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◎The King of Scrolls, Day Thirty-Seven◎

Jiang Wanzhou's fingertips were frozen stiff as she kneaded the dough.

The head chef squatted in front of the stove, smoking.

"The fog is too thick today; the boat probably won't be able to dock." He added a piece of firewood to the stove.

Jiang Wanzhou carried the food box home.

As she approached, she saw a figure standing by the rocks, with his back to her.

The wind lifted the corner of his coat, revealing a white shirt that gleamed faintly in the mist.

Jiang Wanzhou's heart skipped a beat, as if something had gripped it.

That silhouette, that posture, looked exactly like Zhou Qingyu.

She subconsciously quickened her pace.

"How did you get here?" Her voice drifted through the fog, trembling without her even realizing it.

The man suddenly turned around.

When Jiang Wanzhou saw his face clearly, the beating in her heart suddenly stopped.

"Who are you?" The man's voice had a southern accent, completely different from Zhou Qingyu's northern accent.

"I've mistaken you for someone else." Jiang Wanzhou lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

The man smiled, revealing a small canine tooth: "It's alright, I'm a new doctor, my surname is Zhang, and I was just transferred here from outside the island."

Jiang Wanzhou said "Oh" and turned to leave, but Dr. Zhang suddenly called out to her: "You're Comrade Jiang, who helps out in the cafeteria, right? Aunt Sun mentioned you to me, saying you're kind-hearted."

She paused, but didn't turn around: "I have something to do, I'll be going now."

She knew that person wasn't Zhou Qingyu, but that momentary daze had stirred up a bitter feeling in a quiet corner of her heart.

Jiang Wanzhou had just returned when she saw Shen Xinglian walking towards her, leaning against the wall, looking better than she had in the morning.

"A Dr. Zhang just came and examined me." She sat on the stone bench, her hand covering her stomach. "He said I'm recovering very well and told me not to worry."

"Which Dr. Zhang?" Jiang Wanzhou paused.

"It's the new guy. I heard he's quite skilled in medicine." Shen Xinglian smiled. "He's a very nice person. He even asked about Aunt Sun and said he wanted to take a look at her leg."

In the afternoon, Jiang Wanzhou went to the beach to help Grandma Sun dry her fishing nets. The old woman's hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't tie the knots properly.

"I'm old and useless now." She sighed and stuffed a conch shell into Jiang Wanzhou's hand. "This is for Mingyuan to play with; it makes a crisp sound."

"Did Dr. Zhang come this morning?"

"He's here. He gave me some painkillers." Grandma Sun looked into the distance. "He's a good kid."

Jiang Wanzhou followed her gaze and saw Zhao Xiulan and Dr. Zhang standing on the dock talking.

Zhao Xiulan smiled so hard her eyes crinkled with wrinkles, and she tried to stuff the cloth bag in her hand into Dr. Zhang's arms, but he pushed it away with a laugh.

“Sister-in-law Zhao is quite concerned about you too.” Jiang Wanzhou’s voice was a little dry.

Grandma Sun scoffed and spat on the ground: "She was just showing that to the new doctor."

Dr. Zhang was standing next to her at some point.

“Aunt Zhao left in a hurry and left her medicine with me.” His voice was very gentle. “Please give it to her family.”

Jiang Wanzhou took the medicine bottle, the coolness of the glass seeping through her palm. "Thank you, Dr. Zhang."

"You're welcome." He glanced in the direction of Granny Sun. "I went to check on Granny Sun just now, but she wasn't home. Do you know where she went?"

"They probably went home."

Dr. Zhang smiled.

When Jiang Wanzhou returned home, Jiang Renzhou was sitting in the yard, his voice hard: "Sister Zhao said someone reported that the head chef was hoarding grain."

Jiang Wanzhou's heart sank: "Impossible, Master Chef isn't that kind of person."

"It's no use saying anything now." Jiang Renzhou glanced at the kitchen. "The team will be here tomorrow, so keep quiet and don't get involved."

Before dawn, Jiang Wanzhou was awakened by the noise from the kitchen.

Shen Xinglian leaned against the wall and walked out of the house.

"I need to go to the outhouse." Her voice was hoarse from just waking up.

Jiang Wanzhou quickly put on her coat and followed.

"I'll help you up."

Upon returning, Shen Xinglian suddenly bent over and dry heaved, the sound echoing in the quiet courtyard.

"Is there something wrong with the medicine?" Jiang Wanzhou patted her back.

"It's okay, morning sickness is normal." Shen Xinglian straightened up and quickened her pace as she walked into the house. "Dr. Zhang's medicine won't take effect quickly; it's for pregnant women."

At breakfast, the head chef added firewood to the stove more heavily than usual.

He tapped the edge of the pot with a spatula.

"Someone is coming to inspect today."

Jiang Wanzhou tightened her grip on the steamed bun: "Should I make the usual amount?"

"Hmm." The head chef suddenly looked up. "Sister Zhao went to the military headquarters yesterday and said that Aunt Sun was keeping herbal medicines illegally, which is against the rules."

Jiang Wanzhou choked up.

On my way back after delivering the food, I saw Zhao Xiulan and Liu Guixiang standing at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, their cloth bags bulging.

"...The origin of those herbs is unknown. What if they make someone sick?" Liu Guixiang's voice was more forceful than the waves.

"I think it's Sun Guiying who's trying to cause trouble. Her husband is gone, so she can't stand seeing others doing well."

"Who says otherwise?" Zhao Xiulan glanced at Jiang Wanzhou, her voice suddenly rising, "I heard that Squad Leader Jiang's family ate some of it. They're really bold, aren't they afraid of getting sick from it?"

Jiang Wanzhou quickened her pace towards home, sand getting into her shoes and hurting the soles of her feet.

She thought of Shen Xinglian's pale face and Aunt Sun's swollen eyes, and her heart felt like a tangled mess.

Shen Xinglian was sitting in the yard picking vegetables when she saw her come back and asked, "What's wrong? Your face is so pale."

Jiang Wanzhou repeated Zhao Xiulan's words, and the green beans in Shen Xinglian's hand fell into the basket with a "thud".

"How could they say that?" She glanced into the house, her voice lowered. "Aunt Sun meant well..."

“But she did give me the medicine.” Jiang Wanzhou squatted down beside her, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers. “What if…”

“There’s no chance of anything going wrong.” Shen Xinglian grabbed her hand, the warmth of her palm making her feel uneasy. “I trust Aunt Sun.”

Just then, footsteps came from the courtyard gate.

Zhao Xiulan walked in carrying a medicine bag, her face beaming with a smile: "Sister Chen, I heard you weren't feeling well? I went to the hospital and got some proper medicine, which is more reliable than those wild herbs."

Shen Xinglian shrank back into the house and didn't take the medicine packet.

"Thank you, Sister Zhao, I feel much better."

"That won't do." Zhao Xiulan put the medicine packet on the table. "The team said that Grandma Sun's herbs are of dubious origin, and everyone should avoid using them. If you get sick from them, it won't be good for Squad Leader Jiang in the army, will it?"

Jiang Wanzhou looked at the medicine packet on the table and suddenly felt that it was like a stone, making it hard to breathe.

"We don't need to trouble Sister Zhao with our own affairs."

Zhao Xiulan's face darkened, and she glanced at Shen Xinglian's stomach: "I'm doing this for your own good. This island is not like our hometown; if something happens, no one will take responsibility for you."

As she turned to leave, she deliberately bumped into the door frame, making a loud "bang" sound.

The air in the room froze instantly. Shen Xinglian's hands, which were holding green beans, trembled, and her nails dug into the tender flesh of the bean pods.

"Wanzhou, are they targeting Granny Sun?"

Jiang Wanzhou didn't say anything, but added some firewood to the stove. The flames suddenly shot up, casting flickering light on their faces.

In the afternoon, Jiang Wanzhou went to the cafeteria and saw Lin Xiaomei crying at her home.

"Sister Zhao said that my husband's transfer to the island fell through because I got too close to Aunt Sun."

Jiang Wanzhou's heart sank.

She recalled Zhao Xiulan's retreating figure as she ran towards the military headquarters, and Liu Guixiang's sharp voice, and suddenly realized that this was not a simple verbal dispute.

Jiang Wanzhou heard that she hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch, so he took her to the cafeteria.

The master chef stacked the steamers high, and steam overflowed from them.

Don't listen to their nonsense.

"The transfer of technical personnel to the island was decided long ago, and no one can change it."

Lin Xiaomei looked up, her eyes red like a rabbit's. "Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" The chef shoved a hot steamed bun into her hand. "Eat something, don't be so hard on yourself."

Jiang Wanzhou was kneading the dough when she heard arguing outside. It was Aunt Sun's voice, filled with a desperate and ruthless energy.

"My husband risked his life to repair the ship for the team. How is it against the rules for me to gather some herbs? You took his treatment slot, and now you want to steal my livelihood?"

As she ran outside, she saw Granny Sun being held up by two military personnel. Her medicine basket had fallen to the ground, scattering herbs all over the ground—green leaves and yellow roots, like crushed stars.

Zhao Xiulan stood to the side, arms crossed, and sneered: "Sun Guiying, stop making a scene here. The two young men are just following the rules."

"Rules?" Granny Sun struggled to lunge at Zhao Xiulan, but was held down firmly. "Your rules are just bullying people!"

Jiang Wanzhou rushed over, picked up the medicine basket, and stuffed it into Grandma Sun's hands: "Grandma, let's go."

Looking at her, Aunt Sun suddenly laughed, tears and snot streaming down her face: "Wanzhou is still the kind-hearted girl, unlike some people who wear human skin but do inhuman things."

Zhao Xiulan's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. She moved closer to the military personnel and said, "Look, she's even swearing! Take her back and give her a good talking to!"

"Stop!" Jiang Renzhou appeared out of nowhere, his face as black as the bottom of a pot beneath his military cap. "The camp's rules are for managing bad guys, not for bullying people!"

The person supporting Granny Sun let go and stepped back.

Zhao Xiulan's smile froze on her face: "Squad Leader Jiang, what do you mean by this?"

"It's nothing." Jiang Renzhou moved closer to Granny Sun. "Granny Sun is a military family member, and her husband is a martyr. No one can touch her."

Grandma Sun looked at Jiang Renzhou, her lips trembling, unable to speak.

Zhao Xiulan gritted her teeth, turned around and left.

Jiang Wanzhou helped Grandma Sun walk home. The old woman's hands were trembling, and her grip on Jiang Wanzhou's arm was painful.

"Thank you, brother..." Her voice was hoarse, like a broken gong.

“We are also very grateful to the old lady for being willing to help my sister-in-law.” Jiang Wanzhou picked up the herbs on the ground and put them into the basket. “These can still be used. I’ll help you dry them.”

Suddenly, Aunt Sun grabbed her hand and touched her palm with her fingertips: "Wanzhou, you're a good girl. But don't wade into the muddy waters of this island, or you'll drown."

Jiang Wanzhou looked at the distant sea, where the setting sun dyed the seawater golden red, like a road paved with burning red.

She knew that what Aunt Sun said was true, but some things, even if you know they will flood, still have to be done by someone standing in the water.

At night, Jiang Wanzhou lay in bed, but her mind was not at peace.

Unbeknownst to her, Zhao Xiulan was standing at the entrance of the military compound, whispering something to a man in an officer's uniform.

The moonlight cast long shadows on them, like two snakes lurking in wait.

[Author's Note]

A few days ago, when there was too much of a romantic subplot between the male and female leads, I wanted to focus on developing the female lead's career. Now, I'm actually thinking, "Wait till the male lead appears!" [laughing emoji]