Chapter 28

It was a rare opportunity.

Naturally, Xu Wanchun wanted to bring her adoptive mother along for a trip to the city.

At first, Xu Hehua refused. As the village accountant, year-end was her busiest time—there were endless accounts to balance.

But in the end, she couldn’t win against her daughter. After all, the little girl was far too good at acting spoiled. She even promised to help with the bookkeeping once they got back—what else could she do? She had no choice but to go along.

The journey was long and arduous. The four of them brought along a travel permit issued by the old party secretary and began their difficult trek a day early.

To be fair, the northern region in this era was the economic benchmark of the country, and you could tell just by the state of the roads.

From the county to the city, the roads were wide and smooth. There were even workers operating small snowplows to keep the streets clear—cars could pass through easily.

The toughest part was the stretch between the countryside and the county seat.

That section could only be traversed using animal-drawn sleds.

Not only was it slow, but also bitterly cold.

They had set off at daybreak, and by the time they finally reached the state-run hotel in the city, it was already two in the afternoon.

None of them were the type to enjoy sharing a room with strangers. So after the hotel staff checked all their documents, they rented two double rooms.

It was a bit expensive, but each room came with its own bathroom and heating.

This was Xu Hehua’s first time staying at a hotel. Before entering, she muttered quietly to her daughter about how costly it was—three yuan a night.

But once they stepped into the room and saw the tiled floors and walls, the private shower, porcelain sink, squat toilet, and ceiling light, her complaints turned into amazement.

She wandered around the room for a while before finally finding her voice again. “…It’s worth three yuan, alright. So grand. There’s even electricity!”

To be honest, even Xu Wanchun was a bit surprised. By future standards, the decor was quite plain—maybe even dated.

But this was 1956!!!

From what she remembered, wasn’t this supposed to be a time of poverty?

“These shiny things—are they those ’tiles’ you were talking about? So clean! If we had these in our house, it’d be so bright.” Xu Hehua stared at the wall tiles for a moment, then couldn’t resist reaching out to touch them.

Xu Wanchun said, “Let’s not bother at home. We’re not staying in Xujiatun much longer. It’d be a waste of money. Let’s wait until we move to a big city to decorate properly.”

Now that was music to Xu Hehua’s ears. She had just opened her mouth to respond when—

Knock knock.

She immediately pulled her hand away from the wall, gave herself a quick glance in the mirror to wipe off her “country bumpkin” expression, then walked over to open the door.

Back on the bed, Xu Wanchun watched her mother’s entire routine and couldn’t help but laugh.

It was a hotel staff member delivering a hot water flask.

Xu Hehua carried it into the room, shot her daughter a glare for laughing at her earlier, and asked, “Want some water? I’ll pour you a cup.”

“No thanks, I’m gonna nap for a bit.”

“How long?”

“About half an hour.”

“Alright, sleep then. I’ll wake you up when it’s time.”

=

Half an hour later, when they were about to leave to visit Grandma Yu—

Cao Xiu and Su Nan didn’t come along.

To them, this visit was uninvited. At the very least, they felt they should wait until their little apprentice talked with Director Yu and got her approval before meeting her.

The state-run hotel wasn’t far from the hospital.

Just a little over a kilometer.

If one didn’t want to walk, they could also take a streetcar just twenty meters down the road.

But the Xu mother and daughter weren’t trying to save money—they simply wanted to enjoy the walk and take in the sights.

Influenced by the Soviet Union, the buildings on both sides of the main road had a strong European style.

From tall pillars to ornate reliefs, everything here was a vivid representation of this era.

Not only Xu Wanchun—even Xu Hehua, who had lived her whole life in the countryside and was visiting the city for the first time, found it all fascinating.

What she didn’t notice, however, was that while she was marveling at the scenery with sparkling eyes, quite a few people were also secretly watching her.

It wasn’t the first time today—Xu Hehua calmly stepped in front of her daughter again, quietly watching another young man walk away after blatantly staring.

In her heart, she sighed: Peach Blossom’s grown up now, and with looks like hers, who knows how many people will be eyeing her.

She had to keep a tight watch and make sure to pick the very best for her girl.

Xu Wanchun, completely unaware of her mother’s silent fretting, strolled casually. Before long, they spotted the sign for City First People’s Hospital.

“There it is! This is the hospital? The building’s huge—three, four, maybe even five stories?” Standing in front of the towering structure, Xu Hehua’s long-dormant sense of unease resurfaced. “So… how do we go in?”

Xu Wanchun simply lifted a foot and said, “Like this.”

Xu Hehua… her daughter was really bold.

But truly, it wasn’t complicated at all. Xu Wanchun asked someone for directions, and since Grandma Yu had apparently given advance notice, the two were quickly led up to an office on the third floor.

This time, Yu Qiong had come at an old friend’s request to perform a cranial surgery to remove leftover shrapnel from a war buddy—now the head of the city’s grain administration.

At this point in time, cranial surgery was still highly risky. But without it, the shrapnel’s pressure on the nervous system could lead to paralysis at any moment.

And Yu Qiong’s skills in cranial surgery were among the best in the country.

Right now, she was in a pre-op consultation with the hospital’s doctors.

Xu Wanchun, watching from the hallway through the glass panel, debated for a moment and finally decided to wait outside.

But before she could even move away, Grandma Yu looked up and spotted her.

It had been three and a half years, and the girl had clearly grown—but Yu Qiong only paused briefly before recognizing her.

With a warm, grandmotherly smile, she waved at the girl like greeting her own kin.

Xu Wanchun turned to her mother.

Xu Hehua immediately pointed to a bench by the wall. “I’ll wait for you right here.”

It really wasn’t appropriate for her to go in. After reminding her mom not to wander off, Xu Wanchun prepared to enter the room.

Meanwhile, feeling like her daughter was treating her like a child, Xu Hehua rolled her eyes dramatically.

Xu Wanchun: …

=

In this era,
most medical knowledge was passed down through apprenticeships.

So even though Xu Wanchun still looked like a middle schooler,
once Yu Qiong introduced her as her own student,
none of the other doctors objected to her joining the surgery prep.

Not that they had any great expectations for the young girl’s skills—
but major surgeries like this were rare opportunities,
and when it came to cranial operations,
everyone brought along their most promising apprentices to observe and learn.

So as the lead surgeon, it wasn’t out of place at all for Yu Qiong to bring a student.

The meeting dragged on for more than an hour,
and when it finally ended, Yu Qiong invited her out,
“Where are you and your mother staying? Let’s have dinner together tonight.”

Three and a half years had passed,
and Yu Nai Nai’s hair was now almost entirely white,
her face noticeably aged—
but the way she looked at her still radiated warmth and affection.

Xu Wanchun helped pack up the documents, replying with a smile,
“We’re at the state-run hotel. Of course we can eat together!
But my master and mistress came with me too. Can we invite them?”

Yu Qiong, just finishing locking the cabinet, blinked in surprise.
“Your master and mistress are here too? Treating patients?”

Xu Wanchun couldn’t bring herself to play word games with her.
She replied honestly but vaguely,
“Well, things are kind of complicated right now…
I talked my master into getting a Western medicine certification.
But I heard that kind of thing needs an internal referral,
so I dragged him here to ask you for help.”

Her words were unclear, but Yu Qiong was no fool.
She knew perfectly well what the current situation was like for traditional Chinese medicine.
She didn’t ask any more questions and just sighed.
“That’s simple enough. I’ll write a letter of recommendation to the hospital director later.”

Xu Wanchun had expected Yu Nai Nai would help—
but hearing her agree without asking for anything in return still made her heart swell.
She looped her arm through Yu Qiong’s and grinned sweetly.
“You’re too good to me!”

Yu Qiong was clearly enjoying her clinginess and affection.
She tapped the girl gently on the forehead,
“It’s no trouble.
If your master doesn’t want to come to the hospital for training,
you could always teach him yourself. He can just come take the exam afterward.”

That was even better! Xu Wanchun’s face lit up.
“Then let’s go back to the hotel and find my master and mistress now!
There’s a state-run restaurant there—
they can treat us to dinner! Let’s splurge!”

As they walked out of the meeting room together,
Yu Qiong couldn’t help laughing. The little girl was too much fun.
She turned to Xu Hehua and teased,
“How’d you raise a daughter like this? She’s just too lovable.”

It was the first time Xu Hehua had met the famous Director Yu,
and she hadn’t expected the woman to be so approachable.
Immediately, her nerves faded, and she smiled back,
“She’s always been clever since she was little.
It’s not something I taught her.”

Yu Qiong nodded in appreciation.
“Then you’re lucky—you’ve got a gem of a daughter.”

Xu Hehua wholeheartedly agreed.
She had lost count of how many times she thanked the heavens for sending her Peach Blossom.

And so, the two elders, one praising her student, the other praising her daughter,
quickly bonded.

Meanwhile, the subject of their praise—Xu Wanchun—
couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

=

The next day.

The surgery was scheduled for 9 a.m.

In her previous life, Xu Wanchun had specialized in cardiac surgery.
If this were a heart-related operation,
she’d be confident enough to assist.

But when it came to craniotomy,
her understanding was only skin-deep.

So she fully expected to be a quiet observer throughout the procedure.

But to her surprise—
after the incision, opening the skull, removing fragments, fitting the bone flap—
Yu Nai Nai suddenly called on her to do the final sutures on the scalp.

Seeing the other students’ mixed reactions—some envious, some doubtful—
Xu Wanchun hesitated.

It wasn’t fear, exactly.
She just didn’t think it was worth showing off this kind of suturing technique.
After all, in the future, most doctors would be proficient at this.

Noticing her reluctance, Yu Qiong chuckled.
Through her surgical mask, her eyes crinkled with warmth.
“Don’t overthink it. I just think your sutures look more refined.”

With that said, it would be ungrateful to refuse—
so Xu Wanchun accepted the needle holder and forceps.

Since the incision wasn’t large,
and Yu Qiong emphasized the need for aesthetics,
and the sutures were absorbable,
she naturally chose subcuticular suturing.

This method, which doesn’t pierce the skin surface,
leaves the least visible scar once the wound heals.

What she didn’t notice, though,
was that as soon as she began working,
all the other doctors’ eyes lit up.

To outsiders, it looked like nothing.

But professionals could see skill at a glance.

It was clear—this girl had talent.

And more than that—
the suturing method she used was one they had never even seen before.

The hospital’s own director, currently assisting, leaned toward Yu Qiong and whispered,
“That technique is excellent. You taught her?”

Yu Qiong… didn’t.

No, she hadn’t.

She said nothing, just kept watching the girl’s hands closely.

The director wasn’t offended.
He asked again with a mixture of envy and admiration,
“Impressive kid, and so young… where’d you find her?”

This time, Yu Qiong finally replied—with a smirk of pride:
“I stole her.”

The director blinked.
“You can steal students now?”