Chapter 194: Father Pan Asks About the Source of the Medicine
Sheng Wanze smiled and shook his head. This time, he really had snatched his life back from the jaws of death. During the worst of the surgery, he could have sworn he saw the Grim Reaper waving at him.
“I’m alright,” he said. “I have a bit more strength today, and I’m feeling much better. Thank you for all your hard work while I was under.”
His wife had already filled him in on everything that had happened at home while he was deployed, and it was mostly Sheng Wanyan who had stepped up to look after their grandparents. Not only had his sister helped with the moving and cleaning, but she had also frequently brought over fresh meat to make sure Pan Yue was properly nourished. Whenever crisis struck, his sister was always the one running herself ragged to hold the family together.
“Why are you getting all sentimental with me?” Wanyan chided gently. “If something happens to you, what do you think will happen to Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, sister-in-law, and your unborn child? Let me tell you right now, I have no intention of cleaning up your messes.”
Sheng Wanze’s smile only widened at her words. He knew his sister well; she was tough on the outside but incredibly soft on the inside. She only spoke so bluntly because she desperately wanted him to prioritize his own survival. In their line of work, having deep attachments at home was sometimes the only thing that kept a soldier fighting to stay alive when hovering on the brink of death.
“Hey… I’m your brother, remember? I’m born lucky,” Sheng Wanze replied, quickly reverting to his usual, infuriatingly nonchalant self.
“I’ll go get you a glass of water while you chat with sister-in-law,” Wanyan said, rolling her eyes playfully.
She stood up, leaving the couple to talk in private. While filling a glass at the kettle, she took advantage of the brief moment alone to slip a concentrated drop of spiritual spring water into the cup.
Sheng Wanze and Pan Yue were currently locked in their own world, leaving him with no spare attention to notice her movements. Wanyan handed the glass to her brother, watched him drink it down, and then prepared to head back to the compound with Pan Yue.
Pan Yue had walked to the hospital despite her pregnancy, but now that Wanyan was here, she could hitch a ride back on the bicycle.
“Sister-in-law, wrap your arms securely around my waist,” Wanyan instructed as she mounted the bike.
Pan Yue complied, hugging her tightly. The moment her hands brushed against Wanyan’s slender waist, she couldn’t help but think that Gu Tingxiao was a very lucky man.
Mindful of her passenger’s condition, Wanyan maintained a slow, cautious pace, carefully navigating the path back to the family quarters.
“Thank you so much, Wanyan,” Pan Yue said as she stepped off the bike.
“Don’t mention it, sister-in-law. Get some rest.”
After a few more brief words, Pan Yue headed inside.
In the days that followed, Sheng Wanyan’s routine settled into a predictable rhythm. She split her time between managing her quiet household with Gu Tingxiao and making regular trips to the hospital to check on her brother.
A week later, Sheng Wanze had his stitches removed. To the astonishment of his medical team, his recovery had progressed so rapidly that he was cleared for discharge to continue recuperating at home. The doctors had never seen anyone bounce back so quickly; within a single week, his vitals and strength had rebounded as if he had never been grievously wounded in the first place. Ultimately, the staff chalked it up to his peak physical conditioning as an active-duty soldier.
To celebrate his homecoming, Pan Yue organized a family dinner, inviting Wanyan, Gu Tingxiao, and her own parents. Sheng Wanyan accepted the invitation with a bright smile, promising that she and Gu Tingxiao would arrive right on time.
Wanyan didn’t offer to help with the cooking beforehand. She knew that no matter how close a family was, it was important to respect the boundaries between host and guest on such occasions. However, since Sheng Wanze was her brother, showing up entirely empty-handed felt too distant. Instead, she prepared two supplementary dishes at home to contribute to the feast.
She fried up a batch of sweet potato rounds and crisp potato chips, tossing the chips in a savory blend of chili powder and cumin. Checking the clock and seeing it was time to leave, she packed the snacks into a basket and walked across the lane with her husband.
“Wanyan, Tingxiao! Come on in and sit down,” Sheng Wanze greeted them at the door.
Now that her husband was safely back under their own roof, Pan Yue was visibly in much better spirits. The deep, exhausted lines that had etched her face over the past week had entirely vanished, replaced by a radiant, relaxed smile.
“Sister-in-law, I whipped up a few snacks. I hope they’re to your liking,” Wanyan smiled, handing over the basket.
Pan Yue accepted it warmly, taking Wanyan by the hand and pulling her into the living room. “What are you talking about? How could I possibly dislike anything you make? But you really didn’t need to bring anything from your own kitchen. Don’t do it next time, alright?”
Wanyan simply nodded with a smile. Once they were comfortably seated, Pan Yue served them two cups of sweet sugar water. “Make yourselves at home. Dinner will be ready as soon as my parents get off work.”
“Do you need a hand in the kitchen, sister-in-law?” Wanyan asked, shifting to rise.
“Oh, no need at all! It’s just a few quick dishes left. Stay here and chat with Wanze and your husband.” Pan Yue wasn’t about to let her guest work. Wanyan had been running herself ragged caring for the family for days, and this dinner was specifically meant to express their gratitude. Letting her cook would defeat the purpose.
Once Commander Pan and Nurse Pan arrived home from the hospital, the family officially gathered around the dining table. A joyous atmosphere filled the room, and Grandpa Sheng couldn’t help but raise his voice to speak.
“Wanze and Xiao Gu truly did a great service for our country this time, and both managed to cheat death,” the old man said, his eyes glinting with pride. “Fortunately, everyone is safe and sound under one roof tonight.”
Commander Pan nodded in solemn agreement. When Sheng Wanze had first been brought back covered in blood, it had given the veteran commander a massive fright. For a moment, he had genuinely feared his son-in-law wouldn’t survive the night.
“Today, we are celebrating two major triumphs,” Commander Pan announced, looking around the table. “First, these two young men served our nation with honor and successfully executed a treacherous mission, proving themselves entirely worthy of the country’s trust. Second, Wanze is officially out of the hospital, and Xiao Gu is healing beautifully. Everyone is whole and healthy. Let’s raise a glass to celebrate these two wonderful milestones.”
As the family lifted their glasses, the two recovering soldiers were noticeably excluded from the liquor, forced to toast with bowls of nourishing soup instead. But it didn’t matter. In their line of work, as long as the family was healthy and together, soup was more than enough to mark a celebration.
After dinner, the women retreated to the kitchen to help wash the dishes, leaving Gu Tingxiao, Sheng Wanze, and Commander Pan alone in the living room. The moment the kitchen door clicked shut, the relaxed, celebratory air evaporated, replaced by a dense, serious silence.
Commander Pan shifted his gaze to Gu Tingxiao. After a quiet moment of deliberation, he broached the subject weighing heavily on his mind.
“Tingxiao, what’s the story behind that medicine you used out in the field?”
Gu Tingxiao took a slow, deliberate sip of his tea. Setting the cup down on the table, he met his superior’s gaze with a perfectly detached, unreadable expression. “Medicine? I’m afraid I don’t follow, Uncle Pan.”
Seeing him play dumb, Commander Pan set his own cup down with a sharp click, his tone sharpening. “Still playing innocent? Do you honestly think an anomaly like that can be kept under wraps? Captain Gu, this isn’t a minor detail. That medicine possesses an unprecedented level of efficacy!”
As a military commander, he couldn’t help but grow animated. A medical advancement of that caliber could mean the difference between life and death for thousands of frontline soldiers.
“I genuinely do not understand what Commander Pan is referring to,” Gu Tingxiao replied smoothly, his eyes narrowing slightly as a cold aura settled over him.
“Comrade Gu Tingxiao!” Commander Pan barked, slamming his hand on the armrest as he stood up. Seeing the younger man refuse to budge an inch made his blood boil. If Gu Tingxiao weren’t currently nursing a fractured arm and a torn chest, the commander would have dragged him out to the training grounds to beat some compliance into him.
Taking a deep breath to steady his temper, Commander Pan realized that if Gu Tingxiao dug his heels in, there was absolutely nothing he could do to force his hand.
Turning his sharp gaze toward his son-in-law, the commander tried to extract a clue from him instead. But Sheng Wanze merely shrugged, giving a fluid gesture that indicated he was completely in the dark.
Left with no other options, Commander Pan could only glare back at Gu Tingxiao, who sat perfectly erect, utterly unbothered by the pressure.
“Captain Gu, you need to look at the bigger picture here,” Commander Pan pressured, his voice dropping into a low, commanding register. “This medicine involves the lives of countless soldiers. Surely you understand which priorities carry more weight.”
Gu Tingxiao’s expression didn’t change, but a cold, mocking smirk flickered across his lips as he looked up at his father-in-law. “And once Commander Pan secures the details, how exactly do you intend to handle it?”
“Naturally, we would expect the source to do their duty for the nation and hand over the formula.”
