(Thanks to sincostgctg for the monthly ticket encouragement)

Liu Banxia slept pretty well this time. Although it was just a few hours, it felt refreshing to sleep straight through.

It's quite the luxury of being on duty as a leader. In fact, another car accident patient came late at night, but Qi Wentai handled it all by himself.

"Manager Zhou, I've realized you're more passionate than us." Upon arriving at the cafeteria, Liu Banxia saw Zhou Qiang standing there, full of energy.

"It's different. For you, it's a job; for me, it's about making a living. The food and necessities for my entire family come from each bowl of millet porridge. If I don't work hard, it really won't cut it," Zhou Qiang said solemnly.

"Come on, we have Qiaoqiao's shop with its off-season and peak season, whereas your place is always busy. Give me four... forget it, give me twenty tea eggs. A group of hungry wolves is attacking," Liu Banxia said.

Zhou Qiang smiled wide as he watched Xu Yino and the gang stroll over.

This little group noticed Liu Banxia and immediately quickened their pace, with Xu Yino even pulling Liu Yiqing to run together. That posture looked as if they were scrambling for food.

"Why rush? Tea eggs are plentiful. You can even weigh the pickles by the pound since Manager Zhou is offering them, no hurry," Liu Banxia said helplessly.

"Three tea eggs, one bun, and a bowl of millet porridge, charge it to Teacher Liu's account," Xu Yino said.

"Two tea eggs, a bowl of millet porridge, charge it to Teacher Liu's account," Liu Yiqing chimed in.

"Are you kidding me? How much is a bun and millet porridge? Liu Yiqing, aren't you eating any main dishes?" Liu Banxia asked.

"I'll share a bun with Xu Yino. I can't eat much in the morning," Liu Yiqing replied.

"Alright, I'll leave my card here. After eating, I'll be off work. Tomorrow, Xu Yino and Su Wenhao, wait for me on the emergency vehicle, and we'll go together," Liu Banxia said.

The interns giggled and laughed; only meal times could be this joyful. During lessons, facing Director Liu, they barely dare to breathe.

Buns, tea eggs, millet porridge—this kind of breakfast doesn't really cost much. But for Xu Yino and her peers, whenever they can take advantage of Liu Banxia, they must give it their all.

Of course, sometimes things slip, and Liu Banxia manages to extort them back in return. It's give and take, and everyone enjoys these interactions.

"Teacher Liu, why not take part in a Marathon? Your stamina is so good, I think you could win a place, and your wife would be so happy," Xu Yino encouraged.

"Come on, don't I risk rhabdomyolysis too? And then leave it to you two for rescue?" Liu Banxia glared at her.

"Remember last year's Marathon prep? A guy, also a marathon runner, was training and ended up taking medicine, leading to rhabdomyolysis."

"Tomorrow, don't assume it's just a leisurely stroll. Many have not done any health evaluations and just run with determination."

"Muscle strain, abdominal pain, cardiac arrest, falls, heat stroke, etc., such incidents aren't uncommon. Although plenty of emergency personnel are organized for tomorrow, the weather forecast suggests good weather too."

"Teacher Liu, show them your skills tomorrow. With your proficiency in general and orthopedic surgeries, just crack away at any patients in need," Xu Yino said.

"You just enjoy stirring things up. So, how's the house-hunting going?" Liu Banxia asked.

Xu Yino looked pitifully and shook her head, "Not easy to find; none are desirable. We need a two-bedroom, but they're too expensive."

"Then find somewhere slightly farther; the expensive ones are likely a good community. Ordinary communities might not meet your standards," Liu Banxia suggested.

"It'll take some time. I noticed the agents don't seem eager to earn money. We are willing to pay the agency fee, but they just find random places," Xu Yino complained.

"Haha, how much commission is there for renting a house? Selling houses is more thrilling. Proper agents may seem indifferent, but it's better than those risky apartments, right?" Liu Banxia laughed.

"Take it slow. Being a bit farther is okay; you have a car now, and anything within a half-hour drive isn't far. When renting a house, it should feel comfortable, otherwise living there would be unsettling."

"When I first came here, I was stingy too. Riding the subway took so long. But the advantage was living near the market, so after work, even if a bit late, I could grab something to eat."

"As a girl living outside, you must be cautious about safety; it's better to spend a little more money than casually find a place to stay. No rush, take your time."

The two girls nodded in agreement; they felt the same way, hence the difficulty in finding a place. Plus, the agents certainly lack diligence in matching properties.

After eating and drinking, Liu Banxia didn't bother with them anymore. He returned to the emergency center to clock out and directly left work.

There was nothing much to go over—his patient with VB1 deficiency got up early and was out for a walk.

The dishes Qiaoqiao ordered yesterday were small stews with cabbage for lunch; Liu Banxia needed to pick those up at the supermarket while passing by. Meanwhile, he pre-ordered the evening barbecue and boiled fish. Being the deputy director of the emergency center, he's also the deputy at home.

Seeing him carrying groceries into the house, Tang Dou and her pups rushed over together. Four waddling little short-legged doggies ran clumsily, wagging their tails almost to the point of falling off.

"They're really ungrateful, don't know who they should be close to." Qiaoqiao complained.

"Where's Yanzi?" Liu Banxia asked.

"Went to class, will be back at noon." Qiaoqiao replied.

"Do you know how to braise meat? If you do, you can start braising first, then toss in some cabbage. Doesn't it become stewed cabbage? It shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"Sounds doable, it might not be delicious, but it should at least have the right flavor." Liu Banxia nodded.

You can't always rely on Yanzi, she teaches yoga classes and keeps Qiaoqiao company, she's already quite busy.

"Should we ask my mom to come over in a few days?" Liu Banxia asked.

"I'm just worried it would be too much trouble for her, only taking care of me feels a bit awkward." Qiaoqiao said.

"There's nothing to be awkward about, it's not like she's taking care of someone else. You're currently not very mobile, relying too much on Yanzi feels a bit unfair." Liu Banxia said with a smile.

"My mom called yesterday too, mostly out of concern for you. By the way, Tang Feifei introduced a client to me, named Wu Shaoming. Want an autograph?"

"If there's one, that would be great, though right now I'm not too interested. Actually, I don't watch much TV now, mostly just fiddle with my phone." Qiaoqiao remarked.

"But getting one would be fine too, Yanzi might like it, consider it part of her pay. We're not evil capitalists, shouldn't exploit too much."

"Okay, I'll take care of this when I go to work the day after tomorrow." Liu Banxia chuckled.

He's truly not interested in these things, he focused on braising the meat.

The lazy way: wash the meat, cut into pieces, blanch it. In the pan, add oil and rock sugar, stir-fry until the sugar color is ready, then toss in the meat to saute, add spices. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The last step is even simpler, after adding broth, just transfer to the pressure cooker.

Whether this will taste good or not, Liu Banxia isn't too concerned at the moment. He made it to satisfy his craving before, it's not comparable to a chef's, but he finds it tasty enough.

Tang Dou and its puppies didn't greet Liu Banxia for nothing, he bought them some beef.

If this were before, Liu Banxia would never have done it. It was too extravagant; back then he wouldn't buy beef for himself. The spending habits and standards have changed, he's not too bothered now.

That's why they say it's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go from luxury to frugality. With increased income, expenses seem to decrease, and he doesn't care much about spending.

After eating the beef, the east, south, west, and north winds ran to Liu Banxia's feet and surrounded him.

"Let my mom rest a few more days at home, for now, rely on Yanzi. She doesn't have much going on lately, not many people are signing up, she's bored." Qiaoqiao said.

"Alright, I'll listen to you." Liu Banxia replied.

He won't be stubborn on this matter. No matter how good the relationship is between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, it can't match the closeness of your own mom.

Qiaoqiao has to make the decision about matters like this, can't just make decisions based on what he thinks is good. That won't do, it might even lead to unnecessary trouble.

"Has work been busy for you lately?" Qiaoqiao asked.

"Not too bad, the hospital's always the same amount of work. A car accident patient came in last night, insisted on jumping over the barrier, got hit by a car." Liu Banxia said.

"He has a hematoma in his head, the surgery was successful, but whether there's any brain damage is still uncertain. They'll do a simple test today, he's quite unlucky."

"Oh, let's not talk about those bloody things, the babies don't like to hear it." Qiaoqiao said seriously.

Liu Banxia found it amusing and pinched her nose lightly.

Yesterday he didn't massage Qiaoqiao's legs, so he needs to make up for it today. He enjoys doing it, can't share the burden of pregnancy with Qiaoqiao, but he can at least help out.

And every time he comes home, his mood changes.

Although the house is quiet now, with four puppies not playing with him, he feels very peaceful. No matter how tired or troubled he gets outside, coming home and smelling the scent of home makes him feel calm.

That's the role of a home, not just the house, but the whole family.

Of course, Tang Dou and its puppies also contribute to this family.