"Grandma will get it for you."
Xu Yueyun pushed the box into Lin Zhilan's hands and got up to find the jump rope elastic for her little granddaughter.
By the time Lin Zhilan came out, she saw Jiang Chengzhou and Liu Feng standing on either side, the elastic band tied around their legs to hold the rope for Linlin.
Jiang Chengzhou found it boring; his body was in the courtyard, but his mind had long wandered off.
Linlin was young and didn't really know how to jump rope yet.
But seeing the older girls playing and refusing to include her, she had acted pitifully and whined to her grandfather.
Su Bingcheng doted on her. "If they won't play with you, we'll play by ourselves. Grandpa will buy you an elastic rope."
True to his word, Su Bingcheng spent money at the supply and marketing cooperative to buy several meters of the best thin, round rubber elastic, letting Linlin bounce around blindly every day.
"Auntie," Jiang Chengzhou waved immediately upon seeing her come out. "I haven't finished my homework yet. Let's go home quickly."
"Brother is lying."
Linlin crossed her arms and pouted, "Brother finished his homework ages ago."
Exposed, Jiang Chengzhou hurriedly tried to coax his little sister.
Lin Zhilan said, "Baby, you can't bully your brother and Brother Liu Feng. You can't be the only one playing."
"But the brothers aren't jumping," Linlin said pitifully.
Lin Zhilan massaged her forehead. Liu Feng couldn't jump, and Jiang Chengzhou didn't like the game, so they could only hold the rope for her.
Yet here she was, complaining that they weren't jumping.
"Sister, wait here for a moment. I'll go find someone for you."
Jiang Chengzhou shook off the elastic, grabbed a slice of watermelon from the kitchen, and ran toward the courtyard opposite theirs.
"Shen Man, I brought you some watermelon!"
Who knew what Jiang Chengzhou said to Shen Man, but she soon came over on her crutches.
Watching her two patients with mobility issues holding up the elastic rope for her daughter, Lin Zhilan felt a constant battle between morality and humanity.
However, since neither Liu Feng nor Shen Man had any objections, she decided out of sight, out of mind. She said a quick word to her parents-in-law and headed home first.
As soon as she arrived home, Commander Gu was surprisingly waiting at her door.
"Commander Gu..." Lin Zhilan was about to smile and greet him, but seeing the expression on his face, she instantly grew serious. "Did something happen?"
"Xiao Lin, pack your things. We are going to see Su Lang together."
Lin Zhilan's eyes blinked rapidly and uncontrollably. "Commander Gu, did something happen to Su Lang?"
"Sigh," Commander Gu let out a heavy breath. "It's hard to say right now. We sent a boat to pick him up, and he should be arriving soon."
Lin Zhilan's nose stung, and her eyes instantly reddened.
"Where are your two children?" Commander Gu asked. "Do you need to ask a neighbor to look after them?"
Commander Gu had also only just received the news.
Su Lang was severely injured.
If something really happened, Lin Zhilan probably wouldn't be able to manage everything.
Lin Zhilan pinched her palms to calm herself down. "The children are with my mother-in-law. Commander, my mother-in-law has a heart condition. Please keep Su Lang's situation under wraps for now and don't let her know. As for me, just have someone tell her that I've been sent out of town on a business trip and won't be back for a while, so I need her to look after the two kids."
"Alright, rest assured."
"Hurry up and pack your things. I'll take you to the pier."
"Okay." Lin Zhilan nodded.
Just as she took a step, her legs suddenly gave out, and she tilted forward.
The others hurriedly reached out to support her.
Wang Rou was the fastest, immediately stepping forward to hold her arm. "Sister, are you okay?"
Lin Zhilan steadied herself and closed her eyes for a moment. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
She said that, but anyone could tell something was wrong with her.
Wang Rou's eyes reddened as she squeezed Lin Zhilan's hand. "Sister, Regiment Commander Su will definitely be fine."
"Yes, you're right." Lin Zhilan took a deep breath, turned around, and entered the house.
She said she was packing, but it was actually just a cover.
Lin Zhilan returned to her room and took a bottle out of her space.
There was only one pill inside the bottle.
The military district was full of watchful eyes, and the soldiers' keen instincts were no joke. If she showed even the slightest abnormality, she might even be suspected of being a spy.
Ever since Lin Zhilan arrived at the military district, she had avoided using items from her space.
The only exception was this pill, which she had made using ginseng grown in her space.
The Single Ginseng Pill.
As the name suggested, this pill had only one ingredient: top-grade wild mountain ginseng.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it was the simplest, most potent, and most effective life-saving medicine for sustaining life.
Medical books stated that it greatly replenished vital energy, restored yang, and stabilized the constitution. When one's life force was fading and death was near, only the single ginseng could save them.
Lin Zhilan had made exactly two Single Ginseng Pills.
She had Su Lang carry one, and kept the other with her.
In the original book, Su Lang's death had always been a knot in Lin Zhilan's heart.
These two pills were the final line of defense in her heart.
She stuffed the pill into her bag, randomly threw in a few changes of clothes, grabbed her medical kit, and walked out.
The others had been dismissed by the commander's orders, leaving only Wang Rou standing guard there, unwilling to leave.
"Sister, how about I go with you? I can help you with small tasks."
Lin Zhilan shook her head and held her hand. "Xiaorou, Su Lang's situation must be kept from my mother, and I don't know when I'll be back. As for Linlin, I'm afraid my parents won't be able to coax her, so I still need your help looking after her."
Although Linlin got along well with her parents-in-law now, she was more familiar with Wang Rou and would probably trust her more.
Wang Rou didn't press the matter. "Sister, don't worry. I will definitely help you take good care of them."
Commander Gu was already in the car. "Xiao Lin, get in. Su Lang should be arriving soon."
Lin Zhilan patted Wang Rou's hand and bent down to get into the backseat.
"Wait, wait!"
The driver looked toward the backseat. "Commander, it seems someone behind us is calling Dr. Lin."
Lin Zhilan glanced at the rearview mirror. "It's my colleague. Please wait a moment."
She pushed the door open and stepped out.
"Dr. Lin," Chang San ran over, panting heavily, and stuffed a cloth bundle into her hands. "You left this in the department and forgot to take it."
Lin Zhilan squeezed the cloth bundle, knowing this was a lie from Chang San.
This cloth bundle was not hers, and she hadn't left anything in the department.
But Lin Zhilan didn't expose him. Instead, she accepted the item. "Thank you, Dr. Chang."
Chang San nodded. Facing these military men, he was still a bit intimidated. He lowered his head and said, "There's still work at the hospital, so I'll head back first."
"Alright." Holding the cloth bundle, Lin Zhilan got back into the car.
Along the way, the car was completely silent.
Lin Zhilan sat with her back perfectly straight, staring straight ahead, looking very calm.
But Commander Gu noticed at a glance that the hand she used to grip the medical kit was trembling slightly.
Commander Gu sighed inwardly.
The moment the jeep came to a steady stop at the pier, Lin Zhilan pushed the door open and jumped out.
A circle of people was already standing at the pier, and the doctors sent by the military hospital were waiting nearby.
Out on the sea, a gray military tugboat was slowly docking.
