Chapter 114: Touch

On the second day, with dawn only beginning to break, Zhong Yuxiu was awakened by Dogan. Since she had to go to school, she had to dress, go downstairs, and wash up, while Dogan moved off to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Once she was ready, Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo also came down. Zhong Yuxiu stepped out of the washroom with a small, elegant yawn.

“Good morning, Comrade Zhong. Did you sleep well yesterday?”

Hao Nan asked, and Tian Shangguo was watching her as well.

She nodded. “Fairly well, all things considered. You two tidy yourselves first. After we eat, we’ll go to school.”

“Okay, we’re on it.”

They slipped past her, the two of them going to the washroom, while Zhong Yuxiu went into the kitchen intending to help. But to her surprise, Dogan was frying youtiao. The air in the kitchen was thick with the sharp smell of hot oil, and she suddenly did not want to step inside.

The odor of frying smoke clings stubbornly to skin and clothes, and the air cannot quickly clear it away.

“Dogan, why did you decide to fry youtiao?” she said. “Aren’t they unhealthy to eat?”

“Di-di,” Dogan answered with two soft sounds; the mute boy had no words to spare.

Zhong Yuxiu pressed a hand to her forehead, shut the kitchen door, and went back upstairs. She fetched two medical books, carrying them down to read again. None of them had fully yielded their meaning to her yet; she needed to read them several times and absorb what was inside.

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo came out of the washroom and saw her with her books again. They exchanged a glance, then walked silently toward the kitchen. At the doorway, they opened it but did not enter at once; as Zhong Yuxiu had done, they too found the oil-smoke too heavy, and did not want to change clothes for it.

While on duty, one must avoid strong scents, and oil smoke is one of the worst. A while later they would still have to escort Comrade Zhong to school, and what needed to be avoided still had to be avoided.

The two returned to the hall and sat on the sofa opposite Zhong Yuxiu.

Just before breakfast, Yan Rushan arrived as expected.

“Yuxiu, good morning. Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet?” Zhong Yuxiu looked up at him briefly, then lowered her gaze and waved him over. “Come sit. Dogan is still cooking.”

Yan Rushan came to her side and sat down. Seeing her absorbed in her reading, his thin lips curved into a faint smile.

“Want to eat outside? A private restaurant has recently opened near Hua University, just past Ming Road. They say the food is good, and they serve breakfast with quite a lot of variety.”

“When did it open?” Zhong Yuxiu set down the book. Opening a private restaurant is no easy matter; whoever started that place could not be ordinary.

“It’s been open two days. I haven’t gone myself. I only know the general location. It was Luo Sanger and the others who mentioned it. They’ve been eating there these past two days and recommended it.”

Zhong Yuxiu nodded in understanding. “Let’s skip it today then. Another time. Dogan has already made things, and it would be wasteful not to eat them.”

“Fine,” Yan said.

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo rose and went to the kitchen to bring out the bowls, chopsticks, and dishes. There were youtiao, porridge, buns, and steamed bread. There was no time for small pastries, so Dogan’s cooking was understandably plain.

After breakfast, everyone left and headed straight for Hua University.

Yan Rushan saw Zhong Yuxiu into the campus, bid Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo farewell, and only then turned away.

When Zhong Yuxiu entered the office, Professor Ding looked up abruptly. “Ah, it’s you, Comrade Zhong! It has been a long time.”

“Good morning, Professor. I haven’t seen you in so long either. How is your health? Are you eating, sleeping, and resting well?”

“Very well, very well,” Ding laughed softly. He set down his pen and asked, “How are things at the Medical College? Are you keeping up with your studies?”

She nodded with a bright smile. “I am keeping up. The teacher takes good care of me and teaches me earnestly. The atmosphere there is excellent too, not lacking compared with Hua University.”

“A strong learning atmosphere is a blessing,” he said. “If they all work hard, they can become people who contribute to society afterward, instead of wasting their time in school and leaving with nothing.”

She noticed how alive the scholarly spirit was in both institutions. The students treasured the opportunity to study as if it were their single chance.

Professor Ding went on. “Comrade Zhong, to what level have you advanced now?”

“It’s hard to say,” she answered, “since I’m studying under a traditional Chinese medicine teacher, and the standards are so high there.” She shook her head—not because she wished to hide anything, but because she truly could not measure it. At her level, it was impossible for her to claim mastery. Her pulse diagnosis was already steady, but prescribing still needed far more refinement. The corpus of traditional medicine was immense, and she could not yet say how far she had gone.

“I see,” Professor Ding said, understanding. “Western medicine may be fast to learn, but traditional medicine must be built step by step, with no room for haste. So study well. Then no one here will need to go to the hospital even for the smallest ache or fever.”

His meaning was clear.

“I’ll make sure to, Professor. When is Hua University planning to break for the holiday?”

“It is set for the day after tomorrow,” he answered. “The committee decided this in a meeting. You won’t be here then. Has the Medical College break started already?”

“Yes. They break as soon as the exams are over.”

Professor Ding seemed to understand at once. “No wonder you had time to come back. You seem to be doing well at the Medical College and never return to visit us old ones.”

Zhong Yuxiu offered a shy, apologetic bow.

“It’s all the students’ fault, please don’t hold it against me. I hope I’ll come back more often and not inconvenience you.”

Professor Ding laughed out loud. “Fine, enough of that. Since you’re here, come with me to class. You haven’t been to class for so long; if you wait much longer, your classmates will barely recognize you.”

“It’s my negligence,” Zhong Yuxiu admitted, with a hint of remorse.

“Do come more often and stay in touch. Come, let’s walk while we talk.”

They left the office and quickened their pace down the corridor. Even as they walked, Professor Ding reminded her, “While you were away, after the commute carts were put on sale, Principal Guo held several meetings. He has already put your name forward for a professorial post, and he also intends for you to take charge of a new class next year. You need to prepare yourself and manage your time wisely.”

Zhong Yuxiu slowed. “No, Professor Ding, I’m barely past twenty. Did he really mean for me to take a class? Don’t make jokes. Can anyone really trust such a young class tutor?”

“Principal Guo is the one who requested it,” Ding said, stopping and turning to her. “Comrade Zhong, though we have worked together only briefly, I know you somewhat well. You love research, you value freedom, and you dislike being bound, you dislike being made to do what you do not love.”

“But please think carefully. Hua University is really short on people who can teach and guide. You can see it: the professors on campus are all not young anymore. Once we step back, it will be your generation that has to carry the load—you are the true pillars.”

Her gaze shifted slightly. Facing Ding’s earnest words, Zhong Yuxiu felt something stir within her. She truly did not like being bound. If she could keep herself fed, warm, and make a decent life, that was enough. To take charge of a class, however, would pull her into too many matters, and her daily life would have to account for all of them.

Still, the truth was plain: there were not many professors at Hua University. Some were responsible for two classes, laboring over every detail with heart and body alike. No matter how bitter or exhausting, they endured, for it was all in order to cultivate more talent.