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

Zhao Gang and his wife stayed in Beicheng for two days.

These past two days, Zhao Lanlan has been burying herself in those brown paper bags with Gu Yue, spending all her time at the octagonal table opening and sorting letters. Even her meals are prepared by Gu Zheng and placed on the corner of the table.

Zhao Gang walked to the table several times, opened his mouth, and then retreated.

Liu Xiumei tugged at his sleeve, standing at the stairwell entrance, muttering, "Old Zhao, stop arguing. Look at our daughter's spirit now, is she really the same person who used to cower in bed waiting to die?"

Zhao Gang leaned against the cement wall of the stairwell, took out a Daqianmen cigarette, lit it, and took two deep drags. The smoke obscured half of his face, revealing only his reddened eyes.

"Let her stay then." Zhao Gang stubbed out his cigarette on the windowsill and said in a low voice, "I'll talk to her workplace when I get back, and I'll handle the paperwork for her leave without pay."

As Liu Xiumei went back to her room to pack her things, Zhao Lanlan was hunched over, marking "Suspected ventricular septal defect, hypoxia frequency more than three times a day" on a scrap of paper with a red pen. Liu Xiumei's nose tingled with emotion, and she stuffed a cloth bag into her daughter's hand.

"Inside are your dad's wages and food coupons from last month. It's dry in the north, so don't just drink water, drink more soup."

Zhao Lanlan didn't even look up, just responded with an "Mm". After two seconds, she reached out her slender hand and quietly pulled the cloth bag closer to herself.

The day the Jeep drove away, Zhao Lanlan stood downstairs to see it off. She didn't cry, but just stared at the dust kicked up by the car for a long time.

Gu Yue leaned out of the upstairs window and shouted, "Sister Lanlan! Stop looking! There are still more than twenty unopened letters!"

Zhao Lanlan turned and went upstairs, her back straighter than when she came.

That evening, after Gu Zheng finished cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen, he picked up the black rotary phone in the living room and dialed a long-distance number.

The call connected, and Gu Jianguo's booming voice came from the other end: "Speak! What is it!"

"Second Uncle, Yueyue isn't going back." Gu Zheng held the receiver, picked up the enamel mug next to him with his other hand, took a sip of water, and spoke in a tone similar to reporting the weather forecast. "She's staying in Beicheng to help my wife with chores."

There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone.

Gu Jianguo's voice rose half an octave: "What do you mean she's not going back? An eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl, giving up a secure job in the performing arts troupe to stay with you? Do you think my daughter is unwanted?"

Gu Zheng put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and put his feet up on the edge of the coffee table.

"Second Uncle, please calm down."

"What are you trying to calm down about?" Gu Jianguo's voice, even across the phone line hundreds of kilometers away, was laced with tension. "Lanlan is just recovering from a serious illness; keeping her there allows Dr. Ye to check on her whenever needed. What's Gu Yue doing meddling in? She's so useless; she shouldn't be causing trouble for Zhenzhen! Gu Zheng, I'm asking you, whose idea was this anyway?"

"It was Yueyue's own idea." Gu Zheng picked up a half-eaten apple from the coffee table, took a bite, and said indistinctly, "Second Uncle, you lead troops in the military region. If new recruits don't shed blood, are they soldiers? They're just decorations in green uniforms. Yueyue sang in the cultural troupe for ten years, but she still can't understand the real suffering of ordinary people."

There was no sound on the other end of the phone.

Gu Zheng pressed his advantage: "Yueyue's job at Huaxia Heart Hospital isn't just a leisurely one of serving tea and water. She and that daughter from the Zhao family are responsible for screening letters and triaging patients with congenital heart disease across the country by phone. If she does this job well, you know better than I how many lives she could save."

Gu Jianguo's breathing became heavy a few times.

"Besides," Gu Zheng tossed the apple core into the enamel spittoon, clapped his hands, "my wife personally taught her. Learning under her is far better than sitting in a classroom for a hundred years. You praised her for her broad vision at the dinner table last time; you can't contradict yourself like that, can you?"

A violent cough came from the other end of the phone, sounding like someone choking on their own saliva.

"Zhenzhen stands on the operating table for seven or eight hours every day, and after she gets off the operating table, she still has to deal with that mess. Yueyue staying here can help her sister-in-law. If she really can't handle this job, you don't even need to say anything, I'll personally send a car to throw her back to the art troupe, bedding and all. If you don't think that's acceptable, I'll come downstairs right now and kick her out."

Gu Jianguo remained silent for a full minute on the other end of the phone. Having led troops in battle for half his life, he despised anything affected or delicate. Gu Zheng's words had struck a nerve.

"She chose this path herself, so don't complain." Gu Jianguo's voice deepened. "Also—"

"Second Uncle, please speak."

"She calls me twice a month to report on her situation. I send her money and food coupons monthly to cover her food, lodging, and other necessities."

"Okay." Gu Zheng readily agreed. After hanging up the phone, he turned around and saw Ye Zhen standing at the door of the inner room, arms crossed, having been listening for who knows how long.

"All done?" Ye Zhen asked.

"That's right." Gu Zheng gestured with his chin towards her. "My second uncle is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. He's just worried about his daughter suffering outside. Don't worry, with my second uncle backing her up, Yueyue's job security won't be a problem."

Ye Zhen nodded and turned to go back into the inner room.

three days later.

Small conference room on the second floor of the administration building of the Beicheng Military Region General Hospital.

Zhou Hai sat at the head of the long table, with a handwritten staffing application report spread out in front of him, stamped with two large red seals from the Logistics Department and the Political Department.

There were about ten people in the conference room, including the vice president in charge of logistics, staff members from the political department, and administrative directors from several departments. The minute hand of the wall clock struck 8:30, and Zhou Hai tapped the table.

"Today we only have one topic: the staffing of the 'Heart of China' congenital heart disease relief office. Right now, this office just has a sign and two desks; there are zero official staff positions. The long-distance telephone line will be connected next week. Someone has to do the work."

Zhou Hai picked up his teacup, took a sip, and glanced at everyone present.

"Ye Zhen has already found two volunteers, but they don't have official positions yet. They're just temporarily assigned to help out, so it's not a proper arrangement. My idea is to first approve two or three administrative positions from the institute, under the 'Heart of China' office, with the nature of logistics clerks, to secure those positions for them."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room after he said that.

In the 1980s, a formal government job was an unbreakable "iron rice bowl." Countless people would fight tooth and nail for a single position, so Zhou Hai's move was quite extravagant.

Lin Weiguo, the vice president sitting to Zhou Hai's left, paused mid-air with his teacup in hand. He lowered his head and blew on the tea floating in the cup, a shrewd glint appearing in his eyes.

Today he wore a slightly worn navy blue Zhongshan suit, the collar buttoned up meticulously, and his hair combed back neatly. Everyone present knew the background of this vice president—he was Ye Zhen's nominal former adoptive father. Although they had severed ties, he still held real power over personnel and equipment procurement at the main hospital.

"Dean Zhou is right, the staffing issue can't be delayed any longer." Lin Weiguo's voice was calm and unhurried, displaying the composure typical of officials. "Perfect timing, I also have someone I'd like to recommend to the office."

Zhou Hai held the teacup to his lips, not putting it down.

"My daughter, Lin Wan, is nineteen this year and has just graduated from high school. She is meticulous, gentle, has beautiful handwriting, and speaks standard Mandarin. Letting her answer this call will not only help Dr. Ye, but we also know her well. What do you all think?" Lin Weiguo spoke calmly and confidently, with a perfectly measured smile on his face.

A slight commotion arose in the conference room.

Everyone present knows about the feud between the Lin family and Ye Zhen. The story of Zhao Shuya throwing Ye Zhen out with a hundred yuan back then has been circulating throughout the military compound for ages. Now the Lin family wants to put their real daughter in Ye Zhen's office? What's going on here?

Zhou Hai put down his teacup, the bottom of which tapped softly on the table.

"Old Lin, about this matter..."

Zhou Hai carefully considered his words. He was in a dilemma. Although Lin Weiguo was no match for Ye Zhen professionally, his administrative rank was undeniable, and he had cultivated a deep network of connections within the institute over many years. "Heart of China" was just starting out, and the staffing process still required approval from both the Political Department and the Logistics Department, both of which were within Lin Weiguo's sphere of influence.

"I can't make that decision," Zhou Hai said, passing the buck. "I can approve the staffing quota, but the personnel management for the 'Heart of China' office is in Ye Zhen's hands. Who comes and who doesn't is up to her. Old Lin, if you're interested, go talk to Dr. Ye yourself."

Lin Weiguo's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal. He nodded and said nothing more.

After the meeting, Lin Weiguo returned to his office, picked up the phone on his desk, and dialed a number.

The bell rang three times, and Zhao Shuya's voice came from the other end: "Feed?"

"Zhou Hai pushed Wanwan's matter to Ye Zhen," Lin Weiguo said in a low voice. "Go and see her."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"Me?!" Zhao Shuya's voice shrieked. "Why should I beg her? She's the girl I raised—"

"Enough." Lin Weiguo's tone turned cold. "Even now you're still putting on airs? Wanwan has been staying at home for almost half a year. If we don't arrange a proper job for her soon, the gossip outside will only get worse. 'Heart of China' has the national medical system's name on it. If Wanwan goes there, it will add another entry to her resume. Think about it carefully."

Zhao Shuya gripped the microphone tightly.