Night had fallen, and walking mountain paths in the dark wasn’t safe. Wen Yifan prepared two rooms for Zhou Hua and the others to make do. “The conditions are basic, but you’ll manage. I’ll go cook for you.”
“Let Zhou Hua do it.”
Qin Yunan propped himself up on his arm and slowly sat up, his lips pale. “Don’t bother with them. They’ve gone several days without returning to the base during field training—they can’t cook and would starve.”
Zhou Hua caught the hint and quickly said, “Right, right! Doctor Wen, we can cook. Just tell us where the rice and vegetables are. You’ve been busy all day and must be tired—rest a bit, and the meal will be ready when you’re done.”
The other two soldiers nodded in agreement.
Wen Yifan, indeed exhausted, went down the slope. “Everything is in the kitchen. You can cook as you see fit. There’s meat too—it’s at the bottom of the cabinet.”
Looking at Qin Yunan, she added, “Make a bowl of rice porridge for Comrade Qin.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. Old Qin can’t handle spicy food in his condition.” Zhou Hua, being from a mountain city, loved spicy food. He muttered as he left, and the other two soldiers, seeing that staying behind would just be in the way, followed him out.
With the three gone, the room grew quiet.
Wen Yifan neatly put away her surgical tools. When she turned and saw Qin Yunan trying to lift his leg, her blood pressure spiked. She scolded, “Comrade Qin, are you trying to show that my little clinic can’t treat a god like you, so you’re rushing off to the county for another surgery?”
Qin Yunan felt uneasy at her words and stared at her expression, testing: “I shouldn’t want that, right?”
“Then stop moving!” Wen Yifan tossed the gauze aside and snapped, “I think you’re trying to ruin my reputation!”
Qin Yunan had no words to defend himself. “I just… thought my leg was almost healed, so I wanted to try…”
Try to see if he could move it.
But even saying it aloud sounded absurd—who could recover from a freshly operated leg so quickly?
He paused, then apologized dejectedly, “Sorry for worrying you, Doctor Wen.”
“I wasn’t worried about you,” Wen Yifan denied, turning her back. Inwardly, she admitted it was a miscalculation—she’d added a little too much Spirit Spring water to the potion, which healed the wound too quickly and made him suspicious. But the medicine had already been used, and it was too late to adjust the formula.
The next morning, Zhou Hua and the others saw that the scar on Qin Yunan’s leg had already begun to heal. Their expressions were even more shocked than the day before.
“Old Qin, you’re already healed?”
Qin Yunan tested it. “It’s still a bit weak. It might need a few more days to fully recover.”
When they brought him in last night, they thought his leg might be lost. Now he told them it would be fine after just a few more days.
“I’m not dreaming, am I?” Zhou Hua stared in disbelief at the leg, then his eyes lit up as he looked at Wen Yifan. “Doctor Wen, how much is that miracle potion? I want to buy it!”
The other two soldiers were also itching to get some.
Wen Yifan calmly replied, “It’s a secret ancestral medicine. The family rules dictate it can only be used on-site for treatment, not sold.”
“That’s a shame.”
Zhou Hua sighed. Wen Yifan noticed Qin Yunan’s brief look of disappointment but decided: “Selling isn’t allowed, but if you ever need treatment, you can come to my clinic.”
“Of course.” She added, “But it’s best if you don’t come.”
No one wanted to be sick or injured. Qin Yunan smiled and, along with his comrades, bid her farewell.
“I’ve left the consultation fee on the table. I’ll follow the instructions, and come back every three days, Doctor Wen. See you then.”
“If in three days your leg still can’t support you, have Comrade Zhou deliver a message. I can come myself.”
Qin Yunan smiled but didn’t say whether he agreed.
After they left, Wen Yifan realized the place was a military base—entering properly required prior approval through multiple layers of command.
Just to get a medicine refill, they’d need to submit a report and wait three days, which would frustrate the leaders and her.
Thinking back, when she accidentally wandered in last time, Qin Yunan’s escort of her wasn’t just out of duty to protect civilians—there might have been an investigative purpose as well.
Having figured that out, Wen Yifan let it go and locked the courtyard, going home to eat.
In the following days, her routine was three points and a line: up the mountain to collect herbs, back to the small courtyard to change Qin Yunan’s dressings, then home to deal with a household full of shouting. Every day was busy and fulfilling.
One day, Qin Yunan brought gifts while coming for his dressing change and helped her organize the herbs.
Meanwhile, at the Song family home…
Song Kuo stopped Song Yanchuan, who was about to leave, frowning angrily. “Dad! Mom is divorcing you, and you’re still thinking about going out to play cards? Do you know Mom just bought a courtyard at the far end of the village in that godforsaken place?”
“I know,” Song Yanchuan said, giving him a glare, his old face immediately drooping.
Ever since Wen Yifan beat him up last time and talked about divorcing him, he had been furious.
Seeing her constantly out and about, he had secretly followed her to see if she was seeing someone behind his back—and discovered the small courtyard.
“She even opened a clinic! With her elementary school knowledge, it’s amazing she can even recognize herb names!”
Song Yanchuan had never respected his wife. His tone was full of disdain.
Zhou Zhiyun and Song Kuo exchanged a glance, puzzled. “But Dad, aren’t you curious? Where did Mom get the money to buy a courtyard?”
Previously, Song Yanchuan controlled all the family’s money, but in recent days Wen Yifan had suddenly taken charge, angrily demanding they hand over the household funds.
Song Kuo implied, “Dad, since Mom dares to divorce you, she must have quite a bit of money. That’s our family’s money—you can’t just let her take it.”
Hearing that, Song Yanchuan’s face darkened. Without a word, he grabbed his coat and rushed outside. Zhou Zhiyun kept egging him on: “Dad! Mom might just be frustrated. Don’t fight with her… what if she hits you again?”
Watching the old man hurry outside, Zhou Zhiyun snickered.
The couple imagined a big fight, and that after Dad retrieved the family’s money, they’d get a share. Song Yanchuan had already reached the courtyard gate.
Seeing the new stone table and benches inside, along with the new thermos on top, Song Yanchuan kicked the gate in anger and shouted, “Wen Yifan! Come out here! Living comfortably with my money… why are you so beautiful? Come out here!”
“Why shout so loud? Is there a corpse in the house?”
Wen Yifan, applying medicine to Qin Yunan inside, was shaken by the noise and her hand wavered. Angry, she rushed out to shout back: “Song Yanchuan, you old fool! Finally remember you need treatment for your mad dog disease?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Song Yanchuan, unable to argue with her, still felt justified. “I’m here for the money, not treatment.”
Wen Yifan thought she must be hearing things. Seeing he was serious, she burst out laughing. “Money, huh? I’ve got plenty of hell money—want some?”