The shrapnel was in far too dangerous a position!

When Li Huilan saw that Song Ning wasn't looking at her, she thought Song Ning didn't want to greet her. For a moment, she felt so awkward that she didn't know whether to sit down or hide.

Then, the very next second, she heard Song Ning call out to her:

"Huilan! Hello! My name is Song Ning! I'm from the countryside too! It's lovely to meet you!"

Li Huilan froze for a moment before hurriedly replying, "Oh! Song Ning! I-I'm happy to meet you too! You're so pretty! You don't look like a country girl at all!"

Song Ning walked over with a smile, took her hand, and said:

"Huilan! Country folk and city folk aren't any different. We all earn our living with our own hands! We're all contributing to the country!"

Li Huilan quickly clasped Song Ning's hand, her face flushing with delight.

"You put that so well! I've felt so unsure of myself since coming here. I was afraid the city folk would look down on a country woman like me and I'd embarrass Old Zhang!"

Old Zhang was pleased too and quickly said:

"Huilan! Talk to Song Ning more from now on. Let her show you the ropes, and you won't feel so nervous!"

Li Huilan nodded repeatedly, refusing to let go of Song Ning's hand.

Watching from the side, Lu Changqing couldn't help breaking into a grin.

Song Ning let Li Huilan hold her hand without any awkwardness, but said with a smile:

"Still, I don't know whether I'll be staying here! My marriage to Company Commander Lu isn't actually..."

"Song Ning-"

Before Song Ning could finish, Lu Changqing hurriedly interrupted her.

Song Ning glanced at Lu Changqing, then looked him straight in the eye and said:

"Company Commander Lu! I don't want everyone to misunderstand our relationship!"

She was willing to get along with the soldiers here, and she could also make friends with their families.

When others showed her kindness, she was happy to accept it and return it.

But she didn't want people muddling things up and getting the wrong idea.

She and Lu Changqing were about to call off their marriage arrangement. There was no need to pretend everything was fine.

"Song Ning! Wait! Could you do me a favor first?"

Lu Changqing called out to her, then reached beneath his pillow and felt around for something.

Song Ning stayed where she was, watching him quietly.

At last, he pulled out a key and called to her:

"Song Ning! C-could you come here a moment?"

Frowning, Song Ning walked over to Lu Changqing's bed.

Lu Changqing handed her the key and said in a low voice:

"Room 216 in the regimental headquarters dormitory. My bed is on the left. There are some things in the bottom drawer of the desk. Take a look first! Can we talk about the rest after you've seen them?"

Song Ning looked at the key, then at Lu Changqing. His eyes were earnest and anxious.

After a moment of silence, she reached out and took the key.

Lu Changqing and her grandfather were keeping a secret. That much was certain.

With Old Zhang and his wife here, this clearly wasn't a good time to talk anyway.

Since Lu Changqing was willing to let her look, she might as well see what was there first.

The truth about her relationship with Lu Changqing could be exposed with a few words. Surely he wouldn't invent a lie just to stall for time.

Since they couldn't talk, Song Ning didn't want to linger.

She nodded to Lu Changqing, said goodbye to Old Zhang and his wife, and turned to leave.

Behind her, Lu Changqing said, "Just tell them you're going to collect a change of clothes for me. They'll send a car to take you! And don't tell anyone what you see! Anyone!"

Song Ning turned back and saw Lu Changqing watching her with a grave, solemn expression.

She held his gaze for a moment, then turned and went out.

After leaving the room, she could still faintly hear Old Zhang asking, "She's leaving already?"

"Ah! Yes! I asked her to bring me a couple of changes of clothes!"

As she passed the nurses' station, Song Ning glanced at the clock inside. It wasn't even three yet.

There was still plenty of time before the scheduled acupuncture treatment.

Song Ning decided to take a look around the hospital's various departments.

The way hospital departments were organized in 1979 was very different from modern times. They were broadly divided into internal medicine and surgery, without further specialization.

Doctors didn't have much equipment to rely on either. They mostly depended on experience.

That was one reason the overall standard of medical care was limited.

This was the main military hospital for the entire Southwest Military Region. Patients and their families streamed back and forth, so she attracted little attention as she wandered between floors.

As a result, she never noticed that a man had been following her at an unhurried pace for quite some time.

Shortly before four, she headed toward the gate of the courtyard behind the hospital.

Sure enough, Wang Ze was already waiting there. When he saw her, he approached with a smile:

"Comrade Song! Elder Zhou is waiting for you!"

When she entered the ward, Elder Zhou was reclining on the bed, looking exhausted. Professor Yang stood bent over him with a towel, wiping away his sweat.

Clearly, the old man had just endured a bout of pain.

Seeing her enter, the elderly couple both greeted her warmly.

Elder Zhou said with a beaming smile, "You must be Doctor Xiao Song! Thank you for coming to give me acupuncture! My surname is Zhou, and I'll soon be seventy! You can call me Old Zhou or Grandpa Zhou!"

Song Ning smiled. "I'll call you Elder Zhou, like everyone else! Although I know how to treat people, I'm not formally a doctor yet, so just call me Xiao Song!"

Elder Zhou's willingness to be friendly didn't mean she could take liberties.

The furnishings in his ward alone, along with the attention the doctors and nurses paid him, made it clear that his rank and standing were far from low.

Calling him Old Zhou was certainly out of the question, while Grandpa Zhou... was a little too familiar.

She knew her place. Such forms of address wouldn't matter with ordinary people, but with someone at this kind of leadership level, it was better to maintain some restraint and clear boundaries.

She was only giving the old man acupuncture to earn a little money. There was no need to invite trouble.

Elder Zhou pointed a finger at her and said with a smile:

"All right! Whatever you prefer! Well then, Xiao Song, let's begin! Whether this old man gets a good night's sleep today is all up to you!"

Song Ning checked Elder Zhou's pulse. With more time available on this occasion, she also carefully adjusted the needle placement during the treatment to ensure better results.

While the needles were left in place, she asked Professor Yang whether she could see Elder Zhou's previous scans.

Professor Yang took a thick stack of examination records from the bedside cabinet and handed them to her.

The routine test results weren't particularly useful.

Song Ning picked out only the X-rays and held them up to the light for a careful look.

The images showed only a rough outline of the shrapnel. Judging by its position on the films, it lay right beside the spine and had even grazed it on entering his body. In theory, it had already damaged the spinal nerves.

Perhaps Elder Zhou had been lucky and the main nerves had been spared. Otherwise, he would have been unable to stand ever since the injury.

After watching Song Ning study the films for a long time, Professor Yang cautiously asked her:

"Xiao Song! Have you spotted anything?"

"Professor Yang, if this shrapnel isn't removed, Elder Zhou's pain will grow increasingly severe, and each episode will last longer! Pain relief treats the symptoms, not the cause. It isn't a long-term solution."

Professor Yang sighed. "We all understand that! But what can we do? Over the years, we've visited major hospitals all over the country and invited specialists to Rong City. It's just... no one dares to touch that piece of shrapnel!"

Song Ning nodded. The shrapnel was in far too dangerous a position.

Besides, X-rays provided only a two-dimensional view. They couldn't clearly reveal the shrapnel's shape or exact location. Rushing into surgery based on a single blurry, flat image would be far too risky, with too many unpredictable factors.

Unfortunately, medical equipment in Hua Country was still generally outdated. If she remembered correctly, it was this year that Shanghai City would import Hua Country's first CT scanner-a secondhand machine purchased at enormous expense.

It was reportedly being bought for research. Whether it would be available for public use remained uncertain.

But Elder Zhou's current condition was no longer something as simple as merely needing pain relief.

She hesitated...

Should I tell Professor Yang the true state of his condition?

Even if I did, would he believe me?