Justice System: I Litigate for the Whole City

Chapter 143 : The Case File Is Full

When the desk lamp came out of the cabinet, the bulb was coated in dust. The court clerk wiped it with her sleeve twice, dragged the cord across the tile, and twisted the lamp on, aiming it at two things on the desk: two original pages of the shift handover record, and a blue-grid notebook.

January 26th, Tuesday, 10 a.m. The half-window in the third-floor mediation room of the Chengbei District Court was open.

”Two original pages of the obstetrics shift handover record, and one Nursing Record Logbook, delivered to the court this morning.” The judge placed each item under the light. ”Both parties are here today. Weʼll verify the originals first, then discuss the appraisal application. The materials were organized by the plaintiffʼs side, so the plaintiff will present them.”

Two people sat on the defendantʼs side. Lu Jibai was on the inside, a document envelope standing against his leg; Director Xu sat beside him, hand resting on a kraft paper envelope, pressing the flap shut with his finger.

They verified the handover record first. The clerk spread out the transcribed pages clipped to the front of the logbook and laid them beside the originals. The original had three lines for the 27th. The transcribed copy had five lines—two extra lines, written in neater handwriting than the original, the line spacing so even it looked measured with a ruler.

”The defendant has reviewed these two added lines,” the judge said.

”Reviewed.” Lu Jibai answered. ”The department prepared the transcript per internal management requirements. The original was delivered to the court today as requested.”

”These two lines read: ʼFamily has been informed of the autopsy.ʼ” Shen Zhixia slid the two pages half an inch further under the lamp. ”Please have the clerk note that.”

The clerk noted it.

The second item was the Nursing Record Logbook. The blue-grid notebook lay open under the light. The 6:20 line for the 27th was still darker, thicker than the lines above and below. He Xiufen ran her fingertip along the underside of the line and looked up at the clerk: ”Two shallow indentations run beneath this line. Please note that as well.”

Then she flipped to the page at the back, the one printed with columns for ”Date, Contents, Borrower, Return.” The December 26th entry was still there. The entire next page had been torn out, leaving only a half-inch strip of paper root along the binding edge. The judge lowered the lamp, the light raking sideways across the page.

There was ink on the paper root. A left-falling stroke. Another left-falling stroke. One vertical stroke.

”Director Xu,” the judge said. ”Who tore out this page?”

”One missing page—who can say?” Director Xu said.

”The tear edge faces inward. The page was pulled outward from the binding.” Shen Zhixia said. ”What was recorded on this page was a loan-out. Nine-forty on the night of the 30th—the time the medical records were taken out of the medical records room.”

”The defendant does not dispute the authenticity of the residual ink on this page.” Lu Jibai said. ”Half of a character remnant points at no one.”

[Thud. He conceded the half-character, just not that it was a surname.]

”Request the court to photograph this now for the record.” Shen Zhixia said. ”Include the tear edge and the paper root in the same shot.”

The judge looked at her and told the clerk to set up the camera. After photographing, two prints were made, and both sides signed each copy. Director Xuʼs pen strokes were slower than usual.

”One more item.” The judge opened the folder. ”Yesterday the defendant submitted an Objection to Medical Damage Appraisal Application, along with a Response on the Signature Status of the Transcribed Copy. The agent will read it aloud.”

Lu Jibai stood and read clearly, in measured tones, the hospitalʼs two points.

First: The plaintiff signed the Notice of Voluntary Waiver of Autopsy on December 27th, and the hospital had fulfilled its obligation to inform. Subsequently, the plaintiff unilaterally arranged an autopsy beyond the time limit. The report has still not been issued, the tissue has been fixed, and the conditions for appraisal no longer exist. The application for appraisal should be denied.

Second: Appraisal materials should be limited to the sealed duplicate copies confirmed by both parties. Comparison materials prepared unilaterally by the plaintiff, and the logbook from the nursesʼ station, do not constitute medical record materials and should not be submitted to the appraiser. Additionally, the appraisal institution that conducted the body examination in this case should not participate in this appraisal.

”Point one—what is the plaintiffʼs position?” the judge asked.

”That notification form—we have something to say about it.” Shen Zhixia opened the binder, pressed it flat on the desk, and pushed the pages one by one under the light. ”December 27th, 3:40 p.m., Chen Xiaoman died in the delivery room. The signature time on that notification form is 6:20, and the signature column contains the three written characters for Chen Xiaoman. She had no breath by then. No blood pressure. And no hand to write her own name.”

The judge pulled the two pages over and examined them side by side.

[Thud. The name in the signature column was hers. The hand was not.]

”The informantʼs signature column is blank.” She continued. ”The signature time on the notification form, the modification time on the electronic medical recordʼs rescue record, and the darkened line in the nursesʼ station notebook—all three fall at 6:20.”

”These three points are the plaintiffʼs speculation.” Lu Jibai said.

”Two of these three points are on paper, one is in a machine.” She pushed over the duplicate of the sealing inventory. ”Both sides were present on the day of sealing. The seal strip was applied in front of everyone.”

”And one more thing, arrived just yesterday.” She pulled out the response. ”The hospital recopied the shift handover record on the afternoon of January 4th. The two added lines read: ʼFamily informed of autopsy.ʼ The same transcribed copy also contains a line reading ʼVerified by the on-duty physicianʼ—and the signature remains this to this day: ʼSigned by department organizing staff per standard practice; specific personnel inconvenient to name.ʼ”

She read those two lines very slowly.

”One side writes ʼfamily informed.ʼ The other side canʼt even say who spoke or who verified.” She said. ”This objection blocks the appraisal. What it protects is a timestamp.”

He Xiufen added half a sentence from beside her: ”We ask only three things: Was there fault? Is the fault connected to her death? And what share of responsibility? We arenʼt asking her piece of paper. Weʼre asking the hands that stood at her bedside.”

Director Xu shifted his cup to the side. Huang Weizhong hadnʼt come today; Director Xu sat alone in that row.

”Whether the logbook constitutes medical records—the defendant will provide a written opinion today.” The judge said.

”I wonʼt take that bait.” Director Xu said.

”Not taking it is also an opinion.” He Xiufen opened the notebook. ”Let me note: the defendant today did not provide written explanation as to whether this logbook constitutes medical record material.”

”Whether the logbook constitutes medical records can be noted at the time of transfer.” Lu Jibai said. ”The appraiser determines that. My side will not make the determination for them.”

[Thud. Whether itʼs medical records—make them put it on paper. If they wonʼt write it, you write it down for them.]

The judge consolidated both sidesʼ positions and announced three rulings in court. First: the request to deny appraisal based on the signed notification form and the time-barred autopsy is rejected; the plaintiffʼs appraisal application is accepted. Second: appraisal materials shall consist of the plaintiffʼs application materials, the defendantʼs submitted materials, and the courtʼs preserved materials, transferred together, with the source of each item noted page by page. Third: the appraisal institution will be determined by random draw from the Municipal Courtʼs external appraisal entrustment roster; neither side may designate one. The institution that conducted the body examination will not participate in this round of the draw. The list will be delivered to both sides within three days; objections must be submitted in writing. The draw is set for the morning of the 30th.

”Materials are due within three days after the draw.” The judge closed the file. ”These two originals will be held by the court from today.”

Dispersal happened in the corridor. Lu Jibai held the document envelope under his arm, standing beneath the stairwell light, as if waiting for the light to change. She passed by, and he spoke.

”The few institutions on the roster that can still take cases—walk through them yourself. Donʼt wait for the draw.”

”Youʼre making things easier for the defendant.”

”Making things faster for the plaintiff.” He switched the envelope to his other hand. ”On the day of the draw, youʼll bring a box of materials. Theyʼll bring one sentence.”

She looked at him. ”You know which one wonʼt take it.”

”I represent who I represent. I know.” He turned and went upstairs, leather shoes striking the steps, one after another.

* * *

At noon, the upstairs of the noodle shop smelled of scallion oil. He Xiufen picked out a bowl of noodles and brought it up, a bit of broth clinging to the rim. She set the chopsticks down and watched Shen Zhixia take two bites before she spoke.

”Your biggest mistake today was putting all your force into winning.”

”Didnʼt we win?”

”The procedure won.” He Xiufen said. ”But look at how many sheets of paper they brought today. One objection, one response. They never planned to win today. They planned to stall.”

”Stall until when?”

”Until the witnessʼs nerve goes cold. Until the baby in the incubator racks up bills. Until that notebook gets locked in a metal cabinet long enough to leave impressions.” He Xiufen said. ”Today the court said random draw. ʼRandomʼ sounds nice, but half of it lives on the road, and human hands can reach it.”

”So you told me to walk through it myself.”

”Walk through it yourself. Learn the doors first.” He Xiufen said. ”Those institutions on the roster—go ask them what materials they need. Once youʼve asked, youʼll know which phone numbers actually ring.”

Shen Zhixia said nothing. That sentence at the stairwell and this one at the table meant the same thing, in the same order.

She sent Lin Qi a text: ”Appraisal application approved. Draw on the 30th. Your application is still sitting with me.”

By 1:40, no reply.

”No movement from her these two days.” He Xiufen said.

”Monday, going upstairs—the envelope in her hand wasnʼt sealed.”

”An unsealed letter is a letter still held in hand.” He Xiufen pushed the bowl toward her. ”Get a couple bites down first. This afternoon, call all three on the list, one by one.”

* * *

The list had arrived from the court assistant at noon. Three institutions: Jiangzhou Kangning Judicial Appraisal Office, Jiangzhou Mingcheng Judicial Appraisal Center, and Linjiang Hengxin Judicial Appraisal Office.

She sat at the small table against the wall downstairs, back to the stairwell. He Xiufen was at the stove dropping noodles into a rolling pot of water. Two delivery riders picked up their noodles and headed upstairs, a waybill still tucked under the lid of one delivery box.

The first call went smoothly. A man answered, asked which court the case was in and whether there was a notice of case acceptance, then rattled off a list of materials: medical records, sealing inventory, autopsy report, imaging. Practical questions. She said the autopsy report wasnʼt out yet. He said: ”Send it when itʼs ready. If we actually get drawn, weʼll follow the courtʼs notice.”

The second one listened for a moment, then said: ”Weʼre not taking new medical cases this quarter.”

”When do you resume?”

”Weʼll see.”

The third was in Linjiang. A woman answered, asked which court, then which unit was the defendant. She said Chengbei Hospital. A pause of two seconds on the other end.

”Our case files are quite full over here.” The woman said. ”Medical cases like this—weʼve taken fewer of them these past two years.”

”Is it that youʼre full, or that this oneʼs hard to take?”

”I just answer the phone.” She said. ”Find another institution.”

She was about to hang up when the voice added: ”Your case—someone already called this morning asking whether weʼd take it.”

”Who called?”

No answer. The line went dead.

Holding the pen, she drew a mark after each of the two institutions. When she reached the Linjiang line, the pen tip paused on the paper. It didnʼt break through.

[Thud. Names donʼt disappear from a roster on their own.]

She flipped the list over. Printed on the back was a small line: Parties with objections to draw-eligible appraisal institutions may submit them in writing before the draw. She called the assistant at the courtʼs litigation service center.

”Can the list be expanded?”

”Expanded to where?”

”Out of province, if it comes to that. Before the draw—can the roster be rechecked? Whoʼs still on it, whoʼs no longer on it. I want a fresh copy.”

The sound of turning paper on the other end stopped. ”Thatʼs a big ask.” The assistant said. ”To expand the list, youʼd have to put it on paper—one page, explaining exactly why.”

”Iʼll bring it tomorrow morning.”

After hanging up, He Xiufen dropped the second batch of noodles into the pot, and the scallion oil smell rose again. She folded the list and tucked it into the binder. On the page where it read ”30th, draw,” there was an empty space below. She added a small line:

Three institutions. One remains.