Xiaojing and Xiaoya led Yu He down a door behind the kitchen. In the basement, there was a desk with an old photo of Madam Yu, a censer, and some fruit.
Seeing Madam Yu's black and white photo, Yu He felt a surge of emotion and her throat tightened.
This was a physical reaction.
"Grandma Yu kept mentioning you before she passed, and she was worried about the clinic. After she left, Brother Wei took her ashes back to the mountain village and hasn't been back since," Xiaojing said.
Yu He took three incense sticks, lit them, bowed, and placed them in the censer.
She took a deep breath and said, "Since I'm back, I will make sure the clinic gets back on its feet!"
Although she couldn't remember her past, her medical skills were still ingrained in her mind.
Hearing this, Xiaojing and Xiaoya's faces lit up with joy. "That's great!"
"I almost thought our clinic was going to close down. Now that you're back, I have no regrets," Xiaoya said, tears welling up again.
Madam Yu and Yu He had been very kind to them. When they graduated and couldn't find work, Yu He had given them an opportunity among many other talents.
In the clinic, Yu He and Madam Yu generously shared their medical knowledge and techniques for making medicinal cuisine with them. They learned a lot of practical skills.
What moved them the most was that the clinic's fees were very affordable for ordinary people, unlike some famous doctors who charged exorbitant prices, making it difficult for many commoners to afford treatment for serious illnesses.
They loved the clinic's atmosphere and had persevered, believing that Yu He would return.
Five years later, their wait was finally over.
"Why are you crying again?" Yu He furrowed her brow, wondering if she was made of water.
"I'm just too happy," Xiaoya said, wiping her tears.
Seeing that she wasn't telling the whole truth, Xiaojing couldn't help but say, "Yu He, it's just that Xiaoya's family is pressuring her to go back and get married and not let her stay in the capital anymore."
"They say she can't earn money here, so it's better to go back to the village. Her uncle has arranged a nursing position for her at the town hospital. Although the salary isn't very high, it includes food and accommodation, and she won't have to pay for those expenses herself..."
Although the Ye family covered their rent, utilities, and salaries at the end of each month, there were still many incidental expenses. They were too embarrassed to ask the Ye family for money for things like running out of medicinal herbs, a broken stove, or a damaged radiator, so they paid out of their own pockets.
While these amounts seemed small individually, they added up. Besides their fixed salaries, they had no commission and contributed quite a bit of money to the clinic each month.
They loved it here, so they didn't mind. Moreover, they had very little to do each month, and the Ye family insisted on paying them, which made them feel somewhat guilty. Being able to contribute to the clinic made them feel more at ease.
However, their families didn't understand and kept urging them to quit.
Xiaojing was a little better off. Her family situation was slightly more comfortable, allowing her to be more assertive and stick to what she wanted to do.
But Xiaoya's family wasn't well-off. In her village, she had two younger brothers, and her parents were both urging her to send her salary home to support them. Seeing that she wasn't earning much in the city and was of marriageable age, they pressured her to get married.
Xiaoya had been stalling her family for two years. This year, as she was approaching 28, her parents became anxious, fearing she would be too old to marry. They used various means to push her, threatening to come to the city and drag her back for the wedding if she didn't return to get married.
"Is the person you're marrying someone you love?" Yu He asked Xiaoya.
Xiaoya fell silent, her brows drooping.
"What love? Her uncle introduced her to a potential suitor, a doctor at the town hospital. He's thirty-four, balding, and owns a house and a car. She's only met him twice, and he's very pleased with her. As long as she goes back, they'll get married, and she'll become a nurse at the community hospital," Xiaojing explained.
Yu He understood. She patted Xiaoya's shoulder. "Think carefully about whether you want to go back. But regardless of whether you stay or go, I will give you both a bonus as a reward for your contributions to the clinic over the years. Additionally, for those who stay, I will grant them a portion of the clinic's shares."
"Personally, I hope you both will stay. The clinic and I need you," she said sincerely.
Xiaoya, who had finally managed to hold back her tears, started crying again. "Yu He, even though you don't remember us, you're still so good to us. I... I..."
Seeing that she was about to cry again, Yu He quickly interrupted, "Don't rush to answer me. Take these two days to think carefully and figure out what kind of life you want for yourself in the future."
Xiaoya nodded. "Okay."
The yard.
Ye Zi was taking Duo Duo and Yue Yue to feed the goldfish in the pond.
"Uncle, don't you have class today?" Duo Duo asked.
Ye Zi replied, "I took leave."
"Uncle, are your grades good?" Duo Duo asked again.
Ye Zi said, "They're okay. Top five in my grade."
"Wow, Uncle, you're so amazing!" Duo Duo looked at him with admiration.
Being admired made Ye Zi feel proud, and he held his head high, but he said, "It's alright. Not as good as my sister. My sister was the top student in the entire school back then, and many world-renowned universities vied for her."
"Wow, my mommy is so amazing!" Duo Duo's eyes sparkled.
Yue Yue heard this and looked up at Ye Zi, hoping to hear more about their mother from him.
Ye Zi said proudly, "Of course. My sister was a genius! She was also a master hacker. The Gu family once offered her billions to take on a mission. She was also a renowned miracle doctor. Any patient she treated, as long as they hadn't breathed their last, could be brought back from the brink!"
"If they hadn't breathed their last, wouldn't they still be alive?" Yue Yue pointed out.
Ye Zi: "..."
Ye Zi: "That's an idiom, meaning my sister's medical skills are incredibly powerful. Can you stop ruining the moment?!"
"I know Mom's medical skills are amazing. Ever since we were young, Mom has treated us whenever we were sick," Yue Yue said.
"Yes, Mommy is very capable," Duo Duo chimed in. "But Uncle, you're also very capable, knowing so much~"
Her niece was still the cutest. Ye Zi held his head even higher. "This is nothing. It's because my sister and I had a good relationship back then."
"Then Uncle, do you know who my Daddy is?" Duo Duo pressed on.
Ye Zi nodded smugly. "Of course."
The two children looked at him expectantly. "Who is it?"
Ye Zi snapped back to attention. Wait, what did she just ask?
"It's me!" a flippant male voice called out from the doorway.
The three turned around and saw a man with a mohawk walking in. The fitted suit he wore couldn't hide his roguish, hooligan-like demeanor.
"Brother Yao," Ye Zi greeted him.
Shen Yao strode forward, crouched down to examine the two children, then turned to Ye Zi and asked, "Are they Yu He's children?!"
He had overheard their conversation when he arrived at the door.
The children kept calling Ye Zi "Uncle." Ye Zi only had one sister, Yu He!
So, Yu He was back!
She wasn't dead!
"Yes!" Ye Zi replied.
"Then I'm your Daddy!" Shen Yao declared excitedly to the two children.