This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Du Heng stared at the pale blue-faced baby before him, completely baffled.

He could only scratch his own face, first the left side, then the right, then his chin.

The baby, in turn, regarded the man with curiosity. His large eyes were bright and alert, making him seem particularly clever. Moreover, the little fellow was incredibly active, constantly stretching his tiny arms and legs, letting out occasional coos and gurgles.

With his adorably chubby cheeks, he looked both mischievous and cute.

It was just that his entire face, his neck, and even his ears were all a vivid blue.

It reminded him of that cartoon, The Smurfs: "Over the mountains and across the sea, live the Smurfs, so happy and free! They're lively and clever, they're naughty and quick..."

Could this child have escaped from that band of Smurfs?

The thought suddenly popped into Du Heng's mind as he looked at the baby.

He almost laughed, but then he saw the baby's grandmother sitting opposite him, utterly distraught, and Du Heng managed to restrain himself.

The child seemed normal.

His pulse was normal, heartbeat normal, breathing normal. His light reflexes, hearing response, and touch response were all normal. Even his body temperature was normal.

This was, by all accounts, a perfectly normal and healthy child.

Du Heng was no longer worried or anxious, just completely baffled.

All his pediatric and internal medicine knowledge offered no explanation for the child's condition.

Could it be an extremely rare disease?

Helplessly rubbing his hands, Du Heng asked, "Zhenzhen, where is Dr. Zhang Jinlian?"

Wang Zhenzhen didn't understand medicine, but she watched the cute baby with curiosity, cooing at him now and then. "She took leave when she got off duty at noon and hasn't come in this afternoon."

Du Heng was slightly dazed. Am I not the acting Dean? How did I not know she took leave? Who approved it?

Wang Zhenzhen glanced back at Du Heng, then turned to coo at the baby again.

Zhang Jinlian's habit of taking leave like this was a relic from Li Qingde's tenure. She'd simply inform Wang Zhenzhen she was leaving, and whether Wang agreed or not was irrelevant. As long as Zhang Jinlian had said it, she considered it approved.

"She mentioned it to me," Wang Zhenzhen said, "but I was swamped with reports and didn't get a chance to tell you."

"Oh, well, alright then."

Du Heng felt a headache coming on. This "large" Health Clinic had five authorized doctor positions. One was vacant due to Li Qingde's transfer, and the other four were filled. Yet, the only doctors who actually showed up for work were himself and Wu Buwei.

There was Zhang Jinlian, who came and went as she pleased. Her attitude was poor, her character questionable, and her skills subpar.

Then there was Old Li. He had been on sick leave since before the Lunar New Year—more than half a year now. He was just waiting to retire in early June and didn't even bother coming to the Health Clinic anymore.

Oh, right, and the intern, Ma Zichen. He'd supposedly been on duty for four days. He kept calling to say he'd be there "right away," but he never materialized. Who knew what he was up to.

Du Heng felt a little numb. With things like this, how on earth had Li Qingde managed as Dean without any major disasters? He pushed those thoughts aside; the child's situation was more pressing.

There wasn't much else he could do. He decided to question the grandmother again, hoping for a useful clue this time.

"Auntie, when did you first notice the baby like this?"

The child's grandmother was still trembling, her voice quavering. It was clear she wouldn't calm down until her grandson was okay.

"It just happened a little while ago," the grandmother stammered. "We were playing cards at the elementary school entrance. Someone was cooing at the baby and suddenly exclaimed his face had turned blue! I rushed him straight here."

The elementary school entrance... that was right next to the Health Clinic, not far at all.

Could the person who was playing with the baby have poisoned him?

That didn't seem right either.

But if it were poison, surely a blue face wouldn't be the only symptom.

"Auntie, where did you take the child today?"

"After his midday nap, I took him out for a stroll in his stroller. Then I came across some friends playing cards. They were short one player, so I joined in. The baby was right beside me in his stroller the whole time; we didn't go anywhere else."

As she spoke, the grandmother started to cry again. "My poor little grandson, what's happened to him? How am I going to explain this to my son and daughter-in-law?"

He was out of ideas, completely stumped.

Feeling his confidence waver, Du Heng asked one last question, "Auntie, is there any history of hereditary diseases in your family or the child's mother's family?"

"No."

"Think carefully. Anything like blood-related diseases?"

"Does hypertension count? Both his grandfather and I have hypertension."

"That doesn't count."

Du Heng forcefully smoothed his furrowed brow.

Perhaps I should send him to the First Affiliated Hospital of JZU, Du Heng thought. They have advanced equipment; they can run proper tests.

"Aun—"

Before he could finish, Wu Buwei suddenly tugged his arm. "Senior Brother, do you think it could be dye?"

Du Heng rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Who would smear a baby with that much blue dye? Besides, didn't you hear? His grandmother was with him the whole time. If someone had dyed him, she'd know. You don't think *she* did it, do you?"

Wu Buwei also thought it was unlikely.

But something in his peripheral vision caught his eye. He hesitated, then pointed. "Senior Brother, look at that silk scarf. Doesn't the color look a lot like the blue on the baby's face?"

Du Heng followed Wu Buwei's pointing finger, then looked back at the baby. It *did* look similar. In fact, it seemed to be the exact same shade.

Impossible, right?

Could it be?

Could it really be that simple?

"Auntie, what's that silk scarf in the stroller for?"

The grandmother glanced at it. "We were playing cards at the school entrance, you see," she explained, a little flustered. "The sun was quite strong, and the baby was asleep. I was worried he'd get sunburned, so I draped the silk scarf over his face."

The sun?

Du Heng thought for a moment. Yes, that made sense.

The elementary school entrance faced southwest, with no shade. From midday until sunset, it was bathed in direct sunlight. That was why it was a popular spot for elderly people to gather, bask in the sun, and chat.

And it was already May, so the temperature was quite high.

Sleeping naturally causes sweating, and sleeping in the sun would mean even more perspiration.

Could the sweat have dampened the scarf, causing the dye to transfer to the baby's skin?

Du Heng glanced at the convertible-style stroller and sighed inwardly.

He bent down and gently rubbed the baby's neck; the color didn't budge. Then he took an alcohol swab, dabbed the baby's skin, and rubbed again. This time, his fingertip came away stained blue.

Du Heng was utterly flabbergasted.

A baby's skin is delicate. If it turned blue, anyone would naturally touch or pat it. But no one in their right mind would vigorously rub a baby's skin, especially when dry rubbing wouldn't remove the color anyway!

"Buwei, get the wet wipes from the drawer."

Du Heng felt his own voice tremble slightly. He was probably furious with himself; how could such a simple thing have shaken his confidence and stumped him for so long?

Wang Zhenzhen, also looking bewildered, was holding the baby's hand and now stared at Du Heng's blue-stained fingertip. "So, it was dye?"

Du Heng nodded, thoroughly chagrined. "That seems to be it."