Later, I joined my husband in Reading, a small town west of London, where he was pursuing his Ph.D. at the University of Reading. Though the culture, living environment, and natural beauty were a breath of fresh air, integrating into this new society presented numerous challenges, including communication challenges, cultural variations, and the absence of family and friends. The most significant challenge was the void left by my previously packed schedule. Despite attending language school three times a week, I felt disconnected. My parents' letters, filled with encouragement to continue self-study in Traditional Chinese Medicine and clinical skills, and their clippings on health and clinical experiences in Traditional Chinese Medicine, were a lifeline. My father's personal guidance on preparing traditional remedies and our international calls were invaluable for our communication and problem-solving. Within half a year in Reading, with the help of international friends, I initiated my international teaching and clinical practice in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

After more than four years, our family returned to Shanghai to settle down and continue our work in clinical practice and teaching of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Every time we met, my father would emphasize the importance of accumulating clinical experience, keeping pace with the times, and analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of both Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of digestive system disorders. Since 1995, I have followed my father during his outpatient consultations, copying as many prescriptions as possible and collecting duplicates of the prescription books from my father's students. Over time, his students and I began to prepare a summary of the developments and innovations my father made, building upon the clinical experience inherited from my grandfather, Zhang Zesheng. In 2008, my father led us and his students to join the Medical School Heritage Society as members. Since then, the exchanges between my father and me, both in outpatient consultations and academic discussions, have become more frequent; we shared clinical insights and referred patients to each other. When I was in Shanghai, many patients from Nanjing, Danyang, and Anhui were referred by my father, and some of his patients from Shanghai and Nanjing were also referred to him by me. Whenever I encountered difficult cases, I could always gain new inspiration and suggestions from discussions with my father.

In addition to discussed medical case examples face-to-face, we also spent winters in Hainan Island, and traveled to Wuxi, Shanghai, Nanjing, Danyang, and Liyang for spring and autumn tours, celebrating New Year Celebration, Spring Celebration, Dragon Boat Celebration, Double Ninth Celebration, my parents' birthdays, as well as their 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries. After my marriage and during the 28 years when my parents were in their advanced age, we often lived and dined together intermittently. We often made wontons and spring rolls, stir-fried assorted vegetables, and stewed chicken soup together. My father's exemplary love and care for the family, his calm demeanor in the face of difficulties, his regular diet and daily routine, and his diligence in physical and mental exercises—all these daily details are deeply imprinted in my mind. These experiences not only deepened the bond between my father and me but also allowed me to observe my father's life beyond his role as a physician. His methods of nurturing health and longevity are models for our lifelong learning.

Thank you, father, for guiding me into the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine and accompanying me through nearly half a century of learning and growth. Though my father has left us, his contributions to the development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, research, application, and dissemination of Traditional Chinese Medicine knowledge, his generous nature, and his insights into health preservation and longevity have left us with an inexhaustible spiritual legacy.