Chapter 1: Zhang Fan Who Lacks Money
mpanies.Even going to the county hospital required connections, and it took about half a year or even longer to make arrangements. Zhang Fan couldn't even afford tuition, so where would he find connec...University life is a colorful tapestry of diverse ways of living. Some people live carefree and aimless lives, while others are constantly surrounded by excitement and romance. Most students follow a structured path, diligently completing their studies and graduating with a degree.
In the sweltering province of Sush, despite the temperature reaching 30°C, standing under a tree still offered a refreshing coolness.
A fifth-year clinical student named Zhang Fan stood in the shade, but he couldn't feel a bit of coolness. The anxiety and heat these past few days had even caused blisters on his mouth corners.
While others were starting to prepare their resumes, Zhang Fan had no thoughts about it. Because he hadn't received his diploma yet.
Zhang Fan's parents were both laid-off workers, and he had a younger sister who was 7 years younger than him. Their family life was inevitably difficult financially. When he received his university admission notice that year, he only managed to scrape together his tuition fees with the help of relatives and friends.
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Upon entering university, Zhang Fan didn't rely solely on his parents for financial support. He actively participated in the school's work-study program and, after evening self-study, he would sell instant noodles, ham, and eggs sourced from wholesale markets to barely make enough for tuition and living expenses. He managed to successfully get through his four years of university.
The last year of university may have been heaven's way of adding to Zhang Fan's life experience, with constant accidents happening at home.
First, the father who worked in a chemical factory got scalded on his foot. He was treated conservatively at the county hospital for two weeks. However, the attending physician gave a blank look and informed him to transfer hospitals, saying that the county hospital could not treat it any further and he should go to the larger hospital in the provincial capital.
It's a waste of money and time.
His father had just been discharged from the hospital, and his mother developed a perforated appendix. The surgery was successful, but this meant Zhang Fan's tuition fees were now uncertain.
If tuition is not paid, the school will naturally not issue a graduation certificate.
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Over the past few years, Zhang Fan has received a lot of help from his relatives. He feels embarrassed to trouble them again and can only figure out a solution himself.
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With graduation approaching, the school is holding commencement speeches, and I have more free time at my disposal.
Zhang Fan spent his days working on construction sites and his nights posting ads for a real estate agent. After twenty days of hard work, he still lacked over two thousand yuan for his tuition fees.
About to graduate, Zhang Fan was really desperate. He gritted his teeth and returned to the dormitory. Of course, his roommates didn't have much money either, so they couldn't lend him any.
Though a university isn't the same as a high school in a county town, there are still many wealthy students. Moreover, since graduation is just around the corner, many are letting loose.
A number of bored and gambling-prone students started a gambling game in their dormitory.
Although the stakes aren't that high, if you're unlucky, you could lose a couple hundred dollars in a day. But it can't be helped because there are so many people playing.
Zhang Fan didn't go there to rely on luck, he had a unique skill.
Zhang Fan's hometown is a small village in the northwest. Almost everyone in the village are farmers who have been working the land for generations, facing the yellow earth and turning their backs to the sky. A few workers from the village would be considered celebrities.
Just in such a small mountain village, there emerged a household name—Zhang Fan's uncle.
When my uncle was young, he was a lazybones who didn't do any honest work. One day he would steal chickens from the neighbor, and the next day he would steal dogs from behind the village. He was simply a despised scoundrel.
One year, he injured the son of the village head from a neighboring village in a fight. Fearing retaliation, he left his hometown.
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When Zhang Fan was about ten years old, his uncle suddenly returned to their hometown. He seemed like a different person and never did any menial or unimportant work again.
Zhang Fan liked to follow his uncle around when he was little.
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My uncle, who had traveled far and wide, told many stories and was also a skilled magician. He could transform a simple deck of cards into beautiful flowers.
Although he doesn't often show off in front of others, seeing the admiring eyes of the young kids, Uncle sometimes feels a little nostalgic. So he often uses playing cards to tease Xiao Zhang Fan, which surprisingly taught Xiao Zhang Fan a thing or two.
As Zhang Fan grew older, he learned that this was a cheating method in gambling. When he was bored, Zhang Fan would often hold cards in his hand and flip them over and over again.
One year when Zhang Fan returned to his hometown for the Lunar New Year, he saw young people in the village playing cards. He couldn't resist joining in and ended up winning dozens of rounds. Somehow, word got back to Zhang Fan's father, who gave him a good beating, leaving Zhang Fan bedridden for three days.
A father with low culture couldn't offer any profound wisdom. He educated Zhang Fan through physical discipline, believing that "spare the rod and spoil the child." After that, Zhang Fan never participated in gambling again. It was a deep impression on him.
The Clinical Medicine Department is the largest department in the medical school. There are quite a few wealthy children there who often organize mahjong and gold flower games. These people get so carried away when they play that they often forget to eat.
Back in the early 2000s, food delivery wasn't as prevalent. Whenever there was a gambling game, Zhang Fan would carry instant noodles to sell. He knew which dormitory had gambling games at school.
Room 504 was a gathering place for gamblers. When Zhang Fan knocked on the door, a voice inside shouted at him, "Dealer, you've been slacking off lately. If you don't come soon, I'll starve to death. Hurry up, two packs of braised meat and two eggs."
His original name contained the character "fan," and coupled with his daily routine of carrying a bag full of instant noodles up and down the hallways to sell, the nickname "Fanzi" gradually stuck.
“Sorry, I’ve been busy stocking up these days. It's almost graduation, and seeing you guys playing so enthusiastically makes me want to join in for a few rounds too.”
More than four years as a street vendor has allowed Zhang Fan to experience the harshness of society prematurely. Almost every time he speaks, there is a careful smile on his face, a sad pre-emptive laugh!
“Goodness, this is unexpected! Even the peddler has joined in. Come on everyone, make some room!” As he spoke, seven or eight people quickly made space.
They were playing a game called "Golden Flower" (Jin Hua), where three of a kind was a bomb. An ace was the largest bomb, and two of a kind was the smallest. Then came sequences and so on.
After Zhang Fan came on stage, he slowly played a few hands and observed the other players. He got a general idea in his mind.
Finally got a good hand, after winning a little, he started shuffling the cards. Zhang Fan's specialty was shuffling cards. The few people present weren't professional gamblers either. Although they hadn't played for many years, it was easy to cheat a few college students who hadn't graduated yet.
That's how he won two or three hundred yuan for the day. He didn't dare to win more. After all, it was just a small gambling den. If he smashed it and cleaned everyone out, no one would be stupid enough to play with Zhang Fan anymore. Who wants to play if someone is always winning without losing
Over the past twenty years, I've finally managed to scrape together enough money for tuition. Zhang Fan took a wad of cash and paid his tuition, looking at the receipt in his hand, Zhang Fan had a feeling of MMP. He spent all year working hard just to make enough money for tuition and living expenses. To take a shortcut, he just casually made up the amount.
A wave of helplessness washed over him. If it weren't for Zhang Father's beating, Zhang Fan might have given up medicine and pursued gambling instead.
The past twenty days have been hectic, with days filled with performances to earn tuition fees and evenings spent pondering how to play more discreetly, avoiding detection. He's been working hard both physically and mentally, so it's no wonder he forgot about the job fair.
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Besides a few students who went to pursue postgraduate studies and a handful who had connections that allowed them to stay in the provincial capital, almost everyone else ended up either in county towns or working in hospitals or companies.
Even going to the county hospital required connections, and it took about half a year or even longer to make arrangements. Zhang Fan couldn't even afford tuition, so where would he find connections
Therefore, job fairs become particularly important. Even if you can't get into hospitals, you can still find larger, more legitimate companies at job fairs to work as a pharmaceutical salesperson.
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Zhang Fan was dumbfounded after missing the job fair. He had his diploma, but where could he find a job
>either. Although they hadn't played for many years, it was easy to cheat a few college students who hadn't graduated yet.That's how he won two or three hundred yuan for the day. He didn't dare to win...