Chapter 15

After an hour's drive, the ambulance arrived at the city center hospital. To Zhou Ming's surprise, Dai Zhenjiang was already waiting there and had completed all the procedures and paid the fees.

"Director Dai, thank you," Zhou Ming said sincerely. At the same time, Zhou Ming understood why Dai Zhenjiang would later become the director of the provincial finance department; he had handled this matter perfectly.

Dai Zhenjiang patted Zhou Ming's hand and said, "I just happened to have a relative at the central hospital, so it was no trouble at all."

Thanks to Dai Zhenjiang's connections, Zhou Guoping was quickly arranged to stay in a special care ward. The central hospital conducted a comprehensive examination of Zhou Guoping and diagnosed him with chronic appendicitis. The hospital's treatment plan was to perform an appendectomy.

This result frightened Wang Fengqin: "Wasn't it just a common stomachache? How did it turn into appendicitis that requires surgery?"

"Mom, this means the factory hospital misdiagnosed it. The central hospital has so many advanced medical devices, so the diagnosis is definitely more accurate," Zhou Ming comforted his mother.

"Yes! Fortunately, you insisted on bringing your father to the central hospital for a check-up. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!" Wang Fengqin said with lingering fear.

Indeed, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Zhou Ming thought to himself, he still remembered how his father had groaned in pain in the hospital due to lack of money in his previous life, eventually missing the best treatment time and developing appendicitis into a perforated appendix. A large amount of bacteria entered the abdominal cavity and bloodstream, causing peritonitis and sepsis, making his father suffer for more than half a year. That was the most painful memory for Zhou Ming. Now that he had been reborn, he was determined to change everything, starting with his parents' health.

The central hospital immediately arranged surgery for Zhou Guoping. Wang Fengqin took Zhou Ming to the nearest temple to pray for Zhou Guoping's recovery. Su Han originally wanted to go as well, but thinking about Wang Fengqin's previous attitude towards her, she decided against it.

"Mom, don't worry. An appendectomy is a minor surgery. Dad will be fine," Zhou Ming comforted his mother.

Wang Fengqin nodded and said, "Old Zhou has no bad habits and is a very honest person. The Buddha will protect him."

Zhou Ming understood his mother's feelings. In her mind, any surgery that involved cutting into the body was dangerous and terrifying. The success of the surgery depended on the Buddha's protection. However, Zhou Ming knew that an appendectomy was one of the simpler surgeries in all of general surgery. Even in this era, it posed no danger. Instead of relying on the Buddha, it was more reliable to have given the chief surgeon a thousand yuan as a red envelope beforehand.

Zhou Ming looked at the time and said, "Mom, it's almost been an hour. Dad's surgery should be over."

Zhou Ming, Wang Fengqin, and Su Han returned to the central hospital. As Zhou Ming had said, Zhou Guoping's surgery was indeed over, and he had been returned to the special care ward. The chief surgeon was examining Zhou Guoping with his colleagues.

Seeing Zhou Ming come in, the chief surgeon approached him and said, "The surgery was very successful. Mr. Zhou is in good health and has no complications. I think he will be fine once the anesthesia wears off."

The doctor's words reassured Wang Fengqin and Su Han, and Zhou Ming also breathed a sigh of relief. His father's life had been saved, and he felt that his rebirth had not been in vain. Since his father was out of danger, he could now move on to the next step of his plans.

...

At noon, Zhou Ming and Su Han booked a private room in a hotel in Linyang City and invited Dai Zhenjiang for a meal. Zhou Ming and Su Han raised their glasses together, and Zhou Ming said to Dai Zhenjiang, "Director Dai, this time my father's illness was all thanks to your help. I'll drink to you."

After saying this, Zhou Ming drank his glass in one go, and Su Han also finished her drink. Dai Zhenjiang also drank a glass and then pretended to be unhappy as he said to Zhou Ming, "Zhou Ming, you're too polite. Actually, it was because you discovered it early. I just did what a friend should do. If you're this polite, it means you don't consider me a friend."

Zhou Ming nodded and said, "Thanks to the central hospital, my father's condition is now fine. He just needs to recover slowly before he can be discharged."

"I heard you gave the chief surgeon a thousand yuan as a red envelope, and then gave each of the other doctors and nurses five hundred yuan as a red envelope after the surgery? You really know how to spend money!" Dai Zhenjiang said.

"Of course, money can be earned again, but my father's illness must be cured. Nothing is more important than my parents' health!" Zhou Ming said firmly. "Now that my father is fine, we can move on to the next stage of our treasury bond business."

"The next stage?" Dai Zhenjiang was surprised. "Aren't we still selling to Jiangxia City?"

Zhou Ming shook his head and said, "The interest rate in Jiangxia City is already decreasing. If we continue to sell there, the profit we can make will only decrease. So I need to find another place."

"Where do you plan to go next? Is there a place with a higher interest rate than Jiangxia City?" Dai Zhenjiang asked.

"Of course, a classmate of mine who works in Haibin City told me that the interest rate there is also high, even higher than in Jiangxia City by one percent," Zhou Ming said.

Dai Zhenjiang was surprised and exclaimed, "Even higher than Jiangxia City by one percent?"

Dai Zhenjiang couldn't help but be surprised. An interest rate of 18% in Jiangxia City was already impressive, and now Haibin City was even higher. One percent might not seem significant, but in a ten-thousand-yuan investment, it meant a thousand yuan in interest. For a three-year term, it would be over three thousand yuan in interest, and for a five-year term, it would be over five thousand yuan in interest. This was not a small amount, enough to support an ordinary family in the county for several years. Even as the director of the county agricultural bank, with control over the county's finances, Dai Zhenjiang would have to go without food and drink for one or two years to save five thousand yuan if he didn't embezzle.

"Zhou Ming, is this true?" Dai Zhenjiang asked excitedly.

"Of course, would I lie to Director Dai?" Zhou Ming said. "So, Director Dai, you should urge Uncle Dog to collect more treasury bonds as soon as possible so I can take them to Haibin City to sell."

Dai Zhenjiang nodded quickly and said, "Zhou Ming, rest assured. I know the situation with Uncle Dog. By the day after tomorrow, I can guarantee that I will have at least two hundred thousand yuan in treasury bonds for you."

Two hundred thousand yuan?

Hearing this number, Su Han drew a sharp breath. So many treasury bonds meant over a hundred thousand yuan in interest, pure profit!

Zhou Ming remained calm and teased Dai Zhenjiang, "This is twice the amount from last time. Director Dai, you trust me so much? Not afraid I'll run away with the money?"

"If it were someone else, I would definitely be worried, but seeing how concerned you were about your father and how you spared no expense to save him, I can tell you are a man of good character," Dai Zhenjiang thought for a moment and continued, "Also, I believe that with your abilities, two hundred thousand yuan in treasury bonds is probably not a big deal to you. You will make much more money in the future!"

Zhou Ming was somewhat surprised. He could tell that Dai Zhenjiang was not just flattering him but speaking from the heart. Of course, in his future plans, two hundred thousand yuan was indeed a small amount.

...

After a week of recovery, Zhou Guoping's wound had completely healed. Zhou Ming, Wang Fengqin, and Su Han came to pick him up from the hospital.

After the doctor conducted a full-body examination and confirmed that Zhou Guoping was fine, Zhou Ming felt relieved and processed the discharge procedures, then took a taxi back to the factory.

In the taxi, Zhou Guoping complained to Zhou Ming, "You're spending money recklessly again. We could have taken the bus back and saved a lot of money."

Zhou Ming replied, "It doesn't matter. You've already spent so much on your hospitalization, so a little more won't hurt. Besides, your body is just recovering, and taking a taxi is better for you."

"Actually, I recovered a long time ago. I was fine three or four days after the surgery. It was you all who insisted I stay in the hospital longer," Zhou Guoping said.

"Dad, you just had your stitches removed. Your wound wasn't fully healed, so how could you be discharged?" Zhou Ming said.

Wang Fengqin also said, "Old Zhou, stop complaining. Listen to your son. If it weren't for Zhou Ming insisting on bringing you to the central hospital, you would have been misled by those barefoot doctors at the factory."

"That's right, Uncle and Aunt, Zhou Ming really cares about you," Su Han also spoke up for Zhou Ming.

"Su Han, you come to see me and Old Zhou every day. Don't you have to work?" Wang Fengqin looked at Su Han and asked.

"Mom, didn't I tell you that Su Han is now working with me in the treasury bond business?" Zhou Ming explained for Su Han.

Wang Fengqin said "Oh" and didn't say anything more. Su Han lowered her head in disappointment, knowing that Wang Fengqin still didn't accept her, a woman with a bad reputation, as her daughter-in-law.

Back at the factory, Su Han left on her own. Wang Fengqin and Zhou Ming helped Zhou Guoping back home. Once they were home, Wang Fengqin called Zhou Ming for a talk. "Zhou Ming, tell me the truth, what is your relationship with that girl from the Su family now?"

"Just friends," Zhou Ming answered. "Mom, Su Han is really a good girl, not at all like the rumors at the factory. This is all due to Huang Zheng's retaliation against her."

Wang Fengqin was unmoved. "Zhou Ming, you're young and don't understand. Not all women are better the prettier they are. The prettier they are, the more likely they are to have bad intentions. Many beautiful women are like venomous snakes, ready to bite you at any moment. They are also vain. Do you know why she is close to you? She might be after your treasury bond business, using you as a fool."

"Mom, Su Han is not like that at all..."

Before Zhou Ming could finish, Wang Fengqin waved her hand and said, "I don't care what she's like, and I don't want to know. But you must keep your distance from her, do you understand? If you want to get married, there are plenty of good girls in our factory. Remember, you are a college graduate and will have a bright future. Not just any woman can match you."

With that, Wang Fengqin left. Faced with his mother's opinion of Su Han, even with his two lives of experience, Zhou Ming was still at a loss.