Chapter 72

Although Qian Jianing and Li Yujun rushed to get their marriage certificate, the wedding itself couldn’t be hurried. For both families, this was an extremely important event. The Li family was busy arranging the banquet and decorating the new house, while Li Wanzhen was preparing the dowry for Qian Jianing at home. Even though Chang Xiaoyuan had specifically told Li Wanzhen not to worry about things like bedding—everything in the new house was already fully equipped, even towels and slippers—Li Wanzhen still believed that what the groom’s side prepared represented their sincerity, and the bride’s side must not fall short either.

Over the years, the family had made a good amount of money running a restaurant and a braised meat shop. Following Qian Jianing’s instructions, Li Wanzhen regularly used their savings to buy houses and storefronts. They didn’t only invest in properties in Zibo City, but also acquired quite a few in the provincial capital and the coastal city of Qingdao.

Some of these properties were bought in the couple’s names, while others were registered under Qian Jianing and her brother Qian Jiafeng. Li Wanzhen gathered the deeds for the ones meant for Qian Jianing and used their cash reserves to buy a pile of gold bars from the bank. She placed all the documentation together, preparing it as part of Qian Jianing’s dowry.

Meanwhile, the bride-to-be Qian Jianing lived a relaxed life, running her clinic and seeing patients each day. Li Yujun no longer even went home at night—instead, he drove straight from the army base to the courtyard house, where he and Qian Jianing would lie under the same blanket, feeling each other’s abs.

One morning, after Li Yujun had breakfast and drove back to the base, Qian Jianing was about to head to the clinic when she received a call from Dong Bocheng: “Jianing, an old friend of mine—his only son was stabbed by robbers. The hospital is trying to save him, but the doctors say there’s little hope. Can you save him?”

Before Qian Jianing could reply, the Treasure Bowl jumped out: “Save him. Use the Daoist Master of Medicine’s remedy. Ask for ten million.”

Qian Jianing spoke into the phone, “I do have a life-saving elixir made by my master, but only a few pills remain. The ingredients were extremely rare, and the cost alone is ten million yuan. I wonder if he can afford it?”

Dong Bocheng hurriedly replied, “Hold on.” He muffled the phone and spoke to someone beside him. After about thirty seconds, his voice returned, “He agrees, but probably doesn’t have time to transfer the money now. Can I guarantee on his behalf?”

“Of course. If I can’t trust anyone else, I can trust you.” Qian Jianing said immediately, “Which hospital is the patient in? I’ll go right now.”

Dong Bocheng gave her the hospital and room number before hanging up. Qian Jianing placed her medical kit in her bicycle basket, stored the elixir in the space on her bracelet, and then pedaled like the wind toward the hospital.

A human life was at stake, and Qian Jianing didn’t care about appearances. She pushed the bike she got from the Treasure Bowl to full speed, riding even faster than cars. On the road, pedestrians only caught a fleeting blur—by the time they turned for a second look, she was already gone.

Li Guomin stood nervously outside the hospital room. His wife, Wang Xiaoxia, was sobbing uncontrollably on the floor. The couple had once had two sons, but the younger died at age eight. Their remaining son, Li Jian, had done well—he got into a prestigious national university and later studied abroad. He had just returned home a year ago, and the couple was arranging a match for him when misfortune struck. That morning, he ran into a vicious robber, was mugged, and stabbed several times. By the time he was brought to the hospital, the doctors were already shaking their heads. Li Guomin’s heart sank.

People of Li Guomin’s generation tended to be more traditional—children were their lifeblood, their lifelong hope. Although Li Guomin was now a wealthy businessman and a well-known figure in the capital, in his eyes, all the money in the world meant nothing if he lost his child. He might as well be dead.

Though he knew Dong Bocheng from the business world, the two shared similar interests and got along well, calling each other brothers. When Dong Bocheng heard about what happened, he dropped everything and rushed over, hoping to help.

Both men were worldly enough to know that Li Jian’s chances of survival were slim. In desperation, Dong Bocheng thought of Qian Jianing. Though he didn’t know how traditional Chinese medicine could treat trauma that even Western medicine couldn’t, he believed that if Qian Jianing was involved, there was hope.

Sure enough, Qian Jianing agreed immediately, but the elixir cost a fortune—almost half of Li Guomin’s wealth. Even so, Li Guomin agreed without hesitation. Though he thought it absurd that a single pill could save someone near death, he had no other choice. His son was lying there, barely clinging to life. This was his last hope. Outwardly composed, Li Guomin was actually holding on by a thread. If the doctor delivered bad news, he would likely collapse.

Qian Jianing stopped her bike at the hospital entrance and rushed in like a gust of wind, running all the way to the fifth floor, where she finally spotted Dong Bocheng outside the OR.

“Where is he?” she asked, breathless.

Just then, the OR light went off and several nurses pushed out Li Jian, who was hooked up to tubes all over.

“Son! How are you? Open your eyes and look at Mom!” Wang Xiaoxia cried out as she threw herself onto him, heartbroken.

Li Guomin ignored his wife and grabbed the doctor’s arm, eyes full of desperate hope: “Doctor, how is my son?”

The doctor sighed, “The equipment can keep him alive for at most two more hours. If you have family, call them now to say goodbye.” Wang Xiaoxia collapsed at the bedside on hearing this.

The hallway fell into chaos. Dong Bocheng’s driver carried her to an empty bed, and the doctor gave orders for an IV. Li Guomin rushed to Qian Jianing: “Can he still be saved?”

Qian Jianing saw that Li Jian’s fate hadn’t ended yet, so she nodded. “Let’s get him back to the room immediately. There’s still time.”

That sentence was like a shot of adrenaline. Hope returned to Li Guomin’s face.

The nurses pushed the bed into the room, gave a quick explanation about the call button, and left the family some final private time.

Qian Jianing opened her medical kit and discreetly took out a jade bottle under the cover of the lid. This was her first time using this kind of medicine, and she felt a little nervous, so she asked the Treasure Bowl, “Can he even swallow this?”

The Treasure Bowl patted its chest confidently. “Don’t worry, once in his mouth it’ll turn to elixir on its own. Just feed it to him.”

Under everyone’s expectant eyes, Qian Jianing removed the soft plug on the jade bottle and poured out a plain-looking black pill. Li Guomin’s heart chilled—could such a pill really save his son?

There was no time for doubt. Qian Jianing removed the oxygen mask, pried open Li Jian’s mouth, and popped in the pill.

Activating her Heavenly Eye, she watched as the pill dissolved into a stream of liquid and rushed into Li Jian’s body, gradually repairing his damaged organs and healing internal and external injuries. Half an hour later, as the last drop of medicine disappeared, his organs were fully restored, and even most of the stab and surgical wounds had healed—only surface scars remained.

Qian Jianing exhaled in relief and smiled at Li Guomin. “It worked.”

Overwhelmed, Li Guomin didn’t know what to say, but then he panicked again seeing his son still unconscious. “Why hasn’t he woken up?”

Qian Jianing took out golden needles and inserted them into Li Jian’s scalp, slowly waking his consciousness. When the last needle was removed, Li Jian opened his eyes. “Where am I?” He looked around, then smiled when he saw his father. “Dad, you’re here too.”

Hearing his son’s voice again, Li Guomin broke down in tears, sobbing like a child.

Outside the room, the head nurse heard the wailing and sighed. “He must be gone. Xiao Zhang, Xiao Li, go in and collect the equipment.”

Nurses Xiao Zhang and Xiao Li pushed open the door—and were stunned to see the once-dying patient sitting up in bed, gently patting Li Guomin’s back and softly comforting him.

“Aaah!” came their blood-curdling screams. The two nurses bolted for the doctor’s office. “Dr. Zhang! Come quick! There’s a ghost!”

Dr. Zhang heard the commotion and rushed from the doctor’s office to the ward. Seeing Li Jian sitting on the hospital bed with a rosy complexion, he couldn’t help but be stunned. He stepped back two paces to check the room number, then turned to look at the head nurse, whose face looked as if she’d seen a ghost, and couldn’t help asking, “Is this Li Jian?”

Actually, the head nurse wasn’t sure either. The person wheeled out of the operating room earlier had a deathly pale complexion, almost indistinguishable from a corpse—she hadn’t looked closely at all. But now, the young man sitting on the bed looked vibrant and full of energy, and the instruments connected to him all showed perfectly normal readings. No matter how she looked, it was all too strange.

“Did he take some kind of miracle elixir?” Dr. Zhang’s eyes were practically bulging out of his head.

“It really is a miracle elixir!” Li Guomin burst out laughing. “Ten million per pill—best thing I’ve ever bought in my life. Dr. Qian, Old Dong, I won’t say more—both of you are great benefactors to our family.”

Qian Jianing smiled and packed up the medicine box. “Since he’s awake, have him go through a full-body checkup, just to compare his physical state. I still have other things to do, so I’ll head out. Let me know once the results are out, and I’ll see if any follow-up care is needed.”

She slung the medicine box over her shoulder, nodded to everyone in the ward, and turned to leave the hospital.

Poor Dr. Zhang felt like his entire worldview had collapsed. He personally accompanied Li Jian for various examinations. Every result came back normal—even the previously injured internal organs showed no trace of damage. If not for the visible surgical scars, Dr. Zhang would have suspected they’d switched in a twin.

All the test results confirmed Li Jian could be discharged immediately. The next day, Wang Xiaoxia, who had been unconscious for a day, opened her eyes. Before she could even speak, tears began streaming down her face. “My son!”

“Hey, Mom, I’m right here.” Li Jian, sitting by the bed, patted her arm. “Mom, I’m fine now.”

Seeing her son alive and well beside her—radiant and lively as ever—Wang Xiaoxia promptly fainted again.

Li Jian touched his face, looking confused. “But I’m clearly fine now… why did Mom pass out again?”

Li Guomin, fully aware of his wife’s superstitious side, explained, “She probably thought you were dead and now thinks you’re some kind of ghost.”

Li Jian looked extremely awkward.

The next day, the whole Li family—Li Guomin, his wife, and son—came bearing lavish gifts to thank Qian Jianing in person. Although Li Guomin owned considerable assets, most of them were fixed; he didn’t have that much cash on hand. This visit was also to ask whether Qian Jianing preferred commercial properties directly or wanted him to sell them and convert the value into cash.

Qian Jianing directly selected a few commercial properties and homes located in future golden zones, and also took some shares in Li Guomin’s companies. Whatever value was still lacking was made up with cash.

But the true value of that miraculous pill far exceeded ten million. Just as Qian Jianing had anticipated, it set off a frenzy like oil splashed into a hot pan. Countless wealthy elites and high-ranking officials flocked to her clinic, eager to buy a life-saving pill no matter the cost.

These people were all extremely wealthy. Before Qian Jianing could even name a price, they started bidding against one another, eventually pushing the price up to fifty million per pill. But after reassessing the pill’s true worth, Qian Jianing coldly rejected them all. She had no way of knowing who might end up taking the pill—if it ended up in the hands of someone utterly unscrupulous, not even a hundred million would persuade her to sell.

Now that Qian Jianing was the future granddaughter-in-law of General Li, even the wealthiest elites lacked such powerful backing. And while some high-ranking officials in the Imperial Capital could rival Old Master Li’s status, none were willing to offend the Li family or Qian Jianing over a single pill. They consoled themselves with the thought that since everyone lived in the Imperial Capital, if they truly needed a pill someday, they might still have a chance.

Although the pills weren’t for sale, the medicinal meals and health packages launched by Qian Jianing became hugely popular. A single jar of medicinal stew sold for two thousand yuan—with many booking a year’s supply in advance. Health packages started at 388 yuan, but people insisted on buying the premium 1,280-yuan version. As long as it made them healthier, price was no object. Some tycoons from Hong Kong and Guangdong even flew to the capital every week just to eat food personally prepared by Qian Jianing.

The money snowballed—growing more and more with each cycle. Qian Jianing invested her earnings across various industries, and her annual dividends alone exceeded the income from her private home-style restaurant. She finally understood why the rich keep getting richer—it’s because they have endless channels to make money, as long as they have capital to invest.
—

Qian Jianing and Li Yujun held their wedding in fruitful October. Li Wanzhen arrived in September, and just before the ceremony, Qian Guosheng brought Qian Guomao and Qian Guohua’s families to attend. As for Qian Guocheng and the old lady, Qian Guosheng only mentioned them once, but before the old lady could speak, he shut it down: “Traveling to the capital by train is too tiring. Mom, you’re getting older and can’t handle it. Just let third brother stay home with you. We’ll host another ceremony at home later anyway.”

As her second son walked away, the furious old lady couldn’t help hurling her shoe again. “You won’t even take your brother to the capital to look around? Heartless brat!”

The embroidered shoe weakly hit the door and fell to the floor. Qian Guosheng had already left the courtyard.

October 3rd, the eighth day of the ninth lunar month—an auspicious day for marriage.

Qian Jianing donned a pure white wedding gown, her face adorned with delicate makeup, becoming the most beautiful bride. Reborn in this life, she finally wore the wedding dress she never had a chance to wear before, carried into the wedding car by Li Yujun.

The wedding was held at the International Hotel, with over a hundred tables. Among the guests were Li Yujun’s comrades-in-arms, others who came for the sake of Old Master Li or Li Jianguo, and most were there for Qian Jianing.

Everyone gets sick—disease makes all equal—but if someone can bring the dead back to life, the game changes. You absolutely want a good relationship with someone like that! Qian Jianing, however, felt that showing up in front of her a hundred times couldn’t compare to doing a hundred good deeds. Still, many people valued appearances above all. For those types, Qian Jianing didn’t bother saying much—she simply made sure that everyone had to undergo a face-reading consultation before treatment.

After the wedding, the newlyweds only rested at home for two days before flying with the Qian family back to Shandong. After three years away, this was Qian Jianing’s first time returning home.

In three years, Zibo City had grown busier and more prosperous, beginning to resemble its future self. But it was the golden ginkgo trees lining Dongyi Street that stirred memories of home for Qian Jianing.

Walking hand-in-hand with Li Yujun through a carpet of golden leaves that crunched beneath their feet, passersby greeted her with warm smiles. “Jianing, you’re back? Is this your husband? He’s very handsome!”

Qian Jianing greeted them in her local dialect, calling them Auntie and Madam, and introduced Li Yujun with pride. “This is my husband.”

She led him down Dongyi Street all the way to the gate of No. 18 High School, where she paused, face full of nostalgia. “This is my high school.”

Li Yujun looked at her and asked, “Want me to go in with you and have a look?”

“Better not. Back then, the school didn’t allow outsiders.” She glanced through the gate, about to turn back, when she spotted a familiar figure riding a bicycle out of the school.

“Teacher Wang!” Qian Jianing called out with joy—she hadn’t expected to run into her old homeroom teacher.

Wang Yarong saw the beautiful figure at the school gate and excitedly jumped off her bike, leaving it to the side as she walked over. “Is that Qian Jianing? Let me have a look at you—so pretty now!”

Smiling, Qian Jianing let her teacher examine her, then quickly introduced the man by her side. “Teacher, this is my husband, Li Yujun.”

“Husband?” Wang’s expression turned serious. She adjusted her glasses and scrutinized Li Yujun more thoroughly than Qian Guosheng had when evaluating a son-in-law.

Seeing Li Yujun’s handsome and upright appearance, her expression softened slightly, but she still pulled Qian Jianing aside and asked in a low voice, “Jianing, didn’t your university program last five years? You haven’t graduated—why are you already in a relationship?” The more she spoke, the more her head hurt. She felt that while Qian Jianing was great in every way, her love life was always a problem. “He seems decent enough, but don’t forget that studying comes first. Just because you got into university doesn’t mean you can slack off.”

“Teacher Wang, I’ve already passed my graduation exams and received my diploma. I’m currently a visiting professor at the Capital University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.” Though Teacher Wang was a bit naggy, Qian Jianing knew it came from a place of care, so she wasn’t annoyed. “My husband and I just got married two days ago. We came back to host a ceremony here at home.”

“Married?” Wang Yarong was momentarily surprised, then recalled that Qian Jianing had started school late and had always been two years older than her classmates. Now, she was indeed old enough to marry. “Congratulations! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness. By the way, when’s the ceremony? I have to come and share your joy.”

Qian Jianing smiled and pulled an invitation from her bag, handing it to Wang Yarong. “The day after tomorrow at noon, Zibo City Hotel. You’re warmly welcome to join us.”

Wang Yarong accepted the invitation with a bright smile. Looking at Li Yujun, she suddenly found him much more pleasing to the eye. “Your fiancé is handsome and clearly a good man.”

Qian Jianing and Li Yujun exchanged smiles.

After bidding farewell to Teacher Wang, Qian Jianing continued showing Li Yujun around Zibo City. With the rapid economic development, the city had expanded northward, with many new shops and apartment complexes.

Noticing a billboard up ahead that read “Xingsheng Garden,” Qian Jianing instinctively tugged Li Yujun toward it. This neighborhood would later be in one of the top school districts and, twenty years from now, during redevelopment, homes here would fetch the highest prices in Zibo—making them the most value-retaining properties in the city.

“What are you looking at?” Li Yujun reached out and tucked a strand of hair blown across Qian Jianing’s face behind her ear.

Her attention was fixed on the billboard and she didn’t notice the dirty, disheveled man by the roadside watching her. “That area looks good. Let’s stop by the sales office and take a look. I want to buy one of those ground-floor units with a yard.”

“You just love buying property. I don’t know what obsession you have with houses.” Li Yujun laughed and squeezed her hand. “Let’s go see. Hopefully there’s a layout you’ll like.”

Qian Jianing nodded. “We’ll keep one for ourselves when we come back, and let Mom rent out the rest.”

Hand in hand, the two walked toward the sales office. The dirty man limped along behind them from a distance, but was stopped at the entrance by a security guard. With a look of disgust, the guard waved a baton and drove him away. “Move along, this isn’t a place for you.”

Chen Kai stepped back a few paces. He wandered around the area a bit and finally sat down on a stone bench, still staring at the entrance to the sales office. He never expected to see Qian Jianing again. She was even more beautiful than he remembered, and just looking at her made his heart ache with longing. He couldn’t understand why she had dumped him so ruthlessly back then. Was it really just because he had spent her money? But he had only done that because he was poor.

Looking down at his tattered clothes, Chen Kai couldn’t help but feel a wave of inferiority. Back then, at least they were classmates. Now, he was an ex-con who had only been out of prison for three months. With a criminal record, he hadn’t been able to find a job, and even his own parents seemed to have given up on him. Meanwhile, Qian Jianing looked elegant and radiant, and the man beside her was tall and impressive. They looked like a perfect couple, the kind anyone would say were made for each other.

Chen Kai sat on the bench for over an hour. He didn’t know why he was still there. He just wanted to catch another glimpse of her when she came out—after all, she had once been his girlfriend.

He stretched and massaged his aching leg. Spotting two old newspapers on the ground, he bent down to pick them up. As he unfolded one, his eyes were immediately drawn to the bold headline on the front page bearing Qian Jianing’s name.

“Famous Chinese Medicine Doctor Qian Jianing…” Chen Kai only read half the headline before a wave of emotion surged in his chest, choking him. He lost all desire to wait. He tossed the paper aside, stood up, and limped toward a nearby construction site. “Excuse me, are you hiring? My leg’s not great, but I’m experienced in construction!”

“Come in then. Five yuan a day, room provided, but no meals. If you want the job, start by moving cement over there.”

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!” Chen Kai agreed at once. He followed the man a few steps in, but then paused when he heard voices behind him. He turned to look back toward the sales office.

There, the manager in a suit was bowing and smiling as he said goodbye. Qian Jianing had a faint smile on her face and was holding onto the arm of the man beside her. As she turned, her gaze briefly swept toward the construction site. Chen Kai’s whole body tensed—but her gaze didn’t linger. She simply raised a hand to hail a cab, then got in with her fiancé and left.

Watching the cab drive away, the sales manager sighed to the security guard beside him. “Some people really make you feel hopeless. She’s only twenty-three and just bought twenty apartments like it was nothing. Our family’s been scrimping for three generations just to afford one, and we still struggle. How is the gap this big?”

The guard laughed. “Manager, at least you can still afford one. Us? We eat plain gruel and still can’t buy a single place.”

Before Chen Kai could hear the manager’s reply, the man who had brought him in came out impatiently. “You working or not? If not, get lost!”

“I’m working! Working!” Chen Kai bowed and followed him inside. A few tears slipped silently down his face.

He never thought he’d end up becoming the kind of man she hated most.