Zhu Yanyi paused slightly. In her past life, she had never been a mother, and in this life, she had no plans to have children yet. Thus, she did not understand the feeling Zhu Yanli was experiencing. However, seeing Zhu Yanli’s expression, she suddenly felt an impulse to have a child of her own. But this was just a fleeting thought. Given her current situation, she knew she would not have children before turning twenty-five, mainly due to lack of time.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yanyi smiled lightly. "It feels like you’ve really changed, Sister."
Zhu Yanli also smiled. "When you get married and have your own child, you will be just like me. Actually, it’s not that we have changed, but that life is changing us."
Life changes us? Zhu Yanyi’s heart stirred. Humans are social creatures because they create life, but life also changes people. Only through mutual change can one adapt to the world and understand how difficult it is to make this journey through life.
Zhu Yanyi smiled, understanding now. So that was it. Life can change people, and people can change life. The things she was doing now were changing human life, and in turn, life was demanding higher standards from her.
She smiled. So one of the meanings of her existence in this world was to change people’s lives. After all, only when people’s health improved could human society develop. Thinking this way, she realized she had unknowingly entered the mid-stage of Gangjin.
It had only been a few days. She chuckled softly. Indeed, sometimes opportunity was very important.
"Ani, what’s wrong?" Zhu Yanli asked, surprised by Zhu Yanyi’s strange smile.
"Nothing. I’m going to take a bath." Zhu Yanyi said and walked away.
"Doesn’t she usually bathe before bed? She hasn’t even eaten dinner yet. Why does she want to bathe now?" Zhu Yanli murmured to herself. It wasn’t a big matter, and although she was curious, she did not press further.
When Yan Aohan returned and saw Zhu Yanli but not Zhu Yanyi, he looked surprised. "Eldest Sister, where is Ani?"
"She went back to her room to bathe," Zhu Yanli replied. "You’re back. We should eat dinner now. Mother said we should start without her."
"Okay." Yan Aohan nodded. "I’ll go back to my room to put my things down and then come out."
Yan Aohan went to her room, only to see Zhu Yanyi coming out after her bath. He immediately understood why she had bathed. "What made you break through to the mid-stage of Gangjin?"
"I just figured out a daily problem, and my internal energy broke through unconsciously," Zhu Yanyi said with a grin.
Yan Aohan smiled helplessly. "Alright. When I came in earlier, Eldest Sister said it was time for dinner."
"Fine. Let’s go eat dinner together."
Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan walked out together. Zhu Yanli had already set the table. Seeing them, she smiled. "Hurry up and serve the rice."
Zhu Yanyi went to the side and served two bowls of rice, one for Yan Aohan and one for Zhu Yanli, then served a third bowl for herself.
The three ate together. Just as they finished, Xie Xinlian and Zhu Zhibin returned. Zhu Zhibin was carrying a basket of apricots.
"Why did you buy apricots?" Zhu Yanyi picked one up casually, looked at it, put it back, and asked curiously.
"We didn’t buy them. We met Director Gu at the hospital entrance. He said a patient gave them to him. There were two baskets, and he let us bring this one home," Zhu Zhibin said, placing the apricots aside.
Zhu Yanli smiled upon seeing them. "I’ve been craving something sour these past two days. I didn’t expect these apricots to arrive just in time."
"Then wash them and eat them yourself. But don’t eat too many, or your teeth will ache," Xie Xinlian advised.
Zhu Yanli nodded, went to the side to wash the apricots, and began eating.
Zhu Yanyi also picked up a washed apricot, sniffed it, and her expression changed. "Sister, let me smell that one?"
Zhu Yanli was startled and handed her the apricot she had just bitten into. Zhu Yanyi sniffed it, and her expression relaxed slightly. "Good. Yours is fine."
Xie Xinlian was alarmed and pointed at the basket of apricots. "Is there something wrong with these apricots?"
Zhu Yanyi remained silent for a moment, then said, "Although this one is fine, you should still drink a bottle of Spirit Spring water, just to be safe." She then asked Yan Aohan to go to her room and get the Spirit Spring water from her medicine box for Zhu Yanli. Meanwhile, she called Gu Jingtian.
"Senior Brother, do not eat those apricots. I suspect someone has injected poppy juice into them."
"What?" Gu Jingtian was slightly startled, then said, "Fortunately, we haven’t eaten them yet. I will take the apricots back to the hospital for testing later."
"Yes. I will also send my basket over," Zhu Yanyi said seriously.
She then turned to Zhu Yanli. "In this basket of apricots, some have been injected with poppy juice, and some have not. Sister, you were lucky; yours was fine. However, just in case, I gave you Spirit Spring water. So don’t worry, you will be fine."
Zhu Yanli patted her chest in relief. "Thank goodness. Thank goodness Ani discovered it. If you hadn’t, and I had eaten an apricot with poppy juice tomorrow, not only would I suffer, but I might not even be able to keep the baby."
Zhu Yanyi looked at Yan Aohan. "I need your help again."
"With pleasure," Yan Aohan smiled. "I will have someone investigate to see who sent these." Daring to distribute such problematic apricots meant some people were getting restless.
Zhu Yanyi nodded slightly. With Yan Aohan handling the investigation, she did not need to ask anyone else.
Zhu Yanyi tidied up, picked up the basket of apricots, and returned to the hospital for testing.
Watching Zhu Yanyi leave, Xie Xinlian sighed. "Being a doctor is a good profession, but there are no days off."
"Mother, you shouldn’t say that. I think Second Sister is doing a good job as a doctor. Otherwise, if Eldest Sister and the little nephew had been harmed, we might not even know the cause," Zhu Zhibin said seriously from the side.
Xie Xinlian naturally agreed with this point. "I was just speaking casually. I just feel sorry for your Second Sister. It was rare for her to get off work on time today, and now she has to go to the hospital again at night."
Zhu Yanli nodded sympathetically from the side. "Although I know Ani saved me, seeing her so busy still makes my heart ache for her."
Xie Xinlian agreed. "Isn’t that right?"
Zhu Zhibin chuckled from the side. "Actually, every profession is busy. Eldest Sister is pregnant with Baby Bei, yet she is still busy writing her own musical scores. When the little nephew is born, you will go out to perform, and you will still be busy then."
Xie Xinlian said from the side, "Anyway, all three of you are busy."
Xie Xinlian was not wrong at all. Whether it was Zhu Yanyi, Zhu Yanli, or Zhu Zhibin, as their life experience grew, they would only become busier, until the day they retired.