Chapter 13 – The Female Military Doctor of the 1950s

“Cut my hair?”

When Xu Hehua learned that her daughter had followed Dr. Cao on a house call, she immediately understood—the opportunity to formally apprentice had finally come. Filled with joy, she was preparing the traditional apprenticeship gifts when she was caught off guard by her daughter suddenly suggesting she cut her hair.

But she quickly brushed it off. Instead, she pulled out two freshly washed peaches from the cabinet, her smile brimming with delight.
“A couple of the peaches behind the house have ripened. Try one, see if it’s sweet.”

The peaches were only red-tipped, no bigger than a quail egg. Xu Wanchun took one but didn’t eat it right away—instead, she returned to the topic.
“The Women’s Federation came around earlier doing outreach. Your hair’s too long and thick—it’s such a hassle to deal with. Why not cut it like Auntie Su’s?”

If this were the modern day, she wouldn’t have suggested it. After all, long, black, glossy hair was beautiful.
But in this era, washing hair was a challenge, drying it even harder—short hair was far more practical.

Thinking of Auntie Nan’s clean shoulder-length haircut, Xu Hehua seemed tempted. But she quickly shook her head.
“Forget it. I’ve never had short hair. I’d probably look awful.”

“No way! You’re so pretty—cutting your hair would make you look even better.”
Xu Wanchun meant it from the heart. Her adoptive mother had classic northern beauty: an oval-shaped face, thick brows, big bright eyes, and a high nose bridge. Even though her skin hadn’t completely lightened yet, her warm bronze tone already had a striking appeal.

In contrast, that old-fashioned, tight bun pulled back so hard it was threatening her hairline—if she just went with a shoulder-length cut, she’d look so much younger and fresher.

Xu Hehua blushed. She hadn’t been complimented much in her life. But still, she shook her head.
“Let’s not. All the women in the village still wear buns. If I really cut it short, you can bet they’ll talk behind my back.”

She wasn’t afraid of gossip—just didn’t want to invite trouble unnecessarily.

Besides, Su Nan was a special case. No one dared whisper behind her back.

Seeing through her mother’s hesitation, Xu Wanchun figured it wasn’t reluctance, just concern about the chatter. So she bit into the peach and proposed another idea.
“Then how about asking Auntie Lancao? If a few of you get together and cut it at the same time, no one would single you out.”

Just as she said that, she tasted the burst of juicy sweetness in her mouth and was pleasantly surprised. She quickly swallowed the fruit.
“Mom, you try it too. This peach is actually really sweet.”

“Is it?”
The peach tree behind the house had been there even before the new home was built. It probably sprouted from a discarded pit, left to grow wild. Xu Hehua had never tasted its fruit before. She picked up the other peach and took a bite.
“It really is sweet.”

Xu Wanchun smiled, her eyes curving with delight.
“Right? Once more ripen, let’s give some to Uncle Cao and Auntie, oh—and Grandma and Grandpa too.”

“Then you better keep an eye on them.”
Xu Hehua finished her peach in a few bites and went back to preparing the apprenticeship gifts.

Xu Wanchun paused a moment before realizing what she meant—the kids in the village might sneak in to pick them.

Kids in this era had so little to snack on; they’d definitely be tempted. She sighed, and returned to her earlier suggestion.
“So… how about going to talk to Auntie Lancao this afternoon?”

“The haircut? We’ll see… Now rest a bit, I’ll go make lunch.”
Once she had the six ceremonial gifts neatly organized, Xu Hehua headed toward the kitchen.

Well then, Xu Wanchun gave up trying to convince her mother. Eventually, when more women started cutting their hair, she’d follow the trend anyway.

As for resting—not a chance.

She’d been busy all morning and was a bit tired, yes—but she still insisted on helping her mother with chores.

After finishing the peach, she—

She put on her straw hat, went into the courtyard, picked up the grain rake leaning against the wall, and began turning over the wheat that had been laid out to dry.

After lunch, while her foster mother was washing the dishes, Xu Wanchun went out again into the scorching sun, flipped the wheat over once more, then finally returned to her room for a nap.

But she hadn’t slept long before she was woken up by her mother.

Still groggy, Xu Wanchun sat up and yawned a few times before she felt more awake. She looked at her foster mother—who had clearly made an effort to dress up—and asked curiously,
“Where are you going?”

Xu Hehua pulled her daughter down from the heated brick bed.
“Go wash your face and wake up. I’m taking you to formally apprentice under Dr. Cao.”

Apprentice??

Forget washing her face—Xu Wanchun was instantly wide awake.
“Now?”

Her mother had already pulled out all of her summer clothes from the cabinet, holding each up to compare which would be best. Without even turning her head, she replied,
“Yes, now.”

Xu Wanchun was still stunned.
“I don’t think we should… I’ve only been learning from Uncle Cao for two months. Isn’t it kind of… rushed?”

“Oh, you little imp! What are you worrying about now?”
Xu Hehua rolled her eyes.
“Do you think your mother would just drag you over if it wasn’t already agreed on? Dr. Cao gave the nod—I wouldn’t take you otherwise.”

Poor Xu Wanchun, who thought she’d done a solid job pretending to be a regular child, was left speechless.

Still sitting there in a daze, she suddenly felt a light slap on her back.
“Go, quickly now!” her mother urged with a laugh.

She was still a little foggy in the head—responding to commands like a robot. She wandered out into the yard, where the chill of the well water as she splashed her face made her shiver. That jolt finally cleared her mind.

It was really happening.
She was about to become an official apprentice.

This had been her dream, but why did it feel so surreal?

And… was her mother Xu Hehua actually this impressive?

A mess of thoughts swirled in her mind until she couldn’t hold back her grin anymore. Dr. Xu giggled to herself like an idiot, then hurried to finish washing her face.

“Mom, when did you talk to Dr. Cao?” she asked later while changing clothes on the kang bed.

Xu Hehua handed her the new pair of fabric sandals she’d recently made, replying,
“This morning, when Dr. Cao took you to help treat that patient—I figured that might mean he was ready to take you on. So I went to sound out Auntie Nan.”

Fabric sandals with open toes? Xu Wanchun admired them for a few seconds before asking,
“So Auntie Su told us to go?”

“Of course not.”
Her mother bent down and helped buckle the sandals.
“I just wanted to see what she’d say. Since she didn’t say no, I took the chance while you were napping to ask Dr. Cao directly. He’s the one you’re apprenticing under, after all.”

“He said yes?”
“Would I call you over if he hadn’t?”

“Right… hehe, I’m so happy!”

---

Taking on an apprentice wasn’t something done lightly.

Aside from the actual ceremony, it also required respected witnesses.
In some ways, Dr. Cao was very traditional. Even in a remote and modest mountain village, he insisted the proper rites be observed.

So, when Xu Wanchun arrived next door, in addition to the two teachers, several respected elders of the village were already seated on either side.

Straightening her clothes, performing the washing ritual, bowing to the ancestral master, the formal salutes, the master’s lecture, tea offering, kowtows—

She completed each step with a solemn expression, presenting the six ceremonial gifts with both hands.

Dr. Cao, pleased, accepted the offerings with a warm smile and returned her gifts: a thick stack of medical texts and a small medicine box.

Xu Wanchun accepted them with utmost reverence—

Xu Wanchun thanked him, and as she stood up, her gaze curiously fell on the small box.

Noticing this, Cao Xiu’s tone turned especially gentle.
“Take a look at it when you get home.”

Xu Wanchun first glanced at her foster mother, who was so moved her eyes were slightly red. Then she gave a sweet smile.
“Okay, Shifu.”

Xu Jingjun, calm and steady as ever, did feel envious that this little girl had found herself a ladder to a better future. But his blessing was genuine.
“Taohua, now that you’ve formally apprenticed, you must treasure the opportunity. Study hard, and when you grow up, be sure to treat your teacher with the utmost respect.”

Xu Wanchun gratefully accepted the kind advice from the village elder, nodding earnestly and giving a well-mannered thank-you.

The others followed suit—offering warm congratulations and a few words of advice.

Then, the white-haired Fourth Grandpa rubbed his hands together, his smile a little awkward yet eager.
“Doctor Cao, since you’ve already taken in one, why not another? My grandson is nine, very clever—he already knows a dozen characters. Maybe he could be Taohua’s study companion?”

As soon as he said that, all the other elders turned to look at the man in the seat of honor. Even Xu Jingjun’s eyes were filled with hope.

Truth be told, Cao Xiu also wanted to pass on his medical skills to more disciples.
But after all these years of searching, only his own son—and now Taohua—had truly caught his eye.

He had expected this kind of situation when he asked the village elders to witness the ceremony.

So instead of refusing outright, he took out a copy of the Shennong Herbal Classic and handed it to Xu Jingjun, who was literate.

As Xu Jingjun took the book in puzzlement, Cao Xiu looked toward his young disciple standing beside him.
“Taohua, recite a section of this for your grandpas.”

Xu Wanchun: …

Facing a group of skeptical and stunned elders, Xu Wanchun suddenly felt like a kid being pushed onto stage by her parents to show off in front of relatives—awkward and embarrassed.

But since her master clearly wanted to show her off, she couldn’t say no.
She took a deep breath, ears burning red, and lowered her head to begin reciting.

The Shennong Herbal Classic had over ten thousand characters. She had just finished about one-fifth when Xu Jingjun—struggling with the unfamiliar terms—hurriedly stopped her in astonishment.

Xu Wanchun looked at her master.

Cao Xiu’s eyes gleamed with pride, though he maintained a modest expression and gently nodded.
“That’s enough.”

She immediately fell silent.

The group of old men looked at one another, then all turned their stunned gazes toward the tiny girl.
How was this little girl’s brain wired? She was so… sharp.

Xu Jingjun, still unsure, shook the book in his hand.
“Taohua, you’ve memorized the whole thing? You remember it all?”

Xu Wanchun nodded.
“Yes, all of it.”

Though they had suspected, hearing it confirmed still made everyone draw in a sharp breath.

Cao Xiu, apparently not yet satisfied with the impact, added,
“And not just this one. In less than three months, Taohua has memorized four books already—and she can write every single character.”

Xu Jingjun wiped a hand across his face.
“Enough—I’ve heard enough. Any more and I’ll start sweating.”

No wonder—no wonder such a picky doctor was willing to take on a little girl.

Without a comparison, there’d be no sting. But now? The elders finally gave up on asking for their grandkids to be accepted. They quietly sipped their tea to calm their hearts and tactfully changed the topic.

They talked about the upcoming grain taxes, how this year’s autumn planting would come earlier than last, and how school would be starting soon—yet few families in the village were willing to send their kids to attend.

This topic made Xu Jingjun wince.
“I’ve gone house to house with the two teachers—covered the whole village—but there are fewer than ten kids willing to go.”

The government was promoting literacy, and school costs were almost nothing.

But people were stubborn. The more ignorant they were, the more resistant they became—insisting that reading and writing were useless. No amount of persuading helped.

Xu Wanchun lowered her gaze, thinking, This really is hard to deal with.
After all, the nine-year compulsory education law hadn’t been enforced yet. Kids only went to school if the family wanted them to.

Xu Jingjun had been driven half mad by the issue. He only brought it up to vent for a bit, then quickly changed the subject again.
“A few days ago, I was in the county. Word came down—the silver dollars will no longer be valid. If you’ve got any, you’ll have to go exchange them for paper money at the bank.”

Xu Wanchun had heard about this too. She made a mental note to remind her foster mother to exchange theirs soon.

Unexpectedly, after the elders had had their fill of chatting and took their leave, Cao Xiu turned to her and said,
“Taohua’s mom, it’s true—the silver dollars will be phased out. The news has been around for a while. Your Aunt Nan and I were planning to head to the county bank in the next few days. If you’ve got any silver coins, come with us.”

Now that she was officially his disciple, the two households had become even closer. Since there were no men in Taohua’s home and traveling far was inconvenient, Cao Xiu was happy to help however he could.

Xu Wanchun looked up at her foster mother, eyes full of anticipation.
After four months in this world, will I finally get to see the world beyond this village?

Xu Hehua did have a few silver dollars left. Not many, but enough that she didn’t want them to go to waste.
She didn’t hesitate—grinning broadly.
“That’s great. Taohua’s never left the village. Time for her to see something new.”