Caminho Suave na Medicina

University life is as varied as the people living it. Some lose themselves in indulgence, some find themselves in a whirlwind of fleeting romances and wild nights, but most stick to the straight path, quietly completing their studies and graduating with a diploma in hand.

In the height of summer in the northern province, even though the temperature soared to thirty degrees, standing in the shade of the trees still brought a coolness. Yet Zhang Fan, a fifth-year clinical medicine student, felt nothing of it as he stood beneath the branches. The past days of anxiety had left him sleepless and with cold sores at the corners of his mouth. While others were already preparing their resumes, Zhang Fan couldn't bring himself to think about the future. He had yet to receive his diploma.

Zhang Fan came from a humble family; both parents were laid-off workers, and he had a sister seven years his junior. When he received his university acceptance letter, it was only through the help of relatives and friends that the family managed to scrape together his tuition and fees. Once in university, Zhang Fan didn't rely solely on his parents. He took part in work-study programs, and after evening classes, he would sell instant noodles, sausages, and eggs he'd bought wholesale from the market. It was just enough to cover his tuition and living expenses, and he managed to get through four years of university.

But in the final year, as though fate wished to add to his life experience, disaster struck at home again and again. First, his father, who worked odd jo