Chapter 599: Returning Home: Plans and Memories

Director Zhu is the captain steering Tuyu Hospital forward. He’s committed and driven, not only with his far-reaching vision but also the boldness to push daring reforms. If he hadn’t been unfairly implicated a couple years ago by troubles with the head of security and other hospital executives, he probably would’ve been promoted long ago.

Although he managed to keep his position as director, he also missed out on his last chance to move up in his career.

Now that he’s reached the required retirement age, he’ll end his professional journey as director.

Every new emperor brings his own followers—an old saying that rings true even in hospitals.

If a new director takes office, no one knows where Tuyu Hospital might end up.

“Oh right, one more thing. Our Emergency Department is planning to appoint two deputy chiefs to meet growing needs. Both Director Han and Dr. Xu believe you’re perfect for the position, and I personally agree. Now, I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

The fact that Director Lou was bringing this up now—offering Zhou Can the deputy chief role—made it pretty obvious he wanted Zhou Can tied even more closely to the department.

It was a way to bind Zhou Can’s interests with the Emergency Department for good.

With Zhou Can’s abilities, countless opportunities were open to him right now.

He could basically join any of the top departments without breaking a sweat.

Plus, Zhou Can had made impressive progress in multiple fields—no matter if it’s Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, or General Surgery, he excelled in them all.

That kind of advantage set him apart from even the best doctors.

People with lots of choices aren’t always motivated to give their all to one place.

It’s like Lü Bu in the Three Kingdoms—so powerful that if one lord treats him badly, he just switches to a new one.

“Thank you, Director Han, and Dr. Xu, for placing your trust in me. The thing is, I’m already swamped with work, and I’m afraid I just don’t have the time to help manage more things in the department, which could end up delaying your big plans and let down all your expectations.”

In other words, Zhou Can was politely suggesting Director Lou pick someone else.

“Zhou, being deputy chief has no hidden agenda, no strings attached. You don’t have to worry—Director Han, Dr. Xu, and I all hope you’ll one day lead the Emergency Department to greatness. Sure, the job comes with more tasks and hassling paperwork, but it’ll do wonders for your leadership skills and hands-on experience in running a team.”

Director Lou always spoke to Zhou Can with frank honesty.

He was direct by nature—a straight-shooter who never beat around the bush.

“If you ever aim to become a hospital director, there’s no getting around this step. Every director, unless parachuted in, started from the bottom—usually as deputy chief, then chief or admin, all the way up. You can check the histories yourself. Those homegrown leaders all rose through the ranks exactly like that.”

“You’re in a technical track, which actually gives you a leg up compared to pure admin roles, but there’s a catch. People who focus on skills often get so buried in research, they struggle with broader management. So, any key leadership selection always requires some management experience if you’re from a technical background.”

Secrets about how important roles are chosen in a hospital are almost impossible to figure out on your own.

Plenty of senior experts and professors rack up titles all the way to retirement but never get high positions, simply because they’re better suited to research, clinical work, and teaching than leading teams.

“Alright then! Since you put it that way, I won’t act coy. I’ll give it my best and serve as deputy chief.”

After Director Lou’s thoughtful explanation, Zhou Can readily changed his mind and accepted the offer.

If people didn’t carry heavy responsibilities, who would bet their life on tomorrow?

Zhou Can wanted to make a name for himself in medicine—a goal that takes real effort and persistence.

Dr. Xu was living proof of that.

Even with dazzling achievements, a single medical mishap plunged him straight into disaster.

Zhou Can’s ambitions went way beyond personal success—he wanted to raise the country’s medical standards and narrow the gap with developed nations.

Just treating patients and researching medicine isn’t enough for those dreams.

……

Leaving Director Lou’s office, Zhou Can called Director Xueyan and Dr. Tang Fei to let them know about his leave. Then he spoke with Dr. Xu and entrusted his cases.

Handing off his patients properly was crucial—he needed to explain the treatment plans in detail.

When the work was wrapped up, he finally got a rare early shift.

He went home and took Su Qianqian out shopping. For the visit to her family, he couldn’t show up empty-handed—gifts were a must.

Su Qianqian was thrilled when she heard Zhou Can had managed to get time off and could go home with her the next day.

Throughout the shopping trip, her smile never faded.

Back at home, the two of them cooked dinner together—a rare chance to enjoy a cozy meal with one another.

“Wei Fang, how’s your grandma doing these days?”

“Thank you, Boss, and Madam, for looking after me all these years. Thanks to you, I’ve got my own home in the city and can give grandma a comfortable life. She’s still quite robust.”

Usually, Wei Fang wasn’t much of a talker.

But this time, she actually said a heartfelt thank you to Zhou Can and Su Qianqian.

It was true—Zhou Can and Su Qianqian had changed her fate. She went from a girl struggling in the deep mountains to someone who blended into city life, planted her roots in the metropolis, and found steady work and income.

Her apartment wasn’t huge, just two bedrooms and a living room at a little over seventy square meters.

For her and her grandma, it was more than enough.

Most of the time, though, she actually lived at the boss’s house.

When she was buying the place, Zhou Can and Su Qianqian offered to give her an apartment as a gift, but she stubbornly refused. She’d saved up from her salary over these years for the down payment and bought it herself.

“We’re heading back to Qian Qian’s family for a few days. Maybe two, three at most. Can you come along with us?”

“Of course! I’ll let grandma know in a minute—she can take care of herself just fine.”

Wei Fang nodded right away.

“Good! Make sure your grandma’s got everything she needs.” Zhou Can glanced at her and asked, “You’ve lived in the city all these years—ever thought about finding someone special to settle down with?”

This was the kind of question Zhou Can only dared ask with Su Qianqian there.

Otherwise, their female bodyguard might misunderstand his intentions.

To be honest, Wei Fang looked pretty masculine.

Especially after her professional security training—she was the textbook definition of a tough woman.

“No, I haven’t. This way of life is fine by me.”

She shook her head without hesitation.

One look in her eyes and you could see she’d long since given up on love.

Women who’ve been hurt deeply rarely trust in romance again.

“Wei Fang, finding a partner is a good thing—you’d have someone to rely on. After marriage, you could have your own kids, create a happy, complete family. Life would be more fulfilling.”

Su Qianqian took the chance to gently urge her as well.

“Thanks for caring, Boss, Madam… But really, I’m not thinking about that right now. You two go ahead—I’ll go get grandma everything she’ll need for the next few days.”

Afraid they’d press the issue, Wei Fang used the excuse to slip out quickly.

Watching her hurry away, Zhou Can and Su Qianqian exchanged a knowing look and both laughed.

“Let’s not bring up that stuff at dinner next time. Now she’s so flustered she can’t even eat.”

Su Qianqian said to Zhou Can.

“How was I supposed to know she’s that against romance? I’m just worried—she’s getting older, still single. If she doesn’t find someone while she’s young, she could miss her chance.”

Zhou Can truly meant well.

“Wei Fang told me her story. She once trusted a scumbag who left her heartbroken. Now she just can’t trust love anymore and feels afraid and disgusted by it. Don’t rush her—when the right man comes along, she might find hope again. If you meet someone suitable, maybe you can introduce them.”

Wei Fang had confided these private matters to Su Qianqian because they were both women.

“I’ll keep an eye out, but my coworkers are all doctors and nurses, and I doubt they’d go for someone like Wei Fang. In any case, love is all about fate. I’ll also have Mr. Li keep a lookout.”

Zhou Can figured his hospital colleagues were unlikely to look for a wife like Wei Fang.

It wasn’t that Wei Fang was a bad person—she just looked and acted more like a man than most men. If anything, it would take someone truly enamored with her to fall in love.

“Let’s not talk about Wei Fang anymore. Qian Qian, do your uncle and aunt even know how you’re doing now?”

Zhou Can got down to the real topic—the upcoming proposal.

Taking three days off wasn’t easy. He wanted everything to go smoothly and get her family’s approval.

They prepared as much as possible so the visit would go off without a hitch.

“We haven’t been in touch for years. When I had that accident during the road show, then found out I had kidney failure, I called to borrow money. Uncle agreed to lend me ten thousand, but Aunt later said they needed the money to buy fertilizer and seeds, so they said no. When I called again, they just stopped answering.”

Su Qianqian still sounded a bit sad as she recalled those days.

When she was at her lowest and needed help the most, her uncle and aunt abandoned her, and it hurt deeply.

It left her with a harsh lesson on the cold side of family and the indifference of the world.

Since then, with Zhou Can’s support, she built up her career step by step and finally became a success.

But that heartbreak from before was seared into her memory, so she didn’t bother contacting them afterward.

“Well… Why don’t we keep things low-key when we visit tomorrow? Dress simply, and say we rented the car. Don’t mention your income or financial situation. Does that sound alright to you?”

Zhou Can asked for her opinion.

“Are you worried they’ll ask for something unreasonable?”

Understanding him immediately, Su Qianqian replied.

“It’s always smart to be a little cautious. Don’t be upset, okay? I just want to see how they really feel about you and make sure the proposal goes smoothly. Getting leave was hard. If we don’t succeed, it’ll be way tougher to get time off again next time.”

Zhou Can was far more mature than others his age.

Su Qianqian was kindhearted, but that didn’t mean she was naïve.

She understood human nature and the darker side of relationships just as well.

“I get it, and I’m not upset at all. You’re doing this for my sake.”

Su Qianqian agreed to Zhou Can’s plan.

The next morning, bright and early, the three of them set off with gifts in tow.

They’d heard that Su Qianqian’s hometown was deep in the mountains. No one knew what the roads would be like.

For a lot of remote areas, back in the day, the buses only went to the nearest town. After that, you’d have to take an ox-cart.

Sometimes there were rope bridges and steep mountain paths to cross, too.

In places without proper roads, getting around could feel as backward as the Stone Age.

……

After a grueling eleven-hour drive, they finally made it to Su Qianqian’s old village.

It was a tiny village nestled deep within the mountains.

Thanks to years of government investment, the paved road now reached all the way to the village entrance. The locals pooled their resources to build a cement road into the village itself.

Some houses in the village were multi-storied, and even the regular single-level homes were well renovated.

The yards were paved with cement, exterior walls covered in tiles, red glazed tiles on the rooftops, and sturdy stainless-steel doors and windows—all combining to give this remote village a surprisingly modern look.

The rice fields were full of corn and rice growing tall and strong.

Village life now seemed pretty comfortable. Still, jobs and industry were in short supply, so young people had to move elsewhere to earn a living. Mostly only the elderly were left behind.

“Qian Qian, which one’s your house?”

“A little further in. I haven’t been back in years—the place has changed so much.”

Su Qianqian lowered the window and peered out, searching for anything that might spark old memories.

“It must be that house up there. My family used to live right next to my uncle’s place, but that house is gone now.”

She pointed to a modest single-story house up ahead.

The sight of a Mercedes rolling into this poor little mountain village had already caught plenty of attention.

But with the economy booming these days and luxury cars everywhere, nothing was all that shocking anymore.

No crowd formed or anything—most folks just glanced over curiously, wondering whose kid had made it big and come home in style.

Some villagers stared openly, trying to work out who returned home with such success.

“Wei Fang, just park here. I want to take a look around.”

Su Qianqian told her.

Zhou Can got out to accompany her.

No matter how simply Su Qianqian dressed, her beauty couldn’t be hidden. The moment she stepped out, she became a stunning sight.

“Yes, this is where we used to live. It’s gone now, but I still remember the old persimmon tree behind the house. When Dad was alive, things were tough. He’d pick the persimmons before they were ripe and soak them in water for a few days. Once the bitterness was gone, they were crunchy and sweet—my favorite snack from childhood.”

She pointed to the lush, leafy persimmon tree behind the ruins.

Mentioning her childhood and memories of her father brought a different look to her eyes—full of nostalgia and longing.