Chapter 74: ·

In the afternoon, when Su Fuling had a quiet stretch at work, she left early to help with the move. Zhou Huijuan and Su Jueming had already tidied the place and shifted some of the things. The two of them worked with such efficiency that the house was in good order in no time.

By the time Su Fuling got back, there was hardly anything left to carry—she only needed to settle her own room.

The three rooms were easy enough to divide. The master bedroom with the balcony was the largest, and since it needed to dry the whole family's laundry, Su Jueming and Zhou Huijuan took it.

Su Fuling got the second bedroom, the next biggest, because Zhou Huijuan felt she was a grown woman now and would have more belongings over time.

As for Su David and Su Xiaowei, they were still on their bunk beds. So they got the smallest room. A little smaller, yes, but far better than sleeping in the living room. There was even space for two small desks inside.

Su Fuling walked through the house with them, inspecting everything. She marveled, 'How did you move so fast?'

Su Jueming said, 'The neighbors pitched in. I'm pretty well-liked, you know. The moment they heard I was moving, everyone turned up. What should've taken days was done in a single day. Everyone came to see the place—they were so envious.'

Zhou Huijuan shot him a look. 'Envious of what? It's a rented place. What's there to envy?'

'You still have to be willing to fork out the rent,' Su Jueming said. 'Ah Ping wouldn't even let his wife come see our place, afraid she'd want to rent a Thousand-Square-Foot Mansion too.'

Zhou Huijuan said, 'Stop throwing Thousand-Square-Foot Mansion around. The house is bigger, sure, but you can't really call it a mansion. People will laugh if they hear you say that.'

'I think it's a Thousand-Square-Foot Mansion,' Su Jueming insisted.

Su Fuling looked around. 'It really is a thousand square feet.' Actually, she'd asked Uncle Fa earlier that day and learned that, by local measurements, a Thousand-Square-Foot Mansion was just over ninety square meters by Mainland standards. This place really was a thousand square feet. The decor looked a bit dated, but it was genuinely nice.

Su Fuling wasn't the only one who thought so—Su David and Su Xiaowei were even more delighted.

After school, they found their way to the new address. The moment they stepped inside, they were stunned. A 'wow' escaped them.

Then they ran around the house as if they'd discovered a new continent. But their favorite part was their own room.

The two of them made a handwritten sign that read 'Do Not Disturb.'

'From now on, when we hang this sign, you can't come in,' Su David declared.

Su Jueming immediately swatted him. 'Heh, feathers growing in, are they? Who knows what you're doing in there if no one checks? What if you don't do your homework? Get to your homework right now!'

Su David immediately pouted and shuffled off to his room in a huff.

Su Fuling said, 'Let's go out to eat tonight. New place, happy occasion, let's celebrate.'

Zhou Huijuan said, 'It's just renting a house. Won't people think we're making a fuss over nothing?'

Su Fuling smiled. 'Our own happiness is what matters most. And Auntie only has today off—she'll be busy again tomorrow. Let's just take this chance to eat out as a family. Last time Auntie opened her shop, we never properly celebrated.'

No sooner had she finished speaking than Su David and Su Xiaowei poked their heads out of their room.

Seeing Mommy nod, the two immediately went to change their shoes.

That evening, the family had a big meal at Xu's Eatery, and for a moment it felt as though they too had stepped into a life of plenty.

Seeing her family so happy, Su Fuling felt a lightness in her own heart. Many of her worries seemed to dissolve.

After the meal, seeing it was still early, she thought of her mother, Su Yunying. The last letter she'd written had never received a reply. Later, she hadn't had time to write again. Truth was, she was afraid—afraid that if she wrote and still got no reply, she'd no longer be able to fool herself.

She thought it over, and in the end couldn't help herself. She went to a nearby phone booth to call her mother. Su Jueming, hearing she wanted to call home, thought to tell her not to bother, but couldn't bring himself to stop her. Who could stand between a daughter and her mother?

Calls between the two places had to be relayed through an operator, so it took a while, but the line finally connected. 'I'm looking for Director Su.'

The person on the other end called out: 'Director Su, you have a phone call—from Harbor City. They say it's your daughter.'

Su Fuling's heart tightened with nerves.

But then, the voice she'd been longing to hear came through the receiver. 'Is that Fuling?'

'Mama,' Su Fuling's eyes grew warm. 'It's me. Are you well?'

'I'm fine.' There was a pause on the other end before the voice continued. 'Your uncle tells me you're doing well in Harbor City.'

'I'm doing all right. With the medicine Grandpa taught me, I've opened a Medical Clinic here.'

'Good, that's good. I'm very busy, so I won't keep you. Just live well with your uncle over there. In the Mainland, I can't look after you. Don't worry about me—I'm fine.'

Su Yunying spoke hurriedly and hung up.

Hearing the busy signal, Su Fuling felt as though she'd been dreaming. As if the conversation with her mother had only been a dream, as if the call had never connected at all.

But she knew—she really had spoken with her mother. Her mother was just too busy to spare her a thought.

Su Fuling stood there for a moment before finally hanging up. When she walked out, Su Jueming looked at her with concern. 'A-Ling, did you get to talk to your mother?'

'I did,' Su Fuling smiled. 'She told me to take good care of myself in Harbor City and to listen to my uncle.'

Su Jueming relaxed. 'Ah, she just doesn't know what you're capable of. You're more capable than me now—I'm the one taking orders from you. Next time I must tell her all about it.'

Su Fuling laughed.

'Uncle, let's go home.'

...

Moving into the new place, everything seemed a little different. The surroundings had grown quieter. Now that she had her own room, Su Fuling began thinking about bringing some of her medicine-making tools back so she could prepare new remedies.

That night, Su Fuling didn't study. Instead, she went to bed early. It had been many days since she'd had a proper sleep. Perhaps because she'd just spoken with her mother, she dreamed again that night—dreamed of childhood. Papa had lifted her onto his shoulders to carry her out to meet Mama after work. Every day, Mama walked back from the town, a long stretch of road. Papa thought it wasn't safe, so he always went to meet her. Along the way, Papa picked sour jujubes for her—sweet and tart—and she stuffed her mouth until it was stained dark, all the while peering into the distance. From her perch up high, she could spot the approaching figure earlier than anyone. When she saw the familiar shape through the haze, she'd cry out joyfully, 'Mama—'

The next morning, Su Fuling woke with a slight headache and decided she'd rather not sleep at all from now on. Studying was better—at least she felt less tired that way.

Su Jueming asked, 'Is it because the new place feels unfamiliar?'

Su Fuling said, 'Probably just too excited.'

Because she hadn't slept well, her appetite was off. She grabbed a quick siu mai and hurried off to the Medical Clinic. Better to keep busy.

The moment Su Fuling stepped into the Medical Clinic, Zhao Facai came hurrying over, delighted. 'Master, after I got off work yesterday I contacted other orphanages, and I got through to one. But it's not in Yau Ma Tei.'

Su Fuling asked, 'Won't the orphanages in Yau Ma Tei accept donations?'

'Right, some orphanages are very strict—they don't engage with outsiders. There's nothing we can do,' Zhao Facai said.

Su Fuling felt the orphanages were probably just being overly cautious. She asked, 'Does the orphanage we reached know our situation?'

'They do. I told them Director Liang also accepted our donations. After they called Director Liang and heard her recommendation, they agreed to accept our help.' Zhao Facai said this with some irritation. 'Honestly, even doing good deeds has to be this much trouble.'

Su Fuling said, 'That's them being responsible for the children. After all, you can't read hearts—what if they ran into bad people?'

For Su Fuling, this was genuinely good news. Although the Medical Clinic's business was decent, she always felt it wasn't enough. Even though she'd simplified her Chinese medicine treatment methods and the pharmacy offered medicine-boiling services, many people still disliked taking Chinese medicine. For illnesses that Western medicine could cure, people would choose Western medicine. So not everyone willing to accept a free consultation was willing to take the medicine. Su Fuling was in great need of clients willing to accept her treatment.

'Let's get in touch and see when it's convenient to go over.'

Zhao Facai said, 'This afternoon would work.'

Su Fuling nodded at this. 'Then let's go this afternoon.'

Chen Shasha said, 'Doctor Su, what about me? Can I come too?'

Su Fuling said, 'You need to boil medicine for Mama Liang's Orphanage, so you can't go.'

Chen Shasha's face immediately fell.

Su Fuling said, 'Next time I'll take you out.' Though she didn't know why everyone wanted to follow her out.

Chen Shasha said, 'Doctor Su, it's a promise.'

Su Fuling smiled and nodded, then casually activated her scan function to give her two apprentices a checkup. It was her habit—scan the family in the morning, scan again at the Medical Clinic.

One scan was all it took. Chen Shasha was fine, but Uncle Fa turned out to be a mission target.

'Uncle Fa, come to the consultation room. Let me take your pulse.'

Zhao Facai's heart started pounding. He knew his Master too well. She never took his pulse on a normal day—if she was suddenly asking him in, something bad must be coming.

He sat down and nervously extended his hand. 'Master... am I about to have some bloody disaster?'

'Let me take your pulse first. Some illnesses are hidden—you can't feel them yourself, but you're already sick.'

Zhao Facai quickly extended his hand for Su Fuling to take his pulse.

Zhao Facai was naturally fine—nothing wrong with him except a slightly elevated heart rate from nerves.

Su Fuling's expression grew solemn. No illness meant injury would come. But what would cause the injury?

'Uncle Fa, do you have any plans today?'

'Nothing besides going to the orphanage with you.'

Su Fuling opened the diagnostic function at this.

[Patient Name: Zhao Facai; Gender: Male

Age: 58

Primary Condition: None

Patient Symptoms: None

Predicted Condition Change: At 3:32 PM, struck on the forehead by an iron rod, causing blood loss and concussion.]

Su Fuling: '...!!!'

This wasn't an accident—it was an assault.

And the timing coincided exactly with when they'd be going to the orphanage together. Which meant Uncle Fa would be hurt by someone out there?

Su Fuling couldn't see her own condition, but she figured even if she could, it wouldn't matter—the System would protect her, so she'd definitely be fine. But the System wouldn't protect Uncle Fa.

Seeing Su Fuling's grave expression, Zhao Facai said: 'Master, do I really have a bloody disaster coming?'

Su Fuling said, 'It's nothing. Have you forgotten what I do?'

Zhao Facai, hearing his Master say this, immediately felt emboldened. He still didn't know the source of his impending misfortune, but in his heart he was grateful he'd followed a good Master. Would anyone else get this kind of treatment? 'Master, from now on I'll be absolutely loyal to you, devoted unto death!'

He declared his loyalty.

Su Fuling: '...Uncle Fa, stop talking.'

She rubbed her arms, then said to Chen Shasha, 'Shasha, you'll come with me this afternoon. Uncle Fa shouldn't go out.' She was running an experiment now—to see if it was because of going out.

Chen Shasha, hearing this, said excitedly, 'Okay, okay! I'm a good fighter, I can definitely protect Doctor Su.'

Su Fuling opened the scan again. Sure enough, Uncle Fa was fine now—but Chen Shasha had become a target. Without the diagnostic function, she didn't know what injury it would be, but that didn't matter. Since Chen Shasha would also be hurt, Su Fuling naturally had to prevent it.

'Never mind, you shouldn't go either.'

Chen Shasha: '...Ah, why?'

'You stay home and boil medicine. I want to go alone. No one needs to follow me today.'

'But Doctor Su, I won't feel right with you going out alone.'

Su Fuling said, 'I know my limits. Have you forgotten? I practice Daoist qi-reading. I'll be fine. Neither of you should go out today.'

Zhao Facai said, 'Master, maybe you shouldn't go out either.'

Su Fuling said, 'I'm fine. The key is, I can't stay home forever. There are always things that need to be dealt with.'

Su Fuling could certainly keep hiding, but there was no sense in guarding against thieves for a thousand days. She couldn't just give up earning Merit Points outside because she was afraid of something.

If she didn't have the System's protection, if she couldn't protect herself, then of course she'd stay holed up. But if she didn't use this period when the System was protecting her for free to settle things, should she drag it out until later?

Chen Shan soon heard the news from Chen Shasha.

But when he arrived, Su Fuling was busy giving people physical exams.

Mornings were the busiest—checkups mostly clustered in the early hours. But compared to yesterday, there were even fewer people coming in for exams. Not only had the Department of Health people come less frequently, but An Hui's family of three hadn't come either. Only He Li had come in excitedly for her checkup, saying she'd keep coming.

Su Fuling had originally wanted to advise her that she didn't really need to come every day, but then she thought about how she'd suddenly run into trouble herself—life was unpredictable—so she let it go. Let people choose what they wanted.

When she finally had a spare moment, Chen Shan entered the consultation room.

Su Fuling saw him and wasn't surprised. She said calmly, 'I actually guessed it was someone from the Longhu Association.'

Chen Shan said, 'Doctor Su, our Sifang Association will protect you. If you insist on going out this afternoon, I'll escort you.'