Chapter 79: Let the Facts Speak

Brother Song exhaled a heavy breath, his face lighting up with joy. The vast Northwest awaited him—he would surely go. The Xu family’s treasure could only belong to him. As he imagined the glorious days to come, a greedy yet confident smile crept onto his lips.

At eight that evening, Xu Lin, Yu Tong, and Grandma Zheng boarded the train together. Originally, Yu Tong was supposed to accompany Xu Lin alone, but Grandma Zheng wouldn’t allow it. That was her late sister’s only son; she couldn’t rest easy unless she saw him herself. With Xu Lin’s medical skills as reassurance, Grandma Zheng’s safety was guaranteed, so even dutiful Old Zheng had no choice but to agree.

What frustrated Old Zheng was that he’d been swamped with work lately and simply couldn’t take time off. Otherwise, he would have gone with them as well.

Fortunately, Old Zheng managed to secure sleeper berths for the three, sparing them the trouble of crowding with others and saving much hassle.

After a night on the train, the three had breakfast in the morning, packed up their belongings, and disembarked a bit after eight. As soon as they left the station, they spotted a young man in military uniform holding a sign, waiting for arrivals.

Yu Tong immediately led the other two toward him. After confirming identities, Xu Lin learned that the young man’s name was Qi Yue. He was Si Zhan’s orderly—Si Zhan being the very person Xu Lin had come to save.

“Grandma Zheng, shall I take you to the guesthouse to settle in first, then bring you to the hospital?” Qi Yue asked as he drove.

“No need, just go straight to the hospital,” Grandma Zheng waved her hand. “I want to see my dear nephew first. He’s suffered enough.”

Yu Tong said nothing, only casting an apologetic glance at Xu Lin. Xu Lin returned a smile; after a full night’s rest, she didn’t feel tired at all. Whether they went to the guesthouse or the hospital first made no difference to her.

And so, the group hurried straight to the Military Region General Hospital. Comrade Si Zhan was in a private room, with guards stationed outside. After strict security checks all the way in, the three finally arrived outside the ward—clearly, Si Zhan’s identity was anything but ordinary.

Inside the ward stood two doctors, one elderly and one young. As they saw the three enter, their scrutinizing gazes fell squarely on Xu Lin, making it clear they were familiar with Grandma Zheng and her companion.

“Elder Zheng, hello. Is this the doctor you invited?” The older man nearly called her a miracle doctor but swallowed the words—some titles were best avoided.

“Dr. Ge, hello.” Grandma Zheng returned the greeting politely before introducing Xu Lin: “Yes, this is Dr. Xu Lin, who is highly skilled. She removed all the shrapnel from my body.

If you have any doubts, you can check my recovery yourself.”

With that, Grandma Zheng extended her arm, indicating that Dr. Ge was welcome to take her pulse and confirm for himself.

Dr. Ge didn’t hesitate, but as he reached out, a derisive laugh sounded nearby. “Elder Zheng, you must be joking. You know how tricky the shrapnel in your body was—how could anyone possibly remove it? I’m afraid you’ve been deceived.”

Tao Chunxiu cast a pointed glance at Xu Lin as she spoke of deception, her meaning obvious.

Provoked, Xu Lin rolled her eyes without reservation, not bothering to argue—after all, the evidence was right there. Anyone who doubted could examine the facts. Arguing further would only make her seem insecure. Instead, she turned her attention to Si Zhan.

He had a head of white hair and looked terribly thin—one might think he was in his fifties or sixties, though Grandma Zheng had told her he was only forty-three. In later times, forty-one was the prime of a man’s life, yet here he lay, bedridden for over two years.

Tao Chunxiu, irked by Xu Lin’s eye roll, couldn’t resist goading her further. “What, you’re not convinced? Too bad, you’ll have to put up with it. I’m telling you, today I’ll expose your tricks. To think you’d try to bluff your way into the General Hospital—do you think no one’s watching?”

Xu Lin responded with an even bigger eye roll, while Dr. Ge exclaimed in shock, “How can this be? How is this possible? How did you do this?”

Dr. Ge’s incredulous expression was immensely satisfying to Xu Lin; she couldn’t help but smile and arch an eyebrow, tossing Tao Chunxiu a mocking look that plainly said, “Go on, keep talking, and see how it backfires on you.”

“Dr. Ge, what’s impossible? Is she a fraud?” Tao Chunxiu pressed, turning to Grandma Zheng. “I told you, even Western surgery couldn’t manage it, so how could a practitioner of Chinese medicine?”

At this, both Xu Lin and Yu Tong rolled their eyes in tandem, thinking what a pity it was for such a person to possess a mouth.

But her words offended more than just Xu Lin—they were an affront to Dr. Ge and, if spread, would insult countless Chinese medicine practitioners.

Sure enough, Dr. Ge’s expression darkened as he glared at Tao Chunxiu, saying coolly, “Chunxiu, I’ll admit you’re outstanding in Western medicine, but for fields you’re unfamiliar with, at least show some respect. Otherwise, you’ll only reveal your ignorance.”

Tao Chunxiu flushed with embarrassment but refused to back down. “Dr. Ge, I know you’re formidable—there are few better than you. But if even you can’t do it, how could a greenhorn girl possibly succeed?”

“And why couldn’t she?” Dr. Ge retorted, his disapproval clear. “Chunxiu, you should know there’s always someone better. Just because you can’t doesn’t mean others can’t. I know you’re skeptical, but that’s fine. Let’s let the facts speak.”

Turning to Grandma Zheng, he asked, “Would you mind undergoing a full examination here at the General Hospital?”

“Not at all. Check all you like. But you must promise me—after the tests, let Linlin examine Xiao Zhan. I’m Si Zhan’s aunt—closer than his own blood—I would never harm him.”

Seizing the chance to set terms, Grandma Zheng smiled wryly, and Dr. Ge could only agree. “As long as Dr. Xu proves her skill, we’ll certainly give her a chance. If there’s any hope of bringing Comrade Si Zhan back, we won’t give up.”

Grandma Zheng nodded. As for Tao Chunxiu’s sniping, she didn’t care—she believed the facts would speak for themselves.

Soon, Grandma Zheng was sent off for tests. Tao Chunxiu, unwilling to believe, decided to oversee everything herself, determined to prevent any possibility of cheating. Her pettiness knew no bounds.

Once Tao Chunxiu had left, Dr. Ge finally said, “Comrade Xu, I know of you.”

Xu Lin looked puzzled, prompting Dr. Ge to explain, “My name is Ge Sixian, and I’m a friend of Sun Huaisheng’s.”

“Oh!” Xu Lin quickly saluted, “Hello, Dr. Ge, I’m Xu Lin. Please guide me.”

“No need for that. Old Sun told me he doesn’t dare guide you, and I’m even less qualified,” Dr. Ge joked, then added, “Tao Chunxiu doesn’t believe in you, but I do. For now, why don’t you take a look at Comrade Si’s condition, get a sense of things, and once Elder Zheng’s test results are out, we’ll begin treatment.”