After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

Beijing Capital International Airport, tarmac.

The biting northern wind stung my face like sandpaper, leaving it dry and painful. Two Hongqi sedans with military license plates on their hoods, like two silent iron beasts, drove directly to the foot of the gangway. Several cadres in Zhongshan suits paced back and forth beside the cars, their breath quickly dissipating into the air. Leading them was Vice Minister Li of the Ministry of Health, a high-ranking official known for his stern demeanor within the system, who now frequently checked his watch, his face etched with anxiety and anticipation.

Finally, the hatch opened.

A tall figure appeared first at the door, wearing a black leather jacket and sunglasses. He carried a suitcase in one hand and had his other hand loosely around a woman's back, blocking most of the cold wind blowing in from outside the cabin.

It's Gu Zheng.

Behind him, Ye Zhen wore a beige cashmere coat. The long flight had left her thin face showing signs of fatigue, but her eyes remained bright, and her back was ramrod straight. The moment her boots touched the soil of her homeland, the inherent nobility and aloofness seemed to be softened somewhat by the hazy sky.

"Here it comes!"

With a wave of his hand, Vice Minister Li summoned two young staff members who immediately jogged forward, each carrying a large, silk-bound red flower. The flowers were an almost unrealistically red, adorned with golden tassels—the simplest yet most enthusiastic form of welcome in this era.

"Welcome back our hero!" Vice Minister Li strode forward, past Gu Zheng, and warmly grasped Ye Zhen's hands, shaking them vigorously. "Comrade Ye Zhen, you've worked so hard! On behalf of the ministry and all medical workers across the country, I welcome you home! You are a true hero of our country!"

Ye Zhen looked at the big red flower that was about to be pinned to her chest, and her eyelids twitched almost imperceptibly.

Gu Zheng reacted even faster. He stretched out his long arm and stood in front of Ye Zhen like a wall, his thick eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown: "Uncle Li, let's skip the ceremony, shall we? This thing is so red, it looks like we're about to be sent to the bridal chamber. People who don't know better will think we're having a wedding ceremony here."

"You little rascal, what nonsense!" Vice Minister Li glared, adopting his official demeanor. "This is an honor! It's the organization's highest recognition of you! Didn't you see today's People's Daily? It's the front-page editorial! Quick, everyone put them on, the reporters are waiting to take pictures!"

Gu Zheng wanted to say something more, but he felt a hand gently pinch his lower back. He turned around and met Ye Zhen's cool, clear eyes.

"Is our Commander Gu going to disobey Minister Li's good intentions?" Her voice was soft, but tinged with a hint of mischief.

Gu Zheng froze, his fearless and reckless spirit instantly deflated. Resignedly, he took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of deep eyes, and stretched out his neck with a look of grim determination: "Fine, wear them. But let me make this clear first, if this photo gets out, my reputation in Unit 761 will be completely ruined."

Click.

The camera flashes of the accompanying reporters illuminated the dimly lit tarmac. In the photograph, a stern, roguish military officer and a refined, aloof physician each wore a large, festive red flower pinned to their chests. The scene was both solemn and imbued with an indescribable sense of harmony.

Looking at the photos, Vice Minister Li grinned from ear to ear: "By the way, when will that batch of equipment arrive at the port? I've already made arrangements with Tianjin; customs has given special approval, guaranteeing a smooth process!"

"The ship is already on the high seas," Ye Zhen said calmly. "It is being escorted by the Schroeder family's private fleet. If the weather is good, it is expected to arrive at Tianjin Port in three days."

"Great! Excellent!" Vice Minister Li slapped his thigh excitedly, as if he had seen some rare treasure. "With this equipment, our country's cardiac surgery department can finally stand tall!"

Gu Zheng opened the car door, carefully helped Ye Zhen into the back seat, and then got in himself. Before closing the door, he turned back and grinned at Deputy Minister Li, but the smile didn't reach his eyes at all: "Uncle Li, you've got a strong back now, but don't let anyone hurt their back. We'll have to sit down and have a good talk about how to divide this batch of goods later."

Vice Minister Li's heart skipped a beat.

He understood the implication. This little wolf cub from the Gu family was giving him a heads-up, acting as a protector of his food.

……

The Hongqi car drove into the courtyard where the Gu family lived. The old locust tree in the alley had lost all its leaves, and its bare branches pointed straight to the sky.

But today, the area under the tree is full of people.

Grandpa Gu stood at the front, leaning on his cane. His face, usually so stern that it could silence even military officers, now resembled that of an ordinary old man eagerly awaiting his child's return from school, constantly peering towards the alley entrance. Even Gu Linlin, who always loved to act like a pampered young lady, was squeezed into the crowd, stamping her feet to keep warm, yet still occasionally standing on tiptoe and craning her neck.

As soon as the car came to a stop, before the engine was even turned off, Grandma Gu's tears began to fall.

"Oh my, my Zhenzhen, you're finally back!" As soon as the car door opened, Grandma Gu pushed past the guard who was about to open it, grabbed Ye Zhen's hand, and looked her up and down. "You've lost weight. I knew that German's place only had sausages and potatoes; what kind of people could that feed!"

The old lady leaned closer with heartache, gently touching Ye Zhen's cold cheek with her somewhat rough but warm hands: "Quick, come inside! Grandma made your favorite braised pork and some braised noodles, just waiting for you to come back and eat!"

A group of people, young and old, surrounded Ye Zhen like stars around the moon, leading her into the house.

Completely forgotten, Gu Zheng stood alone in the cold wind, carrying two heavy suitcases. He glanced at his grandmother, who was only focused on holding her granddaughter-in-law's hand and didn't even bother to look at her own grandson, and helplessly touched his nose.

"So I'm just a freebie?" Gu Zheng muttered to himself, but resignedly hoisted the box onto his shoulder and became a porter.

Inside, it was warm and cozy, like springtime.

The table was already laden with steaming dishes. The braised pork belly, rich in soy sauce, glistened enticingly under the light, the fatty parts translucent from the stewing. The golden and crispy fried lotus root slices were still steaming hot. In the center sat a large bowl of braised noodles, with a thick layer of braised sauce made from daylily, wood ear mushrooms, and diced meat on top of the snow-white hand-pulled noodles, the aroma filling the air.

This is what home tastes like.

Ye Zhen was seated in the main seat, and Grandma Gu personally served her a large bowl of noodles. She picked up her chopsticks, took a mouthful of noodles, and put it in her mouth. The noodles were chewy, and the braised sauce was salty and fragrant. That familiar, homey taste exploded on her tongue, instantly dispelling the tension and fatigue of the past few days in Berlin.

She unconsciously squinted her eyes, relaxing completely, like a cat that had finally found a warm stove in winter.

"Sister-in-law, you really cured that European shipping magnate's granddaughter?" Gu Linlin sat opposite her, her big eyes sparkling. The scrutiny and condescension she had shown at their first meeting were gone, replaced by pure admiration. "Our school teachers have gone crazy! They haven't been teaching English for the past two days; they're just reading us the news about you in Germany from the newspaper!"

"Just lucky," Ye Zhen said, picking up a piece of braised pork that had been stewed until tender and putting it into Gu Linlin's bowl.

Gu Linlin blushed instantly, as if she had received some incredible reward. She buried her head in her rice and didn't dare to say a word.

Gu Zheng was leisurely peeling shrimp for Ye Zhen when he heard this, and sneered: "Luck? That's something your sister-in-law got by holding a scalpel and gesturing at the neck of the King of Hell. Those Germans, at first they were all arrogant, like bulldogs, but what happened to them? They almost had to kneel down and call God."

In a few words, he vividly recounted the harrowing events outside the operating room, how the British expert named Williams was publicly humiliated, and how the Siemens president held an emergency meeting overnight, humbly pleading for cooperation.

These details weren't mentioned in the newspaper.

The Gu family members felt both tense and relieved as they listened, and Old Master Gu was particularly excited, pounding his mahogany cane on the floor.

"Good! Good! Good!" the old man exclaimed three times, his voice booming like a bell. "This is how we Chinese people should stand tall! Zhenzhen, your trip this time isn't just bringing honor to yourself, it's bringing immense pride to our Gu family and our country! You are the glory of our Gu family, and even more so, a hero of the nation!"

The old man made the final decision.

This statement carries more weight than any medal awarded by the Ministry of Health. It definitively established an unshakeable foundation for Ye Zhen's status and position within the Gu family and the entire compound.

From now on, if anyone dares to gossip behind someone's back, saying that Ye Zhen is a country girl and not worthy of the Gu family, Old Master Gu's cane will be the first to object.