Chapter 227: Life Winner
Jiang Qianping put his arm around his wife and headed toward their courtyard. He didn’t forget to call out to the stunned Aunt Jiang, "Mom, let’s go home."
"Yes, yes, let’s go home. You hurry back and help Qingqing apply her medicine. I’m holding the child, so I’ll be slow."
Aunt Jiang replied mechanically, her mind still in a fog. It was completely wrong for Second Aunt Jiang to hit her daughter-in-law.
’But wasn’t severing ties taking things too far?!’
Her maiden family was a prominent one from the Imperial City. After she married Jiang Ruihao, she became an army wife and had lived in Qingcheng Mansion ever since.
It wasn’t until her eldest son married a daughter of the Imperial City’s Xu Family a few years ago that she moved back to the Imperial City to live.
The second and third branches of the Jiang family, however, had always lived in the Imperial City, so she didn’t know them very well.
During holidays and New Year’s, the brothers and their wives always seemed to get along perfectly whenever they met.
Last year, her husband had wanted to marry Jiang Ruyan off to his benefactor, but the second branch of the family refused. Even then, her husband hadn’t said anything out of line.
’The brothers were on good terms during the New Year. How could they have suddenly severed ties like this?!’
Completely bewildered, Aunt Jiang carried her grandson home, looking back every few steps.
The onlooking neighbors also had to go home and make dinner, so the crowd quickly dispersed.
Seeing her daughter sobbing uncontrollably, a heartbroken Second Aunt Jiang helped her up. "Ru Yan, what’s wrong?"
"Mom... you know I didn’t marry that cripple, so Uncle has been holding a grudge against me. He even said he wants nothing to do with me from now on..."
"Let him. We’re doing just fine without him," Second Aunt Jiang said dismissively.
"Mom... don’t you realize? Dad has only been able to get promoted because he’s been relying on Uncle’s influence... WAH..."
What Jiang Ruyan left unsaid was that she had also been relying on her eldest cousin and Xu Qingqing to live so freely.
’If my eldest cousin and his wife really wash their hands of me, my life will be impossible from now on!’
"Ru Yan, why don’t you go to Qing City and find your grandfather? He’s a famous doctor, too. Do we really need to latch onto the Xu Family?"
Though Second Aunt Jiang said this, she didn’t feel confident at all. Furious, she returned to the courtyard and started throwing things around.
She couldn’t bring herself to break anything else, so she grabbed an indestructible enamel basin and started slamming it around relentlessly.
The loud CLANGING made her daughter-in-law and grandsons frown, while the frightened children all covered their ears.
Jiang Ruyan, meanwhile, started packing her bags for Qing City. She wasn’t going to find her grandfather like her mother suggested.
She was going under the pretext of visiting her grandfather to find Su Shuochi. While she was at the warfront, she’d heard everyone talking.
’That vixen’s master has already cured Su Shuochi. In that case, I’ll go and see for myself if he’s truly recovered.’
’If he can still serve in the military, then I’ll just marry Su Shuochi. After all, he is someone I used to like.’
Little did Gu Jiaojiao know, someone had designs on her man. She finished bandaging Sheng Shijing’s wounds.
Mr. Han ordered his men to lift the stretcher and head back. By the time they returned to their post, night had fallen.
After finishing dinner, Gu Jiaojiao went to check on Han Jingshen. After all, the patient’s initial injuries had been extremely severe.
’With Elder Xu and Xia Qiuming on the case, the patient should be fine, but I’m full and feel like a walk anyway.’
"Divine Doctor Su Gu? You’re here?" the handsome, middle-aged man by the hospital bed asked excitedly, jumping to his feet.
"Hello," Gu Jiaojiao replied politely.
’Isn’t this the man from the helicopter a little over a week ago? He was so cold and aloof back then. His warmth now is so intense it actually startles me.’
’The man certainly had the looks to back up his aloofness. Not only was he incredibly handsome, but he also possessed an air that ordinary people couldn’t hope to match.’
’It was an air cultivated over years—noble, elegant, and superior.’
’Even in a crowd, just the way he looked at people inspired an instinctual desire to submit.’
’Gu Jiaojiao was no exception, so she masked her own urge to submit with an even colder and more aloof demeanor.’
As a result, she came across as profoundly mysterious.
Back on the helicopter, Han Chenyu had already been very impressed with Gu Jiaojiao. She was so young, yet so worldly and knowledgeable.
"Little Divine Doctor, do you remember me? Thank you for saving my father and now my son." A smile touched Han Chenyu’s stern face.
"I remember. You told me your name is Han Chenyu, and that you, your father, and your son are all exceptional soldiers.
You were all injured protecting our country and its people. It was only right for me to save them. Please, you don’t have to be so formal."
Kind words cost nothing, after all. Gu Jiaojiao delivered her praise generously, a smile touching the corners of her eyes, her tone sincere and utterly convincing.
Only then did Gu Jiaojiao realize that this Han Chenyu was not only Mr. Han’s son, but also Han Jingshen’s father.
’He has a powerful father to rely on, and a remarkable son to be proud of.’
’And he himself is no slouch either!’
’He’s truly won at life. Definitely something worth bragging about.’
The two, despite their significant age difference, chatted on, full of mutual admiration, leaving Han Jingshen completely forgotten in his hospital bed.
"Dad, Divine Doctor Su Gu is on a tight schedule. Why don’t you let her check on me first?" Han Jingshen called out in resignation.
’Only after his dad arrived did he learn that his grandfather had been the one to trick Divine Doctor Su Gu into going to the front lines to save people.’
’He had actually thought that in her eyes, he was less important than a wild boar!’
’According to his dad, she had even saved Sheng Shijing, who had been on the brink of death. Not only had he survived, but he would even be able to remain on the battlefield.’
Han Jingshen, who already deeply admired Divine Doctor Su Gu, was now practically overflowing with adoration for Gu Jiaojiao.
Hearing Han Jingshen, Gu Jiaojiao immediately sat by his bed to take his pulse.
"Your wounds are healing very well. Elder Xu’s acupuncture with the silver needles to counteract the poison was also quite effective. You should be almost fully recovered in another ten days."
After Gu Jiaojiao sold the medicine from her pocket dimension to Mr. Han, the soldiers’ recovery speed had clearly increased.
"Little Divine Doctor, would you mind taking my pulse?" Han Chenyu asked, feigning nonchalance.
Gu Jiaojiao could see his complexion was indeed poor. She had assumed he was just sleep-deprived, but the moment she took his pulse, she was shocked. "Have you been suffering from frequent insomnia lately?"
"Yes. I’ve tried all sorts of medicine, but nothing works. Mr. Han has already asked me to retire several times."
Han Chenyu was deeply troubled. He didn’t want to retire, but his father was an old general who showed no leniency.
"Your insomnia has already progressed to nervous exhaustion. If this continues, forget retirement—you’ll be lucky to keep your life. Are you sensitive to loud noises?"
’Gu Jiaojiao was astounded. This battlefield was filled with the sound of explosions at all hours. He probably hadn’t slept a wink since he arrived. No wonder his complexion was so dark and sallow.’
"I get very little sleep each day. We’ve been especially busy recently, so there hasn’t been any time to sleep anyway."
"I see. Your insomnia is caused by dampness-phlegm and fluid retention in the stomach. In other words, ’stomach disharmony leads to restless sleep.’"
"Can it be cured?" Han Chenyu didn’t understand her technical jargon, but it sounded quite serious.
He rubbed his forehead and added, "I’ve taken the traditional Chinese medicine Elder Xu prescribed, and I’ve even gotten expensive sleeping pills from Xia Qiuming, but nothing has worked."
"It’s curable. I’ll write you a prescription. A combination of Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang and acupuncture will cure it."
"It can actually be cured? I thought the best I could hope for was just getting a few hours of sleep!"