Chapter 40: Rejected Again

After confirming that the medical clinic at the military camp wouldn’t hire her, Jiang Ning didn’t linger and left the clinic.

She planned to visit the health clinic not far from the family compound on her way home.

She had also considered the clinic that the old man mentioned, but it was too far away—five miles. Adding the distance from her yard to the entrance of the family compound, it would take her nearly an hour to walk there.

The path she took led past the training ground.

Jiang Ning looked into the training area.

Shen Mo was dressed in his neat training uniform, with his belt accentuating his lean waist. He had his hands behind his back, pacing around the field in his military boots, inspecting the area.

Every now and then, he would shout a name, his voice deep and stern—something she had never heard at home. It made Jiang Ning shudder.

If it startled her, it must have been even more intimidating for the soldiers he was training.

Jiang Ning leaned on the fence and watched for a while, noticing many biceps and abs.

Shen Mo noticed someone giving him a sly look and coldly said, “Yang Zhengtu, add ten sets of obstacle course runs.”

Yang Zhengtu: “…”

‘Behind you.’

Yang Zhengtu mouthed the words.

Shen Mo turned around in confusion and immediately saw Jiang Ning leaning on the fence.

Jiang Ning didn’t want to disturb his training, so she didn’t call out or wave.

Shen Mo’s expression changed for a moment, softening slightly, but when he turned back to the soldiers, his face was once again stern and impartial.

Shen Mo said, “Yang Zhengtu, add twenty more sets of obstacle course runs.”

I really shouldn’t have reminded you.

The others were trying hard not to laugh, their faces strained with the effort. They certainly didn’t want to do twenty more sets of obstacle course runs.

Shen Mo suddenly said, “Everyone else, get down on the ground and do one hundred push-ups.”

The soldiers: “…”

Jiang Ning looked at the obstacles in the training field. She wouldn’t be able to jump over them even with a running start, and there was also a mud pit. As for push-ups, she would struggle to do even ten.

Looking at the man giving orders in the field.

Hmm… he’s really handsome.

He was completely different from how he was at home.

Seeing how everyone obeyed him, Jiang Ning realized that this was respect. Shen Mo had the ability to command respect, which had brought him to his current position.

With everyone now doing push-ups, there were no more abs to see, so Jiang Ning didn’t stay long and left the training ground.

After leaving the military camp, Jiang Ning headed straight to the health clinic outside the family compound.

People eat grains and vegetables, and everyone gets sick from time to time. While other places might be deserted, a hospital would never be empty.

As soon as Jiang Ning arrived at the health clinic, she found the person in charge and asked if they were hiring.

The person in charge was clearly surprised to see Jiang Ning and began the usual inquiry about her skills. Jiang Ning explained what she could do.

When she mentioned that she could handle basic nursing tasks, the person in charge nodded and told her to come in for a trial day tomorrow. If it went well, they would formally hire her.

Jiang Ning agreed and then left the health clinic, heading to the supply and marketing cooperative.

She needed to buy some things from the cooperative to make her medicinal oil.

Jiang Ning didn’t notice that as soon as she left the health clinic, a woman walked in.

After buying what she needed from the cooperative and returning home, she crushed the herbs that had been drying all day to start making the medicinal oil. She fried the herbs until they were slightly blackened, then removed them and added crushed camphor and borneol, stirring everything together until it was well mixed.

She poured the medicinal oil into containers and let it cool before it was ready to use.

In the evening, when Shen Mo came home, he asked Jiang Ning about the job at the military camp. He was disappointed to hear that it hadn’t worked out.

But Jiang Ning comforted him by saying that it was normal for them not to hire her since she didn’t have a good educational background.

“It’s not normal; they just don’t have the vision,” Shen Mo said, clearly unhappy.

Seeing that he was genuinely upset, and it was for her sake, Jiang Ning propped her head up and tried to divert his attention, “I asked at the health clinic outside the family compound, and they told me to come in for a trial day tomorrow. Wait for my good news.”

“Today, watching you all train, it looked so tiring and exhausting under the sun. You were quite fierce on the training field,” Jiang Ning said in a calm tone.

Shen Mo instinctively retorted, “I’m not fierce.”

Jiang Ning looked at him with a smile in her eyes.

Shen Mo’s lips moved for a moment, and his face turned red, “They are all new recruits. Being strict with them is for their own good. I would never… be fierce with you.”

His last few words were too soft for Jiang Ning to hear clearly, and she thought back to seeing Shen Mo’s commanding presence on the training field today.

With a smile, she said, “I know. You’re not fierce with me, so I’m not afraid of you.”

Shen Mo looked at her smiling face, feeling a stir in his heart.

After dinner, Jiang Ning sat on the swing. The image of Shen Mo in his military uniform, with his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs, kept playing in her mind from what she had seen today.

Jiang Ning turned her head to look at Shen Mo, who was busy washing dishes in the kitchen. The veins on his hands bulged with each movement, exuding a raw, powerful energy.

Halfway through washing, Shen Mo found his sleeves a bit cumbersome and stripped off the outer layer of his clothes, revealing a sleeveless undershirt.

His movements were swift and efficient, and Jiang Ning almost felt like whistling in appreciation.

However, when she noticed the bruise on Shen Mo’s arm, her brows furrowed.

She walked over to him.

Shen Mo knew it was his wife approaching but continued to focus on washing the dishes.

It wasn’t until a cool little hand poked at his arm, causing a slight sting, that he reacted, not even flinching.

“How did you get hurt again?” Jiang Ning asked, her voice filled with concern.

Shen Mo glanced at his arm and shrugged it off, “It’s just a small injury. I bumped into something during training.”

To him, a bruise was less serious than a strain, and he usually didn’t bother with minor injuries like that.

Jiang Ning didn’t say anything and turned to walk into the house.

Shen Mo continued washing the dishes.

He felt something slick being applied to his arm and looked down.

Jiang Ning’s slender fingers were spreading something on his arm. He sniffed and caught the scent of herbs.

It was medicinal oil.

When Jiang Ning saw him looking, she explained, “I made this medicinal oil myself. It works much better than the oil you get at the medical clinic. The bruise should fade significantly in no time.”

Shen Mo didn’t understand the medicinal properties, but he had used medicinal oil before without seeing such quick results. That’s why he had stopped using it frequently.

Whether it worked or not, he knew he should praise his wife first, “You’re amazing, my dear.”

Jiang Ning, feeling pleased, said, “Yes, I know I am.”

After finishing the dishes, Shen Mo went to the washroom to take a shower. As he undressed, he glanced at his arm.

The large bruise that had been there was much lighter. In the time it took him to wash the dishes, the bruise had faded more than it ever had with the medicinal oil he had used before.

My wife is truly amazing.

This time, he meant it sincerely.

After sharing the bed for two nights, Shen Mo had become much more composed.

When he returned to the room after his shower, Jiang Ning hadn’t gone to bed yet. She was bent over the desk, writing something.

Shen Mo walked over and saw her writing with swift, steady strokes. The characters were elegant, listing the names of various herbs.

There were many names that Shen Mo had never seen before.

Jiang Ning finished writing the prescription, capped her pen, and lay down on the bed, satisfied.

*

The next day, Jiang Ning had to go for a trial shift at the health clinic, so she woke up early.

The person at the health clinic had told her to arrive early the day before.

After having breakfast with Shen Mo, they left the house together.

When Jiang Ning arrived at the health clinic, it was already open.

She found the person who had told her to come in for a trial day.

When the person saw Jiang Ning, they looked at her with disdain, “What are you doing here if you don’t understand anything about medicine? Are you here to cause trouble?”

Jiang Ning: “?”

She replied, “Didn’t I tell you what I know yesterday?”

“Oh, what you know is self-taught, right?” The person looked Jiang Ning up and down, “Self-taught knowledge isn’t reliable. The people who come here trust us with their lives. If something goes wrong because of you, it’ll be a disaster. Go away, don’t get in our way.”

When the person mentioned that she was self-taught, Jiang Ning’s expression darkened.

The only people who knew she was self-taught were Political Commissar Chen and Yan Liyue from the medical clinic yesterday.

Commissar Chen, being a man, probably wouldn’t gossip, and they didn’t have any conflicts. The only person who had a problem with her was Yan Liyue.

Was she really that addicted to causing trouble for her?

Jiang Ning looked at the person and said, “Let me try. If you’re not satisfied, you can send me away immediately.”

She believed she had the ability to prove herself if given the chance.

“Go away, go away. We only hire people who have proper training here. We can’t risk using a barefoot doctor.”

Jiang Ning left the health clinic, intending to go home. After taking a few steps, she remembered something and turned in a different direction.