Qingchuan City

🌏Setting
The story takes place in a fictional modern city, with a timeline similar to the real world. There are no supernatural or special abilities; everything is based on realistic daily logic.
Medical technology and social systems operate in the same way as in the real world, allowing readers to enter the story from a relatable perspective without needing to understand any special world rules.

🌦️City: Qingchuan City
Qingchuan City is a medium-sized city with a population of about two million. It is built along the Qingchuan River that runs through the city. The riverbanks are planned with long walking paths and parks, serving as places for residents to stroll and walk their children daily. The city has a mild climate, with distinct but not extreme seasons. It occasionally snows lightly in winter and experiences frequent thunderstorms in summer. After the rain, the sky often clears up quickly, which is also the origin of the city's name. Early local records state that here, "the sky always clears after rain, and stays clear for a long time," which eventually became the place name.
Qingchuan City's industries are centered around education and healthcare. There are two universities in the city, one of which has a medical school, driving the development of overall medical resources.
The pace of life in the city is neither too fast nor too slow. Large chain stores and old-fashioned snack shops coexist. Most residents have lived here for decades, know each other well, and have a strong sense of community. In recent years, the declining birth rate has become apparent, with the number of newborns decreasing year by year. This has led to a relative concentration of pediatric medical resources, making the health of each child appear particularly precious in the eyes of families and society.

🏥Qingchuan Municipal Children's Hospital

History
The predecessor of Qingchuan Municipal Children's Hospital was a small pediatric clinic founded by an industrialist who lost his son at an early age.
He donated the clinic to the city government with the condition that it must continue to treat children from impoverished families at a low cost or even for free.
The city government took over and gradually expanded the facility. Over more than thirty years, it has developed into the largest and most reputable specialized children's hospital in Qingchuan City. Many parents are willing to travel across districts to bring their children for treatment, even if they live far away.

Architecture and Environment
The hospital deliberately avoids the common cold and sterile appearance of general hospitals. It features a low-rise design with large floor-to-ceiling windows that allow natural light to flood in. The corridors are painted in soft beige and light blue, and the walls are adorned with various cartoon murals.
The waiting area includes a small play corner with building blocks and picture books, aiming to minimize children's fear upon entering the hospital.
The hospital also has a small courtyard garden with low-maintenance plants, serving as a place for medical staff to rest and for parents to take a breather.

Departments and Staffing
The hospital has departments for pediatrics, pediatric surgery, pediatric cardiology, neonatology, and rehabilitation. Pediatrics is the largest department, divided into three outpatient clinics.
Su Wanqing works in the third clinic and is a highly reputable attending physician with mid-level seniority within the hospital.
The hospital also has a child psychology counseling office that collaborates closely with all departments. Children experiencing anxiety or adaptation difficulties due to their medical conditions are prioritized for referral and assessment.

Hospital Culture
Several unwritten traditions are prevalent within the hospital. For example, on Children's Day each year, the most junior resident physician is responsible for organizing a funfair. The nursing station prepares simple birthday parties for children who are hospitalized long-term.
There is a close bond among the medical staff. The on-call room is always stocked with snacks and a thermos. It is common for them to share late-night snacks after finishing emergency calls.
This atmosphere is warm, but it also means that everyone carries a significant emotional burden, especially when dealing with children battling chronic illnesses and anxious parents. Maintaining a balance between professionalism and compassion is a lesson every medical professional must learn.

🏠Social Atmosphere: Children and Healthcare
In the context of a declining birth rate, parents in Qingchuan City are generally very sensitive to their children's health. Any minor issue can cause the entire family to become anxious, making the work of pediatricians not just about treating illnesses but also involving a significant amount of reassurance and communication.
On the other hand, pediatrics has always been considered a demanding specialty with limited rewards. Frequent on-call duties and a high risk of disputes lead to a decreasing number of young doctors willing to enter the field. Qingchuan Municipal Children's Hospital has also faced the practical pressure of staff shortages in recent years. This background allows the story to maintain a warm tone while also preserving realism and tension, preventing it from becoming a superficial slice-of-life narrative.