Sitting in the car, Chen Fang still felt somewhat dazed because she noticed that her son's reactions today varied greatly from before.
Just the fact that Ye Qiu had cured the daughter of Deputy Mayor Li, Chen Fang had some trouble catching up.
"Where are you guys headed?"
The taxi driver, seeing that the two of them had gotten in and remained silent, asked.
"Driver, we're going to the entrance of Hengyuan Archway in the Eastern District of Jiangbei."
Chen Fang said.
As the taxi driver headed towards Hengyuan Archway, Ye Qiu noticed that Chen Fang kept looking at him.
"Mom, what are you staring at?"
"I feel like I was just dreaming."
To this moment, Chen Fang still felt her son had changed so much, she couldn't adjust.
Ye Qiu smiled, having guessed it would be like this. After all, he was no longer the same self-conscious, timid, and weak Ye Qiu.
Since he had come to this world, he naturally had to live a more splendid life than he had back in the Heavenly Court Imperial Medical World. And tonight's performance was just the beginning for him.
After about an hour's drive, the taxi driver arrived at Hengyuan Archway in Nangang, pulled over, printed the fare, and looked at Chen Fang, saying, "That will be one hundred and forty yuan."
The distance from Jinling Hospital here was quite far, so when Ye Qiu had the traffic accident and was staying in the hospital, Chen Fang would take care of him there. Besides the lengthy commute, it was also because she was very concerned about her son.
Chen Fang took out money to pay the fare, and she and Ye Qiu, carrying the large bag of clothes and the leftover fruits, got out of the car. Chen Fang still asked with concern, "Ye Qiu, are your legs truly healed? Do you want to go back and rest first?"
"Mom, you don't have to worry. I know the condition of my own body,"
Originally Chen Fang was very worried about the potential sequela after Ye Qiu's traffic accident, but then she thought, if Ye Qiu could even cure the Deputy Mayor's daughter's illness, surely he would be well aware of his own condition.
The two walked about fifty meters into the alleyway under the archway, where there was a porridge and noodle shop.
Usual days, Chen Fang, Ye Weidong, and Ye Qiu's sister Ye Xue would all work there.
This porridge and noodle shop was opened by Ye Weidong and his wife, with Ye Xue helping out.
At this time, it was already past one in the morning, but many night shift workers would stop by to pick up a serving of stir-fried noodles to take home when they got off work.
Of course, at the entrance to the porridge and noodle shop, there was also a barbecue stand run by Ye Weidong.
In winter, the barbecue stand didn't see many people, but after spring arrived and it turned into summer, many more people would eat barbecue at night.
Now that the evening had settled, the barbecue stand might make more money than the porridge and noodle shop made in an entire day.
Ye Qiu followed alongside Chen Fang toward the porridge and noodle shop and from a distance saw a middle-aged man with his upper body bare, barbecuing and wiping sweat at the same time.
That middle-aged man was Ye Weidong, whom Ye Qiu had seen many times since waking up in Jinling Hospital. But this was the first time he had spoken to him since waking up, in the afternoon.
"Ye Qiu, I will go help your dad first,"
Chen Fang said.
Chen Fang looked around and saw there were still quite a few customers waiting.
This past month, she had been staying with Ye Qiu in the VIP ward at Jinling Hospital, an experience that seemed taxing. But Chen Fang knew it was her most leisurely and relaxing time.
Now, seeing her husband so busy, she immediately went to help upon her return.
Ye Weidong was grilling chicken wings and corn for two customers when he saw Chen Fang returning and asked in surprise, "Chen Fang, why did you come back instead of staying at the hospital?"
"Weidong, Ye Qiu has come back too!"
No sooner had Chen Fang finished speaking than Ye Weidong spotted Ye Qiu.
That afternoon, Ye Weidong had seen Ye Qiu, noticing that his son seemed somewhat changed from before. However, he wondered why the hospital had discharged Ye Qiu when they still owed over a hundred thousand yuan.
How had the hospital allowed Ye Qiu to be discharged?
"Why did the hospital let you go?" Ye Weidong asked.
"Weidong, I'll explain it to you slowly,"
said Chen Fang.
Ye Qiu, carrying a large bag of clothes and another large bag of fruits, entered the congee and noodle shop where two young women were bustling about.
Both of these young women, with aprons tied around their waists and sleeves over their hands,
were working diligently. The one a few years older than Ye Qiu seemed to be a thorough beauty from her slender figure. Looking at her face, her clear, bright pupils, arched eyebrows, and long eyelashes trembled ever so slightly. Under the steam, her fair, flawless skin showed a faint blush—no less beautiful than the daughter of the vice-mayor Ye Qiu had encountered at the hospital.
Tragically, she walked with a limp, which earned her the local nickname "The Limping Beauty."
Ye Qiu knew this was his original body's sister, Ye Xue, who had been left with post-polio sequelae since childhood because it was not adequately treated.
As for the other young woman, who appeared to be about his age, she looked very ordinary and was He Butcher's daughter, He Xiaoqing, who lived in the same community.
Standing there, watching Ye Xue and He Xiaoqing at work, Ye Qiu felt a bit embarrassed.
When Ye Xue finished frying a portion for a young man and looked up, she initially thought it was another customer wanting fried noodles.
To her surprise, it was her brother.
"Ye Qiu, how did you come back? Is your illness cured?"
Ye Xue hurried out and asked with concern reflected in her eager eyes, showing her deep care for her younger brother.
Ye Xue herself had been living with sequelae from childhood polio, causing her limp, just as she walked now.
But, after many years, she had gotten used to it.
When Ye Qiu was in the hospital at Jinling after a car accident, Ye Xue had visited him a few times. However, she didn't visit very often because, on one hand, she needed to take care of the congee and noodle shop business and, on the other hand, because her disability made it difficult for her to travel. Nevertheless, she was very concerned about Ye Qiu and worried he might end up with a condition like hers due to the accident.
"Sis, I'm fine,"
said Ye Qiu.
Back in the Heavenly Court Imperial Medical Bureau, many mature fairies wanted to be his sisters, but he didn't agree. Now, in this world, having such a caring real sister made Ye Qiu very happy.
Ye Xue examined Ye Qiu from top to bottom, touching him here and there until assured that her brother was indeed alright. Only then could she finally relax.
When He Xiaoqing first saw Ye Qiu returning, she also sized him up, but it seemed Ye Qiu didn't give her a glance.
Previously, the old Ye Qiu had hardly spoken to her, and the new Ye Qiu was no different.
Outside at the barbecue stall, when Ye Weidong heard from Chen Fang that Ye Qiu had indeed treated the vice-mayor's daughter that evening and had cured her illness, prompting the vice-mayor to pay off the hundred-thousand-yuan bill, Ye Weidong still couldn't believe his son, once considered a good-for-nothing, had accomplished such a feat.