Volume One, Chapter 11: Searching for Someone

How could someone be so beautiful? She really should have joined the army back then. How old is he now, twenty? Maybe she’s a bit too old for him. Lost in a tangle of wild thoughts, the head nurse suddenly realized the young nurse was shaking her. Flushing, she snapped back to reality just as Xu Fengchuo asked, “Are there many black market dealers around here?”

Determined to make a good impression in front of the young man, the head nurse adopted the enthusiastic tone she usually reserved for meeting the hospital director. “Yes, plenty! The black market dealers here come in groups, both men and women. Sometimes they even pretend to be family members.”

Xu Fengchuo glanced at the black market dealers clad in patient gowns and thought of Dong Qianqian, who was wearing the same attire earlier. But her movements were sharp and efficient—not like a patient at all. Perhaps this black market dealer knew something. He informed the head nurse that he intended to take the dealer to the police station for questioning before turning to leave, leaving the two women at the hospital entrance gazing longingly after him.

At that moment, Dong Qianqian was completely unaware that someone had tracked down the black market because of her. Using the pretense of sitting on the hospital bed, she drew the curtain closed, turned to one side, and drifted off into a peaceful sleep, preparing to head to the black market the next day to sell off the Dong family’s troublesome belongings.

At dawn, she waited for Old Doctor Sun’s arrival to work and obtained the hospitalization form. After filling in her details, Old Doctor Sun scrawled a series of diagnoses in a flourish. Even with her education, Dong Qianqian couldn’t decipher what was written—it looked like a mix of cursive and running script. She stared at the paper, trying to identify the strange handwriting, but to no avail. Reluctantly, she went to the admission desk to register.

Last night, the on-duty nurse Li Xue had been waiting for a handover that never came. Fatigue surged over her like relentless waves, and her head bobbed drowsily. Just as her eyes were about to close, a hospitalization application boldly bearing the name "Dong Qianqian" caught her eye. Remembering the soldier who had spent half the night searching for someone, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and rubbed them to clear the sleepiness.

A young girl stood gracefully before the desk, her eyes sparkling with a gentle smile. Li Xue’s competitive spirit, which had been brimming moments before, was immediately quelled as if swept away by a refreshing breeze.

This girl was like a delicate lotus blossoming in clear water, evoking a sudden pang of affection. Her features were exquisitely refined, as if crafted by a master artisan’s brushstroke on a portrait of a noble lady, tinged with a subtle allure. Her gaze was enchanting, her bearing elegant and poised.

Her appearance seemed a masterpiece finely drawn by the most delicate hand of heaven, inspiring awe. Especially striking were her cat-like eyes—two gleaming black gems that shone brilliantly. Their size perfectly tempered her seductive charm, rendering her innocent and beautiful, as if they might glisten with dew at any moment.

Her figure was slender and graceful, like a green branch adorned with glistening fruit—full yet fresh. Even her fingers were long and slender, with skin as smooth and fair as fine jade, radiant and supple, moving with a lively grace.

Truly, she embodied the ancient verse: “Charming as the peach blossoms of early spring, pure as the chrysanthemums of late autumn.”

Li Xue scrutinized the girl from head to toe, seeking flaws in the details, but as soon as the girl spoke, she felt defeated.

“Is there something wrong with my form? If so, please just tell me!” The girl’s voice was like a clear mountain spring, sweet and pure, refreshing to the soul.

Li Xue was utterly bested.

That soldier who had searched half the night for a woman was simply too formidable. How could another woman be born so perfectly to her liking?

Dong Qianqian couldn’t comprehend the feelings of a potential rival, watching her stand there motionless for so long. She wondered if the nurse had mastered the art of sleeping with eyes open, like herself.

But she had no time to wait for her to wake; she just wanted to finish the procedure quickly and get something to eat.

According to Aunt Du, today’s day-shift chef was Chef Hao, whose ancestors had once been head cooks in the imperial kitchen. He excelled at fruit and flower pastries, but his local cuisine was equally superb. This morning, alongside plain congee, there was a small dish of fluffy egg custard.

Dong Qianqian could hardly wait to try the skill passed down from the imperial kitchen’s descendants.

She lightly tapped the table with her youthful fingers, trying to rouse the drowsy nurse. Realizing she had been drooling over such a beauty, the nurse discreetly wiped it away, gathered her composure, and resumed her duties.

Though she felt comprehensively defeated, she was not yet resigned. After verifying Doctor Sun’s handwriting and the girl’s condition, she stamped the hospital seal.

With her shift coming to an end, she planned to apply cucumber slices to rescue her tired, sallow face from the effects of sleeplessness.

Dong Qianqian noticed that the hospitalization form made no mention of any cafeteria benefits, so she casually grabbed the nurse’s arm and asked, “Sorry to hold you up, but could you tell me how the cafeteria subsidy works? How do I claim it?”

The nurse looked into Dong Qianqian’s sincere and helpless eyes and suddenly realized this girl was much younger, still of school age, yet came alone to handle her hospitalization.

Her heart softened considerably, and she lowered her tone, patiently explaining, “The cafeteria subsidy is a benefit for city residents. When hospitalized here, especially for women who have just given birth or are menstruating, you can use cash to buy special care items like brown sugar and eggs—even without a ticket. But to receive these, you must have an urban household registration.”

Having said this, Dong Qianqian immediately produced her household registration booklet. Seeing that she indeed had urban registration, the nurse was somewhat surprised. Usually, children of steel mill workers like her wouldn’t come to this hospital.

After all, as one of Shanghai’s largest factories, the steel mill provides 40% of the city’s jobs. They have their own hospital for treating their workers, while this hospital’s specialists focus on gynecology.

Only expectant mothers nearing delivery or patients living nearby would seek treatment here.

Noticing Dong Qianqian’s medical record indicated severe asthma, the nurse understood. Besides the doctor and longtime nurses, few could read Old Doctor Sun’s handwriting.

She casually wrote a note for claiming the subsidy and handed it to Dong Qianqian, advising her to visit the steel mill hospital sometime, where the medical care was more advanced.

Dong Qianqian nodded obediently; being new here, she couldn’t yet grasp the differences between hospitals.

Bathed in the sunlight streaming into the lobby, Li Xue gazed at Dong Qianqian’s flawless, porcelain-like face and recalled the cold but warm-hearted man from last night. Suddenly, a bold thought struck her.

Taking Dong Qianqian’s cold hand warmly, she asked, “Dong sister, do you have any brothers?”