In this era, that olive-green military uniform symbolized status. It was practically Huo Zhixing’s second skin.
Everyone in the military compound knew about his obsession with cleanliness.
Forget wearing his clothes—even touching them meant they would have to be disinfected afterward.
Yet now, this country woman wasn’t just wearing them…
She was wearing them so… shamelessly.
Suppressing the rage boiling inside her, Zhao Man sneered inwardly.
This woman is dancing on a minefield.
Just wait. Huo Zhixing hates it when anyone touches his belongings. He’ll definitely lose his temper in a moment. Maybe he’ll even demand a divorce on the spot!
The very next second, reality slapped her hard across the face.
Huo Zhixing’s gaze landed on Su Jiuyue’s fair, bare feet before traveling upward to the faint red marks on her collarbone.
His Adam’s apple bobbed violently.
His face darkened—but not out of disgust.
It was the dark expression of a man whose territory had been invaded.
This woman did it on purpose.
She was wrapped in his uniform, yet deliberately letting the spring scenery beneath peek through for everyone to see.
Who exactly was she trying to show herself to?
Under Zhao Man’s stunned gaze, Huo Zhixing abruptly stood up and strode over with an overwhelming aura.
Without a word, he reached out and pulled the front of Su Jiuyue’s military jacket tightly closed.
His movements were rough yet possessive.
He fastened every single button without exception, sealing the jacket completely and hiding both the floral shirt underneath and the marks on her collarbone.
His tall frame then shifted naturally to block everyone else’s view of her bare feet.
“Who told you to come downstairs barefoot? Has your foot healed already? And you’re still running around? Didn’t I tell you to stay in bed?”
His voice sounded fierce as he fired off four questions in a row.
But anyone with eyes could see that every movement was filled with concern.
One arm stayed around her waist, afraid her injured foot might get bumped again.
He was practically a mother hen protecting her chick.
Taking advantage of the situation, Su Jiuyue leaned softly into his embrace.
Blinking innocently at Zhao Man, whose face had turned livid, she spoke in a sweet, syrupy voice.
“We have guests at home. As the hostess, I couldn’t very well stay in bed all day.”
She paused deliberately before lowering her gaze.
“Although… I was rather tired after last night…”
That single word—”tired”—carried countless implications.
Zhao Man’s chest heaved violently with anger.
Grinding her teeth, she said,
“Comrade Su certainly seems to be in high spirits. You’ve only just gotten married, and you’re already carrying on like this. Aren’t you afraid—”
“Afraid of what?” Su Jiuyue interrupted.
Then, as though suddenly remembering something, she smiled.
“Oh, right. Dr. Zhao isn’t married yet, is she? Do you even have a boyfriend?”
“So you probably wouldn’t understand what it’s like for Zhixing and me. Newlyweds are always…”
She gently brushed Huo Zhixing’s supporting hand aside and hopped on one foot to the single armchair.
The movement wasn’t particularly graceful, but it had an easy, carefree charm.
Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense, Qin Guohua realized that if Su Jiuyue kept talking, Zhao Man might explode on the spot.
He coughed lightly and hurried to smooth things over.
At the same time, his shrewd old eyes studied Su Jiuyue carefully.
Suddenly, he understood why his old comrade Huo Zhenxiao had agreed to let his grandson marry this country girl.
The girl was clever.
Quick-witted.
Unafraid of strangers.
And even less afraid of trouble.
With interest, he said,
“So you’re Xiao Su? Zhixing was just praising you earlier. I heard your medical skills are quite impressive, and that you’ll be joining our military hospital.”
“Just now, I heard you say, ‘A doctor makes no distinction between patients.’ I like that very much.”
“I happen to have a question I’d like to ask you. Come, take a look at this.”
As he spoke, Qin Guohua carefully removed a kraft paper package from his briefcase and reverently spread it open on the coffee table.
Inside lay a pile of dried medicinal herbs along with a yellowed, incomplete ancient prescription.
“I’ve been studying this old formula lately, but unfortunately several ingredients are missing, and I haven’t been able to complete it.”
“As for these herbs, they’re all quite rare. Some of them are so obscure that even I’m uncertain where they originated.”
“Since you know medicine, why don’t you take a look for me?”
His words sounded polite.
But everyone present understood.
This wasn’t simply asking for her opinion.
It was a test.
Or rather, an intentional challenge.
Standing off to the side with folded arms, Zhao Man’s expression finally eased a little as she waited to watch Su Jiuyue make a fool of herself.
Old Qin had spent over half a year studying that prescription without making any progress.
Those herbs had all come from the remote southwestern frontier.
Even the hospital’s most experienced traditional Chinese physicians couldn’t identify every one of them.
If a village girl from the countryside could…
She would eat her surgical scalpel.
“Old Qin, aren’t you making things difficult for her?” Zhao Man sneered.
“She probably can’t even recognize all the words on that prescription. Asking her to identify these herbs is simply—”
Before she could finish speaking—
Su Jiuyue merely swept her eyes across the items on the table.
She didn’t even bother picking anything up before speaking lazily.
“The pile on the left is Paris polyphylla—commonly called Seven-Leaf-One-Flower. It came from the Gaoligong Mountains in southern Yunnan.”
“Judging by the condition of the roots, it’s at least fifty years old.”
“Unfortunately, whoever dug it up used the wrong technique and damaged the main root, so about half of its medicinal potency has already been lost. It’s nowhere near as effective as harvesting the entire plant intact.”
Her voice wasn’t loud.
Yet every word was clear, confident, and impossible to doubt.
Qin Guohua, who had just been taking a sip of tea, froze mid-motion.
His eyes lit up instantly.
Before he could even speak, Su Jiuyue casually pointed toward the dark, unremarkable lump in the middle.
“And that black piece in the center…”
“That’s Dragon’s Blood Resin, isn’t it?”
“It looks like top-grade Kirin Dragon’s Blood, but…”
She gave a slight sniff.
“It has a sour smell.”
“It must have absorbed moisture. Poor storage ruined an excellent medicinal ingredient.”
As her words fell, the living room once again sank into dead silence.
Qin Guohua’s beard trembled with excitement.
As for Zhao Man…
The expression on her face looked as though she’d just swallowed a fly.
Bonus Mini Scene
Zhao Man: That shameless woman actually dared to wear Brother Huo’s clothes!
Huo Zhixing (thinking): She looks incredible in my uniform. I want to hide her away where only I can see her.
Su Jiuyue: “Zhixing… I’m tired…”
Huo Zhixing: “…”
His ears turned bright red as he surrendered on the spot.