Chapter 24: The Blind Old Man!

Bathing was definitely necessary, but Ning Wanwan planned to do it herself. Now that she had regained some strength in her legs, she had hope that she could climb into the tub on her own.

With that in mind, she gathered her change of clothes and maneuvered her wheelchair out the door.

On this midsummer night, the moonlight was faint, and the sound of cicadas echoed everywhere.

Inside the house, He Yunshen stood by the door, completely unaware that Ning Wanwan had gone to the bathhouse on her own.

Would she slip?

That thought unsettled him, and he quickly strode over to the bathhouse to listen for any signs of trouble.

Half an hour later, Ning Wanwan emerged from the bathhouse feeling fresh and clearly in a good mood.

Only then did He Yunshen breathe a sigh of relief. He stood up, ready to escort her back to her room.

“No need,” Ning Wanwan said. “I can manage. Just remember to take me to the market at 8:30 tomorrow morning.”

He Yunshen nodded, a faint trace of disappointment flickering in his eyes.

The next morning, He Yunshen, for once, didn’t go directly to the base. Instead, he stayed at home and had breakfast with Ning Wanwan.

At 8:30, Zhang Yun and Li Ping happily arrived at the courtyard.

“Wanwan, are you ready? All the sisters are here.”

Before Ning Wanwan could respond, He Yunshen came out to greet them and invited them to sit.

When Zhang Yun and Li Ping saw He Yunshen, they became a bit uneasy. Soon after, Ning Wanwan came out holding a large bundle.

Seeing the large parcel in her arms, He Yunshen looked slightly puzzled but quickly got up to take it from her.

Ning Wanwan gave the two women a sweet smile. “Sisters, I’m all set. Let’s go.”

With that, the group boarded He Yunshen’s military vehicle and headed to the marketplace. Outside the market, a large crowd could already be seen bustling about.

Li Ping peered out the window, surprised.
“How odd. It’s only Tuesday. Why are there so many people? Even weekends aren’t this crowded…”

Zhang Yun nodded. “Exactly. There must be something special going on—never seen it this packed before.”

From the passenger seat, Ning Wanwan spotted Xu Cuihua surrounded by people, her pale face full of worry.

“Let’s get out of the car quickly. Sister Xu looks like she’s in trouble.”

He Yunshen nodded and pulled over. The group then walked into the market.

As soon as they entered, someone shouted,
“She’s here! The miracle doctor is here!”
“Make way! Let Doctor Ning through!”

Immediately, the noisy, crowded marketplace parted in the middle, forming a path, and all eyes turned to Ning Wanwan.

Zhang Yun and Li Ping exchanged confused looks—they had no idea what was going on.

Even He Yunshen was bewildered until they reached Zhou Hongchang’s old stall and finally understood the situation.

Xu Cuihua was holding a stack of number tags, calming the patients who had lined up early in the morning.

What Ning Wanwan had seen earlier was people arguing over their place in line due to the large crowd.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Xu Cuihua smiled when she saw Ning Wanwan.
“Wanwan, look how many people have come for treatment today. You’re going to be busy.”

Then she leaned over and whispered,
“They’re all here because they heard it’s a free clinic.”

He Yunshen, overhearing this, glanced at Ning Wanwan’s delicate face.

As the line continued to grow, Ning Wanwan furrowed her brows slightly.

“Sisters, please help me set up. Let’s get started.”

He Yunshen helped arrange things and then glanced at his watch. He nodded a goodbye to Ning Wanwan before heading toward the edge of the market.

After walking a short distance, he stopped and looked back at Ning Wanwan’s focused side profile. His heart skipped a beat.

He wasn’t sure when his feelings had changed.

The old Ning Wanwan had seemed crazy—hysterical and unkempt in his eyes.

But now, she seemed to radiate light, so dazzling that he couldn’t look away.

Ning Wanwan’s stall was surrounded by people—patients lining up, onlookers curious.

Many were skeptical about the free clinic she had announced the day before, but curiosity brought them.

Xu Cuihua and Zhang Yun were both busy—handing out numbers, keeping order.

Among the three helpers, only Li Ping had attended high school, so she was in charge of writing prescriptions and explaining precautions.

Time flew by. Before they knew it, it was already 1 p.m. The four women were completely exhausted after a full morning, and there were still more than thirty patients waiting.

Xu Cuihua walked over and whispered,
“Wanwan, take a break. I’m afraid you’ll collapse. Let’s have some lunch and then continue.”

Zhang Yun and Li Ping both nodded, parched and weary.

Ning Wanwan had only had two bowls of millet porridge in the morning. By now, she was starving and in no mood to argue.

She hadn’t expected such a huge turnout on her first day at the clinic and quickly agreed.

Xu Cuihua and Zhang Yun went to the waiting crowd and patiently explained. Everyone nodded in understanding and quietly left with their number tags.

Only one blind old man remained, standing confused in place, tightly clutching the tag Xu Cuihua had given him.

The others were too tired to notice him.

Though Ning Wanwan was also exhausted, she wheeled herself over to the old man.

Hearing her approach, the blind man asked apologetically,
“Sorry, am I in the way?”

He raised his walking stick, tapping around, and hunched over to move aside.

Ning Wanwan reached out to stop him.
“Sir, there’s no need to move. You’re not in the way. I’m the doctor today. I just wanted to ask what’s troubling you.”

The old man waved a hand.
“Oh, you’re Doctor Ning. You should rest. I can just wait over here.”

Ning Wanwan smiled.
“It’s no trouble. Let me examine you first, then I’ll rest.”

The blind man nodded gratefully and began to explain how he lost his sight.

His reason for coming today was to try one last time, even though hospital doctors had told him his eyes were truly beyond saving.

But he had no choice—his wife was paralyzed at home and depended on him. If he lost his sight, who would care for her?

Ning Wanwan took his pulse first, then carefully examined his eyes.

Her conclusion matched that of the hospital—the eyes were essentially beyond recovery.

But her heart softened.

This elderly couple had no children and lived a hard life. His wife was already bedridden. If the old man also went blind…