Chapter 25: Call Me "Brother" From Now On, This Is for You Too

“Yes, yes, exactly like that. Drinking a lot of water but urinating very little, with dry stools.” The woman hadn’t expected her symptoms to be described so accurately; she immediately forgot the man’s presence and hurriedly shared two more symptoms.

This illness was her nightmare.

Her husband had died early, and over the past few months, her abdomen had grown larger by the day, causing everyone to mistakenly believe she was pregnant.

She had sought medical advice in many places but never received a definitive diagnosis.

The gossip and whispers were like knives, making her wish she could just collapse at her doorstep.

But she still had a son; she couldn’t abandon him alone and had to endure the rumors just to survive.

Wen Ran’s diagnosis was precise, like a ray of light piercing through her dark world. She quickly asked, “You know what illness I have?”

Wen Ran took her pulse gently and said softly, “In traditional Chinese medicine, this is called ‘abdominal distention,’ not pregnancy.”

The woman didn’t understand the term but burst into tears of joy.

At least now she could prove she wasn’t pregnant.

Shen Nanzheng hadn’t expected it to really not be pregnancy, and he grew curious about Wen Ran’s medical skills.

Wen Ran knew how to treat it, but as an apprentice, she was cautious and said, “You should still go to the hospital for a thorough examination. The doctors should be able to find out what’s wrong.”

“Sister, we’ve been to the hospital, but they can’t cure it. If you can figure out what it is, can you help my mother?” The boy’s eyes welled with tears as he looked to her like she was a lifeline.

Suddenly, the woman knelt before Wen Ran. “Comrade, please, save me. As long as you can cure me, I’ll work for you as hard as a beast of burden.”

Wen Ran helped her up, hesitated for a moment, then said, “I’ll give you a prescription. Try it first; it should bring some relief.”

The woman quickly said, “We live nearby. Come to our house; we have paper and pen!”

Wen Ran nodded, and Shen Nanzheng followed.

The boy brought over a pencil stub shorter than his pinky finger, embarrassed. “I looked everywhere but we have no paper left at home.”

Shen Nanzheng took a small notebook from his jacket pocket. “Use this.”

“Thank you,” Wen Ran said naturally.

Just as she was about to write, she noticed the pencil stub had no lead.

She frowned. “Do you have a small knife?”

“No,” the boy scratched his head. “I usually use a kitchen knife to sharpen it.”

Wen Ran paused. “Then use the kitchen knife.”

The boy quickly fetched the kitchen knife, but before handing it over, Shen Nanzheng took it away.

Worried Wen Ran might hurt herself, he took the pencil from her while she hesitated and seriously sharpened it before giving it back.

Writing with the stub was inconvenient but better than nothing.

She carefully wrote down the prescription she had memorized: Chuanxiong 2 qian, Baizhi 2 qian, dried ginger 12 qian, aconite root...

One dose per day, decocted in water for four hours, taken in three doses.

The woman was beautiful, and her handwriting was elegant.

Wen Ran tore off the page and handed it to the woman, returning the notebook to Shen Nanzheng. Then she said to the woman, “The medicine will stimulate your intestines and promote urination and bowel movements. Increased urination and diarrhea are normal reactions, nothing to fear. This helps expel fluids through both outlets simultaneously.”

“Thank you, thank you...” The woman kept thanking her and took money from a drawer. “It’s not much, please accept it.”

Seeing their modest home, Wen Ran declined without counting, then noticed a set of recently issued panda stamps on the table, which looked promising. While not as valuable as rare stamps, it was fair and not taking advantage, so she said, “If you truly want to thank me, just give me this set of panda stamps.”

“It’s too humble; the stamps aren’t worth much,” the woman felt embarrassed.

Wen Ran smiled, “I really like these pandas.”

The woman gave them to her and thanked her again. The boy bowed deeply. “Thank you, uncle. Thank you, sister.”

“Uncle again!” Shen Nanzheng felt very uncomfortable hearing that. Not thinking much about Wen Ran accepting stamps instead of a fee, he took the notebook and said, “From now on, call me ‘brother.’ Here’s another one for you.”

The boy shook his head, refusing. “No, you keep it.”

Shen Nanzheng: -_-||

He had thought the boy would gladly accept but was surprised by his resistance.

Hearing Wen Ran laugh, he thought it was worth it just to get a smile from his wife.

He shoved the notebook into the boy’s hand and sternly said, “Study hard and improve every day.”

The boy was speechless.

Actually, he liked the notebook but was a little intimidated by Shen Nanzheng. He flipped through it and said, “Thank you, brother.”

Shen Nanzheng had just taken a few steps without turning around.

But the smile at the corner of his mouth was already breaking through his composure.

Wen Ran had never known he had such a meticulous side. She smiled too.

She thought it was probably because he was still young and didn’t want to feel old.

Not married yet, “brother” sounded much nicer than “uncle.”

When they walked out of the crowded courtyard, the sun was nearly setting.

Wen Ran looked at his leg and asked, “Do you still need your leg bandaged?”

“No need. You saw just now—I can run and jump without trouble.” Shen Nanzheng’s purpose was to get to know her, and after this commotion, he was even more satisfied than if they had gone to the hospital, so naturally, no hospital visit was needed.

He smoothly introduced himself, “I’m Shen Nanzheng. What’s your name?”

“Sorry, it’s not convenient,” Wen Ran refused.

Since they couldn’t be husband and wife, there was no need to get closer.

Not knowing each other was better for both.

Shen Nanzheng saw her vigilance and, unwilling to give up, asked again, “Where do you live? It’s getting dark; I can walk you home.”

“No need,” Wen Ran politely declined. “Your leg is injured; you should take care of yourself.”

“It’s nothing. I got hurt more times in the army than this. I’ve long built up steel-like strength.” Tall and upright, Shen Nanzheng walked straight ahead but never took his eyes off Wen Ran with his peripheral vision.

When she first married him, she had been a little afraid of his many scars—each one a badge of honor.

Such an iron-willed man had also given her enough warmth.

It was a pity she had always been too insecure and overthinking, which led to her depression.

She pushed her bicycle and followed his steps slowly forward, reaching a crossroads. Reluctantly, she said, “I’m turning here.”

Shen Nanzheng: “...”