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

"no."

Chen Ping shook his head. "Colleague."

Su Meng's eyes twitched, not brightened, but relaxed, like a string that had been stretched for a long time finally loosening.

"But judging from her appearance, she seems to like you!"

Su Meng said.

Chen Ping leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, offering no answer to the question.

He looked at it for a while before speaking, "You organized this inspection, right?"

Chen Ping knew that the Municipal Health Bureau wasn't so free to come to the Siping Township Health Center, which hadn't been operating for a year, for no reason.

It must have been Su Meng who organized this, just to come and see me!

Su Meng neither admitted nor denied it.

"I called you, but you never answered, and you didn't bring anything with you, so..." Su Meng looked Chen Ping up and down, "But it seems I was overthinking it. You're doing quite well here, and someone even buys you clothes."

Although Chen Ping said that Cui Ying was not his girlfriend, Su Meng, with a woman's intuition, knew that Cui Ying must have something going on with Chen Ping and must like him.

Chen Ping didn't speak because he didn't know what to say.

The two remained silent for a long time. The consultation room was so quiet that you could hear the clock on the wall ticking, tick-tock, second by second, as if counting the days they had missed.

"Su Meng," Chen Ping called out.

"Um?"

"The health center hasn't been paying salaries for three months."

"Could you please help me?" Chen Ping asked, his voice tinged with pleading.

He would never ask Su Meng for help if it were for his own sake.

Su Meng stared at Chen Ping for a long time.

Chen Ping now sits in this dilapidated clinic, wearing clothes bought by someone else. He's thinner and darker, but his eyes are still as clean and bright as before.

She's still the same as before—warm-hearted and considerate of others.

"I'll hold a meeting as soon as I get back. I'll figure out how to get the funding," Su Meng said.

Chen Ping nodded: "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Su Meng stood up, walked to the door, then stopped without turning back. "Chen Ping, take care."

She opened the door, and sunlight flooded in, making Chen Ping squint.

Su Meng walked out, her high heels clicking on the cement floor, each step steady.

Cui Ying was still standing in the courtyard.

She didn't leave; she just stood in the yard, ignoring the wind blowing through her hair.

Su Meng saw her, nodded, and walked past her.

As the two passed each other, Su Meng paused and glanced at her.

"Accountant Cui, Dr. Chen is a good person, please take good care of him."

Cui Ying paused for a moment, then nodded: "I will."

Su Meng went directly to Zhao Guosheng's office and said, "Dean Zhao, we have seen the situation at Siping Township Health Center and will be heading back now."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guosheng rushed out of his office: "Director Su, you've come all this way, you should at least have a meal before you leave."

"I've already arranged with the restaurant; I'll have lunch before I leave..."

"Director Zhao, no need. Your health center is also in trouble. We haven't paid salaries for three months. I will look into allocating funds to the health center when I get back."

Su Meng shook her head.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guosheng was stunned. He then glanced at Chen Ping's consultation room, clearly indicating that Chen Ping had told Su Meng what had happened.

Upon hearing the words "funding allocation," Wang Jianguo, Liu Wei, Wang Tao, and Li Fang all poked their heads out of their rooms!

"Director Su, can you really allocate funds to our health center?" Liu Wei couldn't help but ask.

"Liu Wei, shut up! Director Su said he would look into it. Why are you asking such nonsense?" Zhao Guosheng was startled and quickly scolded Liu Wei.

He was really afraid of upsetting Su Meng and ruining the funding deal.

Su Meng smiled and said to Liu Wei, "Don't worry, the funds will definitely be allocated, but the amount needs to be discussed in a meeting."

"That's great..." Liu Wei excitedly jumped out of the window and ran to Su Meng: "Director Su, thank you so much. On behalf of my family, I thank you."

"It's been three months. If we don't pay our wages soon, my wife and kids will run away..."

"I'm sorry, it's our fault as leaders for not understanding the difficulties faced by the local health centers," Su Meng said apologetically.

These words stunned Liu Wei, who waved his hands frantically, stammering, "No, no, no..."

"Liu Wei, get out of my way." Zhao Guosheng was a little angry. He stepped forward and shoved Liu Wei away, then looked at Su Meng with a face full of apology: "Director Su, don't pay attention to him. The difficulties of the health center are our fault. It has nothing to do with you leaders."

Su Meng smiled and said, "Goodbye, Dean Zhao..."

"Goodbye, Director Su..." Zhao Guosheng said.

Su Meng is gone.

The sound of high heels faded into the distance, the minibus door opened and closed, the engine roared to life, and the bus drove away.

The health bureau's inspection was quick, lasting only a little over an hour.

Once the minibus disappeared from sight, everyone started blaming Liu Wei.

"Liu Wei, are you stupid? Why did you tell Director Su everything?"

"Exactly! They've already said they're considering funding, and you're still asking questions, even bringing up your wife and kids. What does your wife and kids have to do with them?"

Liu Wei blushed deeply and didn't say a word!

"Director Su is such a good person. She's beautiful, kind-hearted, and has great charisma. I wonder which lucky guy managed to find such a wonderful wife like her."

Wang Tao leaned against the doorway, licking his lips as he spoke.

Wang Tao's words were overheard by Chen Ping, who had just stepped out of the consultation room, and he couldn't help but smile wryly.

"A man who marries Director Su isn't necessarily lucky; he might just be unlucky..." Chen Ping said casually.

"Dr. Chen, don't talk nonsense. Unlucky? If I could find a wife like Director Su, I'd be willing to suffer eight lifetimes of bad luck," Wang Tao said.

"Alright, everyone go back to work..." Zhao Guosheng told everyone to return to the clinic, then looked at Chen Ping and said, "Dr. Chen, thank you so much. You told Director Su about the difficulties the health center is facing. I was originally planning to complain to Director Su about my troubles too."

"Dean Zhao, don't be so polite. The health center belongs to all of us, and we all need to work hard." Chen Ping smiled faintly.

Zhao Guosheng patted Chen Ping on the shoulder and then went back to his office.

Cui Ying stood in the courtyard, not moving at all, staring at Chen Ping.

"Chen Ping," Cui Ying called to him.

"Um?"

Are you alright?

"It's nothing," Chen Ping smiled.

Cui Ying walked into the accounting office, poured a glass of water from the water dispenser, and placed it in front of him.

The water was cold, and the cup was disposable, thin, and deformed when squeezed.

"Have some water, your forehead is all sweaty..." Cui Ying said.

Chen Ping took it, drank a sip, and the cold water went down his throat, making him shiver.

"Is she your ex-wife?" Cui Ying asked.

Chen Ping was taken aback and looked at Cui Ying: "How did you know?"

"I'm not blind. I could tell from the way you were talking to her." Cui Ying smiled. "She's really beautiful, and she's a bureau chief."

Chen Ping glanced at Cui Ying but didn't say anything.

The two stood there silently for several minutes, neither of them saying a word!

"Chen Ping, what do you want to eat for lunch? I'll make it for you," Cui Ying said, but she didn't bring up the topic of Chen Ping's ex-wife again.

She knew that continuing the conversation wouldn't be good for either of them.

"Anything is fine."

"Then fry some eggs and heat up two steamed buns."

"OK."

Cui Ying left, heading towards the dormitory in the backyard.

Chen Ping turned around and went back into the consultation room to sit down, quietly looking out the window.

The sound of a spatula sizzling came from the backyard; the eggs were being put into the pan.

Then came the aroma of scallions stir-frying in a pan, wafting over and filling my nose.

A short while later, Cui Ying's voice came from the backyard!

"Chen Ping, dinner's ready."

"Coming," Chen Ping replied, turning and walking towards the backyard.

At this moment, Wang Tao poked his head out and called out, "Sister Cui Ying, can I have some too?"

"There's none for you, go eat out by yourself!"

Cui Ying shouted without any politeness.

Wang Tao stuck his tongue out at Chen Ping and then pulled his head back in.

Everyone else watched enviously as Chen Ping walked towards the backyard, while they went to a restaurant or a snack stall to grab a bite before heading to work in the afternoon!