Bai Fanglan bit her lip and gave Sun Chan a fierce glare before striding away.
Sun Chan felt really unlucky, caught in this unwarranted disaster. However, she knew that no matter how much she explained, Bai Fanglan wouldn't believe that she hadn't been eavesdropping. She could only wait for Bai Fanglan to be in a better mood before addressing it.
Just then, Aunt Wang arrived, carrying a bag of dumplings. She smiled at Sun Chan and said, "Where did you go early this morning?"
"I went to check on someone in our village. Aunt, about the nursing job you mentioned last time..."
"What, have you decided to do it?"
Sun Chan nodded, "I'm just worried I won't do well."
"How come? I've seen how earnest you are; it's just physical work, you'll be fine. As it happens, there's a child who had an appendectomy, and his parents are out of town temporarily, so they can't rush back. You need to care for him for a few days, just head over in a bit. It's three yuan a day. How about it?"
Sun Chan was thrilled, "Sure, I can do it!"
She never thought she'd land a job so directly. It was quite exciting for her.
Aunt Wang actually wanted to keep the job for herself, as taking care of a child was relatively easy. However, considering her current job was a long-term one and that man was still bedridden with no clear recovery time, her income was stable. But this child's condition was short-term. Once done, she'd have to find a new job, so she generously offered it to Sun Chan.
Sun Chan was led by Aunt Wang to a ward downstairs where a child, around seven or eight years old, was still asleep.
Aunt Wang whispered to her, "Just make sure to clean him up a bit. He hasn't passed gas yet, which means farting! Wait until he does before giving him water or food, and don't let him walk around. Oh, and make sure no unfamiliar people take him away. Do your best, and ask me if you're unsure about anything."
"Thank you so much, Aunt!" Sun Chan said gratefully, seeing Aunt Wang off and then returning to look at the child.
She had just sat down when the child opened his eyes, "Sister, I want some water."
Sun Chan replied, "You can't have water right now, hold on a little longer."
"But I'm really thirsty," the child said, looking at Sun Chan with a forlorn expression.
Sun Chan thought for a moment and then fetched a cotton swab, wet it, and dabbed it on his lips. "Hang in there, sister will stay with you."
The child nodded and held onto Sun Chan's hand, "I'm scared."
"I'm right here with you, don't worry," Sun Chan gently stroked his hair. Seeing this child made her think of Liangliang, the child given up for adoption, sharing the same fate as hers. She wondered what Zhou Jinzhu would do to him after her death. Would he find him a good stepmother or just abandon him?
Thinking of Liangliang, Sun Chan was particularly gentle with this child.
In just an afternoon, the two became very good friends.
Bai Fanglan was reported by a patient's family for prescribing the wrong medicine.
The hospital leadership criticized her, but since she came from a backgrounded family, her work, though not remarkable, hadn't had any major mishaps. So, they didn't dwell on it, merely telling her to be more careful in the future.
Bai Fanglan verbally agreed but didn't take it seriously.
Walking down the corridor, ready to leave work, she happened to see Sun Chan coming out with a basin of water and greeted Bai Fanglan.
Bai Fanglan, with her hands in her lab coat, saw Sun Chan's friendly demeanor, which soothed her anger. She slightly lifted her chin and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm working as a caregiver, helping to take care of a child."
Bai Fanglan gave her a once-over, "Can you really take care of someone? Like administering medicines, you need to be literate for that."
"I can read." In her previous life, Sun Chan finished elementary school, and even farming and selling pesticides required recognizing many characters. Moreover, Zhao Jinzhu liked watching TV, and there were always captions. Over time, she learned a lot.
Bai Fanglan frowned slightly and then waved her hand, "Well, do your job well then! Keep yourself occupied instead of eavesdropping on others." With that, she left.
Sun Chan sensed Bai Fanglan's animosity but couldn't do anything about it. So long as her conscience was clear.
Sun Chan cared for the child for two consecutive days, catching sleep at his bedside at night and having no time to find Wang Dan. After the child could eat regularly, she bought porridge and fed him slowly, treating him as her own and loving him dearly. Children are very perceptive and knew that this sister genuinely cared for him, making him depend on her more.
When the child experienced pain from his wound, Sun Chan would hold him and soothe him gently, which built his reliance on her.
At first, Bai Fanglan had no opinion on Sun Chan caring for the child. It was merely a few yuan a day job, not interfering with her affairs. But upon overhearing a nurse talk, she learned that the child's parents were actually officials from the neighboring city's labor bureau.
This time they had gone to Beijing for a business trip with an important task, temporarily unable to return. The child was left with his grandmother here, who became suddenly ill while watching him. The grandmother also wasn't in great health and was recovering in another hospital, unable to come over.
Upon hearing this, Bai Fanglan was intrigued, "Are you serious?"
"Mm, someone overheard the director's phone call. He sounded so enthusiastic, indicating this is a well-connected family. Otherwise, they wouldn't have arranged a private ward for her here."
Bai Fanglan remained silent, having grown up observing how her grandfather socialized. Knowing this was a good opportunity, she realized that the local hospital couldn't compare to that in neighboring X City. If she could transfer, there'd undoubtedly be a bright future. The most crucial point was that Gu Junming's station was there. If closer, they'd meet more often, which would naturally lead to things falling into place.
Yet, her grandfather resisted helping her in this regard, not yet decided about letting Bai Fanglan and Gu Junming be together.
She had to rely on herself!
Bai Fanglan didn't go home after her night shift but headed straight to the ward the next day.
Sun Chan was wiping the child's face with a wet towel. The child, leaning against the bedside, grinned, "Sister, I want to eat buns!"
"That's not possible," Sun Chan said with a smile, "Your stomach isn't well yet, you'll have to wait a bit. Today's porridge has century egg and vegetables, it's delicious. I'll get you a bowl in a moment."
The child pouted but still agreed.
Bai Fanglan entered with a smile, "It's mealtime, anyway. Since I have no pressing matters, I'll stay with him while you get the food."
Sun Chan felt incredulous, "Isn't this inappropriate? You must be tired after your shift, you should go home and rest."
"It's no big deal," Bai Fanglan responded, sitting next to the bed with a smile, "I'll watch over him. You go ahead with your work."