Kang Yuan evidently valued the matter more than Wang Jian. Once Wang Jian agreed to take on an apprentice, Kang Yuan decided to go all out with the preparations. Despite Wang Jian's attempts to persuade him otherwise, nothing could stop him.

After all, he was an elder. Even though Wang Jian had now agreed to become Chairman Kang's mentor, Kang Yuan was of Chairman Kang's grandfather's generation. So, whether by age or seniority, Kang Yuan was Wang Jian's elder.

Wang Jian could only give in, watching the old man enthusiastically organize everything. Moreover, it seemed as though it had all been prearranged. Hearing the news, even Xu Changqing suddenly showed up, eager to lend a hand with the apprentice ceremony.

That wasn't all. After hearing about the event, Peng Qing made a special trip to ask if his son, Ping An, could also attend the apprentice banquet. Previously, Peng Pingan had been unwell, so they had kept things simple. But now that Wang Jian was taking on another apprentice and a grand banquet was being organized, Peng Qing couldn't bear to miss out. He felt that his Peng family's child couldn't be outdone by the youngster from the Kang family. The banquet had to be a grand celebration, with all the proper guests invited, and Peng Qing would be the first to object if it wasn't.

As things progressed, everyone familiar with Wang Jian learned of the apprentice banquet, and the news even reached the soldiers guarding the relics in the mountains. Seeing things spiral out of his control, Wang Jian decided to just go with the flow. In this world, with so many hidden crises lurking, who knows when the next one will erupt? Best to let the old folks be happy while they can. With that thought, Wang Jian stopped objecting and began to cooperate enthusiastically.

As a result, the village started buzzing with activity again. Hearing that Wang Jian was taking on an apprentice, Li Dayu immediately gathered the village leaders for a major village committee meeting. It wasn't just the locals who showed up, either; many people from the entire town came as well. The town mayor, having somehow caught wind of the news, even sent an assistant to monitor the proceedings. If not for the poor optics of attending himself, the mayor might have come in person. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

And that wasn't all. Unbeknownst to Wang Jian, Peng Qing and Cai Xing were also meeting, seemingly preparing a surprise of their own.

All the bustling chaos outside was of little concern to Wang Jian, however. As evening fell, he sat in his courtyard watching the sunset. Living in the valley, they couldn't see the sun dip below the horizon without hiking up a mountain, so he contented himself with watching the vibrant, colorful clouds it left in its wake. Even so, it was wonderfully serene. Wang Jian had even acquired a lounge chair and was now rocking gently in his courtyard, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Xu Qian came out of the kitchen and saw him. "Why aren't you over there checking on their progress instead of just lying here?" she asked.

"And do what?" Wang Jian chuckled. "Believe me, even if I went, there'd be nothing for me to do. Why should I go get in the way of the commotion?"

"How do you know there's nothing for you to do if you don't go? I think everything over there is your business." Xu Qian, holding some vegetables, found a small stool and sat down in the courtyard. She began cleaning the vegetables as she spoke. "If you really don't know what to do, you could at least stop by the clinic."

"The clinic?" Wang Jian shook his head with a laugh. "The clinic doesn't need me anymore. With young Chairman Kang holding down the fort, they won't need me unless a major problem comes up."

"Is Chairman Kang really capable?" Xu Qian was clearly surprised. She asked curiously, "I know he's smart and obedient, and you're very satisfied with him, but Medical Skills are a serious matter. The people who come to our clinic are from all over town. We can't give them a reason to gossip."

She was saying this for Wang Jian's own good. "You've made quite a name for yourself since you came back from Beijing. Don't get careless now, or all that hard work will be for nothing."

"Hahaha, I know you're just looking out for me," Wang Jian explained. "Actually, I've always taken the practice of medicine very seriously. If I didn't, I wouldn't have gotten into that argument in Beijing and been forced to come back here. So don't worry, I'm not being reckless with this."

Only then did Xu Qian nod, a smile returning to her face. "It's good that you know. I was just afraid that after everything you've been through recently, you might have forgotten your original purpose. Don't be like those people who get a little fame and status and let it go to their heads. Otherwise, you won't even know what hit you."

Seeing that Wang Jian wasn't being flippant, Xu Qian felt much more at ease. Lately, all the commotion had been about Wang Jian taking on an apprentice. She was genuinely happy for his current abilities and achievements, but she was also worried he might grow complacent and make a mistake. Seeing how clear-headed he was, she gave an internal nod of approval.

Xu Qian said, "So you're saying you genuinely believe Chairman Kang has the ability to run the clinic?"

Hearing her question, Wang Jian simply closed his eyes and nodded, continuing to rock in his lounge chair.

Xu Qian pressed on, "You're not mistaken, are you? Chairman Kang is just like Xiao Yu, a first or second-year college student. How could he…"

Wang Jian picked up her train of thought. "...how could he possibly be a doctor already?"

"Exactly," said Xu Qian. "I didn't know much about it before, but after chatting with that girl Cai Qiong every day, I have a better idea. Logically, he shouldn't even have his medical license yet, right? And even setting that aside, if he were at a hospital, wouldn't he still be an intern?"

Wang Jian naturally understood her reasoning, but the situation was different now. If this were the world I used to know, before I encountered all those strange things, I probably would have agreed with her. I would have taken things step-by-step and wouldn't have let Chairman Kang take charge of the clinic so soon. After all, this clinic, small as it is, is my life's work. It's built on my core medical philosophies. He knew that Xu Qian understood how much he valued the clinic, which was why she was so concerned.

Wang Jian decided not to make excuses and just told her the truth. "Actually, Chairman Kang is different from other medical students. He grew up learning in his family's traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, following the ancient methods passed down through generations. It's a classic family inheritance. So even though he's only just started university, he already possesses the Medical Skills of a typical doctor. And because of that hands-on upbringing, his clinical experience is superior to that of many ordinary hospital doctors. On top of that, after studying with me for a few months, his understanding of qi and blood has reached an introductory level, elevating his Medical Skills to an entirely new plane. A problem he can't solve is likely one that even the chief physicians in Western Medicine couldn't handle."

"So that's how it is…" Xu Qian, clutching a handful of wet vegetable leaves, looked at him in surprise, letting water drip onto the ground. "Now that you put it that way… it makes sense. No wonder the kid has seemed more and more mature lately."

"Of course," Wang Jian laughed. "The more a person learns, the less they'll boast and think they know it all. It's only when you glimpse a wider world that you realize your own insignificance. That's what makes you become more grounded."

And it's not just Chairman Kang who has changed, Wang Jian reflected. I've also grown and evolved during this time, and my perspective on many things has shifted.