Li Guiyun’s smile stiffened, but she wasn’t like Zhang Zhixiang—she wouldn’t let all her emotions show. She quickly composed herself and smiled, admitting her mistake:
“Ah, ah, ah, I spoke out of turn. Let her take a look; that way, we can all be at ease.”
Shen Qingli found it amusing. It seemed that the entire residential compound was all about appearances rather than hearts. Li Cuilan, as the commissar’s wife, at least managed things properly.
Shen Qingli withdrew her hands and said:
“Sister-in-law, there’s nothing wrong. You just have a nodule. Do you often bottle up your emotions? Try to pay attention to your mood in the future. Even without medication, it will gradually improve. If you want medicine to ease it, take something that regulates liver qi, like Xiaoyao pills—any doctor should be able to prescribe them.”
Li Cuilan immediately laughed: “Qingli, you really didn’t study for nothing!”
Li Guiyun and the others were momentarily surprised. They had only heard that Shen Qingli had previously worked in surgery. She hadn’t made a name there, but now she seemed knowledgeable in gynecology. They didn’t press further and went home.
Li Cuilan, however, couldn’t help venting her frustrations:
“Qingli, you wouldn’t understand. Recently, my troublesome mother-in-law insisted on spending 800 yuan to build a big tiled house at home. I’m about to be driven mad! She always secretly asked for money to support the younger ones, which I ignored, but now she does this? And the house is for the youngest son! And your commissar, my husband, is just foolishly filial.”
Shen Qingli couldn’t really console her. Compared to her own misfortunes—marrying a man who could be both foolish and blindly filial toward his eldest wife—this was minor.
Li Cuilan continued, fueled by the topic, going on for a while. Then she asked Shen Qingli to examine her jaw:
“See if there are any lingering issues here. My mother-in-law used to hit me here, and it still hurts.”
Shen Qingli palpated the area. Indeed, it was a mild fracture that had healed on its own. The jaw felt a bit uneven under her fingers, something one wouldn’t notice without careful examination.
Su Jinshen returned just in time to see this scene.
Shen Qingli’s brows were slightly furrowed, her gaze serious as she examined Li Cuilan’s jaw. Her hands moved professionally and carefully, and her absorption in her work made her look far more striking than on days when she quarreled over trivial matters.
He paused slightly, choosing not to interrupt this scene.
Shen Qingli soon noticed him, froze mid-motion, and restrained the smile on her face. She didn’t speak, just went to handle her clothes.
Su Jinshen caught her glance. Her sudden coldness left him inexplicably frustrated. Previously, even when unhappy, she would smile shyly and chatter near him. Now, even when smiling, she faced him with a cold expression.
Li Cuilan, meanwhile, cheerfully called out:
“Vice Commander Su is here? Let me tell you, Qingli just examined me. Her technique really is impressive. I feel she’s more professional than some doctors in the clinic.”
Su Jinshen shifted his gaze from Shen Qingli to Li Cuilan:
“What’s wrong with your health?”
Li Cuilan smiled:
“Just a bit uncomfortable, but it’s nothing serious now.”
Hearing their conversation, Shen Qingli didn’t expect any praise from Su Jinshen. In her past life, he never saw any merit in her, no matter her achievements—medical school, the long journey to become a doctor—all meaningless compared to his military accolades. Being a housewife would probably earn even more disdain.
Yet Su Jinshen said:
“It’s good that you’re fine. If anything bothers you, she can help take a look.”
He neither openly praised nor subtly criticized her, nor did he worry that she might misdiagnose Li Cuilan. It was a simple, ordinary sentence, but far kinder than his remark in the latter part of her previous life: “Don’t cause trouble for yourself.”
It was hard for Shen Qingli not to be touched. But being moved accomplished little; their issues were too many, too complicated. She didn’t want to misinterpret his casual kindness as something more.
Her emotions spiraled uncontrollably. Taking a deep breath, she finished tidying her clothes and, without disturbing them, carried an empty basin upstairs.
Su Jinshen glanced at her back, then followed into the house. After a moment of thought, he said:
“Don’t wander outside so much anymore. Since you said she treats patients well, I’ll introduce you to work in the clinic.”
Shen Qingli’s fingers clenched subtly, her heart tightening with a faint bitterness. She had never planned her life entirely around him. Working in Xia’an County meant limited positions, and even if he helped, she would still need to find a receiving unit herself. Being low in status and influence, it wasn’t easy.
When she had asked him for help transferring to a hospital, he had coldly replied:
“You know my position is special. Future promotion requires assessments in all areas. If you just want a factory job, that’s simple. But a hospital is prone to disputes. As my wife, your work performance reflects on me. Can you ensure no mistakes due to personal reasons?”
At that moment, she had been speechless. No surgery ever succeeds 100%, and disputes were normal. She recalled her past self, desperately trying to maintain dignity in front of someone she liked, wanting recognition in medicine, courageously asking him for help despite expecting dismissal. Pitiful.
Now, he was even offering to help place her in a clinic. She bitterly tugged the corner of her mouth, indifferent to his intentions:
“No need.” With that, she entered the room.
Su Jinshen froze, a little surprised by her answer, but seemed to think of something. He stepped in:
“Then don’t wander outside so much. During the day, you’re nowhere to be found, and at night you still don’t return.”
Shen Qingli didn’t want to overthink, but his tone made her consider it. She cautiously asked:
“And what do you think I’m doing when I go out?”
He didn’t directly answer, instead saying:
“That Zhao comrade—isn’t he Director Zhao’s son?”
Shen Qingli’s chest fluttered. She stared at his cold, handsome face, unsure of the meaning behind his words. Whether it was a suggestion that she sought power or that she was frequently entangled with him, it felt insulting.
Fuming, her eyes reddened, she deliberately provoked him:
“Since you know his identity, at least be polite to him in the future.”
Seeing her angry, Su Jinshen’s calm composure snapped. His sharp gaze fixed on her for a few seconds before he said angrily:
“Even his father doesn’t deserve my courtesy. Don’t let me see you two together again, or I won’t know whether to deal with you or him. Handling him would be easier.”
Shen Qingli’s lips pressed tightly together, her chest rising and falling with rage. She realized she couldn’t coexist peacefully with Su Jinshen. Once so calm and composed, she now couldn’t control her temper. And he constantly interfered with her affairs. She said something, and now he was policing her behavior.