What does Du Ping mean by settling accounts?

Of course, it means giving the money he has earned to his brother.

In his mind, the shop is up and running because of the money Du Heng put in for the capital, renovation, inventory, and other expenses. As for him and his wife, they just took on the responsibility.

Therefore, he always believed that the shop belonged to Du Heng, and they were merely shopkeepers who looked after the shop for their brother.

Moreover, the most crucial point is that Du Heng is now married and can’t mingle in the same way as before. Even as brothers, they have to keep clear accounts, as he now has his own family to take care of.

Du Heng was a bit speechless about his elder brother’s persistence. "Brother, I’ve told you a long time ago that this shop is yours. From the day you took over, whether it makes a profit or a loss, it has nothing to do with me."

Du Heng didn’t move a muscle when Du Ping pushed things across the table. He just sat on the sofa with his hands tucked in.

Du Ping said lightly, "You listen to me, take the money. Your sister-in-law and I are also paid salaries from the store. As you heard when we were calculating earlier, we each earn over six thousand. That’s not bad."

Du Heng, getting impatient, stood up. "Stop refusing, just take it. Brother, let me put it bluntly: my monthly subsidy and salary are more than this amount, so I don’t even care for it." He turned to leave after speaking.

From the side, Du Xueting, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly said slyly, "Dad, Uncle, why don’t you give it to me? When I go back to school, I can help my uncle rent a place in the Capital. By then, I can rent a bigger place, find a room for myself, and spend weekends with Auntie. Besides, I can take care of my little brother and get a free meal."

Du Ping showed impatience towards his daughter’s words, waved her off, and told her to get lost. Du Xueting huffed, stomped her foot, and went next door to find Wu Shengnan.

At this time, Wu Shengnan and his sister-in-law Zhang Sumei were busy in the neighboring yard. The yard hadn’t been occupied in a year, so it lacked a lively atmosphere and felt too cold and desolate. As a result, they decided to cook and prepare all the dishes for the New Year’s celebration at Du Heng’s place to make it lively and full of human touch.

Seeing Du Xueting leave in a huff, Du Heng slowly walked towards his own yard with his hands behind his back, not bothering with his elder brother or the stack of stuff on the table.

However, just as he reached the doorway, he bumped into Liang Lihai. With no choice, Du Heng had to go back and entertain Liang Lihai.

After Liang Lihai entered the house, although he chatted about many things, Du Heng knew what Liang Lihai intended to do just by looking at the items in his hand.

So after chatting for a while and seeing Liang Lihai was too embarrassed to speak his mind, Du Heng took the initiative and asked, "I see you’re holding some medical films. Are you feeling unwell?"

Once Du Heng broached the subject, Liang Lihai visibly relaxed and pushed the films towards Du Heng. "A few days ago, my back started hurting terribly, so I went to the hospital for a check-up. The doctor said I needed surgery."

Liang Lihai laughed sheepishly. "The New Year is almost here, and if I have the surgery, I’ll have to stay in the hospital and won’t be able to move around easily. So I thought I’d let you have a look and prescribe some Chinese herbal medicine to help regulate things."

Without hesitation, Du Heng took the films and said cheerfully, "You know which hospital I work at; you could have come to find me directly. You waited until now; it seems like you’re not in too much pain."

After cracking a joke, Du Heng glanced at the films and said to Liang Lihai, "Is this lumbar slipping?"

Liang Lihai nodded immediately. "Yes, that’s what the doctor who saw me said."

Du Heng said, "Oh. Was it done at the Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital?"

"Yes, yes, the doctor’s surname is Jin. Do you know him?"

Du Heng looked up, a little surprised, and suddenly felt the world was very small. "A bald-headed doctor who looks very fierce?"

"Yes, that’s him." Liang Lihai smiled. "The first time I met him, he scared me. He looked like a gangster."

Du Heng burst into laughter. "He’s my classmate, very skilled. If he’s performing the surgery, you can rest assured. When you decide to go, let me know, and I’ll give him a heads-up."

Patients always hope to have some kind of connection with the doctors treating them, especially surgeons. A word from an acquaintance is like a reassurance pill.

Although Du Heng knew that after he put in a word, Jin Zan would at most greet the patient with an extra smile and chat a bit more; other than that, it was of no real use. After all, whether a heads-up was given or not, the doctors would still perform the surgery as they should. They wouldn’t make fewer incisions than necessary or use more surgical pins just because an acquaintance had spoken for the patient, nor would they do the opposite if no one had.

But patients like it. As long as their attending physician is a little more enthusiastic, they become happy and reassured. When their mood improves, their cooperation increases, and they are more willing to trust the doctor, which is also conducive to recovery.

Thus, Du Heng proactively offered to give a heads-up.

However, it was apparent that this wasn’t Liang Lihai’s main goal. He didn’t show much excitement at Du Heng’s offer and cautiously asked, "About that... I don’t want surgery. Can you prescribe me some Chinese herbal medicine instead?"