Chapter 13: Medicinal Cuisine

When Ji Yuan saw Su Nianmei, he lifted his hand from the back of the chair and greeted her comfortably, “Mei Mei.”

Zhong Yi, his neck wrapped up like a mummy, strained to turn his head, “Brother An, you two know each other?”

Su Nianmei responded: “Brother Ji has helped me out a few times.”

Zhong Yi nodded: “What a coincidence.”

A familiar aroma wafted through the air.

Zhong Yi wriggled around, forcefully moving himself over to the pool’s edge. He gripped its edge tightly and sniffed hard.

“Do you even want to get better?” Ji Yuan was a bit irritated.

This brat had taken advantage of his brief handwashing break to wheel himself downstairs. Ji Yuan wished he had broken his legs earlier; it would save people the hassle of always chasing him down.

Clinging to the pool, Zhong Yi turned his head toward Su Nianmei and asked, “Is that peach kernel rehmannia porridge?”

Su Nianmei replied, “Yes, it is.”

Zhong Yi continued, “Peach kernel is bitter and neutral in taste; it nourishes the heart, while rehmannia is sweet and warm, working on the liver, nourishing the blood, and moistening the marrow. Has someone in your family had brain surgery?”

“My child fell down the stairs and had a minor surgery. I’m making some medicinal food to help strengthen his body.”

In her previous life, Su Nianmei’s grandmother had been in poor health. As a result, she delved into traditional Chinese medicine, researched ingredients, and learned numerous medicinal recipes. She had a rough understanding and hadn’t expected this knowledge to be useful in this lifetime.

Zhong Yi gave her an odd look. In the past few years of turmoil, most medicinal recipes had been lost, and the peach kernel rehmannia porridge was something he had been forced to make himself as a child under his grandfather’s strict supervision. After hearing about it so much, he had memorized the recipe.

As he thought of his grandfather, Zhong Yi’s gaze dimmed. He shifted his focus back to Su Nianmei. If his grandfather saw her, he might be pleasantly surprised.

Zhong Yi rummaged inside his hospital gown before pulling out a small card and handing it to Su Nianmei.

She glanced at it—a business card. Her eyes fell on the black printed characters: “Zhong Yi,” followed by a small line that read, “Deputy Manager, Furentang.”

Su Nianmei looked up, glancing at Zhong Yi more curiously. In the future, she remembered that Furentang had grown into a prominent enterprise, though it had mysteriously declared bankruptcy at some point. The event had sparked considerable discussion in her workplace at the time, and she had overheard some of it.

Ji Yuan checked his watch, exchanged a few more polite words with Su Nianmei, and then prepared to wheel Zhong Yi away. As he left, Zhong Yi insisted that Su Nianmei reach out to him.

Su Nianmei smiled at the business card’s landline number, tucking it casually into her pocket.

—o—o—o—

After washing up the jars, Su Nianmei returned to Xiaobao’s hospital room. Gu Xichao lay on the bed with Gu Xiaobao nestled against him, the two of them—a large and a small figure—curled up on the bed together.

Gu Xichao’s long legs extended off the edge of the bed somewhat awkwardly.

Most of the blanket was draped over Gu Xiaobao, leaving Gu Xichao partially exposed.

Frowning slightly, Su Nianmei moved closer to the bed, leaned down, and reached to pull the blanket over Gu Xichao as well.

Her wrist was suddenly caught as she tugged at the blanket’s edge.

With a slight stumble forward, Su Nianmei found herself leaning over Gu Xichao, only a thin layer of blanket separating them. Gu Xichao let out a muffled groan, his eyes snapping open, dark and intense as if they could draw her in completely.

His warm breath fell on her wrist—leaving a soft tickling sensation.

Su Nianmei’s long hair cascaded down, brushing against Gu Xichao’s hand, each gentle touch sweeping across his heart.

At the door, a young soldier had raised his hand, about to report something. Still, as Gu Xichao shot him a glance, the soldier quietly retreated, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

The door closed softly, causing Su Nianmei’s hand to tremble slightly as she tried to pull herself up. Gu Xichao released her wrist, albeit a bit reluctantly, and in a low voice, murmured, “Be good. Don’t make a fuss.”

The rich, magnetic sound of his voice resonated in her ear, stirring ripples deep in her heart.

Su Nianmei quickly straightened up, but Gu Xichao caught a fleeting look of flustered nervousness on her face, and a hint of amusement flickered across his lips.

He sat up slowly, adjusting his collar, his back slightly tense, and let out a few light coughs.

At the door, Xiao Fang, hearing the coughs, opened the door again and walked in, holding a basket of fruit.

Su Nianmei accepted the fruit basket from Xiao Fang and placed it on the table, even pouring him a glass of water.

Xiao Fang was a bit stunned by her kindness; he’d heard rumours from others that Major Gu’s new wife was some wild “tigress” from the countryside, supposedly fierce and unsophisticated.

So her friendly treatment left him shocked and a little flattered. He sprang up from the chair he had barely settled into, standing rigidly at attention.

With a crisp salute, he addressed her in a slightly youthful but earnest voice that was already edging toward adulthood, “Good day, Sister-in-law! I’m Xiao Fang.”

Seeing how tightly wound the young man was—he couldn’t be more than seventeen or eighteen—Su Nianmei smiled gently. She glanced at the fruit basket, broke off a banana, and offered it to him.

“Xiao Fang, we don’t have much to serve you here, so take this banana as a token. You’ve been here for a while now; you must be tired.”

Xiao Fang glanced over at Gu Xichao, who gave him a nod, and only then did he accept the banana. Standing there, holding it in both hands like a statue, he forced a wide smile that revealed a perfect row of eight teeth. “Sister-in-law, how did you know I love bananas? In the camp, everyone calls me ‘Monkey.'”

Looking at the skinny, dark-skinned Xiao Fang, Su Nianmei chuckled but didn’t reply, not wanting him to feel too nervous around her.

She patted his shoulder gently and said, “You all sit and chat; I need to run an errand, but I’ll be back soon.”

With the banana in hand, Xiao Fang felt a little euphoric. His sister-in-law was clearly a kind-hearted, beautiful person—none of those city girls could even hold a candle to her! He was sure anyone who badmouthed her was just jealous. Next time he heard anyone speak ill of her, he, Fang the “Monkey,” would be the first to leap in and bite them!

Yes! Bite them!

As he imagined this, he squeezed the banana a bit too fiercely, an intense look crossing his face. When he looked up, he found Major Gu’s gaze lingering on his shoulder with a peculiar, steady expression.

Suddenly, Xiao Fang felt a bit uneasy. Leaving the ointment he’d brought and mumbling a few reminders about how to use it, he quickly made his exit.

He practically sprinted out as if a fierce dog were hot on his heels.

Meanwhile, Su Nianmei was still uncertain about how to face Gu Xichao. The night he’d left for his mission, he had just confessed his feelings to her, and now, with Xiaobao hurt, her mind was a jumble of conflicting emotions. She stood out on the terrace, letting the wind clear her thoughts.

She spotted Ma Fang approaching from a distance, carrying a large basket of eggs. When she saw Su Nianmei, Ma Fang waved warmly.

Su Nianmei waved back and walked over slowly.

“Little sister, how is our Xiaobao doing?” Ma Fang asked.

“Xiaobao is doing well; the surgery went smoothly. The doctor said that if all goes well after a couple of days of observation, he’ll be able to go home.”

Ma Fang’s smile widened, and her ample frame shook with laughter. “That’s great news! Safety and health are the greatest blessings!” She pressed the basket of eggs into Su Nianmei’s hands insistently.

Su Nianmei initially tried to decline, but Ma Fang wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Little sister, listen to me—take it. These are for Xiaobao. You have to accept them.”

Seeing that Ma Fang wouldn’t take no for an answer, Su Nianmei accepted the eggs. “Sister-in-law, look at you—you didn’t have to bring anything. Just coming was already thoughtful enough! I’ll thank you on behalf of Xiaobao.”

Ma Fang brushed it off, patting herself, “Oh, there’s no need to thank me. We’re neighbors, after all—just a small gesture.” Then, she adopted a more serious tone, “Xiao Mei, with the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up, our complex wants to put on a little performance, you know, to compete with the folks from the art troupe. Now, Xiaobao’s in this situation, and you’re new at the job, technically just a temp for now.”

Hearing this, Su Nianmei felt a vague sense of unease.

Ma Fang continued, “I thought it over and decided that you’d be perfect to show off a little something for us. This decision has already received the hospital’s support, and we have two weeks to prepare. Do us proud and make our unit shine!” She leaned closer, whispering into Su Nianmei’s ear, “With your name out there, good opportunities will come knocking.”

The idea of performing—a solo performance at that—left Su Nianmei momentarily speechless. She forced a polite smile in response.

Taking the smile as an agreement, Ma Fang beamed. “Great, then it’s settled! You can hold off on the procurement duties until after Mid-Autumn. I’ll let the admin team know you’ll be focusing on the performance. Just concentrate on your preparations!”