Elder Ren smiled genuinely. His granddaughter was still so pure and adorable; it didn’t matter if she didn’t call him Grandpa.

"Haha, you’ve made this old man laugh so hard I’m crying," Elder Ren said, openly wiping his tears.

"As long as you’re happy. Let’s go inside," Gu Jiaojiao said, though she didn’t understand what Grandpa Ren was laughing about.

But when she saw the kind and doting look in his eyes, her heart filled with joy.

In Gu Jiaojiao’s own memories, there was mostly medical knowledge and various other subjects she had spent a great deal of time studying.

The original owner’s memories, however, were all trivial little things, but they were all cheerful.

These memories were inconsequential to Gu Jiaojiao, yet they were also precious. Whenever she recalled them, her mood would lift.

’Perhaps the original owner had deliberately blocked out the bad memories, leaving only the good ones.’

That was why, deep in Gu Jiaojiao’s memory, Elder Ren was a very kind and loving grandfather, and the entire Ren family doted on her.

Her maternal grandfather wasn’t particularly good to Sheng Yueyue; he would even secretly slip Jiaojiao some tasty treats behind Sheng Yueyue’s back.

Unfortunately, the Ren family had moved away several years ago, so they rarely had a chance to meet, seeing each other only during the New Year.

Due to her two uncles’ jobs, the entire Ren family had moved to Yun City. Her eldest uncle was the top official in Yun City.

As Gu Jiaojiao was lost in her memories, the group entered the living room. Su Shuochi had already had his needles removed and was sitting there watching TV.

Seeing guests arrive, he turned down the volume on the TV and came forward to greet them. "Grandpa Xie, and this is...?"

"This old fellow is Grandpa Ren. He’s also had leg pain for many years. I called him over to have Jiaojiao take a look."

"Grandpa Ren, Grandpa Xie, please, have a seat. I’ll make you some tea." Su Shuochi’s wheelchair was convenient and agile.

Gu Jiaojiao, meanwhile, had Elder Ren sit down so she could take his pulse. "You do indeed have chronic ’old cold legs,’ but your condition is different from Grandpa Xie’s. Do you normally see a doctor for medication?"

"I’ve sought out famous doctors from all over. I take both Western and Chinese medicine, and I’ve also tried acupuncture and hot compresses. I’ve tried every method there is, but nothing has had much effect..."

Elder Ren even recited the herbs from the prescriptions he had taken, and he remembered the names of all the Western medicines he used.

’No wonder they say a long illness makes the patient a doctor,’ Gu Jiaojiao thought, quite impressed by Elder Ren’s memory.

"I have two treatment options. One is surgery—a percutaneous peripheral arterial intervention."

"The other is medication. It uses a fungus, specifically *Fomitopsis pinicola*, ground with other herbs into a medicine. It can be taken internally as a decoction and applied externally as a poultice."

"Of course, it can also be infused in alcohol, but it’s not good for the elderly to drink too much."

"An occasional small glass of medicinal wine is acceptable, but it’s best to take it as a decoction for better results."

While taking his pulse, Gu Jiaojiao had smelled alcohol and smoke on Elder Ren, which indicated he drank and smoked daily.

"Jiaojiao, are you saying my leg can be operated on? How come Old Man Xie got better without surgery?"

It wasn’t that Elder Ren distrusted Gu Jiaojiao’s medical skills; he was just being competitive with Old Man Xie. He couldn’t accept it.

Both he and Grandpa Xie thought Gu Jiaojiao was exceptionally talented and had learned her medical skills from people like He Shen Yi.

Those who knew Gu Jiaojiao would at most marvel at her innate talent or perhaps assume she had been hiding her skills before.

No one ever considered that this Jiaojiao was not the Jiaojiao they once knew.

That was why Gu Jiaojiao wasn’t afraid of being exposed and confidently displayed her superb medical skills.

"Your body can handle the surgery, and you’ll recover faster that way. Everyone’s constitution is different."

"Besides, Grandpa Xie doesn’t smoke or drink, whereas you can’t seem to part with them. But your body is still in good shape."

"I can prescribe some herbal packets for you to soak your feet in first. Once your leg is in better condition, it will naturally be safer to perform the surgery."

"Whatever Jiaojiao says, Gran... I’ll do it. I’ll listen to whatever Jiaojiao says," Elder Ren said, his heart filled with joy.

Gu Jiaojiao added in a serious tone, "That’s the right attitude to have. A patient must trust their doctor. Cooperation between doctor and patient is key to a fast recovery."

Elder Ren, in turn, was a little worried that Gu Jiaojiao might feel pressured, so he offered some words of comfort.

"Jiaojiao, treat me however you see fit. Don’t hold back. This old man has been on the battlefield. I almost got my head chopped off during a fierce battle with the enemy, and even that didn’t scare me."

"You are a great hero who defended our home and country. Everyone in the Empire admires and respects you. I will certainly do my humble best to ensure you live without pain and enjoy a happy, peaceful retirement."

"Jiaojiao, you’ve been kind since you were a child. I’m no great hero. I’ll always be Jiaojiao’s grandpa."

Elder Ren couldn’t stand Gu Jiaojiao calling him Elder Ren or "great hero." He just wanted to be her grandpa.

"It’s just a title. If you’d like, I’ll call you Grandpa," Gu Jiaojiao said agreeably.

Her voice was gentle, and her eyes crinkled with a smile. She had always admired the soldiers who defended their country; their devotion to the nation and its people was truly worthy of respect.

’I’ve never considered myself a kind or benevolent person,’ Gu Jiaojiao thought. ’On the contrary, I’m just a sophisticated egoist.’

’Before studying medicine, other people’s lives and deaths had nothing to do with me. After, healing the sick and wounded became a responsibility etched into my very bones.’

’That’s why, even for the eldest brother of the Sheng Family who had abandoned her first, she had extended a helping hand to treat him several times.’

’And Elder Ren, a hero of this era? There was no reason for her not to treat him.’

"Ahem, Jiaojiao, do you mean you want your grandpa to quit drinking and smoking?" Elder Ren was overjoyed that Jiaojiao was willing to call him Grandpa.

"You don’t have to quit drinking. As long as it’s in moderation, it won’t cause much harm to your body. I’ve seen several elderly people who love to drink."

"It was their unrestrained drinking that triggered various symptoms and illnesses, leading to poor health."

"Although smoking and drinking aren’t illegal, and doing so in appropriate places doesn’t violate public decency..."

"You could say it protects the rights of enthusiasts and dependents, as many people consider it a form of spiritual nourishment."

"However, from a medical perspective, both tobacco and alcohol are addictive and can create physiological dependence."

"From a sociological perspective, indulging in both can have a significant negative impact on a person’s life."

"The lifestyles of people who depend on tobacco and alcohol are different from those who don’t."

"The former are accustomed to entrusting their troubles to tobacco and alcohol, while the latter have healthier coping mechanisms, or perhaps they don’t easily develop negative emotions in the first place."

"The lives of people with ambitions are relatively fulfilling. Simply put, they know what they want and work tirelessly to achieve it."

"Although the process is full of hardship, it gives them a sense of accomplishment. This is what’s meant by ’never tiring of it’ or ’being happily busy.’"

"When life has purpose, you won’t feel lost about your direction, and every day becomes meaningful."

"So there’s no need to rely on tobacco and alcohol to drown your sorrows. As the saying goes, ’drowning sorrows in wine only increases them.’"

"Jiaojiao is absolutely right. When I was young, I didn’t smoke or drink either. It was only later, when my leg pain became severe, that I turned to them to ease the pain."

Elder Ren said sheepishly. Since Jiaojiao said he didn’t have to quit drinking, he would try to quit smoking from now on.