Chapter 38 (1/2)
Thirty-eight
And was it his destined part
Only one moment in his life
To be close to your heart?
–Ivan Turgenov
“h.e.l.lo.”
The nurse at the registration window glanced up from her computer.
“Um…I’m here for the, uh, check-up.” Xu Ping bent down and spoke towards the little opening.
“Which one?”
“Huh?”
“We have three plans, A, B and C. Which one do you want?”
“…what’s the difference?”
“Are you here for yourself or did your company send you?” The nurse sounded impatient.
It was an August morning, and the sun was already burning. The hospital lobby was bustling and buzzing with noise. The queues in front of the registration windows were long. The air conditioning was on, but it could not be felt because of the wide open windows and doors.
“Company.”
“Did you eat breakfast?”
“Not yet.”
“Plan B. Go up to the fourth floor after you pay.”
Blood work, urine sample, ENT, eye examination, x-ray.
The last step was a heart and lungs examination. Xu Ping walked into the room with his slip, and a nurse drew the curtains behind him.
Xu Ping took off his s.h.i.+rt. The doctor listened to a few spots on his back with the stethoscope.
“You name is Xu Ping?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, hey. It’s your birthday today.”
Xu Ping smiled as his agreement.
The doctor replaced the stethoscope around her neck. “Your heart and lungs seem fine.” She eyed Xu Ping’s torso. “You’re just too skinny.”
Xu Ping looked down as he b.u.t.toned his s.h.i.+rt. “…Work.”
The doctor added a few more scribbles on the slip and stuck on a barcode sticker.
“Work-related stress is a problem for everybody now. Overtime everyday. A lot of young ones die from over-exhaustion. Sure, it’s nice to have money and wealth when you’re alive, but nothing is more important than health. Don’t you agree?”
Xu Ping looked at the slip, front and back.
“You should tell that to the bosses. How could we worker say no when they ask us to work OT?”
The doctor laughed.
“Work is for your boss, but the body is yours. Even if it’s not for you, you should take care of it for your family.”
Xu Ping paused and then smilingly nodded.
“All my exams have been done. What’s this slip for?”
“Take it to the front desk. The nurse will give you a receipt. Come next week with the receipt to get your results.”
The news of He Zhi’s promotion and his marriage to Chief Wei’s daughter broke within a few days, making this nameless officer the new star of the town. Overnight, he made many new friends, many of which he had never met before but who welcomed him as though they were old friends. All of a sudden, his schedule was full of various engagements, gourmet meals, expensive wine and beautiful women.
He Zhi remembered very well that he visited a big company in the city with the then-Captain w.a.n.g for an investigation after his recent transfer to the criminal investigation division. He was young then, ambitious and full of naive courage. Mr. Liu welcomed them into his luxurious office. He shook hands with Captain w.a.n.g, all smiles. Thinking he would be next, He Zhi held out his own hand, but the businessman turned to talk to Captain w.a.n.g as though he had not seen it.
The captain made a gesture for him to wait outside with the secretary. The moment the doors shut, he heard the captain say, “He’s new. Doesn’t know the rules yet.” He Zhi’s face immediately flushed red.
And it was the same Mr. Liu who approached He Zhi to clink gla.s.ses at a social gathering that his brother-in-law brought him to, and who told He Zhi at the end of the meal that they should meet more often in the future.
The whole world changed. Except maybe Xu Ping.
He Zhi was about to leave when Wei Ying called. It was Xu Ping’s birthday, and the two of them promised to eat lunch.
Wei Ying asked him some trivial questions on the phone. There were always lots of things to deal with when it came to weddings.
He Zhi listened on mindlessly. From their first meeting to the decision to marry, they had only been on seven dates. In between, He Zhi left for four months for the case in Fujian. He had a careless att.i.tude towards the marriage to begin with. Wei Ying was younger than he was. She had a powerful father. She even studied abroad in England. Although she had average looks, there was a whole lineup of suitors for her. He didn’t dislike her, but he didn’t want to suck up to her, either. He was a man, and deep down inside he didn’t want to hurt a woman’s self-esteem, so he wanted to wait for Wei Ying to end this engagement herself. This was one reason he signed up for the Fujian mission. But to this day, the two were going to get married, and he still could not figure the woman out.
“Are you listening, He Zhi?”
“…yeah, go on.”
“Do you have any plans for lunch? I’m close by your office. How about we get lunch together?”
“I have plans with a friend.”
A second of silence. Wei Ying gave a soft laugh. “That’s fine. We can go another day.”
She didn’t sound upset at all.