Chapter 28 – Scolded!

The moment the woman heard those words, she exploded in anger, raising her voice and shouting furiously.

“My son just ate something bad, what nonsense appendicitis?! And surgery?! Are you trying to scam us? I’m telling you, I didn’t bring a single cent!”

Then she pointed at Ning Wanwan’s small face and started cursing loudly. The commotion drew over a group of military wives from the residential compound.

“You’re a quack! My son doesn’t have any appendicitis. You’re just a con artist trying to fool people!!!”

Xu Cuihua, standing nearby, couldn’t take it and fired back a few words, only to be scolded even more fiercely by the woman.

Ning Wanwan felt deeply uncomfortable being yelled at, her delicate face showing a trace of anger. She wasn’t just angry — she was anxious. The boy was clearly in so much pain he was about to pass out, yet his ignorant mother still had the nerve to stand there and shout at her.

The military wives watching were clearly unsettled. They all knew Ning Wanwan had medical skills, but in this situation, they didn’t know what to do.

When He Yunshen pulled up and saw the crowd outside his house, he was stunned. But as the yelling became clearer, his brows knit tightly.

Then someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, “He fainted! Somebody help!”

He Yunshen panicked. With one powerful sweep of his long arm, he pushed through the crowd and rushed into the courtyard, yelling as he moved,

“Ning Wanwan, don’t be afraid — I’m here!”

Ning Wanwan was stunned when she saw him. Her bright eyes blinked in surprise, while everyone else looked at the tense He Yunshen with confused expressions.

He awkwardly scratched his head, thinking Ning Wanwan was the one who had fainted from anger, which explained his panic.

Trying to cover his embarrassment, he bent down and carried the unconscious boy on his back, then sprinted towards the military hospital nearby like he was running a 100-meter dash.

The woman chased after him in a panic, followed by a few curious onlookers.

Back in the yard, Zhang Yun approached Ning Wanwan and quietly asked what had happened.

“Wanwan, what’s going on? Why did that kid pass out? And why was that woman yelling at you?”

Xu Cuihua, still upset, explained everything to Zhang Yun.

“Wanwan, I believe in you. We all saw with our own eyes how skilled you are. Don’t waste your energy being upset. Once Commander He gets back, the truth will come out.”

The other military wives at the gate all chimed in in support, saying,

“That’s right, Wanwan, we all believe in you. If that woman dares to come back and cause trouble, we’ll throw her out ourselves.”

Ning Wanwan was deeply moved by everyone’s kindness. Her mood lifted, and she smiled, expressing her thanks to the military wives.

Then she invited everyone inside for tea. The group chatted and laughed, quickly sweeping away the earlier tension.

About an hour later, He Yunshen returned from the hospital, and everyone’s eyes immediately turned to him.

“The doctor confirmed it — it was acute appendicitis. Good thing we got him there in time, or it could’ve been serious. That woman asked me to pass along an apology. She said once the kid recovers, she’ll come by to apologize in person.”

Ning Wanwan nodded calmly. As a top-tier medical genius, there was no way she’d misdiagnose something as minor as appendicitis.

If the conditions had allowed for sterile surgery, she could have done the operation herself. She’d performed heart surgery before — an appendectomy was nothing in comparison.

Deep down, she actually understood the woman’s behavior. In this era, it wasn’t unusual for people not to know about appendicitis. Hearing the word “surgery” would naturally trigger fear and resistance, leading to that outburst.

He Yunshen watched Ning Wanwan’s thoughtful expression and assumed she was still upset. Quietly, he patted her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Ning Wanwan was too caught up chatting with the other wives to notice his small action.

Cui Fangfang, whose husband was a battalion deputy commander, was always outgoing and likable. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked shyly,

“Wanwan, I heard you were giving free consultations at the market yesterday. Could you take a look at me too? My stomach’s been acting up — can’t eat, and it’s really uncomfortable.”

Zhang Yun playfully nudged her and joked, “Sister, I bet you’re pregnant! You don’t need Wanwan to check that.”

The other wives burst into laughter. He Yunshen, seeing the warm and cheerful atmosphere, grabbed his things from the house, exchanged a few words with Ning Wanwan, and quietly left.

Ning Wanwan gently placed her hand on Cui Fangfang’s wrist, then smiled as she withdrew it.

Her clear eyes sparkled as she looked at Zhang Yun and teased, “Sister Zhang, I think you have the makings of a doctor. You figured it out without even checking her pulse — way more impressive than me!”

Everyone looked puzzled — and then Ning Wanwan beamed and said,

“Congratulations, Sister Fangfang, you’re pregnant! Already over two months along.”

The wives all froze in surprise. None of them expected Zhang Yun’s offhand remark to turn out true.

Zhang Yun scratched her head in embarrassment, while Cui Fangfang finally came to her senses, grabbing Ning Wanwan’s hand tightly.

“Wanwan! Are you serious? Am I really pregnant?”

“Please don’t joke with me — I’ve waited so long for a baby, don’t let it be false hope…”

Ning Wanwan patted her hand and nodded solemnly.

“I wouldn’t joke about something like this. Don’t worry — you’re definitely pregnant.”

Cui Fangfang immediately burst into tears.

The other wives comforted her enthusiastically. Soon, the small courtyard was filled with joy and laughter again.

Ning Wanwan didn’t rest either. One by one, she checked the pulses of seven or eight wives. Aside from Cui Fangfang’s pregnancy, the rest just had minor health issues.

The last one, a slightly chubby woman, smiled as she withdrew her hand and said,

“So this is what Little Ning is really like — we used to think you were hard to get along with.”

“Let me apologize, okay? I was wrong about you. We should definitely hang out more often!”

Zhang Yun laughed too. “That’s right. Wanwan’s so kind. She even gave me and Li Ping sachets a few days ago — they smelled amazing.”

A skinny, dark-skinned wife teased, “You little rascal, being biased! Next time, bring one for all of us too!”

“Yeah! We want one!”

“Me too!”

“Of course — as long as you don’t mind my handiwork,” Ning Wanwan replied sweetly.

Just as the courtyard was filled with happy chatter, Xu Cuihua nudged Ning Wanwan and gestured toward the gate.

Ning Wanwan looked over and saw an elderly couple nervously standing at the entrance, supporting each other and looking hesitant to enter, as if thinking of leaving.

“Sister, could you please help me invite them in?”

The other military wives, having had their fun, took the cue and politely said their goodbyes.

Then—

“Doctor Ning, please… we beg you… save a life…”