Chapter 50

Today, Han Changfeng got scolded by his colleague, Jiang Wei. “I really can’t believe your sister!” Jiang Wei exclaimed.

Jiang Ruan? It couldn’t possibly be Ruan Ruan. She had beaten up Jiang Teng before, and Jiang Wei had even applauded her for it.

“Are you talking about Han Qingqing?” Han Changfeng asked.

Jiang Wei nodded. “At first, she was cooperative and said she would return the stolen money. But today, she suddenly changed her story. She claimed she had received the remittance slip from her brother-in-law, but the money wasn’t with her—it was given to her sister. Her sister, Jiang Jianchun, admitted it, but said that all the money was with her mother-in-law, and she didn’t have any to return. They suggested we give Liao Chunxing a harsher sentence.”

Their mother had insisted on giving Han Qingqing two thousand yuan, but was she really going to keep it for herself and not return the money?

Han Changfeng went home, where he found his second aunt happily setting up a room. He felt a bit of pity for her, after all, she was his birth mother. In such a short time, both her biological son and daughter had stopped calling her “Mom,” and her adopted daughter had been sent away. Anyone would struggle to cope with that.

In fact, his uncle and aunt understood that Han Changfeng’s adoption was meant to protect Jiang Ruan. They never forbade him from acknowledging his birth mother; they simply wanted Qian Suwen to see the consequences of her hesitation.

Unable to hold back, Han Changfeng called out, “Mom!”

Qian Suwen’s hands trembled, unable to hold the new bedsheet as tears streamed down her face. She pounded on her son’s chest. This was her firstborn child—how could she ever bear to give him away?

She cried, “You little troublemaker, I thought you really didn’t want me anymore.”

Han Changfeng helped her to sit down and asked, “Mom, did Han Qingqing take two thousand yuan from the family?”

Qian Suwen wanted to help Han Qingqing hide the truth, but she didn’t dare lie, not when her son had finally called her “Mom” again. So, she confessed, “Qingqing said she needed it to repay her brother-in-law’s stolen money and that she’d pay me back once she earned some.”

Han Changfeng sighed, exasperated by his mother’s softness. “Mom, I don’t reject Han Qingqing out of cruelty. Her character is flawed—she’s good when there’s no conflict of interest, but when there is, she can’t tell right from wrong. Coupled with her and your soft-heartedness, I had to insist she not come back to the Han family.”

He continued, “Do you know? Her birth mother and sister want Liao Chunxing to stay in jail longer. They’re using the money as an excuse not to pay it back. Your two thousand yuan has been diverted. Do you still want to bring someone like that back into the family?”

Qian Suwen couldn’t believe it. “Is… is that true?”

“Mom, are you doubting your own son now? I’m a police officer with a professional code of conduct. How could I lie to you?”

…

Han Qingqing split the two thousand yuan into two portions. Half went to her sister for living expenses during her pregnancy, and the other half was used for the next quarter’s rent and the shop’s cash flow with Mu Xuehui.

Jiang Jianchun said, relieved, “Qingqing, I haven’t loved you in vain.”

Mu Xuehui affectionately held Han Qingqing’s hand. “Qingqing, we’ll always be the best of friends. I will never betray you.”

Han Qingqing felt a deep sense of fulfillment from being needed and acknowledged. Her adoptive mother even agreed to let her move back home, which made her feel content.

Carrying her luggage with a light heart, Han Qingqing returned to the house where she had lived for over ten years, only to find the doors locked. When she asked the neighbors, she learned her adoptive parents had gone on vacation.

A chill crept into Han Qingqing’s heart. It had to be because of the money that wasn’t returned. The Han family was known for its integrity and would never tolerate criminal behavior.

Unwilling to give up, Han Qingqing ran to find her most beloved second brother. She believed he would help her.

Han Yunqing had been arranged by his uncle to join the fire department. After witnessing life and death repeatedly, his mindset had changed significantly. His uncle often invited him over for dinner and heart-to-heart talks, which had profoundly influenced him. He realized how reckless his past behavior had been.

He felt only guilt towards his biological sister, Jiang Ruan, but not toward Han Qingqing.

With a sigh, he said, “Qingqing, you have your own brother, and I have my own sister. It’s harder for me. My mistakes might be beyond repair, but you have the chance to start over. Adjust your mindset and stop trying to rely on our family.”

…

After five or six days, the Shen Herb seedling had been coaxed into sprouting with the help of Jiang Ruan’s special abilities. The three foam boxes now contained over twenty seedlings, each emitting a faint fragrance.

Jiang Ruan brought Qin Yan over to inspect the Shen Herb seedlings. She carefully dug around one to show the root system, which no longer resembled the original wild ginseng root—it looked like nothing more than a piece of rotting wood.

“The sprouts are no longer ginseng,” Jiang Ruan assured him. “This improved sprout will be called Shen Herb Seedling from now on.”

Qin Yan was astonished. He had never heard of growing ginseng from the root. But knowing Jiang Ruan was special—otherwise, how else could she have healed his leg—he didn’t press for details.

He suppressed his surprise and smiled. “You’re amazing. When will you start planting?”

Jiang Ruan explained that the foam boxes contained soil infused with her special abilities, which allowed the seedlings to sprout. However, for further growth, they would need larger soil areas for “fertilization.” The seedlings would absorb the special nutrients from the soil that had been enhanced by her abilities, making the resulting fruit medicinal.

She said, “I want to transplant them to my parents’ yard first. Once they get bigger, we can move them to the mountains.”

This batch of Shen Herb seedlings was for propagation, and the seeds from the first harvest would be used for future cultivation.

Qin Yan helped Jiang Ruan transplant the seedlings to Han Huaiye’s backyard.

Han Huaiye was a wise old man. As he touched the scar on his neck, he thought of the little girl’s secret he had kept. These twenty-odd seedlings grown in winter would certainly become life-saving medicine. She was a good kid.

Han Huaiye asked his wife to slaughter the two chickens in the backyard. “Don’t let them ruin Ruan Ruan’s seedlings. We’ll have chicken and mushroom stew tonight.”

“Sounds good!” Jiang Ruan happily ran to catch the chickens and helped Fu Yunqing prepare the meal.

…

While Qin Yan was out buying mushrooms, he ran into Zhong Wenwen.

Qin Yan had already investigated her background. Her father was a railroad worker who died in an accident while repairing damaged tracks. His war buddy had taken care of the family for years, visiting them whenever he returned to the capital. Now, that war buddy was in a high-ranking position but suffered from severe rheumatism due to a winter river rescue.

Zhong Wenwen was probably there to seek Jiang Ruan’s help for treatment.

Qin Yan pretended not to see her, but Zhong Wenwen called out, “Qin Yan, which house does your girlfriend live in?”

He was cautious. “If you have something to say, you can tell me.”

Zhong Wenwen smiled. “I have a relative with severe rheumatism who would like to see her for treatment. Money is no object.”

Even if Jiang Ruan could heal someone, she wouldn’t do it just to please Zhong Wenwen.

“If your relative needs treatment, let them come themselves,” Qin Yan replied.

“Do you even know who he is? There are countless people who would give anything just to meet him!” Zhong Wenwen said arrogantly. “If you knew, you’d beg me to let you treat him.”

Qin Yan thought she was referring to the person he had looked into—a man indeed hard to meet. But that didn’t mean he needed to grovel.

He added, “Like I said, if he wants treatment, he should come himself.”

…

Back in the kitchen, Qin Yan handed the mushrooms to Jiang Ruan, who had already started cooking the chicken. She asked, “Who were you talking to just now, Qin Yan?”

“Zhong Wenwen,” Qin Yan said as he helped wash the mushrooms. “She has a very influential relative with rheumatism. She wants you to treat him, but I told her to let the patient come in person. She claimed we’d regret it if we didn’t go, but I don’t think you’d regret it.”

Jiang Ruan chuckled. “Quite an important relative, huh? By the way, where does Zhong Wenwen live? I bet you know, right?”

Qin Yan laughed. “What are you planning?”

“Just curious. I thought I’d drop by since I’ve got time to kill,” Jiang Ruan replied frankly.

Jiang Ruan often changed things subtly with her actions, and there was no need to stop her. Qin Yan gave her Zhong Wenwen’s address.

Before leaving, Jiang Ruan transplanted a small seedling into a flower pot and gave it to Qin Yan, saying, “Qin Yan, this plant blooms beautifully. Take it to school, and if you ever accidentally get hurt, it can help heal you.”

“Aren’t you worried someone might steal the seeds of such a valuable plant?” Qin Yan asked.

“Not at all. Only the ones I grow can produce seeds.”

…

Jiang Ruan headed to Zhong Wenwen’s house, where she saw two men—one older, one younger—drinking tea. They were the same men she had encountered on the train when she swapped seats.

Zhong Wenwen was bad-mouthing Qin Yan, and after hearing a few sentences, Jiang Ruan grew impatient and decided to go home and rest, planning to address the matter the next day.

Zhong Wenwen poured tea for Zhong Guangyuan and continued her complaints, “Uncle Zhong, that classmate of mine, Qin Yan, is so annoying. When I tried to approach his fiancée, he didn’t even ask any questions and directly refused on her behalf. He’s too arrogant. How could such a student be admitted to law school? There’s no way someone like him should be assigned to public security or the judiciary. The national workforce shouldn’t include people like him.”

Zhong Guangyuan’s secretary, Sun Xiaohai, silently regretted not investigating the situation himself. Zhong Wenwen had insisted that she knew where to go and took it upon herself to handle the matter, even using Zhong Guangyuan’s name to pressure others. Now, even if they managed to find the person they were looking for, Zhong Guangyuan would not seek treatment.

Zhong Guangyuan advised, “Xiao Zhong, you need to be more humble in school and not judge your classmates so quickly. A careless comment could impact someone’s entire life. Don’t make a mistake you’ll regret forever.”

Blushing, Zhong Wenwen admitted her fault, “I understand, Uncle Zhong. I never talk about others, but Qin Yan is genuinely unpleasant. None of us in the dorm like him.”

Zhong Guangyuan and his secretary chuckled, “Sounds like this young man isn’t popular with the ladies.”

The secretary added, “He’s already engaged, so that might actually be a good thing.”

After Zhong Guangyuan left, Zhong Wenwen’s mother sternly reprimanded her, “Wenwen, haven’t I taught you to read the room and keep your opinions to yourself? Don’t think Zhong Guangyuan didn’t notice that your dislike of Qin Yan stems from personal feelings. Today, you really made a big mistake.”

“Mom, it’s not that serious. Uncle Zhong doesn’t even know Qin Yan, and he won’t have a chance to meet him in the future. As for Jiang Ruan, she’s so blunt that Uncle Zhong would never seek her out.”

…

Back at the guesthouse, Zhong Guangyuan’s secretary was feeling guilty. “I’ll go out tomorrow and personally look for her. I’ll make sure to find her.”

Zhong Guangyuan rubbed his aching knee and shook his head. “Don’t trouble her. Besides, I’m here on official business; I don’t have time for personal matters.”

Nonetheless, the secretary resolved to continue his search, hoping they could persuade her to provide treatment. With so many rumors about her remarkable skills, there had to be some truth to them.

The secretary got up early the next morning and went to wait at the old neighborhood. An elderly lady informed him that Jiang Ruan had left before he arrived, without saying where she was going. Disappointed, he returned to the guesthouse, only to find the young woman who had given up her train seat sitting by the flowerbed with a footbath.

He hadn’t previously seen Jiang Ruan, the rumored healer, but out of courtesy and gratitude, he approached her. “Hello, are you here to see someone? I can ask around for you.”

Jiang Ruan introduced herself, “Hello, I’m Jiang Ruan. I’m here to see Zhong Guangyuan. I heard he’s staying here. Could you help me call him?”

She was indeed Jiang Ruan. What a coincidence. Feeling excited, the secretary introduced himself as well, “Hello, I’m Sun Xiaohai, Zhong’s secretary. May I ask why you’re looking for him?”

Jiang Ruan raised the footbath slightly, “To treat his illness.”

“And who asked you to come?”

“I came on my own. So many questions—do you still want the treatment or not?”

“Yes, yes! Please come in.” The secretary, overjoyed, decided not to press for more details, fearing she might lose patience and leave.

…

Zhong Guangyuan had a meeting that morning, but Jiang Ruan assured him the treatment would only take an hour and could be done during breakfast, without delaying his schedule.

Zhong Guangyuan hesitated. He was concerned about the high cost she had mentioned before, knowing that some things require more than just money—sometimes, they come with a significant personal cost.

He asked, “How much will I owe you for this treatment?”

Jiang Ruan replied, “I don’t charge any money.”

“If you don’t charge, I’m afraid to accept your help.”

With a firm tone, Jiang Ruan said, “What are you afraid of? I’m no saint. I wouldn’t treat you for free. I actually didn’t want to come, but Qin Yan’s classmate is pretty annoying. I worry she might cause trouble for him later, affecting his graduation and job placement. So, I’ll treat you, and you just need to buy me a meal in return.”

“Is Qin Yan your fiancé?”

“Yes, the one bad-mouthing him is Zhong Wenwen. She likes him, but after he rejected her advances, she held a grudge and formed a biased opinion about him.”

Zhong Guangyuan had heard the name the previous night. Yesterday, Qin Yan was depicted as a disliked person. Today, in Jiang Ruan’s words, the person who criticized him was also disliked. It seemed bias could be dangerous indeed.

The waiter brought hot water, and Jiang Ruan mixed it with cold water in the footbath, instructing Zhong Guangyuan to soak his feet.

The secretary rolled up Zhong’s trousers to his knees, gave Jiang Ruan a small stool, and asked, “Do you always help people with an ulterior motive?”

Jiang Ruan glanced up, retorting, “Of course. Everyone has motives for their actions. I admire those who are selfless, but do I look like one of those people?”

The secretary was momentarily speechless, knowing she had helped others without asking for significant rewards.

Zhong Guangyuan, intrigued by her candor, said, “Tell me, then. What did you expect to gain from the times you helped people? I’ll judge if I can afford it.”

Jiang Ruan sighed, “You’re so troublesome. The first person I treated was Qin Yan. Although he was initially rude to me, I could tell he wasn’t malicious. He paid me fairly and didn’t take advantage of me, unlike some other employers. I figured he was a good person.”

Her honesty made the secretary blush.

Zhong Guangyuan asked with a sigh, “Have you had a difficult life?”

“It wasn’t too bad,” Jiang Ruan said, omitting details about her past, and continued, “The second person I treated was Xun Li’s mother. I wanted to collect eels in their village, so I needed his permission. But I didn’t go to his house directly; I treated the elderly neighbors first so that he would come to me on his own.”

Zhong Guangyuan laughed, “You’re quite clever.”

“I think so too, but many people say I’m foolish.”

Jiang Ruan sighed again and continued, “The fourth person was Zhou Chengzhong, a retired soldier from Dawang Village. I didn’t expect anything in return for helping him, but it turned out he became the village leader after the village split, and I ended up securing a contract for the nearby mountains. That was an unintended but fortunate outcome.”

“And now you’re the fifth one,” Jiang Ruan added. “Since you’re related to Zhong Wenwen, I’m worried she might use her connections to trouble Qin Yan, so I’d like you to invite me to your next family dinner to show them not to underestimate me. Does that work for you?”

Zhong Guangyuan suddenly felt that this young woman was wise in her simplicity. She was giving a lot, essentially saving someone’s life, but asked for such modest returns.

He soaked his legs in the footbath and clarified, “We share the same last name, but I’m not actually related to Zhong Wenwen’s family.”

“But you’re close enough to them that people think you are,” Jiang Ruan remarked.

Zhong Guangyuan pondered her words.

The secretary agreed silently, having long wanted to advise Zhong Guangyuan to avoid getting too close to Zhong Wenwen’s family but never finding the right opportunity. Jiang Ruan’s comment conveyed the message perfectly.

Using her abilities, Jiang Ruan massaged Zhong Guangyuan’s legs for half an hour, then asked him to walk around to check the results. “How is it? I wasn’t lying, was I? Doesn’t it feel much better?”

The treatment indeed had a remarkable effect. The stiffness and pain in his knees had diminished, and walking was easier. His legs felt warm, confirming that the rumors about her healing abilities were true.

“Can your medicine be mass-produced?” Zhong Guangyuan hoped it could benefit more patients.

Jiang Ruan replied, “I’m working on it. Hopefully, by next year, it will be available, but please don’t spread the word yet. I’m worried someone might try to sabotage it.”