The Whole Family is Reborn, But I Transmigrated into a Book - Chapter 48

Is studying medicine difficult?

Naturally, it is difficult. Extremely so.

Ren Songyan had begun recognizing characters, reading books, and identifying medicinal herbs since she was a small child. To become an excellent physician, one must possess a profound cultural foundation and extensive pharmacological knowledge. An illiterate doctor is a danger to all.

Moreover, she was born a daughter. To study medicine, she first had to leap over the hurdle of her gender. She possessed a natural talent for healing; in her youth, her father often lamented that she had not been born a son. Over time, a seed of resentment grew within her.

Why am I not a man?

If she were a man, everything would be resolved. She could practice medicine openly, without question or doubt.

Finally, the day came when she donned male attire and presented herself to the world as a man. The first time she did so, her palms were slick with sweat. She was terrified of being exposed, terrified that she would lose her only chance to be a doctor.

But not a single person doubted her. Everyone praised her as a brilliant, young, and promising physician. At that moment, Ren Songyan felt a joy she had never known. She knew she had found her way.

However, her father believed she was being reckless. He feared that if she were discovered, the reputation of the Ren family would be destroyed in an instant. But Ren Songyan was unwilling to submit. She had studied for years; was she to be shackled forever by the mere fact of being a woman?

Despite her father’s lack of support—and his belief that she had gone mad—she relied on her own sheer will to pass the examinations for the Imperial Medical Academy. Her skills were recognized. Yet, in the quiet of the night, she lived in constant terror. Her dream had not brought peace; instead, her impulsive defiance had placed her and her family in mortal peril.

If only she had been more mature back then…

“Physician Ren? Physician Ren, what are you thinking about?”

Liu Qingyue blinked, looking at her with confusion. She didn’t understand why a simple question had caused Ren Songyan to drift so far away.

Ren Songyan snapped back to reality and looked at the woman before her. “Nothing… I was just remembering the past. I never thought of it as ‘bitter’ at the time, but suddenly recalling it, I realize I’ve walked a very long road.”

Had she not looked back, she wouldn’t have realized how much she had endured. The hardships were real, even if she chose not to speak of them to Liu Qingyue. She simply offered a faint smile. “We all have our own paths to walk and our own destinations. Besides, I chose this path myself. No matter what, I will never regret it.”

She was only afraid—afraid of losing her life before her dream was fully realized. No one knew how much effort she had poured into getting this far.

Liu Qingyue couldn’t help but sigh. “Even if you say that, I still feel these years must have been very hard for you. But I suppose you have your reasons for doing what you did.”

Even though she was “naive” in the eyes of others, Liu Qingyue was an empathetic person.

“Your Highness need not feel sad for me,” Ren Songyan said softly. “The fact that I am sitting here before you today proves that everything I went through was meaningful.”

It was true. Regardless of the risks, she had gained something. Though she was far from the Imperial Academy, in the army camp, she could do even more. Gu Qingzhuo had promised to protect her life, which eased the anxiety that used to haunt her at midnight. “One seeks many things in life; to find satisfaction in even one or two is already a blessing.”

“You have a very good mindset,” Liu Qingyue nodded with a smile. She started to wonder: Did Gu Qingjia send me to comfort her, or did he send her to comfort me?

Ren Songyan’s path was efficient. By disguising herself, she had bypassed the suffocating restrictions of feudal etiquette and the “differences between men and women” that would have been used to reject her talent.

“Physician Ren, I’m truly happy to have met you,” Liu Qingyue said sincerely. She admired her. If it were her, she wouldn’t have the courage or the skill to deceive the world for so long. Ren Songyan hadn’t succeeded through recklessness alone, but through countless nights of study.

“I didn’t expect you to say that,” Ren Songyan admitted. Most people would find her behavior scandalous or insane. “To be honest, I find Your Highness quite naive. It’s not a bad thing; it proves you grew up in a safe environment. But someone as innocent as you… usually wouldn’t have anything to do with someone like me.”

In Ren Songyan’s eyes, Liu Qingyue’s innocence was a form of “domestication” by the high walls of her upbringing. She didn’t say it aloud, but she felt a clear distinction between herself and the Princess.

Liu Qingyue wasn’t offended. She had accepted herself. If “naive” meant “stupid,” then so be it. She knew she wasn’t suited for palace intrigue or domestic power struggles. Had she been anyone else, she would have vanished from this world long ago. But she had met a good man—Gu Qingjia indulged her and protected her.

“Perhaps it is just fate,” Liu Qingyue replied with a twinkle in her eye. She wasn’t the type to get angry over a single comment.

After lunch at the tavern, they continued their shopping. By the time they returned to the General’s Manor, all three women had their hands full—a true “harvest.”

Gu Qingjia was surprised to see the haul. “My Princess, what brought on the sudden urge to buy so many things?”

Usually, when they went out together, she just looked and never bought.

“Just some trifles,” she said. “They didn’t cost much. If I don’t use them, Second Brother can give them to the servants.” For her, it was simply about the joy of the activity.

“You’ve worked hard today,” Gu Qingjia said with a hint of regret. “Had I known you’d buy so much, I would have sent more servants to carry your bags.” He had only thought of her safety, not the logistics of a shopping spree.

“I’m not tired, but I feel bad for Physician Ren,” Liu Qingyue laughed. “She clearly doesn’t like shopping, yet she stayed with me all day.”

“Thank you, Physician Ren,” Gu Qingjia said. “The butler has prepared your quarters. But before you rest, would you be so kind as to see my brother? He is waiting for you in the study.”

It sounded like a question, but Ren Songyan knew it wasn’t. She bowed and headed for the study.

Gu Qingjia took Liu Qingyue’s hand and led her back to their room. “Did you have a good time today?”

Liu Qingyue nodded. “I did. But I asked Physician Ren some questions… and I think you lied to me. The camp was bitter and cold, yet you said it was nothing. You must have suffered a great deal while I wasn’t there.”

She hadn’t intended to bring it up, but seeing him made the words pour out. Gu Qingjia gave her enough security that she felt she could say anything. “But I know… it’s war. There’s no other way.”