On his first day in the hospital, Jiang Chengzhou nearly broke down when he heard that Shen Man was going to give him an injection in the buttocks.
“Um…” Jiang Chengzhou swallowed. “Can’t you have someone else do it? A man, preferably.”
Shen Man deftly broke open the vial, drew the medicine into the syringe, and pushed out the air. “I’m the doctor in charge of your case. I’m the only one here. Take off your pants.”
Jiang Chengzhou gripped his waistband, staring at the syringe in her hand. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Shen Man, are you a demon?”
Shen Man pressed down the corners of her mouth to keep from smiling. “Jiang Chengzhou, you’re a grown man. Don’t be so fussy. I’m not going to eat you. It’s just an injection. Hurry up!”
Jiang Chengzhou didn’t move an inch. His hand remained clamped around his waistband.
After waiting a moment, Shen Man lost patience. She reached out and yanked down the trousers at his waist.
“You!”
“Don’t move!”
Shen Man wiped the area with an alcohol swab, then pushed the needle in. Her movements were quick and steady, and it was over in just a few seconds.
“All done.”
Jiang Chengzhou slowly pulled his pants back up with his uninjured hand. The exposed tips of his ears were bright red.
Shen Man laughed. “Jiang Chengzhou, I’m a doctor.”
Jiang Chengzhou pointed toward the door. “Just you wait. I’m going to file a complaint.”
“Fine, fine,” Shen Man said with a smile. “I’ll wait for you to complain about me. What do you want for dinner? I’ll get you something extra.”
“Whatever.”
Jiang Chengzhou stared at the ceiling, looking utterly defeated.
“Then we’ll have brown-sugar sticky rice, and I’ll make you a bowl of pickled-vegetable and potato soup.”
With that, Shen Man left the ward with a bright smile.
Jiang Chengzhou angrily pounded the bed. “Damn it! She’s bullying me!”
When no sound came from outside, Jiang Chengzhou lay on the hospital bed and covered his face with one hand, unsure whether he wanted to cry or laugh.
Shen Man remained as busy as ever, but from then on, she ate every meal with Jiang Chengzhou.
Even though Jiang Chengzhou repeatedly insisted that he could go to the cafeteria by himself, Shen Man refused to listen. She kept saying that she needed to repay him for saving her life.
Before long, rumors about the two of them had spread throughout the hospital. Everyone said that Dr. Shen was pursuing Jiang Chengzhou.
One day, when Jiang Chengzhou went out to fill a thermos with hot water, he overheard some people talking about Shen Man.
“I heard Captain Chen is pursuing a doctor at the hospital. She’s supposed to be beautiful.”
“I know who you mean—the doctor named Shen. But apparently she already has someone, and he’s also a patient here.”
“Really? Does Captain Chen know?”
“Who knows? Anyway, Captain Chen comes to the hospital every day…”
Jiang Chengzhou didn’t listen any further. He took the thermos and returned to the ward.
At lunch, Jiang Chengzhou suddenly said, “Shen Man, you’re getting old. It’s about time you found someone, isn’t it?”
The smile vanished from Shen Man’s face. “Jiang Chengzhou, I’m three months younger than you.”
“Oh, really?” Jiang Chengzhou shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth. Only after swallowing did he ask, “Does anyone like you?”
Shen Man tightened her grip on her chopsticks. “Yes.”
Jiang Chengzhou let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Don’t find yourself a soldier. They’re no good.”
“Why?” Shen Man looked up at him.
Her gaze made Jiang Chengzhou feel inexplicably nervous. “Just listen to me. Don’t accept that Captain Chen or Battalion Commander Chen—or whoever he is. Go back to the capital and find someone there.”
Shen Man picked up a bite of rice and put it in her mouth. “What kind of person do you think would suit me?”
“Soldiers won’t do. It’s too dangerous. Doctors won’t do either—they’re too busy to take care of their families. As for the rest…” Jiang Chengzhou grew irritated as he spoke and picked at a dish. “Why is the food so salty today? Did the cafeteria kill a salt seller or something?”
Shen Man lowered her eyes and said softly, “But I happen to like soldiers.”
“What?” Jiang Chengzhou looked up at her and fired off a string of questions. “You mean that Captain Chen? How old is he? What does he look like? Which regiment is he with?”
Shen Man looked at the fool in front of her and snapped irritably, “What’s it to you? Eat your food!”
Jiang Chengzhou poked at his bowl with his chopsticks. “If you’re going to find a soldier, I’ll tell your parents.”
Without even looking up, Shen Man said, “Go ahead. Do whatever you like.”
“Hey!” Jiang Chengzhou glared at her. “You don’t know what’s good for you. You’ll regret it when you get hurt.”
Shen Man gave a cold laugh. “Is that so? I’ll be waiting.”
Jiang Chengzhou suddenly sensed that things were going badly. He tried to placate her. “Are you okay? Are you angry? It’s my fault. I spoke without thinking and said a bunch of nonsense. Dr. Shen, Doctor Shen, Sister Manman—can you forgive me just this once?”
Shen Man said nothing and continued eating.
Seeing this, Jiang Chengzhou fell silent as well.
After they finished eating, Shen Man gathered up the plates and carried the dishes outside.
Jiang Chengzhou walked over to the window and sighed.
Of course, he had noticed the change in Shen Man’s attitude toward him.
But he didn’t dare—and didn’t want—to tear through that thin veil between them.
He had grown up with his uncle.
During the first two years, before his aunt came, he had been a wild child whom no one looked after.
Yan Yuan had no parents, but at least he still had a grandfather.
Jiang Chengzhou had only his uncle.
Back then, he had hated the capital and wanted nothing more than to stay on the island with his uncle.
Whenever his uncle went on a mission, he was terrified that his uncle might never come back.
Later, when his aunt arrived, he began to understand what having a home meant.
His aunt was wonderful—truly wonderful. But during those early years, whenever his uncle had to go out to sea, she had to work and take care of both children on her own.
Looking back now, that time seemed happy, yet so brief.
But Jiang Chengzhou still remembered every typhoon and every flood, and the nights when his aunt stayed by his and his sister’s side without sleeping a wink.
One year, they both caught the flu.
He had a high fever, while his little sister was vomiting and suffering from diarrhea.
He was all right and could take his medicine on his own.
His sister was young and felt terrible, and she refused to take the medicine. His aunt had no choice but to hold her down and force it into her. Even then, his sister would vomit it right back up.
By the time the struggle was over, his sister was drenched in sweat, and so was his aunt.
At the time, Jiang Chengzhou had thought, If only Uncle were home.
He worshiped Su Lang, but there were times when he resented him, too.
His aunt was more open-minded. She said that since she had married a soldier, she had to accept the reality of spending more time apart than together. She had to accept that, for long periods, she might have to shoulder alone all the responsibilities that both parents were supposed to bear.
Jiang Chengzhou could never think of it that way.
He didn’t blame his uncle, but he didn’t have the courage to ask another person to live like his aunt had.
Especially not someone he loved.
The next day, Jiang Chengzhou applied to be discharged.
Shen Man flipped through his medical chart. “You have a hairline fracture in your radius. The bones are properly aligned, but the cast can’t come off for at least a month and a half. It’ll take two or three months of rest before you can return to normal activity.”
“It’s fine,” Jiang Chengzhou said. “If I stay here any longer, I’ll waste away in bed. Can’t I go back to my unit first and come back when it’s time to remove the cast?”
“Dr. Shen, could you make an exception?” Jiang Chengzhou asked with a fawning grin.
