Zhu Yanyi walked into Grandpa Yao’s practice chamber. The room was filled with drawers of Chinese herbs and shelves of books. In the center stood a desk with chairs on either side and opposite, clearly for consultations and waiting. A tea table and a few chairs nearby served for guests. Though the practice chamber held many items, it was kept very clean.
"Grandpa Yao, do you still see patients every day?" Zhu Yanyi tilted her head, looking at her. Given her status, she usually only treated difficult cases or people of high standing.
Grandpa Yao smiled slightly, tacitly admitting it. She went to a small cabinet, took out a bowl, and poured mushroom and century egg porridge from a thermos. She then took out a silver spoon, ate a mouthful of porridge, and bit into a buckwheat steamed bun. Zhu Yanyi had carefully stuffed some pickled vegetables inside, making it taste wonderful.
Grandpa Yao nodded while eating. "Your cooking skills have improved a lot. It seems you’ve learned a lot in these five years."
After looking around the practice chamber, Zhu Yanyi sat opposite her. "It’s okay. I basically cook medicinal meals every day. Everyone in my family has eaten my dishes. At first, the medicine taste was strong, but now they can’t even taste it. They’ve gotten used to it and even give me suggestions. As my medicinal cooking improved, my general cooking skills improved too."
"I don’t think your family is used to it. They just have no choice. They couldn’t refuse, could they?" Grandpa Yao pierced through the truth directly. The Zhu family loved Zhu Yanyi too much. No matter how bad her food tasted, they would always finish it.
Zhu Yanyi smiled mischievously. "Grandpa Yao, how can you bear to expose the truth? Am I still your caring little cotton-padded jacket disciple or not?"
"Because you are my caring little cotton-padded jacket disciple, I speak the truth directly. Look, do I talk about this with others?" Grandpa Yao glanced at Zhu Yanyi, giving her a look that said she was really ungrateful.
Zhu Yanyi laughed. Grandpa Yao couldn’t keep a straight face and smiled too. The bond between master and disciple had not grown distant despite their five-year separation.
After finishing breakfast, Zhu Yanyi helped clean up the dishes. Only then did Grandpa Yao speak. "For now, act as my little assistant and follow me. Later, I’ll show you around the environment. Once you’re fully familiar with everything in a few days, I’ll arrange for you to intern in the emergency room. Since you don’t have a medical license yet, you’re just an intern, so there’s no salary."
Zhu Yanyi glanced at Grandpa Yao. "I thought I’d be your medicine boy for a while. You’re so generous to let me be an intern."
Grandpa Yao laughed and scolded lightly. "I’d love to keep you as my medicine boy, but your skills are already better than your master’s. How dare I keep you? It’s better to send you off quickly."
Zhu Yanyi was speechless. "You invited me to the Capital Hospital, and now you’re sending me away. Being your disciple is really hard."
"Yes, yes, that’s exactly right." A strange voice came from the doorway. Zhu Yanyi quickly stood up and turned around. A man stood at the door, looking only in her thirties, but the wisdom in her eyes showed she was older than she looked. "You must be the junior sister. I am your senior brother, Gu Jingtian."