them on the table. "I need to handle Liu Amei’s admission procedures."

Wang Zhenzhen pointed to the new colleague sitting by the window. "Liu Yan. From now on, she’ll handle all registrations, admissions, and discharges."

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Zhenzhen introduced the two newcomers to Du Heng. "Dong Yan is responsible for medical insurance calculations and reimbursement approvals. When needed, the two of them can cover each other’s shifts."

Du Heng nodded with a smile. "Alright, please help me with Liu Amei’s admission paperwork."

Liu Yan, at the window, seemed a little nervous. After taking the bank card and ID card, she immediately bowed her head and began processing them as quickly as possible. "Dean, how much should be prepaid?"

"There should be 150,000 yuan in the card. I’ll leave the card here with you. Whenever Liu Amei’s account is low, just use this card to add funds. I’m worried I might forget when I get busy."

This was the first time Liu Yan had encountered such a request. Hearing there was 150,000 yuan in it, she was even more hesitant to act on her own and turned to Wang Zhenzhen beside her.

Wang Zhenzhen chuckled lightly, knowing exactly what Liu Yan was worried about. "You go ahead and process it. Give the card to me afterward. Just let me know when her account needs topping up."

With Wang Zhenzhen’s assurance, Liu Yan nodded and continued processing.

At this moment, Dong Yan, the other newcomer, suddenly asked, "Dean, doesn’t Liu Amei have medical insurance?"

"Don’t even think about medical insurance; it’s not applicable here."

Winter days are exceptionally short; by six o’clock, darkness had already fallen.

Du Heng, who had been lingering, didn’t delay any longer. Seeing Du Xuejing, who had already loaded her luggage into the car, Du Heng managed a smile and drove home.

I’ll have to tell them sooner or later. If I get a scolding, so be it.

Du Xuejing had already told the family about their return, so everyone had prepared all sorts of delicious food, waiting for them.

Looking at the table laden with food, it was as if his Big Brother and Sister-in-law thought Du Heng and Du Xuejing were refugees returning from a famine, terrified they might go hungry.

The atmosphere during dinner was quite joyful. Du Xuejing shared amusing stories from school, and Du Heng interspersed them with anecdotes from the Capital. He also suggested that after the New Year, his Big Brother and Sister-in-law should personally take Tingting to school and visit the Capital as well.

The couple responded with smiles, continuously placing food on Du Heng’s plate.

After a joyful and heartwarming dinner, Sister-in-law took Du Xuejing to the inner room to chat privately, as mothers and daughters do. Du Yi, clutching the large toy Du Heng had bought him, also went to his room to figure out how to play with it.

Only the brothers Du Ping and Du Heng remained in the living room. For a moment, silence descended between them.

Unable to bear the atmosphere, Du Heng gathered his courage and said, "Big Brother, Qiuqiu and I have broken up."

Du Ping lit a cigarette and took a drag. A fifth of the cigarette vanished in that single puff, revealing his inner turmoil.

Du Heng braced himself for a scolding, lowering his head and waiting quietly. But after a long while, the expected reprimand never came.

When he looked up again, he saw Du Ping holding his cigarette, just watching him silently.

"Big Brother, I..."

"Alright, enough. Your Sister-in-law and I already know."

Du Heng blinked. "You both know?"

Du Ping couldn’t help but glare at Du Heng, flicking the Cigarette Ashes from his cigarette. "Who do you think you are? You’re the Dean of our Township Health Center. You didn’t hide it from your colleagues, nor from the people in the township. How could I possibly not know? Your Sister-in-law and I knew the moment you started rushing to the hospital every day to look after that girl, Xiao Qiu."

Du Heng was a bit dazed. He asked hesitantly, "Then why didn’t you say anything all this time?"

Du Ping sighed. "What did you expect us to say? After something like that happened, we knew you must have been feeling terrible. And if we had said anything, it would only have made you feel worse and more conflicted."

Du Ping took a slow drag from his cigarette, not as fiercely as before. "As for what happened later, naturally, those gossips would tell your Sister-in-law and me. We knew you were also upset, so we didn’t want to pressure you. By the way, your room has been tidied up. Your Sister-in-law moved all of Xiao Qiu’s things into another room. I thought we should just throw them out, but your Sister-in-law said we should ask you first."

Du Heng fell silent again, his head bowed, seemingly lost in thought. After a long pause, he suddenly let out a heavy breath. "Throw them away."

"Alright. I’ll have your Sister-in-law throw them out tomorrow."

"Hmm."

The two brothers fell into silence again.

Sister-in-law was quite frugal; the light bulb hanging in the room was only ten watts. The light was already dim, and having been used for a long time, it had turned a dull yellow.

As Big Brother continuously exhaled smoke, the space between the two brothers grew hazy.

In the quiet, hazy room, only the embers in the stove in the middle of the room, burning thoroughly, would occasionally emit a CRACKLE as they split.

Finally, Big Brother broke the silence. "I know this might not be the right time, but as your Big Brother, I have to say this."

"Go on, Big Brother." I have a pretty good idea what this is about, Du Heng thought. The marriage talk.

"You’re already 29 this year. After the New Year, you’ll be 30. Though I know you educated folk have your own ideas and are focused on your careers right now, you really should consider getting married."

Du Heng sat up straighter, a broad smile on his face. "I know, Big Brother. I’ll get right on finding someone. But if you and Sister-in-law see anyone suitable, please introduce them to me. You know how I am; once I get caught up in work, I tend to forget everything else. So I’ll have to rely on you both to be more mindful for me."

Du Heng’s response left Du Ping slightly taken aback.

He’d thought Du Heng would argue a bit, Du Ping mused. He hadn’t expected him to agree so readily, and even sound proactive about it. Is the kid still reeling from the shock?

Du Ping began to feel a niggle of doubt, but before he could think too deeply, Du Heng stood up. "Big Brother, I’m going in to play with Xiao Yi. Please keep an eye out for me regarding my... situation."

"...Alright." Du Ping genuinely couldn’t fathom Du Heng’s thoughts. He could only watch as Du Heng went into the room.

That night, Du Ping lay with his eyes open all night. He only drifted into a hazy sleep as day was about to break.

「At the crack of dawn, Du Heng got up.」

He not only got up himself but also woke Du Xuejing, who was still trying to sleep in.

"Little Uncle, I don’t want to go," Du Xuejing mumbled, rubbing her drowsy eyes as she slowly shuffled into the living room, every fiber of her being, both physically and mentally, protesting.

But Du Heng merely glanced at her expressionlessly. "Hurry up and wash. From today until the day you leave for school, you will come with me to the Health Clinic every single day. No exceptions."

Radiating unwillingness, Du Xuejing emotionally resisted Du Heng’s arrangement. "Why? I’m still a student! I’m not going! I want to sleep!"

Du Heng said very calmly, "I told you to choose Oral Medicine, but you wouldn’t listen. Your mom told you to choose a normal university, but you wouldn’t listen either. You insisted on studying traditional Chinese medicine. Who’s to blame for that?"

"Little Uncle, I’m only a freshman! I still have eight and a half years left. I’m not in a rush. How about when I’m a junior or senior? I’ll definitely go with you then, okay?"

No matter how Du Xuejing pleaded, cajoled, or even acted spoiled, Du Heng remained completely unfazed. "This isn’t negotiable. This is the path you chose, so you have to stick with it and see it through. You’re already eighteen; you’ve already missed out on many years. Do you really think you can learn what you need to in nine years of university? Let me tell you, in those nine years, you won’t even finish learning the most basic things. And even if you memorize it all, that doesn’t mean you’ve truly learned it. Traditional Chinese medicine is about diagnosing illnesses and saving lives. It’s not like doing arithmetic problems on paper, where just being able to write and calculate is enough."