Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

Chen Ping nodded. "Thank you, Secretary Zhang. Those cigarettes were originally for you, but..."

"Shall I go buy two more cartons for Secretary Zhang?" Cui Ying got up, preparing to buy Zhang Jianmin another two cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes.

"No need, no need, we don't need those, and I don't like smoking Zhonghua cigarettes."

Zhang Jianmin stood up and stopped Cui Ying, picking up his briefcase. "I'm going back first. Don't be in such a hurry. The more anxious you are, the more some people will try to take advantage of the situation."

Chen Ping nodded. "Understood!"

Zhang Jianmin has passed away.

The private room quieted down; the dishes on the table had gone cold, and a thin layer of oil had formed on the soup noodles.

Cui Ying stood up, tidied up the remaining dishes on the table, put them into takeout containers, placed them in plastic bags, and put them on the table.

Old Zhou came in to clear the table, glanced at the takeout boxes, and said, "So much leftovers, what a waste. Don't order so much next time; these leaders don't eat much."

"It's okay, we'll pack it up and take it home. It won't be a waste," Cui Ying said.

Old Zhou didn't say anything more and cleared away the bowls and chopsticks.

Zhao Guosheng leaned back in his chair, let out a long sigh, picked up his water glass and took a sip of tea. The tea was cold, but he didn't complain.

"Dr. Chen, don't let their airs fool you. They'll still get things done. They accepted the cigarettes and made the promises, and they'll put in a good word for you at the meeting. These people may have a big presence, but they know the rules. If they take something, they have to do it. If they don't, they won't get anything next time," Zhao Guosheng comforted Chen Ping.

Chen Ping nodded without replying, stood up, picked up the bag of takeout food, and walked out of the private room.

Cui Ying followed behind him, while Zhao Guosheng walked at the very back.

The three of them left the restaurant. There were hardly any people on the street. A few streetlights were still on, casting a dim, yellowish light on the empty street.

A cool breeze blew by, carrying the chill of late autumn.

Back at the health center, Zhao Guosheng rode his bicycle home.

Chen Ping handed the packed food to Cui Ying, saying, "Take this to Xiao He to try, and have a heart-to-heart talk with her before she goes to bed tonight."

"Okay!" Cui Ying nodded and took the bag.

Chen Ping walked towards the ward that was still lit up to check on the man's condition.

Chen Ping pushed open the door to the ward. The man was not asleep; he was leaning against the bed, holding a mobile phone in his hand. The light from the screen shone on his face, making him look more rosy than a few days ago.

The woman sat on the edge of the bed, still holding the unfinished ball of yarn in her hand. She had been knitting it for several rounds, but no one knew what she was knitting.

She saw Chen Ping come in, put down her knitting and stood up. The man also put his phone face down on the bed and leaned forward slightly.

"Lie down, don't move."

Chen Ping waved his hand, walked over, grabbed the man's wrist, and placed three fingers on it.

The pulse was more stable than at noon, the rhythm was more regular, and the superficiality had subsided. Although it was still weak, it was a weak but with a foundation, not the kind of weakness that could dissipate at any moment.

He let go, pulled the blanket up to cover the man's shoulders, and said, "You're recovering well. Start walking around the yard tomorrow. Five minutes is enough for the first day. Don't push yourself too hard. If you can't walk anymore, sit down. Don't push yourself."

The woman beside her nodded repeatedly, twisting the yarn between her fingers, wanting to ask something but not daring to.

Chen Ping glanced at her and said, "Big sister, just ask me whatever it is."

The woman opened her mouth slightly, her voice a little soft, "Dr. Chen, with this illness, will he still be able to work in the future? The family depends on him."

Chen Ping glanced at the man, then at the woman, and said very seriously, "Let's save your lives first, we'll talk about the future later. Once you're healthy, you can do anything. If you're not, thinking about it won't help."

The woman stopped talking, nodded, and picked up the yarn again to knit two more stitches.

The man glanced at his wife, then at Chen Ping, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Brother, what do you want to ask?" Chen Ping asked, bending down as he saw this.

"Dr. Chen, I...I...that..."

The man stammered, unsure of what to say.

The woman lowered her head, her face suddenly flushed, she muttered something about going to the restroom, and then got up and left.

Chen Ping was a little confused, not knowing what the couple was up to.

"Brother, just ask me anything, I won't hide anything from you," Chen Ping said.

The man coughed twice before speaking, "Dr. Chen, if I feel better, will I be able to do that?"

"What are you doing?" Chen Ping was taken aback.

"You mean doing that, that kind of thing?" The man blushed, and seemed a little anxious.

He didn't understand why Chen Ping couldn't understand.

Chen Ping was indeed a bit confused, but looking at the man's anxious appearance, he suddenly realized what was going on.

"Brother, are you asking if we can have sex now that we're feeling better?" Chen Ping asked.

The man blushed and nodded, avoiding Chen Ping's eyes.

Seeing this, Chen Ping smiled. In today's society, many rural couples still have a lot of prejudice against married life.

I feel that talking about this kind of thing is shameful.

"Brother, your illness doesn't affect your physical health, so you don't need to worry about it."

"If you want, you can try doing it with the older sister if your physical strength allows, but don't be too vigorous or too excited."

"It's normal for couples to have sex; it's a need for everyone, not just men. Women have needs too."

Chen Ping followed the man's explanation, hoping to dispel the man's feeling of shame.

"No, no, Dr. Chen, I'm not thinking about that. I just feel like I only have one child, and I want to have another child after I get better. Please don't overthink it."

The man blushed as he explained.

"Okay, it's fine. There's no physiological impact. Don't worry. After you recover, you can have as many as ten children, let alone one."

Chen Ping said jokingly.

Upon hearing this, the man smiled, his eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at Chen Ping: "Dr. Chen, thank you..."

"Take good care of yourself. After you take your medicine tomorrow, take a walk in the yard. I'll check on you again in the afternoon."

After Chen Ping finished speaking, he turned and left the ward.

The woman was standing outside the ward. When she saw Chen Ping come out, she blushed and went to greet him.

"Dr. Chen, you should go and rest too," the woman said.

"Okay, go and rest!" Chen Ping nodded.

The woman entered the ward, and Chen Ping heard a man's excited voice coming from inside.

"Honey, Dr. Chen said it won't have any impact, and he even said we can try it today."

"Don't talk nonsense, this is a hospital."

"There's no one else here, just the two of us in the hospital, what are we afraid of?"

"Oh dear, the light's still on, and your hand..."

Click, the light went out!

Chen Ping looked at the darkened hospital room, shook his head with a smile, and then walked towards the backyard.

The backyard was quiet, with occasional bursts of laughter.

The light in Cui Ying's dormitory was still on, and two shadows, one big and one small, were reflected in the window, close together.

Laughter came from inside, the voices of Cui Ying and Zhou Xiaohe mixed together, softly, like the wind blowing through wind chimes.