Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Zhao Nuanyue was happy to indulge the little foodie, Little Red Carp.

”Of course. Wait right here, Sister will make one for you now.” Chuckling despite the late hour, she picked up a flatbread, filled it with only shredded scallions, a dab of bean paste, and a piece of meat.

After taking the flatbread from her sister, Little Red Carp wanted to shove the whole thing into her mouth at once, but it was too big for her little mouth. She could only take small bites.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, someone led them to the washroom to bathe.

After a comfortable hot bath, Zhao Nuanyue held Little Red Carp and quickly fell asleep.

They were exhausted. It had been impossible to get any real sleep on the train.

They slept until evening, only waking when their stomachs started to rumble with hunger.

The person waiting outside saw that Zhao Nuanyue was awake and led them to the dining area for a meal.

Sun Haoran had just gotten back. He was sitting in the dining room, talking with his wife about Zhao Nuanyue, the new closed-door disciple who had arrived today.

”Old Sun, this new disciple you took on in Nianqiao Village is really wonderful—so well-mannered and proper,” Madam Sun said. ”Nuanyue’s brother, Nuanyang, is a good boy, too. He’s quiet, but very polite. As for that mischievous little imp, Little Red Carp... oh, she’s an absolute treasure! Do you know what she did? She actually called me ’Grandma Beauty’ the moment she saw me!”

”Haha, she’s not wrong. You’ve always been beautiful,” Sun Haoran said, looking at his wife’s graying hair. Even with the wrinkles on her face, her eyes were as bright as ever.

After all the hardships they had endured, it was a rare blessing that they were still alive and together.

Hearing her husband’s sudden sweet talk, Madam Sun blushed and gave his arm a light swat. ”You! Don’t be silly, the others are right here!”

Tang Kaixuan laughed and covered his eyes. ”Madam, we didn’t see a thing.”

”You little rascal! Your Master and I have spoiled you for nothing, and now you dare to laugh at me?” Madam Sun chided playfully. ”I’ll put raw rice in your bowl tomorrow.”

”Madam, how can you do this to your dear Kaixuan!” Tang Kaixuan protested. ”So you two are being affectionate, and I’m not even allowed to pretend I don’t see it?”

”You bunch of little monkeys, every one of you is as cunning as can be. Your master was smart this time, taking on a female disciple. Now I’ll finally have someone to talk to,” Madam Sun said with a laugh. ”You’re all boys, so you have to look out for Nuanyue. She’s your master’s closed-door disciple, after all, and your new junior sister.”

”Yes, Madam,” Tang Kaixuan replied. He had gotten to know Zhao Nuanyue quite well on the journey. The more he learned about her, the more he realized she was a truly remarkable woman.

Just as they were speaking, Zhao Nuanyue arrived in the dining room, led by Uncle Sun.

Sun Haoran was even more delighted to see Zhao Nuanyue, Zhao Nuanyang, and Little Red Carp arrive. He quickly picked up a wooden box that he had prepared earlier.

”Nuanyue, you’re finally back in Jincheng City. I told you I’d have a proper welcoming gift for you once you returned,” Sun Haoran said with a smile. ”You must not refuse it.”

Zhao Nuanyue was overwhelmed by the kindness. Her master was already so good to her. ”Master, Madam Sun already gave me a very precious gift that I love,” she said hurriedly. ”You shouldn’t go to any more trouble.”

”That won’t do. What Madam Sun gave you is from her. As your master, I can’t go back on my word,” Sun Haoran chuckled. ”This isn’t a toy or a decoration. These are the tools of your future trade, what you’ll use to practice medicine and make a living—a set of silver needles for acupuncture. I had them custom-made. Please, take them.”

Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue felt relieved. Since she was studying to be a National Doctor, acupoints and acupuncture were required subjects. She reached out to accept the box. ”Thank you for your thoughtful gift, Master. I will definitely study hard.”

”Studying medicine diligently so you can save lives and heal the wounded is the greatest reward you can give me,” Sun Haoran said with a smile. ”Alright, Nuanyang, Little Red Carp, I have something for you two as well!”

Little Red Carp waited until her sister and Sun Haoran were done talking, then trotted over and hugged Sun Haoran’s leg. ”Grandpa Sun, I haven’t seen you in so long! I missed you so much.”

”Haha, Grandpa missed you too, Little Red Carp!” Sun Haoran boomed with laughter, scooping her up. He clearly doted on her. ”Here, this is a Jade Pendant from Grandpa.”

”Thank you, Grandpa Sun! You’re so nice,” Little Red Carp said with a beaming smile. ”Just as nice as Grandma Beauty!”

”Oh, you and your sweet-talking! But I love it,” Sun Haoran laughed, clearly adoring Little Red Carp. ”Come on, your Grandma Beauty was just talking about you. Go on, let her fuss over you for a bit!”

Madam Sun couldn’t wait. As soon as she saw Little Red Carp, she had the little girl sit beside her and then gestured for Zhao Nuanyue to join them.

Sun Haoran then produced an even larger, long box. ”Nuanyang,” he said, ”I know you like calligraphy and painting. This is an authentic work by Zhang Daqian. It’s quite large, so why don’t you take it back to your room to look at after dinner.”

Although Zhao Nuanyang loved calligraphy and painting, he knew that dinnertime wasn’t the right occasion to unroll a scroll. He nodded and said, ”Thank you, Uncle Sun.”

”Don’t mention it. You’re a good kid,” Sun Haoran praised. ”He Qiang has sung your praises to me more than once. He said his own skills aren’t enough to take you as his disciple. It’s a shame, he said, but for the sake of your future development, he wanted to introduce you to his own master. By the way, did he mention this to you?”

”He did, Uncle Sun,” Zhao Nuanyang nodded, his heart full of gratitude for He Qiang. ”He even wrote me a letter for Master Hu. I was planning to pay him a visit once we’re settled in here.”

At these words, Sun Haoran’s eyes lit up. ”Nuanyang, don’t be hasty,” he said quickly. ”Wait until I’ve taken care of a few things, and I’ll take you there myself. It will be more proper that way.”

Such a formal visit was for the sake of becoming a master’s disciple, a far more serious matter than simply being a student.

Zhao Nuanyue was thrilled. She really hoped Master Hu would accept her brother. ”Master,” she asked, ”what kind of gift should my brother prepare to offer him as a prospective disciple?”

”Haha, don’t you worry about that yet. I’ll do some asking around to find out what he likes. Between a suitable gift, He Qiang’s recommendation, and Nuanyang’s own talent, it should be fine. Master Hu is known for cherishing gifted individuals, so he’ll naturally accept Nuanyang as his disciple,” Sun Haoran said with a smile. ”Now, everyone is waiting for us. Let’s eat first and talk more later!”

The meal at the Sun Family home was incredibly lavish, a clear sign of the family’s substantial resources in an era of scarcity.

After dinner, Sun Haoran led Zhao Nuanyue to his study. Madam Sun had already taken Little Red Carp to the backyard to play.

”Nuanyue, first thing tomorrow morning, I want you to come with me to the hospital,” Sun Haoran said quietly. ”Sigh... The Guo Family broke off the engagement, but now Hua Yusen is in trouble. That boy... so loyal and dedicated.”