Chapter 18: The Fake Heiress Stops the True Heiress from Seeing a Doctor

The next day after breakfast, several new educated youths planned to go to the town’s supply and marketing cooperative to buy things. Coincidentally, the old educated youths didn’t need to work that day either. Jiang Wan and Sun Nana also wanted to go to the county town together.

Yu Jingjing asked where Chen Wei would take the bus, and Chen Wei told her.

Just as she and Zhao Yuan stepped out, Chen Mingxu followed them. “Jingjing, I’ll go with you.”

Yu Jingjing didn’t say anything; she couldn’t control other people’s legs.

Jiang Wan and Sun Nana also came out, followed by Gong Fanrui. Upon seeing her, Jiang Wan and Sun Nana quickly moved over to her side.

“Gong, are you going out to buy things too? Ah, if I had known earlier, I would have gone with you.”

“Let’s go together.”

Gong Fanrui gave Yu Jingjing a proud glance, but Yu Jingjing ignored her.

The six educated youths first needed to find an ox cart at the village entrance, then ride it into town.

From afar, Yu Jingjing saw the ox tied to a tree, and the cart hitched to the ox—but no one was there to drive it.

Besides the six of them, there were also some villagers.

They all got onto the cart, but still no one came to drive it.

“Why hasn’t the driver arrived yet?” Yu Jingjing murmured to herself.

Just as she spoke, a tall, scruffy old woman appeared from near the ox’s head and quickly hopped onto the cart. She beamed at Yu Jingjing and said excitedly, “The ox driver hasn’t come, but the ox driver’s wife is here!”

Looking at Yu Jingjing, Lu Laotai (Old Lady Lu) thought this girl was neat and pretty.

She jumped up and sat on the ox cart, then turned to the new faces behind them and asked Yu Jingjing, “You’re all new educated youths, right?”

“Yes, my name is Yu Jingjing.”

“I’m Zhao Yuan.”

Gong Fanrui, feeling a bit aloof, didn’t want to bother with this scruffy old woman and said nothing.

Chen Mingxu didn’t want to squeeze with the girls, so he sat at the back. “I’m Chen Mingxu.”

Old Lady Lu smiled, “Let me introduce myself. I’m the daughter of the team leader here, so you can just call me Team Leader’s Daughter.”

Yu Jingjing said, “Where I’m from, the boss’s wife is simply called ‘boss’s wife.’”

“Ha ha ha ha.”

Not only did she make Old Lady Lu laugh, but the others also chuckled.

“Jingjing, you’re so funny and cute,” Zhao Yuan said, leaning on Yu Jingjing, laughing until her stomach hurt.

Old Lady Lu immediately liked this little girl. She loved teasing people and wondered if she had finally met someone with a similar sense of humor.

At this moment, Sun Nana said, “Yu Jingjing, what do you know? The boss’s daughter-in-law is called ‘boss’s wife.’ The boss’s mother is definitely not called that.”

Everyone looked at this big fool with “only you know” eyes.

Yu Jingjing asked her, “Then why isn’t the boss’s mother called ‘boss’s wife,’ but the daughter-in-law is?”

“Well, how would I know?”

“Anyway, that’s just what people call her.”

Yu Jingjing didn’t bother arguing with Sun Nana, and the air fell silent for a moment.

Old Lady Lu spoke first, breaking the silence with a smile. “Our family name is Lu. You’re all young, so you can just call me Grandma Lu.”

Then everyone greeted her.

Only then did Gong Fanrui realize this scruffy old woman was the team leader’s daughter. Having come to this poor, remote place, with her status, the team leader’s family would definitely flatter her.

Her grandfather told her to rely on her own efforts to adapt here, to shine in the local medical industry, and then return to Beijing with achievements.

But her father would probably help her make arrangements.

It was better to first reveal her identity to remind the team leader’s family to look out for her.

She said to Old Lady Lu, “Hello, I forgot to introduce myself just now. I’m also a new educated youth. My name is Gong Fanrui. My grandfather is a Beijing official, and both my father and eldest uncle are important cadres. My eldest cousin…”

“Enough, enough, I know.”

Before Gong Fanrui could finish, Old Lady Lu interrupted her. She disliked those who came and immediately flaunted their backgrounds, and she didn’t bother flattering such people.

These people came here to build up the place, not to have their families wait on them.

Gong Fanrui immediately changed her expression; the team leader’s daughter was clearly disrespecting her.

But Old Lady Lu wasn’t completely rude. She added, “You’re all educated youths here to support the construction. Since you’re here, we’re all one family. Ha ha ha.”

This didn’t embarrass Gong Fanrui but also didn’t let her show off.

Gong Fanrui felt uncomfortable and began to dislike the team leader’s daughter.

Had her father not made any arrangements for her yet?

---

Beijing City

“Dad, why don’t you help me make some arrangements for Rui Rui so the people there will take better care of her?” Gong Nanjing asked his grandfather. “After all, she’s just a delicate girl and your only granddaughter.”

Grandpa Gong was very firm: “Only real hardships can help RuiRui grow. Since this is meant to be her training, the conditions must be real. Everything has to be authentic.”

“Dad, don’t you feel sorry for her?”

“How could I not? But so many youth sent down to the countryside suffer like this. Which parent doesn’t feel sorry? It must be done as I say. Otherwise, she might as well not be a doctor.”

“Alright, alright, Dad, I won’t intervene for her anymore.”

“If I find out you try to pull strings behind her back again, then she’d better change careers.”

“I understand, Dad.”

After Gong Nanjing left, the eldest son Gong Nanyu was still beside Grandpa.

Grandpa sighed: “This Nanjing always wants to take the shortcut. Can’t he just rely on his own strength and be straightforward? Watch him closely. He can’t open any back doors for RuiRui. Our Gong family must be upright, winning through strength and merit.”

“Dad, I will.”

---

Willow Tree Brigade

Gong Fanrui disliked Mrs. Lu very much, but Yu Jingjing actually liked this grandmother. Seeing her vigorous spirit, agile posture, and booming voice full of energy, it was clear that although she was the wife of the brigade leader and must be in her sixties or seventies, her mental state was no worse than that of people in their twenties or thirties.

She couldn’t be the brigade leader’s stepmother, right?

“Grandma, how old are you?”

“Sixty-six this year.” The old lady showed six fingers and laughed, revealing a neat set of white teeth.

Yu Jingjing nodded: “Grandma, with your health and spirit, you could live to a hundred.”

Yu Jingjing wasn’t flattering Mrs. Lu — the old lady really had that potential.

Mrs. Lu laughed heartily: “Thanks for the kind words. Then I’ll aim for a hundred, I’m not afraid if anyone calls me a turtle or a bastard.” Suddenly, she sighed: “My health is good, but my daughter-in-law’s isn’t. She’s been sick and weak for a long time. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve sucked away her energy. If she could get better, I wouldn’t care about anything.”

While she was saying this, Lu Yunduo was helping Mrs. Lu’s daughter-in-law over.

Mrs. Lu was coughing as she moved; Lu Yunduo patted her back.

Mrs. Lu got off the cart and helped her daughter-in-law onto the ox cart.

Yu Jingjing saw that Mrs. Lu’s daughter-in-law looked pale and thin. She was in her forties but already breathing heavily just from climbing on the cart.

Especially her spirit was low, seeming like a long-term illness.

Several people offered their seats to Mrs. Lu’s daughter-in-law. Mrs. Lu handed over a cotton cushion, Lu Yunduo placed it on the cart and helped her sit down. The daughter-in-law continued coughing.

“Cough, cough, cough.”

“Mom, how are you?” Lu Yunduo patted her chest to ease her breathing.

Mrs. Lu’s eyes were red at the corners. “I’m okay. We’ll go to the county hospital soon to get some medicine. After taking it, I’ll get better.”

Seeing everyone assembled, Mrs. Lu said, “Daughter-in-law, you must sit well.” Then to the others: “The ox cart is about to leave. You all should settle in.”

Yu Jingjing wanted to take Mrs. Lu’s pulse and called to Mrs. Lu: “Grandma, don’t leave yet. Let me check your daughter-in-law.”

Mrs. Lu raised the whip that was about to strike the ox’s rear but pulled it back.

“What? Little youth, you say you can diagnose illness?” She immediately recalled, “You’re the youth who helped catch the pig yesterday, right? The brigade leader told us as soon as he got home.”

“That’s me. I mainly diagnose humans, but I know some about animals too.”

“Oh, little youth, you’re amazing! Then please check my daughter-in-law quickly.”

Gong Fanrui felt uncomfortable again—Yu Jingjing was showing off again.

Yu Jingjing hurriedly said to Mrs. Lu’s daughter-in-law, “Actually, I can diagnose illness, but there are no instruments here. If there were, I could do a better check for you.”

She studied Western medicine. Mrs. Lu’s daughter-in-law was coughing nonstop, needing at least a stethoscope. If it were serious, larger equipment like an X-ray or ultrasound machine would be needed.

Yu Jingjing wasn’t worried at all. She was skilled in both Chinese and Western medicine; Chinese medicine diagnosis often didn’t need instruments—just hands to feel the pulse.

She asked Mrs. Lu’s daughter-in-law, “May I take your pulse?”

“Yes.” The daughter-in-law obediently extended her hand, showing her pale, slender wrist. Before Yu Jingjing could place her hand, Gong Fanrui spoke.

“Yu youth, you studied veterinary medicine. How can you diagnose humans? Human diagnosis isn’t a joke. Think carefully before acting. If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t mess around. If you worsen Mrs. Lu’s condition, you won’t be able to bear the responsibility.”

Yu Jingjing smiled: “Who said I studied veterinary medicine? I primarily diagnose humans. Just because I helped catch the pig, people think I’m a vet. I only know some veterinary skills; my main focus is human medicine.”

Gong Fanrui was speechless: “Still, I advise you to think twice before acting. It concerns lives. We should be more cautious and not do anything that we’d regret.”

“Gong youth, are you advising me not to treat Mrs. Lu because you don’t want her to get better?”

“That’s not what I mean. I want Mrs. Lu to get better, so I advise you not to mess around.”

“I’m just taking her pulse. How is that messing around? Can just taking a pulse harm someone?”

“I… I’m worried about what might happen next.”

Mrs. Lu had already extended her hand, saying to Yu Jingjing: “Little youth, please take a look. I trust you.”

Yu Jingjing placed Mrs. Lu’s wrist on her knee and began taking her pulse.

Jiang Wan, to please Gong Fanrui, signaled Sun Nana. Sun Nana was close to Yu Jingjing and deliberately bumped her arm.

Yu Jingjing snapped and slapped her hand: “Move your elbow away.”

Sun Nana felt her arm nearly break. “Yu youth, I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“I didn’t hit you on purpose either.”

Mrs. Lu glanced over coldly, and her fierce gaze scared the others into silence.

Yu Jingjing then focused on taking Mrs. Lu’s pulse.