This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Provincial Women and Children's Hospital, 7th floor, Third Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, double room.

The ward was quiet at this time; besides the beeping of the machines, there were only faint groans of pain.

Pei Jihua sat on a small stool beside the bed, tightly clutching his wife's hand.

Seeing his wife in a deep sleep, her eyebrows slightly furrowed from the pain, he felt both relieved and scared.

He was relieved that his wife had undergone the surgery and her uterus had been saved.

What scared him was that if he hadn't listened to the doctor that day at the clinic and had instead bought painkillers based on his own idea, not only would his wife's uterus have been endangered, but her life might also have been at risk.

As he thought about the attending doctor's words, he felt his calves trembling.

The gently closed door of the ward was pushed open, and an Auntie in her fifties came in with two lunch boxes.

The Auntie walked softly to the bedside, placed the lunch boxes on the cabinet, and whispered, "Jihua, come and eat. After eating, you should get some rest."

Pei Jihua shook his head. "Mom, let's eat later. Yanyan just fell asleep. Let her sleep a little longer. The woman in the other bed was in so much pain last night she cried all night. Yanyan didn't sleep much either."

The older woman glanced at the woman in the opposite bed. "Where's her husband?"

"Probably went downstairs for a smoke."

"Sigh, how pitiful. She's only in her twenties and has no children yet, and she's had her uterus removed. What will she do in the future?"

Pei Jihua looked at the woman in the opposite bed with complicated emotions.

His wife had always eagerly wanted a second child. He couldn't imagine how upset she would be if her uterus were removed.

Once again, he felt deeply grateful to that doctor.

"Mom, you're here."

Yanyan, who was in bed, opened her eyes and called out to the woman at the head of the bed.

The older woman touched her daughter's pale cheek, her heart aching. "You should sleep a little more. Jihua said you didn't sleep well last night."

"No need, Mom. I've drifted in and out of sleep several times. I'm wide awake now."

"Then eat something, and you can sleep after."

The older woman took out the lunch boxes as she spoke.

After lunch, Pei Jihua was urged out by his mother-in-law to go home and get some proper rest. He would come back to care for his wife in the evening.

Pei Jihua couldn't argue with her, so he gathered his things and prepared to go home.

For eight days, he had been accompanying his wife in the hospital without leaving her side.

The sunlight outside was a bit dazzling, and Pei Jihua shielded his eyes with his hand.

He squinted at the people coming and going in the hospital, and the doctor's words came back to him: "There's a tumor in your left lung."

In the past few days, his mind had been entirely focused on his wife, and he had completely forgotten about his own issues.

Now that he had finally relaxed, he didn't feel so well.

He wasn't sure if it was the doctor's words affecting him or a genuine sensation, but he felt a bit of pain in his left chest.

He took another look around and then quickly walked out of the hospital.

In the Department of Respiratory Oncology at the Provincial Oncology Hospital, Doctor Xia Zhengjiang frowned with slight helplessness. "You are very healthy; there's really no need for a tumor examination."

Pei Jihua, sitting on the stool across from him, shook his head firmly. "Doctor, please just authorize the exam for me. I really do have a tumor in my left lung."

"Have you been examined before? Why are you so sure that you have a tumor in your left lung?"

"A TCM doctor told me. After taking my pulse, he was certain that there was a tumor in my left lung."

This man must have met a Jianghu "Divine Doctor," Xia Zhengjiang thought, suppressing a laugh. A tumor was one thing, but to pinpoint its location? How did this "Divine Doctor" dare to make such a claim? Wasn't he afraid the patient would beat him to death?

"Heh, I'd really like to meet this Divine Doctor. On what basis does he claim you have a tumor?"

"What I said is true. My wife was diagnosed by him with uterine fibroids, and she's currently in the Provincial Women and Children's Hospital, just having had surgery."

Xia Zhengjiang shook his head. His initial examination of Pei Jihua revealed no problems. There were no signs of a tumor, especially not a pulmonary one.

As for diagnosing his wife's uterine fibroids, Xia Zhengjiang thought, that must have been a lucky guess—a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.

After some further back-and-forth, Xia Zhengjiang relented and wrote Pei Jihua an order for the examination.

Watching Pei Jihua leave with the order, Xia Zhengjiang shook his head with a speechless laugh. Then, composing himself, he called in the next patient.

The oncology hospital's outpatient service saw far fewer visitors than other hospitals, but there was still a steady stream of patients. Over half the patients in the oncology outpatient service were there for follow-up visits and check-ups. Because the doctors and patients were often familiar with each other, these appointments generally involved more extensive communication.

After sending the current patient away, Xia Zhengjiang took a sip of water from his cup and asked the intern beside him, "Xiao Liu, are there any more patients?"

"Doctor Xia, there's no one waiting, but a few who went for X-rays haven't returned yet."

"Oh."

Just as he said "Oh," he saw Pei Jihua at the doorway.

Xia Zhengjiang frowned. Is this man still here? he wondered.

Pei Jihua walked in with the X-ray films. "Doctor Xia, these are my scans. Could you take a look?"

Xia Zhengjiang grunted an acknowledgment and reached out to take the films.

Although he disapproved of Pei Jihua's insistence, as a doctor, his professional demeanor was impeccable.

He held the films up to the light, and after a moment, his initially dismissive expression turned to one of slight puzzlement. He then placed the films on the nearby light box and leaned in for a closer look.

The more he looked, the more surprised his expression became.

After a long while, he looked at Pei Jihua with a strange expression. "There is indeed a tumor in your left lung."

Pei Jihua opened his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn't describe what he was feeling.

Xia Zhengjiang assumed Pei Jihua was frightened and quickly reassured him, "Don't be too alarmed. The tumor in your left lung is less than one centimeter in diameter, and for now, it appears to be benign. Try not to worry too much."

It's easy for you to say, Pei Jihua thought. It's not growing in your lung; it's in mine. How can I not worry?

"Doctor, is there any way to treat this?" Pei Jihua sighed inwardly and asked.

Xia Zhengjiang glanced at the films again. "Perhaps we should do a biopsy... No, our guidelines state that a biopsy is indicated for tumors larger than one centimeter. Yours is less than one centimeter, and you're asymptomatic, so it's not necessary."

Pei Jihua was bewildered. "So, what should I do?"

Xia Zhengjiang hesitated. "Well, you could wait. Once you develop symptoms, I can perform the biopsy then?"

Pei Jihua was speechless. "Shouldn't you at least prescribe some medication for me?"

Xia Zhengjiang shook his head. "You have no symptoms, so I can't prescribe medication for you. Just come for regular check-ups, and I'll arrange treatment for you depending on the situation."

Pei Jihua rubbed his face in anguish, feeling as though his features were being twisted into knots.

After a long moment, Pei Jihua stood up. "Alright. Thank you, Doctor." With that, he took his scans and was about to leave.

Doctor Xia suddenly called out, "Could you give me the WhatsApp contact for that TCM doctor? I'd like to meet him. To diagnose a tumor, especially one this small, just by pulse diagnosis... it's incredible."

Pei Jihua paused, recalling his own attitude that day at the clinic.

In retrospect, he regretted not getting the doctor's contact information.

"I don't have it either, sorry."