Chapter 4 – The Female Military Doctor of the 1950s

Xu Wanchun could pretty much guess who the old lady was.

After trying and failing several times to comfort her, and not knowing where the fields were to fetch her adoptive mother for help, she had no choice but to quietly sit on the threshold and keep the woman company.

“Ever since your mother got divorced, your grandpa and I have been worried sick. Why is she so stubborn? Just said she wanted a divorce and went through with it…”

This old lady was something else—just a moment ago she was grumbling about Hehua taking in a child, and now she was calling Xu Wanchun’s grandpa “your grandpa” like it was nothing.

Xu Wanchun had only intended to be a good listener—after all, there were many things she didn’t know yet, and she wasn’t in a position to judge.

But last night, while they were bathing, her adoptive mother had already told her about the divorce in detail.

So, she couldn’t hold back. “That man took a new wife and already has a kid—how could she not divorce him?”

The old lady choked, wiped her tears, and continued muttering, “Your grandpa and I were so ashamed, we couldn’t even lift our heads, didn’t dare show our faces outside. People talk, you know…”

Xu Wanchun muttered under her breath, “Well, you’re outside now, aren’t you?”

The old lady froze.

She sniffled again and wiped her face. “Fine, fine, divorce then. But we told her—she’s still young, find someone else quick! But what does she do? Picks up a burden like you! What good man would want her now, huh? Women who don’t marry, what are they supposed to do with their lives?”

The so-called “burden” answered back, “If a man won’t marry her just because of one kid, then what kind of ‘good’ man is he anyway?”

Having been contradicted the entire time, the old woman lost her temper. She raised her hand, ready to give this mouthy little brat a smack.

But after a long moment with her hand in the air, she still couldn’t bring herself to do it. The girl was too skinny—like a little chick. One slap and she might actually fall apart.

In the end, the old woman just poked her makeshift granddaughter in the forehead. “Is that how you talk to your grandma?”

Well, I’m just being honest.

Xu Wanchun didn’t intend to be clever and talk her adoptive mother out of remarriage or preach about how staying single was the way to go—times were different now.

But if one extra child was enough to scare a man away, then he was clearly not worth it to begin with.

That said, she didn’t say any of this out loud. It didn’t suit the persona of an 8-year-old girl.

Besides, she could tell—the old lady wasn’t truly mean. She was just old-fashioned.

These were the ideas she’d been raised with, deeply ingrained over decades—a reflection of the era she came from.

Most obviously, she introduced herself as Xu Wangshi—no personal name, just a “Wang” from her maiden family tacked on. That was the reality for most women of her generation.

Xu Wanchun knew there was no use trying to talk her out of her beliefs with a few light remarks.

So, she decided to stop arguing. She got up, washed a towel, and handed it to the old lady to wipe her face.

Once that was done, she didn’t sit idle. She went into the kitchen, scooped out two ladles’ worth of soybeans into a bamboo sieve, and sat back down on the threshold to pick out stones and stray grass.

“What are you picking beans for?” asked Xu Wangshi, now clean and slightly more cheerful.

Xu Wanchun replied, “We’re having a warm-house meal tomorrow. Mom said she’d take two pounds of soybeans to Auntie Lancao’s to trade for tofu.” Since her adoptive mother wasn’t here, saying “Mom” didn’t feel quite as hard to say.

The old lady didn’t notice the hesitation in the girl’s voice. Seeing her work so earnestly, she actually relaxed a little and even joined in—sorting through the mushrooms and wild greens she’d brought.

In the countryside, most families ate only two meals a day.

A third meal was rare, usually only added during harvest season.

Back when she used to work in the fields, Hehua would pack a few cornbread rolls stuffed with pickled vegetables and a gourd of water, and work from dawn till dusk.

But now that she had a sickly child to care for, she came back early—just after ten o’clock, already riding her donkey into the courtyard.

And as she opened the gate, she saw…

An old woman and a little girl sitting together—it wasn’t exactly unexpected.

First, she led the donkey straight to the stable. After tying it up and tossing in some corn stalks into the stone trough, she added clean water. Only then did she walk over to the pair sitting by the stone table. “Ma, how come you came today? The housewarming isn’t until tomorrow.”

At the sight of her daughter, Xu Wangshi still felt somewhat uneasy. She pulled a long face. “What? Your mother’s not allowed to visit?”

Xu Hehua was washing her hands with water fetched by her daughter and didn’t even bother to roll her eyes. “Who said you couldn’t come? I asked you before to move in with me in the new house—you’re the one who didn’t want to.”

That reply made Xu Wangshi feel a little better. Whatever else might be said, her third daughter’s house was certainly impressive. But moving in… well, “If I came, what about your father? Without me, he can’t even get a hot meal.” Her tone carried no small amount of smugness.

Xu Hehua said, “Then have Dad come too.”

Xu Wangshi snapped, “What are you saying? Your father and I have sons—if we moved in with you, what would that do to your brothers’ pride?”

“Whatever you want.” Xu Hehua couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore. Her parents would rather squeeze into a muddy thatch hut with her brothers than live comfortably with her—pure pride over practicality.

Seeing her daughter go cold, Xu Wangshi’s smile faded too. She looked like she was steeped in bitter water as she murmured her purpose: “Sanni, I know you’ve got a kind heart. I’m not against you raising a child. But with this girl here, you really won’t be able to find a good man to marry.”

Still scooping water from the vat to rinse rice, Xu Hehua didn’t even look up. “I’m definitely raising Taohua. Uncle Jingjun already fetched the severance letter this morning.”

Xu Wanchun, who was helping on the side, perked up with curiosity. “Severance letter?”

Seeing her daughter’s interest, Xu Hehua wiped her hands on her apron a couple of times to make sure they were dry, then carefully took a piece of paper from her jacket pocket. Before handing it over, she warned, “Don’t tear it—Mama can’t read. We’ll have Dr. Cao read it to you later.”

The rice paper was so thin and delicate that Xu Wanchun instantly understood her adoptive mother’s caution.

Even the writing was done in brush calligraphy—and in vertical columns, no less.

Only a few short lines, but the meaning of family severance was written clearly. At the bottom was a bright red fingerprint stamp, which made Xu Wanchun feel completely reassured.

This kind of thing didn’t hold much legal weight, but in the countryside at this time, it was still very binding.

Once the population census came around in a couple of years and she was officially registered in her adoptive mother’s household, everything would be settled.

“This girl’s name is Taohua?” Xu Wangshi wasn’t interested in the letter—she couldn’t read it anyway.

After carefully folding and putting the letter away, Xu Hehua replied, “That’s her nickname. Her full name is Xu Wanchun. Dr. Cao gave it to her.”

“Such fussy naming,” Xu Wangshi smacked her lips a couple of times and muttered, though she still felt “Taohua” sounded better. “Anyway, I’m not finished yet—your dad was saying, why not let your eldest brother raise Taohua? One little girl doesn’t eat much. In a few years, she could marry Tiezhu.” Tiezhu might not be the eldest grandson, but he was sturdy and looked like a hard worker. Marrying Taohua wouldn’t be a bad match.

Xu Wanchun was stunned—wasn’t this basically child betrothal?!

“Absolutely not!” Before her mother could finish, Xu Hehua’s face turned cold and she cut her off. Her sister-in-law was a narrow-minded woman, fiercely patriarchal.

If Taohua really married into that household, wouldn’t it be like jumping from the wolf’s den into the tiger’s jaws?

She would never forget how Li Shanhai—

When she was determined to get a divorce, the very first thing her oh-so-nice sister-in-law said was: “A divorced woman brings shame—she’s not allowed to come back and live at her maiden home.”

Even though Xu Hehua hadn’t planned on returning, those words still cut deep.

So there was no way she’d let Taohua be raised by her sister-in-law!

Seeing her mother was about to continue persuading her, Xu Hehua simply started shooing her away. “Ma, enough already. I’m not giving Taohua away—she’s my daughter now. You and Dad better stop coming up with these dumb ideas, and don’t bring this up again!”

As she spoke, she grabbed a few white steamed buns from the cupboard with a loud clatter and wrapped them in a clean cloth. “Didn’t you say you needed to cook for Dad? You should hurry back.”

Xu Wangshi took the buns and placed them into her basket, walking away but turning back every few steps. “You’ve got such a stubborn temper… Fine, I won’t mention it again. Oh right, your father also said not to worry about those two mu of land—he’ll bring your brother the day after tomorrow to help clear it. Should be done in a day.”

Xu Hehua still refused: “No need. It’s not much land. I’ve got a donkey—I can plow it all in two days. You and Dad just remember to come for the housewarming meal tomorrow.”

“You’re so stubborn! That’s your own brother—what, he’s not allowed to help? What, are you trying to cut ties with the family?”

“I didn’t say that. I just think I can handle it on my own. Anyway, it’s getting late—Dad’s probably hungry.”

“Fine, I’ll head back then.” Her husband came first, so Xu Wangshi finally stopped nagging.

—

After sending off her meddlesome mother, Xu Hehua gently patted the little girl at her side and comforted her, “Don’t listen to your grandma and grandpa. Mama said she’d raise you, and that won’t change.”

Xu Wanchun wasn’t worried about that—she could see that her adoptive mother really liked her and had taken her in sincerely. She was more worried that the old woman’s attitude had upset her mother, so she took the initiative to steer the conversation elsewhere.

—

After lunch.

Xu Hehua didn’t go rest right away. Instead, she brought out all the clothes from next door.

It had gotten dark early the night before, so she hadn’t had time to sort them. Now she picked out a few that fit her daughter and folded the rest away. “Your Auntie Su is from a good family. These clothes aren’t just pretty, they’re practically brand new. I bet most of them haven’t even been washed yet. And the fabric is real high quality—all fine cotton!”

Xu Wanchun had already been surprised that morning—especially by the overalls!

They were downright fashionable!

“You’re a little girl. Mama will get some floral fabric later and sew a dress for you.” There were many children in the Xu family, and they were poor. Xu Hehua was the third child, and when she was young, she never got a single new piece of clothing—much less a dress. Now that she had a daughter, she wouldn’t let her go without one.

Xu Wanchun liked dresses too—but they were poor: “No need. Pants are just fine.”

Xu Hehua couldn’t sit still. After sorting the clothes, she sat down at the loom again. Seeing that her daughter was trying to be thrifty, she smiled, “You’re so tiny—just a little over a foot of fabric will be enough for one small dress. It doesn’t cost much.”

Wanchun didn’t know how making clothes worked, but with how small her frame was, it probably wouldn’t use up much material. So she didn’t refuse again and instead suggested, “Shouldn’t you take a break? Don’t you still have work in the fields this afternoon?”

“I’ll rest in the evening. This bolt of fabric is already ordered—Mama needs to rush it out.”

“Is it worth a lot?”

“Mama’s got skill—ten meters can sell for five yuan. Other people’s ten meters only go for three.”

Considering the cost of living in this era, that sounded decent. “How long does it take to weave one bolt of fabric?”

“Can’t say for sure. If I work five to six hours a day, it takes about fifteen to twenty days,” Xu Hehua replied.

“That long?” Xu Wanchun was surprised. Still, she wanted to help out: “Can I learn how?”

Xu Hehua laughed heartily. “Maybe when you’re a little older. With your tiny arms and legs? No way.”

“How old do I have to be?”

“At least ten.” There were plenty of kids in the village who started weaving at eight, but her own daughter was too frail, and fortunately, they weren’t poor to the point of needing her to suffer through such hardships.

So, another potential moneymaking route was cut off. Xu Wanchun resigned herself to focusing entirely on medicinal herbs. She changed the topic: “Doesn’t Doctor Cao’s family farm?”

Xu Hehua replied, “No need. They always buy their grain from the village.”

With both hands propping up her cheeks, Xu Wanchun looked envious. “Sounds like their life is pretty easy.”

“Of course. Both of them are highly educated. We can’t compare.” At this, something came to Xu Hehua’s mind. She turned to look at her daughter. “Once your health improves a bit more, Mama will send you to school in September.”

From the moment she realized her adoptive mother didn’t care about social norms and had the courage to get a divorce in 1950, Xu Wanchun knew Xu Hehua had a strong and open mind. But she didn’t expect her to take the initiative in suggesting she go to school.

At that moment, Xu Wanchun was truly caught off guard and touched. It took her a while to find her voice: “I can go to school?”

Hearing this, Xu Hehua paused in her work, her mind drifting to memories of the divorce.

As for Li Shanhai, she hadn’t really missed him. Even if she had once been fond of him in her youth, those feelings had long since faded after fifteen years apart.

So no, she didn’t really resent the divorce.

What she hated was the way Li Shanhai looked down on her. Acting like some high-and-mighty scholar, claiming educated men deserve educated wives. If you want to leave, just say it. Why the need for all those excuses?

Still, deep down, she did admire educated people.

She never had the chance to learn as a child. Her daughter couldn’t end up as an illiterate like her. So she nodded firmly: “Of course you can go. Come September, we’ll enroll you. You study hard and learn all the characters you can.”

Hearing the expectation in her adoptive mother’s voice, Xu Wanchun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I’ll definitely work hard. By the way, where’s the school?”

“It’s right here in our village. I’ll take you to have a look later.” As she continued weaving away with loud clacks, Xu Hehua couldn’t hide her pride. “Our Xu Family Village is the biggest one in the area. A couple of months ago, the authorities said every village had to have a primary school. They picked ours. The other villages have to come here if they want to learn.”

Xu Wanchun had already mentally prepared herself to hike over hills and valleys every day just to attend school. She didn’t expect such a pleasant surprise: “That’s really convenient!”

“Isn’t it?” Xu Hehua agreed. “Speaking of other villages—once we finish planting the spring seedlings and things settle down, I’ll take you back to Li Family Village to pay respects to your parents.”

Wanchun’s original parents were said to have died five years ago, when they went to visit relatives in a nearby town and got caught in the crossfire between a small group of Japanese soldiers and local bandits. They were killed on the spot.

The couple only had one daughter, Li Dani, who was naturally taken in by her uncle and aunt.

Then she was worked like a slave for three years until her death—when Xu Wanchun transmigrated into her body.

She hadn’t expected her adoptive mother to bring up visiting her birth parents’ graves. It really spoke volumes about her character.

Startled for a moment, Xu Wanchun quickly nodded. “Okay.” And then, in her childish voice, she brightly added, “Thank you, Mama!”

Xu Hehua’s face lit up with a smile…

There was already a smile on her face, and now she even let out a soft laugh. Reaching out with her index finger, she tapped her daughter’s forehead and teased, “Oh? You little clever thing, already calling me ‘Mama’ so quickly?”

“Well, it was only a matter of time. You already said I’m your real daughter, didn’t you?” Since they were both sincere about it, what was the point in staying awkward? After weighing the pros and cons and feeling the warmth, Xu Wanchun suddenly realized that calling her “Mama” wasn’t so difficult after all.

Xu Hehua laughed again, clearly overjoyed. “Yes, yes, our little Peach Blossom is absolutely right. Of course you’re my real daughter.”

---

Afternoon.

Her adoptive mother rode the donkey to the fields to plow, while Xu Wanchun took a short nap.

After waking up, she wandered around the house for a while. Once she was sure there wasn’t a single chore left to do, she strolled over to squat by the courtyard gate.

On the surface, she looked like she was just playing with dirt and counting ants, but in truth, she was lying in wait—for the beautiful Aunt Su to appear.

Earlier, while gossiping about the village, her adoptive mother had mentioned that although Aunt Su didn’t farm, she loved growing flowers and vegetables.

And sure enough, Aunt Su’s yard had quite a few plants outside the gate.

Xu Wanchun decided to try her luck. If Aunt Su happened to come out, it would give her, who just so happened to be playing by the gate, the perfect excuse to go say hi and start building familiarity.

Once they were better acquainted, it would be much easier to ask to learn about medicinal herbs.

Yes, it was a little shameless. But for the sake of her health—and to keep her adoptive mother from working too hard—she had to give it her all.

While imagining what to do when she saw Aunt Su—how she needed to look busy, be helpful, sweet, and obedient—out walked the beautiful woman herself, a basket on her arm.

What amazing luck! Xu Wanchun immediately perked up and called out, “Hello, Auntie!” Her voice was so syrupy sweet it almost made her shiver.

But Su Nan thought her soft, milky little voice was adorable and smiled brightly. “Wanchun, why are you squatting at the gate?”

Xu Wanchun replied, “I didn’t have anything to do, so I’m just waiting here for my mama to come home.”

Su Nan looked pleasantly surprised. “Oh my, our Wanchun is such a good girl. Want to come with Auntie to pick some vegetables?”

She didn’t even have to find an excuse herself—what kind of angel was this woman?! Moved beyond words, Xu Wanchun didn’t waste a single second. Her two matchstick-thin legs flew into action, tap-tap-tap, as she dashed straight toward—wealth—no! Straight toward the beautiful woman.