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

Early the next morning.

Chen Ping was awakened by a buzzing noise.

He opened his eyes. The sky outside the window was still dark and hazy. The poplar leaves in the yard rustled in the morning breeze, but they couldn't drown out the noise coming from the front gate.

Some people were shouting, some were yelling, and something was banging on the iron gate, all mixed together like a pot of boiling porridge.

He picked up his phone and glanced at it; it was 5:15.

I put on my coat and slippers and went out. I walked through the front yard toward the gate and saw a large group of people outside the iron gate from a distance. There were at least a hundred of them, all crammed together, pushing and shoving each other.

Ma Zhihao stood inside the door, only two buttons of his security guard uniform fastened, his hair sticking up, and his expression a mixture of sleepiness and anxiety.

Seeing Chen Ping arrive, they rushed up to him as if he were their savior: "Dr. Chen, you've finally arrived! It's past 2 a.m. and an old man has been knocking on the door, banging a ping-pong ball around. I told him the health center wasn't open yet, but he wouldn't listen, saying he was afraid he'd be late and wouldn't get a turn."

Later, more and more people gathered, and they completely blocked the entrance. I couldn't stop them...

Chen Ping walked to the iron gate and looked out through the fence.

At the front was an old man in his seventies, wearing an old cotton-padded jacket, a woolen hat, and carrying a small stool. His face was full of wrinkles.

When the old man saw Chen Ping, he quickly moved closer and asked, "Doctor, what time do you open? I left home at two o'clock and it took me an hour to get here. I hope I didn't make a wasted trip."

The people behind started shouting, all talking at once. One said he arrived at 3 a.m., another said he hadn't slept all night, and someone else yelled, "Stop pushing, you're stepping on my feet!"

Looking at the scene before him, Chen Ping was at a loss for words.

"Grandpa, what's the use of you coming so early? The health center hasn't opened yet, and the experts from the province haven't arrived either."

Chen Ping said with a hint of helplessness.

"I can't afford to come late. Yesterday, the village loudspeaker announced that provincial experts would be providing free medical care for the elderly. If I don't come early, I might miss my turn!"

The old man said.

"Grandpa, it's a free clinic. You can come anytime, so there's no need to rush," Chen Ping explained.

"I don't know what a free clinic is, all I know is that you can see a doctor for free," the old man waved his hand.

Chen Ping sighed, understanding dawned on him.

These elderly people had no idea what a free clinic was. They only heard the word "free," and they didn't even sleep. They got up in the middle of the night and ran to the health center.

In their eyes, the arrival of experts from the province was like a lifesaver; if they arrived late, they would miss their chance.

However, these free clinics only check for some basic illnesses. If there is a serious illness, you still need to go to the hospital. These free clinics alone probably cannot cure it.

But the elderly don't understand; they only recognize the word "free."

"Everyone, please be quiet! Don't push. I'll have someone open the gate. Once you're in the yard, line up one by one!"

Chen Ping shouted at the top of his lungs to the elderly people outside the door.

"Okay, hurry up and open the door."

"This health center of yours is really something, it's already daylight and you still won't open."

"Now the government and hospitals are all the same. They don't start work until the sun is high in the sky. When we were in the team, we had to start working before the sun even rose."

"It's not like it was back then. People are lazy now, all they know is to sleep in."

The elderly people were all complaining and blaming the health center for opening too late.

Chen Ping looked at Ma Zhihao with a helpless expression.

"Open the gate and let these elderly people line up in the yard. The line is so long it's spilling out onto the street. It would be a disaster if something went wrong."

Chen Ping said to Ma Zhihao.

"Okay!" Ma Zhihao nodded.

Ma Zhihao unlocked the door, and as soon as it opened a crack, the crowd surged in. Ma Zhihao spread his arms to block them, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Don't push! Don't push! One person at a time!"

But as soon as he finished speaking, a group of old men and women swarmed Ma Zhihao and knocked him down. Luckily, Ma Zhihao reacted quickly and rolled to the side, otherwise he would have been trampled to death by these old men and women.

"Xiao Ma, are you alright?" Upon seeing this, Chen Ping quickly stepped forward and helped Ma Zhihao up.

Ma Zhihao shook his head, looking terrified, and said, "These old men and women are really strong. They don't seem sick at all. They don't even need free medical consultations."

"Stop pushing, you're stepping on my shoes..."

"Who's the shameless bastard who touched my butt?"

"Please don't step on my foot anymore..."

The scene was chaotic, with elderly people desperately trying to squeeze in, afraid that they would miss out if they were even a second late.

Chen Ping frowned, looking helpless.

He reached out to help an elderly woman who almost tripped, then shouted at an old man trying to squeeze in from the side, "Sir, come in through the main entrance, don't go to the side!"

It was quite a feat to finally get everyone into the courtyard; over a hundred people crowded the courtyard to the brim.

Some people sat down on the spot with small stools, some looked around looking for the examination room, some shouted, "Where's the expert? Where's the expert?", and some had already groped their way to the other end of the corridor.

Seeing this, Chen Ping hurriedly ran to the clinic and put on his white coat.

Then he quickly walked out, raising his voice to shout, "Listen up, everyone! The experts won't arrive until eight o'clock! Line up now! Form two lines! Don't cut in line! Anyone who cuts in line will be at the very back!"

Before he could finish speaking, the middle of the group erupted in chaos.

Two elderly women suddenly started arguing over where to stand in line.

The two old ladies were hurling increasingly vile insults at each other; they could say anything imaginable.

Chen Ping listened to the two cursing and didn't know how to start speaking to them.

Soon, the two old women who were cursing each other started fighting, scratching and clawing at each other. The old men and women around them stopped queuing and all crowded around to watch the commotion, and the order in the courtyard was completely disrupted.

Chen Ping was at his wits' end. He quickly squeezed through to separate the two women, blocking one on each side, his voice filled with anxiety: "Auntie! Auntie! Don't fight! Talk to me if you have something to say. If you two are fighting, I'll ask you to leave."

Upon hearing this, the two old ladies stopped fighting, but they continued to point at each other and curse. Chen Ping stood in the middle, unsure whether to stop them or not, and his voice was almost hoarse from shouting.

After a chaotic and difficult time, Zhao Guosheng finally arrived at work. Chen Ping told Zhao Guosheng what he had done and then ran to the canteen in the backyard.

He really couldn't do this job. Dealing with these old men and women was too tiring, and no matter what he said, they seemed not to understand him.

As the dean, Zhao Guosheng was old and a local, so his words carried some weight.

Under Zhao Guosheng's arrangement, the chaotic scene gradually quieted down.

Zhao Guosheng had everyone take turns eating breakfast, and someone had to keep an eye on these elderly people at all times.

Wang Tao squatted by the corridor with his bowl, ate a couple of bites, and then ran back to keep an eye on the group, afraid that the two old ladies would start fighting again.

While eating, Li Fang looked out into the courtyard, muttering, "These old men and women are really something else. I've lived for thirty years and never seen anyone so crowded."

Chen Ping quickly ate a few bites, put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and went back to the front yard to help maintain order.