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

Chen Ping glanced at the time on his phone. "I have to go to work this afternoon. All the patients are scheduled."

"If I talk to Dean Zhao and ask him to spend half a day with me, he shouldn't refuse, right?"

Su Meng's tone regained some of her usual composure, but it was different from the condescending composure she had in the bureau before. This time it seemed more like a test after lowering her stance.

Chen Ping didn't say anything and went to Zhao Guosheng's office with Su Meng.

Upon hearing Su Meng say she wanted Chen Ping to accompany her for a walk in the mountains, Zhao Guosheng slammed the jar on the table and waved both hands outwards, as if afraid Su Meng would misunderstand that he wasn't letting her go. "Go, go, go! Accompanying Director Su for a walk is part of the job, it doesn't count as taking leave!"

As she left the office, Su Meng glanced at Chen Ping, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if to say, "See?"

Chen Ping led Su Meng out of the health center gate, but instead of heading to the main street, they turned into a small path leading uphill.

He had walked this road many times; he had gone up from here the last time he went to find Cui Ying and Xiao He.

The mountain path was narrow, just wide enough for two people to walk side by side. On both sides were chestnut trees and wild hawthorns, most of their leaves fallen. The ground was covered with a layer of dead leaves, which rustled underfoot. There was a dry, woody smell in the air, mixed with the smoke from a distant house burning firewood.

Su Meng walked slowly, stopping from time to time to bend down and pick up a strangely shaped leaf, or to look up at a string of wild persimmons hanging on a branch.

She talked a lot, even more than she had in the dormitory earlier. She talked about the year they got married and went to Mount Tai. Chen Ping carried her up the Eighteen Bends, and she laughed all the way while lying on his back.

She recounted how she cooked a fish for his birthday that year, but ended up burning the pot and filling the entire kitchen with black smoke. When he came back, he didn't say anything, but opened all the windows and took her downstairs to eat a bowl of noodles.

Looking back, I used to think these were all trivial matters, but now I realize that they are the very things I'm most reluctant to part with.

Chen Ping listened, occasionally responding with a word or nodding, but never initiating any conversation.

He knew Su Meng was trying to turn back, but he didn't know whether he should accompany her on this journey.

The two walked to the middle of the mountain, where there was a protruding flat area with a crooked pine tree growing on it. Under the tree were several large rocks, which were warmed by the sun.

Beside the pine tree, there was a small patch of wild chrysanthemums, yellow and white ones crowded together, shining brightly in the afternoon sun.

Su Meng sat down on a rock under the pine tree, let out a long breath, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back to feel the mountain breeze.

Chen Ping and Su Meng had been sitting under the pine trees halfway up the mountain for a short while when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps and panting sounds came from the mountain path.

Chen Ping turned his head and saw Wang Tao running and crawling up from the corner of the mountain path, his face flushed red, bent over with his hands on his knees, panting heavily.

"Dr. Chen... hurry... hurry back..."

Wang Tao was panting heavily, pointing down the mountain with one hand, "The county hospital... Director Ma is here, and he's brought several obstetrics and gynecology specialists. Director Zhao wants you to go back immediately!"

Chen Ping's heart tightened, his first thought being that something was wrong with the woman who had amniotic fluid embolism during childbirth.

He stood up, brushed the pine needles off his trousers, and asked, "Is something wrong with the patient?"

Wang Tao shook his head frantically, and took several breaths to catch his breath. "No, no, Director Ma brought a group of people to visit and learn. They said our health center saved a pregnant woman with amniotic fluid embolism, which is the first time in the whole county. They wanted to come and see. Director Zhao told you to go back quickly, saying that everyone is waiting in the office."

Chen Ping breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Su Meng.

Su Meng had already stood up from the rock, her face full of confusion: "Amniotic fluid embolism? What happened?"

"I'll explain later." Chen Ping stepped forward and grabbed Su Meng's arm.

The two followed Wang Tao down the mountain. The way down was much faster than the way up, and they returned to the health center in less than half an hour.

Two vehicles from the county hospital were parked in the yard: a black Passat and a white van.

Zhao Guosheng was standing at the office door, his face beaming with a smile as if it were New Year's Day. When he saw Chen Ping return, he quickly waved for him to come over.

In the office, Dean Ma sat on the sofa, with three middle-aged doctors in white coats standing behind him, two men and one woman, all wearing glasses and county hospital name tags pinned to their chests.

As soon as Chen Ping entered, Dean Ma stood up and was about to extend his hand to greet him, but his gaze went past Chen Ping's shoulder and landed on Su Meng behind him.

His hand froze in mid-air, his expression shifting from polite to surprised, then quickly to respectful. He strode forward and bowed slightly.

"Director Su? What are you doing in Siping Township?"

Dean Ma's tone was somewhat cautious. After all, Su Meng was his direct superior. If he ran into the deputy director of the municipal bureau in such a remote township health center, he was probably already quickly figuring out what was going on in his mind.

Su Meng waved her hand casually and smiled faintly, "Dean Ma, please don't be so polite. I'm not here on official business today; I just came to visit."

She paused, glanced at Chen Ping, and said, "I want to have a chat with Chen Ping."

Zhao Guosheng quickly added, "Director Su is Dr. Chen's ex-wife. She just happened to be passing by today."

Dean Ma raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting back and forth between Chen Ping and Su Meng, then his smile deepened as he reached out and shook hands with Chen Ping.

"Dr. Chen, that's not fair of you. What about what I told you last time? What do you think about it? The doors of our county hospital are always open for you, and I promise you'll get the treatment of a chief physician."

Chen Ping smiled, ignored the question, and led the person towards the ward, "Dean Ma, let's go see the patient first."

The group went to the ward.

The new mother was leaning against the bed breastfeeding her baby. She looked much better than she had a couple of days ago; her face had regained its color and her lips were no longer cyanotic.

The man squatted by the bed, wiping his wife's hands with a clean towel. When he saw so many people coming in, he quickly stood up and awkwardly retreated to the corner of the wall.

The three obstetrics and gynecology experts brought by Dean Ma took turns asking about the patient's medical history, reviewed Chen Ping's medical records and emergency records, and then huddled together to discuss it in hushed tones.

The female doctor, the director of the obstetrics and gynecology department at the county hospital, took off her glasses, turned around and looked at Chen Ping. The expression on her face was no longer one of scrutiny, but rather one of heartfelt admiration.

"Dr. Chen, did you perform acupuncture on the patient in the operating room? You didn't use open surgery or any interventional procedures, and you stabilized the amniotic fluid embolism just with needles and medication?"

"Yes. Twelve injections, plus a rapid injection of dexamethasone for allergy relief, heparin for anticoagulation, aminophylline to dilate the bronchi, and crystalloid fluid for volume expansion."

Chen Ping briefly explained the steps taken at that time.

The female director shook her head, put her glasses back on, and turned to Dean Ma, saying, "Dean Ma, this case is top-notch, not only in our city, but also in the province."

Dean Ma nodded, turned around to say something to Chen Ping, but suddenly realized that Su Meng was still standing next to him. He quickly stepped aside and changed the subject, "Director Su, what do you think?"