Chapter 42: A Raise

Fang Zhiyan paused upon hearing this.

So, they were trying to poach him right out from under his own feet?

It was a pity; if he hadn’t already found a job, he would have certainly prioritized the People’s Hospital. But as things stood, he was doing well at the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Hospital and had no intention of jumping ship. After all, it was the People’s Hospital that hadn't wanted him in the first place.

With that thought, Fang Zhiyan declined, "I’m sorry, I’m not considering a job change at the moment. Thank you."

"Dr. Fang, are you sure you won't reconsider?" the caller persisted. "Our hospital offers better development prospects and a higher salary than the TCM Hospital."

"No, thank you." Fang Zhiyan hung up without hesitation and went back to his book.

The TCM Hospital had given him a stable job, and Director He Dongfang had treated him so well; there was no reason for him to leave. Fang Zhiyan had no intention of going anywhere.

However, his phone began to ring incessantly. They were all calls from people trying to poach him. Before long, Fang Zhiyan began to find the interruptions rather tiresome.

Just as he was about to hang up on another call, there was a knock at the door.

"Excuse me, is Dr. Fang in?"

Fang Zhiyan looked up. "Who is it? Please, come in."

A young woman walked in shortly after.

"Hello, Dr. Fang. I am Song Xuan, the deputy director of our hospital’s Human Resources Department."

"Oh? Director Song." Hearing her position, a hint of surprise appeared in Fang Zhiyan’s eyes. He stood up quickly and invited her to sit.

Song Xuan waved her hand, a faint smile on her face. "No need for such formalities. I originally wanted to call you, but your line has been constantly busy. I couldn't get through, so I had to come over in person."

Fang Zhiyan glanced at his phone. He had been so busy fielding calls from other hospitals offering him olive branches that he hadn't noticed her attempts to reach him. As he looked, the phone rang again. He silenced it and turned to Song Xuan with a smile.

"May I ask what brings you here, Director Song?"

"Rest assured, it’s good news," Song Xuan said with a smile. "According to a notice from the hospital administration, we have decided to adjust your salary. You were originally an intern, but we are now paying you at the rate of a resident physician. Two thousand yuan a month. How does that sound?"

"Two thousand?" Fang Zhiyan was taken aback.

Generally speaking, interns like him didn't receive a salary, only a small stipend—usually just a few hundred yuan. In this era, an average resident physician earned only one or two thousand yuan, and some attending physicians made barely more than that. The fact that the hospital was bumping his salary to two thousand directly was significant.

It seemed the administration had caught wind of the poaching attempts and decided to act. Regardless of the motive, it was a good thing for him.

Fang Zhiyan smiled warmly. "Really? I am very grateful for the trust and support of the leadership. And thank you, Director Song, for taking the time to come and share this good news with me personally."

Song Xuan nodded, equally cordial. "Then we look forward to Dr. Fang continuing to demonstrate your full potential in your work."

After a few brief pleasantries, Song Xuan took her leave. The news she brought was timely; his biggest headache right now was a lack of money. In the early 2000s, two thousand yuan was a very substantial salary.

By the time he finished his shift that evening, he saw that the salary had already been deposited. Two thousand yuan would make life much easier for his family for the time being.

Just as Fang Zhiyan was preparing to head home, his mother, Jiang Xu, called.

"Zhiyan, that young lady your Aunt Zhang introduced has been arranged. You two are meeting tonight."

"So soon?" Fang Zhiyan was surprised.

"Meet early; if there's a spark, you can talk, and if not, that’s fine. I’ve scheduled it at that small restaurant across from your hospital. She’ll be there at 5:30. The girl’s name is Zhang Sitian; she wears her hair in a braid. Go straight there after work."

Jiang Xu spoke so quickly that she didn't seem to give him a chance to object. Fang Zhiyan sighed and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. The future was better—people didn't start pushing for marriage until you were twenty-eight or twenty-nine. In this day and age, they were already at it by twenty-five.

Since the meeting was set, it would be rude not to go. He decided to treat her to a meal and then politely decline.

He arrived at the small restaurant soon after. It was 5:30, and in a corner seat sat a quiet young woman. She had her hair in a braid and an oval face. Though her complexion wasn't as fair as Xu Qiushuang’s, she had a rustic, kind-hearted air about her, and with her large, dark eyes, she was quite a pretty girl.

Fang Zhiyan walked over and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, are you Zhang Sitian?"

"Are you Fang Zhiyan?" The girl looked up, surprised. Fang Zhiyan was quite handsome, and Zhang Sitian took a liking to him at first glance.

Once he sat down, they began to order. During the meal, Fang Zhiyan kept observing Zhang Sitian—not because he was interested, but because she kept coughing.

Noticing his gaze, Zhang Sitian felt a bit embarrassed. She covered her mouth, coughed softly, and apologized, "I am so sorry. I caught a chill from the wind a few days ago and seem to have caught a cold. It hasn't gotten better, and now I’ve come to meet you like this."

Hearing this, Fang Zhiyan smiled. "You should go to the hospital and have it checked out."

Zhang Sitian’s face paled slightly, and she shook her head nervously. "I can't. I... I'm afraid of injections, so I'll just skip it. It will go away on its own after a while."

Fang Zhiyan paused, then said, "I am a doctor. If you don't mind, could you let me see your tongue?"

Zhang Sitian’s face turned bright red. After hesitating for a long moment, she opened her mouth.

Fang Zhiyan took a quick look, and a smile appeared on his face. "It's fine. You don't need an injection. Your dry cough, the dryness in your throat, and the red tip of your tongue indicate a cough caused by 'dry fire.' You can go to a TCM pharmacy and buy three *qian* each of mulberry leaves, apricot kernels, lozenge leaves (de-furred), dwarf lilyturf, and northern glehnia root. Boil them in water and drink the decoction, split between morning and afternoon. You will see results within a day."

Zhang Sitian’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked at Fang Zhiyan with undisguised admiration. "This will cure it? Without an injection?"

"Of course."

Fang Zhiyan pulled a piece of paper from the side, wrote down the prescription, and handed it to her. "Go buy these; it will work within a day."

"You’re amazing!" Zhang Sitian took the prescription, looking excited. "I didn't expect a doctor to be so different. I’ll be well taken care of in the future. Dr. Fang, I’m quite pleased with you. What do you think of me? Should we try seeing each other?"