"Stop right there!"
Lin Zhilan stared at her. "Where are you going so late?"
Han Mei looked down at her shoes.
With Liang Ping as a cautionary example, Lin Zhilan worried she might follow suit and scare Han Mei by saying, "There are all kinds of snakes, bugs, and vermin in the mountains. Don't go running up there."
"Mm-hmm," Han Mei replied softly.
In truth, Han Mei wasn't afraid of snakes or bugs at all—she just didn't dare to talk to Lin Zhilan.
Lin Zhilan told her to head home soon and didn't pry further.
Standing outside the door, Han Mei heard laughter and chatter coming from the courtyard across the way, and a look of loneliness crept into her eyes.
...
As summer vacation was coming to an end, Deng Jing prepared to take the two children back to the capital.
Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng were going back this time as well.
Their extended stay here had originally been a special exception approved by the leadership.
Now that Su Lang no longer had to go out to sea and could commute back and forth every day, the elderly couple felt more at ease.
On top of that, they planned to come back early next year to take care of Lin Zhilan during her postpartum confinement, so this year they needed to show their faces back in the capital first, to avoid drawing too much attention and gossip.
As for Auntie Yu, the old couple decided to leave her behind.
One reason was that Liu Feng's leg had not yet fully healed, and another was that she could help out Lin Zhilan during the day.
Lin Zhilan initially disagreed, insisting they take Auntie Yu back with them.
She pointed out that Liu Feng could manage on his own, so there wasn't much need to worry.
In the end, Xu Yueyun said they would be moving directly into the retired cadres' residence after returning to the capital, and only then did Lin Zhilan agree.
On the day they saw them off to the boat, Linlin was the most reluctant to let go.
Earlier, while everyone was packing up, she hadn't understood what it meant.
It wasn't until she saw them picking up their luggage to board the ship that Linlin suddenly realized they were leaving for good.
Her lips quivered, and tears fell like a string of broken pearls.
Xu Yueyun quickly knelt down to hug her.
"Grandma isn't leaving," Linlin said, wrapping her arms tightly around her grandmother's neck.
Over the past half year, while Lin Zhilan was busy working and attending classes, and Su Lang was away on assignment before being hospitalized for his injuries, it was Xu Yueyun and Su Bingcheng who had spent the most time with Linlin.
Xu Yueyun couldn't bear it either, her own eyes reddening.
She patted Linlin's back. "Sweetie, Grandma will be back after the New Year."
Linlin lifted her head from the crook of Xu Yueyun's shoulder, her tear-filled big eyes fixed on her grandmother. "Come back tomorrow."
Xu Yueyun coaxed her softly, "Grandma has things to do in the capital. Once it's taken care of, I'll come back to be with Linlin, okay?"
Linlin turned to look at her mother.
Lin Zhilan shook her head helplessly.
There were national policies regarding these retired veteran cadres, especially in the capital. They couldn't just move freely; it had to be approved by the organization.
Also, their grain rations had to follow their residence; they couldn't keep their names registered in one place while living elsewhere.
The elderly couple had originally come under the pretext of visiting family and seeking medical treatment. The extra months they stayed were only approved because Lin Zhilan had filed a request and because of Su Lang's special injury circumstances.
Since the old couple also wanted to keep an eye on Jiang Chengzhou's house, they naturally wouldn't agree to transfer their household registration to the island.
Lin Zhilan could do nothing about it.
Seeing her mother shake her head, Linlin hugged Xu Yueyun again, rubbing her cheek against her grandmother's face. "Come back soon, Grandma."
"Alright, alright, alright," Xu Yueyun immediately promised, linking her pinky with her granddaughter's.
Over on the other side, Su Pei and Su Yao were crying too.
Su Pei, being the more sensible one, quietly wept while holding her mother's hand.
Su Yao was more straightforward, wailing and insisting that Deng Jing take her younger sister back with them.
Deng Jing was caught between exasperation and amusement. "You want to take your sister back? Little Uncle and Little Aunt won't agree."
"Sneak her away. I still want to," Su Yao sobbed.
Deng Jing teased her, "If you're so reluctant to part with your sister, why don't you stay here instead, and I'll just take your older sister back?"
Su Yao stopped crying and looked at Linlin.
After a long pause, she finally blurted out one word: "Okay!"
Staying, of course, wasn't an option, so the children were taken onto the ship.
The steamer horn sounded twice, deep and long.
Linlin was held in her mother's arms, waving her small hand vigorously toward the ship.
The boat slowly left the shore, churning white foam in its wake.
Worried about Lin Zhilan's health, Su Lang took their daughter from her arms and spoke a few words softly to comfort her, finally bringing a bit of a smile back to Linlin's face.
Lin Zhilan glanced at Jiang Chengzhou. Even though he didn't say anything, she could tell he also missed his grandparents.
To help the two children cheer up, Lin Zhilan brought them along when she went to provide free medical consultations.
She examined several patients in a row, most of them with minor ailments like headaches and colds, nothing too difficult.
She wrote prescriptions, telling them that if they had the time and money, they could go to the hospital pharmacy to fill them.
If they were short on cash, they could gather herbs from the mountains themselves, but they'd need to bring them to the hospital for inspection first, and she would teach them how to prepare the herbs.
Word spread that the free clinic required no money, so everyone in the village—sick or not—came to see her.
Lin Zhilan had anticipated this and didn't mind at all.
This time, she also brought Qin Qing along.
What Qin Qing and Lin Zijun needed most was experience, and the only way to build experience was through constant practice in diagnosing and treating patients.
The more people who came, the happier Lin Zhilan was.
Whether they were sick or healthy, she had Qin Qing take their pulse.
Even a healthy person's pulse was valuable as a reference.
After all, how can you know what's abnormal if you don't know what's normal?
Through interacting with these people, Qin Qing was learning things that could never be found in textbooks.
On the way back at noon, Qin Qing was a bit excited, trailing after Lin Zhilan and asking question after question.
A diligent student made Lin Zhilan happy, and she patiently answered all of them.
Su Lang spent the day as a full-time father, helping Lin Zhilan hand out candy to the village kids.
Because of the candy, the two children quickly got acquainted with the village children and played wildly all day.
At least they were no longer as downcast as when Xu Yueyun and the others had first left.
As they were just stepping out of the village, a shy girl walked over. "Doctor Lin..."
Lin Zhilan asked her, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
The girl shook her head. "You don't remember me? I'm Li Zhaodi."
"You?" Qin Qing recognized her first, reminding Lin Zhilan, "Master, she's the one—that child whose mother had a difficult delivery during the typhoon."
Li Zhaodi smiled and nodded at Lin Zhilan.
Lin Zhilan recalled it now.
It was no wonder she hadn't recognized her.
The girl had changed so much compared to before.
The first time Lin Zhilan saw her, Li Zhaodi was already seventeen but looked like a twelve- or thirteen-year-old, painfully thin as skin and bones.
Now, seeing her again, though she was still a bit short, she no longer had the appearance of a child. She had also filled out a little, no longer looking so pitiful.
"How are you doing now?"
Li Zhaodi nodded. "I'm doing pretty well."
She still remembered how Lin Zhilan had Qin Qing bring her candy back then.
