Although Ye Xiu officially started work today, he hardly did anything all morning. He only helped Dr. Li with two discharge procedures and provided some post-discharge care instructions to patients' families near noon. Meanwhile, the other doctors and nurses in the office were busy seeing new patients and handling emergency cases.
Ye Xiu found it strange that he wasn't given much to do, especially considering how busy everyone else was. Even more puzzling was the fact that Dr. Zheng Wenbo, who graduated from Kansas University, seemed to have even less to do than him. Whenever he tried to get up to assist with patients, other doctors stopped him, saying that minor cases didn't require his expertise and that he should only handle difficult cases.
Could Dr. Zheng's medical skills really be that impressive? Ye Xiu observed the other doctors' deferential attitudes towards Dr. Zheng with curiosity and suspicion.
Despite his curiosity, Ye Xiu refrained from asking too many questions. He didn't want to stir up trouble by prying into other doctors' abilities. Besides, he figured he'd have plenty of opportunities to observe Dr. Zheng's skills in action.
During the quiet morning hours, Ye Xiu focused on digesting the knowledge and experiences he gained while accompanying Dr. Wang Yanchao on rounds. He also spent some time reading books on traditional Chinese medicine.
Observing Ye Xiu reading about Chinese medicine, Dr. Zheng felt even more disdainful. The rumor about Ye Xiu's lack of medical knowledge had spread throughout the department, and now almost everyone believed that the new doctor was incompetent and only good for eating.
Despite feeling disappointed, Nurse Su Dongmei couldn't help but feel sorry for Ye Xiu. She had overheard her colleagues gossiping about him being nothing more than a gluttonous fool. She wanted to defend him but knew that gossip was hard to stop once it started.
When Ye Xiu left the cafeteria, he was surprised to find Nurse Su standing nearby, looking at him with a strange expression. He greeted her awkwardly, feeling embarrassed about his enormous meal.
"Su Nurse, what a coincidence to see you here for lunch."
Su Dongmei, regaining her composure, replied, "Yes, quite a coincidence. Have you finished your meal, Dr. Ye?"
Ye Xiu confirmed that he had and quickly excused himself, feeling a bit flustered. As he left, he couldn't shake the feeling that Nurse Su had been watching him eat with a hint of judgment.
After Ye Xiu left, Su Dongmei's colleague approached her with excitement, eager to share the gossip about Ye Xiu's eating habits. Despite Su's attempts to discourage her, the gossip spread like wildfire through the department, confirming everyone's belief that Ye Xiu was nothing more than a gluttonous and incompetent doctor.
Su Dongmei sighed, feeling powerless to stop the rumors from tarnishing Ye Xiu's reputation.