Chapter 67

When Yu Xiangnian and Wu Xiaomin saw each other, they both disdainfully gave each other a glance and then turned their faces away.

There were several families and children in the clinic, some were seeing doctors, some were getting injections. Both women were deliberately maintaining a good image in front of everyone.

Yu Xiangnian led Xiao Jie to another female doctor for examination. The doctor checked and said, “It’s tonsillitis. He’ll need to have intravenous drips for three to four days to get better.”

Yu Xiangnian paid the fee.

The doctor brought over a syringe. “Stretch out your arm for a skin test.”

Xiao Jie looked at the syringe with fear and hesitated, but eventually extended his hand slowly.

Yu Xiangnian watched the scene.

Other seven-year-olds would cry and make a fuss at the sight of a needle, but even though Xiao Jie was scared, he obediently stretched out his hand.

The same went for taking medicine last night. The headache powder was sour and astringent, but Xiao Jie took it without a single complaint.

Perhaps this is the psychology of a child who has lost their parents—sensitive and brave, which is heart-wrenching to see.

Yu Xiangnian opened her bag and showed Xiao Jie several picture books.

“After you have the skin test, you can lie down on the bed for the drip, and I’ll read you stories,” she said, holding his wrist. “It will hurt a little, you can cry, but don’t move.”

“My uncle said that a man should not cry!”

“You’re a little man, so you can cry for three seconds.”

The doctor laughed, “You really have a way with kids.”

While speaking, she grabbed Xiao Jie’s hand, quickly administered the injection, and withdrew the needle.

Yu Xiangnian was satisfied with the doctor’s skill, as she was a doctor sent by the military hospital.

In the infusion room, there were three other children and two family members receiving drips. The family members, who had been chatting animatedly, exchanged glances when they saw Yu Xiangnian enter, lowered their voices, and resumed their conversation.

Xiao Jie lay on the bed receiving the drip, and Yu Xiangnian began reading him a story.

The others knew that Yu Xiangnian could read, but they didn’t expect her reading voice to be so pleasant. Her Mandarin was standard, just like someone speaking on the radio.

Unconsciously, they were drawn to Yu Xiangnian’s deliberate performance, forgetting their own conversations.

As Cheng Jingmo arrived at the door of the infusion room, he saw this scene.

Yu Xiangnian was slightly lowering her head, holding a picture book, with stray hairs falling by her ears, partially covering her face. Her lips, red and moving with every word, were particularly striking.

Everyone, adults and children alike, focused their attention on her, listening intently to the story.

Her storytelling was smooth and gentle, and her voice was like a clear, sweet spring flowing from Cheng Jingmo’s ears into his heart.

In the sweltering June weather, he felt a sense of physical and mental comfort.

He didn’t disturb this harmonious scene; with a faint smile, he turned and left.

A few steps out of the clinic, he ran into Wu Xiaomin coming towards him.

Feigning surprise, she said, “Deputy Regiment Leader Cheng, what brings you here?”

She had anticipated that Cheng Jingmo would come to see Xiao Jie, so she had gone back to the dormitory to change into a yellow dress, applied some powder, and put on a bit of lipstick.

But Cheng Jingmo seemed not to notice her appearance; his eyes were calm and unruffled.

Cheng Jingmo nodded. “I came to see Xiao Jie.”

“Xiao Jie has tonsillitis and will need to get several days of intravenous drips to recover,” Wu Xiaomin said, standing in front of Cheng Jingmo. “He’s really brave; he didn’t even make a sound during the injection.”

The man before her had a simple crew cut, rugged and handsome features, and his charming peach blossom eyes were deep and indifferent.

He had a tall and slender figure, and his well-fitting military uniform made him look spirited and distinguished.

In her past life, she must have been blind, not choosing such an excellent man, and instead picking someone like Chen Shimei!

Heaven gave her a chance to live again, and she was determined to make up for the regrets of her past life.

Wu Xiaomin was standing right in front of him, so Cheng Jingmo couldn’t just walk away. He politely replied, “He’s very sensible.”

“Isn’t he! He even said that you told him a real man shouldn’t cry!”

Faced with Wu Xiaomin’s overly enthusiastic conversation, Cheng Jingmo became somewhat impatient. He said, “Comrade Wu, I have other matters to attend to. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Wait a moment, Deputy Regiment Leader Cheng…” Wu Xiaomin lowered her head in a shy manner, and when she lifted her eyes again, they were full of deep affection. “There are some things I’ve been holding in for a long time and haven’t had the chance to say. Today, we happen to meet, and I want to tell you these things. It will only take a few minutes.”

Cheng Jingmo, expressionless, said, “Comrade Wu, your private feelings shouldn’t be shared with me. We are just ordinary colleagues.”

“Sorry, I really do have something urgent.” Cheng Jingmo took a step to the left and walked away from Wu Xiaomin.

In the infusion room, Yu Xiangnian had finished reading “The Dragon and the Tiger,” “Youth Sparks,” and “The Red Flag of the Frontier Sea,” her throat almost burning out, yet Xiao Jie still looked at her with hopeful eyes.

Yu Xiangnian placed the book in front of him, saying, “Look at it yourself. If you don’t recognize the words, just look at the pictures.”

The other three children receiving injections also wanted to see, but they dared not speak up and could only whisper to their mothers.

The family members also hesitated to ask Yu Xiangnian to lend the books, nudging each other to make the other ask.

After some pushing and shoving, no one dared to speak.

Finally, a ten-year-old child couldn’t hold back and timidly asked, “Aunt, can I borrow one of your picture books?”

Yu Xiangnian was first taken aback.

Someone was actually speaking to her?

Then she smiled, “Of course, it’s fine.” She walked over and handed him a book.

The other two children also clamored to see, and Yu Xiangnian handed each of them a book as well.

The family members looked at each other in amazement but had the same thought in their minds.

This Comrade Yu is so generous and easy to talk to; she’s nothing like the fierce and difficult person rumored to be!

The children who had finished their injections were reluctant to leave, clutching the picture books tightly.

Noticing their reluctance, Yu Xiangnian smiled and asked, “Are you coming back for injections tomorrow?”

The three nodded.

Yu Xiangnian said, “Then take these books home to read. Tomorrow, each of you will tell the story you read. Those who tell it well will get a prize.”

This way, she wouldn’t have to read stories tomorrow, killing two birds with one stone!

The family members and children left happily.

On the way out, the family members began discussing.

“Who called Comrade Yu a wicked stepmother? She’s so easy to talk to, how could she be wicked?”

“Some even said she’s not good to Xiao Jie, but I think she treats him like her own child!”

“Indeed, those rumors are not to be believed!”

After Xiao Jie had his needle removed, he couldn’t wait to jump off the bed and rush to the restroom.

He emerged from the restroom after a while, looking very pleased.

“You should have told me if you had to go urgently. I could have carried the drip and gone with you,” Yu Xiangnian said.

Xiao Jie replied, “I’m a boy!”

Yu Xiangnian said, “I’m your aunt!”

Xiao Jie argued confidently, “You said that boys should protect themselves. There might be strange uncles and aunts looking at us, so we mustn’t let them see!”

Yu Xiangnian’s face darkened, “Do I look like a strange aunt who looks at people’s private parts?”

Xiao Jie retorted, “You’re pretty strange anyway!”