Linlin’s tearful response quickly echoed.
The nurse named Zhou Zhou hurriedly soothed Linlin, "It certainly won’t be a problem with the medicine, Linlin, you know how much this imported medicine costs, right? A small bottle costs five figures, and it’s on quota, how could it be ineffective?"
"Let’s do this, I’ll ask Doctor Qin to check again later to see if your mom’s body is having a rejection to the medication... Let me change the medicine for your mom first, okay?"
Of course Linlin didn’t understand anything; she was just shocked to hear that such a small bottle of medicine costs tens of thousands, and she said nervously:
"Ah, such expensive medicine, we can’t afford the medical bills..."
Seeing the girl’s embarrassment, Zhou Zhou secretly rolled her eyes.
You can’t afford the medical bills?
Can you even afford to live in this ward?
And the food and drink you consume every day, do you know how much they sell for outside per meal?
She really couldn’t figure out where this mother and daughter duo came from, they had this rural aura about them, and the girl was obviously lacking in experience, she didn’t even dare to go out for a walk, it’s been almost two months, and she’s been staying in that ward all the time...
Moreover, this girl didn’t even have a mobile phone, while her mom had an old feature phone, but Zhou Zhou had never seen anyone call her.
At first, Zhou Zhou thought this woman named Zhao Yu was very influential, perhaps either being noticed by some big shot or something, because when they first moved in, several on-duty directors personally came to visit, and the VIP inpatient department director was almost running here every day.
Back then, Qin Li secretly told her that he had asked his uncle about it, and the word was that this woman named Zhao Yu might have ties to the hospital’s major shareholder, so she needed to be taken care of carefully.
Being assigned to this ward, Zhou Zhou thought she had stroke of luck, thinking that if she served this mother-daughter duo well, she’d win over the major shareholder, and then she’d get the head nurse position she had been longing for.
But after laboring for more than a week on consecutive night shifts, Zhou Zhou gradually noticed something was off.
Not only did the directors gradually stop coming, but the inpatient department director, after several days of not seeing the person he wanted to meet, also stopped making appearances, just asking Doctor Qin to keep an eye out in case that mysterious shareholder showed up so he could be informed immediately.
Initially, Doctor Qin was quite keen, although he had his uncle’s backing, if he could win recognition from another major shareholder, his prospects would be even better.
But after a month, even the shareholder himself hadn’t shown up, not even his shadow, and Doctor Qin became suspicious.
On his instructions, Zhou Zhou took on the role of a caring big sister, and during her chats with Linlin, she gained a detailed understanding of the mother and daughter.
The naive Linlin naturally shared everything she knew with Zhou Zhou.
Having learned the "whole truth", Zhou Zhou was like having a bucket of cold water thrown over her.
This pair indeed came from the countryside, they weren’t friends or family of any major shareholder; they had been unexpectedly helped out by someone during a medical crisis and inexplicably brought here...
Unwilling to give up, Zhou Zhou wondered if this woman named Zhao Yu might actually be the shareholder’s lover, perhaps some men have a liking for the rural women’s charm?
Turns out, although Zhao Yu’s face was haggard from illness and lacked the touch of makeup, you could still tell by her eyes and brows that she was once a naturally beautiful woman.
Zhou Zhou had seen her medical records, she was only thirty-four, not old at all, exactly in a woman’s mature and charming age.
Not to mention she had a young and beautiful seventeen-year-old daughter, what if the major shareholder took a fancy to her daughter, or wanted to play some thrill?
But after Zhou Zhou dug deeper, she finally gave up.
Linlin couldn’t lie, meaning this woman named Zhao Yu was truly just a countryside person with a husband in jail, she didn’t associate with any other men, and according to Linlin’s impression, her mom was always alone.
So Zhou Zhou and Doctor Qin concluded that this mother and daughter had simply had a stroke of luck, being helped by a benefactor during a medical crisis, allowing them to come to Jiahui International for treatment.
And the benefactor, suspected to be the major shareholder, had simply done a good deed in passing, and there wouldn’t be any follow-ups.
No wonder hospital leaders stopped coming by later; they must have long seen through this.
Despite this, since they came through the major shareholder’s connection, the hospital could only let them continue staying, and hospital leaders wouldn’t dare neglect them, giving them the best medicine for treatment.
But the leaders could think this way, Zhou Zhou certainly didn’t think the same.
She argued with Doctor Qin several times, wanting to switch to another ward that was responsible, so she could at least make some extra money from tips and gifts, better than wasting time with the penniless mother and daughter duo.
But Doctor Qin stopped her.
"Who says penniless? All those medicines she’s using every day aren’t money?"
Qin Li laughed sinisterly.
"Are you saying... to change their medicine?"
Zhou Zhou was startled, "That’s not appropriate, Zhao Yu isn’t like those two other patients who are nearly dying, even if the medicine used has issues, no one would notice anything, but they..."
"What are you afraid of? Have you seen Director Li come here at all these past two weeks? If we don’t mention it, he probably forgets about this mother and daughter..."
Doctor Qin was unconcerned, merely sneering, "Switch out their month’s medicine and pocket it, a turnover, in and out, it’s worth millions, and you know that chronic kidney failure is incurable anyway, she’ll die eventually, might as well let us have the money, don’t you think..."
Zhou Zhou thought about it and agreed, especially since Doctor Qin had his uncle behind him, even if something went wrong, he’d cover for her, so Zhou Zhou agreed.
Initially, she was scared to death, but as Doctor Qin continued transferring her money far exceeding her normal salary, and coupled with no issues cropping up while Zhao Yu’s mother and daughter didn’t notice anything, her courage grew bigger.
At first, she merely switched imported medicines with domestic substitutes, eventually, there was only a bit of glucose in the bottles now, Zhou Zhou even stopped giving them painkillers...
"Don’t worry, your mom’s medicines are reimbursed, no need for you to pay."
Zhou Zhou smiled and comforted Linlin, then proceeded to change Zhao Yu’s medicine.
Outside the door, Zhou Wang watched her change the medicine, and if it was as he suspected, then the evidence was conclusive, he was ready to come out, but at that moment, Zhou Zhou grabbed Linlin again.
"By the way, Linlin, about the matter I mentioned last time, have you thought it over?"
"What matter are you talking about, sister?"
"The room change matter, I told you last week, don’t you remember?"
"Oh, I remember now, but I, I would like to ask my mom’s opinion when she’s awake..."
Linlin said timidly.
"Hey, Linlin, do you think your mom can make any wise decisions given her current state?"
Zhou Zhou quickly persuaded, "I’m only thinking of your best interests, while that room doesn’t have as good lighting as this one, it has the best ventilation in the hallway, and it’s close to our emergency station, think about it, if your mom has any issues, wouldn’t it be more convenient?"
Zhou Wang felt utterly disgusted listening to this.
That Zhou Zhou was clearly talking crap; he had already scoped out that this room had the best location in the hallway in terms of privacy and lighting, could there be a better one?
Mostly likely took benefits from another patient to act as a lobbyist.
"I guess... maybe move there?"
Under Zhou Zhou’s coaxing and her own insecurity, Linlin mumbled.
"Great, I’ll go right..."
"My goodness!"
Ecstatic, Zhou Zhou was about to turn around when the wooden door suddenly smashed open, catching her off guard. She let out an "ouch" as she collided with the trolley, an array of crashes and clangs rang out, and she fell down on the wooden floor, sprawled on her back.
"What the heck..."
The "equipment" from her nurse uniform rolled out, spinning to Zhou Wang’s feet, buzzing on with a whirring sound, making Zhou Wang’s scalp numb at once; he quickly dodged to the side.