Free Web NovelChapter 49: Chapter 49: The Surgeon’s Hands Are Frighteningly Steady
Today was his last day in the north.
Downstairs from the women’s dormitory at Normal University, Jiang He couldn’t help but laugh out loud the moment he saw Shen Yu.
The last two times they met, his wife had been wearing a dress, light makeup, and perfume.
Today, his wife was in a dress, with light makeup, perfume, and her hair specially done.
He could tell she had probably borrowed a curling iron from one of her dorm mates and, clumsily but earnestly, curled it herself.
This slightly unpracticed yet meticulous effort to dress up was incredibly cute and full of life.
"What are you laughing at?" Shen Yu asked as she walked closer, blinking her eyes.
Jiang He wiped the smile off his face and feigned surprise. "Whoa, who is this?"
Shen Yu was a little baffled. "Huh? It’s me."
Jiang He: "Oh, so it is you. I almost didn’t recognize you. You’re already very pretty normally, but today you’re just unfairly gorgeous, unreasonably so. Whoever gets to be with Teacher Shen in the future is going to be one lucky man."
Shen Yu: "!"
She clearly wasn’t used to such direct compliments. Her face flushed red, and she quickly made a joke to cover it up. "Such a sweet-talker. It’s my turn to treat you today, you know. You’re not just trying to get me to buy you something good to eat, are you? Fine, you’re on!"
Jiang He chuckled. "Not at all. Can’t I just tell the truth anymore? I genuinely think you look pretty. I mean it, from the bottom of my heart."
Shen Yu’s face grew even hotter.
She made her hands into finger guns and tried to put on a very serious but cute expression. "Stop with the smooth talk," she said, making PEW PEW PEW sounds. "People might get the wrong idea, I’m telling you!"
Jiang He: "Is that so~"
He pointed to a wooden bench under a nearby tree. "Come on, let’s go sit over there for a bit."
Shen Yu nodded obediently and followed him to the bench, where she sat down.
Jiang He then knelt on one knee in front of her.
For the past few days, his excuse for asking his wife out had been the same: to help check on the recovery of her foot.
Even though a sprained ligament didn’t actually require such frequent daily check-ups during recovery, Jiang He never got tired of it.
He took hold of her right foot and slipped off her shoe. Then, he gripped the top of her white cotton sock and gently slid it down, revealing her ankle.
After a few days of rest, the swelling around the outside of her ankle had completely subsided.
"Does it still hurt here?" Jiang He asked, looking up.
Shen Yu was still a little embarrassed. She gripped the edge of the bench with both hands, her toes curling slightly. "It doesn’t hurt anymore."
Jiang He carefully observed the joint’s range of motion before stopping and nodding. "Mm, much better."
Then, he began his usual spiel of instructions: "When you get back, try not to run or jump. When you go up and down stairs, put your weight on your left foot. Before bed, if it feels sore, you can apply a hot towel for ten minutes, but don’t make the water too hot. Also, try to avoid wearing hard-soled shoes when you walk..."
Over the past three days, Jiang He had repeated these precautions to her countless times.
He never tired of saying it, and she listened time and time again.
Every time she heard it, a tingly numbness would spread through her heart, like a gentle electric current, making her head feel dizzy. It was an indescribable feeling.
"Did you get all that?" Jiang He asked, looking up when he didn’t get a response.
"Loud and clear, Dr. Jiang," Shen Yu said, snapping out of her daze. She nodded vigorously and flashed him a brilliant smile.
Jiang He didn’t say any more. He picked up the white cotton sock he’d removed, slid it back over her toes, straightened the top, and then carefully placed her foot back into her canvas shoe.
He took the laces in both hands, crossed them, and pulled them tight.
"Alright, let’s go. Time to do some exploring."
...
The two took a bus to the Capital City’s bustling commercial district.
Using the excuse that he needed to buy a gift for his roommate, Jiang He led Teacher Shen on a leisurely stroll between the floors of a mall.
As they reached the third-floor atrium, a lively cheer suddenly erupted from up ahead.
Teacher Shen, being a curious cat, pulled Jiang He over to see what was happening.
In the atrium’s small plaza, a shop specializing in DIY handmade silver jewelry was holding a holiday promotion.
In the center of the area was a long, waist-high display table. A bent copper wire was fixed to the top of it.
At the starting point of the wire sat a small metal ring.
"Come one, come all! Don’t miss out! It’s the Live Wire Challenge!" an employee wearing a portable voice amplifier shouted enthusiastically in front of the display.
"The rules are simple! The challenger holds the metal ring and moves it from the start to the end along this bent wire. As long as the ring doesn’t touch the wire and set off the buzzer during the process, the challenge is a success!"
The employee held up a red card and announced loudly, "Succeed just once, and you’ll receive one free ’DIY Sterling Silver Couple’s Rings’ crafting experience at our shop! No material fees! No crafting fees! Completely free!"
Making rings.
Back in ’08, this was a very popular and fashionable date activity for young couples.
A large crowd had gathered to watch, and quite a few were eager to try.
This game looked difficult, and in reality, it was anything but simple.
Not only were the bends in the wire tricky, but some parts were even shaped into spirals, making the path extremely narrow.
A guy volunteered and stepped forward, but just as he passed the first curve, his hand gave a little shake.
The red warning light above the wire immediately flashed.
"Agh! What a shame! The handsome fellow’s hand shook!" the employee yelled into the microphone regretfully. "This game is all about a steady hand! Your heartbeat can’t race, your breathing can’t be rushed! Who else wants to give it a try?"
Several more people went up to try, and all of them failed.
The best attempt only made it two-thirds of the way.
Shen Yu looked completely engrossed.
Jiang He smiled and asked, "Wanna play?"
"No, no, it looks way too hard. But I want to see if anyone can beat it~"
"I can beat it."
"Really?"
"For real! Let me show you."
With that, Jiang He went to get in line. freёwebnoѵel.com
For an ordinary person, holding their arm suspended in the air while making precise movements would inevitably cause muscle tremors.
But Jiang He was different.
He had practiced suturing countless times in college.
His hands were terrifyingly steady. freёwebnovel.com
Shaking? Not a chance.
Then it was Jiang He’s turn.
The employee smiled and handed him the handle. "Ready, handsome? You can begin whenever you like."
Jiang He gripped the handle with one hand, tested its weight for a moment, and then began without hesitation.
The metal ring slid forward, moving very quickly.
While everyone else’s movements had been cautious, full of stops and starts, Jiang He’s were as smooth as flowing water.
In the blink of an eye, he had cleared the course.
He hadn’t encountered a single difficulty or obstacle.
The crowd was silent for two seconds before erupting into thunderous applause, with Teacher Shen clapping the loudest of all.
"Whoa, awesome."
"Yeah, that was incredible! So smooth, like flowing water. I didn’t even see how he got past that series of curves!"
Even the employee was stunned.
Very few people ever managed to beat this machine, and someone who could just steamroll through it at full speed like Jiang He was practically unheard of.
"Congratulations, handsome!" The employee snapped out of his shock and handed the free experience card to Jiang He. "Sir, here’s your prize! With this card, you can come to our shop anytime to make two handmade rings for free!"
Jiang He took the card, said thanks, and went back down to find Teacher Shen.
He showily dangled the card in his hand and asked, "Was that cool or what?"
Shen Yu nodded frantically, her eyes full of adoration. "So cool, so cool! That was amazing!"
Jiang He chuckled and scratched his head.
’Just one sentence from his wife was enough to make me grin from ear to ear. Hehe, I’m so happy...’
He then asked, "So, what do you say? Should we make these free rings or not?"
Shen Yu said with righteous confidence, "Only a fool passes up a freebie! It’s free, so of course we’re making them! Let’s go, go, go!"
After speaking, afraid she might give her true feelings away, she turned and strode purposefully toward the silver jewelry shop’s entrance. In reality, she was thinking, ’I’m going to make rings with Dr. Jiang! Doesn’t this count as a couple thing?! AHHHHHH, I’m so nervous, AAGGHH!!!!’
