"That's true, it's just that absolutely no one remembers. Let me think... some medicinal herbs can grow right in the nursery beds. It won't make them rich, but it will definitely add an income stream for the family."

Chi Wu frowned, "But that has nothing to do with you opening a hospital. Even if you open one, you won't need that many herbs."

Cheng Ying pursed her lips. Indeed, the hospital she envisioned was at most a small clinic on the second floor, not exactly luxurious. But good wine needs no bush; who knew how it might develop later.

In any case, with a plan in place, the path had to be paved first. The key was that the space held a large quantity of medicinal herbs. There was no alternative; the most valuable things they could find in their village were medicinal herbs, especially those harvested for their flowers—she had an abundance of those.

Cheng Ying said, "I don't care anymore. Later, you find a warehouse, and I'll start putting them in there. I still have to go to work, so this isn't urgent; it won't be done in just a day or two."

Chi Wu felt that since there was this intention, they should act quickly. "Grandpa is getting old; he should take it a bit easier. The old man would certainly be happy to see his own traditional pharmacy established."

Hearing this, Cheng Ying said nothing, only kissed Chi Wu on the cheek. That hit the nail on the head. As a person, you shouldn't leave regrets. Cheng Ying realized this after the old lady passed away; otherwise, everything vanishes when you die.

Her grandpa treated her well, and Cheng Ying had already discussed this matter with the old man. Since the conditions were now right, she had to make it happen for him to see, especially since their family's secret recipe was genuinely excellent.

The ancestral secret recipe combined with the herbs from her space—anti-inflammatory and scar-reducing—it was bound to be a success. How could it lose money?

When Chi Wu was kissed, it was like stepping on the gas. This encouragement from his wife made him hurry up and establish the hospital.

So, after this period, Chi Wu became extremely busy. Forget dealing with messy things outside; he didn't even have time for the messy things at home with his wife. Seeing this made Cheng Ying’s heart ache. "Why don't you let Uncle Gan help you out?"

Chi Wu replied, "Uncle Gan is already swamped himself; no need for you to worry. Once the specific regulations are finalized, I won't be so busy. Dedicated staff will handle it. You should sneak a good look at how your director manages the hospital, and while you’re at it, see if there are any good doctors we can poach with high salaries."

Cheng Ying quipped, "So I'm going to be a spy?"

Chi Wu countered, "You have that kind of sharpness."

Cheng Ying retorted, "I am just low-key, not that unassuming. With my abilities, I am like Bian Que and Hua Tuo reborn, but alas, no one has the discerning eye to recognize my worth. Someone like me shouldn't have to resort to headhunting."

Chi Wu teased, "Indeed, my wife is younger than Bian Que and Hua Tuo by quite a few generations. They definitely didn't have Erythromycin back then; it would be strange if you didn't have such skills. Oh, one more thing, are you in the same department as Bian Que and Hua Tuo?"

Cheng Ying glared, "Now I know why my temper has been so volatile lately; it’s all your fault for provoking me. Let me tell you, don't mess with me. I’m already going through menopause."

Chi Wu scoffed, "You say my father, who is so much older, is going through menopause, and you claim the same for yourself? That shows your medical skills are really subpar. Are you in the same age bracket? Even with gender differences, the gap shouldn't be that large. You should just settle down."

Cheng Ying thought to herself that she was indeed close to her father-in-law’s age; she just wasn't telling him. Moreover, she truly felt embarrassed claiming to be an old enchantress indulging in an 'old cow eating tender grass' situation.

And Cheng Ying genuinely believed she might be experiencing menopause: "You're saying you're tired of me, and you even look down on my medical skills. This is how you support me from behind, isn't it? If I don't succeed, I'll blame you."

That was truly unfair. He supported his wife's work wholeheartedly. Chi Wu said, "Please be reasonable. You should stick to the menopause claim; I won't provoke you. I will remain the man behind your success. I'll start planning your big hospital right now, and while we're at it, pay respects to Grandpa."

Cheng Ying exclaimed, "Oh, right! How did the topic stray so far? It’s all because you were stirring things up!"

Chi Wu muttered, "Now I know who our daughter takes after in being unreasonable and lecherous."

Cheng Ying bristled, "How can you use those words? Is my daughter lecherous? At most, my son and I have a soft spot for good looks; yes, we are Yan Kong (looks-oriented). We just appreciate the appearance of the opposite sex around us with a purely appreciative eye."

Chi Wu narrowed his eyes. Cheng Ying immediately corrected herself, "Appreciating the opposite-sex relatives around us, like you, my husband, and like him, my son. Ah, how beautiful life is! It allows me to live constantly surrounded by handsome men. It's wonderful; I can't even go to lively places anymore because there's no one worth looking at!"

Chi Wu warned, "Save it. Don't push me too far."

Cheng Ying pleaded, "I’m afraid you’ll run away from home, so I dare not provoke you. It's just my mouth being cheap and my eyes wandering. I truly don't have any more audacity than that. Could you please handle this with a bit of leniency?"

Chi Wu poutedly and walked away. Was this his wife?

Cheng Ying, as a beautiful doctor, got along well with her colleagues when driving to work daily. In passing, she inquired about who had retired elderly fathers involved in medical careers and sought to become friendly with them. While she couldn't poach staff from the unit, who stipulated she couldn't invite a few retired old doctors to serve her own establishment? Doctors, after all, gain experience with age. Cheng Ying had a fine little plan brewing.

It was also a contribution to her own hospital; she couldn't let Chi Wu handle all the hard work alone, right?

With this intention, Cheng Ying's interpersonal relationships soared in a straight line. Moreover, Cheng Ying was incredibly shameless; she wasn't afraid of being squeezed out by beautiful women—she was a married woman, posing no threat to single women.

She was even less afraid of being squeezed out by men; didn't they have her actual brother (Cheng Ming) to handle things? Everything was left to Cheng Ming to resolve.

For the older uncles and aunties, it was even easier; Cheng Ying took the route of involving her children, frequently taking her two kids out for an airing, essentially boosting her favorability rating. Who could possibly fare badly when bringing out her children, combined with her personal charm?

It must be said that Cheng Ying's approach was quite effective. Capable children often forge their own paths, but most children simply follow the routes arranged by their families. Thus, family-oriented group work often occurs. At least Cheng Ying noticed that four or five doctors in her unit all had retired elderly fathers, which Cheng Ying immediately targeted. If there was an opportunity for a casual visit to foster goodwill, she went; if not, she took the children along to 'exchange pleasantries.'

Over time, someone patted their chest and said, "Luckily, you don't just visit our house; otherwise, I’d think you were unhappy at home and planning to switch allegiances."

Cheng Ying glanced at the elder brother patting his chest next to her, thinking, What's so great about you compared to my man? "Don't worry, even if it were about switching allegiances, I wouldn't have any feelings for you beyond being colleagues."

The elder brother clutched his chest, "That’s so disappointing. But I also have no intention of being a stepfather. Although you are quite beautiful, and your children are quite beautiful, they must be appreciated separately. Combined, I'm sorry, it's hard for the average person to accept."

Cheng Ying bared her teeth, "What terrible taste! We are doing great; stay far away from me."

The elder brother protested, "Don't go. To be honest, you should give us a straight answer. There’s really nothing in our family worth your attention, just me. If I said you weren't interested in me personally, no one would believe it. Our old man said if I have no interest in you and can't accept your children, I should tell you clearly sooner rather than later."

Cheng Ying felt a tightness in her chest. Was there such a huge misunderstanding? She turned to look at the few colleagues who had been visited nearby. "What do you all mean?"

The elder sister nearby said, "I definitely don't have any other intentions; our genders don't match. Just make sure you don't take a liking to our brother-in-law."

Cheng Ying's face darkened, "You are truly candid. I certainly won't! You can rest assured."

The male doctor in his forties nearby sighed, "I am suffering every day, Sister! Brother has a family!"

Cheng Ying snapped, "Scram! You scoundrels will be the death of me sooner or later. Am I such a person with no moral standards? Was I looking at you people? I was looking at your mothers back then!"

Everyone burst out, "Just explain clearly; no need to get so agitated. You said 'unsolicited attention to mothers'? Ah, you revealed your hand!"

Cheng Ying fumed, "I brought my son and daughter out to boost my favorability rating, and you filthy-minded people have ruined it!"

The elder sister nearby chimed in, "Sister, we know you adore the elderly, but you can't just stare at other people's mothers! Don't you have a grandmother and mother-in-law? Go back and be filial to them."

Cheng Ying looked at this group of foolish humans and promptly left. There was no point talking if their wavelengths didn't match. What was originally an optional small hospital now compelled Cheng Ying to speed up after such an ordeal, otherwise, her reputation would be impossible to clear.

And Grandpa was indeed getting quite old. In the past six months, Cheng Ying had sent Grandpa back two large bags of medicinal herbs. Those coming to the old man for prescriptions were from the surrounding villages, and some came by reputation. The elderly doctor’s specialty was very focused, so the types of ailments he treated were also very singular.

Grandpa had told Cheng Ying over the phone that the herbs she prepared were much more effective than those picked from the mountains; the effect was faster.

Perhaps due to the potent effects, combined with the genuine efficacy of the ancestral secret recipe, eight out of ten recent patients treated by the old doctor saw quick improvement. His fame was naturally growing.

Cheng Ying had specially procured several other types of herbs for the old man, but he returned them all. He said his secret recipe didn't include those ingredients; he couldn't treat ailments outside his specialty. He wouldn't fool people.

Cheng Ying felt quite depressed. Grandpa specialized in treating hemorrhoids and had even checked the pulse of pregnant women back in the day. Why was he suddenly so protective of his reputation now? Insisting on sticking strictly to his specialties.

While Chi Wu was selecting locations and planning the construction, he was also running around handling the paperwork for Cheng Ying. In this era, running paperwork was even more troublesome than building. Cheng Ying lacked neither money, manpower, nor land. Building could proceed immediately. The ground broken was the five acres of orchards in their backyard.

Chi Wu said that once the new building was finished, they would demolish the existing six houses in front, making the area in front of the building much brighter.

Cheng Ying was relieved that the location she chose initially was good. With urban development, the area they selected, which was then suburban, was turning into the city center.

Moreover, this location wasn't far from the Provincial Hospital—ideal, wasn't it? Putting up small advertisements would be convenient.

The only problem was that they had to move now; they had nowhere to live. Cheng Ying regretted being too cautious initially; she should have bought a few more properties to store things, saving them the trouble of moving now.