"Would you like some orange slices? There's also some Ambrosial yogurt..."
Li Liping was flustered, and a sense of shame made her feel uneasy, as if she had done something wrong. To cover it up, she couldn't help but stand and get Wang Jian something to drink.
"These were gifts from relatives. I just opened them. Here, have some." Without giving Wang Jian a chance to refuse, she pushed the items into his hands.
"This... you're too kind. I just came to ask about something." Wang Jian forced a smile, feeling awkward himself. He decided to change the subject, asking, "How did you and Zhang Li meet? I heard it was while you were working."
Li Liping smiled. "You must have heard that from them. That's more or less how it happened."
Now that the ice was broken, the atmosphere in the hall improved considerably.
Wang Jian's interest was piqued. "So, who pursued whom?"
"We were introduced by friends at the factory; there was no real pursuit," Li Liping said faintly, lost in recollection. "You know how it is. The factory is full of people from the same hometowns who stick together. We weren't in the same workshop, nor were we from the same place, so meeting on our own would have been pure luck. Later, the factory held some inter-workshop socials, and that's how we got acquainted. After that, things just progressed naturally."
She glanced at Wang Jian. "I'm sure it was nothing like how you university students date."
"That's where you're wrong," Wang Jian said, shaking his head. "There are plenty of single people at university. Those in relationships are the minority. Not to mention, I was studying medicine, so all my time was spent on books and clinicals. All the girls were in other departments."
Li Liping covered her mouth and laughed. "Hahaha, are you saying you've never been in a relationship?"
"Not exactly," Wang Jian admitted openly. "The one relationship I had barely counted as one. We never even held hands before we went to different hospitals for our internships. Her family was full of doctors, so she went to a big hospital, and then we broke up."
Wang Jian didn't elaborate further; his situation was rather obvious whether he said more or not.
Li Liping smiled. "I wouldn't have guessed you're a man with a story. Does that mean you were heartbroken?"
"Heartbroken? Nonsense," Wang Jian scoffed. This woman could be surprisingly tactless. He changed the topic again. "Why aren't Zhang Li and the others back yet?"
Li Liping tutted. "Knowing Zhang Li, he's probably glued to a card game at the village entrance. He and the old man are cut from the same cloth. Ever since he came home, that's all he enjoys... playing cards. You can't drag him away."
"Pah! Woman, are you badmouthing me again? Are you looking for trouble?"
Just as Li Liping finished speaking, a noise came from the courtyard. Zhang Li had returned, though he hadn't managed to bring Uncle Zhang with him. He had walked in just in time to hear the discussion about his card-playing and immediately started bantering.
As he entered the room, however, his expression was still amused. It was just as Wang Jian had guessed: this kind of exchange had become a form of entertainment for Zhang Li and Li Liping.
Sure enough, hearing Zhang Li's words, Li Liping laughed and retorted, "You stinky man, was I wrong? You can do it, but you can't stand to hear me talk about it?"
"Hey, you..." Zhang Li glared and feigned a motion to strike her.
Li Liping stood up defiantly. "What? You're going to hit me?" She pointed to her own backside. "Go on. Hit me right here."
"This... A real man doesn't argue with a woman." At a loss for whether to strike or scold her, Zhang Li said, exasperated, "Can't you at least save me some face in front of my brother?"
They glared at each other for a moment before dropping the argument.
By now, Zhang Li had sat down on the sofa in the main hall and pulled Wang Jian over to talk. "Sorry you had to see that. My dad is still playing cards. He just sat down at the table, so he won't be back for a while."
"That's fine. I can talk to you first," Wang Jian nodded. "You probably know I came home this time to open a clinic in our village. For so many years, we haven't had a proper place to see a doctor. In the past, whenever someone got sick, they had to ride a motorcycle or find someone with a car to rush them to town or the city. If it was a minor illness, a delay didn't matter. But for something serious that couldn't wait, things could easily go wrong on the road. That's what led to my grandmother's accident. So..."
"I'm looking for a place in the village to convert into a clinic. Uncle Zhang has been in business for years and must have connections, so I originally wanted to ask for his advice. But you've been living in the village all these years, so asking you is just as good. Do you know of any suitable spots?"
Zhang Li already had an idea. "That's not difficult. Our village is small. If you want the clinic to earn you enough to live on, you can't just serve our village alone. You'll need to cover the surrounding villages too. I think once the main road is repaired, the area near Red Star Bridge would be perfect."
Hearing "Red Star Bridge," Wang Jian's heart leaped as he pictured the map in his mind. There were ten villages scattered throughout these mountains, all connected by a single mountain road. Even the new paved highway connected all ten villages on its way to town. Red Star Bridge was located right at the center of these ten villages, next to the new road. It was essentially the transportation hub of the mountain range—a "vital strategic point," as they would have called it in wartime.
"I know Red Star Bridge." Wang Jian was already sold on the idea, but a problem immediately came to mind. "The location is excellent, but if I remember correctly, there are already two supermarkets there. They've been around for over a decade. Is there any space left for a clinic?"
"Hah, if there wasn't any space, do you think I would have mentioned it?" Zhang Li explained, "You've been away for years, so you wouldn't know. The son of Fu Gui, the man who owns one of the supermarkets, has made it big. He's taking his family to live with him overseas. Since they're leaving the country, the supermarket obviously won't stay open. They've been hesitating for months about whether to sell it, which is why it's dragged on until now. But I handle their stock deliveries, so I know the situation well. They can't keep putting it off forever. They'll have to leave sooner or later."
"I see..." Realization dawned on Wang Jian, and he smiled. "Then that brings another problem. Fu Gui has made a lot of money over the years. If he decides to sell that supermarket, the price is probably going to be steep."
"Definitely," Zhang Li nodded. "Just look at how good his business is. Anyone in these mountains who needs to buy something goes to one of his two stores, right?"
He continued, "I know what you're hesitating about. You've spent all these years away studying medicine, so you can't have much money. Your family went into a lot of debt to put you through school, and I imagine most of what you've earned went toward paying that back."
Wang Jian gave a wry smile. Zhang Li really did know a lot.
"My dad practically watched you grow up. Part of your tuition money was borrowed from him, so how could I not know?" Zhang Li said. "But you don't need to worry about the Red Star Bridge supermarket. Since I brought it up, I've obviously already considered your situation."
Hearing this, Wang Jian was stunned.
"My situation?" He shook his head. "You don't understand what it's like being a doctor out there. I spent most of my time as an intern, earning nothing. Even when I became a resident and got a salary, it was pitifully low. I didn't have many expenses and managed to save some money, but..." Wang Jian finished with a bitter smile, "I doubt it's enough to buy the supermarket and convert it into a clinic."
Zhang Li looked at him curiously. "Is being a doctor really that tough? The doctors in our city seem to live quite comfortably. I thought you'd be even better off in a big city..."
"The top professors and the big-shot surgeons certainly make a lot of money," Wang Jian explained. "No doctor dares to take 'red envelopes' anymore. So, to make money, you either rely on your rank and skill for a high salary, or you use your skills to do freelance surgeries, which we call 'flying daggers.' Some of the top experts also get bonuses for publishing academic papers. As for me, I really can't compare."
Listening to this, Zhang Li was suddenly reminded of something. "Do you remember what my dad said to you when you came back?"
"If you consider me a brother, you have to help me this time. As for that clinic business, I'll definitely help you out."
"This..."
Hearing those words, Wang Jian instinctively glanced at Li Liping. This couple was really something else, daring to speak so openly. The comment was enough to make even Li Liping blush.