Chapter 38

It wasn’t without reason that the enterprises under Li Mingzhen’s name had grown big and strong—her employees were exceptionally capable. When Qian Jianing arrived at the renovation company’s office building precisely at 9 a.m. on Monday, Li Menglong had already laid out the blueprints and the quotation on the table in the conference room. At that time, computer drafting wasn’t used; all designs were hand-drawn by Li Menglong himself.

The first drawing was of the backyard. In the design, the vegetable garden was preserved, with a one-person-wide cobblestone path running through it, connecting the backyard house to the front yard. Climbing vines and blooming flowers spread across the once-bare courtyard walls on either side of the garden. A wooden walkway with low railings separated the path from the garden and extended along the side of the house. Against one wall was a trellis with lush grapevines hanging down, and beneath it sat a rocking chair. On the other side of the house stood a verdant tree heavy with ripe fruits.

Qian Jianing stared at the courtyard design with wide eyes. In her previous life, she often browsed Weibo to look at home design ideas, imagining when she might have a house like that. She hadn’t expected that something she couldn’t realize in her past life would come so easily in this one.

Suppressing her excitement, Qian Jianing picked up the house blueprint. This would be her future residence, and Li Menglong had clearly put extra effort into it.

The backyard house echoed the appearance of the front yard house, with a matching relationship in design, but the interior was vastly different. The front door remained centrally located, and upon entering was the living room. The ceiling was decorated elaborately, and the eastern wall panel had been turned into a wooden screen wall. About two meters away was a set of comfortable sofas and a small coffee table, simple yet cozy. Since the house was designed to be well-ventilated from north to south, Li Menglong planned to rebuild it with a wider structure to leave space for balconies in both the living room and bedrooms. The living room balcony used a porch layout to create a visual separation from the main space. One side of the balcony, by the wall, featured a small bookshelf, and below it stood a very inviting rocking chair. Looking at the drawing, Qian Jianing could already imagine herself lying there reading a book.

Given such attention to the living room, it was no surprise that the study, bedroom, and bathroom were just as well thought out. What surprised Qian Jianing was that Li Menglong had even designed two bathrooms: one as an ensuite for the master bedroom on the east side, and another placed between the study and the secondary bedroom on the west side of the living room.

Qian Jianing stared at the blueprint, a little dazed. Such a design wasn’t unusual from today’s perspective—many modern layouts were like this. But back in the late 1980s, such thinking could be considered bold and daring.

Touching the blueprint, Qian Jianing smiled. “Designer Li’s ideas are truly unique.”

Li Menglong scratched his head, looking a bit shy. “Our Director Li has a strong background in the arts. When our company was first established, she specifically trained us and even took us abroad for study and observation. Director Li insists that residential design must consider convenience and comfort, so all of our company’s large-scale residential projects use layouts with dual bathrooms.”

Qian Jianing nodded and set the backyard blueprint aside. “I’m very satisfied with the backyard design—it’s even better than I imagined.”

Getting a client’s approval brought clear joy to Li Menglong. He handed the front yard plans to Qian Jianing.

The design started at the front gate, which featured a rustic signboard hanging under the eaves. On either side of the gate were two red lanterns inscribed with the characters “Qian Residence.”

The courtyard, house, and covered walkways were all steeped in a classical atmosphere. Both the exterior and interior exuded the feel of a noble family estate from ancient times. One glance at the plan gave a sense of transcending time itself.

Looking at the exquisite scenes depicted in the blueprints, Qian Jianing felt as if her wallet was weeping. She picked up the quotation list with trembling hands. Every cost was listed in detail, down to each tree and blade of grass in the yard.

As if worried she didn’t understand enough about the company, Li Menglong explained, “Our group has its own nurseries and forestry base with very high-quality plants. All vegetation is maintained by dedicated staff after transplantation, and we guarantee replacement for any that die or wither within three years. As for the furniture and interior wooden doors and decor, they are all custom-made by our group’s furniture factory according to the blueprint—guaranteed to match it exactly.”

Qian Jianing nodded. That was very thoughtful service—but the price…

She looked at the 30,000 yuan quote on top and felt her heart skip a beat.

Following her gaze, Li Menglong added a quick explanation. “Because you came with Director Li’s signed business card, as per usual practice, we waived the design fee and gave you a 20% discount, rounding off the total as well.”

Qian Jianing swallowed. “So this is after the discount?”

“Yes,” Li Menglong replied. “Your backyard house is being demolished and rebuilt, which accounts for a significant cost. Additionally, all furniture, bedding, and sanitaryware specified in the blueprint are included in the price. You could say, when the project is completed, you could move in with just your clothes. The classical renovation of the front yard uses solid wood materials, and the courtyard construction and home reconstruction are major undertakings. So really, this price isn’t high. Frankly, if you didn’t have Director Li’s card, I would’ve quoted at least 50,000 yuan.”

Qian Jianing nodded. That’s why Li Mingzhen was her lucky star. Despite only meeting once, she had given her a signed card—which saved her 20,000 yuan. Her heart raced with excitement; even 30,000 didn’t feel so expensive anymore.

With a standard polite smile, Li Menglong continued, “We weren’t sure about your preferences for the kitchen, so we just separated it into two rooms as you mentioned. If you have any specific requests, please let us know in advance.”

Qian Jianing shook her head. “I think I’ll handle the kitchen myself.” Once she installed her Immortal Realm kitchen gear—all modern and refined—it would be fully equipped and very convenient.

“Then please review the contract to see if you have any objections.” Li Menglong handed her the printed contract.

Qian Jianing read it carefully from beginning to end and didn’t find any issues. She hesitated briefly, pained by the 30,000 yuan price tag, but eventually signed her name. Her private dining restaurant in Imperial Capital would follow a luxury strategy—high-end positioning justifies premium pricing.

After signing the contract, Qian Jianing paid a 20,000 yuan deposit as stipulated. Since the restaurant was slated to open a year and a half later, she scheduled the house handover for one year from now—enough time to let everything settle and air out. After the college entrance exams, the private dining restaurant could begin operations.

“Have you thought of a name for your restaurant?” Li Menglong suddenly asked. Seeing Qian Jianing’s puzzled look, he smiled, “If you’d like us to prepare the signboard in advance, we can have it ready to be hung on opening day.”

Qian Jianing thought for a moment and scribbled “Qian Xiaomi’s Private Kitchen” on a piece of paper.

****

After leaving the renovation company, Qian Jianing went to the train station to buy a ticket home. As the Spring Festival approached, tickets were getting harder to buy. She waited in line for half an hour and finally got a sleeper ticket for the day after tomorrow. Since she had two days left before heading home, Qian Jianing took another stroll around the Summer Palace and visited a few prestigious universities. Then, she handed over her house keys to Li Menglong and agreed to return next winter to inspect the finished home.

Once on the train heading back, Qian Jianing ate a big box of her homemade food. Amid the envious stares from the whole car, she climbed into the middle bunk, ready to sleep all the way home.

Qian Jianing had practiced pulse reading, observation, inquiry, and analysis for ten full days with Daoist Master of Medicine’s apprentice Xingchen. Many of the illnesses involved were bizarre and complex—Qian Jianing lost count of how many prescriptions she had written. Although Daoist Master of Medicine was wild about playing mahjong, he was extremely strict and serious when reviewing cases and prescriptions. Under his demanding guidance, Qian Jianing made fewer and fewer mistakes, and the formulas she’d compiled over the past couple of days even earned her a rare approving smile from him.

Although Qian Jianing felt her skills were already sufficient to treat patients, Daoist Master of Medicine still had many debts to repay and seemed to imply that she wouldn’t be allowed to formally graduate until he had settled them. To make things even more challenging, Xingchen adjusted his pulse to bizarre patterns as if afflicted by malfunctions in every organ. Once again, Qian Jianing found herself tangled up and exasperated while taking the pulse and composing a prescription.

After writing out a thick prescription, Qian Jianing handed the notebook to Xingchen. He tore his gaze away from his game briefly, glanced at her work, and immediately pinpointed the issue. “This prescription works fine for the stomach, but does nothing for the liver and provides insufficient nourishment for the kidneys—so it’s a fail.”

Frustrated, Qian Jianing scratched her head and sat back down to revise her formula. She wasn’t sure whether time moved differently in the dream, but it felt like one night’s learning inside was worth three or four days outside. By the time Qian Jianing could handle the difficult cases with ease, the train had reached Zibo City.

Qian Jianing got on the bus home while mulling over the prescription she had just written in her dream. At the same time, the Daoist Master of Medicine was reviewing her pulse reading and prescription, nodding slightly before adding an herb to the formula. With this addition, the medicine’s effects would be gentler. “Qian Jianing is hardworking and gifted. I think, with her current skills, she has no trouble practicing medicine in the mortal world. Now, what she needs is real-life experience.”

Stroking his beard, the Daoist Master of Medicine discussed with the Treasure Bowl, “Though I still owe you plenty of classes, continuing to teach her won’t be of much use. Let’s do this: in the future, whenever Qian Jianing encounters difficult cases, she can come to me for help. Every time I help her will count as ten days’ worth of lessons.”

The Treasure Bowl thought it over and nodded. Although the exchange rate was a bit steep, when the Daoist Master of Medicine stepped in, he could even pull someone back from the brink of death. A life for ten classes—it was well worth it, and he had to agree.

The bus reached the stop, and Qian Jianing got off with her suitcase and backpack. She had just stepped down when a group of people suddenly surrounded her. Before she could even make out their faces, a bunch of middle-aged women hugged her tightly.

“Oh my Xiaomi, you’re finally back!”

Qian Jianing stretched her neck out and took a deep breath. “Auntie Zhang, Aunt Wang, Sister Li—what are you all doing here?”

“We’ve been watching out for when you’d return!” This group of regulars looked at Qian Jianing with more affection than they would their own daughters. They quickly grabbed her backpack and suitcase, surrounding her protectively as they walked her home.

Aunt Wang held Qian Jianing’s arm tightly against her chest. “Jianing, where have you been? It’s been so long! I missed you terribly.”

Auntie Zhang, grabbing Qian Jianing’s other arm from behind, said, “Xiaomi, next time don’t stay away so long. I dreamed about you every single night. While you were gone, missing you got my blood pressure all the way up!”

Qian Jianing frowned. “Auntie Zhang, when was your blood pressure ever low? I’m not taking the blame for that.”

“So where did you go exactly?” Auntie Zhang nudged her. “Tell us all, won’t you?”

Qian Jianing had been planning to launch a medicinal cuisine menu, but was worried the patrons would doubt her knowledge of herbal medicine. Taking the opportunity, she said, “I went to the Imperial Capital to visit a renowned traditional Chinese medicine doctor and studied medical theory under him. I also gathered a good number of medicinal recipes. The next step is to launch a medicinal cuisine line at the shop.”

“Really?” Auntie Zhang swallowed and asked the critical question, straight to the point, “But is the food tasty?”

Qian Jianing laughed. “I can’t speak for others, but what I make is definitely both delicious and nourishing. However, my dishes aren’t generic formulas. They’ll be tailored based on each person’s individual physical condition. So there won’t be a large quantity made each day.” Qian Jianing knew people might not readily trust her pulse-taking skills just yet and added, “If you have minor health issues, it’d be best to bring your hospital check-up results. If you don’t have them, I’ll just prepare general wellness prescriptions.”

Aunt Li immediately understood the extra work involved. “Got it—limited supply again, huh?”

Qian Jianing nodded. “Because my kitchen space is limited, and I can’t interfere with regular dining operations, I can only do three servings of medicinal cuisine daily. Orders must be placed at noon for dinner.”

“That sounds like a hassle,” Sister Li frowned, then grew surprisingly more eager, “But with Xiaomi, the more complicated it is, the tastier it turns out. I’m booking a spot in advance!”

Qian Jianing smiled and gave her a side glance. “I haven’t even figured out the full plan yet. Let me finalize it first.”

“Hey, isn’t that Jianing? Where have you been? Why such a crowd to welcome you home?” A middle-aged woman in her forties rode past on a bicycle and gave Qian Jianing a warm greeting.

When Qian Jianing turned and saw her, her smile lit up with genuine enthusiasm. “Teacher Sun, it’s been ages!”

Sun Yingzi, Qian Jianing’s middle school homeroom teacher, taught her math for three years. Qian Jianing was deeply grateful for her guidance, and since graduation, had visited her every Teacher’s Day and Spring Festival. Because of this bond, Teacher Sun treated her more affectionately than she did other students.

Qian Jianing took a few steps forward, just about to chat when she suddenly froze after seeing her teacher more clearly. Sun Yingzi, puzzled, looked down at her cotton jacket. “What? Is something wrong?”

Seeing their proximity to her small shop, Qian Jianing skipped the small talk. She took out her key and opened the door. “Teacher Sun, please come inside. Your complexion doesn’t look quite right.”

Qian Jianing’s shop responded to her will. While she was away, all its functions were on pause. Li Wanzhen came daily to clean but never spotted anything unusual. Now that Qian Jianing had returned, the moment she pushed open the gate, the Immortal Realm kitchen’s systems kicked in automatically. Dust vanished in the blink of an eye, and the space returned instantly to optimal living conditions.

Sun Yingzi parked her bike to the side and glanced curiously at the plaque above the gate. “Is this your family’s restaurant?”

“This is my own shop,” Qian Jianing replied, forcing a smile tinged with unease.

Sensing something was wrong, Sun Yingzi hesitated outside the courtyard. “Jianing, what’s the matter?”

Qian Jianing exhaled deeply. “Teacher, I recently studied traditional Chinese medicine in the Imperial Capital. I’d like to take your pulse.”

“Traditional Chinese medicine isn’t something you learn in just a few days.” Though she tried to sound skeptical, Sun Yingzi still followed her inside.

Auntie Zhang, Aunt Wang, and the rest exchanged glances as they stood at the open gate with Qian Jianing’s bags, then brought everything into the shop. They asked when she’d reopen before each going their separate ways.

“It’s really warm in here,” Sun Yingzi said as soon as she stepped inside. She felt as if the cold had been completely chased from her body and the warmth cocooned her in comfort.

Qian Jianing opened her suitcase and rummaged through it, retrieving the two thick tomes the Daoist Master of Medicine gave her, as well as the notebooks she’d filled during her studies. She pulled out a pulse pillow from the bottom of the suitcase.

Placing her fingers on Teacher Sun’s wrist, Qian Jianing observed the color of her skin and sclera carefully. “Teacher Sun, have you felt any pain under your right rib recently?”

Startled, Sun Yingzi looked at her. “How did you know?” She thought for a moment. “It started a bit over two months ago. Sometimes it hurts so much I get acid reflux. I wanted to go to the hospital, but one of my students’ parents are getting divorced. The child had nowhere to go, so I let him stay at my place and have been helping him catch up on his schoolwork. I just haven’t found the time to go.”

One of the regulars, Li Min, who knew Teacher Sun, hadn’t left the shop and was startled by how pale Qian Jianing looked. Just then, Wang Yuhai happened to drive past the shop and, seeing the gate open, thought it had reopened and came in, only to find Boss Qian—disheveled from travel—taking someone’s pulse inside.

Perplexed, he tugged at Li Min and whispered, “When did Boss Qian pick up that skill?”

Li Min whispered back, “She just did a short stint with a top TCM doctor in the Imperial Capital. She’s planning to launch a medicinal cuisine line.”

Wang Yuhai let out a quiet sneer. He didn’t doubt the taste of Boss Qian’s cooking, but he didn’t believe anyone could learn meaningful traditional medicine in just a few days. He figured it was just a marketing gimmick—adding a bit of medicinal herbs to food, that’s all. But he didn’t care. As long as the food tasted good, whatever she charged was fine.

Qian Jianing saw the yellowing whites of Teacher Sun’s eyes and slowly pulled her hand away, her heart heavy as she opened the notebook of her pulse readings and prescriptions.

Sun Yingzi leaned over curiously. She noticed that the thick notebook was already more than halfway full. The neat handwriting was unmistakably Qian Jianing’s, and some sections had red corrections—surely from the TCM master in the Imperial Capital.

Having finished writing the pulse description, Qian Jianing hesitated at the section labeled “Diagnosis” and ultimately left it blank.

Sun Yingzi’s heart sank when she saw the diagnosis skipped. “Jianing, tell me honestly. Did you see something wrong?”

Qian Jianing’s eyes began to brim with tears. She held them back, and after a long pause, her voice came out low and heavy. “Teacher, let me take you to the hospital.”

Sun Yingzi hesitated. After a moment of thought, she shook her head gravely. “No, it’s expensive and troublesome. I’ll tough it out.” Then she stood up with a gentle smile. “Don’t worry about me, Jianing. I’m fine. Look, it’s getting late. Wang Qiang is still at my place; I need to go make dinner.”

Qian Jianing stubbornly shook her head. “Let’s go now. You might have a problem with your liver.”

Wang Yuhai, just about to leave, was stopped in his tracks when he heard Qian Jianing insist on taking her teacher to the hospital. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly said, “My car’s right outside. Why don’t I drive you both?”

Qian Jianing breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to recognize Wang Yuhai’s face. “Thank you, Mr. Wang. Next time you come, I’ll give you a 20% discount.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Wang Yuhai chuckled. “If it’s convenient, when the medicinal cuisine is ready, I’d like to be the first to try it.”

Qian Jianing nodded. “Then I’ll check your pulse later so I can determine what kind of medicinal dish to prepare for you.”

There was a car waiting at the door. Qian Jianing pulled Sun Yingzi into the car, and Li Min followed them in, thinking that if Teacher Sun really was seriously ill, she could help inform her family.

The car made it smoothly to the hospital. Since the Lunar New Year was approaching, there weren’t many people around. After paying the registration fee, Qian Jianing accompanied Teacher Sun through the relevant examinations. Out of curiosity about whether Qian Jianing’s diagnosis was accurate, Wang Yuhai also tagged along patiently.

Finally, all the test results came back. The doctor, holding a stack of reports and scans, glanced at Teacher Sun with a trace of pity, then looked up at Qian Jianing. “Are you the patient’s family?”

Teacher Sun’s acquaintance looked a bit flustered and shook her head. “We haven’t notified her family yet.”

The doctor issued a hospitalization form. “Go ahead and complete the admission procedures, then call her family to come over.”

This time, Sun Yingzi was truly scared. Her lips visibly trembled. “Doctor, what’s wrong with me? My student said there’s something wrong with my liver—was she right?”

After some hesitation, the doctor didn’t tell her directly but said tactfully, “We still need to conduct further exams to know for sure. Try not to worry too much.”

Wang Yuhai watched as Qian Jianing helped Sun Yingzi out of the room, then couldn’t hold back and asked, “Doctor, what exactly is Teacher Sun’s condition?”

The doctor sighed. “Liver cancer. Although it’s not at the late stage yet, the outlook isn’t very optimistic.”