Chapter Eighty: The Nomination Slot

Shiyu Rou had finally achieved her long-cherished wish of changing jobs, and this time, she had directly joined the Cangzhou Central Hospital. Compared to her previous position at the family’s medical clinic, this was a tremendous step forward, a true leap. The Shi family’s internal structure had long since become rigid, where advancement was not gained through ability or talent but depended instead on one’s status within the family. Only those with higher standing could hope for better positions.

Thus, no matter how gifted Shiyu Rou was, as long as she remained within the family, she could only serve as an assistant to others, with no opportunity for real development.

“How do you feel, now that you’ll be working at Cangzhou Central Hospital?” Yan Yuanqing asked, his tone gentle as he looked at Shiyu Rou with warm eyes after she had signed the contract.

Shiyu Rou seemed to be in a state of pleasant disbelief, as if she hadn’t quite accepted how simply she had gained entry to the central hospital.

“Thank you,” was all she managed to say after a long pause.

Yan Yuanqing smiled softly. “There’s no need for thanks between us. You are my wife. Now that you’re facing difficulties, it’s only right that I help you.”

“And in the future, if you encounter any problems at work, don’t be like you were in the family—just bring them up. There will always be a way to solve things.”

“Alright,” Shiyu Rou replied with a gentle nod, looking unusually docile, utterly unlike the strong-willed woman she had once been before Yan Yuanqing.

This made Yan Yuanqing reflect that perhaps many women who seem strong and independent are so only because they have yet to, or temporarily cannot, entrust the burdens and pressures of life to someone else. Hence, they must carry everything themselves, and over time, they appear to others as if they were never meant to be soft or yielding.

When the news of Shiyu Rou’s successful entry into Cangzhou Central Hospital reached home, Ji Chunyan never again spoke harshly to Yan Yuanqing. Even when she saw the two returning together that night, laughing and talking, she no longer ordered them to separate as she once had. Instead, she remained silent, her thoughts unreadable.

Everything seemed to be moving in a better direction. Now, the two of them had all but freed themselves from the Shi family’s control, able at last to steer the course of their own futures and destinies.

But before long, a letter arrived in Yan Yuanqing’s hands, bringing with it new matters to consider.

“Master, this is a letter from the National Association of Traditional Medicine, inviting you to join as a member,” he was told.

“This association commands considerable respect throughout the country. To become a member is to gain the recognition and esteem of your peers. Each year, I am allotted one recommendation, so this time I wrote your name. You’ll just need to participate in an assessment after a while; if you pass, you can join the association. What do you think, Master?”

Beside the letter lay a note in Yuan Hongyu’s handwriting. Reading its contents, Yan Yuanqing could not help but feel a touch of helplessness. His disciple was always so considerate of his teacher’s interests—now he had even recommended him for the national association, a privilege so rare and coveted that countless people vied for it each year.

Such an opportunity, of course, Yan Yuanqing would not refuse. It was both a rare honor and a gesture of his disciple’s goodwill.

“Very well. Let me know when the assessment will be held, and I will certainly attend. Thank you for your recommendation.”