Chapter 21: The Matriarch's Path

On Friday, before getting off work, Zhang Fan went to the Dean’s office. "Dean, County Magistrate Kang is returning home tomorrow. She had Secretary Tang call to inform me, asking me to go to the city to provide her with treatment."

"Oh, it seems the results are truly excellent. You must make sure to find out where she lives this time. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Zhang Fan replied with a smile.

"What are you smiling at! You and I are different. You are in the natural sciences, while I am in the humanities; we are on two different paths." Batu laughed as he said this. He offered Zhang Fan a cigarette, lit one for himself, and added, "Jokes aside, you must take this seriously, and don't go talking about it to others."

With the roads clear, the number of patients dropped immediately. On Saturday afternoon, Zhang Fan went to wait near the government building for Tang Jingjing. "Wow! I’m getting the Secretary’s treatment today—a private Prado at my service! Let’s head out!" To be a secretary for a member of the county standing committee, regardless of anything else, her emotional intelligence was miles ahead of Zhang Fan’s. Before Zhang Fan had his system, he might have been more conversational, but now he was leaning toward the life of a tech geek.

The two chatted and laughed along the way, making the time pass quickly. Tang Jingjing never pried into personal matters, not even asking how Zhang Fan came to have a car. If it had been Chen Lulu, she would have grilled him until his brain felt like dog meat. Although Zhang Fan hadn't been driving for long, he was very steady. "When we get close, I’ll make a call to see what time the leader is available. If we finish the treatment early, I’ll treat you to a meal; if it’s late, we’ll skip it."

"Let me treat you."

"It’s all the same. I’m older than you, so it’s only right that I treat you. These are small matters; serving the leader well is what’s most important." Tang Jingjing was, after all, a serious graduate of the International Finance department at Bian University.

Dong Hua told them to arrive at four in the afternoon. Tang Jingjing checked her watch and said, "Turn left and head toward the Development Zone. The leader’s home is there." Once they entered the city, the traffic became significantly heavier. Zhang Fan drove slowly, arriving at their destination at 3:40. "This is a new residential complex for the municipal committee. I need to register at the guard station, or they won't let us in." The complex consisted of small four-story buildings, with only four households per building, and the distance between them was absurdly large. The gardens in front of the small buildings had been converted into vegetable patches. Even though it was winter, the bean trellises were still standing there.

Dong Hua’s home was a duplex, occupying both the third and fourth floors, and it was quite spacious. After entering, an auntie handed Zhang Fan a pair of disposable slippers. Tang Jingjing visited often and was very familiar with the layout. "Dr. Zhang, sorry for the trouble, having you come all the way to the city again. Please, have some fruit."

At home, Dong Hua dressed more casually and wore no makeup, appearing more human and less formal and solemn. "It’s no trouble at all. Dean Batu specifically instructed that the leader’s treatment must be on schedule and cannot be interrupted." Batu had been good to Zhang Fan, so Zhang Fan was happy to help when he could.

"Is that so? Then I must thank Dean Batu. Dr. Zhang, I’m nearly finished with this course of treatment, and I feel much better than before. Would it be even more effective if I did two or three more consecutive courses?"

"After this course is finished, it’s best to rest for a few months. Lumbar massage can cause fatigue in the bone structure; prolonged, continuous massage can easily cause secondary injury."

"Oh, I see. In that case, I will leave everything to you, Dr. Zhang," Dong Hua said with a smile. The treatment took place in her study, which was larger than the dormitory bedroom Zhang Fan shared. A single bed was placed inside. Rehabilitation massage was physically demanding work; he first had to stimulate the muscles and then use sustained, measured force to keep the lumbar vertebrae at a specific angle. After forty minutes, Zhang Fan was covered in sweat.

After washing his hands and sitting on the living room sofa, Tang Jingjing poured Zhang Fan a cup of tea. "Dr. Zhang, try this. It’s Tieguanyin from Anxi. Are there many patients at your hospital lately?" Dong Hua asked.

"It’s alright."

"Oh, Dr. Zhang, can all lumbar disc herniations be treated with massage?"

"It depends on the situation. It depends on whether the nucleus pulposus can recover. If it cannot recover, massage is useless."

"I see! In that case, Xiao Tang, take Dr. Zhang to Hongyun Pavilion for dinner tonight. The food there is quite good. I have a dinner party there myself tonight, and I might need to trouble Dr. Zhang again later."

"Understood, County Magistrate," Xiao Tang replied. Zhang Fan opened his mouth to protest but said nothing. He had wanted to go buy books and look around. If he stayed for dinner, he wouldn't be able to return; winter nights fell early, and the roads were slippery. He didn't have the skill for night driving.

Dong Hua had a high school classmate who worked at a municipal commercial bank, and her husband was the third-ranking official in the municipal committee. Over the years, Dong Hua had successfully turned her classmate into a best friend. If a county standing committee member wanted to advance, she had to put in effort at the provincial level. Her friend had called last week to tell her that the provincial secretary-general’s wife was from Chasu City and was returning to visit her family, and that they should find an opportunity to have a meal together. At the county level, one could barely get by through personal competence and the help of friends and family. Advancing further, however, was not so simple. Dong Hua leveraged her advantages as a woman to befriend many officials' wives.

Her high school classmate also suffered from a bad lower back, a condition she developed while working as a cashier in her youth. Bringing Zhang Fan along was meant to have him check her classmate, and if he could help make a connection with the secretary-general's wife, that would be even better. Hongyun Pavilion was the only membership-only restaurant in Chasu City, located on the outskirts with vast grounds; its biggest advantage was its excellent privacy.

"You look great lately. What cosmetics are you using?" The three chatted while eating. Her classmate, Wang Qian, had previously been named Wang Wenge (Cultural Revolution). "My lower back had a disc herniation, it used to torture me to the point of wanting to die. A while back, a college graduate arrived at the county hospital as part of the Western aid program—I’m telling you, his skills are truly impressive. After he treated me for a while, I’m fine now."

"Is that so? Then find a time for him to take a look at me too."

"It’s not surgery?" The secretary-general’s wife was also surprised. Her husband had the same condition, and they had been to countless places, not just in the frontier province, but even in the capital.

"No surgery, just massage. The effect is truly good." Dong Hua realized immediately that if it wasn't the woman herself, it was someone close to her family. Dong Hua had experienced the misery of back pain firsthand and had great confidence in Zhang Fan.

In a small private room, the meal they had was excellent. "Try this. I only came here once half a year ago when I accompanied the leader; it’s especially delicious," Tang Jingjing said, introducing the dish while placing food on Zhang Fan’s plate. "Sister Tang, you eat too. The taste is really good."

"How could it not be? I heard the chef here used to cook at the Great Hall of the People; his administrative rank is about the same as our leader's."

"Really? Then why did he come to the frontier?"

"Ever heard of retiring to one's hometown?"

Dong Hua and the others had almost finished eating. The secretary-general’s wife was politely distant toward Dong Hua, but she did give her contact information to her. Dong Hua wasn't in a rush; after all, it was their first meeting, so she would take it slow. Dong Hua had already promised Wang Qian that she would have Zhang Fan provide treatment every evening.

Completely unaware of all this, Zhang Fan was eating with his mouth full of oil!