Reborn a day later, I emptied my enemy's possessions beforehand.

Zhou Haiqing originally wanted to linger a little longer, but when she heard the words "eggs and meat," it was as if an invisible rope suddenly tugged at her.

She shrank back, followed by a series of washing and splashing sounds.

Less than two minutes later, she appeared at the door of the examination room, dressed neatly and with her hair combed again.

Although a few unruly stray hairs still stuck out on her forehead, she looked much more refreshed than before.

The three of them sat down around the old wooden table in the consultation room.

Zhou Haibing pushed the three pancakes over, one for each person, and then handed a carton of milk to Li Su'e and Zhou Haiqing respectively.

Zhou Haiqing couldn't wait any longer. He picked up the pancake, took a big bite, chewed it a couple of times, and his eyes lit up instantly, like two small light bulbs that had been turned on at the same time.

She swallowed and took another bite, her cheeks bulging, and asked a muffled question, craning her neck to get a closer look at the pancake in her hand:

"Brother, this meat in here...it tastes different from any meat I've ever had before. Is this pork? It smells even better than pork!"

Zhou Haibing also picked up a pancake and took a bite:

"This is luncheon meat, a special type of canned meat that has a unique aroma compared to fresh pork and is also easier to store."

As he spoke, he pushed the milk carton toward his younger sister.

"Eat slowly, don't choke."

Zhou Haiqing took a big bite of the pancake, then gulped down some milk, a little white milk stain on the corner of her mouth. She turned to look at Li Su'e, her voice filled with sincerity as she asked:

"Sister-in-law, do you think it's delicious?"

Li Su'e was also eating the pancake when she heard Zhou Haiqing ask her a question. She swallowed the food in her mouth and nodded earnestly and vigorously.

"It's delicious. I've had pancakes in the city before, but I've never had one this good."

The sauce made with sea ice and the taste of that luncheon meat are unlike anything I've ever tried before. I don't know how they made it, but it's more fragrant than any pancake I've ever eaten.

As she spoke, her tone became sincere and natural, carrying a certainty that she no longer needed to be polite, as if she had accepted a fact and no longer needed to confirm it repeatedly.

The three of them ate and talked, filling the consultation room with the aroma of food and the soft clatter of bowls and chopsticks.

Zhou Haiqing quickly finished her pancake, even picking up the last small piece of dough stuck to the edge of the plate and stuffing it into her mouth.

Then, contentedly, he leaned back in his chair and licked the sauce off his fingers, looking like a cat that had stretched out lazily in the sun.

Seeing that she had finished eating, Zhou Haibing broke off a small piece of his untouched pancake and handed it to her.

Zhou Haiqing hesitated for a moment, then took it and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it quickly and with satisfaction.

As they chatted, the topic turned to Li Su'e's work.

Zhou Haibing put down his chopsticks and looked at Li Su'e:

"Su'e, you don't need to go to the fields with the production team anymore. I plan to go see Captain Chen today and ask him to help me in the clinic."

"I can't handle everything at the pharmacy by myself. Having someone help me dispense medicine, organize herbs, and tidy the medicine cabinets frees up my hands to see patients."

He paused, then added with certainty,

"We can't expect a newlywed bride to do heavy farm work."

Li Su'e's lips moved, her heart filled with immense emotion. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, her voice carrying a hint of apprehension she herself wasn't fully aware of:

Will Captain Chen agree?

Zhou Haibing nodded:

"I will make it clear to him. It's true that the clinic is short-staffed. There are more and more patients in the town, and I often have to make house calls. Someone has to look after the clinic."

Zhou Haiqing chimed in from the side, her tone carrying the eagerness and enthusiasm of a young girl, as if she could already see her sister-in-law no longer having to carry a hoe to the fields:

"It's so great that my sister-in-law is working at the clinic! She can be with my brother every day, and she doesn't have to bend over and dig in the dirt under the scorching sun anymore!"

Zhou Haibing then turned his gaze to Zhou Haiqing:

"And you, Haiqing. You'll stay at the clinic too; you won't have to work in the fields anymore."

Zhou Haiqing, who had been leaning back in his chair and swinging his legs, sat up straight upon hearing this.

Her little face wore a complex expression of surprise and disbelief, as if she had heard something she had secretly thought about but never dared to say aloud:

"Should I stay in the clinic too?"

"Yes. You're only thirteen, the age when you should be in school. How can you be working in the fields with adults to earn work points?"

Zhou Haibing's tone was very certain, carrying an air of confidence that he had already thought of the next step for her.

"You can start by helping out at the clinic. I'll try to contact the school and see if we can send you to school."

However, you should be prepared that starting primary school at your age is a bit late, and you might not be able to keep up.

Even if they can't go through the formal schooling process, at least they need to be literate and able to do basic math so they won't be fooled by others in the future.

Zhou Haiqing suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.

She never thought she would be able to go to school. Her father always said that girls don't need to study so much. It's enough for them to be able to write their own names and recognize the numbers on their work points book.

She had even resigned herself to a life of toiling in the fields, but her older brother said he wanted to send her to school.

Her nose stung, and she nodded vigorously, her voice strained but still tinged with a slight nasal tone, as if afraid she would burst into tears if she relaxed even slightly.

"Big brother...can I really still go to school?"

Zhou Haibing looked into her bright, sparkling eyes:

"If you want to go, I have a way to get you to go."

Zhou Haiqing nodded vigorously, then lowered his head to pretend to drink milk, subtly hiding the burning sensation in his eyes from view.

Li Su'e sat silently beside him, but her gaze was fixed on Zhou Haibing's face, where there was something clearer than any words could express—

A gentle yet reassuring certainty, as if finally confirming that one is standing under a roof that will not collapse.

After breakfast, the three of them cleaned up the dishes together. Zhou Haibing covered the remaining pancakes with a clean cloth and put them on the table to eat at noon.

He was about to go out to find Chen Guoqiang when he heard a flurry of footsteps and voices outside.

In the open space in front of the clinic, Chen Guoqiang was leading the production team to prepare to go to work in the fields.

He walked at the front, an old jacket draped over his shoulder and a straw hat in his hand.

He was followed by a dozen people, some carrying hoes, some carrying baskets, and some carrying water jugs. The group walked along the village road towards the fields in the morning light.

Wang Jinshan was also in the crowd, wearing a blue cloth jacket that was neither new nor old, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows;