Chu Xia wasn’t keen on playing matchmaker.

Even though Jiang Zhida wasn’t currently in a relationship, Chu Xia didn’t want Feng Xiaoyuan to persist in asking her to introduce someone, so she used this reason to refuse her.

Chu Xia always kept work and personal matters separate to avoid complications.

Dr. Yan, seeing that Feng Xiaoyuan was still trying to ask Chu Xia questions, tapped on her desk and said, “Have you finished organizing the case records I asked for?”

Feng Xiaoyuan immediately stopped talking and bent over her desk to write.

When Chu Xia returned home, Jiang Zhida and Cen Huai’an were each eating half a watermelon.

Cen Huai’an had been out buying books earlier.

Chu Xia sat on the sofa, picked up a piece of watermelon, and started eating. Although the walk home was short, she was sweating.

“Dazi, you seem to be quite popular with young girls with your style,” Chu Xia said.

Jiang Zhida looked down at his clothes with confusion.

His floral shirt and floral pants were quite ordinary; many young people on the street dressed like this.

“Cousin, why are you bringing this up?”

Chu Xia told him about Feng Xiaoyuan: “I told her you have a significant other.

If you think Feng Xiaoyuan is good and want to talk to her, I can tell her you two have broken up and introduce her to you.”

Jiang Zhida looked somewhat speechless and waved his hand politely, “Let’s leave it at that. I’m not interested in finding a partner right now. Cousin, look at these pictures.”

Cen Huai’an, sitting next to Chu Xia, looked at the pictures of the factory.

The factory was indeed impressive, and Chu Xia reviewed the pictures Jiang Zhida took from various angles.

Chu Xia had no issues with the construction but pointed out some details and safety concerns, such as fire prevention, water protection, and electrical safety.

Jiang Zhida took notes, as he was worried he and Qian Ran might not have thought of everything, so he specifically came to consult Chu Xia.

It turned out that his concerns were justified.

Chu Xia had rejected Feng Xiaoyuan, but it seemed Feng Xiaoyuan was still not giving up.

She kept looking for opportunities to ask about Jiang Zhida.

Chu Xia only mentioned that “he has a significant other” and didn’t say anything else.

After several days of questioning, Feng Xiaoyuan gave up on her intentions.

A handsome new dermatologist had joined the hospital, specially recruited by the hospital’s director.

Many young doctors and nurses flocked to see him.

The hospital had few attractive doctors; most were older, married, or not very good-looking.

So, when a handsome, single doctor arrived, many unmarried girls were thrilled.

However, no matter how good-looking the doctor was, it had nothing to do with Chu Xia, who was already married.

Feng Xiaoyuan, on the other hand, visited the dermatology department quite frequently.

Even Dr. Yan joked, “Xiaoyuan, it seems you’re smitten again. Keep at it this time! But don’t let it affect your studies.”

Feng Xiaoyuan nodded repeatedly, showing that she was capable of handling her studies despite her newfound interest.

On Sunday, it was raining outside.

Chu Xia initially thought she and Cen Huai’an wouldn’t go to Grandpa Jiang’s house today.

But Cen Huai’an said, “Mom, the Go game with great-grandpa wasn’t finished yesterday. I want to complete it today.”

Since Cen Huai’an was on summer vacation, he visited Grandpa Jiang’s house more frequently than just on Sundays.

“Then let’s put on raincoats and go catch the bus. I’ve also finished making the medicinal wine for great-grandpa, so let’s bring it along.”

When they arrived at Grandpa Jiang’s house, Chu Xia and Cen Huai’an, wearing raincoats and holding an umbrella, were not too wet.

“Cousin, An An! Come here quickly, I have something new to show you!”

“Slot machine?” Chu Xia raised her eyebrows at the machine in the living room and asked, “Where did you get this? You’re not planning to put it in your entertainment venue, are you?”

Jiang Zhida shook his finger and said, “No, no, I don’t want to make money from students. We have students in our family; I don’t want to engage in something that might lead them to addiction. It doesn’t sit well with me.”

There were many ways to make money, and Jiang Zhida had never considered running a game hall.

Additionally, dealing with such things required navigating many gray areas, which Jiang Zhida preferred to avoid.

Jiang Zhida patted the slot machine and said with a smile, “This is something I specifically got for An An, Lu Lu, and the others to play at home. I heard that people with strong calculation skills can figure out how to win at slot machines, so I wanted to see if they can win more times.”

This was driven by Jiang Zhida’s curiosity.

He thought it would be better for his children to play with such things at home rather than becoming addicted outside.

If they were familiar with it, they wouldn’t be obsessed.

Zhang Lu was already excited when he saw the slot machine.

Hearing Jiang Zhida’s words made him even more eager: “An An, want to try?”

Cen Huai’an had no particular interest in the machine, but since Zhang Lu wanted to compete with him, he walked over and said, “Sure. Sister, you go first.”

“Okay!”

Grandpa Jiang, sitting nearby in his rocking chair and sipping tea, watched his younger relatives playing and kept a smile on his face.

“Sister! Go for it! Over there, over there, so close! Faster, faster!”

Jiang Weixian was more anxious than Zhang Lu during the game, her eyes almost glued to the slot machine.

Zhang Lu, annoyed by the noise, pushed her head back and said, “Don’t talk, you’re affecting my performance!”

Jiang Weixi tugged at Jiang Weixian. “Brother, be good.”

She kept her mouth tightly closed and pointed to her mouth, signaling him to learn from her.

Cen Huai’an, seeing Jiang Weixi’s cute appearance, smiled and patted her head. “Xixi is really good.”

Jiang Weixi lifted her little face, eyes gleaming with pride from the compliment, and pressed her lips even tighter.

Chu Xia was sitting on the sofa, watching TV with Luo Peng, while listening to the cheerful sounds coming from the children.

“Chu Xia.”

Luo Peng tugged at her arm, and Chu Xia looked at her in confusion. “Cousin-in-law?”

Luo Peng showed Chu Xia the back of her neck. “Look at my skin here. I got sunburned yesterday when I took Xixi swimming. Do you have any good way to quickly reduce this redness?”

Luo Peng’s neck was not only red but also peeling, clearly a sunburn.

Even though she had used some medicine at home, it still hurt, especially when her hair accidentally touched it or when she moved her neck a lot.

Chu Xia took out a small metal tin from her bag and handed it to Luo Peng. “This is a sunscreen ointment I made myself. Its main ingredient is aloe vera. You can give it a try.”

During the summer, when Cen Huai’an was often out, it was easy to get sunburned if not careful, so Chu Xia made this ointment just in case.

The ointment didn’t contain preservatives and had a short shelf life, so Chu Xia only made a little each time, making fresh batches as needed, to avoid waste.

Besides treating sunburn, it could also be used for excessively dry, peeling skin or skin allergies.

Luo Peng, trusting Chu Xia’s medical skills, asked her to apply the ointment to her neck since she couldn’t reach it herself.

Chu Xia stood up, dipped her finger into the small tin, and gently applied the ointment to the sunburned area on Luo Peng’s neck.

The cool sensation immediately spread from the back of Luo Peng’s neck, and the burning pain she had just felt seemed to vanish, making her face break into a relieved smile.

“Chu Xia, this ointment you made is effective. It feels really comfortable now.”

Chu Xia smiled, putting the lid back on the tin. “That’s good.”

She handed the ointment to Luo Peng. “Apply it three times a day when you get home, and your sunburn should heal soon.”

“Do you have more? I don’t want to take yours if you need it,” Luo Peng said, not taking the tin.

Chu Xia pushed it toward her. “I have more at home, and it’s not difficult to make.”

Jiang Zhida, curious about the ointment, asked, “Cousin-in-law, how is this made?”

Chu Xia explained the ingredients and the general steps for making it.

“Be careful not to try making it yourself. If you don’t measure the ingredients correctly, it can become harmful rather than helpful,” Chu Xia warned, advising both Luo Peng and Jiang Zhida.

“If you want some, you can ask me. I have more.”

Chu Xia was meticulous about medicinal items because they were different from other things.

Sometimes, the wrong dosage or ingredients could turn a remedy into a poison.

Jiang Zhida and Luo Peng nodded in understanding.

At the slot machine game, Cen Huai’an always pressed his lips tightly and was very focused, calculating quickly in his mind.

He played slowly during the first round to get familiar with the rules, but every subsequent round was fast, and he always won.

Zhang Lu also won, but she wasn’t as quick as Cen Huai’an, even though she was fast herself.

After playing several rounds, Zhang Lu, feeling tired, said, “I’m done. Every time, An’an is faster. Even if we keep playing, I’ll still lose.”

Jiang Weixian wanted to keep playing but was pulled aside by Jiang Zhida. “Playing is fine, but don’t get addicted.”

When Luo Peng returned home, she washed up in the evening and sat at the vanity, gently moving her hair to the front. She turned to Jiang Zhishu and said softly, “Zhishu, help me apply the ointment. I can’t reach it myself.”