My sister-in-law from Qingdao

It was as if someone had pressed the fast-forward button; the next two weeks flew by.

Luo Qingshan was extremely busy, devoting all her energy to Su Xiaoya and preparing for the clinic. She was never one to sit still, and now she was working non-stop.

During the day, he would give Su Xiaoya acupuncture in the yard. The silver needles gleamed in the sunlight as he precisely inserted them into the acupoints, not even bothering to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead. The medicine pot never stopped bubbling from morning till night, and the bitter aroma of medicine permeated the entire courtyard.

She also had to adjust the prescription repeatedly based on Su Xiaoya's daily pulse changes, meticulously preparing, weighing, and verifying the medicine.

In the afternoon, she had to drive to Qiuchang Town again. Her once-shiny SUV was now always covered in mud. Negotiating land with the town was a tedious task, but fortunately, Luo Qingshan had previously saved the life of the town secretary's son, which saved her a lot of trouble with the paperwork.

The land where the old grain depot was located was in a remote area and had been abandoned for many years. It was originally a hot potato, but now that she wants to requisition it, it has become a hot commodity.

After several rounds of talks, the price was brought down to the lowest possible level, and the formalities were almost completed.

Back at his lodgings, in the quiet of the night, Luo Qingshan would sit under the lamp and draw design sketches.

She wasn't formally trained in this field, and her drawings weren't particularly exquisite, but every stroke showed her dedication. She had thought of everything: where the outpatient clinic would be located, how many rooms would be in the inpatient department, how the pharmacy would be ventilated, how the decoction room would be smoke-free, and even what medicinal herbs would be planted in the yard.

The front yard gets plenty of sunshine, so plant perilla and mint. The lush greenery is both beautiful and medicinal, and it also repels mosquitoes in the summer. The backyard is shady, so plant honeysuckle and goji berries. The vines twine around the plants, and the red berries add a unique touch.

She sorted out these trivial matters one by one, as if she were piecing together a huge jigsaw puzzle, and the two hundred million yuan invested by Chen Dong Foundation was the most solid foundation of this puzzle.

In comparison, I became the most idle person.

The foundation has a dedicated team handling things. The 200 million yuan has already been allocated, and the subsequent approval processes and accounting management are all being overseen by professionals, so I don't need to worry about it. I just look at the reports and sign off on them every day, and spend the rest of my time just spacing out in the courtyard.

With Luo Qingshan, the legendary doctor, overseeing things on Su Xiaoya's side, and with Sister Zhu and Sister Yang taking turns caring for her—feeding her medicine, wiping her body, changing her clothes—they were incredibly attentive and meticulous, so I really couldn't get involved.

This kind of "leisure" is relaxing at first, but over time it turns into a kind of emptiness of doing nothing.

I was so bored that I would count the locust leaves in the yard, one, two, three... Eventually, I could even see the veins on the leaves clearly. I could count them three times a day, from the east end to the west end and then back again.

Seeing my expression, Sister Yang almost laughed several times, but she held back and just sighed and said, "Mr. Chen, if you're bored, go out for a walk."

But where can I go? Qiuchang Town is only so big, and I've almost worn down the stone slabs of the old street.

That afternoon, the autumn sun shone lazily as I squatted in the yard, teasing ants with a small twig. A swarm of black ants was busily carrying a crumb of biscuit that had fallen from somewhere, seemingly tireless.

I stared at them, and a pang of envy rose in my heart—at least they had something to do.

Just then, the phone rang, its ringtone sounding particularly abrupt in the quiet courtyard.

I picked it up and saw it was an unfamiliar number, with the location showing as Qingdao. I was a little puzzled; who could this be?

"Chen Dong?" A woman's voice came from the other end of the phone, crisp and clear, with a hint of amusement. "Guess who I am?"

I paused for a moment, the voice sounded familiar, like I'd heard it somewhere before, but I couldn't quite place it. The person on the other end clearly anticipated my reaction and said reproachfully, "My dear Chairman, it's only been a few days, and you can't recognize my voice?"

A thought suddenly struck me, and I jumped to my feet, brushing the dirt off my knees. "Oh, Xiaoling! What made you decide to call me?" I exclaimed with a smile.

"If I don't call you soon, you might completely forget about me." Zheng Xiaoling's tone was amused and a little smug. "Of course I'm calling you. Guess where I am right now?"

"Where are you? Aren't you busy at the Chen Dong Foundation in Qingdao?" I said as I walked to the gate of the courtyard, looking at the undulating mountains in the distance.

"Let me tell you, I've come to Qiuchang." Her voice was filled with excitement.

"Huh? You've come to Qiuchang?" I asked, somewhat surprised. "Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

"There's a wonton stall at the entrance of Elder Qiu Street. I'll wait for you there. But don't drive too fast, be careful of speeding," she said with a smile before hanging up.

I held my phone, a strange sense of anticipation welling up inside me. Last time I returned to Qingdao, I met Zheng Xiaoling in the foundation's office.

This girl, a top student who graduated from Renmin University, is a "red generation" with impeccable revolutionary credentials. Her family's wealth is astonishing, yet she has taken a liking to public welfare and came to the foundation to volunteer.

She even said she wanted to write an online novel based on me, and kept pestering me to tell her all sorts of "glorious deeds." At the time, I just thought she was young and impetuous, joking around, but I never expected her to actually come, and so suddenly at that.

I greeted Sister Yang and told her that a friend had come to visit and I was going to pick them up. Sister Yang smiled and nodded, reminding me to drive carefully.

I started the car and drove towards the entrance of Elder Qiu Street. On the way, my thoughts drifted back to the scene of our last meeting. Zheng Xiaoling's clean eyebrows and eyes, the two shallow dimples at the corners of her mouth when she smiled, and the focused yet slightly inquisitive look in her eyes when she listened to my story.

How exactly is she going to write my story? Will it be a thrilling, action-packed novel, or a bittersweet, inspirational drama? I'm quite curious.

When I reached the entrance to the old street, I parked my car on the side of the road. The old street was still the same as before, the bluestone pavement smoothed by time, and most of the shops on both sides were long-established businesses, selling small items such as wontons, glutinous rice cakes, and herbs. The wonton stall was set up on the street corner, with a large pot steaming hot, and the owner, an elderly man with gray hair, was stirring the wontons in the pot with a long ladle.

I recognized Zheng Xiaoling from afar.

She stood next to the wonton stall, wearing a beige long trench coat that accentuated her tall and slender figure.

Her hair was simply tied back, revealing her smooth forehead and slender neck. She was pulling a silver suitcase and looking around with a curious gaze, as if she were new to an unfamiliar place.

Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the old locust tree, casting dappled shadows on her.

"Brother Chen Dong, I'm here!" This girl has sharp eyes. As soon as she saw me, she waved to me happily, and the dimples on her lips deepened even more.

I walked over with a smile. "Why did you come so suddenly? You didn't even give me a heads-up. I wanted to be prepared."

"If I give you advance notice, you'll definitely make excuses, saying it's inconvenient or something," Zheng Xiaoling said, tilting her head and jokingly adding, "So I have to do a surprise attack, to catch you off guard. How about it, aren't you happy to see me?"

"Look at what you're saying! I'm overjoyed you're coming to see me." I took the suitcase from her hand; it was quite heavy. It seemed this girl was planning to stay for a while. "What made you decide to come?"

"I got stuck on the manuscript," Zheng Xiaoling sighed, then laughed again. "Besides, I also want to see for myself what that clinic you invested in is actually like. Just listening to you talk about it always feels like something's missing."

"Okay, I'll take you to see it then." I started the car. "But as for accommodation, there's only a small hotel in Qiuchang town. The conditions are so-so, but it's clean enough. Shall I book one for you?"

Zheng Xiaoling waved her hand generously: "As long as it's clean, I'm not picky. I'm not here to enjoy myself, I'm here to experience life."

The hotel is located at the other end of the old street, in a three-story building with a sign that reads "Qiuchang Hotel" hanging at the entrance. The red paint is peeling off, indicating that it has been around for a while.

The receptionist was a woman in her fifties, dressed in a simple uniform. She was very welcoming to me, addressing me as "Mr. Chen" repeatedly. She said there was one last room left, located on the second floor towards the back. It wasn't big, but it was very quiet.

I helped Zheng Xiaoling check in and carried her suitcase upstairs. The room wasn't big, and the furnishings were simple, but it was clean and tidy. There was a bed, a wardrobe, a table, and a chair; the room was spotless.

The window faces the old street, with views of the distant rolling green hills, and occasionally a cat strolls leisurely across the rooftops.

"Okay, better than I expected." Zheng Xiaoling took off her trench coat, hung it on the hook of the coat hanger, turned around and smiled at me, revealing two dimples. "Thanks, Brother Chen Dong."

"Don't mention it." I sat down at the table. "I'll treat you to dinner tonight. What would you like to eat?"

"Let's not eat yet, I want to interview you first." Zheng Xiaoling seemed to remember something important, and immediately took out her notebook and pen, sat down next to me, tilted her head and looked at me, her eyes sparkling like two twinkling stars.

"I'd like to interview you in person about your investment in the clinic. It's not easy to explain over the phone."

"How about now?" The girl seemed so eager that I couldn't refuse.

She cleared her throat, adopting the air of a professional reporter, and asked, "Chen Dong, why did you invest 200 million yuan in Luo Qingshan's clinic? I've inquired privately; the Luo family clinic is quite complicated, involving many old grudges. And this clinic you're investing in is positioned as non-profit, charging only cost price, and even offering free services to the extremely poor. 200 million yuan is no small sum; what are you after?"

Her questions were direct, even a bit sharp, and she had clearly done her homework.

I remained silent for a moment, not immediately answering "What's the point?" Many people have asked this question, including Luo Qingshan. I put down the pen I was playing with and looked out the window, where the distant mountain shadows were hazy.

"For peace of mind." I finally said those four words, paused, and added, "You know, there are many patients who are clearly treatable, but because they don't have the money, they can only go home and wait to die. I've seen too much of that feeling of watching life slip away helplessly."

Luo Qingshan is a good doctor; she wants to save lives, but she doesn't have enough money. I happen to have it, it's that simple. I don't ask for anything in return, I just want to be able to sleep soundly at night.

Zheng Xiaoling didn't write it down immediately. Instead, she remained silent for a while, then lowered her head and quickly wrote something on the notebook. The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a soft rustling sound.

After a long while, she finally raised her head, her eyes filled with an indescribable light, a mixture of emotion, admiration, and a hint of unrecognizable bewilderment.

"Chen Dong, do you know that your biggest characteristic is that you are unaware of your own limitations?" she said softly.

The joke was gone, replaced by a serious tone. "You think you're doing something very ordinary, but to outsiders, it's light. The kind of light that... can illuminate darkness and give people hope."

"That's too much of an exaggeration, I can't take that kind of praise." I smiled and thought her words were a bit too poetic.

"It's not an exaggeration at all." Zheng Xiaoling shook her head, insisting, "You are the purest man I've ever met, or even heard of. This kind of purity is so rare in today's society."

It was getting late, so I suggested that I treat her to dinner as a welcome-back dinner.

Zheng Xiaoling was indeed hungry and readily agreed. We didn't go far, just to the wonton stall downstairs from the hotel. The owner already recognized us and greeted us warmly when he saw us come down.

We ordered two bowls of wonton soup. Several plump white wontons floated in the steaming soup, sprinkled with scallions and dried shrimp, and the aroma was irresistible.

We chatted over our meal, the conversation shifting from the clinic to the foundation, and then to her novel. She said she had written my story in a very "down-to-earth" way, not as a lofty hero, but as an ordinary person with flesh and blood, who experiences confusion but also perseverance. As I listened, I thought there was some truth to that.

It was already eight o'clock when we finished eating. Most of the shops on the old street were closed, leaving only the dim light of the streetlights, which cast long shadows on the bluestone pavement.

Zheng Xiaoling and I walked side by side towards the hotel. The autumn evening breeze carried a hint of coolness, rustling the old locust trees by the roadside, and a few withered yellow leaves swirled down.

As we reached the hotel entrance, Zheng Xiaoling suddenly stopped, tugged at my sleeve, and her fingertips felt slightly cool. "Chen Dong, wait for me a moment. I'm going upstairs to take a shower and change my clothes. Will you come with me for a walk? I haven't seen the night view of Qiuchang yet. I heard the old street is different at night than during the day."

"Okay." I nodded.

I suddenly realized that having someone to accompany me, to walk and see the world together, doesn't seem so bad. Lately, I've been too quiet, so quiet that I feel a little lonely.

About ten minutes later, Zheng Xiaoling came downstairs. She had changed into a loose, light gray knit sweater, her hair was still damp and draped over her shoulders, with water droplets dripping from the ends. She smelled faintly of shampoo, a fresh lemongrass scent that was very pleasant. Without makeup, she looked even cleaner and fresher.

We strolled slowly along the old street. The old street was indeed different at night; the daytime hustle and bustle had faded away, leaving only tranquility and peace. Occasionally, a motorcycle would drive by, its engine echoing in the empty street.

When she encounters beautiful scenery along the way, such as a quaint street lamp or a wooden door covered with vines, Zheng Xiaoling will take out her phone to take a picture, saying that she wants to write it into her book to make the story more vivid.

Further ahead is the old grain depot. The open space has been fenced off, with a sign on the blue fence that reads "Construction Site, No Unauthorized Entry".

Several high-powered construction lights shone brightly inside, illuminating the construction site as if it were daytime. Several figures could be vaguely seen moving about, along with the outline of an excavator. Luo Qingshan worked incredibly fast; in less than half a month, he had leveled the land and even completed half of the foundation work.

"Is this the clinic you invested in?" Zheng Xiaoling peered through the gap in the fence, her eyes reflecting the construction site lights. "The progress is pretty fast. It seems that you, Sister Luo, are a decisive and efficient person."

"Sister Luo is an impatient person. Once she sets her mind on something, she'll go all out to achieve it." I nodded, my tone tinged with admiration.

"Luo Qingshan?" Zheng Xiaoling turned to look at me, a hint of mockery in her eyes, a sly smile playing on her lips. "You and your Sister Luo have quite a special relationship, don't you? I've heard that you've only known each other for a short time, and you've already invested two hundred million. Ordinary friends wouldn't be that generous."

I felt a little uncomfortable with her question, so I looked away and gazed at the dark construction site, mumbling, "Sister Luo is a good doctor; she's devoted herself to Su Xiaoya. I went there for the clinic, and also for her as a person. She deserves it."

"Okay, okay, whatever you say." She waved her hand with a smile and didn't ask any further questions, but her eyes clearly seemed to say: I understand, I understand everything. You wait, I will write all these details into the book.

It was almost ten o'clock when I got back to the hotel entrance. The night was deeper, and the wind was cooler. Zheng Xiaoling said goodnight to me, turned around and was about to go upstairs, but suddenly seemed to remember something and turned back.

The smile on her face faded a little, tinged with embarrassment, and her voice lowered.

"Brother Chen Dong, there's something I want to tell you." She hesitated for a moment.

"What's wrong? Just say it." I looked at her.

"This hotel room... seems a bit off." She frowned, as if she was having some difficulty speaking.

"What's wrong? Is the sheet dirty, or is there something wrong with the facilities? I'll go to the front desk and get you a different room," I said immediately.

"It's not those problems." Zheng Xiaoling shook her head, gestured with her hand, and looked a little helpless. "When I was taking a shower just now, I saw a mouse run past the corner of the wall. It was this big."

She gestured a length that was at least a hand's length. "I'm not afraid of mice, really, but... but I don't want to sleep in the same room as one."

I paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. The reason sounded like an excuse, yet also like the truth. But looking at her earnest yet slightly aggrieved expression, I simply couldn't refuse.

"Okay, wait for me, I'll go ask the front desk if there are any other rooms available." I turned and walked towards the front desk, but in my mind I was thinking that, apart from this hotel, there really wasn't anywhere else in Qiuchang Town where she could stay at night.

This girl seems to really intend to "stay" here.

I glanced back and saw Zheng Xiaoling standing under the streetlight, arms crossed, looking at me with a hint of trepidation.

The dim light outlined her slender figure, and the evening breeze ruffled her damp hair, making her appear exceptionally delicate.

I suddenly realized that this night wouldn't be as quiet as before. And my "leisurely" days were probably coming to an end.