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

Chen Ping suddenly opened his eyes, his head bobbing up from Cui Ying's shoulder, still a little dazed.

He sat up straight, wiped his mouth, and his fingers touched a wet patch. Looking down, he saw a small, dark water stain on Cui Ying's off-white coat shoulder, glistening and particularly noticeable in the light coming through the car window.

His face flushed instantly, from his neck all the way to his ears. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

It took her a while to manage to squeeze out, "I'm sorry, I fell asleep and didn't notice..."

Cui Ying glanced down at the water stain on her shoulder, smiled, and flicked it lightly with her finger. "It's okay, it'll come off when I wash it. But you're such a grown-up, drooling in your sleep."

"Maybe it's because you smell so good that I was overwhelmed by the fragrance and it leaked out unconsciously," Chen Ping said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Cui Ying rolled her eyes at Chen Ping, but her eyes were full of joy.

"Let's go, the cafeteria should be open for lunch at this time."

As Cui Ying spoke, she stood up, picked up her bag, squeezed out of her seat, and stood in the aisle waiting for Chen Ping.

Chen Ping quickly grabbed his belongings from under the seat and followed her off the bus.

The two people got out of the car and stood by the roadside.

As evening fell, the streets of Siping Township were bathed in a golden glow, and the distant mountain ridges were tinged with a warm orange-red. Even the air carried the gentle warmth unique to the time before sunset.

Chen Ping took a deep breath, and the drowsiness from sleeping the whole way dissipated a bit. He quickly caught up with Cui Ying, and the two walked side by side toward the health center.

When I pushed open the gate of the health center, the aroma of food wafted through the courtyard. The lights in the canteen were on, and through the window I could see several figures sitting around a large round table.

Liu Mazi was squatting at the entrance of the guardhouse smoking when he saw Chen Ping and Cui Ying come in. He quickly stood up, put out his cigarette, and said, "Dr. Chen! Accountant Cui! You're back! Dinner was just served, and we haven't even started eating yet. Hurry up and go, so you can still have something hot to eat."

Chen Ping nodded and went into the cafeteria with Cui Ying.

Everyone was already seated. Aunt Li had made braised pork with potatoes, stir-fried eggs with garlic sprouts, and a large bowl of cabbage and tofu soup. There was also a dish of pickled cucumbers on the table.

Upon seeing them enter, Wang Tao was the first to stand up. "Master! Sister Cui Ying! You're finally back!"

He ran to the kitchen and took two more sets of bowls and chopsticks, then dragged out two chairs for them to sit on.

When Chen Ping sat down and took the bowl and chopsticks, Li Fang was drinking soup from her bowl, but her gaze remained fixed on Cui Ying's shoulder.

She put down her soup bowl, squinted at it for several seconds, then slowly curled her lips into a smile, speaking in a tone as if she had discovered something extraordinary: "Cui Ying, what happened to that wet patch on your shoulder? It looks like a drool stain."

Cui Ying glanced down, her face flushed slightly, picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, chewed it, and didn't say anything.

Chen Ping paused for a moment while holding the bowl, coughed to pretend he hadn't heard, and then lowered his head to eat his rice.

Seeing their reactions, Li Fang's smile deepened, and she leaned forward slightly: "Let me guess, did Dr. Chen fall asleep on the way, leaning on your shoulder, and then..."

Before she finished speaking, she pointed to her shoulder with her finger, giving her a knowing look.

Cui Ying blushed even more at her words, put down her chopsticks, and said, "Sister Fang, you have such sharp eyes, you saw right through me."

Cui Ying's words confirmed Li Fang's guess.

Upon hearing this, Li Fang laughed, "I knew it!"

Wang Tao chuckled across from him, and Liu Wei also chuckled quietly.

Chen Ping was so embarrassed by the laughter that he quickly took a sip of soup to calm himself down.

He glanced around the table and realized that one person was missing.

Sun Xiaoyan, who usually eats quietly in the corner, was not here today.

He put down his soup bowl, glanced at Zhou Jie sitting beside him, and asked, "Zhou Jie, where's Xiao Yan? Why didn't she come to eat?"

Zhou Jie's smile faded, and she placed her chopsticks on the rim of her bowl. "She's in a bad mood today and is lying in her dorm."

"What's wrong?" Chen Ping asked.

Zhou Jie paused, as if unsure whether to speak, but finally said, "Xu Feng came this afternoon and bothered her at the health center, saying he wanted to get back together. Xiao Yan didn't agree, so she scolded him and made him leave."

Cui Ying stopped eating and frowned. "He still has the nerve to come here? He took the money, changed his mind, and found someone else. Now he's back to Xiao Yan? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

As she spoke, her voice rose several decibels, clearly indicating that she was very angry.

Li Fang chimed in from the side, her voice full of anger, "Exactly! That kind of man still has the nerve to show his face here. If I were Xiao Yan, I'd kick him out with a broom, and that would be too lenient. Suing him for harassment wouldn't be excessive."

Wang Jianguo took off his glasses, wiped them, put them back on, sighed, and said, "Young people's relationships are sometimes very fickle."

Wang Tao, unusually, didn't crack a joke; he simply shook his head and said, "That Xu Feng is a real scoundrel."

Zhao Guosheng tapped the table lightly. "Alright, alright, let's not say any more. As long as Xiaoyan has figured it out herself, that's fine. She chased the person away, which means she knows what she's doing."

"Everyone, hurry up and eat. After you're done, those who need to go home can go home, and those who need to rest can rest."

Everyone then picked up their chopsticks again, but they ate much faster than before.

After the meal, everyone gradually dispersed.

Wang Tao rode his bicycle out of the courtyard gate, Liu Wei followed behind pushing his electric bike, and Li Fang carried her bag and walked into the street.

Wang Jianguo walked slowly out the door with his hands behind his back, while Zhao Guosheng checked the lock on the clinic door before going home.

The courtyard gradually quieted down, and the moon climbed above the poplar treetops, casting a thin layer of silver light on the ground.

Chen Ping and Cui Ying didn't rush back to their dormitory; they sat by the stone table for a while.

Not long after they sat down, a faint sobbing sound came from the direction of Zhou Jie and Sun Xiaoyan's dormitory. It came out intermittently, but it was particularly clear in the quiet night.

The two looked at each other, stood up at the same time, and walked towards Zhou Jie's dormitory.

When they reached the door, it was ajar. Zhou Jie was sitting by Sun Xiaoyan's bedside, gently patting her back with one hand.

Sun Xiaoyan lay face down on the pillow, her shoulders trembling, and a small wet patch appeared on the side of the pillow.

Cui Ying gently pushed open the door and went in, sat down on the edge of the bed, and gently patted Sun Xiaoyan's arm.

Chen Ping stood at the door without going in, leaning against the door frame. After all, it was a girls' dormitory, and it wouldn't be appropriate for a grown man like him to go in.

"Dr. Chen, please come in..."

Seeing that Chen Ping was too embarrassed to go in, Zhou Jie quickly waved her hand.

Seeing Zhou Jie beckon, Chen Ping went inside and sat down in a chair.