Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

Chen Ping waved his hand, trying to decline, "No need, there's food in the cafeteria."

"No way! Today is the big day for me to start anew, and if you don't go, you're disrespecting me."

Without saying a word, Liu Mazi grabbed Chen Ping's arm and pulled him outside; he was very strong.

At Lao Zhou's restaurant, Liu Mazi ordered a table full of dishes: braised pork, dry-fried potato slices, steamed eggplant with garlic, fried peanuts, and several bottles of beer.

He poured Chen Ping a glass, then raised his own first. "Dr. Chen, this glass is for you. You cured my mother's illness, and you showed me the right path. Everyone in Siping Township knows what kind of person I, Liu Mazi, used to be."

"You bully the weak and fear the strong, and you don't do any proper work. But you didn't hold a grudge and even arranged a job for me. I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life."

Chen Ping raised his glass and clinked it against his, took a sip, and said nothing.

He didn't expect anything in return when he treated Liu Mazi's mother. Helping Liu Mazi find this job was just a side thing. But looking at the guy who used to cause him trouble, now sitting across from him with an expression that had changed from arrogant to down-to-earth, he still felt a little emotional.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Liu Mazi became more and more talkative, and his eyes reddened as he spoke.

He said he lost his father when he was young, and his mother raised him alone, but he was a disappointment. Even in his thirties, he was still like a street thug and had never done a proper job.

His mother could never hold her head up high again; whenever someone in the village lost a chicken, they would suspect Liu Mazi first.

When he got emotional, the man with a pockmarked face suddenly put his wine glass on the table, got up and walked around to Chen Ping. Without saying a word, he knelt down with a thud, his knees hitting the cement floor with a muffled sound.

"Dr. Chen, I, Liu Mazi, have never been subservient to anyone in my life. You repaid evil with kindness, cured my mother, and even arranged a decent job for me. You are a good person; I have never met such a good person."

"From today onwards, you, Chen Ping, are my elder brother. If you say go east, I won't go west. If you say one word, I won't hesitate to die."

Old Zhou poked his head out of the kitchen, the spatula in his hand frozen in mid-air, his mouth agape.

Chen Ping quickly reached out and grabbed Liu Mazi's arm, pulling him up several times before finally getting him up from the ground and sitting him back down in the chair.

Chen Ping shoved the wine glass back into his hand. "Liu Mazi, listen to me. I don't need you to die, nor do I need you to repay me. Just work hard, take good care of your mother, and build a good reputation in Siping Township. That's better than anything else."

Liu Mazi picked up his wine glass, took a big gulp, wiped the snot and tears from his face with the back of his hand, and nodded vigorously.

Chen Ping picked up his wine glass and gently touched the rim of his glass. "If you build a good reputation, you might be able to get married in the future and let your mother hold her grandson."

Liu Mazi grinned, his eyes still red, but the smile was genuine.

After finishing his drink, Liu Mazi escorted Chen Ping to the entrance of the health center.

Chen Ping waved for him to go back and walked towards the main gate himself.

I had just walked up to the iron gate and hadn't even had time to take out my key when the gate was pulled open from the inside.

Ma Zhihao, dressed in a security guard uniform, stood ramrod straight and greeted Chen Ping immediately, "Dr. Chen is back."

Chen Ping nodded, stepped into the courtyard, took two steps, then stopped and looked back at him.

Under the moonlight, Ma Zhihao stood next to the duty room, holding a flashlight in his hand. His face still showed the naivety of a young man, but his attitude was very serious.

"Don't fall asleep during your night shift, patrol more often. There are female colleagues living in the backyard, and patients in the wards, so we need to keep a close eye on the pharmacy. This health center is different from other places; if something happens, it's a big deal."

Ma Zhihao nodded vigorously, waving his flashlight. "Don't worry, Dr. Chen, Brother Liu has given instructions. I won't close my eyes all night, I promise I won't give any bad guys any chance."

"good!"

After Chen Ping finished speaking, he was about to walk towards the backyard when he bumped into someone.

Sun Xiaoyan changed into a light-colored thin coat, her hair was loose, and she was carrying a small handbag. She walked out in a hurry and almost bumped into Chen Ping.

"Where are you going so late?" Chen Ping glanced at her.

Sun Xiaoyan took a half step back, a blush rising to her face, her voice barely audible, "Dr. Chen, Xu Feng is waiting for me... I won't be coming back tonight. I definitely won't be late for work tomorrow morning."

Chen Ping remained silent for two seconds.

He looked at the girl in front of him. Yesterday she was a cold and taciturn person, but tonight her eyes and brows were full of undisguised light.

He knew what was going on. The young man had tasted the forbidden fruit for the first time, like opening Pandora's box, and wanted to stick together every minute of every day.

With the 100,000 yuan back in his hands, the two of them found a hotel room or simply rented a small house, where they could close the door at night and have their own little world.

He'd seen this kind of thing many times before.

"Be careful and don't be late for work," Chen Ping said.

Sun Xiaoyan's ears turned bright red. She lowered her head and responded, clutching her bag strap as she walked past Chen Ping, her steps much faster than usual.

The iron gate opened a crack, and she squeezed through to the side, but the gate closed again.

A few low voices came from outside the door, followed by the sound of a bicycle chain, which faded into the distance.

Chen Ping walked in the backyard. The moon was already high overhead, and the poplar leaves rustled in the wind.

As soon as I turned into the backyard, I saw Zhou Jie standing alone in the middle of the yard, her hands in her pajama pockets, staring blankly at the moon.

"Dr. Chen, did you run into Xiaoyan?" Zhou Jie turned around when she heard footsteps.

"We met at the door." Chen Ping stopped in his tracks.

Zhou Jie didn't speak, but looked down at her toes. After a while, she sighed softly.

The sigh was exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard, carrying a mix of emotions.

Helplessness, disappointment, worry, and a sense of frustration that "I told her so, but she wouldn't listen."

She didn't say anything more, nodded to Chen Ping, turned around and pushed open the door to her dormitory to go inside.

The door closed very quietly, but Chen Ping heard the bed frame creak once inside, and then it was quiet.

Zhou Jie probably tried to persuade Sun Xiaoyan again tonight, but she still couldn't convince her.

As Chen Ping was walking towards his dormitory, the door to Cui Ying's dormitory next door opened.

Cui Ying was wearing a light pink cotton nightgown and holding a mug with a kitten printed on it. The tea in the mug was still steaming.

She handed me the cup and said calmly, "You've had some wine again. Have some tea to sober up."

Chen Ping took it and drank a sip.

The tea was Tieguanyin, neither too strong nor too weak, and the water temperature was just right. She must have brewed it fresh, timing his return perfectly.

He took a few sips and handed the cup back.

Cui Ying reached out to take it, and their fingers touched on the side of the cup.

Chen Ping's hands moved faster than his brain.

He grabbed Cui Ying's hand, not with much force, but he was certain he didn't want her to pull away.