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

As night deepened, the summer breeze of Beijing swept through the alleyways and into the Gu family compound.

A dim incandescent light shone in the main room. The eight-immortal table had just been cleaned, and a faint smell of soap lingered. The old-fashioned ceiling fan above hummed, dissipating some of the stuffiness.

Ye Zhen sat on the bamboo chair, rubbing her sore neck. She had been giving a high-intensity lecture for two hours today, and then went to the military hospital to review dozens of pages of Chief Zhou's lab reports. Her brain had been working at high speed the whole time.

Gu Zheng came out of the kitchen carrying a green thermos. He took a long stride, sat down next to Ye Zhen, poured a glass of warm water, and steadily pushed it to her side.

"Drink some water. Soothe your throat."

Ye Zhen picked up the enamel mug, took a sip, and her tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

The sound of a gas stove igniting came from the kitchen. Grandma Gu was heating milk in an aluminum pot, preparing to give Ye Zhen some extra nutrition.

Suddenly, a sharp screech of brakes came from outside the gate. The bicycle kickstand snapped shut with a "click."

Immediately afterwards, with a loud "bang," the courtyard gate was pushed open forcefully.

Gu Linlin rushed in like a whirlwind. She was covered in sweat, her hair was stuck to her cheeks, the collar of her white shirt was soaked, and she was clutching three bulging notebooks tightly in her arms, but she was radiating light.

"Sister-in-law! I'm so splendid today!"

Gu Linlin rushed to the octagonal table and slammed three heavy notebooks onto it.

Gu Zheng paused, holding the jar, and gave her a cold glance.

Gu Linlin ignored her older brother's cold face and breathed excitedly.

"You didn't see the scene! Students from Peking University Medical School, Peking University, and even Tsinghua University students from far away all came to block my way! There were also several attending physicians from other places who were doing further training, and they chased after me, trying to shove notes into my hand!"

Gu Linlin raised her chin, her face full of smugness.

"This is the first time in my life I've been surrounded by so many top students calling me 'Comrade Gu.' The way they looked at me was like they thought I was a god descended from heaven!"

Gu Zheng put down the water vat, his face turning completely somber.

"Your sister-in-law isn't some turtle in a wishing well where anyone's wish will come true."

Gu Zheng's words immediately extinguished Gu Linlin's excitement.

Gu Linlin shrank back, took a half step back, and pouted as she whispered in defense, "They're not messing around. I read it; it's all legitimate case studies. They genuinely want to learn."

Ye Zhen didn't respond to Gu Zheng's comment. She reached out and took the notebook with the black faux leather cover at the top.

The notebook was old, and the corners were worn out.

Turn to the first page.

It was covered with slips of paper of all shapes and sizes, with all sorts of handwriting. Some were in blue-black ink, some in pure blue ink, and some were in ballpoint pens.

Ye Zhen's gaze swept over the area, and she stopped moving.

The first note reads in bold, penetrating handwriting: "Teacher Ye, the county hospital only has one ten-year-old X-ray machine. In the absence of an ultrasound, how can we accurately differentiate between a perforated appendix and a ruptured ectopic pregnancy using only a manual physical examination when encountering a suspected case of acute abdomen?"

Ye Zhen turned to the second page.

On a yellowed sheet of paper was written: "Dr. Ye, the department head says female staff aren't physically strong enough. After three years in general surgery, I haven't even gotten a chance to work as a retractor. All I get to do is write medical records. How can I practice so I can prove myself when I have the opportunity to work in the operating room?"

On the third page, a line written in red ink conveyed a heavy feeling: "Faced with patients who can't afford the ten yuan hospital fee and whose families voluntarily give up treatment, what can a doctor do besides paying out of their own pocket? If I can't save them, what's the point of studying medicine?"

Ye Zhen stared at those words.

Clinical dilemmas, obstacles to women's growth, lack of primary healthcare, and struggles with medical ethics.

These slips of paper contained no empty slogans. Every stroke was the blood shed by medical students of this era in the harsh realities they faced.

A large, bony hand suddenly reached out and slammed down on the notebook with a "smack".

Gu Zheng's hand had slightly bulging veins, indicating great strength.

"Don't look." Gu Zheng stared into Ye Zhen's eyes, his tone stern.

Ye Zhen looked up at him.

Gu Zheng did not back down and kept his voice very low.

"Do you really think you're made of iron? After reading these three books, do you still want to live?"

The kitchen curtain was lifted. Grandma Gu came out carrying two steaming glasses.

Upon hearing Gu Zheng's words, the old lady immediately sided with her grandson.

"Dazheng is right. Zhenzhen, look how pale you are. Drink some warm milk first, wash up and go to bed. No matter how big the problem is, we can deal with it when the sun comes out tomorrow." Grandma Gu pushed the cup to Ye Zhen's side.

Ye Zhen looked at the glass of milk but didn't touch it.

Gu Linlin stood to the side, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers. She looked at her older brother's dark face and then at her sister-in-law's calm eyes.

She gritted her teeth and spoke in a low voice.

"Brother, don't blame your wife. I know she's tired. But you didn't see the way those people looked at her."

Gu Linlin's voice was hoarse.

"They all say that one word from my sister-in-law is more effective than six months of confusion for them."

The word "confusion" echoed in the main room.

Ye Zhen's fingers curled slightly.

She possessed advanced medical knowledge and skills. But in the 1980s, she witnessed far too many lives lost due to outdated equipment and conservative thinking. Those students weren't seeking knowledge; they were seeking survival. Seeking a way to live and save patients in this medical desert.

Ye Zhen reached out and grasped Gu Zheng's wrist, which was pressed against the notebook.

As their skin touched, Gu Zheng's fingers tightened.

"Gu Zheng, I'll only read half of it." Ye Zhen's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

Gu Zheng looked at the cold yet stubborn light in her eyes.

Once this woman makes a decision, nothing can change it. Her inherent compassion as a healer is stronger than anything else.

Gu Zheng withdrew his hand, staring intently at Ye Zhen, his back teeth grinding together.

"If you dare stay up all night, I'll take the light bulbs out of the house right now."

Ye Zhen took the water vat, drank a sip of water, and didn't even lift her eyelids.

"Then you can unpack it. There's still half a pack of red candles in the drawer; I'll light one and see."

Gu Zheng felt a lump in his throat from those words. He stood there, breathing heavily. He glared at Ye Zhen for a full ten seconds before finally giving up.

Gu Zheng pulled out a chair, sat down heavily, and reached out to unbutton his top button.

"Just watch for half an hour. When the time is up, I'll break the candles for you."

Grandma Gu watched the young couple's battle of wits from the side and couldn't help but turn her head and chuckle.

Gu Linlin covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling as she suppressed her laughter, her face turning red. Even her elder brother, whom no one in the compound dared to offend, would think twice before even plucking a single hair from his sister-in-law's head.

Ye Zhen took the glass and drank the hot milk in one gulp. Her stomach warmed up, and most of the fatigue in her hands and feet dissipated.

I opened the notebook again.

She pulled the pen out of her pocket and unscrewed the cap.

Below the question about manually examining acute abdominal pain at the grassroots level, Ye Zhen wrote a line.

[Abandon reliance on ultrasound. Master the palpation angles for the obturator internus test and psoas major test. Additionally, a ruptured ectopic pregnancy will present with a feeling of fullness in the posterior fornix; examine with a digital rectal exam. Physical examination is the surgeon's eye, not the machine.]

Turn the page.

Below the red letter where the female doctor pleaded for a chance to go on stage, she wrote very quickly.

Peel a raw quail egg, ensuring the inner membrane doesn't break. Peel ten a day. Suture grape skins, one hundred stitches a day. When you've accomplished these two things, simply toss the grapes and quail eggs onto the department head's desk. Skill is the only passport to wielding a scalpel. Gender is not.

Line by line, the handwriting is upright and sharp.

Ye Zhen didn't write a single comforting or empty word; instead, she provided the most direct and practical clinical solutions and ways to break the deadlock.

Gu Zheng sat to the side, silent. He stared at Ye Zhen's fingers holding the pen.

Those hands were very white, with well-proportioned, long, and strong fingers. These were the hands that held a scalpel, and now they held the medical faith of countless young people. He knew he couldn't stop them for the next half hour, and he didn't want to anymore.

It was late at night, and the clock ticked away.