Chapter 36: Weak Constitution, Born That Way

The state-run restaurant was noisy and crowded, with countless pairs of eyes watching them — definitely not the right place to do anything that required high concentration.

Chu Yue suggested they move somewhere quieter.

Pei Hanchuan couldn’t help but take another look at Chu Yue. Could she really tell all that in such a short time?

Remembering the scene just moments ago when she had saved someone, Pei Hanchuan chose to trust her and agreed without hesitation.

And so, Chu Yue and Chen Fengying walked ahead, while Pei Hanchuan followed behind, carrying Pei Tianci in his arms as they exited the state-run restaurant.

As for He Meijiao…

She had long been forgotten in a corner. In the blink of an eye, everyone had already moved on from the medic who had rushed to help earlier. After all, how could the restaurant patrons possibly know that He Meijiao had a grandfather who was a high-ranking official in the capital?

The only person still thinking about her was Wang Xiulan.

Wang Xiulan helped He Meijiao to her feet and led her back to their table to continue eating. She comforted her, saying,
“Comrade He, just now… just now, I didn’t see anything, really. Let’s just pretend nothing happened. Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul. You must be hungry — come on, let’s eat. It’s cold these days, and the food gets cold fast. Let’s eat while it’s still hot and fill our stomachs.”

He Meijiao sat down dejectedly. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t figure out how a proud university graduate from the medical academy like herself could be outdone by a rural bumpkin girl!

This time, what was wounded wasn’t just her pride — it was her self-esteem, the very thing she was most proud of.

Wang Xiulan, however, had only one thing on her mind: the delicious, fragrant braised pork with preserved vegetables. She didn’t understand the complex humiliation He Meijiao was feeling.

She picked up a slice of pork with her chopsticks and placed it in He Meijiao’s bowl.
“Comrade He, eat some meat.”
If she didn’t eat soon, Wang Xiulan was going to finish it all herself.

He Meijiao was already in a terrible mood. When she looked at that shiny, glistening piece of pork, all she could think about was Chu Yue’s earlier comment:
“Grain is precious — wasting it is shameful.”

Hmph!

So what if it’s food?! I’ll eat it!

Who said she couldn’t finish it? Who’s being underestimated now?

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Meanwhile…

Chu Yue’s idea of a “quiet place” turned out to be the car Pei Hanchuan had parked on the main road.

This wide street also had donkey carts slowly moving along it, making a stark contrast with the sleek, spotless black sedan.

Chu Yue glanced at the front of the car and saw two very familiar characters: “红旗” (Red Flag).

In this era, owning a car of that brand was a big deal. Clearly, Pei Hanchuan’s background wasn’t just elegant — it was powerful.

Before getting in the car, Chu Yue handed over the many bags and parcels she was carrying to Chen Fengying.
“Chen-sao, can you hold these for me for a bit? I’ll be back soon.”

Firebrand Chen Fengying, who was usually bold, suddenly became hesitant upon seeing the fancy sedan.

She clutched Chu Yue’s wrist tightly, lowering her voice to a whisper.
“Chu girl, are you sure this is safe?”

Safe?

Chu Yue raised an eyebrow. Was she implying that Pei Hanchuan could possibly be more dangerous than what she had survived in the post-apocalyptic world?

Chen Fengying added,
“I mean, we don’t even know who this guy really is. And he’s driving such a nice car — what if he’s a capitalist? Chu girl, we can’t associate with capitalists!”

Chu Yue smiled,
“Chen-sao, don’t worry. Even if he is a capitalist, he’s clearly a well-connected capitalist. Nothing will happen.”

She patted Chen Fengying’s hand reassuringly, then turned and got into the car.

The car had three rows of seats. The last two rows could fold into one, giving the vehicle plenty of space.

Pei Hanchuan sat holding Pei Tianci, glaring at Chu Yue. The little boy looked like a deflated balloon, listless and limp. His face was still pale as he lay motionless against Pei Hanchuan’s chest.

After getting in the car, Chu Yue pulled out a stethoscope from her cloth bag — in reality, it was handed to her by her space assistant, 007.

She said to Pei Hanchuan, “Hold the child up, facing me.”

Pei Hanchuan gently patted the boy on the back. “Tiansi, be strong for a few more minutes, okay?”

“Okay.”

Even though Pei Tiansi was only four or five years old and had just gone through a dangerous ordeal, he didn’t cry or fuss at all. Obediently following Pei Hanchuan’s instructions, he lifted his little face and looked at Chu Yue.

Unexpectedly, he was a strong little child.

Chu Yue couldn’t help but think of Lu Xiaobao, still at home — she wondered what that little one was doing now.

Her mind wandered for just a second before she quickly refocused. She put the stethoscope on, placing the other end against the boy’s chest.

She listened to his heartbeat, then to his lungs.

She patted Pei Tiansi’s head. “Open your mouth, let me see your tongue. Say ‘Ah—’”

“Ah—”

The boy’s tongue coating was normal, his mouth rosy and healthy — clearly well cared for. However, because something had just been stuck in his throat, the inner lining of his mouth was a little red and swollen.

Finally, Chu Yue held the boy’s wrist and lifted his sleeve. She placed her index and middle fingers on the inside of his forearm.

She closed her eyes and took his pulse.

After a moment, Chu Yue withdrew her hand, carefully rolled down the boy’s sleeve, and smoothed it out.

During all of this, Pei Hanchuan had been watching Chu Yue’s every move attentively — especially when she closed her eyes to take the pulse. His gaze kept shifting between her face and her fingers.

Once Chu Yue opened her eyes, the intensity in Pei Hanchuan’s stare turned into eager anticipation.

Chu Yue put away the stethoscope and said in a serious tone, “This child has a congenital heart weakness. It’s not a major illness, but it does affect his overall health.”

Bang—

Pei Hanchuan’s eyes flew wide open. This was a closely guarded family secret, known only to the closest members of the Pei family — yet she had uncovered it in mere minutes.

Just as Chu Yue said, Pei Tiansi’s heart wasn’t exactly diseased, but it was weak — a condition from birth. It didn’t cause obvious problems in daily life, but it made him physically fragile, prone to illness, fevers, headaches, and colds.

The condition might affect his development as he grew.

The Pei family had taken him to Beijing, Shanghai, and consulted the best doctors. After countless examinations, the diagnosis was always the same: “Take good care of him.”

They were told to raise him delicately, and over time, as he grew, his constitution might improve.

But now three or four years had passed, and despite taking countless supplements and tonics, Pei Tiansi’s health was still unstable, frequently falling ill, showing no improvement.

Just a few days ago, he’d had a mild cold.

Having just recovered, and with Pei Hanchuan recently returned from out of town, the boy had begged him to take him out. Not wanting to disappoint the child, Pei Hanchuan had secretly snuck him out, hiding it from the elders in the family.

One moment, he’d nearly died from fright; the next, he’d encountered an unexpected miracle.

If Chu Yue could diagnose Pei Tiansi’s condition with such precision, perhaps she could cure it.

Pei Hanchuan leaned forward urgently. “Can this condition be treated?”

“Yes. It’s not difficult,” Chu Yue replied.

Pei Hanchuan was overjoyed, nearly jumping out of his seat and almost hitting his head on the car roof. Pei Tiansi noticed his uncle’s excitement and looked up, just in time to see the smile Pei Hanchuan couldn’t hold back.

“Please tell me how. Whatever the medicine is, no matter the cost, the Pei family can afford it. As long as the child can grow up healthy and suffer less, you name the terms.”