Liang Chengmin was still unmarried at twenty-seven, which was quite unusual in 1970s China.

Whenever Liang Chengmin’s mother saw her daughter, she would nag: “Are you going to get married or not? Give me a straight answer. So many people have introduced potential boyfriends to you, but you won’t even look at them. Sure, our family can afford to keep supporting you, but the neighbors will gossip!”

“Let them gossip,” Liang Chengmin replied leisurely. “Their mouths are on their faces, we can’t control them!”

She was born in Jiangsu, lived in Shanghai, and then went to Anhui for her medical internship. After all this traveling, not only had her professional knowledge improved, but her accent had become a mixture as well.

Liang Chengmin’s mother felt somewhat irritated looking at her: “You’re not worried, but your grandmother is.”

“Tomorrow I’ll marry whoever it is, no matter what they’re like!” Liang Chengmin tossed this comment and ran off.

The next day, after leaving the hospital, she rode her bicycle to the library and lingered around the vicinity. At 28 years old, she still had a childlike nature, showing little concern for most things. She only cared about human anatomy and pathology, singularly focused on becoming a female Hua Tuo.

The man standing at the library entrance looked somewhat out of place—white shirt, black pants, straight posture, with furrowed brows that suggested he wasn’t easy to get along with. The matchmaker had said this man was handsome, with countless girls thinking about him. Liang Chengmin couldn’t tell whether he was handsome or not; she only cared about whether people were healthy or not. This one looked quite healthy.

She ran over, two thick braids hanging down her chest, hugging a book, looking somewhat foolish. When she reached the man, she was slightly out of breath: “Are you Luan Mingrui? I’m Liang Chengmin.”

Luan Mingrui had a bad temper. He glanced at his watch: “You’re late, fifteen minutes.”

Liang Chengmin couldn’t say she had been observing him from nearby, so she just smiled awkwardly.

“I had something at the hospital and left late.”

“It’s fine.”

“Shall we take a walk?”

“Mm.”

Luan Mingrui responded casually, and the two walked along the road. There were few people on the roadside at that time, and the air carried the scent of seawater. Every morning, fishing boats would return with loads of seafood. Liang Chengmin had been frail since childhood. When she got older, her parents heard that eating shrimp and crab could strengthen the body, so they managed to acquire some and prepared shrimp paste and crab meat for her daily. Over time, she grew slightly larger in frame than the average southern girl, with a vibrant, healthy appearance. With her build, she still looked petite walking beside Luan Mingrui. He was tall, with a straight posture, wearing glasses. Liang Chengmin sneaked a glance—not bad, the prescription wasn’t too strong.

They talked about their situations, both without much interest in the blind date, just making small talk to get it over with.

As soon as Liang Chengmin entered her home, the matchmaker came in and pulled her mother aside to talk by the window. At first, her mother seemed excited, but after a couple of sentences, she became somewhat dejected: “Oh, he thinks we’re not a good match? That’s fine, it’s all about fate. If it’s not a good match, we can’t force it. Their family background is indeed a bit better than ours. Even a starved camel is larger than a horse, after all.”

Liang Chengmin coughed: “Mom, my window is open, I can hear everything. What’s there to be upset about? I didn’t like him either!”

The matchmaker, hearing this, poked her head through the window: “You didn’t like him?”

“No. He wears glasses.”

“Don’t you wear glasses too?” the matchmaker pointed out.

“I don’t. My prescription is less than 100 degrees, so I can go without glasses. His prescription is much stronger.”

After hearing this, the matchmaker said: “Tsk, tsk, you young people are so picky, each one more than the last. At this rate, you’ll stay at home until you’re old.” She had already forgotten that it was the other party who had rejected first.

Liang Chengmin didn’t take this matter to heart. If she didn’t get married, so be it—what was so good about marriage anyway? Many doctors and nurses at the hospital were married, and it wasn’t uncommon to see them crying at work!

She was usually carefree, like a girl who never grew up, but once she began her clinical duties, she became extremely serious. Once she put on her white coat, tied up her hair, and wore her doctor’s cap, she was as serious as could be.

One day during consultation, a patient came in claiming to have a bone fracture.

He entered, wailing loudly, refusing to listen to anything Liang Chengmin said. Liang Chengmin got angry and threatened him with a stern face: “If you keep shouting, I’ll sew your mouth shut!” As a young doctor, this was as far as her intimidation went. This comment fell on the ears of Luan Mingrui, who had been notified by his parents to take care of his brother, and gave him a negative impression of the doctor.

Liang Chengmin examined the patient carefully. The leg was swollen to the thickness of a tree trunk, but there was indeed no fracture.

“Stop shouting and listen to me—you don’t have a fracture.”

“If there’s no fracture, why does it hurt so much? Get someone more experienced!”

“I am experienced!”

“You look like an amateur!”

…Liang Chengmin was so angered her face turned red. She asked: “Where’s the family member?” Looking up, she saw Luan Mingrui standing with a stern face.

Liang Chengmin thought this person looked familiar, and after a while recalled he was the young master who had deemed her family background unsuitable. But she didn’t bring that up, pretending not to recognize him: “Are you a family member?”

“Yes. He’s my brother.”

“Your brother doesn’t have a fracture. Tell him to stop shouting. I’ll prescribe medication and send him for physical therapy next door.”

“Can we change to another doctor for a second opinion?” Luan Mingrui asked her, clearly not trusting her. She was only 28 years old—what experience could she have?

“You can. Go out and register again.” Liang Chengmin didn’t give him a pleasant face. If he wanted to change doctors, so be it. She didn’t even look up, showing her stubborn temperament.

Luan Mingrui took Luan Mingcheng to register again, and they got an older doctor. The older doctor gave the same diagnosis as Liang Chengmin: “No fracture. Take the medication and go for physical therapy.”

“Then why is the leg so swollen?”

“It’s a tendon injury. Young people, a fracture and a non-fracture are different. Don’t let your imagination run wild.”

Luan Mingrui suddenly felt he had wronged the young woman, but after thinking for a while, he couldn’t remember her name. So he went to the outpatient department to ask. By the time he returned, Liang Chengmin had already finished her shift and changed into a floral shirt, walking toward the hospital exit.

Seeing Luan Mingrui, she internally scoffed and walked past without a sideways glance.

Luan Mingrui wasn’t sure if she remembered him, so he acted as if she didn’t, blocking her bicycle: “Doctor.”

“So now you know I’m a doctor? When I was treating your brother, why didn’t you believe I was a doctor? You wanted to change doctors—did you change? Was the leg fractured?”

Liang Chengmin’s words shot at Luan Mingrui like a machine gun: “And how old is your brother? Why was he making such a fuss in the hospital? Isn’t that embarrassing?”

Luan Mingrui had originally wanted to apologize, but seeing her pressing her advantage, he stepped aside and said something that could infuriate Liang Chengmin: “Getting a second opinion gave me peace of mind. I was worried you might misdiagnose.”

Both arrogant and aggravating.

Liang Chengmin felt a surge of anger in her chest, glared at him, and left.

When she got home, she was still angry and told her mother: “From now on, if anyone introduces a potential match, anyone wearing glasses is automatically out.”

“Why not?”

“They just look devious!”

The next day, she went to work early and saw Luan Mingrui bringing Luan Mingcheng for physical therapy in the hospital corridor. She walked past without a sideways glance. Luan Mingcheng remembered her and greeted her: “Hello, doctor!” No longer the crying mess from yesterday.

Liang Chengmin stopped and looked at him: “Who are you?”

Then she turned and left.

“This doctor is really scary,” Luan Mingcheng said quietly.

Luan Mingrui told him, “Next time you’re injured, control yourself a bit. Why are you shouting in the hospital? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

After being scolded by his brother, Luan Mingcheng didn’t dare speak. He had always been afraid of Luan Mingrui since childhood, feeling as though he had never seen a sunny day on his brother’s face. Luan Mingrui was very glad that he had rejected the matchmaker that day. With Liang Chengmin’s temperament, forget about living together—they’d probably start fighting after just a few interactions.

While Luan Mingcheng was inside changing his dressing, Luan Mingrui sat on a wooden bench outside waiting. He heard Liang Chengmin in the adjacent consultation room alternating between high and low tones as she scolded someone: “You’ve let it get this far before coming? What were you thinking?”

“Did you take my words as passing wind? Didn’t I tell you to avoid certain foods? Look at your wound!”

After a while, her tone became very gentle: “Don’t cry. Your husband needs care now, and you’re pregnant. You need to control your emotions, understand?”

Such rapid mood changes for someone so young.

Luan Mingrui was twenty-nine years old. Many girls liked him, but he didn’t like any of them. Over time, he became a major challenge for his family. The Luan family had been in business for generations, with three rises and three falls. They had had their property confiscated and had also donated voluntarily. Gradually, the family fortunes declined. But the Luan family was peculiar—by the time of Luan Mingrui’s father, in his old age, they caught a stroke of good luck. That year, their political label was removed, and life gradually improved. The family had been both poor and rich, but the habits of the older generation weren’t lost. Even when eating simple stir-fried vegetables, the dishes had to be arranged neatly and beautifully. In earlier years, when the two sons and two daughters went out, they wore clothes with patches, but those clothes were washed immaculately clean. They carried a sense of dignity rarely seen in small towns. As the neighbors would say: pretentious.

Luan Mingrui was just like that.

Not only was he pretentious, but he also had a bad temper, always wearing a stern face, scaring away countless girls. Yet his mind was sharp, and he thrived within the system, holding an iron rice bowl that guaranteed security regardless of drought or flood.

The young man was spirited, well-educated, from a good family, wealthy, and picky, making him the cinnabar mole in the hearts of the small town girls.

Liang Chengmin knew none of this.

She had loved learning since childhood, later studied medicine, and left the small town for several years for her studies. She was unaware of this rising figure in the small town. In her mind, Luan Mingrui was just an arrogant fool. He found fault with her family background, while she found fault with his glasses! Besides, how was her family background inferior? Both her parents taught at school, making them half-intellectual households.

But Liang Chengmin didn’t hold grudges; once something was over, it was over.

More than half a month later, one evening, her mother sent her to buy soy sauce. The supply and marketing cooperative had two long queues. Estimating the time, she decided to simply wait in line, standing there reciting to herself. Coincidentally, Luan Mingrui also went to the cooperative that day and stood in the queue next to hers. Someone called his name, and as he turned around, he saw Liang Chengmin. Despite having been on a blind date together, she remained motionless, appearing somewhat aloof.

Finally, it was their turn. Liang Chengmin searched her pockets for a while but hadn’t brought her ration coupon. A clean hand reached over: “Use mine.” Looking up, she saw Luan Mingrui.

Afraid of being scolded by her mother for being foolish, Liang Chengmin nodded: “Alright, thank you. I’ll return it to you tomorrow.”

She bought the soy sauce and headed out.

Luan Mingrui followed behind her and asked: “How will you return it to me?”

“?”

“Do you know where I live? Do you know how to find me? You don’t know anything, so how will you return it?” Seeing Liang Chengmin stunned by his questions, he continued: “You weren’t planning to return it, were you?”

Liang Chengmin grew anxious: “Are you sick? Who needs your coupon anyway! There’s no need to humiliate people like this! If I said I’ll return it tomorrow, I will. If I don’t know where you live, can’t I ask the matchmaker? How did I become someone who doesn’t plan to return it?”

“You remember we went on a blind date, right?”

“…”

“Then why did you act like you didn’t know me? I thought your eyesight was poor.”

He had told the matchmaker that he thought the girl was fine but not suitable for his temperament. The matchmaker told his parents: “It’s alright, the girl didn’t like Mingrui either, she complained about him wearing glasses.”

Today, he had gotten his revenge.

Seeing Liang Chengmin’s face turn red with anger, he added: “Tomorrow evening, seven o’clock, still here. Return my coupon. If you don’t, I’ll come to your home to ask for it.”

Then he turned and left.

Under the moonlight like flowing water, passersby could see that mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth.