The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

The old man was still sitting there, his posture unchanged, resting with his eyes closed.

Feeling a little guilty, Qiao Xinxin quickly pushed open the small wooden door of the management office, poked her little head out, and called out in a clear voice:

"Minister Lin, please come in and have a seat! It's too windy and cold outside."

Lin Zhengping opened his eyes, rubbed his stiff knees, stood up, and shook his head with amusement:

"Alright, then I'll have to bother you, the junior administrator."

He pushed open the door and walked into the management office.

The room was really small; you could see the whole thing at a glance. In the middle, there was a peeling desk and two hard wooden chairs crammed together. Fortunately, the cast-iron stove in the corner was burning brightly, and the glowing red fire warmed the room, even filling the air with a dry, coaly smell.

Lin Zhengping didn't stand on ceremony and pulled out the empty wooden chair to sit down.

As soon as he sat down, the smile on his face faded slightly, and he got straight to the point:

"Comrade Xiao Qiao, let's not beat around the bush. I'm here today because I have some questions I'd like to ask you in person. Just answer truthfully."

Qiao Xinxin quickly poured him a glass of warm water, handed it to him with both hands, and obediently sat down next to the corner of the table: "You said it, as long as I know it, I will definitely not hide it from you."

Lin Zhengping took the water glass, but didn't drink it. Instead, he held it in his hand, his shrewd eyes fixed on her through his glasses.

"My first question is, have you ever formally studied medicine?"

Qiao Xinxin's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't show any fear on her face. She had already rehearsed this question countless times in her mind.

She pursed her lips shyly and answered softly:

"Minister Lin, to be honest, I haven't studied medicine systematically. Back in my hometown of Baijia Village, an elder in my family was a barefoot doctor. I was a mischievous child and would follow him all over the mountains and fields all day long, so I recognized quite a few herbs and knew some basic medicinal properties. But I've never attended a regular medical university, let alone formally apprenticed under a master."

Lin Zhengping nodded thoughtfully, then asked:

"Then where did you get your 'Qiao's Hemostatic Powder' formula from? Dr. Chen told me that its efficacy is something that an ordinary barefoot doctor couldn't figure out."

Qiao Xinxin remained expressionless, her soft voice carrying a hint of sincerity:

"Those are some handwritten ancient prescriptions left by my elders. I thought the original prescriptions were too slow to take effect, so I spent a few months figuring it out myself, slightly adjusting the proportions of the main ingredients and adding some mild herbs. That's how I came up with the hemostatic powder I have now. I never expected it to be so effective."

Lin Zhengping stared at her for a long time, as if trying to discern the truth or falsehood in her words.

After a moment, he sighed heavily and said in a complicated tone:

"In other words, what you're really thinking about right now is mostly folk remedies on pharmacology and medicinal properties, and you've never actually been exposed to clinical practice, acupuncture, or prescription writing?"

"right."

Qiao Xinxin honestly admitted, "I can figure out how to identify and dispense medicine. But if you ask me to take a patient's pulse and treat them, I don't have that skill. That would be endangering someone's life."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhengping suddenly slapped his thigh, abruptly raised his head, and his eyes gleamed with an unusual light:

"Comrade Qiao Xinxin, let me ask you this: do you want to study medicine systematically? Not just those miscellaneous clinical diagnostics, but specifically drug development and pharmacological analysis! If you're willing, I'll personally mentor you and make you my closed-door disciple!"

"what?"

Qiao Xinxin was stunned. Her almond-shaped eyes widened as she looked at the highly respected old minister in front of her in disbelief.

She never expected that Lin Zhengping would come in the middle of the night to take her as a student!

She had indeed considered this before. Although she had a portable space and the book "Ancient Prescriptions with New Methods," without the support of systematic modern medical theory, she could only figure out a lot of pharmacological knowledge on her own, which was extremely inefficient. If she could have a good teacher to guide her, it would definitely be twice as effective with half the effort.

But she never dreamed that the teacher who came to her door would be the head of the military medical department!

"Minister Lin, you...you're not joking, are you? You're willing to take me as your student?" Qiao Xinxin's voice was trembling.

Do I look like I'm joking?

Lin Zhengping chuckled, his expression turning serious:

"You're a twenty-year-old girl, never been to school, yet you managed to concoct a miraculous medicine like 'Qiao's Hemostatic Powder' using only a few tattered ancient prescriptions and your own trial and error. What does that show? It shows that you possess an extraordinary sensitivity to drugs and their proportions! This talent is a gift from God; those students who spend five or six years in medical school memorizing formulas can't even come close to your level!"

He paused, his tone full of sincerity:

"I know you're twenty years old, so you're starting a bit later than others. But drug development is different from clinical medicine. As long as you have the talent and are willing to put in the effort, you can get started quickly. Just nod, and I'll personally teach you from the most basic medicinal herb identification and modern pharmacology. I won't let you feel overwhelmed. How about that?"

Listening to Lin Zhengping's heartfelt words, Qiao Xinxin felt a warm feeling in her heart.

She thought of the lush medicinal herb field in her space, the exquisite yet obscure prescriptions in "Ancient Prescriptions Made Newly," and the pills and ointments she had always wanted to make but lacked the skills to do so.

This is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

"Minister Lin, I'm willing!"

Qiao Xinxin nodded heavily without hesitation, her voice soft but her tone exceptionally firm:

"I'm truly grateful that you're willing to teach me. However... there are some things I need to clarify with you first. I have to work at the Bai family's small restaurant during the day and also work shifts here at night, so my schedule might not be very fixed. I'm afraid it might interfere with your teaching plan."

"What kind of question is that!"

Upon hearing her agree, Lin Zhengping was overjoyed and waved his hand generously:

"Your schedule is completely flexible! You can come to the medical department to see me during the day whenever you have free time. There's no need to set a specific day or how long you need to stay. I can teach you anytime I'm available. I'm usually in my office."

Hearing this, Qiao Xinxin finally felt relieved.

She smiled sweetly at Lin Zhengping, her eyes crinkling, and called out in a clear, crisp voice:

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Teacher Lin!"

"Haha, good! Good student!"

Hearing this "teacher," Lin Zhengping felt extremely relieved. He stood up, dusted himself off, and instructed:

"Then it's settled. Come to the medical department tomorrow morning. I'll prepare a basic medical manual for you, including the herbs you need to recognize and their properties you need to memorize. We'll go through it all together and build a solid foundation."