"No, we can't give him the money!"
Fang Zhiyan was the first to object upon hearing this.
"He hit my mother, and now he wants money? Dream on! Absolutely not!"
Jiang Tao glanced up at Fang Zhiyan, taking in his defiant expression, and couldn't help but chuckle.
"That's right, Dad. We can't give him the money. He hit my sister—he should be the one paying compensation!" Jiang Zhao nodded in agreement.
At this, Jiang Tao sighed softly again.
"Compensation is simple. What matters is the divorce."
"As long as they're still married, Jiang Xu isn't free. First, we get the divorce settled. Then we'll deal with him slowly."
"Fang Jianjun is a bully who preys on the weak. He won't dare cause trouble."
Jiang Zhao froze for a moment before belatedly realizing the truth in his father's words.
That's right. Without a divorce, Jiang Xu would remain Fang Jianjun's wife.
Under that title, there would always be trouble.
Better to spend a little money now—Fang Jianjun was greedy enough to agree.
Once the divorce was finalized, they'd have plenty of time and opportunities to deal with Fang Jianjun. By then, if he dared lay a finger on Jiang Xu again, it wouldn't be up to him.
So Jiang Zhao nodded, accepting the idea.
Beside him, Jiang Xu's eyes gleamed with hope.
If she could successfully divorce, she was confident she could build a better life with her two children.
Her son was already proving himself, working at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.
Life would only get better from here.
At this thought, Jiang Xu's eyes shone with determination.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tao turned his gaze to Fang Zhiyan.
He'd known for a while that his grandson had studied medicine.
He just hadn't expected him to return after graduation.
"Where are you working as a doctor?" Jiang Tao asked.
"Jiang'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital," Fang Zhiyan answered promptly.
Becoming a doctor might have been influenced by his grandfather.
Back in the day, his grandfather had been a well-known barefoot doctor in the area.
Thanks to him, people from miles around knew of his medical skills.
Not only was he skilled, but he also had impeccable ethics.
Otherwise, why would Jiang Tao have gone out to treat patients on a snowy night, only to slip and fall?
Now, his grandson had become a doctor at the TCM hospital. It gave Jiang Tao a strange sense of déjà vu.
Perhaps this was what they called legacy.
"You little rascal, I never thought you'd end up as a doctor at the TCM hospital."
Jiang Tao sighed inwardly.
Jiang Xu quickly added, "Zhiyan may be at the TCM hospital, but he's in the emergency department—that's Western medicine."
At this, a trace of melancholy flickered in Jiang Tao's eyes.
"Western medicine?"
"Nowadays, everyone rushes to Western doctors and takes Western medicine. Who even remembers TCM and herbal remedies?"
"Maybe one day, traditional medicine will truly fade into obscurity."
As a veteran TCM practitioner, Jiang Tao had also studied Western medicine.
He knew all too well how quickly Western medicine could show results in certain cases.
That very speed had been steadily eroding TCM's standing.
Over the years, TCM's reputation had only declined further.
But Fang Zhiyan saw things differently.
Having returned from a past life with all its memories, he knew the future.
After an initial decline, TCM would experience explosive growth.
In time, it would reclaim its place in people's hearts—even gaining popularity overseas!
"Grandpa, that won't happen!"
Fang Zhiyan spoke up.
"TCM and Western medicine are just two ways to heal. They're like a person's two legs—you can't do without either."
Hearing this, Jiang Tao smiled faintly.
"Listen to you, lecturing me now."
Shaking his head, he walked over to a bookshelf and pulled out a red-covered book from the bottom shelf.
The Barefoot Doctor's Manual.
Then, he placed it slowly in front of Fang Zhiyan.
"This book was originally meant for rural barefoot doctors, to handle emergencies in the countryside."
"I mastered it, which is how I built my reputation here in Jiang Village."
"Besides the basics, I've also recorded some cases I've encountered and the treatments I used."
"It might not be much use to you, but it's still a kind of legacy."
With that, Jiang Tao pushed the book toward him.
"Take it. It's yours now."
Fang Zhiyan looked up in surprise.
He knew the book itself wasn't the most important part.
What mattered was his grandfather's legacy—the decades of experience recorded within.
Though that knowledge might not be particularly useful to Fang Zhiyan, with his past-life memories, the sentiment and tradition behind it were invaluable.
He nodded, accepting the book with both hands and holding it tightly to his chest.
"Human life is precious, worth more than gold. To save even one is a virtue beyond measure."
"Grandpa, I've never forgotten what you taught me as a child. I never will."
Jiang Tao looked up, startled.
Gazing at Fang Zhiyan's youthful, determined face, his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Good. That's good. As long as you remember."
"Whether it's TCM or Western medicine, what matters is healing people."
Perhaps it was guilt over Jiang Xu, or perhaps it was affection for his grandson.
But today, Jiang Tao was happier than he'd been in a long time.
He insisted they stay for dinner and even urged them to spend the night.
But Jiang Xu declined.
This was Jiang Zhao's home now. If he were unmarried, staying might have been fine.
But Jiang Zhao had his own family now, and Jiang Xu didn't want to impose.
Besides, the place she was renting suited her just fine.
It might be small, but with her son and daughter by her side, what did that matter?
One day, they'd move to a bigger place—until they could finally have a home of their own.
Jiang Xu turned down the offer to stay.
Still, Jiang Tao worried, so he had Zheng Xuehua pack up a bundle of supplies for them.
When the family of three left, Fang Zhiyan was laden with bags.
As they departed, Zheng Xuehua hugged Jiang Xu tightly, both of them in tears.
The whole family was emotional.
But Fang Zhiyan knew this would always be his mother's home. Always.
With a smile, he hoisted the bags onto his back, boarded the bus with Jiang Xu, and took his little sister back to their rented apartment.
By the time they unpacked, it was already late.
Fang Zhiyan washed up and collapsed onto the sofa.
The day's events had left him exhausted, and he drifted into a heavy sleep.
The next morning, somewhat refreshed, he hurried to the hospital.
"Morning."
Zhu Zixiao waved cheerfully when he saw Fang Zhiyan. "Hey, Lao Fang."
The nickname gave Fang Zhiyan pause.
Huh? Didn't he used to call me Xiao Fang? Since when did that change?
"Had breakfast? Brought you some baozi. Want some?"
Zhu Zixiao grinned, holding out the steamed buns.
Fang Zhiyan eyed him skeptically but thanked him anyway.
Before he could take a bite, an ambulance screeched into the emergency bay outside.
"Quick, Doctor! We've got a patient with acute abdomen!"
Fang Zhiyan's expression instantly shifted.
He stared straight at Zhu Zixiao.
This guy was cursed, damn it.