“Jianing, you absolutely must accept this. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know how to thank you.”
Inside the bag were canned fruits, biscuits, malted milk, and other items—things that Sister Yu had bought after gritting her teeth and dipping into her family’s meager savings.
To be honest, she wouldn’t normally buy such things for herself.
But this time, to show her gratitude to Gu Jianing, she had forced herself to do so.
These items might seem expensive to some, but Sister Yu knew that no matter how valuable they were, they could never compare to the life-saving kindness Gu Jianing had shown her husband, Old Cui.
It was just a leg surgery, but calling it a life-saving favor was no exaggeration.
She knew that because of his leg condition, the higher-ups had been urging Cui Bin to transition to civilian work.
But how could civilian work be better than staying in the military.
Previously, they had wanted to proceed with the surgery, but the risks were too high, leaving them with no choice but to accept the inevitable.
Now, with the surgery done, as long as his recovery went well, he wouldn’t have to leave the military. Plus, given the merits he had earned, there was even a chance for a promotion.
Of course, that wasn’t the most important thing. What mattered most was that the surgery was successful, and her husband’s life was no longer in danger.
As his wife, Sister Yu was acutely aware of how much pain Cui Bin endured every night, unable to sleep, and how much he worried about being forced out of the military.
Director Shu had even said that if his leg deteriorated further, he would be crippled—and it might even become life-threatening.
So now that Gu Jianing had successfully performed the surgery, how could it not be considered a life-saving act?
No gift could ever be enough to repay that.
Sister Yu had always believed in one principle: one must know gratitude, especially toward those who have helped them. People who don’t appreciate kindness might temporarily enjoy good fortune, but they will eventually lose it.
Gu Jianing understood that if she refused, Sister Yu would feel uncomfortable, so she accepted the gift.
“By the way, Sister Yu, I’ve been wondering—why were the hospital director and so many doctors outside the operating room this morning?”
Gu Jianing had been startled when she pushed open the operating room door and saw so many white coats.
“It’s all because of that nurse, Peng Wenjing.”
“Peng Wenjing?”
At the mention of the name, Gu Jianing immediately recalled the lone nurse among the group of doctors in white coats—someone who had kept glancing at her with an odd expression.
She noticed that when Sister Yu mentioned Peng Wenjing, her gaze turned slightly strange.
Gu Jianing’s instincts told her that there was something more to this.
“Sister Yu, who is Peng Wenjing? What did she do? Can you tell me?”
“Here’s what happened…”
Sister Yu quickly recounted the events of the morning.
So that’s how it was.
Gu Jianing suddenly understood.
She didn’t think much of Peng Wenjing’s actions. After all, the nurse had no idea about her medical skills, and she wasn’t officially licensed to practice medicine, so it was normal to have doubts.
However…
“Sister Yu, are you sure there’s nothing else you’re not telling me?”
Her instincts told her that Sister Yu was holding something back.
Sister Yu hesitated, feeling a little awkward. But she also found Gu Jianing surprisingly perceptive. Finally, she said, “I didn’t expect you to notice. Honestly, it’s nothing much—I just didn’t think it was necessary to bring it up. I was afraid you’d misunderstand battalion commander Sheng.”
Huh?
A misunderstanding about Sheng Zexi?
Thinking back to Peng Wenjing’s gaze, Gu Jianing immediately made the connection.
Could there be some past involvement between Sheng Zexi and that nurse, Peng Wenjing?
Perhaps worried that Gu Jianing would overthink things, Sister Yu quickly explained, “Jianing, don’t misunderstand battalion commander Sheng. It was all one-sided on Peng Wenjing’s part. Battalion Commander Sheng never responded to her, nor did he ever agree to meet with her.”
Gu Jianing nodded. “I understand, Sister Yu.”
“Good, that’s good.”
Sister Yu didn’t stay long and left after chatting for a bit.
That afternoon, Jiang Baihe came as usual for treatment and praised Gu Jianing for performing the surgery on Cui Bin, calling her amazing.
In the evening, Sheng Zexi brought back food as usual. Gu Jianing took out a roast duck and a roasted chicken.
“I bought these at the market this afternoon. I thought they tasted pretty good. Can you help cut them up and try some?”
“Oh, and I also bought a lot of rice, flour, and pork…”
Gu Jianing listed the things she had bought—most of them were rewards from completing the task.
Sheng Zexi took the roast duck and roasted chicken—one missing a leg—and seemed to ponder something. However, he didn’t ask, simply placing them on the cutting board and getting to work.
Gu Jianing watched from the side, but he reminded her to step back so she wouldn’t get splattered.
“By the way, I also sent letters and packages to my parents and grandparents this afternoon.”
“Alright, you handle those things as you see fit.”
Sheng Zexi worked quickly. In no time, he had finished chopping up the roast duck and chicken, filling two plates with more to spare.
Gu Jianing placed some in another dish. “This one is for Sister Shuwan and Guoguo.”
Although she had initially met Zhang Shuwan because of Guoguo, they had gotten along well while living in the military district.
They often exchanged gifts. Zhang Shuwan was an excellent cook and frequently made small pastries to share.
While Gu Jianing could buy all sorts of treats from the system’s store, it wasn’t the same.
“Alright, go ahead.”
Sheng Zexi wasn’t stingy. Just as Gu Jianing was about to dash out with the plate, he stopped her.
“Put on your military coat first. The snow has been getting heavier these past few days. I expect the mountain will be completely blocked within a week.”
His hands were still greasy from chopping, or else he would have fetched it for her himself.
“I know. That’s why I stocked up at the market today—I think we have enough supplies to last until spring.”
Gu Jianing felt warmth in her heart. She was already dressed warmly, but since Sheng Zexi insisted, she went back to the bedroom, put on the military coat, and then went out.
Zhang Shuwan had just opened the door when Gu Jianing stuffed a big bowl into her hands, shouting that it was a too cold and she needed to head back.
“Mommy, did Auntie Jianing bring us something delicious?”
Guoguo, who was flipping through a picture book, looked up and asked.
“She probably did. Let me check.”
“I want to see too!”
When Zhang Shuwan lifted the lid and saw an entire plate of roast duck and roasted chicken, she froze.
“Roast duck and roasted chicken?!”
As a city girl, Zhang Shuwan hadn’t expected Gu Jianing to bring cooked food.
“Mommy, it smells so good!”
At that time, ready-to-eat food was hard to come by and expensive.
“How did Jianing even buy this? And she gave us so much. No, no, I can’t accept this!”
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