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

Vice Minister Li unzipped his briefcase, tucked it under his arm, and got up to leave.

"No, I can't sit here for even a minute longer! I'm going back to the ministry right now and calling a meeting immediately! This matter must be officially approved for research!" He walked with lightning speed.

Just as I reached the entrance to the main room, the floral curtain at the kitchen end was lifted.

Grandma Gu was carrying a large bowl with a heaping top, and a small bamboo basket in her other hand, which was full of freshly made unleavened flatbreads.

"Little Li, what's the rush!" Grandma Gu nimbly blocked him at the doorway. "The food's already on the table! Braised pork with vermicelli, plus a cold perilla salad. No matter how big the problem, a quick meal won't make a difference!"

"Sister-in-law, I'm so anxious..." Vice Minister Li slapped his thigh in frustration.

"Sit down!" Old Master Gu tapped his copper pipe on the rattan chair. "You can go back and bang on the table after you've eaten your fill."

Vice Minister Li glanced at the steaming food, and his stomach growled in agreement. He sighed, picked up his briefcase again, and turned to sit down.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. Wu Wenqing, the president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, stepped across the threshold with a bright red banner with yellow tassels in his hands.

As soon as Wu Wenqing entered the courtyard, he saw Vice Minister Li sitting by the stone table, paused for a moment, and his smile immediately deepened.

"Oh, Vice Minister Li is here too? What a coincidence! We can all be witnesses together!" Wu Wenqing walked up to Ye Zhen in three steps, and with a "whoosh," he shook the banner embroidered with "Exquisite Medical Skills, Hua Tuo Reborn" to reveal its full image.

"Xiao Ye! That old commander used the prescription you gave him, and after three consecutive days of high-dose hormone treatment, his temperature stabilized yesterday! I personally checked on him this morning, and the lymph nodes were visibly deflated, and the rash had completely disappeared!"

Ye Zhen nodded slightly, her expression remaining calm and composed. "The medication's effects were as expected. Continue with the hormone tapering plan I left for Director Fang. Be careful to prevent infection, and don't let your guard down."

"Yes, yes, yes, those people in internal medicine now treat your medical orders like gospel, copying them directly onto the blackboard in the duty room!" Wu Wenqing handed the banner to Gu Zheng, then turned to Vice Minister Li to inquire, "Vice Minister Li, you came to Gu's hometown today, what's the matter...?"

Vice Minister Li, disregarding secrecy, casually let slip: "I came to learn from Xiao Ye! We're planning a pilot program for rural cooperative medical care, and this girl's idea is brilliant! I'll make the decision as soon as I get back—select a few pilot areas, provide the necessary policies and funding, and we must open this door!"

Wu Wenqing's ears immediately perked up.

Cooperative medical care pilot program? Will it provide policy support and funding?

This old fox is quick-witted. All the major hospitals are tightening their belts to make ends meet. Whoever can get a key project supported by the Ministry of Health is like holding a golden rice bowl. Equipment, funds, and quotas will all be allocated to them!

Wu Wenqing immediately put on a smiling face and stepped forward, "Vice Minister Li! Since we're going to conduct pilot programs to test the waters, we definitely need the technical expertise of our major hospitals to back us up! Our Peking Union Medical College Hospital has the strength and solid foundation we have. How about we consider allocating a pilot quota in Beijing..."

Vice Minister Li casually took the large bowl from Grandma Gu, pointed at him with his chopsticks, and said, "Old Wu, are you a dog? Your nose is incredibly sharp. This matter is still far from settled!"

"Old Wu, it's better to be lucky than early. Sit down and have a bite!" Grandma Gu said warmly, then turned and went to the kitchen to get another bowl of rice.

Wu Wenqing, being a shrewd person, immediately pulled up a bamboo chair and sat down next to her. After thanking Grandma Gu, he shamelessly accepted the rice bowl and continued arguing with Vice Minister Li: "What do you mean there's no sign of anything happening? You just patted your chest and said you'd give us the money if we wanted it! Minister Li, our Peking Union Medical College Hospital is top-notch in all aspects in Beijing. You should give us priority consideration for the pilot program!"

Vice Minister Li slurped up a large mouthful of vermicelli soaked in meat broth, nodding indistinctly, "Okay, submit a proposal later, and give it priority consideration."

Having received confirmation, Wu Wenqing happily held his bowl and settled into the meal.

The whole courtyard was filled with the aroma of cooking during the meal. Grandma Gu's cooking was authentically Northern style. Large chunks of pork belly were stewed until tender and melted in your mouth, the potato chunks crumbled easily when picked up, and the glass noodles were soaked in the broth. Served with unleavened flatbread, one bite was so delicious it made you feel dizzy.

After a satisfying meal, Vice Minister Li put down his empty bowl and patted his stomach contentedly. He picked up his enamel mug, took a sip of warm water, and looked across the stone table at Ye Zhen opposite him, his eyes filled with an indescribable sense of emotion.

"Xiao Ye," Vice Minister Li sighed, "I've been a health official for most of my life, managing medical care for decades. I used to be constantly dealing with official documents, my mind preoccupied with how to approve funding and equipment for major hospitals in Beijing. Today, you, a young girl in your early twenties, have completely enlightened me."

He gripped the handle of the enamel mug. "The root of healthcare reform isn't in these glamorous expert buildings in Beijing, it's in the impoverished rural areas! Ordinary people can't even afford the registration fee; no matter how many cutting-edge technologies we develop, it's just an empty shell built on sand!"

Grandpa Gu puffed on his pipe to the side without saying a word, but the corners of his deep-set eyes curved slightly, clearly indicating that he agreed with what he said.

Ye Zhen put down her chopsticks, took out a clean handkerchief from her pocket, and gently wiped the corner of her mouth.

"Minister Li, you're flattering me too soon," Ye Zhen's voice remained cool and restrained. "It's easy to draw up a good system on paper, but the real skill is how to implement it in a down-to-earth manner. When ordinary people go to the reimbursement window and can actually pay ten yuan to cure a hundred yuan's worth of illness, then we can say that a good policy has been truly implemented."

These words were so incisive and sharp that even Wu Wenqing, who was standing next to him, felt guilty and put down his chopsticks.

Instead of getting angry, Vice Minister Li slammed his hand heavily on the stone table. "Good! That hits the nail on the head!"

He stared at Ye Zhen and said, "Xiao Ye, since you see this mess so clearly, how about this? You come to our Ministry of Health's expert group for a temporary position! We can discuss the benefits, and you can be the chief consultant for the cooperative medical project in the future."

Wu Wenqing, who was standing nearby, gasped in shock.

Joining the expert group of the Ministry of Health?! That's a ladder to the top! Countless veteran chief physicians have worked themselves to the bone and exhausted themselves trying to squeeze through that threshold, yet Vice Minister Li is actually eagerly offering Ye Zhen an olive branch!

Ye Zhen didn't even hesitate.

"I'm not going." She refused decisively.

Vice Minister Li was stunned. "What? You think the ministry has too many rules?"

"I have no interest in being an official." Ye Zhen stood up and stacked the empty bowls in front of her. "I'm just a surgeon. I'm good at cutting open bodies; I don't have time for endless wrangling and meetings. The system is your job; saving lives is my job."

"Ahem." Old Master Gu, who had been silent all along, suddenly tapped the edge of the stone table with his pipe, abruptly cutting off Ye Zhen's words.

"Little Li, you're really messing with me." Old Master Gu's eyelids drooped slightly, his protective instincts were on full display. "Giving her a nominal position in the expert group is fine, let her help you come up with ideas and keep an eye on things, that's called contributing to the country, I have no objections. But you can't keep her in Beijing."

Vice Minister Li was taken aback for a moment. "Old sir, what's going on...?"

Grandpa Gu snorted, "Zhenzhen's life depends on the operating table. She still needs to go back to the North City Military Region General Hospital to get her scalpel and save lives. Keeping her locked up in meetings and wrangling all day is a waste of her talent!"

Ye Zhen understood that the old man was advocating for her maximum autonomy, and readily agreed, "Minister Li, the old man's opinion is my opinion. I don't work regular office hours, and I don't write reports. If the cooperative medical system encounters insurmountable obstacles, I will only offer professional advice. In my spare time, I will still work as a surgeon in Beicheng. The system is your job; treating patients and saving lives is my profession."

Vice Minister Li stared at the grandfather and grandson singing in unison for a few seconds, then burst into laughter.

"Alright, alright! As long as you're willing to take on the title of consultant!" Vice Minister Li readily agreed. "Your sharp blade should indeed remain on the operating table to wreak havoc!"

With the matter settled, Vice Minister Li wiped his mouth, stood up, and picked up his briefcase again: "Old Wu, you've gotten your free meal and the good deal, let's go! Don't linger here and keep them from resting!"

Wu Wenqing quickly finished the last bite of vermicelli at the bottom of the bowl, picked up the empty banner case, and followed along.

The two left the courtyard, and the Hongqi sedan at the alley entrance had already started.

The car door closed, the engine sound gradually faded into the distance, and faint exhaust fumes dispersed on the bluestone slabs of the alley. Ye Zhen stood at the courtyard gate, the early summer evening breeze brushing against her cheeks, carrying a refreshing coolness.

She gazed at the empty alleyway entrance, her thoughts drifting far away.

In that instant, what flashed through her mind was the dilapidated mud house in Heishan Village that let in drafts from all sides, and the image of Luo Yushan from Qingshan Town carrying that worn-out wooden medicine box, trudging along the muddy mountain road.

Now, she has taken advantage of this opportunity to create a safety net for those struggling to make ends meet.

"This trip to Beijing was worthwhile," Ye Zhen sighed softly.

Gu Zheng walked to her side and gently patted her head with his large hand. "Yes, my wife has come to the rescue and prescribed another effective remedy for this world."