Chapter 229: It’s Up to You
Gu Jiaojiao asked, troubled, "Su Shuochi, I was wearing so much makeup that even my own mother wouldn’t recognize me, yet Sheng Shijing, who was on his last breath, somehow did!"
She knew phone calls were a luxury in this era, unlike in later times when one could chat for hours on end.
So, after asking her question, Gu Jiaojiao quickly recounted the situation to him.
After listening, Su Shuochi feigned surprise and said, "Really? Darling, it’s not surprising at all that he recognized you. After all, he practically raised you."
’What he didn’t tell his wife was that it wasn’t just the dying Sheng Shijing; even a perfectly healthy Sheng Shijing wouldn’t have been able to recognize her.’
’This was because her entire demeanor was completely different from the Gu Jiaojiao of the past.’
’Sheng Shijing hadn’t actually recognized her. It was simply that his obsession, born of his deep guilt toward Gu Jiaojiao, was all-consuming.’
’In the final moments of his life, his mind was filled with thoughts of Gu Jiaojiao, hoping to obtain her forgiveness.’
’The moment he regained consciousness and was able to speak, the first word from his lips would be "Jiaojiao."’
’And his kind-hearted wife, fearing Sheng Shijing might draw his last breath at any moment, would surely have a moment of weakness, admit who she was, and comfort him.’
’It didn’t matter if Sheng Shijing knew. After all, hardly anyone on the battlefield knew the original Gu Jiaojiao anyway.’
"Darling~ When are you coming back? You promised you’d perform my surgery! A whole month of summer vacation has passed already!"
Su Shuochi said, his voice full of self-pity. Thinking about the wonderful times with his wife, he wished he could just fly over to her.
"The earliest I can be back is seven days from now. I just started treating a patient for insomnia today."
"Okay..."
Su Shuochi replied, dejected, before he began speaking rapidly again, telling Gu Jiaojiao all his news.
He had recently hired a personal driver who also doubled as a bodyguard—an old comrade-in-arms of his.
He had been injured before and could no longer serve on the front lines, but he was more than capable of being a bodyguard.
He had also bought a rare second-hand car. The original owner only sold it because the corresponding parts were no longer available.
As a natural science buff, he was able to guide the inspection and diagnose the problem.
He noted the model and dimensions of the necessary parts and had his own people fabricate them from scratch.
These were people Gao Xiangming had found—senior technicians who had worked at a steel mill until retirement.
There were also some young people who had been pushed out of their posts by others because they lacked connections. They were highly precise and could definitely meet the requirements.
And just like that, after replacing the parts, the car was as good as new. Su Shuochi had also added a few modifications of his own...
From Su Shuochi’s rapid yet detailed explanation, Gu Jiaojiao could easily picture the car.
It had to be an incredibly rare and valuable vehicle for this era, with a look that clearly marked it as a product of its time.
Its exterior might not be particularly flashy, but the materials used were excellent, and its safety features were top-notch.
’Given enough time, Su Shuochi could probably build a Range Rover or an Evoque!’
Su Shuochi then excitedly told her that the college entrance exam results were out. She was the top scorer in the province, so getting into Imperial Capital Medical University would be no problem at all.
From Su Shuochi’s tone, Gu Jiaojiao could hear his joy. It was as if he were the one who had gotten into the university.
After getting to know Elder Xu, Gu Jiaojiao no longer planned to attend medical university. Going to medical school felt like a bit of a waste of time, after all.
But she couldn’t deny that jobs in this era required a degree, so she’d still go to get the piece of paper.
The couple chatted sweetly for a few more minutes when suddenly, hysterical, crazed crying and screaming erupted from next door. It was Zhou Mei.
If her large backside hadn’t gotten stuck, Su Shuochi’s scare would have certainly sent her tumbling from the second floor.
If a delicate woman like her were to actually fall from the second story, she would be crippled, if not killed.
Hearing their daughter’s screams, Mr. Zhou and Mrs. Zhou found the spare key and opened Zhou Mei’s door.
It took the combined, Herculean effort of both parents to finally pull their daughter back into the room.
Throughout the ordeal, Zhou Mei never stopped screaming. ’She couldn’t believe it. All she wanted was to sneak a peek at Brother Su taking a shower.’
’Who would have thought it would end like this!’
’And Brother Su just hid in his room and never came back out. How heartless!’
’How could he show such little regard for their neighborly bond?’
’She had often secretly caught the look of disgust he had for her in his eyes.’
’Especially after he married that sickly invalid. Now, he looked at her as if he wanted to skin her alive and break her bones!’
’What had she done wrong!’
’She just wanted to marry Brother Su! What was so wrong with that!’
’Besides, her love for Brother Su was real! Her heart had room for no one else!’
Seeing his daughter still had the audacity to cry, Mr. Zhou roared, his anger boiling over. "What are you crying for? Are you afraid the neighbors don’t know how shameless you are, peeking at a man while he’s showering? Tomorrow, I’m marrying you off!"
Mrs. Zhou chimed in with a relentless barrage of scolding, frightening Zhou Mei into silence.
Gu Jiaojiao hung up the phone and was about to go to sleep when she was pulled away for another surgery. A new batch of severely wounded patients had apparently arrived.
"Aren’t Elder Xu and Xia Qiuming here?" Gu Jiaojiao asked the two soldiers who had come to fetch her as they walked.
"Elder Xu is an excellent physician, but he practices Chinese medicine. He can set bones, but he doesn’t wield a scalpel!"
"Professor Xia and his team are swamped. Besides, there’s a patient in critical condition who needs surgery immediately."
"Divine Doctor Su Gu truly lives up to her name. She’s not only skilled in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, but she’s also an expert in Western surgery."
"You just got back from the front, so you might not have heard, but there was a comrade whose arm was severed."
"Divine Doctor Su Gu was the one who performed the surgery. She reconnected the tendons and vessels, sutured the wound, and then used acupuncture to stimulate the acupoints and promote healing."
"It’s only been half a month, and that comrade can already move his fingers..."
The two soldiers chattered away as they walked, their pace never slowing. Gu Jiaojiao hurried to keep up.
They arrived shortly after, greeted by an urgent cry, "Divine Doctor Su Gu, please come and take a look at this patient for me."
Gu Jiaojiao was all business. She immediately got into the zone, pulled on her gloves, and approached the patient on the operating table.
She quickly identified the problem. "The patient has a ruptured spleen. The liver is not damaged, and the other organs are intact."
"Do you know what to do next?" Gu Jiaojiao asked sternly.
Her intention was to guide him from the sidelines, but to her surprise, the doctor immediately handed the scalpel to her.
He said earnestly, "I understand now. Please, you operate. I’ll observe from the side."
’Of course, he knew what the Grandmaster meant, but he was afraid his hands weren’t steady enough to meet the surgical standards.’
Gu Jiaojiao was so exasperated she wanted to curse him out, but the surgery was more important. She couldn’t spare a thought for anything else.
A ruptured spleen was a common clinical case in surgery, but it was also extremely tricky to handle.
Gu Jiaojiao immediately gave the order, "The tear in the spleen is small. It’s suitable for a repair. Prepare to suture immediately."
"Grandmaster, should we use vascular sutures...?" Xia Qiuming’s student asked instinctively.
Gu Jiaojiao raised a hand, cutting him off. Her wise eyes met his as she said, "You decide. I trust you."
"Yes, ma’am." A light flashed in the man’s eyes. Earning the Grandmaster’s trust was something he could be proud of for the rest of his life.