Chapter 397 Promotion to Chief Physician
At 12 o'clock in the night, Beijing, this ancient city that has now stepped into the modern era, seems to be gently covered with a layer of deep gauze by the night. In the silence, unknown secrets and whispers of dreams are hidden.

On both sides of the street, the usually bustling shops and neon lights are now asleep. Only the scattered street lamps, like loyal night watchmen, emit a soft and dim light, stretching the mottled shadows of the trees and projecting them onto the empty road, painting a series of tranquil pictures.

The air was filled with a slight night chill and the lingering smell of fireworks, which were the last traces left behind by the busyness and bustle of the day.

Occasionally, a night car cuts through the quiet night sky, and the sound of the tires rubbing gently against the road surface seems particularly clear in the silence, like an ancient ballad coming from afar, telling another story in the old capital.

Liu Zhitai woke up from his dream and returned home with a troubled mind. He never had a moment of peace. Excitement and anxiety intertwined, thoughts and memories followed him like a shadow, and all kinds of emotions were hard to describe.

It was not until he stepped into the house and sank lightly into the familiar bed that the tension and confusion disappeared, and he finally found complete peace and relaxation.

He slept for more than four hours. He Hongmei had already prepared dinner carefully, but out of pity, she couldn't bear to wake him up, so she let him sleep peacefully until now.

Liu Zhitai slowly opened his eyes and saw his wife He Hongmei sitting on the edge of the kang, her little head nodding slightly, apparently having fallen into a light sleep.

He quickly stood up, gently hugged He Hongmei, and whispered softly: "Hongmei, you look so sleepy, why didn't you wake me up?"

He Hongmei was startled at first, but then she remembered that this was Liu Zhitai. She smiled shyly and said softly, "Brother Zhitai, are you awake? I saw that you were too tired, so I couldn't bear to disturb you and wanted you to sleep a little longer..."

Liu Zhitai witnessed He Hongmei's subconscious reaction, and his heart tightened. He frowned distressedly, "Hongmei, I haven't been by your side for the past two years. It's really hard for you."

He Hongmei was just trying to be strong. In the past two years, she had actually been suffering from bitterness. Not long after getting married, she was separated from her husband Liu Zhitai for a long time. Who wouldn't feel sad in this situation?
In the dead of night, He Hongmei often cried and soaked her pillow. In front of her family, she forced herself to smile, but when she was alone, her longing for Liu Zhitai surged like a tide and she could not help herself.

Although her mother-in-law and her family cared about her very much, no matter how much her relatives cared about her, it was not as good as having her husband by her side!
Liu Zhitai was immersed in self-blame. Seeing this, He Hongmei interrupted him quickly: "Brother Zhitai, don't be sad, I'm fine. Mom takes care of me in every possible way. I have gained weight. Look at my belly, it's so round." As she spoke, she patted her belly gently, trying to ease the atmosphere with a relaxed tone.

"Haha, is that so? Then I want to take a look and see if my little Hongmei has really turned into a little fat pig, hehe..." Liu Zhitai said as he lifted the hem of He Hongmei's clothes and touched her.

Seeing this, He Hongmei screamed, "Oh! Brother Zhitai, you haven't eaten yet... Woo woo... Turn off the lights, turn off the lights first..." Before she could finish her words, Liu Zhitai blocked her mouth.

Liu Zhitai said, "What's there to eat? Let me eat you first!" While he was saying this, his hands were moving quickly.

………………

In this way, the couple fought fiercely until the early morning, and finally fell into a deep sleep due to exhaustion.

"Oh oh oh..."

In the early morning, when the first ray of sunlight shines into the house or the first ray of morning light shines on the earth, the roosters begin to crow.

Their calls are clear and loud, sometimes even echoing through the sky, announcing the beginning of a new day.

The capital city these days is as quiet as a big village, and you can even hear roosters crowing in the morning.

The Gong family who lived in the next courtyard took advantage of the local conditions and set aside a small private plot within the courtyard wall. In addition to growing melons and beans, they also raised a cage of chickens. There was an arrogant rooster that crowed every day, waking Liu Zhitai up.

The crowing of a rooster is like a singer practicing his voice - the audience climbs up the ladder with trepidation, then suddenly stops and is left hanging in mid-air.

The Gong family also raised a turkey, which shook its neck wattles and made a gurgling sound, as if it had asthma. It was strong and docile, and the children around took turns riding on its back and striding with their heads held high.

The homonym of "ji" in Chinese means "lucky", which means auspiciousness. When a rooster crows three times, the sun comes out and the rooster crows, which is considered dawn. The rooster has become the "sky rooster" and "yang bird" that divides the yin and yang worlds, sends away darkness and welcomes light. It is the embodiment of auspiciousness. Therefore, in the eyes of the old Beijing people, the rooster means good luck!

The rooster is the rooster that announces the dawn in the morning. It is believed that the rooster can ward off evil spirits and remove filth and evil spirits. The rooster also plays an important role in folk customs. Therefore, many alleys in the capital are named after roosters. Old Beijingers consider it auspicious to live in a place with the word "rooster" in its name.

Liu Zhitai turned over and was just about to take a nap when flocks of sparrows landed on the roof of their house, chirping and pecking at the iron drainpipe, making hollow echoes.

One of them had the loudest cry and flapped its wings the most happily, which annoyed Liu Zhitai so much that he wanted to shoot it with a shotgun.

Voices began to appear on Dengshikou West Street in the west. The footsteps coming and going were mixed but clearly discernible: men were heavier than women, those who worked physically were turbulent, those who worked mentally were steady, the elderly were sluggish with intervals, and the children were changeable, some were lively and energetic, and some dragged their feet on the ground - wasting their shoes.

The sounds of the bicycles were amplified by the morning silence: the whistling of the spokes in the wind, the flying sand and rocks of the tires, the clanging of the chain against the chain ring, and the ringing of the bells, deafening like a loud bell.

Liu Zhitai turned over again. Listening carefully from a distance, the horses snorted loudly, their hooves slipped on the asphalt road; the driver shouted loudly, the whip split the air, and the shafts creaked as they shook.

A No. 1 bus passed by, its engine roaring, exhaust fumes gushing out, and its actuator sighing as its doors opened and closed. The conductor lazily announced the stop: "We've arrived at Dengshikou Hutong. Are there any passengers getting off here?"

At about 7:25, Liu Zhitai finally woke up from his dream due to hunger. He stood up and looked around, only to find that no one was at home and He Hongmei had gone out.

Entering the living room, his eyes fell on the note on the dining table: "Brother Zhitai, the food has been heated up and placed in the pot, and the clothes for changing are placed on the edge of the kang. I have surgery today. After the work is finished, we will go back to our hometown together. Wait for me!" Her handwriting revealed her tenderness and thoughtfulness.

Liu Zhitai had a gratified smile on his face. He carefully folded the note and put it in his pocket. He walked into the bathroom, took a basin of clear tap water, and gently splashed it on his face, trying to dispel all the fatigue and thoughts.

After washing up, he walked briskly into the kitchen and lifted the lid of the pot.

In an instant, a vapor mixed with the aroma of various delicacies hits your face, making you salivate.

"Hey, what a sumptuous meal!" Liu Zhitai's eyes lit up, and he secretly admired He Hongmei's efforts last night. The table was filled with his favorites: "fat sea crabs", "fresh steamed sea bass", "tempting braised pork", "spicy and delicious fried pork intestines", and the light and refreshing "braised cabbage with tofu" and "spicy fried chicken with good color, aroma and taste".

Not only that, He Hongmei also carefully prepared millet porridge slow-cooked on the stove, and went out specially to purchase delicious dishes such as crispy fried dough sticks.

Afterwards, Liu Zhitai enjoyed the sumptuous breakfast with great satisfaction and tidied the house in tidy order.

Afterwards, he walked out of the house leisurely, wanting to take a walk around the area and see the changes that had taken place in the past two years.

Walking west from Dengshikou, you will reach Naizifu (Naicifu), which used to be in the middle of Dengshikou West Street. It was a milk station where people would line up with their milk certificates and exchange their empty bottles for milk every afternoon.

By now the sun had risen and the sounds of hawking could be heard one after another.

The shouting in the capital is special, which is obviously related to the depth, width and curvature of the alleys. If you want to make the business information known to everyone, you have to stretch the shouting, widen it, and make it twists and turns.

People in Beijing speak fast and their pronunciation is unclear, so shouting is a correction to the Beijing dialect: slowing down and prolonging the tone, giving due importance to each word like stringing a candied haws - crisp and mellow, with rhyme.

The key is to have enough confidence, have penetrating power, change your breath but not your voice, stand up straight, turn up an octave, stand firm and don't fall down, and lengthen the rhyme tail - Zhang Henshui wrote in "City Sounds and Fun": "I have also walked through many north and south docks, and the hawkers' shouting sounds I heard in any place can never compare to that in Beijing.

The cries of the hawkers in Beijing are complex and harmonious, and they always leave a deep impression on the listeners, no matter whether it is day or night, cold or hot.

"I buy any rags and scraps, I buy any torn shoes and socks—" This is a junk collector, and the use of inverted sentences shows a kind of low-level self-confidence.

There are also the Beijing people's wit and ability to talk nonsense. For example, the peach seller shouts: "This is not made by the eldest girl, nor is it embroidered by the second girl. This is a flat peach that the third girl stepped on while walking in the garden--"

"Stinky tofu, fermented tofu, Wangzhihe's stinky tofu--" The slogan is simple and clear, and the brand and inventory list are all complete.

People in Beijing would say “what you sell is what you shout out”, this primitive transaction represents the simple side of Beijing people, they are honest and trustworthy, at most they will brag a little, which is the function of advertising: “This ice-cold watermelon is crisp and sandy——”, “The radish tastes better than a pear, if it’s spicy, I’ll change it——”, “The big tomatoes that have been drunk with honey——”

The shouting is often accompanied by musical instruments, for example: the sellers of sesame cakes and fried dough twists use wooden clappers, the monkey showmen use big gongs, the junk buyers use small leather drums, the sellers of iced sour plum soup use two small copper bowls, and the sound of the copper bowls is called "bingzhaner". There are also barbers who use "big tuning forks" and use an iron plate to poke the middle. The vibrato will confuse people first, and then they will press there, no matter how long the hair is, they will shave it bald first.

"Use scissors to sharpen kitchen knives--" The knife sharpener uses an "iron head", which is 5 pieces of iron sheets strung together, making a rattling sound. This thing has a nickname "Jinggui".

If it's summer, the most exciting shouts that can be heard in the alley are: "Popsicles, 3 cents each, 5 cents each--" The 3 cent ones are red fruit and red bean popsicles, and the 5 cent ones are milk popsicles.

…………

Large vehicles can pass here, but it is not a main road, so there are not many vehicles and pedestrians. The previous street is still bustling with foreign tourists. Turning the corner here, you can immediately get away from the hustle and bustle of Wangfujing.

Liu Zhitai walked all the way to Dongdan. Compared with the prosperous and modern East German capital of Berlin, he felt that the old Beijing where he was born and raised was more down-to-earth. No matter where he went, he felt familiar and friendly.

Dongdan is a district in Beijing, located at the intersection of Dongdan North Street, Jianguomennei Street and Chang'an Street. There used to be a memorial archway built in the Ming Dynasty, but it was demolished in 1923 due to traffic congestion.

Among the four commercial districts in the old Beijing city area, Dongsi, Xisi, Dongdan and Xidan, Dongdan is closest to Wangfujing and is almost adjacent to it.

Nowadays, people who want to go to Wangfujing will also go to Dongdan.

If people go shopping around Dongdan, they will go to Wangfujing if they have time.

Because there are many shops along the way, a wide variety of goods, and smooth traffic, the popularity of the commercial district is unmatched by other areas.

Nearby, there are the mullet egg soup from Cuihualou Restaurant, the assorted vegetarian dishes from Quansuzi, and the Chinese toon fish which is famous all over the country!!

The schools near Dengshikou Street are where many key schools gather - "Yuying for boys, Beiman for girls".

To the west of the east entrance of the street is Mi Shi Street; to the north is Dongsi. The distance from Dahua Cinema to the east entrance of Jinyu Hutong is about 200 meters.

Although this section of street is not very long, it is considered a prosperous area in the entire Dongdan North Street.

There are many alleys around Dengshikou Street. From Ganyu Hutong to the south is Xitangzi Hutong.

Going further south is Goldfish Alley, where there is a dark road.

From the courtyard of Jinyu Hutong, you can reach Xitangzi Hutong by turning left and right.

Liu Zhitai just strolled around for the whole morning.

Then, he turned back home to get some things, and then went to Union Hospital to pick up his wife He Hongmei from get off work, and the two of them went home together to visit their family.

After being away for a long time, he was not stingy when he returned. He not only carefully selected gifts for his family, but also thoughtfully prepared gifts for his unit leaders and colleagues, showing his thoughtfulness and generosity.

"Hey, Doctor Liu, you're back!" As soon as Liu Zhitai stepped into the threshold of the Internal Medicine Office Building of Union Hospital, Nurse Liu's eyes lit up instantly. She keenly caught his figure and then shouted in a surprised tone.

The doctors and nurses around him also looked in the direction of the voice, their eyes focused on him, and then they all greeted him warmly.

"Hello, Doctor Liu!"

"How have you been these past two years?"

"Hey, you're finally back!" The words are concise and clear, yet full of warmth and care between colleagues.

"Yes, I just got home! Thank you all for your concern!" Liu Zhitai responded with a smile on his face, while greeting his colleagues one by one.

Then, he continued, "By the way, for this overseas study, I have specially prepared a little gift for everyone..."

When Nurse Liu heard this, her eyes suddenly lit up with surprise: "Oh! There are gifts! What are they?" Before she finished speaking, she and several female colleagues who could not contain their curiosity were eager to find out.

Seeing this, Liu Zhitai smiled even more happily: "Don't worry, I guarantee everyone will get one. Female colleagues, each will get a piece of German Dove chocolate; male colleagues will not miss out either, each will get a box of Harvest brand East German cigarettes..."

When Nurse Liu and other female comrades heard this, their eyes sparkled with unconcealed joy, and their smiles almost turned into crescents. For them, even domestic chocolate was hard to come by, let alone imported goods from developed countries.

In the Xia Kingdom at that time, chocolate was definitely a rare commodity, and ordinary people had no chance to taste it.

However, Xiaguo's domestic chocolate was able to be domestically produced as early as ten years ago, but the output was not large and it was a relatively expensive dessert.

A few years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Yimin Food Factory in Shanghai took over the chocolate production equipment from the American company Sullivan's Company at that time, and had the technical foundation to produce chocolate. However, another raw material problem that had plagued chocolate production was solved in an unexpected place.

After its founding, the Xia Kingdom provided a large amount of aid and investment in Africa in order to support the infrastructure of the people in the third world.

In order to reverse the trade deficit, some African countries chose to barter and use cocoa beans to offset Xia's debts. It was the cocoa beans that African brothers used to offset Xia's debts that became another pillar of the domestic chocolate industry.

As a result, the Shanghai Yimin Food Factory, which had solved the problems of technology and raw materials, soon produced Xiaguo's own domestically produced chocolate, and named it "Happiness Brand Chocolate". Although this chocolate did not taste silky smooth, it was fragrant and sweet in the mouth. It was very popular once it was launched. The people of Xiaguo finally got to eat chocolate produced by themselves.

"Wow, it's delicious, but a little too sweet!" A young nurse couldn't wait to peel off the chocolate wrapper, then put a piece of chocolate into her mouth and started chewing.

"Hahaha, you little greedy cat, you have to take your time when eating chocolate, enjoy it slowly, one bite at a time. How can you be so bold as to throw it directly into your mouth!" Nurse Liu joked with a smile, her words full of pampering and warmth.

Liu Zhiye smiled and waved goodbye to them, then walked into his department, where there was laughter again, but we will not go into details for now.

On the other side, He Hongmei had just successfully completed an operation and walked into the office after a quick wash.

As soon as I entered the door, I saw colleagues from the same department sitting together, eating the chocolates brought by Liu Zhitai.

An older woman smiled and said to He Hongmei: "Hongmei, your boyfriend just came and gave us some foreign chocolates. Thank you so much!"

He Hongmei smiled slightly and responded: "Why thank me? That was his intention. Where is he? Is he gone?"

The elder sister smiled and said softly, "Not long after Dr. Liu arrived, he was invited by Vice President Zheng to have a talk. Hongmei, it looks like we have to prepare to congratulate you in advance! I heard that Dr. Liu will be promoted to the position of chief physician of the internal medicine department after his return this time."

"Huh? I knew nothing about it!" He Hongmei was stunned when she heard that. Even her father He Zhiyan had not revealed a word of the good news about Liu Zhitai's upcoming promotion. How did this Sister Wei know all about this?
Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

In the office of Vice President Zheng, who is in charge of administration.

Vice President Zheng stood up and poured Liu Zhitai a cup of hot tea. He said in a friendly tone, "Xiao Liu, I remember you are in your prime this year. You are 27 years old, right?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhitai replied quickly and respectfully: "Yes, Dean, I am twenty-seven years old."

Vice President Zheng nodded slightly, with approval in his eyes: "You are really young and strong, and talented. I think it's time to put more responsibilities on your shoulders and let you go further on the road of growth."

(End of this chapter)