In the afternoon, the courtyard gradually became more crowded.

First, the entire Tao family arrived in three cars, with the New Year's gifts alone taking up almost two cars.

Before long, Elder Jue, Elder Jiang, Xie Jin, Ye Feixu, and Guo Ziming also arrived.

The trunks of both cars were stuffed full of New Year's goods.

A dozen or so people sat in the living room chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere, while the children built a snowman in the yard.

After chatting with Ye Feixu for a while, Guo Ziming took turns taking Zhong Jinghe's pulse.

Su Yan also followed along to learn, while simultaneously writing a customized medicinal diet recipe for Zhong Jinghe.

Everyone was very concerned about Zhong Jinghe; they even stopped to chat while taking her pulse.

Zhong Jinghe was extremely nervous.

She hadn't seen such a lively scene since the incident at home.

Old Jue reminded them from the side, "We're all family here, so you two should just say what you have to say. There's no need to hide anything."

Ye Feixu withdrew his hand and said calmly, "A Western medicine that my research institute has recently developed is suitable for Miss Zhong's condition, but her constitution is weak and it is not suitable for her. She should receive traditional Chinese medicine treatment instead."

Guo Ziming nodded, "Her pulse was even weaker than my junior sister's when she was poisoned by the Laura Fruit. Gentle treatments are more effective."

After saying that, he glanced at the girl squatting by the table and asked, "Junior sister, is there anything you want to say?"

"Huh?" Su Yan looked up, bewildered, and said, "I'm making medicinal meals for Sister Jinghe."

Upon hearing this, Xie Jin's three fellow disciples immediately gathered around.

Old Master Jue also put down his teacup, stood up, and went over to take a look with his hands behind his back.

Grandma Tao smiled and said, "The medicinal diet that Ayan customized is very good for the body. Since I recuperated in Anping Town, my body has become much stronger, and my legs are no longer cold this winter."

Tao Jin said, "He Jinnian said that the medicinal cuisine factory has not been open for long, but business is very good. Many people who have eaten the medicinal cuisine feel that their health has improved and have contacted the factory manager to customize medicinal cuisine. The customized orders are already booked until the end of this year."

The employees I trained wanted to customize medicinal meals for customers, but their cooking skills were lacking.

So for now, we still have to rely on Su Yan alone.

However, she has limited energy and can only see ten patients a month.

In her past life, she had one a month, all for the money!

While Guo Ziming and the others were taking Zhong Jinghe's pulse, Su Yan had already written four versions, but she rejected them all. Now she has finished writing the fifth version.

Guo Ziming was puzzled after reading it. "These five versions are almost identical, except for a few different ingredients. The effects of the different ingredients are similar, so why change them?"

"I have to prescribe medicine based on Sister Jinghe's physical condition. The medicines in the previous four versions were either too nourishing, too strong, or not effective enough. The fifth version is a mild and nourishing formula."

Xie Jin and Ye Feixu both understood.

Su Yan's customized medicinal diet not only requires each herb to be tailored to the patient's physical condition, but also considers the overall suitability of the formula to achieve the best results.

Master Jue felt ashamed of himself, saying, "As the master, I am not as good as your disciple when it comes to prescribing medicinal cuisine."

Su Yan said, "Everyone has their own expertise. My master focuses on larger and more rigorous medical histories, while I am completely focused on recuperating my health, which is why I have put a lot of effort into this aspect. I am just so-so about other aspects."

This isn't just her praising someone; it's the truth.

Grandpa Jiang laughed heartily, "Old Jue, you've really struck gold by taking on Ayan as your apprentice."

Master Jue did not deny it. He returned to his seat and had already made up his mind. "Once you successfully skip a grade, I will give you a task that you must complete."

Upon hearing this, Su Yan replied earnestly, "Yes!"

She agreed without even asking what the task was, and Master Jue thought to himself that she was indeed his little apprentice. Such a straightforward personality was something that her three senior brothers did not have before they graduated.

Next, Guo Ziming and Ye Feixu discussed Zhong Jinghe's condition, while the others chatted about other things.

When Su Yan was making medicinal porridge for Zhong Jinghe, Xie Jin and the other two followed.

After putting the ingredients for the medicinal porridge into a pot and simmering them, the four of them gathered around the fire in the kitchen and chatted.

There were many people today, and food was everywhere in the kitchen. There were about ten cleaned but not yet chopped chickens hanging from the beams. Su Yan saw the lotus leaves on the table used to make eight-treasure rice and suddenly thought of something, swallowing her saliva.

She ran out to the kitchen and came back a moment later with a basin of dry soil, then poured water in and mixed it into mud.

Upon seeing this, the three senior brothers who were chatting immediately stopped talking.

Guo Ziming stared wide-eyed in disbelief and said, "Junior sister, you're such a big girl and you still like playing in the mud?!"

Xie Jin and Ye Feixu also looked at Su Yan in astonishment.

Su Yan glared at Guo Ziming and pouted, "I'll make some food, you'll find out soon enough."

After she finished speaking, she washed her hands and directed Guo Ziming to take three chickens down from the beam. Then she rubbed the chickens with marinade, let them sit for fifteen minutes, wrapped them tightly with lotus leaves, rolled them in mud to coat them with a layer of mud, wrapped them tightly with lotus leaves again, and finally put them into the wood-fired stove to simmer.

"Junior sister! Are you crazy?" Guo Ziming exclaimed excitedly, "You're wasting meat during the New Year! Be careful, Aunt Juan might give you a good beating with a feather duster!"

Su Yan washed her hands before saying, "Where am I messing up the meat? I'm making kiln-roasted chicken, a traditional delicacy. You'll see how delicious it is once it's cooked!"

Although Xie Jin didn't understand this approach, he had no doubt about Su Yan's cooking skills. Just thinking about her cooking made his mouth water. He laughed and said, "Don't you know how good Su Yan is? She'll probably make you drool later. Second brother, you should eat more of your junior sister's cooking, otherwise you'll have to eat that awful white food again when you go back abroad."

Ye Feixu had never tasted Su Yan's cooking and didn't know how good it was, but he wasn't picky about food; as long as it filled his stomach, that was enough.

The medicinal porridge needs to be cooked thoroughly, at least for three hours, and Su Yan plans to serve it all at once.

However, just over an hour later, the irresistible aroma of the kiln-roasted chicken filled the air.

Guo Ziming and Xie Jin were both getting impatient.

Ye Feixu was also tempted by the smell and became a little hungry. It was the first time in his life that he had wanted to eat something so much.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside.

It was Nianyu and Taoyue.

Nianyu looked at Su Yan expectantly, "Auntie, I'm hungry!"

Su Yan was both amused and exasperated. "There's medicinal porridge in the pot. Does Nianyu want some?"

"Don't take medicine!" Nianyu sniffed hard with her little nose and asked, "Isn't medicine supposed to be bitter? Why does it smell so good?"

Tao Yue said with a hint of disappointment, "I thought you had made something delicious; the aroma has even wafted into the living room."

"I made a kiln-roasted chicken, which is simmering in the firewood. It will take about an hour. I'll give you two big chicken legs later."

Nianyu swallowed hard. "Okay!"

She was reluctant to leave and squatted beside the wood-fired stove, keeping watch.