Running Towards You - Chapter 2

Since becoming a doctor, Lu Jiahe had never received a commendation banner from a patient before even treating them.

It was almost the end of her shift when two people suddenly walked into the consultation room.

Ji Yin was sitting in a wheelchair, pushed by Dong Xiang. They had just finished taking X-rays and, seeing that Lu Jiahe was still seeing patients, simply left the banner behind and walked away pretty cool, actually.

During a break between patient calls, Lu Jiahe unfolded the banner and saw the eight large characters printed on it. She paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but chuckle.

After work, she took the banner home and hung it in her room.

Her parents admired it and asked why she had received such a banner.

“I ran into a patient on the road the other day and just gave her a lift for a few kilometers. She probably sent this because of that,” Lu Jiahe explained.

“Oh, so it has nothing to do with your medical ethics? Then you should definitely keep it,” her mom teased.

During dinner, her mom complained about her dad’s recent forgetfulness: “I asked him to buy a bottle of shower gel, and half a month later, it’s still not here.”

“I’ve been too busy lately, and my memory’s getting worse. I even thought about buying it before leaving the house, but as soon as I went downstairs and greeted some colleagues, I forgot,” her dad sighed.

“Go buy it after dinner, or you won’t be able to shower tonight.”

“Fine, fine.”

“I’ll get it. I’ll pick it up after my workout,” Lu Jiahe offered.

“Great. While you’re at it, grab some star anise, bay leaves, and pears. I’ll make some rock sugar pear soup for you two, your voices are getting hoarse.”

“Sure.” Lu Jiahe cleared her throat, though she felt fine. Her dad, on the other hand, lectured all day and talked far more than she did.

After her workout, Lu Jiahe realized she had quite a few things to buy, so she decided to go to the supermarket.

The nearest one was Yanhua Supermarket.

She parked her car, grabbed a shopping basket, picked out the shower gel, and then weighed some star anise and spices.

“Oh, and pears, almost forgot. Pears, pears… took me forever to find them.” Muttering to herself, she made her way to the fruit section and picked out a few good-looking pears with a bag.

“Hey! Dr. Lu?!”

Lu Jiahe turned and immediately recognized the red-haired guy as one of the two who had delivered the banner earlier. Seeing him in a supermarket vest, she guessed he worked there and smiled. “What a coincidence.”

“Here to shop?” Dong Xiang walked over cheerfully, glanced at the pears in her hand, and immediately pointed to another variety across the aisle. “You should get those instead. They’re cheaper, juicier, and sweeter. The ones you picked look nice but aren’t as cost-effective.”

Lu Jiahe eyed the yellow-skinned pears he recommended and hesitated. “Are they good?”

“Absolutely! They’re a variety from my hometown. When we were kids, we’d sneak out to steal them all the time, one bite and the juice would practically burst out,” Dong Xiang enthusiastically vouched. “Why not buy one or two to try and see if you like them?”

“Alright, I’ll take your word for it, expert.” Lu Jiahe bought half a kilo of each, planning to let her mom decide which to use for the soup.

“Need anything else? I can give you recommendations,” Dong Xiang offered eagerly.

“I’ve got everything.”

“Then let me carry your basket.” Helpfully, he took her basket and led her to the checkout.

“So, you work here?” Lu Jiahe asked casually to ease the slight awkwardness.

“Yep.”

Lu Jiahe recalled that when she gave Ji Yin a ride the other day, the other woman had mentioned coming here to take care of something, probably starting work.

“There’s also a billiards hall. I run between the two, going wherever they’re short-handed,” Dong Xiang said.

“What about Ji Yin?”

“She’s even busier.”

Lu Jiahe nodded. No wonder she didn’t want surgery, probably didn’t have the time.

After settling the bill, she carried her bags out. “No need to see me off. Remember to bring your sister for a checkup when the scans come out, and try not to let her walk too much.”

“Got it, got it.” Dong Xiang bobbed his head respectfully as he watched her leave.

“Playing the lucky cat here, are you?” Ji Yin appeared behind him, leaning on a crutch.

“Dr. Lu just came by to buy some things,” Dong Xiang turned around, excited. “I even acted as her shopping guide. Wonder if I left a good impression.”

Ji Yin frowned. “Are you crushing on her? Do you want Yanzi to beat you to death?”

“I swear, sis, it’s all for your sake!” Dong Xiang whispered in her ear. “Getting chummy with a doctor is better than having to slip them a red envelope after being hospitalized, right?”

“Hospitalized? Can’t you wish me well?” Ji Yin jabbed him with her crutch.

“Of course you’ll be fine, Sis! I’m just playing it safe. Making friends with a doctor never hurts.” Dong Xiang grinned, dodging.

“When Dr. Lu left, did you give her a little gift?”

“Give what?”

“With so many things here, you could’ve just handed her anything!” Ji Yin sighed and poked him again. “You act like you’ve got the cunning of a sprinkler with eight hundred holes, but turns out all those holes are clogged with cement.”

“Ah, I didn’t think of it! Plus, it’d be a hassle for bookkeeping later,” Dong Xiang scratched his head.

“Whatever. Keep doing inventory. I’m heading out.”

“Where to this time?”

“Negotiating with the other side’s lawyer. That punk cut me off he’s not getting off easy.”

The one who’d cut her off was a rich kid who, bored last year, decided to open a supermarket for fun.

The two stores were close, and the other side kept running loss-leader promotions, engaging in cutthroat competition that siphoned off a lot of customers.

They had deep pockets and could afford to bleed, but Ji Yin couldn’t.

She’d started from scratch, there was no way she could compete on price. The more volume she moved, the faster she’d go under.

Clearly, the other side was trying to bleed her dry. They’d come by the store several times, putting on airs as they inspected the place, their words dripping with arrogance, just waiting for Yanhua Supermarket to collapse so they could scoop it up cheap.

But who was Ji Yin?

She’d dropped out at fifteen to hustle, worked countless jobs, and clawed her way up through the years, there wasn’t a trick she hadn’t seen.

You want to play the low-price game? Fine. I’ll go high-end instead.

I’ll offer premium customization. I’ll make customers feel like they’re stepping into a luxury store when they enter my supermarket.

Seizing the opportunity, she temporarily closed for renovations, upgrading the store and introducing higher-quality products. She even added a members-only lane, giving cardholders exclusive, VIP service.

Then she invited some influencers to showcase the revamped store. A flood of curated photos and styles turned Yanhua Supermarket into the latest trendy hotspot.

Soon, more young people and affluent families started coming.

The rival store had siphoned off the budget shoppers but failed to crush Yanhua Supermarket in the short term instead, they’d shot themselves in the foot.

If they suddenly raised prices, their regulars would revolt. If they didn’t, they’d bleed out slowly and fade away.

The rich kid’s dad was far from pleased with this “business experiment” and forced him to sell the store.

He didn’t dare vent his anger on his own father, so he took it out on Ji Yin instead. Coincidentally, he had seen her riding her bike on the road a few days earlier, and in a fit of rage, he cut her off.

After the incident, Ji Yin immediately contacted a lawyer, determined to make the other party pay for their actions.

They had already negotiated several times over the past few days, and this time, she didn’t plan to bring Dong Xiang along. The kid was fine for manual labor and running errands, but when it came to serious matters, he tended to get nervous and only ended up causing more trouble.

“But Dr. Lu told you to avoid walking as much as possible,” Dong Xiang reminded her.

“Did she say I was forbidden from walking?”

“Wel no.”

“Then that settles it. I’ll take a cab. Stop nagging, my lawyer’s already there.” Ji Yin pulled a sling from her pocket, draped it around her neck, and looped it over her arm, putting on a brave, injured-but-unbroken front as she got into the car.

An hour later, she returned.

“How’d it go? Did they throw the book at that guy?” Dong Xiang asked excitedly.

“No major accident happened, so it didn’t meet the criteria for criminal charges,” Ji Yin said.

“So it was a wasted trip?” Dong Xiang couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

“Who said that?” Ji Yin smirked. “I got 500,000 in compensation.”

Dong Xiang’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “But he’d been refusing to budge all this time! How’d you pull that off?”

“You think I spent all this time and effort arguing with him just for his sake? The money in his pocket still comes from his dad.”

She had deliberately made enough noise to ensure his father found out. The first-generation rich cared most about face, and the fear of her actually filing a lawsuit and the humiliation that would follow if word got out, was enough to make the old man come to negotiate with her in person. The deal was settled in ten minutes.

“Rich people sure are quick to hand over money,” Ji Yin said, patting her pocket with satisfaction.

“His dad’s worth hundreds of millions 500,000 is just pocket change. Sis, why didn’t you ask for more?”

“Do I look like a beggar to you?” Ji Yin rapped him on the head. “Know when to stop, got it? Teaching his son a lesson is enough. Falling once and getting 500,000, I came out ahead. You really want to push our luck and make the old man hold a grudge against us too? How many lives do we have to go up against people like that?”

Dong Xiang nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Sis Yin. I still have a lot to learn from you.”

“And you’ll be learning for a while.” Ji Yin passed by the fruit section, casually picked up a pear, wiped it, and took a bite.

“Dr. Lu bought the same kind of pear earlier,” Dong Xiang suddenly mentioned.

“She likes these?” Ji Yin asked, surprised.

“No, she was originally going to buy the other kind, but I recommended this one to her.”

“The customer wanted the expensive one, and you talked her into buying the cheap one?!”

Dong Xiang froze. “Did I mess up again?”

“Forget it. A customer is a customer, but Dr. Lu is Dr. Lu, she’s a good person. You did the right thing this time.” Ji Yin figured it could count as making up for the gas money from last time.

After three days of rest, the scan results came in.

Since Ji Yin’s mobility wasn’t severely affected, she went to the hospital alone for the checkup.

She handed the scans to Lu Jiahe, who examined them carefully.

While waiting, Ji Yin noticed a pear on the desk and instinctively asked, “Is that from Yanhua Supermarket?”

“Yes, your brother-in-law recommended it. It’s very good, my whole family loves it,” Lu Jiahe replied with a smile.

Hearing that her product was delicious, Ji Yin’s mood brightened: “This is an agricultural support product, so the price is a bit more affordable.”

“Mm.” Lu Jiahe nodded and got straight to the point. “From the scans, your ligament is damaged, and the meniscus has a grade three tear, it’s quite severe. Have you experienced any knee locking when moving these past couple of days?”

“A few times.”

“My recommendation is surgery. It’ll allow for better recovery in the long run.”

“Alright, let’s do the surgery then.”

Lu Jiahe glanced at her in surprise. “Not worried about the surgery taking up too much time now?”

“Yeah, things are settled, so I’m in a good mood. If I don’t get the surgery, will my leg still need a long period of rest?”

“Conservative treatment would definitely take longer, and there’s a high risk of re-tearing during movement.”

Hearing this, Ji Yin became even more determined to proceed with the surgery, better to resolve it sooner and be done with it.

Lu Jiahe checked the computer. “There’s a bed available the day after tomorrow when another patient is discharged. Can you come in then?”

“Sure.”

“Get to bed early tomorrow and fast after 10 PM. Come in on an empty stomach the next morning for some tests before the surgery,” Lu Jiahe instructed.

“Got it.”

“Go ahead and pay the fees. Do you have health insurance?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good.” Lu Jiahe breathed a sigh of relief.

Orthopedic surgery and hospitalization costs are significant expenses. She’d seen too many people in the service industry delay or avoid surgery because their employers didn’t provide social insurance, leaving them unable to cover the costs.

“Your supermarket is pretty decent, offering social insurance,” Lu Jiahe remarked offhandedly.

“Absolutely. When I first started working, none of my bosses provided insurance. I couldn’t even afford to see a doctor when I got sick.”

Knowing the hardships of labor firsthand, Ji Yin made sure all her employees had social insurance and decent benefits, which kept turnover relatively low.

Ji Yin stood up and looked around curiously. “Dr. Lu, where’s the commendation banner I gave you?”

“At home, warding off evil spirits.”

“You’ve got a sense of humor, Dr. Lu.” Ji Yin laughed and pointed at her pears. “Next time you’re in Yanhua, come find me, I’ll give you a discount.”

“How much of a discount?”

“A bone-breaking one.”

“Do you realize that joke is basically a horror story for an orthopedic surgeon?”

Ji Yin burst out laughing. “Then what kind of jokes do orthopedic surgeons like?”

Just then, the next patient walked in. “Dr. Lu, I’m here for my follow-up.”

“Alright, lie down on the bed.” Lu Jiahe stood up and noticed Ji Yin still lingering by the door. With a smile, she said, “I’ll tell you next time what kind of jokes we like.”

“Deal.” Ji Yin grinned cheerfully, slipped her hands into her pockets, and limped out with a carefree air.