5

Sure enough, the next morning, my father brought several reporters and took my family to the hospital entrance to unfurl a white banner. “This heartless hospital killed my daughter! They forced her to work under high-intensity conditions, leading to her sudden death. After the incident, they not only concealed the news from the family but also, without our consent, directly took my daughter's body to the crematorium for cremation. We, as her parents, only found out about her death half a year later. Where is justice?” They spoke tearfully in front of the cameras, portraying the situation as utterly tragic. The incident sparked an online uproar, with many joining in to condemn the hospital. “This hospital is truly unethical. Last time I took my mother there for treatment, they only prescribed expensive medications.” “Doctor Lee had a kind heart and spoke softly. It's tragic that such a young person passed away...” “Anyone who's been to college knows how hard medical students work. To die suddenly after just two years of work shows how much this heartless hospital doesn't value its doctors!” “If I were a family member, I'd make them pay until they're bankrupt. This is simply too heinous!” I floated in the air, shaking my head. No, that's not the truth at all! They had no idea what this hospital means to me! Without the hospital’s financial support, I would never have had the opportunity to study and become a doctor who saves lives! As a child, I was raised by my uncle’s family. My parents’ child support payments were often late. My uncle didn’t earn much, and he had his own family to support. Though he was honest and never looked down on me, he had little say in the household and had to follow his wife’s lead in everything. So I learned to read people’s expressions from a young age. Every day before dawn, I would get up to feed the chickens and cook breakfast. The clothes I wore were hand-me-downs from my aunt’s children, and they didn’t fit properly. I never dared to skip any household chores, which led to my hands developing frostbite at a young age. By winter, they swelled up . Even so, my aunt never showed me any kindness, often beating and scolding me, or withholding food. When it was time for me to go to school, my uncle wanted to send me to study, but my aunt immediately said there was no money. Yet the child support sent by my parents became the meal expenses for her children at school. “She’s a child no one wants. Why should she go to school? If she goes to school, who will do all the work at home? Besides, what’s the point of a girl going to school? Just raise her for a few more years and marry her off early. That way, we can get some dowry money to marry off our son!” By then, I was six years old and beginning to understand more about the world. Some villagers said that only education could change one’s fate, so I knelt before my aunt and pleaded with her. “Auntie, please let me go to school. When I grow up, I’ll earn a lot of money and take care of you!” But no matter how much I cried and begged, my aunt refused. At that time, Dean Geoff from the hospital was leading a team on a rural medical mission. After hearing my cries, he kindly inquired about my situation. In front of my aunt, he pulled me up, his eyes gentle and kind. “Good girl, don't cry. Uncle will let you go to school.” That was the first time someone had given me warmth, and the first time someone had reached out to help me when I was desperate and helpless. The white coat Dean Geoff wore is deeply etched in my memory. From that moment on, I resolved to become a doctor. Once I had completed my studies, I would join Dean Geoff’s hospital and help more unfortunate souls like myself who were suffering in dire straits. But now, seeing my parents’ shameless faces, I feel both ashamed and angry. How could they do this? How could they, after abandoning me for so many years, have the nerve to spread rumors and profit from my suffering? Do they think this will allow them to demand a huge settlement from the hospital? No, I will never let them get away with it!