Original Intention
Wang Youli’s eyes were full of suspicion as he stood behind Gu Sheng, watching his every move intently.
He had never seen Gu Sheng like this before.
Though he still wore his military uniform and didn’t have his hat on, he was wearing an apron. Wasn’t this… a bit too much of a sacrifice? Gu Sheng’s face was expressionless, appearing quite composed, and his movements were steady.
Wang Youli studied him carefully.
Wang Youli had seen Gu Sheng’s stern demeanour when training others, seen him smoking in a corner, seen him arguing with superiors, but he had never seen… him wearing an apron, holding a spatula, with a stern expression, washing his hands and cooking soup at home.
Regardless of whether it was a case of “swap horses in midstream,” Old Wang couldn’t help but sigh, “Old Gu, Old Gu, do you still remember what you said in Shanghai?”
“Now it’s not just lending a hand, now all the cooking at your house is done by you.” Unlike some men who, after marrying, expect their wives to cook, clean, and take care of children.
Wang Youli felt a spiritual resonance with Xiao Shen, surpassing that of most couples. He hadn’t expected Gu Sheng to be even more considerate.
Was he intentionally putting on a show today?
What kind of medicine was he selling?
Gu Sheng washed the spatula. “I’m advancing in my ideological thinking.”
Shen Liqing said, “Listen, Old Wang, Comrade Gu is such a good comrade, so caring towards his wife. Dr. Zhan is pregnant, and he’s willing to lend a hand.”
“Director Li even suggests you learn more from him.”
Wang Youli replied, “Learn from him? I’ll just see what dishes he can cook.”
With him keeping an eye on things, he wouldn’t let Gu Sheng have any chance to cheat.
“Before getting married, I had never cooked a meal. Now my wife is pregnant, and I, I feel especially sorry for her. I want to cook for her with my own hands.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Gu Sheng said, “Xiao Shen, your old man at home once said, regardless of whether you can achieve something or not, the first thing is to have the right attitude.”
Shen Liqing nodded, “That’s right.”
Gu Sheng continued, “Old Wang, would you agree?”
Wang Youli replied, “If you can cook up a table of good dishes, next time I’ll cook up a table of good dishes for you to eat.”
“Alright, remember what you said.”
Wang Youli stared at Gu Sheng cooking, while Zhan Aiping and Shen Liqing were drinking tea in the room. Zhan Aiping, being pregnant, didn’t drink tea herself; instead, she poured tea for Shen Liqing, while she drank milk powder.
Shen Liqing followed her into the study and saw that Zhan Aiping’s bookshelf was filled with medical books. She exclaimed, “Dr. Zhan, you have so many books, so many medical books.”
Zhan Aiping said, “If you want to read them, you can borrow them.”
Shen Liqing quickly shook her head, “I dare not read too many medical books; the more I read, the more I feel like I’m sick all over.”
Glancing around, she noticed a notebook with Gu Sheng’s handwriting, not Zhan Aiping’s. Curiously, she asked, “Medical study notes, why does it have Comrade Gu’s name on it? Does he also study medicine?”
Zhan Aiping replied, “He has paternal anxiety, so he’s studying medicine temporarily, and he even tries to check my pulse.”
“That’s so romantic,” Shen Liqing’s eyes lit up with longing.
Zhan Aiping wondered, “What kind of romance is that?”
“You two have similar aspirations, shared experiences in the military and in medical studies. Isn’t that romantic? Reading books together at night, being good mentors and friends to each other, talking about the past, the present, and the future together. It’s truly a match made in heaven.”
Zhan Aiping said, “I heard your home also talks about stars and moons every day, and has a resonance in cultural and ideological thinking.”
Shen Liqing replied, “That’s too much effort; it’s tiring.”
Their relationship started with pen pals, leaving the best impressions of themselves in letters to each other. Now that they’re truly together, though they spend less time together daily, Shen Liqing always feels exhausted when they’re together. She has to maintain her “ideal” image.
It’s like when she first arrived at the camp and insisted on cooking her own meals to establish an image of being good at cooking, but she messed it up.
Although Shen Liqing has romantic ideals in her head, in reality, she doesn’t care much about life. As long as the food isn’t too bad, she’s fine. She likes freedom and laziness.
It’s also fortunate that Wang Youli is often not at home, so he hasn’t discovered her overly lazy nature.
Shen Liqing was also quite troubled. How could a couple chat about literature every day? After a while, it loses its appeal. The initial passion fades, and the so-called “cultural and intellectual resonance” becomes as exhausting as going to work. It’s mentally draining.
Living together and becoming more familiar with each other, they exhaust topics from the past, from books, and then they don’t know what else to talk about.
It’s not as exciting as when they were pen pals, eagerly anticipating each other’s letters every time.
Now Shen Liqing was starting to dread Wang Youli coming home.
Zhan Aiping said, “You can start showing him your true self.”
“My true self? I don’t even know what my true self looks like…”
“Just live relaxed, do whatever you want, don’t force yourself to do things you don’t want to do.”
Shen Liqing sighed, “…”
“That’s why I envy you, Comrade Xiao Zhan. You and your little Gu grew up together, knowing each other’s true selves. You don’t have to live as uptight as we do.”
“Dr. Zhan, I’m so miserable. I don’t want to talk about literature with him anymore. It’s more tiring than work.” Shen Liqing had even lost interest in reading. Every time she read, she had to think about what to talk to Wang Youli about when he came home.
Exhausted from coping.
The conversations were becoming repetitive.
She couldn’t stand this kind of married life anymore.
Zhan Aiping said, “Then don’t talk about literature, do something else.”
“What else?” Shen Liqing asked curiously, “Dr. Zhan, what do you and Comrade Gu talk about at home?”
“We…” Zhan Aiping paused, unable to explain. Gu Sheng was just like a big puppy. Once he got home, he liked sticking to her, hugging her, kissing her, always being hands-on. They stuck together, talked, teased each other, did their own things occasionally, and sometimes glanced at each other.
“Exercise.”
Shen Liqing: “…?”
Exercise?
“Ex-exercise? How?”
“You see, our Old Gu at home is tall and strong, with great physical strength. I used to be a female soldier, with excellent physical training results. We arm wrestle, lift weights, and I even practice martial arts on him.” Zhan Aiping couldn’t exactly say they spent their days cuddling, so she chose a more subtle explanation.
Lifting weights meant Gu Sheng carrying her around every day, which was equivalent to weightlifting.
As for practicing martial arts, well… she did have a knack for clinging to Gu Sheng.
Shen Liqing said, “But now you’re pregnant, so you can’t do that anymore.”
“Exactly. So, I encourage him to read medical books and learn cooking. We grew up together, and we both have strong competitive spirits. He takes everything seriously, even cooking; he wants to surpass me. He’s a great competitor.”
“We often spark each other’s competitive spirit.”
Shen Liqing suddenly realised, “…”
Sparking each other’s competitive spirit.
Zhan Aiping said, “When he does something well, you can praise him more. After all, compliments cost nothing.”
“Dr. Zhan, you truly understand relationships between men and women,” Shen Liqing said. “I get it now.”
Zhan Aiping asked, “What do you get?”
“You’re more suited to be the Women’s Leader than Director Li.” Shen Liqing chuckled. “I’ll go back and find something new for our Old Wang to do.”
It’s all about sparking his competitive spirit, isn’t it? Let him compete with Gu Sheng; and it’s just about praising him, right? Praise him until he doesn’t know which way is up.
Zhan Aiping said, “…Take it easy.”
As they chatted in the room, the fragrance of the food wafted in from outside in waves. Shen Liqing rubbed her nose, thinking how could the food smell so good out there.
“Does your Captain Gu cook well?”
Zhan Aiping modestly replied, “It’s alright.”
When it was time to eat, the table was already filled with dishes. Wang Youli sat dumbfounded in his seat, planning to drink alone later. Soon, two more people arrived: Sun Wei and Zhou Jiajia, from Gu Sheng’s company, coming to join the meal. Something good had happened in their company recently, earning them accolades and medals.
Zhou Jiajia’s name sounded like that of a girl, but in reality, he was a big guy, tall and robust, at least 1.8 meters tall.
With a booming voice, he exclaimed, “Sister-in-law, your cooking is really amazing. We’re in for a treat today.”
Wang Youli said, “Indeed, we’re lucky to have the dishes cooked by your company commander.”
Zhou Jiajia and Sun Wei burst into laughter as if they’d heard a great joke. “No way.”
“How is that possible?” Their company commander, cooking himself? Hosting a grand feast?
If their company commander dared to cook, they wouldn’t dare to eat.
“It would be more believable if you said Instructor Wang cooked it.”
Gu Cheng said, “Exactly.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiajia and Sun Wei felt relieved.
Zhan Aiping and Shen Liqing came out at this moment. Zhan Aiping said, “Try the dishes we’ve prepared.”
Zhou Jiajia exclaimed, “Sister-in-law, your cooking looks delicious at first glance.”
Sun Wei added, “Our company commander really married a good wife.”
Flattery knows no bounds.
Zhan Aiping and Shen Liqing exchanged glances.
Wang Youli said, “I’m telling you, it was your company commander who cooked. I saw him cooking with my own eyes.”
Zhou Jiajia retorted, “Don’t tease us. How is that possible? If our company commander cooked, it’d be like a Hongmen Feast.”
**Nomad: The “Hongmen feast” or “Banquet at Hong Gate” was a historical event in Chinese history where General Xiang Yu held Liu Bang’s father hostage. Xiang Yu invited Liu Bang to a feast to reconcile and negotiate, but instead intended to assassinate him. Liu Bang discovered the plot and managed to escape. This event has since been used metaphorically to describe situations where someone is lured or tricked into a trap under the guise of a peaceful occasion or negotiation.**
Their company commander cooking was nothing but a fairy tale; they wouldn’t dare to eat if he did cook.
Gu Sheng: “…” He noted it down in his notebook.
Zhan Aiping chuckled and joked, “Perhaps it really was me who cooked?”
Wang Youli looked at his wife Shen Liqing.
Shen Liqing didn’t say anything; she just stared curiously at the table full of food, which seemed quite appetizing. “Let’s not worry about who cooked it. Let’s sit down and eat.”
“Exactly.”
With delicious food in front of them, they were all food lovers, so they didn’t hesitate. Shen Liqing took a bite of the food, her eyes lighting up. Jokingly, she said, “Dr. Zhan, you have excellent culinary skills.”
Zhou Jiajia added, “Great cooking skills.”
Zhan Aiping replied modestly, “Thank you for the praise.”
Shen Liqing said, “I helped a bit on the side, so I deserve some credit too.”
Wang Youli: “…” Clearly, I was the one helping on the side, clearly, I came as a guest, but Gu Sheng was ordering people around without any hesitation, making me wash and chop vegetables.
Sun Wei said, “Both sisters-in-law have great cooking skills. The company commander and Instructor Wang are really fortunate.”
Gu Sheng: “That’s right.”
Wang Youli: “…” Yes.
After finishing the meal, all the plates were cleaned, to save face. Zhan Aiping felt a little embarrassed. “Should I cook more next time?”
“Or should we add a couple more dishes?”
If you invite others to dinner and don’t leave some leftovers, it seems that the host is stingy.
Sun Wei: “The company commander is quite fortunate.”
The two left feeling very satisfied with their meal.
Shen Liqing walked back with Wang Youli, feeling unusually cheerful. The more she thought about it, the more interesting it seemed, as if ripples had been added to her calm life.
“Look, how interesting it is for Dr. Zhan and Commander Gu to live together.”
Wang Youli: “I don’t think so. They don’t seem to have the same intellectual resonance or soul connection as we do.”
Although this intellectual resonance and soul connection often felt exhausting…
“Well, then you misunderstand Commander Gu. Comrade Gu is really great. He’s actively learning to cook and to practice medicine. I saw his medical notes in the study; he’s very serious about it, fully aligning himself with Comrade Zhan.” Shen Liqing praised Gu Sheng highly, then turned to Wang Youli and said, “Comrade Wang, I’ve always thought you could do even better than Comrade Gu. You should be more outstanding than him…”
Wang Youli: “Of course I’m better than him. He’s just a rough man, and their unit is full of bachelors. Look at those two—so simple and straightforward.”
Shen Liqing agreed, “Exactly, you’re more considerate, more attentive to details.”
“That’s precisely why I chose you.”
Wang Youli smiled, feeling quite pleased by these words.
“Comrade Wang, our lives should also become interesting and colourful,” Shen Liqing nodded. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you to cook. I believe you have a talent for it. As someone so meticulous, you’ll definitely do better than a rough man like Gu Sheng.”
She took Wang Youli’s hand, “I really want to taste the food you make.”
“Commander Gu must have given his all today, showcasing his best dishes. You mustn’t lose to him!”
“Of course, how could I lose to him,” Wang Youli said stubbornly. But seeing Shen Liqing’s expectant eyes, he felt both happy and a slight, peculiar stomach ache.
Actually, this wasn’t bad…
Cooking together meant not having to rack his brain discussing literature every day. After all, he didn’t have an endless supply of literary knowledge.
“As modern soldiers, we should have this kind of competitive spirit,” Shen Liqing gave him a cheering gesture, thinking this should ignite his competitive nature.
Wang Youli: “…”
“I’m just afraid the food I make at first won’t taste good.”
“It’s okay, I believe in you. We’ll grow together,” Shen Liqing thought to herself, could it be worse than her mom’s pickles? As long as it wasn’t too bad, she could compliment it.
Being fundamentally lazy, she didn’t have very high standards.
“Lili, you’re so good,” Wang Youli was moved.
Shen Liqing smiled.
“Lili, I saw they also have a sewing machine. How about we get one too? You can learn to sew, and we can improve together!”
“With your dexterity and meticulousness, the clothes you make will definitely be beautiful,” Wang Youli looked at her expectantly.
Shen Liqing agreed tearfully, “Alright then.”
At least we don’t have to talk about literature.
Everyone else in the house had left, leaving Zhan Aiping and her husband alone. After tidying up and taking a bath, Zhan Aiping gave Gu Sheng a shoulder massage, urging him to lie down on the bed as she worked to relax his muscles.
“Wife, your technique is really good, but the pressure is too light.”
“Do you think massage is all about brute force? It’s not the more painful, the better.”
“Yes, yes, your massage is the best. It’s great to have a doctor as a wife.”
Zhan Aiping applied two homemade plasters on his back. Every time Gu Sheng saw her plasters, he couldn’t help but laugh, “I always thought a female military doctor would be carrying a stretcher through the battlefield.”
“…And yet, my wife is selling medicated plasters under a bridge.”
“Yes, I’m just a plaster seller,” Zhan Aiping said, pinching his back in mock anger. “I sell not only pain relief plasters but also anti-hair loss ointment, fertility treatments, and remedies for injuries, hair loss, and grey hair…”
Gu Sheng sat up, hugging her and softly coaxing, “Your plasters are really quite comfortable.”
“Of course,” Zhan Aiping said. She had improved the formula herself, and it was so effective that a company had even tried to buy her formula. She hadn’t sold it, though, because the market was already saturated with pain relief plasters, and selling it wouldn’t fetch a good price.
If they ever needed money, she could consider creating a brand with someone to sell pain relief plasters, toothpaste, shampoo, or even skincare products.
“Tomorrow I’ll accompany you to the hospital.”
“Okay.”
Gu Sheng had to go on a business trip for a few days. He planned to spend the day with Zhan Aiping and then leave at night, so as not to waste any time.
“Congratulations,” Gu Sheng was about to be promoted to deputy regiment commander.
“And you, Dr. Zhan? Don’t let me become a regiment or division commander while you’re still a junior doctor. When will you become a chief physician or even a director?”
Zhan Aiping raised her eyebrows and smiled, “Just wait.”
“Now, everyone within ten miles knows about Dr. Zhan. Are you more famous than me?”
“Indeed, I admire you, the most scientific Dr. Zhan.”
Even though he said he would accompany her to the hospital, Gu Sheng was gone before dawn the next morning. He had gone up the mountain to dig for wild mushrooms. He was very familiar with the nearby mountains and forests, having memorized the locations of dozens of mushroom spots. Zhan Aiping suspected he didn’t really want to accompany her; he just wanted to eat wild mushrooms.
He rushed to pick unopened mushrooms, which were just emerging and had the freshest flavour. In the future, these newly available wild mushrooms could sell for thousands of yuan per kilogram, with even the common ones costing hundreds per kilogram. This was also why some people suffered secondary poisoning from wild mushrooms; a plate of wild mushrooms could cost hundreds of yuan. After being poisoned and hospitalized, some couldn’t bear to throw them away, so they reheated and ate them again, ending up back in the hospital.
Of course, at this time, wild mushrooms from the mountains weren’t very valuable and couldn’t be sold for high prices. Varieties like ganba, chicken fir, and boletus had more market value. As for matsutake and black truffle, few people liked them. At this time, matsutake were even called “stinky chicken mushrooms,” and mountain children would pick them up to play with.
Zhan Aiping took a bus to the hospital herself. After finishing the morning shift, with no more patients, Gu Sheng, now bathed and dressed in clean clothes made by Zhan Aiping herself, appeared in the hospital’s family quarters. He entered her room familiarly, acting like he was already the man of the house.
“Dr. Zhan, is your husband here?” Qin Yanfang, who had met Gu Sheng once before, still found it quite astonishing to see him in the family quarters.
“Yes, he had some free time to come over.”
Gu Sheng moved a stove into the courtyard and began making soup, specifically wild mushroom and chicken soup. At first, it was fine, but as time went on, the aroma became an irresistible temptation.
The aroma of Gu Sheng’s cooking was tantalizing, causing everyone in the hospital to drool. They all expressed a desire to come to his house for a meal. Dr. Zhou even generously contributed some “rapeseed oil” for frying the wild mushrooms, suggesting, “Use more oil, it’ll be more fragrant.”
Fried chicken fir mushrooms were particularly sweet and delicious, and the mixed mushroom soup was the most aromatic and tempting.
Qin Yanfang was practically salivating, chanting, “Mushroom pot, mushroom pot, mushroom pot…”
Even Zhan Aiping found it hard to focus with the enticing smell. She sneaked over to Gu Sheng and kicked him lightly, “You really know how to enjoy food, don’t you, Old Gu?”
Running to the hospital to spread temptation.
“Eating in the hospital is great, it gives you that sense of security you mentioned,” Gu Sheng said with a smug smile.
Zhan Aiping was speechless, “…” So he intentionally came to the hospital to eat?
“Have you been poisoned? Do you need me to personally pump your stomach?”
“Yes, so you should just watch me eat and not have any yourself.” Gu Sheng was careful when picking wild mushrooms, only choosing the edible ones. His strong memory and ability to distinguish wild mushrooms ensured he picked only the best.
Zhan Aiping felt exasperated, “I really want to bite you.”
Running to her place to spread temptation.
——She really wanted to eat too.
But since she was pregnant, she couldn’t take any risks, especially with wild mushrooms. It was best to avoid them altogether.
“You can bite me while I eat mushrooms,” Gu Sheng teased.
“Get lost.”
Gu Sheng’s cooking in the hospital attracted a lot of attention, not only from the doctors but also from some patients who didn’t want to leave.
“What’s that smell? It’s so delicious…”
“So fragrant.”
“Is it from the hospital cafeteria?”
Dr. Zhou managed to shoo the patients away, saying, “It’s nothing, just a male family member cooking.”
“A male family member cooking?”
“Yes, yes, he’s cooking, but it’s not for you.”
…
After much effort, the patients were sent away, only for two more young men, in their twenties or thirties, to arrive. One had white hair on both sides of his head but looked young otherwise, making it hard to guess his age.
Dr. Zhou asked, “Are you here to treat your hair? Our hospital’s Dr. Zhan specializes in this. You’re quite young; why is your hair white?”
The young man with white hair blushed in anger and said, “I’m not here for hair treatment. I’m Chen Jiajing, a reporter from the provincial newspaper. I’m here to interview Dr. Zhan, the one who is excellent at explaining science.”
“An interview with Dr. Zhan!” Dr. Zhou was startled. Dr. Zhan was just explaining some science concepts, but now a newspaper reporter had come to interview her.
The other man said, “I’m from the county radio station.”
“Is Dr. Zhan here?”
“Yes, she and her husband are both here,” Dr. Zhou replied. “They’re in the family courtyard doing something.”
Chen Jiajing sniffed the air. “What’s that smell? It’s so delicious.”
Xie Hui, from the radio station, couldn’t help but swallow. “Is this a hospital or a state-run restaurant?”
“Do you have a restaurant next door?”
Dr. Zhou laughed. “You might not know, but Dr. Zhan’s husband is a cook.”
“What?”
“Yes, he’s cooking in our hospital’s backyard right now. It’s perfect timing for your interview. Stay and have a meal, taste his cooking skills.”
Xie Hui was stunned. “A cook? But I heard Dr. Zhan’s husband is in the military, that she followed him here.”
“Is it Dr. Zhan Aiping?”
Dr. Zhou: “…” It seems they came prepared.
Chen Jiajing said casually, “Maybe her husband was in the cooking squad before getting promoted?”
Dr. Zhou laughed. “You really have a sense of humor, Mr. Provincial Reporter.”
Gu Sheng had prepared a feast of wild mushrooms. To accommodate Zhan Aiping, he also grilled a fish and made other dishes. However, the plates of wild mushrooms were irresistibly tempting, especially the mixed mushroom soup and chicken fir mushroom chicken soup, which were mouth-wateringly fragrant.
“You, you must be Dr. Zhan. So young,” Chen Jiajing said in surprise when he saw her. Introducing himself, he said, “I’m a reporter from the provincial newspaper. I’m here to interview you. Your scientific explanations have been highly praised and have sparked a wave of scientific interest among the public…”
Xie Hui also hurried to introduce himself. “Dr. Zhan, I’m from the county radio station. We hope to collect some of your scientific stories, write them into scripts, and broadcast them to every village and community…”
Zhan Aiping was surprised to see them both, “Hello, hello.”
Dr. Zhou suggested, “Why don’t you chat first, we’ll go eat.”
Under the temptation of delicious food, even the idea of becoming famous in the newspaper seemed insignificant.
Zhan Aiping said, “This doesn’t seem right. Let’s all eat together. Mr. Chen and Comrade Xie, please join us.”
They all went to the backyard, where a large table of wild mushrooms was set up. Chen Jiajing turned pale. “Eating random wild mushrooms can be poisonous, even deadly.”
Xie Hui was more relaxed. “Let’s eat. I see them eating it every year. Mr. Chen, you must be from out of town.”
Chen Jiajing admitted, “I’m a bit scared to eat it.”
But the aroma was incredibly tempting.
Dr. Zhou remarked, looking at Chen Jiajing’s hair, “You young people worry too much. Afraid of this, afraid of that. Look at your hair, it’s gone white.”
“You’re even losing hair on top.”
Chen Jiajing: “…”
Zhan Aiping stepped in, “Mr. Chen, if you don’t want to eat the mushrooms, you can have the other dishes. I’m not eating the mushrooms either. If my husband gets poisoned, I’ll perform gastric lavage, acupuncture, and IV therapy on him. You can watch me demonstrate my medical skills.”
Gu Sheng: “…?”
The people around burst into laughter.
Chen Jiajing blinked, “Alright, I’ll eat.”
Zhan Aiping: “?!”
“Since there’s a doctor here, I might as well try these mushrooms,” he said, tempted by the rare and delicious aroma.
Xie Hui teased, “Eating without regard for your life.”
Gu Sheng smiled at Zhan Aiping, “See, I told you, eating wild mushrooms in the hospital gives a sense of security.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
Gu Sheng reassured her, “Don’t worry, they’re not poisonous.”
In reality, wild mushroom poisoning is a rare event, and common varieties are generally safe.
After the mushroom feast, Chen Jiajing was completely captivated, eager to interview Gu Sheng about his experiences in foraging wild mushrooms and identifying them. He wasn’t satisfied and wanted to eat more.
Dr. Zhou clicked his tongue, “Some young people are just too obsessed, never satisfied.”
Meng Xiaoyun retorted, “And you’re satisfied? Aren’t you planning to ask someone to go up the mountain tomorrow morning?”
Dr. Zhou: “…”
Xie Hui discussed work matters with Zhan Aiping, who agreed to contribute articles to the radio station. Xie Hui was very grateful, “Dr. Zhan, thank you so much. We need scientific stories like yours to educate the public…”
Chen Jiajing, meanwhile, began his serious interview with Zhan Aiping, asking, “What was your initial motivation for coming up with these scientific stories?”
Zhan Aiping replied, “Initial motivation? Well, it started when people called me a demon.”
“Huh?” Chen Jiajing’s eyes widened.
“They said I delivered babies just to eat the placenta, that I was some evil spirit using it to stay young and beautiful.”
“What!” Chen Jiajing was stunned.
“So, I realized people lacked a proper understanding of science.”
After the interview, Chen Jiajing was still thrilled. Compared to reports about “increasing production,” “bravely moving forward,” or “progress of the educated youth,” his interview with Zhan Aiping was far more interesting.
“Comrade Zhan, your scientific stories are truly fascinating. Can I attach a couple of them to the end of my report?”
Zhan Aiping agreed, “…Sure.”
Chen Jiajing hesitated and then asked, “Dr. Zhan, can you really treat hair issues?”
Zhan Aiping confidently replied, “Of course, you can trust me on that.”
After sending off the reporter from the newspaper and Comrade Xie from the radio station, Zhan Aiping spent the days of Gu Sheng’s business trip writing several stories about science. Although her writing style was straightforward, she had a wealth of knowledge and experiences to draw from.
Initially planning to write just three or four articles for the radio station, she realized how lacking most people were in basic physics and chemistry knowledge. She decided to write more educational stories.
Additionally, during her studies in traditional Chinese medicine, she had encountered many absurd cases where people misused folk remedies, worsening their conditions. She made an effort to include these stories as well.
When Gu Sheng returned, he found that Zhan Aiping had written fifteen to twenty articles. He read through them, laughing uncontrollably. “Your scientific stories are just too amusing.”
The bizarre events described at the beginning of each story were met with incredulous revelations at the end, leaving readers speechless and surprised.
Gu Sheng chuckled as he pulled out an old draft framework titled “Surgical Techniques” and waved Zhan Aiping’s “Scientific Stories” manuscripts. “Dr. Zhan, are you a doctor or a writer? I’ve been gone for so many days, and this framework is still just a framework…”
Zhan Aiping blushed and snatched the papers from his hand. “I’m writing it slowly, okay? There are priorities. They urgently needed the articles, so I wrote more of those.”
Gu Sheng said, “If you write a few more, you’ll have enough for a book.”
Zhan Aiping dismissed the idea, “…Not likely.”
“Today the newspaper came to interview you, tomorrow the radio station wants your articles, and the day after, a publisher will come asking to publish your book.”
“If a publisher really comes, I’d be glad. Then I could include my medical book too.” Previously, Zhan Aiping had published books on traditional Chinese medicine, but they were too niche, read only by those in her field.
Every writer has some ambition, after all.
“I am a doctor, not a writer.”
“Alright, alright, Dr. Zhan,” Gu Sheng teased, pinching her cheek. “Your article will be out next month. Let’s send a copy to my parents.”
“Please, no,” Zhan Aiping exclaimed, feeling mortified. The content of that interview was embarrassing. It was one thing for it to be circulated in Yunnan Province, but if her old comrades and friends saw it, it would be too much to bear.
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have told the reporter the truth.” Being labelled as an evil spirit eating placentas for beauty was too much. If her old army friends saw it, it would be terrifying.
—She used to be the iron-willed military doctor, Zhan Aiping. How did such things end up in an interview?
Gu Sheng laughed, “Reporting needs to be truthful. You’re just being overly sensitive.”
Zhan Aiping retorted, “You’re lucky they didn’t interview you, Mr. Mushroom Forager Gu Sheng.”
“I’ll wait for the day I see you on the front page for mushroom poisoning.”
“Impossible. You’ll only see me as a battle hero, Gu Sheng.”
Zhan Aiping huffed.
Gu Sheng read through her scientific stories again and again, thoroughly enjoying them. He decided to pick up a paintbrush and add a few illustrations. “When you publish your book, include your partner’s drawings.”
Zhan Aiping laughed, “Your drawings… haha, you’re going to make me die of laughter.”
Gu Sheng did have a bit of talent for drawing.
Zhan Aiping didn’t take her scientific stories too seriously, thinking her writing wasn’t good enough for a proper storybook. She believed she was better suited for writing straightforward medical texts; being a novelist required good literary skills.
While Gu Sheng was in high spirits, Commander Jiang was in a foul mood.
Commander Jiang glared at Gu Sheng, growing increasingly displeased with him. This guy had a great year, getting promoted to deputy commander, marrying a beautiful doctor, and reportedly having a wife who was an excellent cook…
Why did all the good things happen to him?
“Gu Sheng, come here,” Commander Jiang called out.
Gu Sheng turned around and took a few steps to Commander Jiang. “What’s up, Commander Jiang?”
Commander Jiang pulled him into a corner, making Gu Sheng suspect he might be looking for his wife for hair treatment, given his cautious approach. But then Commander Jiang said, “I need your wife to introduce me to someone.”
Gu Sheng’s mouth twitched. “What?”
“Shh, shh, shh. And make sure to tell everyone it was your wife who insisted on setting me up, and that I reluctantly agreed to meet her.”
Gu Sheng replied, “…Does my wife seem like the type who desperately wants to matchmake people?”
Commander Jiang insisted, “I don’t care. You have to help me out. Gu Sheng, you just left me behind and got married.”
He had offended all the matchmakers before, pretending not to care about being single. Now he wanted to find a partner but also needed to save face.
After Gu Sheng got married, it was like a knife to his heart. Even Wang Youli managed to find a well-educated wife with whom he could stargaze and talk about the moon.
“Who was it that said we’d stay bachelors together?”
“And now look at you, living the high life,” Commander Jiang said, his tone a mix of jealousy and frustration.
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