The Gu family’s selection of a homestead wasn’t exactly a secret.
Before long, people in the village caught wind of it.
Surprisingly, some followed suit and also chose homesteads, gritting their teeth to scrape together the money to buy the land.
When asked, they simply said they were following the Gu family’s lead.
One person put it this way: “The Gu family are all smart people. My family isn’t as clever, but even fools can learn from the wise. Whatever they do, we’ll do the same.”
They were convinced that whatever the Gu family did was undoubtedly the right move.
And so, they too bought homesteads.
However, this time, the villagers didn’t rush to buy homesteads en masse as they had with the contracting frenzy.
Some felt that buying homesteads now was pointless.
They figured they could always purchase land later if their families needed more space.
Thus, while some followed the trend, a large-scale wave of imitation didn’t materialize.
Years later, when homestead prices skyrocketed, available plots became scarce, and obtaining approval for new land turned nearly impossible, those same people were filled with regret.
“If only we’d followed the Gu family and bought land back then…”
“Exactly! Look how far the Gu family has come now.”
But all that was a story for another time.
Xingxing and Yueyue, after returning to their maternal home with Gu Jianing, quickly bonded with their cousins, Zhuangzhuang and Qingqing.
As for their new baby cousin, born to their second aunt, she was still as young as Tuantuan—far too small to play with them.
Their older cousins, Shitou and Xinxin, had gone to Haicheng with their eldest uncle and aunt, so they wouldn’t be able to meet this time.
News of Gu Jianing’s return spread quickly, and before long, doctors from the county hospital and local officials came to visit the Gu family.
Naturally, they were there for Gu Jianing.
Some, however, came because of her renowned medical skills.
Now that she was back—a rare opportunity—those with no other options came to seek her help.
Gu Jianing had returned this time hoping to reunite with her family and didn’t want to involve herself in other matters, especially since her stay was short.
Had she been staying longer, she might have held a free clinic as she had in the past.
But she couldn’t simply turn away the patients who came to her door.
Moreover, faced with their anxious, worried expressions, her heart wouldn’t allow it.
So, she chose selectively.
Those with mild conditions were directed to the county hospital.
For those with urgent, severe illnesses—ones deemed difficult or impossible to cure in this era—she took them on.
After all, with years of clinical experience and continuous systematic study in her space, Gu Jianing was confident that her medical skills were now among the best of the time, perhaps even surpassing them.
Saving a life was a greater merit than building a seven-story pagoda—if she could help, she would.
It was a way to accumulate blessings and virtue.
Fortunately, the patients and their families understood boundaries.
Once they learned Gu Jianing was willing to treat them, there was no overwhelming flood of people seeking her help.
Only those with urgent, severe conditions or those previously diagnosed with rare, stubborn illnesses dared to approach her.
As it turned out, Gu Jianing’s skills were truly exceptional.
Diseases that patients, their families, and even county doctors considered untreatable or incurable were often resolved within days—sometimes with just a few doses of medicine or a single acupuncture session.
Gu Jianing mused to herself: Luckily, none of these were terminal illnesses like cancer—otherwise, even I wouldn’t have a solution yet.
Yes, there’s no solution for now, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be in the future.
Gu Jianing had plans. When she had time later, she would study how to make medicine in her space and research effective drugs. She felt that since the system had bound itself to her and possessed such miraculous functions and space, she shouldn’t waste it.
Gu Jianing even dared to imagine that perhaps one day she could develop a drug capable of curing cancer. A person must have dreams-what if they come true?
Because they planned to go to Haicheng, Gu Jianing and her family only stayed in Huaihua Village for half a month.
“So soon? You’re leaving already?”
“Once you leave, who knows when we’ll see each other again.”
Before their departure, Gu Jianing chose to sleep with her mother, Yao Chunhua.
Yao Chunhua held her daughter, her eyes red as she spoke, her gaze filled with reluctance.
Gu Jianing nestled in her mother’s arms, breathing in the scent unique to her. It seemed every mother carried a special fragrance.
And children always cherish their mother’s embrace and scent.
Now, Gu Jianing was no different.
No matter how old she grew, or even when she reached old age, as long as her parents were still around, she could forever remain a child-forever loved and remembered.
“Mom, when we go to the capital this time, I probably won’t be staying in the military compound.”
“We own several properties in the capital. I plan to pick a courtyard house to live in.”
“If you and Dad have time, you can come visit. There are plenty of rooms in the courtyard house-you’ll definitely have a place to stay.”
Yao Chunhua thought this sounded like a good idea. Staying in the military compound might not be very convenient.
Even if her son-in-law held a high rank, the family quarters in the military compound were limited, and the space allocated might not be very large.
So, if Ningning wasn’t staying in the military compound but in a courtyard house instead, there would be fewer restrictions, and the space would be much more spacious.
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Of course it’s good.”
Gu Jianing clung to her mother’s arm and daydreamed: “When the time comes, you and dad can both come.”
“I’ll take you to see Tiananmen, Chairman Mao’s portrait, the Forbidden City, the flag-raising ceremony…”
Hearing her daughter say all this, Yao Chunhua’s eyes sparkled more and more. “Alright, it’s decided then. When we have time, your dad and I will definitely visit!”
Perhaps because they were imagining a joyful future, the sadness of parting became a little easier to bear for Yao Chunhua.
The next day, even though there was a deep reluctance, Gu Jianing and Sheng Zexi’s family still left Huaihua Village.
One of Sheng Zexi’s comrades drove them to the airport.
After Gu Jianing left, Yao Chunhua still seemed a bit deflated in spirit. Old Gu patted her shoulder and said, “We’ll see them again in the future.”
“For now, let’s focus on getting the new house built.”
“When Ningning and the others come back next time, they’ll have a spacious, bright new home to stay in.”
His words did bring a bit of hope to Yao Chunhua.
She wasn’t a pessimistic person to begin with, and now, hearing the old man say that, she threw herself into the preparations for building the house.
The materials needed to be bought, workers had to be hired—it was time to break ground and start construction.
Meanwhile, when Gu Jianing’s family boarded the plane, they were loaded down with luggage.
It seemed like that was always the case—every time children left their parents’ home, they brought bags and bags of things their parents had packed for them.
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