After becoming a widow, I became the apple of a rough man's eye.

Lin Qingqing slept very soundly because she stayed up too late last night.

When I woke up, a layer of pale morning light was already seeping through the window paper.

She lay there for a while before propping herself up to sit up. She cleared her throat, which was still a little hoarse, as if it had been gently rubbed by fine sand.

The soft sound of the well rope rubbing against the well rim came from the courtyard, mixed with the crowing of a few roosters.

She put on her coat, slipped on her shoes, and walked towards the front yard, yawning as she went, with lingering sleepiness still visible in the corners of her eyes.

The wooden latch on the courtyard gate was quite old, and it creaked when it was lifted.

As soon as the door was opened a crack, two tall figures outside simultaneously raised their heads, their movements so synchronized as if they had planned it in advance.

Xiao Yong and Jiang He squatted on the stone blocks, one on each side, looking just like two door gods.

A heavy iron box sat at Xiao Yong's feet, its corners worn smooth, clearly indicating that it had been bumped and knocked a lot during its journey.

Jiang He was holding a ceramic jar in his arms, the mouth of which was wrapped in red cloth. As soon as the door opened, his eyes reddened.

"elder sister……"

He suddenly pounced on her, hugging Lin Qingqing's waist, his voice soft and affectionate: "Sister, I missed you so much. Did Third Brother bully you? You've lost weight."

Lin Qingqing was jolted back half a step by his tackle, only managing to regain her balance by grabbing the door frame. Before she could even speak, she heard a splash of water behind her.

Gu Qiangying walked out of the corridor carrying a washbasin. Her white shirt sleeves were rolled up to her forearms, and her eyes behind her glasses were cold and indifferent. She immediately bluntly retorted, "She just ate half a roast chicken last night. How is she thin?"

Jiang He looked up at him, her expression aggrieved: "Third Brother, all you do is expose my shortcomings."

"I also know you're holding me too tight." Gu Qiangying raised her chin. "Let go."

Jiang He hesitated to let go, but was unwilling to give up, so he started to hold onto Lin Qingqing's clothes and wouldn't let go.

Xiao Yong then stood up, scratched the back of his head, chuckled, and pushed the iron box forward: "Qingqing, take a look at this first."

The clasp clicked open, and the lid was lifted. Inside, a small set of fine steel tools was neatly arranged; the morning light shone on the metal, giving it a cool, gleaming shine.

It includes a miniature herb cutter, a pestle, a medicine trough, and a fine sieve—everything is included.

All the edges and corners have been carefully polished, and even the seams that are most likely to scratch your hands have been smoothed out, leaving no burrs at all.

The blade of the guillotine was gleaming, and the handle was shorter than the commonly used one, with a curved grip that fit her hand perfectly, clearly modified to fit her hand shape.

"I did it." Xiao Yong stammered a little when he was nervous, but his tone was serious. "You don't have much strength, and the original one was too heavy. I reduced the weight and moved the point of force inward. Try it, it won't be hard on your hands."

Lin Qingqing's eyes lit up immediately.

She crouched down and touched the hilt of the knife, then tried pressing it down a couple of times. The blade rose and fell crisply and steadily.

She looked up and smiled, "Second brother, you're amazing!"

Xiao Yong's ears turned red first, and his Adam's apple bobbed: "If you like it, that's fine. I'll change it if it's not to your liking."

"It's so easy, so incredibly easy!" Lin Qingqing happily hugged his arm. "Thank you, Second Brother."

Her touch made Xiao Yong's face flush bright red, all the way to the roots of his neck, as if he had just stepped down from an iron furnace. After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out, "N-no, you're welcome..."

Jiang He, watching from the side, felt her teeth ache with envy and immediately handed over the pottery jar: "Sister, watch mine! Mine is even better!"

As soon as the red cloth was lifted, the golden, translucent wild honey swayed slightly in the jar, with several intact pieces of honeycomb pressing on the surface. The sweet aroma burst forth, mixed with the scent of wild herbs and plants from the mountains.

"I went into the mountains with my older brother last night to collect the first honey. That bee cliff at the very back is too dangerous for anyone else," Jiang He said proudly. "It'll help you recover. Come, let me feed you myself..."

He had just picked up the spoon when Gu Qiangying snatched the earthenware pot away: "Don't feed him yet."

Jiang He looked wary: "What?"

"Your hands are muddy, and the mouth of the jar isn't clean either."

Gu Qiang spoke in a flat tone, "Go to the well and wash the jar, spoon, and your hands, then scald them with boiling water. Show them to me when you're done."

"I've already washed!"

"Then wash it again." Gu Qiangying shoved the jar back into his arms. "You were covered in dust when you rolled back from the mountains yesterday; even the bees would be disgusted by you."

Xiao Yong couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Jiang He immediately glared at him: "Second Brother, what are you laughing at!"

Gu Qiangying knocked on the door frame: "Alright. This is a restricted area for clinic staff; unauthorized personnel are not allowed. Once you've delivered the goods, head back."

Xiao Yong immediately nodded: "Okay, I..."

"No!" Jiang He's eyes reddened again. "I just saw my sister!"

Afraid of an awkward silence, Lin Qingqing quickly grabbed Gu Qiangying's sleeve, looked up at him, and softened her voice: "Third Brother, let them stay for a while. I haven't learned how to use Second Brother's things yet, and I haven't tasted Fifth Brother's honey."

Gu Qiangying looked down at her, her face still cold, but she casually squeezed her fingers: "Half a day. Whoever causes trouble, get out."

He looked at Jiang He as he spoke, then added, "Especially you."

Jiang He grumbled as he carried the jar to the well to wash it, muttering under his breath, "Favoritism, favoritism, favoritism..." He walked quite fast, clearly afraid of being chased away.

……

Breakfast was set out on a small wooden table.

The corn porridge was steaming hot, the pickled vegetables were finely chopped, and the leftover roast chicken from last night was reheated, bringing out its oily aroma once again.

A gentle breeze blew under the eaves, carrying the scent of herbs and the aroma of cooked food, instantly filling the courtyard with the warmth of home cooking.

As soon as Lin Qingqing sat down, Jiang He squeezed a bowl of honey water next to her and held a spoon to her lips: "Sister, open your mouth."

Gu Qiangying reached out and took the spoon away, tasted it herself first, and then handed it back: "It's too sweet, she only drank half a cup."

Jiang He immediately bristled: "That was for my sister!"

"I'll try it for her, so you don't come back with a jar of sugar water." Gu Qiangying said slowly, "You can get lost on the mountain, so it's not impossible for you to accidentally take the wrong beehive."

"I'm not lost!"

"Hmm, who was it that wandered around in the mountain valley twice before? I've been looking for you for ages."

Jiang He fell silent and buried his head in his porridge, making a "clanging" sound as the spoon hit the rim of the bowl.

Lin Qingqing's shoulders trembled slightly as she suppressed a laugh. Seeing her bowl was empty, Xiao Yong silently placed a chicken leg on her plate, his voice muffled: "Eat more."

Gu Qiangying glanced at Xiao Yong, a little helplessly: "Don't stuff too much at once, she can't finish it."

Xiao Yong immediately put down his chopsticks: "Oh. I'll pick some more later."

The meal was finished amidst much noise. The sun rose higher, and the light from the eaves slowly moved to the medicine stand.

Lin Qingqing carried the miniature guillotine onto the medicine table. Just as she was getting into position, Gu Qiangying stood behind her, reached around her shoulder, grabbed her wrist, and guided her to press down on the handle.

"Don't tense your hands, put the power in the heel of your palm. First the dried tangerine peel, then the scutellaria baicalensis, and go at a slow pace."

His voice was close to her ear, and Lin Qingqing felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck, her fingertips almost slipping.

Gu Qiangying whispered a reminder: "Concentrate."

Jiang He squatted down and watched for a long time, then said indignantly, "Sister, I can cut it too. I'm gentler than Third Brother."

Gu Qiangying didn't even lift her eyelids: "You can? Last time I made you cut half a pound of angelica into powder."

"That's a problem with the knife!"

"Alright, Guai Dao." Gu Qiangying shoved the winnowing basket into his hands. "Since you know how, go to the backyard and dry the atractylodes. If you don't dry it evenly, you won't eat lunch."

"...Third Brother, you're using your position to settle personal scores."

"I'll report it openly."

Jiang He walked away with the winnowing basket in his arms, his back view filled with resentment.

Xiao Yong handed over the pestle: "This is light, it won't hurt your hand. Try it."

Lin Qingqing tried it a few times and it worked smoothly. She looked up at him and smiled, "Second Brother, you're so thoughtful."

Xiao Yong's throat moved, and his eyes drifted away: "If you... if you like it, then so be it."

Seeing her smile, Gu Qiangying raised her hand and gently pressed the top of her head: "Focus on practicing the medicine, don't get distracted."

Two groups of patients came to pick up their prescriptions in the morning, and as soon as they entered, they saw two tall men standing in the doorway, making them slow to react. Gu Qiangying wrote the prescriptions while coldly saying, "You two, either sit down or get out. Don't block the door and scare people."

Jiang He grinned: "I'll be your bodyguard."

"This is a clinic, not a shady operation." Gu Qiangying said without looking up. "Jiang He, wipe the threshold. Xiao Yong, move the metal box away."

Xiao Yong immediately started moving the boxes. Jiang He squatted by the door wiping the threshold, then looked up and winked at Lin Qingqing: "Sister, don't you think I'm diligent?"

Gu Qiangying added, "If you're feeling diligent, you might as well chop some firewood in the backyard."

Jiang He: "..."

Lin Qingqing almost burst out laughing, but fearing he might really explode, she secretly slipped him a piece of candy. Jiang He, with the candy in his mouth, grumbled as he went to chop wood.