Chapter Thirty-One: Two Brothers in a Single Little Red Embroidered Shoe

Batu had been acting on a gambler’s hope. After ten years of taking ill-gotten gains, he had told himself he would stop after one last haul—only to fall on that final occasion. Zhang Fan did not care whether Batu was corrupt or not; Batu had genuinely treated him well, and if there was any way to help, he had to try.

The Batu family had deep roots in the county, with their own people planted in every government office that mattered. But none of them had risen beyond section-chief level. They were certainly useful for gathering information, yet when it came to actually exerting influence, they were powerless.

Zhang Fan had been in the frontier region for less than a year and knew only two officials, Dong Hua and Wang Qian. Dong Hua had never been particularly approachable, but under the circumstances he had to ask her anyway. He called Tang Jingjing, only to be told that the leader was in a meeting and unable to take the call, and that she had no time available lately. The meaning was obvious: the leader was very busy.

In truth, Dong Hua really was in no position to help. A minor official had committed major corruption within her area of responsibility, and she bore some responsibility herself. She was currently being questioned by her superiors.

With Dong Hua ruled out, only Wang Qian remained. In the past, Zhang Fan had always been welcome at her home and could drop by without even calling ahead. Things were different now, so he phoned first.

“Sister Wang, I’m back from my advanced training. How is your back lately?”

“Zhang Fan, my back is much better. Did you call about your dean, Batu?”

Because of her relationship with Zhang Fan, Wang Qian had been following the progress of Batu’s case closely. Although the investigation was still confidential, given her husband’s rank, a case like this was hardly something that needed to be kept secret from her.

“Yes, Sister Wang. We’re completely out of options now.”

“I knew I wasn’t wrong about you. You’re loyal and sentimental, though perhaps a little too willing to overlook right and wrong. I’ll tell you only this today: hurry and return the money. Try to win lenient treatment. Come visit us when you have time. For now, just focus on your work.”

That single sentence already amounted to an enormous favor. Zhang Fan was not foolish enough to ask her for more.

Batu might have been a hospital director, but his actual rank was not high. His understanding of officialdom still belonged to the old world of running around, giving gifts, and begging for help. The government might usually ignore you, but when it decided to deal with you seriously, the coercive agencies were no mere decoration.

“Sister-in-law, return the money as quickly as you can,” Zhang Fan said after hanging up.

Batu’s wife nodded in disappointment. There was nothing else they could do. Zhang Fan was powerless to help, so he returned to the hospital.

The appointment came through in less than three days.

A department head from the municipal hospital was sent down to become the new director. He was nearly fifty. Supposedly, he had connections at the Municipal Health Bureau. The former deputy director of the county hospital, a post that had long stood vacant, was appointed at the same time. As for Shi Lei, no one knew which door he had gone through, but he was promoted to deputy director.

Meetings were held for three straight days, with the entire hospital assembled each time. What was the purpose? First, to steady everyone’s nerves. After Batu’s arrest, the whole hospital was in a state of panic. Which doctor had never taken a kickback? The only difference was how much each one had taken.

Then there were the positions to be divided up and the spoils allocated. The heads of the pharmacy, radiology, logistics, and finance departments all had to be reassigned.

The new director, Zou Pingshan, came from internal medicine. He was no longer young, and there was little chance of advancing at the municipal hospital. So he had used his connections to come down and become director. Being a local lord in this small domain was not such a bad arrangement.

Upon taking office, he naturally had to establish his authority.

Zhang Fan was the first to enter his sights. He had been at the hospital for less than a year before being sent to Qingniao for advanced training.

“He’s Batu’s most devoted lackey. The hospital had never recruited university graduates before; they’re the first batch. To show off his management skills, Batu took him everywhere, introducing him to everyone with, ‘Look, this is the university graduate at our county hospital.’ The day he came back, he went straight to Batu’s house.”

The speaker was Tuerxun, deputy head of the finance office. He had thrown in his lot with Zou Pingshan early on. Tuerxun’s sister-in-law worked in the same department as Zou Pingshan at the municipal hospital, and the two had a good relationship.

“Is that so? Where’s he from?” Zou Pingshan asked.

He had no interest in investigating the past, but Batu was already in trouble. If Zhang Fan still went to visit him, that was another matter entirely.

“He’s from Su Province and has no relatives or connections here. That boy knows how to make himself useful. Batu was very fond of him.”

Although Tuerxun was deputy head of the finance office, Batu had never liked him. He had never taken much interest in the hospital’s affairs and had already been preparing to transfer elsewhere. Then fortune had fallen from the sky and struck him squarely on the head. At last, he had a chance to rise.

“Then send him to Sumutai Township to set up a rural post. Since he’s finished his advanced training, let him go to the countryside and put it to use.”

A newcomer with no relatives or connections, and a fresh university graduate besides, was the easiest person to bully. The old doctors might usually keep their heads down and endure things in silence, but if someone tried to send them dozens of miles away to a rural outpost, they would bring their entire families to the director’s home and demand an explanation over dinner.

When Shi Lei heard the decision, he instinctively wanted to object. But after thinking it over, he kept silent. He had only just become deputy director; if he immediately clashed with the director, everyone would say he was the problem. Besides, personnel assignments were not under his authority. And the new director had an even stronger background than Batu. Shi Lei had never dared speak recklessly while Batu was in office, and now he was even less willing to do so.

Yet he knew Zhang Fan was no ordinary man. Before his advanced training, Zhang Fan had gone to the city every day to treat patients. Anyone who could afford to see him there was certainly not insignificant; otherwise, Batu would never have treated him with such caution.

With Zou Pingshan making this move, the consequences were difficult to predict.

After thinking it over, Shi Lei called Zhang Fan.

“Doctor Zhang, I never got the chance to welcome you back from your training. How about dinner tonight?”

“Director Shi, I’m still in the city. I have something to take care of and won’t be able to make it back today. I’m sorry.”

“No problem. We’ve got plenty of time. But I wanted to give you a little warning: there’s a new director now, so be careful.”

Shi Lei hinted at the situation without saying it outright.

“Understood. Thank you, Director Shi. I’ll be careful.”

Zhang Fan had no interest in officialdom, so he did not take the warning to heart. What difference did a change of director make? He would simply continue being a small-time doctor. It had little to do with him.

The next morning, the surgical department held its morning meeting.

The director had changed, but Old Nur remained drunk as ever before breakfast. His eyes were narrowed to slits, and he could barely stand upright.

“Let us invite our new Director Batu to speak,” he announced, then began clapping.

The people below did not know whether to join in or remain still. They raised their hands awkwardly, unsure what to do.

“All right, everyone is busy. I’ll keep it brief,” Zou Pingshan said helplessly. Men like this were too slippery to scold and too troublesome to punish.

“Whatever the situation was in the past, work discipline must be corrected from now on. In view of the shortage of surgical patients, the hospital committee has decided to send Doctor Zhang Fan to establish a rural post. Doctor Zhang has just returned from advanced training in Qingniao, bringing back new techniques from the major cities. Once he goes to the countryside, he will surely bring more patients to our surgical department. I hope Doctor Zhang will humble himself and contribute what he can to the hospital’s development.”

“What?”

Everyone was stunned.

“Then who’s going to perform the operations?”

Old Chen suddenly spoke up. Since Zhang Fan had arrived, the number of surgeries had soared. Procedures they had once been unable to perform could now be handled, and Old Chen’s income had risen by several levels as a result. Naturally, he was anxious, and the words slipped out before he could stop himself.

“The earth keeps turning without anyone. Besides, he isn’t even a正式 doctor yet.”

Zou Pingshan was somewhat irritated that anyone dared question him. But the moment he said it, he had exposed Old Chen’s own weakness: he was not a formally certified doctor either.

“Then I’ll go to the countryside too. I’ll contribute to the county hospital.”

Old Chen was angry as well. He cared most about his dignity—an intense, somewhat distorted concern.

And so the two fellow sufferers ended up heading to the countryside together.

“Old Chen, why did you have to do that?” Zhang Fan said, feeling touched. It was no small thing to stand up to the director on his behalf.

“Hey, I only said it because the words led there. Besides, if I’m going, I’m going. It’ll be nice to rest for a few days.”

He was already beginning to regret it. There would be no pharmaceutical kickbacks out in the townships.