Strolling into the ward, Du Heng saw Li Shuxun and a few others talking in a hospital room. He went in and quietly listened from the back.

"Doctor, we're from out of town. Someone told me Doctor Du can treat this disease, and I came here after watching his videos." The young woman at the front looked exhausted. She appeared to be in her early twenties and was cautiously observing the doctors before her.

Li Shuxun had already finished examining the child. As another doctor took over, he began chatting with the young mother. "Don't worry, Doctor Du is the Dean of our hospital, and he personally examines every child here. He is personally responsible for the treatment plan and medication. The Dean is a bit busy right now, but once he's finished, we will report your child's situation to him."

The woman was incredibly grateful, yet very cautiously thanked them, saying things like, "Thank you so much, and sorry for the trouble." After Li Shuxun managed to stop her stream of thanks, the woman hesitated and then asked, "Doctor, how much will the treatment cost?"

Perhaps fearing Li Shuxun would misunderstand, she quickly added, "Our family is from a rural village, and we don't grow anything valuable in our fields—just a bit of wheat and potatoes, enough so we don't starve. To earn some money for the family, my husband has been going to the border regions to pick cotton for the past few years. But this year, they started using machines, so there's much less work for him and the others."

She then looked pitifully at Li Shuxun. "We don't have much money now. If it's too expensive, could you just prescribe a few doses of medicine for the child? We won't seek hospitalization."

Hearing this request, Li Shuxun was somewhat stunned. He hadn't been a doctor for long and didn't know how to respond appropriately to such a situation. Especially hearing the woman's humble words, tinged with a tremor in her voice, he felt a bit overwhelmed himself. This kind of situation was not unfamiliar to him. His own family background wasn't much better than the woman's current situation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been drifting between small hospitals just two months prior, desperate for a job to earn a living, especially when Jinzhou University Hospital required him for standardized training. If Du Heng hadn't helped him, he might have already returned to his hometown.

Fortunately, his colleagues were nearby—seasoned veterans who had navigated the hospital environment for many years. When the woman finished speaking, they noticed Li Shuxun's unease and immediately took over the conversation. "As for the cost of treating this disease, there isn't a precise figure yet. It depends on the severity of the child's condition and his recovery progress. Based on the two patients who have already been discharged, the treatment cost at the hospital is typically between 50,000 and 80,000 yuan."

The woman's expression tightened. She muttered, "That expensive?"

The doctor who spoke sighed and explained, "Treating this disease requires various expensive medicinal herbs, and the dosages aren't small." Seeing the hope in the woman's eyes fade, he continued, "Does your child have medical insurance?"

"Yes, we pay for it for him every year."

"Having medical insurance is good. It should cover a little over half of the cost."

A flicker of hope instantly lit up the woman's face, and her eyes brightened.

A little over half... she thought. Even if it's just half, the final cost would be around 30,000 to 50,000 yuan. If we pool our savings and borrow some from relatives, we could barely manage it. Then the child would have a chance!

However, just as hope sparked on her face, the doctor's next words sent her crashing back to the depths of despair. The doctor's expression, however, remained calm. Although the Municipal Maternal and Child Health Hospital didn't have a high volume of patients, over the years he had seen many who couldn't afford treatment due to financial problems. His heart, while not made of stone, had grown accustomed to such situations.

"Actually, the portion of the treatment costs incurred in the hospital isn't too high," the doctor continued. "With medical insurance reimbursement, and since we try to use alternatives when possible, it's somewhat manageable. The real significant expense comes after the child is discharged."

After saying this, the doctor paused, taking a soft breath before continuing, "Once the child is discharged, the medication cannot be stopped. It requires long-term use. So, for this part, I'm not sure about the reimbursement standards in your local area, but it likely won't be very high. And the largest single expense is the Rehabilitation Training. If you go to a professional rehabilitation institution, the cost starts at a minimum of 50,000 yuan, and this expense is not covered by insurance."

The young mother's body visibly began to tremble. Her eyes darted about, unfocused and filled with panic, but she still managed to ask, "This Rehabilitation Training... can't we do it ourselves?"

The doctor sighed again. "Later on, perhaps. But in the initial stages, especially right at the beginning, it's best to use a professional rehabilitation institution."

The doctor's words left the young mother ashen-faced. She slumped down by her child's bedside, large tears streaming down her cheeks.

Upon hearing this, the assembled doctors fell silent. Even Li Shuxun, who had been agitated just moments before, was now quiet. If it were a matter of a few thousand, or even 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, they could all grit their teeth and organize a hospital-wide donation drive. That wouldn't be an issue. Even if the inpatient expenses were insufficient, the hospital itself had aid programs for extremely impoverished households. But the crucial point now, and the biggest hurdle for this pediatric patient, was the cost of post-discharge rehabilitation therapy. The doctor had actually understated it. To get comprehensive rehabilitation for the child's language, hearing, and motor skills from a good institution, it would cost at least 100,000 yuan, not the 50,000 yuan he mentioned—a sum far beyond what they could help with.

The doctors fell silent, unsure how to comfort the crying mother. Yet, the young mother showed uncommon strength. After shedding a few tears and a brief moment of disorientation, she quickly composed herself. Though she appeared even more haggard, her gaze was firmer than before. Wiping away her tears, she even managed a smile for them. "Thank you, doctors, for all your hard work. We've troubled you. We... we've decided not to go through with the treatment."

With that, she turned and began to gather the few belongings she had set down earlier. An old, small woven bag and a scuffed women's backpack—that was all.

The child, who looked to be a little over two, suddenly burst into loud wails when his mother picked him up. At the child's cries, the young mother could no longer hold back her own tears, and they began to stream down her face again. Yet, she continued to gently comfort him with soft words.

Li Shuxun couldn't bear to watch. He wanted to reach out, to say something to stop her, but his hand, halfway extended, fell limply to his side. The words caught in his throat, and his slightly open mouth closed. He realized that, at this moment, any words he offered would be utterly useless. Because no matter what he said, he couldn't solve the problem of the medical expenses, which were clearly mounting.

A heavy "Sigh..."

And a lighter "Hm?" sounded at the same time.

Everyone instinctively looked towards the back. Du Heng stood there, hands clasped behind him. They all shifted aside slightly. "Dean."

"What's all this?" Du Heng walked forward, hands still behind his back. "They just arrived, didn't they? Why are they packing up already? And what's with all the crying? What happened?"

The doctors exchanged glances and tacitly took a step back, leaving Li Shuxun to face Du Heng.

Li Shuxun glanced helplessly at his colleagues before explaining the situation to Du Heng. "The child's mother heard how expensive the medical fees would be and has decided against treatment. She's preparing to leave."

Du Heng hummed in acknowledgment. He then turned to the young mother, who was still holding her child, and offered a gentle smile. "Now, now, what's this? Put the child down first. Holding him like that must be tiring for you, and he can't be comfortable either, right? Go on, put him down. Tell me what the trouble is. I'm the Dean of this hospital. My name is Du Heng."