Chapter 25

Although Xu Wanchun had once been a top student, she didn’t remember much about history anymore.

For example, she’d completely forgotten that criticism of traditional Chinese medicine had already begun in the 1950s.

She had originally thought there would be plenty of time to prepare—but to her surprise, warning signs had already started showing now… No, wait. Her master said it began two years ago. That meant the timeline was even earlier than she thought.

Thank goodness for Grandma Wu’s arrival—it had made her vigilant ahead of time.

Suddenly reminded of something, Xu Wanchun, who had been silent until now, asked, “Master, Mistress… do any of your close relatives live overseas?”

Both elders were surprised by the question and spoke in unison: “What do you know?”

Xu Wanchun shook her head. “Back in school, I remember overhearing someone say that having relatives abroad these days… isn’t a good thing. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it just came to mind now.”

She obviously hadn’t heard that in school—but she had to use this excuse to ask while she still had the chance, so she could make plans accordingly.

Now that she had calmed down, Xu Wanchun also realized that her master shouldn’t be affected in the near term.

First, Xujiatun was remote and isolated. Second, her master had once said that his family only consisted of him and his elder brother, her Grandmaster.

Their teacher’s fame in medicine had spread far and wide, but in 1932, he was captured by the Japanese, who tried to force him to reveal his golden needle technique. The old man refused to give in and, unable to endure the humiliation, took his own life in prison.

As for the rest of the family, most were killed during the Japanese bombings in the 1930s.

That was why her Grandmaster had abandoned medicine for the military, and why her master had chosen a quiet, almost hermit-like life, disillusioned with fame and fortune.

But still—who didn’t have a few extended relatives? It might not matter now, but when those ten years came, anyone in a high position, like her Grandmaster, would be scrutinized down to the bone.

And being blood brothers, how could her master possibly escape the fallout?

Then there was Mistress Su, who was very close to her master, and Senior Brother… this could unravel into a whole chain of consequences.

The more she thought about it, the more anxious Xu Wanchun became. She quickly asked again, “You really don’t have any overseas relatives, right?”

Seeing the little girl was truly worried, Su Nan quickly reassured her, “No, no—we don’t. Don’t scare yourself. You know your master’s family situation: within three degrees of kinship, there are only a handful of people, and they’re all honest laborers. As for me, I only have one younger brother left, and he’s a police officer in Shanghai.”

That was a relief. Xu Wanchun had already prepared for the worst—if it really came down to it, she was ready to grab her master, mistress, and adoptive mother and run to Hong Kong… Oh—she nearly forgot Senior Brother.

But no, even if they did run, her Grandmaster’s family would definitely be implicated.

So, escaping wouldn’t work either!

Thankfully, thankfully, her master and mistress had no problematic ties. Otherwise, she’d really be at a loss.

“Still scared? Your little face is all scrunched up like a steamed bun.” Peach Blossom had always been smart, and the more time Su Nan spent with her, the more she liked her. She couldn’t resist pinching the girl’s cheeks.

Xu Wanchun was already used to being pinched and didn’t resist. With a muffled voice, she replied, “Not scared anymore… By the way, is Grandma Wu resting?”

Her chubby cheeks really were irresistibly pinchable. Now in a good mood, Su Nan’s face lit up with a smile. “Aunt Wu’s getting old. She’s been on the road for two or three days, so she needs a good rest.”

Xu Wanchun asked, “Did Grandma Wu say anything else?”

This time, it was Cao Xiu who answered, “Not much else. Just that it’s best to keep a low profile. You’re still in school, so eat your treats in secret, and don’t wear flashy clothes if you can help it.”

It probably wouldn’t be an issue for a few years, but Xu Wanchun was a cautious person by nature and readily agreed.

As for those ten years, if something did go wrong, she had backup plans. Thinking of that, she relaxed and couldn’t help being a little nosy: “Is Grandma Wu going to live with you two permanently?”

Mentioning this seemed to lift Su Nan’s spirits again. Her eyes sparkled, and she looked as graceful as the day they first met. “Aunt Wu has been with the Cao family her whole life. Of course we’ll take care of her in her old age. And with her here, you’re in for a treat.”

Xu Wanchun blinked and immediately broke into a grin. “Grandma Wu’s a great cook?”

“You little glutton, I knew you’d say that.” Su Nan playfully scolded her with a laugh, then continued, “It’s more than just good. Back in the day, the old man—my father-in-law—was a true foodie. Aunt Wu was in charge of the kitchen and mastered all the culinary arts. She’s skilled in everything. If it weren’t absolutely necessary, your Grandmaster wouldn’t have let her go. Just wait—you’re in for a real treat.”

—

Under the translucent dumpling wrappers, the hot meat juices bubbled up.

With one bite, a mix of smoky crispness, rich flavor, and juicy sweetness exploded across her tongue like a dance of flavors.

How long had it been since she’d had real pan-fried pork dumplings? This—this was real food…

Thanks to what Su Nan said earlier, Xu Wanchun had already been eagerly anticipating Grandma Wu’s cooking.

And it wasn’t just because she was a foodie—after over twenty years of eating all kinds of delicious food, suddenly being dropped into a time where nothing was available, the fact that she wasn’t drooling all day was already a testament to her self-control.

Of course, even with that anticipation, she never would have dared to rush the old lady.

In her mind, someone in their sixties should rest for at least two weeks.

Especially since Grandma Wu was here to retire—whether she cooked or not should be entirely up to her.

But who would’ve thought that early the next morning, the cheerful old lady would already be calling mother and daughter over for breakfast—

And it was these amazing pan-fried dumplings!

Xu Wanchun kept eating one after another, barely able to lift her head.

“Slow down, if you like them, Grandma Wu will make more tomorrow.” Chuckling warmly, Wu Yuzhen pushed a freshly plated batch toward the little girl. “These just came out of the pan—they’re even tastier.”

The old lady was one of the rare plump figures for this era, and with her silver hair and kindly smile, she radiated warmth. Xu Wanchun couldn’t help giving her a big, heartfelt grin. “Thank you, Grandma Wu! Your cooking is amazing!”

Seeing a child enjoy her food so much made Wu Yuzhen smile even brighter. Her entire face glowed with joy—she looked absolutely robust and full of life.

Thanks to the long-missed deliciousness, Xu Wanchun ate until her little belly was round.

She didn’t mind the teasing from her master and mistress. Hugging her stomach, she paced the room back and forth to help herself digest.

As she walked, she thought about how she needed to start paying more attention to the news in the newspapers and that, while she’d relax a little today, tomorrow she would resume studying acupuncture with her master.

But just as that thought crossed her mind, a few villagers appeared at the courtyard gate—

And in their hands were red paper scrolls…

Welp. So much for her day off.

It was almost New Year’s, and the villagers had come to ask her master to write Spring Festival couplets.

This happened every year. In the past, everyone always looked to her master.

But ever since Xu Wanchun skipped three grades and still managed to remain top of her class, the villagers had started calling her a “star student” destined for college—and they all wanted to “borrow a bit of her scholarly aura.”

So, starting a few years ago, they preferred her to write the couplets over her master.

And just as she expected, when the villagers spotted her, their eyes lit up and they all gathered around:

“Peach Blossom, you’re here too? We’re counting on you to write couplets for us again this year!”

“Write one for me too. Here—these two eggs are for you.”

“I also brought eggs.”

“……”

One after another, before Xu Wanchun could even decline, a pile had already formed at her feet—more than a dozen eggs and a generous handful of dried red dates.

She shot a resentful glance at her master and mistress, who were hiding behind a newspaper not far away, trying (and failing) to stifle their laughter. Resigned, she could only pinch her nose and spread out the paper to grind the ink.

Her calligraphy was decent, though still far from her master and mistress’s skill. But the villagers insisted she write the couplets.

And so, she ended up writing for two straight days.

=

After finishing couplets for the whole village, Xu Wanchun didn’t even get a moment to relax her sore arms before her adoptive mother gave her another task.

“Go visit your Aunt Lancao’s place and ask if she’s going to town these days. If she is, we can ask her to help mail this package to that boy, Jingliang,” Xu Hehua said, stuffing another oil-wrapped pickled rabbit into the coarse cloth sack.

Xu Wanchun grabbed her thick cotton coat from the hanger, slipping it on as she asked, “What if they’re not going?”

“Then go ask Old Secretary’s family. If no one’s going, we’ll take it to the post office ourselves.”

“Don’t seal the bag yet—I still need to put my reply in there.”

“I know. Not just your letter, Sister Nan also has something to send. Alright, stop dawdling and get moving.”

“I’m going… Danggui! Come with me!”

“Woof!”

Xu Wanchun loved snow scenery but hated sub-zero weather. She trudged forward with her head ducked, eyes fixed on the snowy ground, ignoring her playful dog Danggui and failing to notice the figure approaching her.

“Peach Blossom?”

A familiar voice. Xu Wanchun looked up—it was Mailman Xiao Zhang.

Over the years, he had delivered many letters and newspapers to the Xu and Cao families. They were quite familiar.

She tugged her scarf down to reveal her mouth and nose, smiling as she greeted him. “Brother Zhang, do you have a letter for me?”

Xiao Zhang rubbed his frost-covered face until the cold stiffness eased up, then slung his heavy bag onto the ground. While rummaging inside, he grinned. “Not a letter—it’s a telegram.”

Xu Wanchun’s heart skipped a beat. In these times, telegrams always made her worry.

“Here, take it. Sign here.”

Seeing the envelope handed to her, she suppressed her thoughts, slipped it into her pocket first, then pulled off her glove to sign the register.

Xiao Zhang packed up the notebook and teased, “I got lucky running into you midway. Otherwise, I’d have had to carry this huge bag a long way. This is Doctor Cao’s newspaper too—can you drop it off for me?”

It was no trouble, so Xu Wanchun accepted it readily. “Thanks, Brother Zhang.”

A little embarrassed, Xiao Zhang scratched his head and chuckled, “I’m getting paid for it—no trouble at all. I’ll be off, then.”

“Safe travels!”

“Yep!”

As soon as he left, Xu Wanchun took the envelope out of her pocket and opened it.

Relief washed over her.

Thankfully, it wasn’t bad news.

The telegram was from Grandma Yu, stating that she would be visiting the city hospital in five days to perform surgery on a leader and wanted Xu Wanchun to come observe and learn.

Should she… bring her master along?

Let him get a head start understanding Western medicine, just in case?