After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

Quanjude at Qianmen is a renowned name in Beijing.

As evening fell, the two large red lanterns hanging at the entrance lit up, making the black plaque with gold lettering shine brightly. A unique fruity and woody fragrance wafted in the air, the aroma of burning jujube wood mixed with duck fat dripping onto the embers, forcefully penetrating the nostrils of every passerby and making their mouths water.

Private room on the second floor.

In this day and age, being able to eat at Quanjude is the ultimate honor. Not to mention that right now, sitting in this private room is a blond, blue-eyed foreign nobleman.

The duck carver, dressed in a snow-white uniform, pushed his cart in. His knife skills were superb; with each swift stroke, every slice of duck meat retained its jujube-red skin, with a bit of white fat and tender meat underneath, all of uniform thickness. Arranged on the plate, they resembled blooming peonies.

"Oh, my God..."

Sir Williams, holding two chopsticks as if they were two fire pokers, stared at the plate of duck with gleaming eyes. "This is simply the art of anatomy! If this chef were a surgeon, he would be quite skilled!"

Gu Zheng sat in the main seat, legs spread wide, a cigarette dangling from his lips, watching the foreigner struggle with the two chopsticks with a half-smile.

"Sir, when in Rome, do as the Romans do." Gu Zheng casually picked up a lotus leaf pancake, spread sweet bean sauce on it, added shredded scallions and cucumber strips, then sandwiched two slices of duck meat inside. He rolled it up with both hands and handed it over. "Want to try some?"

Williams was flattered and took the duck roll, taking a bite.

The oily, crispy duck skin burst open between the teeth, mixing with the salty-sweet flavor of the sweet and sour sauce and the spiciness of the scallions, instantly conquering the taste buds of this British gentleman.

"Delicious!" Williams, abandoning all aristocratic decorum, puffed out his cheeks and gave a thumbs-up. "Mr. Gu, you are so generous!"

Ye Zhen slowly took a sip of jasmine tea, her eyes clear and bright.

generous?

You'll find out what "the most expensive duck" really means in a bit.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Williams wiped the sauce from his mouth and finally couldn't resist getting to the point. He moved his chair closer to Ye Zhen, his face full of sincerity and expectation: "Dr. Ye, regarding that paper on the 'Ye's Surgery'... you know, the editor-in-chief of *The Lancet* is an old friend of mine. If you'd like, I can be the corresponding author and help you publish it this month. This is a world-shaking achievement!"

In this day and age, it is extremely difficult for Chinese doctors to publish articles in top-tier journals like The Lancet.

Ye Zhen put down her teacup and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table twice.

"Publishing is no problem." She said casually, as if she were talking about something insignificant. "You can also have the right to be credited, and you can even be listed as the first author."

Williams' eyes widened instantly, his blue pupils filled with incredulous ecstasy: "Really? My God, you're practically a saint!"

He knew all too well what this meant. Although Ye Zhen performed the surgery, as long as he published the article, his status as the godfather of cardiac surgery in the UK would be secure for another ten years!

"but--"

Ye Zhen changed the subject, her gaze falling on the bulging leather suitcase at his feet. She smiled innocently, "Sir, you've traveled a long way to China this time, and I see you're carrying so much luggage. As your host, I really can't bear to see you suffer on your way back."

Williams was taken aback: "Huh?"

Gu Zheng readily picked up the conversation, flicking off his cigarette ash, his tone carrying an undeniable air of "concern": "My wife is kind-hearted and can't bear to see guests suffer. How about this, to lighten your burden, we'll reluctantly help you deal with the things you brought."

"This..." Williams' face twitched with pain. That was goods worth tens of thousands of pounds!

"What? Sir, you're reluctant to part with it?" Ye Zhen raised an eyebrow slightly. "I might have to check the data for that paper for another year or two..."

"No! No! No!"

Williams nearly jumped out of his skin. If the paper were published a year later, it would be too late! Compared to academic standing and lasting fame, what was this little bit of equipment?

"Stay! All of you stay!" Williams forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "It's my honor to contribute to China's medical cause!"

Ye Zhen nodded in satisfaction: "Sir, you are indeed a man of great integrity."

Is this over?

Naive.

Gu Zheng stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, leaned forward, and scanned Williams with his eyes like an X-ray.

"By the way, Sir, this gold pen," Gu Zheng pointed to his jacket pocket, "is it a Montblanc? Perfect, my wife needs a good pen for writing medical records."

"That suitcase..." Gu Zheng's gaze shifted downwards, staring at the handcrafted, all-leather custom-made suitcase. "It looks quite sturdy, perfect for storing these 'waste' items."

Half an hour later.

At the entrance of Quanjude.

The north wind howled in early spring, carrying a chill that seemed to penetrate to the bone.

Sir Williams stood at the bottom of the steps, still wearing his expensive coat, but otherwise he was penniless.

His pockets were empty, and the suitcase that had been with him for many years was gone.

He was only holding a small package of oil paper in his arms—a cleanly sliced ​​duck carcass that Gu Zheng had specially ordered the kitchen to pack.

"This is for you. Take it home and make soup with it; it's very nourishing." Gu Zheng patted the old man's shoulder, smiling broadly. "Welcome to come again next time! Be sure to bring your luggage, the heavier the better."

Williams watched the Jeep disappear into the distance, standing there bewildered in the wind for a long time. Finally, he sniffed and hugged the duck carcass tightly in his arms.

It's too cruel.

This couple is definitely a pair of notorious thieves!

……

After seeing Williams, who had been fleeced, off, Ye Zhen did not go home.

The auditorium of the military hospital was brightly lit.

Hundreds of college student volunteers sat neatly below. After several days of intensive screening and that harrowing surgery, the bookish air had faded from the faces of these young people, replaced by a more resolute expression.

But it also had a touch of fanaticism.

Winter break is over, and school starts tomorrow.

"Teacher Ye! We don't want to go back to school!"

"Yes! We want to stay at the hospital; we want to learn surgery from you!"

"You can't learn real skills from books; you need real-world experience!"

Looking at the pairs of frighteningly bright eyes below the stage, Ye Zhen stood on the podium without smiling.

She picked up the chalk, turned around, and wrote four large characters on the blackboard: Unity of knowledge and action.

"Want to stay?" Ye Zhen turned around, her voice not loud, but clearly carried through the microphone to everyone's ears. "Sure. Can anyone tell me the pathophysiology of Tetralogy of Fallot? Can anyone draw an anatomical diagram of the cardiac conduction system from memory? Can anyone recite the metabolic cycle of anticoagulants?"

The audience fell silent instantly.

Many people open their mouths, only to find that besides enthusiasm, they lack substance in their minds.

"A scalpel isn't for showing off; it's for saving lives." Ye Zhen's gaze swept across the room, stern as a knife. "Practice without a theoretical foundation is tantamount to disregarding human life! Today's enthusiasm can only last three days; solid anatomical knowledge can last a lifetime."

She paused, her tone softening: "Go back to school. Study hard and build a solid foundation. The door to 'The Heart of China' will always be open to you, but I don't want deserters who only shout slogans. I want capable leaders who can stand on their own."

There was a long silence in the audience, followed by thunderous applause.

These prodigies were truly impressed by Ye Zhen at this moment. Not only because of her skills, but also because of her clear-headedness.

As soon as Ye Zhen stepped out of the auditorium after the meeting, she was surrounded by a group of people.

Zhao Degong from Shanghai, the dean of West China Hospital in Sichuan, the director of Harbin Medical University... these big shots who usually have the final say in their respective territories are now all smiling like Maitreya Buddhas, surrounding Ye Zhen.

"Dr. Ye, look at that Siemens ultrasound machine..." Zhao Degong rubbed his hands together, his face full of flattery, "Our Shanghai First Hospital really put in a lot of effort this time, I even signed the pledge!"

"Don't worry, I keep my word. When the machine arrives, your hospital will definitely have one."

The dean of West China Hospital pushed past Zhao Degong, saying, "Dr. Ye, look at Southwest China! It's a vital rear area, lacking medical resources! Giving us this color Doppler ultrasound machine will be a godsend!"

"Give it to us! Harbin Medical University is willing to pay double the transportation fee!"

Watching the deans arguing heatedly over the equipment, Ye Zhen smiled knowingly.

"Please don't rush, seniors." Ye Zhen took out a document she had prepared beforehand. "The machine will be available later. But it will be an asset of 'Heart of China'. If you want to use it, you'll have to follow my rules."

She slammed the documents on the table: "Go back and work with the local students to thoroughly investigate and establish files for impoverished children with congenital heart disease in their respective provinces. Whoever has the most accurate data, the highest screening coverage, and can afford the rehabilitation costs for children from impoverished families will own the equipment in the future."

The deans exchanged glances, then unanimously exclaimed, "Let's do it!"

This is Yang Conspiracy.

With just a few machines that hadn't even arrived yet, Ye Zhen managed to turn some of the nation's top hospitals into branches working for "Huaxia Heart".

……

It was already late at night when we returned to the Gu family compound.

The courtyard was quiet, except for the warm yellow light still shining in the Gu family's small building.

Gu Zheng parked the car, carrying the genuine leather suitcase he had "seized" from Williams, and returned home with his prize.

As soon as you enter the room, a wave of warmth hits you.

Grandma Gu sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), wearing her reading glasses, sewing shoe soles. Seeing the two return, the old lady's face crinkled into a wide smile.

"You're back? Are you hungry? There's some porridge keeping warm on the stove."

Ye Zhen took off her coat and felt a weight lift from her shoulders. Outside, she was the decisive and ruthless Dr. Ye; inside, the warmth and comfort of home made her feel at ease.

"Grandma, I'm not hungry. I just had roast duck." Ye Zhen leaned closer to see what her grandmother was doing.

She was stunned when she saw it.

Grandma Gu was holding a pair of tiger-head shoes, each about the size of a palm.

It's made of red satin, embroidered with gold thread, and features a cute tiger head—it's exquisitely crafted. It's for a newborn baby.

Moreover, looking at the basket next to it, there are already three or four pairs of shoes made, from small to large, even for two- or three-year-olds.

The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward.

Seeing Ye Zhen staring at the shoes, Grandma Gu didn't try to hide them and shoved them into Ye Zhen's hands with a smile.

"Zhenzhen, how do you think these shoes are made?"

Ye Zhen held the soft little shoes in her hands. Her hands, which were used to holding scalpels and had just been scheming against the British knight at Quanjude, now felt that the little shoes were burning hot.

"Okay...it looks pretty good." Ye Zhen's face felt a little hot.

Grandma Gu pushed up her reading glasses, her eyes filled with a loving yet meaningful look: "As long as it looks good. Grandma's eyesight is getting worse every year. I was thinking of getting a few more pairs while I can still see. Our Gu family has been so quiet these past few years. It would be so lively if there were a little kid running around."

This is trying to induce labor!

Moreover, it's this kind of subtle, pervasive, and irrefutable catalyst that fosters growth.

As a surgical expert, Ye Zhen can talk about heartbeats, blood vessels, and life and death without batting an eye, but when it comes to the topic of "creating a baby," her usually cool and aloof face instantly turns red to the roots of her ears.

She instinctively looked to Gu Zheng for help.

Gu Zheng had just put the box full of treasures down when he turned around and saw his wife blushing so deeply that it looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

He glanced at the pile of tiger-head shoes and immediately understood.

Gu Zheng walked over, put his arm around Ye Zhen's waist from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder, and laughed in a very frivolous way.

"Grandma, these shoes are very well made." Gu Zheng covered Ye Zhen's hand holding the small shoes with his large hand, his palm burning hot. "But there aren't enough of them, not enough for everyone."

Grandma Gu's eyes lit up: "What? Not enough?"

"Of course. A few pairs of shoes aren't enough. You need at least a whole platoon."

"Get lost!" Grandma Gu laughed and scolded, hitting him with the sole of her shoe. "A whole platoon, please!"

Ye Zhen was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground, and pinched Gu Zheng's waist hard.