Chen Yuting was still about to cry and argue further when Deputy Chief of Staff Xu suddenly roared in anger.
“Chen Yuting! You have truly disappointed me! No repentance, no reflection! Even your father can’t save you now! Your conduct no longer deserves this uniform!”
Chen Yuting trembled all over.
She collapsed onto the ground, not daring to say another word.
Deputy Chief of Staff Xu stood up and walked in front of Song Ning.
“Comrade Song Ning! Rest assured! Since you are a military family member, the army will support you. If you have any requests, you may raise them!”
Song Ning rubbed her eyes hard, her eyes still red.
“Deputy Chief of Staff Xu… Comrade Lu Changqing and I do have an arranged marriage. Since Military Doctor Chen and Comrade Lu are mutually in love, I can step aside. There’s no need for everyone to be unhappy…”
Deputy Chief of Staff Xu shook his head.
“What is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong. Whether you came here or not, they have made mistakes and must be dealt with accordingly. Discipline will not favor anyone. And in fact, their misconduct is not limited to this matter alone.”
He thought for a moment, then continued,
“Comrade Song Ning, I will arrange for you to return to the military district as soon as possible. Regarding what has happened these past few days, we will give you a fair explanation. When we return to the unit, we will sit down and discuss the rest properly. Is that acceptable?”
Song Ning nodded without saying anything.
That very day, Chen Yuting was sent away.
Whether she was transferred back to the military district or assigned to another disaster relief site remained unknown.
That night, Director Sun happily announced a series of good news to the medical team.
Because of their outstanding performance, formally appointed doctors would be promoted and recognized.
Barefoot doctors without official positions would receive long-term allowances after returning to their villages, and would also gain priority access to formal medical staffing opportunities in township hospitals.
These were not symbolic honors, but real material benefits.
For doctors, it meant promotion.
For barefoot doctors, it meant stable income and a future path into the formal system.
Everyone was overjoyed.
Finally, Director Sun explained why rewards were being issued before the disaster relief work had even ended.
First, the military district had sent a telegram to the local government.
Aside from apologizing for the misconduct of certain individuals, it especially praised the second medical team for their excellent cooperation with the military during disaster relief efforts.
The second reason came as a surprise to everyone.
The child named Tiedan, whom Song Ning had saved, had been sent to the hospital for treatment.
A journalist stationed at the hospital to report on the disaster had witnessed and documented the entire rescue process.
When it became known that members of the second medical team had risked their lives by jumping into the mudslide to save the child, it caused a huge public response.
Praise and donations poured in endlessly, and letters of appreciation piled up like mountains.
Only then did everyone realize—
The reason they had received recognition was largely because of Song Ning.
Doctor Feng spoke first.
“So… so the award we received—Dr. Song Ning didn’t get anything?”
Only then did they learn that Song Ning had originally been just a stranded traveler who joined the disaster relief effort voluntarily.
There was no way to assign her official benefits or allowances.
Moreover, she had come in search of her fiancé.
And that fiancé was now entangled with another woman and had nearly joined forces with her to bully Song Ning.
It all felt… a little too unfair.
Everyone suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt.
Their acceptance of the honor no longer felt entirely justified.
Fortunately, Director Sun later said that Deputy Chief of Staff Xu had assured him the army would not treat Song Ning unfairly.
Only then did everyone’s uneasy hearts settle slightly.
As for Song Ning, she had already requested leave from Doctor Feng before Director Sun arrived.
She could not stand the sympathetic gazes from everyone.
Doctor Feng naturally agreed, repeatedly reminding her to treat her injuries.
She did have injuries—after all, traveling through seven or eight kilometers of rough terrain made bruises and abrasions unavoidable.
But most were minor contusions and scrapes, which she ignored.
When she returned to the previous tent, however, Zheng Chang’an silently followed her in.
Song Ning looked at him in confusion.
“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly acting like a mute gourd?”
Zheng Chang’an looked at her, guilt written all over his face.
“I’m sorry, Sister Ning! I didn’t know you and Lu Changqing had that kind of relationship. I… I wasn’t careful with my words before.”
He had previously even been somewhat gleeful when Lu Changqing fainted again.
He had also made remarks about Lu Changqing and Chen Yuting’s relationship in front of her.
Now, thinking back, if Song Ning had secretly felt hurt at the time…
He felt deeply ashamed.
Song Ning, however, smiled at him.
“Actually, my feelings were pretty similar to yours when I heard about their situation. Even though we were engaged, we had never met and had no emotional foundation. Him being involved with another woman doesn’t affect me at all. If I don’t care, you really don’t need to look so down.”
“But… you clearly looked very sad back then,” Zheng Chang’an said awkwardly.
“I wasn’t really sad. I just thought it was better to show a little weakness at the time. A person who has been wronged doesn’t need to act strong in that situation. The more pitiful I appeared, the heavier the consequences for them would be. So why wouldn’t I do that? Do you understand?”
Song Ning wasn’t sad at all.
In fact, she felt quite fortunate.
Before meeting Lu Changqing, she had already considered several possibilities.
The Seventh Regiment of the Thirteenth Army was a famous independent unit with a glorious wartime record.
In her grandfather’s memory, whenever Lu Changqing was mentioned, it was always with approval.
So there was a possibility—
That he had died in battle during these two years of absence.
If that were the case, as his fiancée, she would have simply laid a bouquet for him and fulfilled her grandfather’s wish.
Another possibility—
He was a faithless man who had broken his promise and quietly married someone else in the army.
If so, she would seek justice for both her grandfather and the original Song Ning, and turn the place upside down if necessary.
A soldier who broke his oath did not deserve peace.
But the truth was—
Before she even reached the military district, she had already found him.
And had seen the woman entangled with him.
That was the best outcome.
No need to search for truth.
No need to fight for justice blindly.
Everything was already laid out clearly for all to see—leaders, comrades, everyone understood.
All she had to do now was wait.
Wait for a result worthy of her grandfather and the original owner of this body—and one that satisfied her as well.
If they cooperated, fine.
If not, she was fully prepared for a long battle.
Since she had come, she would see it through.
She had brought the expectations of both the original Song Ning and her grandfather with her.
If the other side chose to be unfaithful, she would not leave it at that without making them pay.
Zheng Chang’an fell silent for a moment, as if he understood her reasoning.
But his expression did not relax.
“Even so, Sister Ning… if he’s already changed his heart, are you still going to the military district?”