Chapter 29

You can’t actually steal someone.

Not only would her master and Yu Nai Nai both object,
but even Xu Wanchun herself wouldn’t agree to it.

And the reason was simple—
in her heart, she had only one master, and that was Cao Xiu.

Back then, she had kept in contact with Yu Nai Nai mostly out of convenience—
and more importantly, to pave the way for learning Western medicine in the future.

So no matter how prestigious the hospital director might be,
Xu Wanchun would never acknowledge another Western doctor as her mentor.
She couldn’t bear to hurt her master’s feelings like that.

Even if that other person was a highly respected hospital director,
she could only politely and firmly decline.

Yu Qiong, on the other hand, was stunned by her old friend’s shamelessness.
She hadn’t expected him to try poaching her student—
right in front of her!

“I just appreciate talent, that’s all!”
Seeing that Old Yu’s face was turning nearly black with anger,
the hospital director quickly clasped his hands behind his back and made a hasty retreat.

Yu Qiong: “……”

Xu Wanchun figured the director was mostly just messing with her teacher—
they were probably the bickering-friends type.
But as a junior, she couldn’t really get involved,
so she stifled a laugh and quickly changed the subject:
“How long will you be staying here, Nai Nai?”

Yu Qiong snapped out of her thoughts.
“Two or three more days at least. I need to monitor the patient’s recovery.”

That made sense to Xu Wanchun.
Post-op, they’d have to monitor for infection, nerve damage,
and watch for any complications…

Yu Qiong chuckled when she saw the girl suddenly zoning out.
“When are you heading back?”

Xu Wanchun blinked.
“Probably tomorrow. My mom’s the village accountant now,
and it’s year-end—super busy. We can’t stay out too long.”

“So soon…” Yu Qiong sounded a little disappointed.
It had taken years to reunite with the girl,
and now she was already leaving the next day.

After a moment’s thought, she pulled a notebook out of her drawer.

“Come on. We’ve only got this half-day left—
let’s make the most of it and test your theory knowledge.”

Xu Wanchun had originally planned to go shopping that afternoon with her master, her master’s wife, and her adoptive mother, so she was a little stunned.
“Where are we doing the exam?”

Yu Qiong raised a finger and tapped the girl’s forehead.
“Where do you think you are?”

Xu Wanchun suddenly understood.
“You’re taking me on ward rounds?”

“Exactly. Real patients, all kinds of conditions,” Yu Qiong replied as she handed over a white lab coat for her to put on.

While slipping into it, Xu Wanchun asked curiously,
“Are we even allowed to do ward rounds? Is that appropriate?”

Yu Qiong was full of confidence.
“Relax. I’m staying here for two or three days. You think that old rascal of a hospital director would let me sit idle? He’s definitely going to have me perform more tricky surgeries. A few ward rounds won’t faze him. Besides, he’ll probably have students from the hospital tag along and learn from us… Oh, and I’ll talk to him about getting your master that certification too.”

As soon as that was mentioned, Xu Wanchun immediately perked up.

So what if she couldn’t go shopping? Her master’s wife and her mother definitely wouldn’t forget to buy her something.
What really mattered was learning—and helping her master get that official recommendation.

—

Xu Wanchun was genuinely grateful to Yu Nai Nai.

Maybe at the start, both of them had had their own motives.
But people have hearts—and after six years together, Yu Nai Nai had all but taught her hand in hand.

Because of her unreserved guidance, Xu Wanchun had learned far more than just cardiac surgery.

And that was important.
Because at this point in time, most hospitals didn’t have strict specialty divisions.
To put it bluntly: doctors needed to be generalists, able to handle anything.

So even with ten years of past-life training under her belt, Xu Wanchun never felt arrogant.
She never looked down on the older, less advanced techniques either.

Because she still had so much more to learn.

And so little time.

—

“…This patient had a cholecystectomy yesterday. Perfect timing for a dressing change—Peach Blossom, you do it,” Yu Qiong said.

None of the white coats trailing behind her objected.

After all, there had already been a few “test runs” earlier.
Despite her young age, this girl was legit.

She was even better than some of the so-called professionals from top-tier universities.

But the patient didn’t know all that.
Even with a mask on, it was obvious she was just a girl—his eyes were full of doubt.

He didn’t know how to question her with so many doctors around. Honestly, he found doctors a little scary.

His wife, though, was much calmer.
Director Han—the one who had performed the surgery—was present too. She knew nothing would go wrong under his watch.

And sure enough, Xu Wanchun moistened the gauze with saline before carefully removing it from the incision.
She checked for redness, fluid, bleeding…
When everything looked fine, she covered it again with fresh, padded gauze and secured it gently with medical tape.

The entire time, the patient barely felt a thing.

After tucking him in and cleaning up her tools, Xu Wanchun was about to move on when the patient’s wife suddenly asked,
“You’re already a doctor at such a young age?”

Yu Qiong’s eyelids twitched—bad feeling incoming.
Before the girl could answer, she interjected,
“Not yet. She’s still a student. Just here to learn.”

But the woman kept smiling warmly.
“Well, she’s almost ready, I’d say. Earlier, I saw her setting up a drip. Quick and neat. My husband said it barely hurt at all.”

Yu Qiong quickly shot Peach Blossom a look, telling her to wrap things up with the patient and move along.

Too bad the woman wasn’t done yet.
“Say, young lady—how old are you? Got a boyfriend yet?”

I knew it!

Yu Qiong was exasperated.
On every ward round, the most common thing she encountered was matchmaking grannies and aunties.

Peach Blossom was pretty—and in an era that favored boys over girls, a female doctor was basically a prize.
Of course people were eager.

Yu Qiong skillfully pulled the girl behind her, mumbled a few vague words, and hurried toward the door.

But just as they were leaving the room, a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.

Xu Wanchun rushed over, her eyes curving into a smile behind her mask.
“Mom, I’ll be following Nai Nai for the afternoon. You guys go ahead and shop without me.”

Xu Hehua had come to check after her daughter had been gone a while—only to walk in on that matchmaking situation.

She didn’t say anything, just smiled and ruffled her daughter’s hair before turning to Yu Qiong.
“Thank you so much for taking care of her.”

Yu Qiong teased her back:
“Oh please—after all the goodies you’ve been mailing me every month or two, how could I not give her everything I’ve got?”

Xu Hehua grew a little embarrassed.
“They’re just some wild things from the mountains. Nothing special.”

Yu Qiong didn’t agree.
If it had been once or twice, maybe. But it had been six whole years.
And those mountain delicacies were rare and precious.

Knowing they were busy, Xu Hehua said her goodbyes after a few polite exchanges.

Xu Wanchun quickly handed her a sealed envelope.
“Please give this to Master.”

The director hadn’t just written a certificate—he’d even included a letter of recommendation.
With this, her master would be able to study or apply at the county or town level with ease. It was a huge help.

“Your master and his wife are waiting outside the hospital gates. I’ll give it to him then.”
Guessing what was inside, Xu Hehua tucked the envelope carefully into her pocket before leaving.

Yu Qiong took off her glasses to wipe them, and when she put them back on, her expression was much more serious.

“Let’s go. There are still a lot of patients waiting for us.”

“Yes, ma’am.”
Xu Wanchun immediately followed.
Though usually kind and gentle, Yu Nai Nai was extremely strict at work—
and Xu Wanchun couldn’t afford to slack off.

—

After they left, a man stepped out from a shadowy corner, carrying two gift boxes.

He stared hard in the direction of the tall young figure, his eyes filled with disbelief and uncertainty.

Even after she turned a corner and disappeared completely, he couldn’t look away.

Who knows how long he stood there, until a younger man suddenly clapped him on the shoulder.

“Old Li—what are you staring at?”

Li Shanhai turned around, dazed for a moment before pushing down the chaotic thoughts in his mind. “I just saw someone who looked familiar.”

The young man glanced in the direction Li had been staring but saw nothing. Curious, he asked, “Why didn’t you go check?”

Li Shanhai shook his head. “I must have been mistaken.”

How could Xu Hehua possibly be in the city? And dressed like some cadre too?

Forget it. Whether it was her or not didn’t matter. She was just someone irrelevant.
He turned toward the colleague he had worked so hard to befriend. “Let’s go. The director’s surgery should be over by now, right?”

The mention of his uncle instantly shifted the young man’s focus.
“Right, right, we should check on my uncle. But listen—don’t bring up that logistics director promotion thing, okay? My uncle’s a real stickler. Let’s just get familiar first—take it slow.”

Li Shanhai didn’t need the advice—he knew exactly how to play the game.
But he still put on a grateful face. “Got it. Thanks for the heads-up.”

The young man clearly enjoyed the flattery and instantly became even more warm and enthusiastic.

—

On the other side.

Xu Hehua—standing tall at 178 cm with a pair of enviably long legs—moved fast.
In the blink of an eye, she was out of the hospital.

She met up with the Cao couple and explained why Peach Blossom couldn’t join them before handing over the envelope.

Cao Xiu opened it and was surprised to find not just a certificate but also a letter of recommendation.

That was an unexpected bonus.
Peach Blossom had really gone the extra mile for her master.
Feeling touched, he turned to his wife—only to find that she wasn’t even looking at the letter.
Instead, she and Xu Hehua were standing head to head, whispering about something.

Cao Xiu leaned in. “What are you two whispering about?”

It wasn’t a secret among family, so Xu Hehua simply repeated what she had told Sister Nan earlier.
“Someone at the hospital tried to set Peach Blossom up.”

What the heck?
Realization hit Cao Xiu, and his expression darkened.
He almost growled, “Peach Blossom is only fourteen!”

Su Nan teased him, “I was nine when we got engaged.”

Cao Xiu was momentarily stunned, then stiffly argued,
“That was different! We grew up together—I knew everything about you. A stranger from the hospital? No way!”

Seeing he was genuinely upset, Xu Hehua stifled her laughter and quickly explained,
“It wasn’t anything serious. Director Yu didn’t even let them say anything before dragging Peach Blossom away.”

Cao Xiu’s expression finally softened a bit. “At least she’s worthy of being called ‘Nai Nai’ by Peach Blossom.”

Su Nan nudged him, “That certificate in your hand? Director Yu helped get that, remember.”

Even after all these years, Cao Xiu still held a grudge about Yu Qiong trying to “steal his apprentice.”
He: “…”

Nan-jie seemed to enjoy teasing her serious husband.
Xu Hehua, nearly laughing out loud, smoothed things over.
“Since Peach Blossom can’t come with us, let’s go shopping on our own. We can buy her a new outfit.”

Buying clothes was right up Su Nan’s alley. She beamed.
“Let’s go then! I’ll pick out something cute for her. She’s at that age where she loves looking pretty—we should get her a few sets.”

Cao Xiu, trailing behind the two women, interjected,
“Make sure they’re modest.”

Su Nan didn’t even look back. “It’s fine, she can wear them at home.”
Then she turned to Xu Hehua, who was linking arms with her.
“Speaking of which, our Peach Blossom is not only beautiful, but smart and capable. In time, more and more people will come knocking. As her elders, we’d better be mentally prepared.”

Xu Hehua frowned slightly. “If someone good comes along and Peach Blossom likes him, I won’t object to settling things early.
Once it’s decided, it’ll stop others from hovering.
What worries me is those toads who dare come sniffing around—if it happens too often, it might tarnish her reputation.”

That was a real possibility.
Su Nan doted on the girl like her own daughter. She frowned as well.
“Don’t worry. We’ll keep our eyes peeled and find her the best one out there.”

Finally able to cut in, Cao Xiu said,
“Aren’t you two worrying too early? She’s only fourteen.”

This time, even Xu Hehua disagreed. She looked at Dr. Cao and said,
“Unless someone really exceptional shows up, and Peach Blossom really likes him, I’d never agree to an early engagement.
But just picking the right person might take years.
By then, she’ll be about twenty—just the right age.”

Cao Xiu was stunned. “It’ll take that long to choose?”

Su Nan and Xu Hehua said in unison, “Good men are hard to find.”

Cao Xiu: “……”

His speechless expression made Su Nan laugh, then she turned to her close friend and asked, “But if she really does meet a good one, would you be willing to let her go?”

Xu Hehua didn’t think twice. “What’s there to be unwilling about? Peach Blossom said long ago that if she ever gets married, she’ll bring me along. You know how that girl is—looks sweet and gentle, but she’s actually very determined. Once she says something, it’s set in stone. Since she said she’d bring me, then she absolutely will. Worst case, we’ll live next door. So whether she marries early or late, I don’t really mind. Her happiness matters most.”

“……” Su Nan was quiet for a while, then suddenly sighed enviously. “I just wonder if the groom would agree to have the master’s wife move in too.” She really couldn’t bear to part with little Peach Blossom.

In his mind, Cao Xiu silently added… The master better be included too.

=

Sometimes the world just works in strange coincidences.

When Xu Wanchun followed Grandma Yu to do a follow-up check on a craniotomy patient, she ended up seeing someone completely unexpected.

Li Shanhai—her foster mother’s scumbag ex-husband.

He stood quietly in a corner, speaking in hushed tones with a younger man. His hands were full of high-end gifts.

How to put it… his attitude looked very humble.

Yu Qiong had been keeping an eye on the girl the whole time, and naturally noticed the meaningful look in her eyes.

After the examination was done and they returned to the temporary office, Yu Qiong removed her mask, slipped it into her pocket, and asked casually, “Ran into someone you know?”

After years of knowing each other, Grandma Yu understood her family’s situation fairly well. And since Xu Wanchun had asked her for help recently, she answered directly, “That was my mom’s ex-husband.”

Yu Qiong’s smile vanished at once, her expression tinged with disdain. “What’s he doing here?”

Xu Wanchun sat down and pulled out two clean enamel mugs. She filled one up to 80% for Grandma Yu, then poured one for herself.
“I heard he transferred to the City Grain Bureau a few years ago, working a low-level office job. He’s probably here visiting a patient—could be one of a couple reasons.”

Yu Qiong was sharp. She immediately picked up on the hidden context and also understood what her student wanted. She smirked, half-teasing, “You sly little fox.”

Xu Wanchun didn’t deny it—just giggled. “When my mom divorced him, he didn’t leave her anything. It was actually his parents who were decent and gave her all their savings. My mom’s soft-hearted and felt that made things even.”

Yu Qiong took a sip of water. “You’re saying you don’t feel it’s even?”

Xu Wanchun leaned on her hand. “Didn’t matter much to me before. But now that he’s been delivered right to my door…”

She paused to think, then added, “Not even talking about other things—just look at how my foster mom cared for his parents for 15 years during those turbulent times. Meanwhile, he’s been living it up with a pretty wife and cute kid… It’s not that easy to call it even.”

A few silver dollars and a donkey to pay off over a decade of youth?
Even hiring a maid wouldn’t be that cheap.

Yu Qiong nodded in agreement. “Your foster mom really is too soft-hearted.”

Hearing that, Xu Wanchun smiled proudly. “That’s a wonderful quality. My mom is amazing!”

Yu Qiong chuckled. “You silly girl. I know you two have a deep bond… Don’t worry. I’ll have a word with Director Yan about that Li Shanhai matter.”

Xu Wanchun raised her mug like a toast. “Li Shanhai’s parents are actually kind folks. A few years back, they even secretly asked someone to send money to my mom. She didn’t take it, but the thought counts. So, for the sake of the two elders… I’m just going to scam Li Shanhai once. What do you think, Grandma Yu? Reasonable, right? Not too much?”

Yu Qiong clinked her mug against the girl’s, her face full of approval.
“I think it’s perfect. Not the least bit excessive!”

—