CHAPTER 205: 205 SINCERE INVITATION

The restaurant Xu Pinglin had reserved was very lavish, a place Du Heng had never visited before. Looking at the floor, which was like a mirror, he felt it was not a place to eat.

After being led to their seats by the waiter, he saw Xu Pinglin. His hair was now a mix of black and white, and his complexion appeared quite good. Wearing a suit and tie, he didn’t seem bothered by the heat. When he saw Du Heng, he greeted him enthusiastically.

Next to him was a lady, dressed to the nines, looking absolutely stunning. Du Heng thought she resembled those actresses in movies, wearing evening gowns with slits at both the front and back.

Du Heng looked at his own casual wear. Although not cheap, when compared to the couple, tsk tsk, the difference was vast.

"Doctor Du, hello. This is my lover, Liu Shengnan."

"Director Liu, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person. You are even more beautiful and elegant than Director Xu described," Du Heng said with a smile, shaking Liu Shengnan’s hand.

Liu Shengnan, like Xu Pinglin, had a face full of smiles, the joy in them completely undisguised.

"Doctor Du, you’re too kind."

"Come, come, let’s sit and talk," Xu Pinglin hurriedly invited Du Heng to take a seat.

Du Heng looked at the couple again. "Director Xu, is there a special occasion? You both look so grand."

Xu Pinglin and his wife exchanged smiling glances, then both raised their glasses. However, his wife’s glass was filled with plain water. Seeing this display, Du Heng, slightly surprised, quickly picked up the wine glass before him.

"Doctor Du, this glass is a token of our sincere gratitude, from both of us." After speaking, Xu Pinglin emptied his glass in one gulp. His wife, though her glass contained water, also took a large sip.

Observing this, Du Heng had an inkling. "Director Liu, are you... expecting?"

Xu Pinglin didn’t answer directly but smiled and said, "Doctor Du, why don’t you feel my lover’s pulse?"

How happy must Xu Pinglin be, to ask for a pulse diagnosis in a Western restaurant?

Du Heng glanced at Liu Shengnan, saw her eager expression, and smiled. "No problem."

Hearing Du Heng’s agreement, Liu Shengnan naturally placed her arm on the table. Du Heng, without being modest, reached out to perform a pulse diagnosis.

"There’s no mistake, it’s indeed a joyous pulse." But then Du Heng frowned. "Director Xu, I recall telling you before May to wait a month before trying for a child, correct? From the looks of it now, it’s been over a month, hasn’t it?"

Xu Pinglin looked a bit sheepish, and Liu Shengnan’s face flushed slightly.

"We did take precautions, but somehow, it just happened. Doctor Du, is there... a problem? Can we not keep this child?"

She was already pregnant; it was too late for any discussion.Besides, Director Liu didn’t look young; she was already considered an advanced age pregnant woman. If they didn’t keep this child, waiting another half a year or a year to try again might make conception problematic.

"Director Xu, when you came to see me last time, didn’t you mention that your classmate had done a check-up and said the sperm activity was good?"

"Yes, I had my classmate check. There was definitely no problem."

Du Heng nodded and congratulated them with a smile. "Congratulations to you both. In eight months, you’ll be parents."

Then he turned to Liu Shengnan. "Director Liu, if you trust me, please come find me when you have time. I can help you regulate your body. Just now, when I performed a pulse diagnosis for you, I found your body is a little weak, and you have a kidney water insufficiency. Of course, you also need to pay attention to rest."

Before Liu Shengnan could respond, Xu Pinglin readily agreed. "We invited you today, firstly, to thank you, and secondly, to trouble you to help take care of my lover."

Afterward, they chatted about lighter topics. However, halfway through the meal, Xu Pinglin asked, seemingly casually, "Doctor Du, are you interested in a job at Provincial First Hospital?"

It was Du Heng’s first time eating Western food, and he was not used to using a knife and fork. To put it bluntly, he simply didn’t know how to use them. He was currently eating pasta with chopsticks. But it tasted just average to him.For his palate, a bowl of fried sauce noodles would have been more satisfying.

Hearing Xu Pinglin’s words, he paused.

Back in March and April, he had desperately longed for a transfer to a big hospital. But now, actually hearing such an invitation, his heart remained completely unmoved.To put it somewhat sentimentally, after hearing this, images of the Health Clinic staff, the inpatients, and the people from the villages suddenly flashed through his mind.

Du Heng gave a slight smile, and his paused chopsticks began to move again. "The Health Clinic is quite good. I don’t want to move."

Xu Pinglin smiled casually. Just as he had thought, the current Du Heng wouldn’t agree.

However, this time he became serious. "Doctor Du, do you know Deputy Director Li Jianwei?"

"Yes, he was a Professor at my undergraduate school. We just met last week. Why?"

"Director Li knows we have a decent relationship, so he wanted me to ask you: how about working one day a week at the Chinese Medicine Department of Provincial First Hospital?"

Du Heng was stunned again.

Work a shift? What did that mean? And for a doctor from a Health Clinic like him to go work a shift at Provincial First Hospital? This was utterly preposterous!

Xu Pinglin also saw Du Heng’s astonished look. In fact, when Li Jianwei first mentioned it, his own surprise had been even greater than Du Heng’s.But then, considering Du Heng’s skill level, he understood.

"Director Zhang of the Chinese Medicine Department has confirmed his retirement. After Director Li participates in the chief doctor promotion at the end of July, he will take over as the head of the Chinese Medicine Department."

Xu Pinglin paused for a moment. "His idea is for you to spare one day a week. You would work half a day at the outpatient service in the morning and then help guide his graduate students in the afternoon. And since you’re also about to be promoted to Deputy Director, he plans to hire you at the pay grade of a group director. By the way, he also said that if you’re willing, he can get you an assistant lecturer position at the school."

At this, not only did Du Heng’s eyes widen, but even Liu Shengnan, who had been eating quietly beside him, stopped her chopsticks.

Du Heng’s mouth fell slightly open. After a long moment, he muttered, "Isn’t this... not quite appropriate?"

Xu Pinglin, very satisfied with their surprised expressions, said, "Director Li told me this himself, asking me to gauge your interest. If you agree, he’ll talk to you privately."

The sincerity was overwhelming, so much so that Du Heng didn’t know how to refuse.

Doctors from lower-level hospitals who go to higher-level hospitals usually either have to start over after transferring or act as mere lackeys during further training. When had anyone ever heard of being hired to work just one day a week and also supervise graduate students?

One had to understand, those graduate students could all essentially be considered resident doctors at Provincial First Hospital.Never mind that Du Heng was currently just an attending physician; in the eyes of these people, they might not even give a second glance to a Deputy Director from a grassroots-level clinic.Moreover, when a major hospital like Provincial First engaged in external employment, they hired Directors or Deputy Directors from other hospitals of the same tier. When had it ever been the turn of someone from a Health Clinic?