After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

After their honeymoon ended, the two returned to the northern part of the city.

The wind in the north of the city was very strong; it felt like sand rubbing against my face.

The dark green Jeep came to a smooth stop in front of the military hospital's administration building. Gu Zheng turned off the engine, but didn't rush to open the car door. He turned to look at Ye Zhen, who was adjusting her top button in the passenger seat.

"Are you sure you don't need me to go up with you?"

Gu Zheng tapped his fingers idly on the steering wheel, a roguish air about him: "That old bastard Lin Weiguo lost face at the wedding, and he's up to no good right now. I'm a roughneck, I don't understand your intellectual stuff, but I know how to shut people up. Slam a gun on the table, that works better than anything else."

Ye Zhen buttoned up the top button of her white coat, straightened her collar, and said calmly, "This is a hospital, not a battlefield. He's using a soft knife; your hard punches are like hitting cotton—they're ineffective."

She opened the car door, glanced back at Gu Zheng, and said, "Go back and rest. I want braised pork for dinner, make it very tender."

Gu Zheng raised an eyebrow, watching the woman's neat and decisive back, and a smile appeared on his lips.

This daughter-in-law is getting better and better at ordering people around. Well, what can you do when she's the ancestor you begged for?

The dean's office is on the third floor of the administration building.

The atmosphere in the room was frozen solid, and the steam rising from the thermos could not melt away the tense, confrontational atmosphere.

Zhou Hai slammed a red-headed document onto the table with a loud "bang," so hard that the lid of the teacup rattled.

"Old Lin, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to hold her back at this crucial moment?" Zhou Hai was furious, his face red and his neck bulging. "Haven't you heard about Ye Zhen's performance in Beijing? Even that German Klaus wants to poach her! Instead of quickly offering her better treatment and a permanent position to keep her, you want to send her to the countryside?"

Across from the desk, Lin Weiguo held an enamel teacup, slowly blew away the foam, and took a small sip.

Compared to Zhou Hai's impatience, Lin Weiguo appeared remarkably calm, adopting a "business as business" demeanor.

"Old Zhou, you're just a pure business-minded cadre, you don't understand organizational principles." Lin Weiguo put down his teacup, sighed, and had a pained expression on his face. "It's precisely because Comrade Ye Zhen is so outstanding that so many people are eyeing her. The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind."

He pointed to the document: "According to the regulations of the Ministry of Health and the military region, attending physicians must have more than six months of experience serving in grassroots medical institutions before being promoted to associate senior physicians. Although Ye Zhen is technically excellent, she is still young and inexperienced. If we promote her to lead a team now, what will those veteran comrades who have worked diligently for decades think? The public's criticism could drown a person."

"Bullshit!" Zhou Hai cursed. "That's a regular promotion! Ye Zhen is a special talent recruit! Don't you understand that special cases are handled specially?"

"Even special cases must adhere to the basic law." Lin Weiguo's eyes flickered, revealing a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction. "Besides, Ye Zhen used to be my adopted daughter. Although we're not related now, it's still a matter of discretion. If someone reports us for nepotism, it will be a stain on Ye Zhen's future. I'm doing this for her own good."

What a convenient excuse, "for her own good."

These four words are like a foul-smelling foot-binding cloth, completely covering up all selfishness and scheming.

At the wedding, the Lin family impersonated in-laws, but Commander Gu exposed them in public, humiliating Lin Weiguo. He couldn't swallow this insult.

He's gambling.

The gambling enthusiasts, concerned about their reputation, dared not openly break the rules.

As long as Ye Zhen is sent to the countryside, far from the emperor's reach, she can be manipulated at will, no matter how she is.

The door was pushed open.

Ye Zhen walked in.

She didn't knock, her white coat was spotless, her hands were in her pockets, and her gaze swept over the two arguing people before finally settling on Lin Weiguo's hypocritical face.

"Dean Zhou, Vice Dean Lin," Ye Zhen said calmly, her voice devoid of emotion.

Zhou Hai felt like he'd seen a savior, or a wronged child: "Xiao Ye, you're here. Don't listen to Lao Lin's nonsense, I'm the one in charge of leading the team! Let's see who dares to gossip!"

"Dean Zhou, nothing can be accomplished without rules." Lin Weiguo put on a kind elder's face. "Xiao Ye, don't blame Uncle Lin for being strict. You started too high, and your foundation isn't solid. Go to the grassroots level to hone your skills and accumulate experience. When you come back, you'll have a legitimate place, and no one will be able to find fault with you. Uncle is paving the way for you."

Ye Zhen looked at Lin Weiguo.

In her previous life, she had seen too many of these smiling tigers in the workplace. They talked about principles, but their hearts were full of business.

"Paving the road?" Ye Zhen's lips curled up slightly. "Vice Dean Lin has gone to great lengths."

Lin Weiguo's heart skipped a beat. He thought Ye Zhen would make a scene and use the Gu family's influence to intimidate others, but he didn't expect her to be so calm.

"You mean, as long as I have grassroots experience, I can lead a team?" Ye Zhen asked.

"Of course." Lin Weiguo nodded. "It's a strict requirement, six months. Once six months have passed, I'll personally approve the application."

Half a year.

For a surgeon, six months away from the operating table would make them rusty. And in a rural area like that, with limited medical resources, what kind of surgery could they possibly perform? Even an appendectomy would be difficult. This was clearly going to cripple her skills.

Zhou Hai grew anxious: "No! Six months is too long! How many complex surgeries are backlogged in our hospital? Can those patients afford to wait?"

Ye Zhen raised her hand, stopping Zhou Hai from speaking.

"I think Vice Dean Lin is right," Ye Zhen said, surprising everyone.

Zhou Hai was stunned: "Xiao Ye?"

A hint of delight flashed in Lin Weiguo's eyes. He's still young and easily fooled.

"The grassroots level definitely needs support, and as a military doctor, obeying orders is my duty." Ye Zhen walked to the table and lightly tapped the official document with her finger. "However, I have the right to choose where to go, don't I?"

Lin Weiguo waved his hand generously: "Of course, you can choose any impoverished county in the province. As long as it's a place lacking medical care and medicine, that's fine."

"Then let's go to Qingyun County," Ye Zhen blurted out without the slightest hesitation.

Qingyun County.

Lin Weiguo was taken aback, then realized. Wasn't that the county where Heishan Village was located? Wasn't that Ye Zhen's impoverished hometown?

"You want to go back to your hometown?" Lin Weiguo frowned. "Xiao Ye, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but now that you're out here, stop thinking about that poor mountain village. Go to a better county hospital, too..."

"Qingyun County," Ye Zhen interrupted him, her eyes sharp. "The mountain roads there are difficult to travel, and medical resources are extremely scarce. My going there best aligns with the spirit of 'sending medical care to rural areas and supporting development.' Does Vice President Lin really think I shouldn't go to the most difficult places?"

A huge accusation was slapped on Lin Weiguo's head, leaving him speechless.

"Good! That's ambitious!" Lin Weiguo said with a forced smile. "Then it'll be Qingyun County People's Hospital. But let's get this straight: since this is rural training, you'll have to stay there for a full six months..."

"etc."

Zhou Hai, who had been silently pondering, suddenly spoke up. If Ye Zhen were sent to the countryside for six months, wouldn't those two old men, Zhang Guohua and Wu Wenqing, skin him alive? Absolutely not! His eyes darted around, and he thought of a compromise.

“Going to the countryside is necessary, but we can’t ignore the critical care in the hospital.” Zhou Hai looked at Lin Weiguo. “Old Lin, let’s compromise. Ye Zhen’s personnel file is still at the main hospital; it counts as ‘technical outreach to the countryside.’ Each month, let her go to Qingyun County Hospital for a week to provide consultation and guidance. The remaining three weeks, she can return to the main hospital to perform surgeries. This way, it complies with regulations and doesn’t delay treating patients. If you still disagree, we’ll go to the political commissar and have him sort it out!”

Lin Weiguo's face stiffened.

Going there for a week every month? That's not exile, that's a business trip!

But looking at Zhou Hai's "I'll flip the table if you dare disagree" attitude, and then at Ye Zhen's unyielding demeanor, he knew that this was already the best possible outcome.

If this really gets to the political commissar, it won't sound good either.

"Alright then." Lin Weiguo nodded reluctantly, "Since you insist so much, Lao Zhou, let's do it this way. But Xiao Ye, you'd better perform well at the county hospital and not embarrass the main hospital. The conditions there are poor, so it'll be a test of your basic skills."

"rest assured."

Ye Zhen straightened her cuffs, her gaze passing over Lin Weiguo and looking out at the gray sky.

"I will do my best."

……

Stepping out of the administration building, the wind from the north of the city swirled dry fallen leaves, making a rustling sound as they scraped across the concrete ground.

The sky was overcast, with low-hanging clouds, as if another snowfall was imminent. The two rows of poplar trees in front of the administration building were bare, their branches piercing the sky, giving them a desolate appearance.

Zhou Hai walked quickly, his leather shoes making a dull thud on the ground. He had his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, and his chest heaving, clearly still seething with anger. Reaching the bottom of the steps, he finally couldn't hold back any longer, abruptly stopping and turning to look at Ye Zhen following behind him.

"Xiao Ye, were you out of your mind just now?" Zhou Hai stomped his feet angrily, pointing at the upstairs window. "That Lin Weiguo is clearly trying to make things difficult for you! What kind of place is Qingyun County Hospital? I know the director there; he's a notorious 'maintenance chairman'! No manpower, no money, they don't even have money to replace the operating room lights after three bulbs broke! Going there is like throwing a phoenix into a chicken coop—not only will you be unable to perform, but you'll also get yourself into a mess!"

Zhou Hai grew increasingly agitated, spitting as he spoke: "So what if it's close to your hometown? Is proximity a good thing? Poor and remote places breed unruly people, and with your background... Lin Weiguo just wants to see you make a fool of yourself! He wants you to go back and face all that gossip, to wallow in the mud, and to exhaust your spirit!"

The old hospital director was truly anxious. He cherished talent above all else, and having finally discovered Ye Zhen, this gem, he wanted nothing more than to keep her in a sterile operating room. He couldn't bear to let her suffer in such a remote, grassroots setting.

Ye Zhen stood downwind, the wind whipping the hem of her white coat. She reached up to smooth her wind-blown hair, but her clear, cold eyes remained utterly still, as calm as an ancient well.

Looking at the elderly man before her, his face flushed with anxiety, she felt a warmth in her heart. In this calculating era, it was her good fortune to have met an elder like Zhou Hai who genuinely protected her.

"Dean," Ye Zhen spoke, her voice soft yet reassuringly calming, "why do you think Lin Weiguo insists on getting rid of me?"

Zhou Hai was taken aback, then snorted irritably, "What else could it be? Jealousy! He's afraid you'll steal the spotlight, afraid you'll bring up those old grudges and embarrass him! Plus what happened at this wedding, he's settling a personal score!"

"Yes." Ye Zhen nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. "He thought that as long as I didn't appear at the main hospital or in front of those big leaders, I wouldn't be able to cause any trouble. He thought that by exiling me to Qingyun County, I would become a kite with a broken string, completely at his mercy."

Ye Zhen took a step forward and stood beside Zhou Hai, her gaze fixed on the distant, rolling mountains.

"But he forgot one thing." Ye Zhen's voice was as light as the wind, yet as heavy as iron. "I am a doctor, not a politician. A doctor's voice is not in the office, but at the operating table."

Zhou Hai frowned as he looked at her, seemingly not quite understanding.

"You've surely heard the story of Tian Ji's horse race," Ye Zhen turned her head, looking intently at Zhou Hai. "Lin Weiguo thought I was an inferior horse and wanted to trap me with Qingyun County, an inferior racetrack. But he was wrong."

"Lin Weiguo wanted to pin me down, thinking that was my weakness."

"But he didn't know that was my home turf."

"The lack of medical resources there means there aren't as many rules and regulations. The complexity of the cases there means I have plenty of opportunities to perform surgeries that I wouldn't even get a chance to do at the main hospital. As long as I can save lives, that's the rule there."

Zhou Hai was stunned. He opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't refute it.

"Moreover," a glint of light flashed in Ye Zhen's eyes, "we can also visit our parents and see how my older brother's leg is recovering."

Although her leg was saved thanks to her emergency treatment and she was later transferred to the county hospital, given the limited technology of county hospitals at that time, even in the best-case scenario, rehabilitation and functional recovery after fracture healing could still result in permanent disability.

She's been busy with the wedding and lectures in Beicheng these past few days, but this matter has been on her mind the whole time.

Zhou Hai fell silent.

He looked at the girl in front of him. She was only in her early twenties, and her figure was as thin as a sheet of paper, but her spirit that seemed to be able to pierce the sky moved even this veteran who had rolled through a hail of bullets.

She is not only a genius doctor, but also a flesh-and-blood person who values ​​relationships and loyalty.

"Sigh..." Zhou Hai sighed deeply, his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxing. He took off his glasses, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped them, "You little rascal, you look cold on the outside, but you're warm-hearted than anyone else. Alright, since you have the intention and the plan, I won't stop you."

After he finished speaking, Zhou Hai's expression suddenly changed, revealing the domineering aura of an old general before going into battle.

He put his glasses back on his nose, a glint of shrewdness flashing behind the lenses: "But since we're going, we can't go looking like idiots! Lin Weiguo wants to see you suffer? No way!"

Zhou Hai suddenly waved his hand, the movement so large it almost tore his sleeve: "Come on! Follow me to the equipment department!"