Shen Qingli paused in her steps, turning back in surprise:
“Third-tier municipal Ning’an Hospital?”
Zhou Taimin smiled kindly:
“Yes. I’ll write you a recommendation letter so you can work at the hospital. Opportunities in life are often limited. A good partner should stand in the path of your future. I hope this time you can honor the effort you put into your studies.”
Shen Qingli frowned slightly, not daring to believe him:
“Excuse me, who are you?”
“Wait here. I’ll be back soon.” Zhou Taimin didn’t answer directly and left.
Shen Qingli’s mind was still somewhat foggy. Just now, she had been worrying about her future. Her worst-case scenario was going back to the county hospital, where she might be reprimanded or marginalized as an assistant doctor. But even in that position, there would be chances to turn things around.
And now… her life had inexplicably taken a turn for the better?
She looked at Zhou Taimin’s receding figure. Her heart, long dormant, began to beat again—though faintly, there was a hint of fear that he might be joking with her.
But soon, Zhou Taimin really came back, handing her an envelope containing the recommendation letter:
“Child, cherish this.”
Shen Qingli took it. As her delicate fingers touched the fine paper, she still couldn’t believe she had actually received a recommendation letter for Ning’an Hospital, a third-tier municipal hospital.
She felt somewhat at a loss, her eyes filled with gratitude:
“Thank you, Grandpa.”
Zhou Taimin’s lips curved slightly, his gaze softening with a trace of affection, yet he said nothing.
Shen Qingli said,
“Oh, Grandpa, I live in the family compound. If you ever need anything, you can come find me. My name is Shen Qingli.”
Zhou Taimin’s eyes flickered in surprise for a moment, as if remembering something. He muttered softly:
“You’re a soldier too, huh.”
“Yes.” Shen Qingli didn’t notice anything unusual. After replying, she saw Zhou Taimin leave again with a strangely distant expression.
She frowned slightly, thinking he was a bit odd—but a very nice old man.
Holding the recommendation letter, she didn’t chase after him to chat. She still had many documents to collect before she could officially start at the hospital, so she returned to the family compound.
When she arrived, she saw Lin Meiyun teaching Su Tiantian to write. Shen Qingli didn’t respond and headed inside.
Lin Meiyun, however, saw her and was clearly displeased. She rolled her eyes and snorted:
“I thought you were gone for good. I was about to pack up your things and throw them out.”
Shen Qingli didn’t need to look further. She knew this expression was because Su Jinnan wasn’t around, so there was no need to pretend.
In the previous life, for ten years, she had been tormented by Lin Meiyun’s two-faced ways, forced to cry herself to sleep. But now, she looked at her calmly:
“The ones who should leave are you and your son. As long as I haven’t divorced Su Jingshen, we are husband and wife. What right do you have to throw out my things?”
Lin Meiyun’s eyes flared with anger:
“You’re married to him? How did you even get that status? Don’t you have any sense? How dare you say that!”
“Yet you shamelessly fawn over your brother-in-law’s wife.”
The words left Shen Qingli’s mouth, and Lin Meiyun was suddenly silenced, as if her throat had been choked.
Previously, Shen Qingli wasn’t like this. She would argue but knew her limits, probably to avoid upsetting Su Jingshen. Now, she seemed ready to rip everything apart, and what she said was true, so the matter couldn’t be dismissed.
She clenched her lips in frustration, unable to speak. Just then, Su Jingshen returned. Shen Qingli’s eyes filled with tears, and she grabbed Lin Meiyun’s delicate hand, speaking softly:
“Qingli, I just wanted to ask where you went. No need to be upset. Just consider me meddlesome, alright?”
From Lin Meiyun’s reaction, Shen Qingli guessed that Su Jingshen had returned. In the past, she would have shouted at her and accused her of acting, but Su Jingshen never believed her.
Now, she didn’t want to argue. She lightly dismissed her hand:
“No need to pretend.”
But the next moment, Su Jingshen’s voice came from behind:
“Shen Qingli, can you speak properly?”
His tone was patient, but the words clearly sided with Lin Meiyun.
Shen Qingli’s hand froze mid-air. Her heart ached as if torn apart. Even though she had stopped arguing, he still blamed her. Her eyes turned red as she looked at him, a series of hysterical questions forming in her mind, only to dissolve into self-mockery:
“What’s there to say? A broken mirror can never be whole. Once a rift occurs in any relationship, it can’t be restored. Why force me to maintain a facade of calm? I already promised to leave the compound—what more do you want?”
Her voice was unnervingly calm, without a single fluctuation, devoid of emotion.
Su Jingshen’s heart panicked for a moment. He had always disliked her fiery temper, but now he disliked her indifference even more. He tried to comfort her gently:
“Qingli, as long as we’re still a family, there’s no need to act like enemies.”
Shen Qingli’s nostrils burned. She no longer cared to argue. In his heart, the family was more important than the wife. She was always seen as selfish, never important.
Exhausted, she muttered:
“Stop lecturing me.”
And returned to her room.
Lin Meiyun felt a twisted sense of satisfaction, seeing Shen Qingli push Su Jingshen further away with her coldness. She forced a smile at him:
“Jingshen, you’re back! Living here always makes Qingli unhappy.”
For once, Su Jingshen felt annoyed:
“If you know that, why don’t you just talk less with her? Why interfere?”
Lin Meiyun froze. Su Jingshen had always accommodated her for the sake of Su Jinnan, keeping silent even if she was sometimes wrong. Now, he defended Shen Qingli? She felt uneasy but forced a strained smile:
“Yes, yes, I was wrong too.”
Su Jingshen, feeling frustrated, left without staying.
Lin Meiyun watched his back, her hands clenched and relaxed, then finally let go:
“…It doesn’t matter. Soon she’ll leave anyway. Won’t affect me.”
Shen Qingli, inside, didn’t hear any of this. She exhaled slowly to ease her heartache, opened the drawer, and took out her documents. She packed them with the recommendation letter and headed to Ning’an Hospital.
She first went to the Human Resources department and saw a slightly chubby middle-aged woman with a mole at the corner of her mouth. Shen Qingli walked in:
“Hello, I’m here to report for duty. Should I submit my documents here?”
Li Yan, sitting idly, glanced at the envelope without getting up, her tone somewhat authoritative:
“These days, everyone gets in with a recommendation letter. Even if you’re capable, you still have to mind your behavior here. Don’t act superior—you won’t get away with it.”
Shen Qingli remained silent. These days, even barefoot doctors could get in with a recommendation letter, but the hospital’s revolutionary committee was strict. They didn’t want anyone accused of following the “white-collar” path.
She handed over her documents and waited patiently.
Li Yan, casually sipping water, opened the recommendation letter. She wasn’t in a hurry to check, planning to lecture the newcomer as usual.
But suddenly, she noticed that the seal on the letter wasn’t from a regular school or commune—it was the hospital’s revolutionary committee seal, with ornate characters clearly written by the director himself.
Her face froze, a storm passing through her mind.
Shen Qingli noticed her surprise and frowned:
“Is something wrong?”