After becoming a widow, I became the apple of a rough man's eye.

Afternoon passed, a heavy wind pressed down on the courtyard, and even the dried mugwort under the eaves remained still.

Lin Qingqing squatted by the medicine table, spreading out handfuls of freshly picked honeysuckle, her fingertips carrying a faint, refreshing herbal scent. Just as she straightened up, a crisp greeting came from the courtyard gate:

"Dr. Gu, my father asked me to bring some medicinal herbs..."

The person who came was Sun Muzi, the daughter of the pharmacy owner.

She was carrying a large bag of medicinal herbs. Usually, she was efficient and straightforward, but today, for some reason, as soon as she stepped across the threshold, she seemed to be nailed to the spot, forgetting to even move her feet.

In the courtyard, three men each occupied a corner.

Gu Qiangying sat behind the consultation table, looking down at the prescription. Her glasses were pressed down a little, her expression was indifferent, and even the way she flipped through the papers had an air of ruthless efficiency.

Xiao Yong was sawing wood strips under the corridor, his arms tense, his shoulders and back as hard as forged iron.

Jiang He squatted by the well, swinging his legs. Hearing the noise, he turned his head and smiled, revealing his little tiger teeth. His youthful spirit was mixed with a bit of mischief.

Sun Muzi stared in disbelief, her mouth agape: "This...this..."

The next second, with a "snap," the medicine packet slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

Scutellaria baicalensis, Codonopsis pilosula, and Atractylodes macrocephala were scattered all over the ground, and the yellow paper used to wrap the medicine was also turned over and rolled around to the edge of the bricks.

Gu Qiangying raised her eyes and spoke without any politeness:

"Sun Muzi, are you here to deliver medicine, or to plant seeds in my yard? Tuck your chin in a bit; medicinal herbs are more expensive than men."

Sun Muzi's face flushed red instantly. She hurriedly squatted down to pick it up, her voice trembling, "I'm sorry, Dr. Gu, I didn't mean to..."

"Does not doing it on purpose make things easier?" Gu Qiang's tone was cool, his voice low but even more intimidating. "Now, half the package has to be sorted again. The damp ones have to be dried again, and the mixed ones have to be re-sorted. When your dad finds out, will he scold you first, or me?"

Sun Muzi's hands trembled, and her eyes instantly reddened: "I...I'll get it done right away..."

Lin Qingqing quickly stepped in to smooth things over, squatting down beside her: "Muzi, don't rush, pick them up separately first. It's more troublesome to mix Scutellaria baicalensis and Atractylodes macrocephala together. Here, let me help you."

As she spoke, she spread out clean medical papers with light and steady movements, first gathering the usable ones to one side.

Jiang He also chimed in, ostensibly offering to help, but actually just enjoying the spectacle: "Sister Mu, slow down. Third Brother's been in a much better mood today, but yesterday he..."

Gu Qiangying raised her eyes and said in a flat tone, "Jiang He."

"what?"

"If you say one more word, you'll be drinking the whole jar of honey and isatis root tea all by yourself tonight."

Jiang He choked, wrinkled his nose, and muttered, "All you know how to do is trick me."

Gu Qiangying was too lazy to pay attention to him anymore. She squatted down and silently picked up the packets of medicinal herbs one by one.

He sorted things meticulously: damp items were placed separately, usable items were grouped together, and items mixed with impurities were piled up in another batch. He was quick with his hands and even faster with his eyes.

"This one is damp, store it separately."

"This is still usable; just spread it out and let it air dry once."

"Don't press this down, the medicinal properties will dissipate faster if the leaves are crushed."

Sun Muzi stole a glance at him, her face turning even redder, and whispered, "Th-thank you..."

Gu Qiangying didn't even look up: "Don't thank me, you stepped on some Sichuan lovage."

"Huh?" Sun Muzi was startled and immediately moved her foot away, apologizing repeatedly.

Before we'd even finished picking them up here, two speckled chickens suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

The chicken stretched its head out and retracted, circling around the scattered dried tangerine peel, pecking at it every now and then, just like it was strolling through a market.

Jiang He grabbed a broom and chased after it, yelling, "Go away! That's medicine, not food!"

Unexpectedly, the chickens flapped their wings, one darting under the medicine shelf and the other leaping onto the drying rack, instantly making the yard even more chaotic.

"Jiang He, don't step on the licorice!" Lin Qingqing called out, looking up.

"I didn't step on it... Ouch! It pecked at my shoe!"

Gu Qiangying said coldly, "Put the honey jar down first."

Jiang He clung to the jar, refusing to let go: "I'm afraid the chickens will steal the water!"

"Chickens can't unscrew lids."

Lin Qingqing couldn't help but laugh, and Sun Muzi, who was almost in tears, also chuckled a little after this commotion.

As a result, her hand trembled, and half of the atractylodes she had just picked out spilled out.

Gu Qiangying rubbed her forehead, her temples throbbing. "Can't you just let my yard have a couple of days of peace and quiet?"

"Dr. Gu!" Sun Muzi's eyes welled up with tears again.

Lin Qingqing looked up and glared at Gu Qiangying: "Say less."

When Gu Qiangying met her gaze, her lips seemed to twitch, but she swallowed the rest of her sentence.

He threw the broom towards Jiang He:

"Hurry up, get the chickens out of here."

"Okay, okay..."

Xiao Yong kept his head down picking up the herbs, his hands were big but he was careful, holding the scattered dregs of the herbs steadily.

Jiang He chased chickens all over the yard, until the soles of his shoes were covered in dust.

Sun Muzi apologized as she packed her bag, sweat beading on her forehead.

Lin Qingqing ran back and forth, comforting people, distributing medicinal herbs, and making sure no one stepped on the herbs.

The small clinic courtyard was turned into a complete mess.

Despite the chaos, the laughter never stopped.

After more than half an hour of fussing, it was finally all done.

Sun Muzi hugged the medicine bag tightly, and before leaving, she whispered to Lin Qingqing:

"Sister Qingqing, your courtyard is more lively than a stage."

Lin Qingqing chuckled: "It's lively, but my ears are tired too."

After Sun Muzi left, the courtyard had only been quiet for a short while when Jiang He immediately came over to boast, his forehead stray hairs stuck together with sweat:

"Sister, I chased chickens until my legs were sore, and you didn't even praise me."

Gu Qiangying spoke first, showing no mercy: "You herded one chicken into the pharmacy and another onto the roof. What should I praise you for? That you're good at diverting traffic?"

Jiang He immediately exploded: "Third Brother, don't go too far!"

"You're the one who went too far." Gu Qiangying took the honey jar from his arms and placed it on top of the tall cabinet. "I'm confiscating it for now. So you don't have to carry it around the yard and then cry after you fall."

Jiang He stretched out his hand for a long time, even standing on tiptoe, but still couldn't reach it. He could only turn around and complain, "Sister, look at him!"

Lin Qingqing smiled and ruffled his hair: "Good boy, I'll make you a bowl tonight."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yong put the last packet of herbs back on the shelf, wiped his sweat, and turned to look at Lin Qingqing:

"Are your hands tired? Shall I give you a massage?"

Gu Qiangying turned to the side, her tone calm as if she were discussing serious matters: "I'll massage her hand. Go to the backyard and saw that pine tree; the medicine shelf needs to be reinforced."

"Okay." Xiao Yong readily agreed and turned to get the saw. After taking a couple of steps, he turned back. "Qingqing, I'll wrap some cloth around the handle of the saw tonight to prevent it from slipping."

Lin Qingqing smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Okay."

Seeing her smile, Gu Qiangying's expression relaxed a bit. He reached out and pulled her in front of him, pressing her thumb against her hand and palm: "You've been practicing for too long today. Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner."

Lin Qingqing whispered, "I'm not hungry yet."

"You're not hungry, but your stomach will." His voice lowered, leaving no room for argument. "Listen to me."

Lin Qingqing looked up at him, blinked, and finally nodded obediently: "Then give me half a bowl."

Jiang He, standing nearby, clicked his tongue in envy: "Sister should listen to Third Brother."

Gu Qiangying replied to him calmly, "If you memorize the entire 'Compendium of Materia Medica,' she'll listen to you too."

Jiang He puffed out his chest: "I'll carry it! I'll carry it tonight!"

"First, get that chicken off the roof."

"..."

……

At dinner time, the four of them sat down around a small table.

The winter melon soup was clear and bright, the mixed grain rice was steaming hot, and a plate of cucumber salad sat beside the bowl. Xiao Yong had just come out of the kitchen, his sleeves still rolled up, his hands smelling of cooking. Jiang He, who was thinking about the honey, finished half a cup and then pestered Lin Qingqing for a second.

Gu Qiangying snapped at him, "Half a cup is enough."

Jiang He looked aggrieved: "I'm not a child..."

"Yes. The kids aren't as noisy as you."

The argument was going on at the table when suddenly the wind shifted.

The old locust tree in the corner of the yard was the first to make a "whoosh" sound, as if someone had flipped the entire leaf over, leaving the back white.

Immediately afterwards, the sky visibly darkened. Layers of dark clouds pressed in from the west, so low they almost touched the mountain ridge, and the muggy air suddenly became tight, making even breathing difficult.

Jiang He looked up at the sky: "It's only autumn, how come it's getting dark so quickly?"

Xiao Yong frowned and put down the bowl: "No, it looks like it's going to be a big one."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a muffled thunderclap rolled in from behind the mountain, its rumble shaking the ground.

The enamel bowl on the table trembled slightly, causing ripples to spread across the soup.

Gu Qiangying looked up at the sky, decisively put down her chopsticks, and said in a deep voice:

"Stop eating, collect the medicinal herbs first, quick!"