Chapter 20: Free Clinic

Li Ping’s husband, Chang Jun, looked puzzled. “Hey! This pink sachet looks really familiar. I think we have one at home that’s exactly the same…”

He Yunshen: Lying is wrong…

At that moment, Yang Xugang let go of He Yunshen, who then quickly snatched the sachet from Chang Jun’s hand.

Yang Xugang clapped Chang Jun on the shoulder and teased with a grin, “Come on, Old Chang, blow it all you want. How could you possibly have the exact same sachet as the regimental commander’s? Be careful or the commander might make you run extra drills with a full pack!”

Chang Jun was left speechless by the jab, and even began to doubt if he had remembered it wrong.

Beside them, Qian Aiguo scratched his head awkwardly and mumbled, “Actually, I think we also have two of those sachets at home. My wife Zhang Yun showed them to me and said they were from the commander’s wife—they’re for repelling mosquitoes…”

Upon hearing this, Chang Jun suddenly slapped his forehead. “That’s right! Li Ping also said it was from the commander’s wife. I got so flustered earlier I completely forgot!”

He Yunshen’s face darkened visibly upon hearing both of them.

Noticing something was wrong, the others quickly fell silent.

“Commander He, we’ll be heading off now. The new recruits have been slacking lately, we’ll go whip them into shape…”

Before Yang Xugang could finish, everyone was already forcing awkward laughs and starting to run.

“Stop, all of you.”

“Everyone’s getting extra training. At ten a.m. sharp—fifty kilometers with full gear. Yes, all of you are included.”

He Yunshen squinted, his gaze filled with clenched-jaw fury.

“No, Commander, please don’t…” came the collective wail.

This time, He Yunshen didn’t bother hiding it. He smugly pulled a pink sachet from his pocket and swung it leisurely in his hand as he walked off.

Meanwhile, Ning Wanwan and Xu Cuihua strolled around the market. As they passed Zhou Hongchang’s stall, Ning Wanwan deliberately glanced over.

Catching on, Xu Cuihua whispered, “Doctor Zhou got arrested. Heard he was a conman and is already eating prison meals. Thank goodness for you and your husband. If not for you two, who knows how many more people he would’ve tricked.”

Ning Wanwan nodded. She felt Zhou Hongchang deserved his fate.

A true doctor is supposed to heal and save lives with compassion. Zhou wasn’t even a real doctor—just someone who chased money and disregarded lives. This was karma.

As the two walked and browsed, many stall owners expressed their admiration for Ning Wanwan. Some even suggested she open a stall at the market, since her medical skills were well-known and respected. Most of the people in this area were poor vendors who couldn’t afford to see a doctor at a hospital.

As soon as the suggestion was made, the nearby stall owners all dropped what they were doing and gathered around.

“Miracle Doctor Missy, please set up a clinic here. Now that that fraud Zhou is gone, we don’t even have a proper doctor. We’re too poor—can’t even afford to go to a hospital…”

Others chimed in:
“Yeah, yeah, just treat us here—we’ll pay you double!”
“Triple! I’d pay triple too!”
“Please, Miracle Doctor Missy, just say yes!”

Ning Wanwan hadn’t expected to run into this situation just from grocery shopping. She looked at all the sincere, hopeful faces in front of her.

She exchanged a glance with Xu Cuihua, who smiled and nodded at her.

Ning Wanwan smiled back, her eyes crinkling. “Thank you all for your trust. I’ll accept your request.”

“Great! Long live the People’s Liberation Army! Even their families have such high integrity!” someone suddenly shouted.

“Long live the PLA!”
“Long live the PLA!”

The chants grew louder and louder, ringing in Ning Wanwan’s ears, shaking her to the core. She had never experienced anything so powerful.

She gently raised a hand, and the shouting stopped immediately. Then she spoke warmly:

“Everyone, because of my health, I can only hold clinic hours here twice a week at most. If anyone has an emergency, you can come find me at the military family compound.”

The crowd buzzed with quiet murmuring.

Ning Wanwan cleared her throat and added, “Also, I’ll be offering these consultations as free clinics. I won’t charge any consultation fees, and I won’t be selling medicine—only diagnosis and prescriptions. If you have a serious illness, you’ll still need to go to the hospital.”

As soon as she finished, the pork vendor waved his butcher knife and shouted:

“I agree! We trust the PLA’s family members—they won’t harm the common folk! If someone doesn’t believe you, they can just go to the hospital. We’re not that picky.”

“Right! We trust the miracle doctor!”
“We believe in Doctor Ning!”
“Miracle Doctor Missy, you should charge us—we’re willing to pay!”

“Exactly! Who goes to a doctor without paying? We’ll pay normally!”

Ning Wanwan smiled. She was truly moved by the simple, honest nature of these people.

“Everyone, please don’t insist—I really won’t accept any fees.”

“Tomorrow’s Tuesday. I’ll be here at 9 a.m. for consultations. Anyone feeling unwell can come by and wait.”

“Alright!”

When Ning Wanwan and Xu Cuihua returned home, their hands were full of meat and vegetables—all gifts from the market vendors to thank her for agreeing to the free clinic.

One vendor gave them greens, another pork, a third brought peanuts and sunflower seeds, while others brought chickens and eggs.

The vendors were so enthusiastic that Ning Wanwan couldn’t refuse. She accepted everything with gratitude.

She hadn’t brought enough money that day, so she quietly kept track of what each vendor gave, planning to return the value in cash the next day.

On the way home, Xu Cuihua, pushing the wheelchair, wore a hesitant look on her weathered face.

“Wanwan, why would you offer free clinics? You don’t know how much Zhou Hongchang earned. I heard his family even built a two-story house last year!”

Ning Wanwan shook her head. “Sister-in-law, we’re military family members. We should hold ourselves to higher standards—we can’t take advantage of the people.”

“Also, if I charged fees, it’d be a different situation. I can’t risk causing trouble for Commander He.”

Xu Cuihua nodded, a guilty expression on her face.

“I’m sorry, Wanwan. These past years have made me so afraid of poverty—it’s like my mind’s been clouded by greed. Just hearing the word ‘money’ makes me forget who I am. I’ve let down Old Guo.”

Ning Wanwan turned her head and patted Xu Cuihua’s hand with a smile. “Don’t say that. Our situations are different—no need to blame yourself.”

Once they got home, they got busy right away. The morning at the market had eaten up most of their time, and it was already past eleven.

Xu Cuihua originally planned to cook, but Ning Wanwan stopped her. She had promised He Yunshen the night before, and she meant to keep her word.

Xu Cuihua helped on the side, while Ning Wanwan took charge of the cooking.

As Xu Cuihua watched the fragrant and colorful shredded pork stir-fry in the pan, she couldn’t help but praise, “Wanwan, your cooking is way better than mine. I’ve never even seen a dish like this before, but it smells amazing.”

Ning Wanwan smiled while stirring the dish and adding spices to the pan.

By 12:30, three dishes and a soup were set on the table.

He Yunshen walked in, holding an exquisite box, his steps hurried.