“That Gu Jianing, what right does she have to become Elder Chen’s disciple? A woman from the countryside—is she even worthy?”
“Who knows what tricks she used to bewitch Sheng Zexi into marrying her.”
“Are we just going to stand by and watch that woman become Elder Chen’s disciple?”
Lost in thought, she was suddenly interrupted by a call: “Dr. Lu, there’s a phone call for you—from the capital…”
Lu Yanli didn’t have time to dwell on it further and hurried off to answer the phone.
A short while later, Lu Yanli returned to her office, sitting with a deep frown, seemingly lost in thought.
Just then, there was a knock on the office door. An elderly woman walked in, coughing as she entered. Lu Yanli’s frown deepened at the sight of her.
“Yanli…” the old woman began, but before she could finish, Lu Yanli cut her off.
“In the hospital, you should call me Dr. Lu.”
“Alright… Dr. Lu, about what we discussed last time—Ahao’s job…”
“I’m working right now. I don’t discuss personal matters during work hours. If you’re not here for medical treatment, please leave.” Lu Yanli’s tone was icy.
“Fine… I’ll wait for you to finish work and visit you at home then.”
With that, the old woman struggled to her feet and turned to leave.
Lu Yanli watched her hunched back indifferently. She had never cared much about familial ties—not even her immediate family, let alone an aunt.
Besides, she was a dying woman anyway…
Wait—a dying woman…
Something flickered in Lu Yanli’s eyes, followed by a sudden spark of realization.
She immediately called out, “Wait—”
…
Ever since agreeing to become Elder Chen’s disciple that day, he had visited once more to confirm the formal apprenticeship date—five days later, at a specific time.
Ekder Chen had consulted an expert to choose an auspicious date.
Gu Jianing had no objections—she was available anytime.
“Alright, today is the final treatment. Your body is now fully recovered,” Gu Jianing said after completing Qi Yuancheng’s session that day.
“Good. Thank you, Dr. Gu.” Qi Yuancheng clenched his fists subtly, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes.
“If Ah Rou and I are blessed with a child in the future, we will definitely come to thank you, Dr. Gu.”
“I’d love that. I look forward to it.”
After Qi Yuancheng left, Gu Jianing found herself with some free time.
She once again entered the space with her soul to continue studying the PTSD course. Only a small portion remained, and she was nearly finished.
Half an hour later.
Gu Jianing’s soul returned to her body.
Then, she heard the system’s voice in her mind.
[Congratulations, Host, on completing your studies and passing the assessment. Reward: 200 points, one drop of Spirit Spring Water (produces one drop per day, automatically stored).]
The 100 points didn’t surprise her.
Though not much time had passed in the outside world, several years had gone by inside the space. Over those years, Gu Jianing had thoroughly mastered the PTSD treatment course and had now successfully passed the assessment.
“What is this Spirit Spring Water?”
Soon, she saw a detailed description of the Spirit Spring Water.
[Spirit Spring Water: Concentrated. One drop remains effective for seven days. Must be diluted before use. Effects: pain relief, sedation, nerve repair, and physical strengthening.]
“Well, isn’t this perfect timing?” Gu Jianing was delighted as she read the description.
The physical strengthening effect aside, the pain relief, sedation, and nerve repair properties were exactly what someone suffering from PTSD needed.
If the patient drank this Spirit Spring Water along with her treatment, the recovery process would be twice as effective.
This gave her even more confidence in treating Hua Zhenrong when she went to the capital.
But first, she had to finish treating Amber.
So, from then on, Gu Jianing added Spirit Spring Water to Amber’s treatment.
The results were immediately noticeable—Amber’s body grew stronger day by day, and the PTSD symptoms that had once plagued her gradually faded. Now, she was practically fully recovered.
“Sister, thank you.” Amber could clearly feel her body becoming more robust. Even the baby in her belly was growing exceptionally healthy, all thanks to Gu Jianing.
Amber was deeply grateful to her.
In her heart, she silently vowed: I will protect Sister no matter what. She’s pregnant now, and soon her little one will be born. My child will also protect Sister’s baby.
Ever since Gu Jianing adopted Amber, Xiao Duo had occasionally “coincidentally” dropped by to check on her in the first few days.
But after seeing how attached Amber was to Gu Jianing and how visibly healthier she became day by day under her care, he seemed to have made a decision. His visits gradually decreased, and lately, he hadn’t come at all.
Perhaps he had already entrusted Amber completely to Gu Jianing.
…
Gu Jianing worked in the traditional Chinese medicine department. Because of the rumors, her patient numbers had increased significantly, and the department was no longer as quiet as before.
Apart from those seeking fertility treatment, most of the other patients didn’t have particularly difficult conditions to treat.
But today, after scanning the elderly woman in front of her—Aunt Liu—Gu Jianing’s brows furrowed.
Aunt Liu was thin, her cheeks nearly sunken.
Of course, in this era, many people were underweight due to food shortages. But Aunt Liu’s thinness was clearly not from hunger—it was the kind caused by illness. Her complexion was also unnaturally pale.
She coughed intermittently.
“Aunt Liu, have you been coughing for several years? And now, sometimes when you cough, there’s blood in your phlegm?” Gu Jianing asked.
Aunt Liu’s eyes widened in surprise, and she nodded.
“Do you also frequently run a fever? Experience night sweats? Often feel weak?”
“Yes, Dr. Gu, everything you said is correct.” Aunt Liu was genuinely shocked. This young, beautiful doctor had accurately described all her symptoms just by checking her pulse.
“Dr. Gu, can my illness be cured?” Aunt Liu asked.
Gu Jianing thought for a moment, then nodded. “It can be treated.”
She had already had the system scan Aunt Liu, and the results from her eye scan confirmed that the woman had tuberculosis—or, in the terminology of this era, “consumption” (肺痨).
Old Lady Qin had also suffered from consumption before.
But there were differences between the two cases.
Old Lady Qin had acute tuberculosis. Without treatment, she would have deteriorated rapidly in a short time.
Aunt Liu, on the other hand, had chronic tuberculosis based on her symptoms.
It was already remarkable that she had endured it for years. Now, her condition had progressed to coughing up blood.
In truth, if Aunt Liu hadn’t met Gu Jianing, she likely wouldn’t have lived much longer.
Even if she went to a major hospital and consulted other doctors, the medical standards of this era wouldn’t have been able to cure her.
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