It’s one thing to be sick, but another to be broke. Ai.

Du Heng quietly sighed. "So where have you been all this time?"

The man looked up at Du Heng for a moment, then lowered his head again. "For the first few days, I didn’t dare go anywhere. I just secretly stayed in the hospital to watch my child. When the child got a bit better, I went out to collect bottles and cardboard. Whenever I had a little free time, I’d come to see my child."

Saying this, the man reached into his pocket and took out several rolls of money, bundled with rubber bands and pieces of string.

The man placed the money on the table and looked at Du Heng. "President Du, this is the money I’ve saved from collecting bottles during this time. I know it’s not enough to cover the medical expenses, but don’t worry, I’ll definitely pay it back."

Du Heng looked at the small bills and coins, all neatly organized. An indescribable discomfort welled up in his heart, leaving him momentarily speechless.

After composing himself for a good while, he finally asked, "How did you manage food and accommodation for yourself during this time?"

The man suddenly smiled; it was the first time Du Heng had seen him smile since entering the duty room. "The weather in Jinzhou is pretty good; the evenings aren’t cold. I could just find any place to make do for the night. During the rainy days? The small pavilions on Binhe Road, the ATM booth—there was always somewhere to sleep. As for food... I’d spend one yuan on two bread buns, and that would fill me up."

When the man finished speaking, the duty room grew even quieter. Everyone’s gaze unconsciously drifted towards the child’s still-smiling face.

What did they want to see? No, they just wanted to look at the child; there was no other meaning.

Du Heng also sighed softly, swallowing all the words he wanted to say. He then reached out, gently pushed the money on the table back toward the man, and said softly, "Take this money back. Use it to buy food for the child. The child is still very weak and in the recovery phase. Nutrition is crucial and must be kept up."

The man hesitated for a moment but quickly recovered. "President Du, this a few hundred yuan isn’t much, and it’s definitely far from covering the child’s expenses. But that’s a separate matter. Before, I was desperate with no way out. Now that the child is saved, I must pay this money. Don’t worry, I know how to weld, and I’m still young. Once I get home and settle the child, I can go out and earn money."

Du Heng shook his head gently. "You don’t need to worry about the child’s medical expenses. The hospital and the government have already covered them. You just focus on taking good care of the child."

Du Heng’s tone became a little firmer. Just then, the duty room door was pushed open, and two police officers entered. Du Heng glanced at them and said to the man, "The child’s condition has only stabilized; he hasn’t fully recovered yet. After you go back, you must pay close attention to the child’s diet. Absolutely no raw and cold food, or anything cooling in nature."

As he spoke, he reached into his own pocket, took out all the cash he had, and placed it directly into the man’s hand. "It’s not much money, but take it and buy something for the child. No matter who suffers, the child cannot."

Seeing the man was about to refuse, Du Heng firmly pressed down his hand. "Don’t push it back and forth. Just take good care of the child. You have to live up to the efforts our doctors and nurses have made. Alright, go talk with the police officers. And have a good discussion with the staff from the welfare institution and Civil Affairs."

After saying that, he asked Kang Zhirong, who was beside him, for a pen and paper, wrote down his phone number, and placed it in front of the man. "Call me if anything comes up. My phone is on twenty-four hours a day."

With that said, he turned and walked out of the duty room, no longer paying attention to the situation inside.

He had just stepped outside, not yet having a chance to compose himself, when he received a call from Li Jianwei. Du Heng then had no choice but to drive off again.

This time, Du Heng didn’t go to Provincial First Hospital; instead, he went straight to the school.

By the time he finished with matters at the school, it was almost the end of the workday.

Li Jianwei looked cheerfully at Du Heng. "Your classes for this term have been arranged, and all necessary discussions have taken place. The school also made you a promise, so you can’t be as lax as you were last term."

Du Heng sighed. "Teacher, I’m actually starting to regret this."

"Regret what?"

"Being a teacher. Why did I listen to you and take on such a task?" Du Heng said dejectedly. "I’m already so busy every day, and now I have to carve out two afternoons a week to come teach. This is going to be the death of me!"

Li Jianwei glared at Du Heng, annoyed. "What’s there to be so tired about? You’re still young. If you don’t push yourself a bit now, are you going to wait until you’re my age? Muddle through for a couple of years. By the time you complete your Ph.D., you’ll have accumulated enough experience. Combined with the advantage from your two projects, we’ll take a shortcut and get you that associate professorship."

Du Heng was just venting; he didn’t actually mind being a teacher.

After more than a year, he had come to understand that to disseminate the knowledge he had unexpectedly acquired, the best and most convenient path was to become a teacher.

When these students were just beginning to encounter and study traditional Chinese medicine, he could instill in them a correct understanding of it from the outset.