Gu Jianing went to open the door and saw a young soldier from the military compound’s guard post.
“Sister-in-law, there’s a boy named Qin Tian from Kaoshan Village outside. He says he has something urgent to tell you…” the soldier said as soon as they met.
Qin Tian? Why is he here?
Qin Tian had delivered medicinal herbs twice before, but after heavy snow blocked the mountain roads, he hadn’t come again. They had previously agreed he would return after spring arrived.
What urgent matter brought him here now?
Gu Jianing had a good impression of Qin Tian and his sister Qin Qing. Especially Qin Tian—though young, he seemed far more mature and steady than his sister. With their parents gone and an ailing grandmother at home, the boy had shouldered the responsibility of providing for the family at such a tender age.
Gu Jianing had always liked children, and her heart went out even more to those who were well-behaved and sensible.
“Alright, I’ll go see him.”
Thinking Qin Tian might have something urgent, Gu Jianing decided to meet him.
As soon as she returned inside and was putting on her coat, Sheng Zexi, who had just finished washing the dishes, came over to ask what was happening.
Gu Jianing explained the situation.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Okay.”
The couple walked over, and from a distance, they could see a small figure standing at the military compound’s entrance, peering inside anxiously from time to time.
The snow was heavy that day. Worried Gu Jianing might get soaked, Sheng Zexi held an umbrella over her and made sure she was bundled up tightly.
But in the snowstorm, that small figure stood without an umbrella. As Gu Jianing approached, she noticed how thinly he was dressed. His padded jacket was visibly old and worn, patched in many places.
The boy was nearly buried under the falling snow, his little face flushed red from the cold.
Gu Jianing frowned and murmured something to Sheng Zexi, who glanced at Qin Tian before handing the umbrella to her and hurrying back inside.
“Sister Gu.”
When Gu Jianing reached Qin Tian and held the umbrella over his head, the boy’s eyes reddened at the sight of her, his voice choked with sobs.
“Sister Gu, Grandma is very sick. The doctor said he can’t treat her. Sister Gu, please save my grandma, please…”
As he spoke of his grandmother’s illness, Qin Tian wept uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face.
Gu Jianing stepped forward and gently pulled him into her arms, using a handkerchief to wipe his tears. Softly, she reassured him, “Don’t cry yet. First, tell me exactly what happened. Only then can I know if I can help you.”
Under her soothing words, Qin Tian’s emotions gradually steadied, and he explained the situation in detail.
The first time Qin Tian and his sister had met Gu Jianing at the market, Grandma Qin had already been sick, coughing incessantly.
Later, after selling medicinal herbs, Qin Tian finally had enough money to hire the village’s barefoot doctor to treat her. After taking the medicine, Grandma Qin’s condition had improved.
In the days before the heavy snow sealed off the mountain roads, her health had been relatively stable.
Before the snow trapped them, Qin Tian had managed to save some money from selling herbs to Gu Jianing and bought food supplies. Though not much, if rationed carefully, it would have been enough to last through the harsh winter.
But then, a few days ago, Grandma Qin had gotten up early to cook. Rising too quickly, she felt dizzy and collapsed on the floor. At the time, heavy rain was pouring outside, masking the sound of her fall. Qin Tian and his sister, asleep in the next room, hadn’t heard a thing.
By the time Qin Tian discovered her, Grandma Qin had been lying on the ground for nearly an hour.
He braved the rain to fetch the doctor, and under the doctor’s care, Grandma Qin eventually regained consciousness. But that same day, she developed a high fever.
The doctor said it was due to the cold invading her body.
Qin Tian had spent almost all his money, and after two days and nights of struggle, Grandma Qin’s fever finally subsided.
But then, she started coughing…
“…Today, Grandma even coughed up blood. She didn’t want me and my sister to see, but I still noticed.”
“The village doctor came to take a look and said… he said Grandma has consumption (tuberculosis). He can’t treat it. Maybe a big-city hospital could, but… *sobs*… Sister Gu, what is consumption? Is it really that hard to cure?”
Gu Jianing frowned. If it really was tuberculosis, then in this era, it would indeed be difficult to treat.
Could she cure it?
Gu Jianing thought that if she bound Grandma Qin as her patient, let the system analyze the illness, and then studied the treatment, she might be able to help.
Qin Tian and his sister had no parents—only their grandmother. If something happened to her, the two siblings would be left alone, likely bullied and helpless.
“Don’t panic. I’ll go back with you to take a look,” Gu Jianing agreed.
“Thank you… thank you, Sister Gu!”
At that moment, Sheng Zexi returned, holding a thick padded coat.
Gu Jianing took it and, before Qin Tian could react, draped it over his shoulders. The boy froze in surprise. “Sister Gu…”
“It’s freezing out, and you’re just a child. You need to dress warmly.”
Qin Tian stared at the brand-new coat, a stark contrast to his own thin, patched, and faded one.
He never expected Sister Gu to ask her husband to bring him a coat. Overwhelmed with gratitude, tears welled up in his eyes again.
“Sister Gu, no… I can’t take this.” Though poor, Qin Tian wasn’t the type to take advantage of others.
He tried to take it off, but Gu Jianing stopped him. “Keep it on, Tian. Think about it—your grandmother is sick. If you fall ill too, then your sister, a young girl, will be left to handle everything alone. Could she manage?”
Qin Tian froze.
“So, wear it.”
Understanding her concern, Qin Tian nodded, his eyes filled with silent gratitude. He vowed in his heart to repay Sister Gu one day—no matter what.
Gu Jianing turned back and briefly explained the situation to Sheng Zexi.
His brows furrowed slightly before relaxing. “I’ll borrow a car and drive you there.”
In such cold weather, Sheng Zexi wasn’t thrilled about Gu Jianing going out. He worried she might catch a chill, especially since she was pregnant.
But since she had already promised, and he knew how much she cared for the Qin siblings, he wouldn’t stop her. The least he could do was go with her and shield her from the wind and snow.
Gu Jianing looked at Sheng Zexi and softly replied, “Mm.” She knew—Brother Xi always thought of her in every little detail of life.
To put it bluntly, he was even more considerate than her own parents.
When Sheng Zexi returned with the car and they got in, he noticed Gu Jianing gazing at him with eyes so tender they seemed to melt.
His ears warmed slightly. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
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