Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 37 Brother, I beg you

"So, serving tea and fetching water is also on the table?"

Xu Qian felt something was off but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She deliberately smiled at Ren Yu and teased, "In that case, you can be the one to serve Xiao Jian tea every day. Take good care of our only village doctor, and the patients too."

Seeing their odd expressions, Xu Qian grew even more curious. "What? Did I say something wrong? I was just joking."

"..."

"..."

That was some joke. Ren Yu had only meant to be a little playful, but Xu Qian’s comment made her expression freeze. She never imagined her sister-in-law would ask her to serve Wang Jian every single day. A little teasing was one thing, but to actually do it... to serve him daily? With her body? She couldn’t handle that.

Ren Yu’s face flushed as she struggled to contain her mortification.

Exposing myself every day like I did earlier...?

An image of Ren Yu in a nurse’s uniform at the clinic flashed through Wang Jian’s mind. He sucked in a sharp breath.

I wouldn’t be able to handle it. A nurse’s uniform, of all things.

"No, Sister... Sister-in-law." Wang Jian coughed twice. He couldn’t call Xu Qian by her first name in front of others; he had to stick with "Sister-in-law." Enduring her stare, he forced himself to continue, "Xiao Yu is here to learn, after all. We can’t actually have her serving tea and fetching water."

"Of course, I know that. I was just kidding." Xu Qian gently took Ren Yu’s hand and asked, "Xiao Yu, you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? You can eat with Xiao Jian before you go."

She had already prepared congee and other dishes, and even made noodles, ensuring there would be something Ren Yu liked.

During the meal, Xu Qian made a point to pull Wang Jian aside. "She’s just a girl," she instructed. "You need to take good care of her, understand?"

Wang Jian gave a wry smile. He felt like Xu Qian was leading a wolf right into her own home, but he could only nod in agreement.

Fortunately, Ren Yu was on her best behavior while eating. When she saw something delicious, she couldn’t stop, fully embodying the spirit of a foodie.

In any case, this girl was nothing like the obedient, well-behaved person from his memory. The person she was now was a complete enigma to him.

「On the way to the clinic」

Wang Jian occasionally glanced at the tall figure beside him. He had to admit, Ren Yu had a fantastic figure—those curves, that perky rear... The view he’d gotten this morning had certainly made an impression; no matter how hard Wang Jian tried to forget it, the image remained etched in his mind.

"Could you stop staring at me?" Ren Yu muttered when she caught his gaze.

They were walking along a village path surrounded by neighbors. As bold as Ren Yu was, she knew to pick her moments.

Wang Jian touched his nose, slightly embarrassed. "I was just trying to figure something out," he explained. "There’s this person who refused to add me on WeChat yesterday, only to add me later on her own. Then they ignored my messages. And today, they show up at my house and eat like they own the place."

He chuckled dryly, feeling like he’d found an angle for a counterattack. He prodded her, "So, can you tell me what’s going through this person’s mind?"

Ren Yu pouted and didn’t explain. Her reluctance to add him on WeChat was partly due to the grudge she held from being suddenly "abandoned" as a child. When your childhood best friend suddenly starts ignoring you and even actively avoids you, it would be strange not to be upset.

After harboring that resentment for so many years, she wouldn’t have bothered coming if her father hadn’t insisted she was here to learn. The moment Wang Jian brought it up, she lost any desire to speak to him. Her lips jutted out slightly, a clear sign of her pique.

Wang Jian hadn’t seen Ren Yu in nearly a decade. How was he supposed to know he’d offended this young lady, other than by deliberately keeping his distance in their childhood to avoid gossip?

Thinking of this, he asked incredulously, "You can’t still be mad at me for deliberately ignoring you when we were kids, can you?"

"Hmph, why should I tell you?" Ren Yu twitched her nose playfully and turned her head away, not looking him in the face. "Figure it out for yourself," she said softly. "If you’re so smart, you shouldn’t have to ask."

"Alright, then." Wang Jian didn’t press the issue. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a reason. As far as he could remember, their only real interactions were from their childhood. Since he couldn’t figure it out, he decided not to waste any more time on it and frustrate himself further.

In any case, I don’t have any complicated feelings for Ren Yu. To me, she’s just a little girl, the tag-along little sister from the past. Why overthink it? I’ll just treat her like a sister. My job is to have her sit in on consultations and teach her about a few cases. Nothing more will come of it.

With that thought, Wang Jian’s worries evaporated, and his mood instantly improved. He stopped paying attention to the person beside him.

Just as they were nearing the clinic, they ran into Li Liping. She was just returning from the market near Red Star Bridge, pushing a small bicycle with its front basket full of fresh vegetables.

The moment she saw Wang Jian, an uncontrollable look of joy spread across her face. She was about to call out to him when she noticed the beautiful young woman standing beside him. Although Li Liping didn’t hear them talking, she saw they were walking so close they were nearly touching, which suggested a more-than-ordinary relationship.

The greeting caught in her throat, and a flicker of discomfort sparked in her heart.

"Doctor Wang, off to work?" When the greeting finally came out, it sounded somewhat distant.

Wang Jian certainly noticed the difference in her tone and immediately paid close attention to her expression. After what had happened between them last night—even though it was only oral—his feelings for Li Liping had become extremely special.

"Yeah. The free clinic is starting soon, so I’m heading over to prepare. Let me introduce you. This is our new nurse, Ren Yu, Uncle Ren’s daughter. You’ve probably seen her around."

Ren Yu? The name sounded familiar, and Li Liping immediately remembered—it was the girl who got into college last year.

Look at how worked up I got. I hadn’t even paid attention to who the woman was. It was as if I’d be uncomfortable no matter who was standing next to Wang Jian.

Embarrassed by her own reaction, Li Liping forced a chuckle. "Oh my, it’s Xiao Yu! It’s been so long. You’ve grown up to be so beautiful! A girl really does change so much as she grows up. I didn’t even recognize you. Do you have a boyfriend at college?"

Ren Yu was completely thrown by the abrupt question about her love life and stood there, momentarily stunned.

Watching from the side, Wang Jian found it amusing. This was nothing. Once Ren Yu graduated, all her aunts would come out of the woodwork to pressure her into marriage. That would be the real terror.

Thankfully, they didn’t chat for long before Li Liping made her excuses and hurried away.

Ren Yu, however, stared strangely at Li Liping’s retreating back before turning to Wang Jian. "You know," she said, "I get the feeling Sister Ping has a thing for you."

"..."

Wang Jian was stunned. What was with this girl? Did she have antennae on her head, or were her eyes bugged? Her sixth sense was on another level. He, of course, flatly denied it. "Nonsense. Don’t say things like that. Zhang Li might hear you and come after you with a stick."

"It wouldn’t go that far, would it?" Ren Yu swallowed nervously. She had only been guessing, but now she was genuinely scared. With so many people around, she really was afraid Zhang Li might find out. She cautiously glanced around.

"Scared now, are you?" Wang Jian looked at her smugly and added more fuel to the fire. "Have you forgotten how he used to beat you? I remember one time you insulted him, and Zhang Li chased you all over the village with a stick. You ended up falling into a ditch and wouldn’t stop crying. When I found you, you cried all through the night."

As Wang Jian vividly recounted the story, Ren Yu instinctively covered her rear. That experience was a childhood trauma; even now, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of fear whenever she saw Zhang Li.

"Stop it! I was wrong!" Ren Yu immediately put on a pitiful expression, cupping her chin with her hands and looking up at Wang Jian with her big, pleading eyes. "Good brother, I’m begging you. Please don’t tell Zhang Li."

"Too late," Wang Jian snorted, his eyes full of playful mischief.

"NOOO!!" Ren Yu stomped her feet in frustration, then suddenly pointed a finger at him. "Don’t you get cocky! I’m warning you! If you dare tell Zhang Li, I’ll tell everyone how you used to pull down my pants—"

Good grief! Luckily, Wang Jian reacted quickly, clamping a hand over her mouth just in time to stop her.

How could she bring up something from our childhood now? Seriously. As if I was ever going to tell on her for what she said about Li Liping.

"Don’t! Don’t! I won’t tell, I promise." Wang Jian’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat. He admitted defeat. A twenty-year-old truly fears nothing, willing to resort to a scorched-earth tactic that would hurt herself just to take him down. How could he not surrender?