Chapter 74 Helplessly Set Aside

After her conversation with Elder Yan, Zhong Yuxiu gained a deeper understanding of the Yan family, and her confidence in the future grew. She had never met the Yan parents and knew nothing about their character, but this grandfather was a rare, open-minded man. He lacked the aloofness of those in power, showing her instead a great deal of empathy and consideration.

Faced with such an elder, all Zhong Yuxiu could do now was offer him even more respect.

The evening sun slanted through the window, casting its last rays just as Yan Rushan emerged from the kitchen, busy as always.

“Grandpa, Yuxiu, dinner is ready. Wash your hands and come eat.”

Yan Guofeng and Zhong Yuxiu’s conversation ended abruptly. Yan Guofeng chuckled, “I’ll go wash my hands. I really am benefiting from Comrade Zhong’s presence today—we get to try my eldest grandson’s cooking.”

“Grandpa, be sure to savor it,” Yan Rushan replied, the tips of his ears turning red.

Zhong Yuxiu was numb to their teasing. “Grandpa Yan, the restroom is just down the hallway. You’ll see it as soon as you go in.”

Yan Guofeng nodded and headed off, while Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo sensibly went to the kitchen to help set the table.

The hall was left with just the two of them.

Yan Rushan extended his hand, a gentle smile playing on his lips. “Yuxiu, come on, let’s go wash our hands in the kitchen.”

“I’m coming.” Zhong Yuxiu rose and walked over, but she didn’t take his hand. She stepped past him and headed to the kitchen.

Yan Rushan looked down at his empty hand, shook his head with a laugh, and followed her in. They washed their hands together, then joined Hao Nan, Tian Shangguo, and Gou Dan in bringing the dishes to the table.

Yan Guofeng returned, his hands clean, and upon seeing the sumptuous dinner, especially the braised beef he’d specifically requested, his eyes immediately lit up with delight.

“This beef was braised with radish, wasn’t it? It looks delicious.”

“Please, try it first,” Yan Rushan said, offering him a pair of chopsticks.

Taking them, Yan Guofeng was quickly invited by Zhong Yuxiu to the seat of honor. Once seated, he reached for the beef, unable to resist its mouthwatering aroma.

He put a piece in his mouth; the meat was chewy, perfectly flavored with none of the unpleasant gaminess—just lingering fragrance.

“Excellent!” Yan Guofeng gave a thumbs up, turning to his grandson. “Did you make this, or was it Gou Dan?”

“Gou Dan,” Yan Rushan replied.

Yan Guofeng nodded knowingly. “I didn’t think you could make meat this good—keep working at it. Back in my day, I was in the mess squad, and my old squad leader had been a chef before enlisting. His skills were unforgettable—I learned a few tricks from him myself.”

“Then why don’t we ever see you cook?” Yan Rushan teased, a hint of laughter in his eyes.

Yan Guofeng was momentarily speechless—was this really his grandson?

Zhong Yuxiu suppressed a smile. “Come, Comrade Hao, Comrade Tian, please sit. Let’s eat and talk. Grandpa Yan, if you like it, have more. If you ever want to eat this again, just come to my house—Gou Dan can make it for you.”

“That’s wonderful,” Yan Guofeng replied, gladly accepting the offer. “I won’t stand on ceremony, then. You should visit us when you have time, too. Our home is always open to you. When Rushan’s parents return, you should meet them as well.”

“Grandpa, eat.” Yan Rushan picked out only radish for him from the beef, leaving Yan Guofeng a little surprised. “Fatty food isn’t good for you, remember? Just have a taste or two.”

Zhong Yuxiu looked up. “Grandpa Yan, is your health all right?”

“Leftover health issues from the war,” Yan Rushan explained for her. “He can’t handle cold or heat—chilly weather triggers old leg pains, and heat makes him irritable and dizzy. The doctor says it’s hypertension.”

“I see.” Yuxiu fell silent, searching her memory for ancient remedies for rheumatism. In her past three lifetimes, she’d always been single. The third life had been in a great aristocratic family, where she’d read many secret and folk recipes to pass the time. “I do know a folk remedy for rheumatism, though I’ve never tried it.”

Yan Rushan turned to her. “What is it? If it’s not convenient to share, that’s all right.”

Yan Guofeng listened intently.

“It’s nothing secret—just something I came across before. I have a good memory. You boil old ginger and pomelo peel, then soak and wash the whole leg in the water. It’s simple, but pomelo peel isn’t easy to find at this time of year.”

“I’ll find someone to get it and give it a try,” Yan Rushan said. Any method was worth a shot.

Yuxiu smiled. “All right.”

After dinner, having seen the Yan grandfather and grandson out, Zhong Yuxiu said, “Gou Dan, come upstairs with me. I just remembered a research project that needs some data work. Comrades Hao and Tian, I’ll leave things downstairs to you.”

“Of course, don’t worry,” they replied.

“If someone brings materials later, please send them up to me.” With the parts in place and the casing done, she could start assembling her surveillance device.

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo readily agreed.

Upstairs, she closed her door, then led Gou Dan straight into the laboratory. With the lab door shut, isolating them from the rest of the room, Zhong Yuxiu finally pulled out a stack of experimental data from her spatial storage.

She recalled having participated in the research and development of a formula called Restoration Serum—a specialty for interstellar warriors, unavailable on the open market.

The Restoration Serum could repair the human body; its active medicinal factors were so potent they could rejuvenate the body at its core, with remarkable effectiveness. For interstellar warriors, being injured was commonplace, but with Restoration Serum, it was almost like having a second life. Each operative would be issued one vial before a mission.

Unable to find the paper data, Zhong Yuxiu had to turn on her light-brain and search its internal files. The light-brain couldn’t connect to the mainframe, but nothing inside would be lost.

“I found it.”

Thank goodness she’d saved it back then—otherwise, it would be impossible to retrieve now.

She pulled up the information on the Restoration Serum, compared it to the data in her memory, and verified that this was indeed the correct formula. She then began to write down the ingredients needed to synthesize it, knowing she would have to adapt it to the herbs available in this era.

The current list of ingredients was based on plants that could grow in the interstellar age, which were different from the ones of this time. She would have to find suitable replacements.

It was a massive undertaking.

After writing down the data, she realized her knowledge of medicinal herbs was incomplete, and she couldn’t simply substitute them at will. She would have to start from scratch with medical studies; for now, this research would have to be put on hold.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to offer the formula, but it would be useless here—no one in this era had even heard of interstellar herbs.

“Master, once the Restoration Serum is released, it will cause a sensation. Back in the interstellar days, its debut caused quite a stir,” Gou Dan analyzed, putting her safety first and feeling compelled to remind her.

Yuxiu nodded. “I know. I won’t touch it for now. I need to read more medical books and consult with experts. Only when the time is right will I resume this research.”

She placed the serum data into her storage ring, where it would be safe from theft.