“Mom! I’m your biological son!”
Before Wen Yifan had even finished speaking, Song Huailin cried out with a heart-piercing accusation. But Wen Yifan didn’t even bother giving him a glance.
“What are you all standing there for? He’s no longer part of this family. There’s no need to keep his things here—go help pack them up!”
“Alright!”
Taking the order, Song Wanjì grabbed Feng Zhuyi and rushed into the house, heading straight into Song Huailin and Shen Que’s room to start packing their belongings.
“Mom!”
Song Huailin still wanted to argue, but Song Kuo and Zhou Zhiyun stepped in from both sides to stop him.
“Big brother, honestly… what you did… sigh!”
“Yeah, Mom has already given you plenty of face. Stop making a scene and at least keep some dignity for yourself!”
Seeing these two opportunists switching sides with the wind, Song Huailin ground his teeth in hatred. But he also knew there was no turning this situation around.
As more and more villagers gathered to watch, he quickly dragged Shen Que away in embarrassment.
In just one short month, Wen Yifan had gotten rid of her cheating husband and her ungrateful son. Her mood felt much lighter.
The next day, while working at the clinic, she even hummed a little tune.
“Comrade Wen seems to be in a good mood today?”
Just as she opened the door, a familiar voice sounded beside her. She looked up to see Qin Yunan walking in, carrying two tightly wrapped bundles.
“Hehe, of course. No burdens, no worries.”
Wen Yifan ground medicinal powder while asking, “Comrade Qin, what brings you here today? Something you need?”
Qin Yunan didn’t answer immediately. He calmly unwrapped the layers of packaging. When the contents were revealed, Wen Yifan’s eyes lit up.
“White sugar, white flour, compressed biscuits… and toothpaste?!”
White sugar and flour were ordinary things civilians could buy—though they required ration coupons and were limited in quantity. But the compressed biscuits and toothpaste were different. At a glance, they were clearly military supplies.
“Comrade Qin, this…”
“Just returning the favor,” Qin Yunan said with a faint smile. “It’s to thank you for the ancestral ointment and nutrient solution you gave me earlier.”
“To be honest, several of my comrades used your nutrient solution. They all said it was very effective. Even some minor problems they got during training improved.”
Lowering his voice, he continued, “Comrade Wen, do you remember what I said about expanding the scale?”
The moment he said that, Wen Yifan understood.
Qin Yunan wanted to cooperate with her!
She thought for a moment before smiling slyly. “I’d certainly like to… but I wonder what benefits I’d get?”
Qin Yunan stepped closer to her. As he spoke, a faint scent of mint drifted from him into Wen Yifan’s nose.
“Comrade Wen’s nutrient solution is extremely beneficial for military training. If it can truly be used on a large scale in the future, funding and supplies won’t be a problem. If Comrade Wen is willing to trust me…”
“Of course I am!”
Before Qin Yunan even finished speaking, Wen Yifan agreed immediately.
Of course, she wasn’t agreeing on impulse.
As a barefoot doctor like her, without sufficient education or powerful backing, she could easily be questioned or targeted. In that case, the military would be the best possible support.
Moreover, the military had a large number of people. The profit from selling to them would be considerable. Her clinic had only just begun to improve and desperately needed funds. Partnering with the military was indeed the best option.
“However, I do have one condition.”
She paused briefly and said seriously, “Regarding our cooperation, I hope Comrade Qin can keep it absolutely confidential.”
Qin Yunan understood her concerns and nodded. “I’ll find a way. But the demand on my side will be quite large. Can you keep up with the supply on your own?”
“About how much do you need each time?”
After roughly calculating, Qin Yunan held up a number with his fingers.
The amount surprised her for a moment, but after thinking about it carefully, it wasn’t actually a big problem.
After accumulating enough resources these days, she only needed a little more funding to unlock the system’s automatic large-scale production function.
“Alright. I can guarantee the supply, but the condition is payment first, then delivery.”
“And the price…?”
“The price is negotiable. For the amount you want, I’ll give it to you at cost price—fifteen cents per cup.”
Hearing this, Qin Yunan immediately took out money from his pocket and handed it to Wen Yifan without hesitation.
“I’ll be waiting for good news.”
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the clinic.
Once he left, Wen Yifan closed the clinic door, opened the system interface, and deposited the money.
The system’s cold mechanical voice immediately sounded.
“Congratulations, host. The batch production function has been unlocked!”
She quickly submitted the required materials for production. Seeing the system display a three-day waiting period, she let out a long breath.
“Good thing… three days isn’t long.”
Her cooperation with Qin Yunan had been tentatively established, putting her in an excellent mood. She decided to give herself a day off.
That evening.
Wen Yifan carried a bowl of steaming hot meat soup into Song Wanjì’s room.
After Song Huailin moved out, Song Wanjì moved into his old room. Not only did it have a window for ventilation, but it was more than twice the size of her previous room.
Seeing the room neat and tidy, Wen Yifan nodded with satisfaction.
“Your third brother and sister-in-law work quickly. In just one night, they’ve cleaned it up so nicely.”
She placed the soup on the table and glanced at the test paper Song Wanjì was concentrating on. Wen Yifan frowned slightly.
“I remember you already did this set of questions a few days ago.”
Hearing this, Song Wanjì lowered her head shyly. “Well… the papers are expensive. As long as I work hard, doing the same one again is fine.”
Seeing how obedient and sensible Song Wanjì was, Wen Yifan felt an indescribable ache in her heart.
She knew all too well the poor teaching resources in this village. Relying only on the few exam papers from the village school, it would be nearly impossible to cultivate a university student.
After thinking for a moment, she said, “You’ve been studying hard lately. Take a break tomorrow and come with Mom to the county town. I need to apply for a certification. You’re young and smart—if anything comes up, you can help me.”
“Really?”
Song Wanjì’s eyes lit up instantly.
Since childhood, she had only heard her brothers talk about how prosperous the county town was. She had never seen it herself and naturally longed for it.
She excitedly jumped up and threw herself into Wen Yifan’s arms, whining playfully, “Mom! You’re the best!”
As Wen Yifan stroked her slightly yellow hair—yellow from poor nutrition—she pressed her lips tightly together.
The foolish version of herself in the past had owed this girl far too much. This time, even if it took everything she had, she would make it up to her.
Early the next morning, the two of them took the earliest bus to town. By the time they arrived, it was almost noon.