Chapter 17: The Dream is Real

After the short-haired woman left, Luo Shuzhi turned back to look at Gao Xiulian. Her tone remained calm, but her words were quite well-spoken as she said, “Comrade Gao, I’m truly sorry. I took leave yesterday for personal matters and wasn’t aware of this situation. Please sit here for a moment. After I get a clear understanding, I’ll come back to discuss it with you.”

Gao Xiulian wasn’t bothered by her tone. She could tell from the way she spoke that the matter was important. She smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll wait for you here.”

Luo Shuzhi nodded and left the office, followed by the short-haired woman.

As soon as they left, Gao Xiulian found a seat in the office and whispered to the person sitting at the desk on her right, “He, do you think Director Luo was angry just now? Do you think she’ll scold Wu?”

He didn’t answer, thinking to himself, “Isn’t that a silly question?” He ignored Gao Xiulian.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Gao Xiulian snorted coldly, “You all are hopeless. It’s not like it’s your first day at the Military Spouse Resettlement Office. Don’t you know the process for arranging jobs for military wives? How could you make such a big mistake? Now we’re going to get scolded!”

He, hearing this, couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He thought that although their work wasn’t handled very properly, calling it a big mistake was an exaggeration.

Although the job arrangements for military wives prioritized those who registered early, the employing units also had requirements for the staff, and it wasn’t up to them to assign just anyone to the jobs. So, when they made arrangements, they could only place military wives who met the requirements and were available.

The only issue here was that Lin Wei’s household registration hadn’t been finalized, but the job had already been assigned to her.

However, Lin Wei had already been approved to accompany her husband, so there was no way they would hold up her household registration. There were just a few more documents to be processed for her children, but if things went quickly, they would be ready in two or three days.

In short, if it hadn’t been for Gao Xiulian rushing over in a panic and happening to bump into Director Luo, they would have completed the necessary registration process once Lin Wei’s household registration was finalized, and the job would have gone to her. After all, among the military wives in the family area who were still unemployed, Lin Wei was the only one who met the qualifications for the pharmacy job.

In fact, if Gao Xiulian hadn’t overheard the news and rushed in to complain, they could have just waited for Lin Wei’s household registration to be processed. Once that was done, she could complete the registration and be placed in the job.

But now that the matter had blown up, Director Luo would probably just reprimand them for not handling things rigorously. The issue wasn’t that serious; it was just Gao Xiulian’s exaggerated reaction.

Looking at Gao Xiulian’s smug expression, He chuckled and said, “Comrade Gao, you might not know, but the pharmacy job requires at least a middle school diploma.”

When Gao Xiulian heard that Lin Wei had landed a good job in the pharmacy yesterday, she was furious. Her mind was filled with thoughts of confronting the Military Spouse Resettlement Office today, and she hadn’t even considered the qualifications required for the pharmacy job. When she heard He’s words, her face froze.

But then she thought to herself, when the supply and marketing cooperative or state-owned restaurants were hiring salespeople and waitstaff, they also required a middle school diploma. But when it came time to actually hire, the standards were lowered, and all they needed was someone who could read and do simple math.

It was just that she had arrived late and missed the opportunity for these positions, and the people at the Military Spouse Resettlement Office looked down on her because she was from the countryside. That’s why they always offered her lower-tier jobs.

Realizing this, Gao Xiulian calmed down and said, “It’s just a pharmacy job, where you take the medicine. You don’t need to write or calculate, as long as you can read. Why does it have to require a middle school diploma?”

He, having worked at the Military Spouse Resettlement Office for many years and seen many people, could tell exactly what Gao Xiulian was thinking. With a smile, he replied, “When Director Chen came here, we told her the same thing. She was very unhappy when she heard it. She said that if the wrong medicine is given, it could be fatal. This is a matter of life and death, and requiring at least a middle school diploma is already lowering the standard. We can’t lower it any further!”

Gao Xiulian’s face froze completely after hearing this.

Seeing her unhappy, He felt a sense of satisfaction and continued, “So, even if we follow the proper procedure, this job will only be assigned to Comrade Lin Wei, not you. I hope you can understand that.”

Gao Xiulian couldn’t accept this! She was focused on getting the job, and now she was being told that her education wasn’t sufficient and the job wouldn’t go to her. How could she be happy about this?

Of course, she wasn’t happy. Gao Xiulian was furious!

But after her anger subsided, she thought of something, and her expression softened.

Some people, when they realize they can’t have something, feel better as long as others can’t have it either.

Gao Xiulian was one of those people. Once she knew she couldn’t get the job at the hospital, she felt that, no matter who got the job, as long as it wasn’t Lin Wei, she’d feel better.

…

Due to potential emergency situations in various hospital departments, they adopted a shift system, but the logistics department was different. They generally didn’t have urgent matters, so their work hours were relatively fixed, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

However, people were generally eager to work these days, and very few showed up late. By 7:50 a.m., the office was almost full.

Chen Wenfang arrived a little later. She arrived at the office at 7:55 a.m.

After entering the office, she poured herself a cup of water. The thermos was still hot from yesterday afternoon, and the water was too hot to drink.

So, Chen Wenfang held the enamel cup for a while, but didn’t dare to drink the hot water. She put the cup down, went to her desk, and started looking at the documents she hadn’t finished reading yesterday.

After a while, Chen Wenfang remembered something and called over Ke, the person in charge of human resources. She informed her that there would be a new recruit starting in the pharmacy next Monday.

They were from a military district hospital, and there were regulations for hiring staff. Medical staff were vital, so most were transferred from higher-ups. However, if there were military wives with the relevant qualifications, they could be recommended by the Military Spouse Resettlement Office after an assessment.

But logistics staff had to be prioritized from the military wives. If no suitable candidates were found, they would recruit externally.

However, the Military Spouse Resettlement Office was very slow and often didn’t follow the recruitment requirements. For example, when they needed to hire a public relations person, they required at least a middle school diploma and the ability to write and draw. But the person they recommended had only a primary school education and poor writing and drawing skills. When they contacted them, they would argue that a public relations person only needed to be able to write and recognize words. Then they would have to go back and forth with the Military Spouse Resettlement Office, explaining why the person wasn’t suitable. Only after several rounds of back-and-forth could they find someone who met the basic criteria.

Chen Wenfang had gone to the Military Spouse Resettlement Office yesterday, and according to Ke, it would take at least until the end of the month for someone to be hired.

But in just one day, a candidate was already chosen?

Ke’s surprise was evident: “Why are they so quick this time?”

Chen Wenfang remembered the twist of fate from yesterday and smiled. “At first, they told me they didn’t have any suitable candidates. It was Xiao He who let something slip and mentioned that there was a new military wife joining. So, I checked her information, and everything seemed perfect. I went to her house, talked to her, and got things settled.”

Ke laughed, “That’s really lucky.”

“Yes,” Chen Wenfang leaned back in her chair and said with a sigh, “By the way, after Xiao Lin starts, ask Xiao Hu to help train her. Hopefully, before Xiao Hu leaves, she’ll be familiar with all the medicines in the pharmacy and the specific work processes.”

“Alright. Unless there’s anything else, I’ll get back to work.”

“Go ahead.”

Chen Wenfang replied, took a sip of water, and continued looking at the documents.

She read for over half an hour, until someone came to knock on the door and said that Director Luo from the Military Spouse Resettlement Office had arrived. Chen Wenfang raised her head, furrowed her brows, and after a long moment, said, “Let her in.”

A person outside heard the words and responded affirmatively. Less than half a minute after stepping out, Luo Shuzhi entered.

Chen Wenfang and Luo Shuzhi both came to Yanzhou Island during the early establishment of the Sanlin Base, and they had known each other for about twenty years, but their relationship had never been particularly good.

Chen Wenfang thought Luo Shuzhi was too pretentious, while Luo Shuzhi thought Chen Wenfang was too rash. In short, they did not get along.

However, both were over fifty years old and were no longer the impulsive young newcomers they once were. Regardless of their private relationship, they always maintained a cordial front.

Therefore, when Luo Shuzhi entered, Chen Wenfang stood up to greet her and smiled, “What brings you here today? The wind must have blown you all the way here?” She led her to a leather sofa to sit down.

Luo Shuzhi also had a smile on her face, “Don’t worry, it’s still the east wind. I’m here to apologize to you.”

“Apologize to me?” Chen Wenfang raised an eyebrow, throwing tea leaves into a porcelain cup as she asked, “What are you apologizing for?”

“For yesterday’s incident,” Luo Shuzhi sighed as she spoke, “I often tell Xiao He and the others that things should be done according to regulations, by the book. But they panic at the first sign of trouble, and end up making a mess! Sigh, they’re still too young and need more experience.”

“Glug, glug.”

Chen Wenfang held a thermos and poured hot water into the porcelain cup, almost filling it halfway. She replaced the thermos cap, placed the tea cup in front of Luo Shuzhi, and said, “Experience is one thing, but I still don’t understand. What does the issue with your Military Spouse Resettlement Office have to do with me?”

Pretentious!

Luo Shuzhi didn’t believe for a second that Chen Wenfang hadn’t understood her words. She was just pretending to be clueless, not wanting to let anyone off the hook. The smile on her face faded as she said, “Director Chen, if you don’t understand, let me put it plainly. The recruitment process for your hospital’s pharmacy is not compliant. The people you’ve hired aren’t qualified.”

Upon hearing Luo Shuzhi reveal her true intent, Chen Wenfang’s expression also turned cold. She put down the porcelain cup and asked, “Can I ask how our recruitment process isn’t compliant?”

“The higher-ups have long established that all recruitment must be reported to our Military Spouse Resettlement Office first. We handle the arrangement of military wives…”

“I have already reported it to your office. You can ask Xiao Wu and Xiao He at your office if I didn’t inform them yesterday about the recruitment.”

“Yes, you reported it, but as I just mentioned, military wives must be arranged by us first. After we make the selection, then you can make the final decision,” Luo Shuzhi said, curling her lips. “So, doesn’t your process seem a bit off?”

Chen Wenfang was surprised: “Isn’t Lin Wei from your Military Spouse Resettlement Office? Yesterday, I went to your office, asked Xiao Wu to make the arrangements, and she said there were no suitable military wives on the list. Xiao He then suggested Lin Wei, and since I felt she was qualified, I personally went to speak with her about the job. Where’s the problem in that?”

Without waiting for Luo Shuzhi to respond, Chen Wenfang raised her hand and continued, “Yes, yes, I know I went to speak with Lin Wei directly, but Director Luo, you have to understand. Xiao Hu is about to leave to go back home, and the pharmacy can’t afford to wait. If Xiao Hu leaves and the new hire hasn’t started yet, who will be responsible for dispensing medicine? If the doctor prescribes medicine, what will happen? What about the patients who need their medication? These are life-and-death matters!”

Chen Wenfang’s words stopped Luo Shuzhi in her tracks, but she wasn’t one of those young people in the office who would panic easily. She smiled and said, “Director Chen, I can certainly understand your urgency, but please understand my position as well. This situation is really problematic. Lin Wei is a new recruit following her husband. She hasn’t even sorted out her household registration, yet she’s already been assigned the job. What do you think the other unemployed military wives will think if this gets out? How can I continue my work under these circumstances?”

Luo Shuzhi, showing weakness, made it clear to Chen Wenfang that this situation was going to be difficult to handle.

When Luo Shuzhi had been tough earlier, Chen Wenfang could stand her ground, especially since the issue was internal to the Military Spouse Resettlement Office, and she had the upper hand in that regard.

But now that Luo Shuzhi was playing the sympathy card, Chen Wenfang couldn’t continue to push back. After all, they lived in the same compound, and it would be hard to completely sever ties.

Still, Chen Wenfang didn’t want to simply give in to Luo Shuzhi. If she let Luo Shuzhi have her way this time, others would think she was an easy target. She frowned and said, “I understand, but we can’t simply stop recruiting for the pharmacy just because some military wives are unhappy, can we? Before finalizing Lin Wei’s appointment, I did consult with Xiao Wu at your office, and among the unemployed military wives, there was no one more qualified. If you insist on blocking it, then I’ll have to contact the county high school to arrange for fresh graduates.”

Upon hearing the threat in Chen Wenfang’s voice, Luo Shuzhi squinted her eyes.

Although county-level state-owned factories also recruited military wives, when it came to actual recruitment, locals were given priority. These were not military-run factories, so it wasn’t as easy to arrange personnel.

Meanwhile, the units around the base were generally funded by the military, both to make life more convenient for the military families and to provide more job opportunities. When these units needed workers, they usually relied on the Military Spouse Resettlement Office to arrange military wives.

But now, Chen Wenfang wanted to bypass her and contact the county to arrange fresh graduates.

As the saying goes, once the door is opened, it leads to more problems. As the head of the Military Spouse Resettlement Office, Luo Shuzhi knew she couldn’t let this door open.

Thinking about this, Luo Shuzhi smiled and said, “I understand the duties of a pharmacy technician. They need to follow the doctor’s prescriptions and carefully dispense the correct medicine, right?”

“This job might sound simple, but it’s not. After discussion, we decided that the person hired for the pharmacy should have at least a middle school education and be meticulous in their work.”

“Understood, understood. Life-and-death matters can’t afford mistakes, so we need someone careful. However, the requirement of a middle school education seems unnecessary. Many military wives here, though not highly educated, are very eager to learn. Their literacy is no worse than that of a middle school graduate.”

Luo Shuzhi sighed as she continued, “You know, many military wives here come from poor backgrounds and didn’t have the opportunity to attend school. After following their husbands, they’ve heard that some units require people who can read and write, so they’ve been studying hard. These military wives are eager to improve, and we should give them a chance, don’t you think?”

“Director Luo, it’s not that I’m unwilling to give them a chance!” Chen Wenfang also complained, “As you just said, the pharmacy is a life-and-death job. If we relax the standards and hire someone who makes a mistake in dispensing the medicine, and the patient gets harmed, what do we do then? Who takes responsibility for that? You?”

“Even if you hire a middle school graduate, can you guarantee they won’t make mistakes?”

“So, in addition to the education requirement, we also require the person to be meticulous. I’ve looked at Lin Wei’s information. Before she followed her husband here, she worked as a warehouse manager in a cotton mill in her hometown for over two years, and there were no issues with her work,” Chen Wenfang said meaningfully. “If she takes over Xiao Hu’s position, not only am I at ease, but the hospital leaders are as well.”

Luo Shuzhi understood what Chen Wenfang was implying. She was clearly asking her to provide a candidate with better qualifications than Lin Wei, or the issue would be off the table.

To be honest, if Chen Wenfang hadn’t brought up such a big point, Luo Shuzhi wouldn’t have bothered dealing with her. After all, she wasn’t going to let anyone go—let’s see what they could do!

But at this point, she was in a passive position and could only grit her teeth and say, “You’re looking for someone with a middle school education and meticulous work? Well, I do have someone in mind.”

Chen Wenfang asked, “Who?”

“Deng Xiangyun,” Luo Shuzhi replied, “She’s a legitimate technical secondary school graduate, and before following her husband here, she worked as an accountant at a state-owned factory in her hometown. Her qualifications aren’t worse than Lin Wei’s, right?”

Chen Wenfang showed surprise, not expecting Luo Shuzhi to assign the job to Deng Xiangyun.

It was known that both of Deng Xiangyun’s parents had been sent down for re-education, and her family background wasn’t great. If it weren’t for that, with her education, it would have been impossible for her to be stationed with the military for seven or eight years without any job arrangements.

Someone must be suppressing her!

But now, Luo Shuzhi would rather assign the job to Deng Xiangyun, whose background wasn’t ideal, than let it fall to Lin Wei. It seemed she truly despised Zong Shao!

Chen Wenfang thought to herself and hesitated before saying, “This… doesn’t seem appropriate, does it? Deng Xiangyun’s background is not exactly good.”

“What’s wrong with that? Deng Xiangyun’s parents were sent down, but her marriage to Zhou Jianhai was approved by the organization, and the organization recognizes her. Why should we cling to these things?” Luo Shuzhi said with a dignified tone. “Besides, she’s been quite obedient these past few years and hasn’t shown any bad tendencies. We’re all comrades, and we should give her a chance to reform, don’t you think?”

Seeing that Chen Wenfang remained silent, Luo Shuzhi continued, “Director Chen, it’s not that I’m unwilling to release someone, but really, Lin Wei, a new military wife, has no household registration settled, and the job is already decided. This is against the rules. I’ll be honest with you, this time, it’s not that I’m targeting Lin Wei, but some military wives heard about it and came to me with complaints.”

Chen Wenfang was stunned. “Who complained to you?”

“Well, someone heard Lin Wei talking about it, but as for who it was, I can’t tell you,” Luo Shuzhi said, not intending to protect Gao Xiulian, but due to her position.

If Gao Xiulian had just complained to her, and she immediately exposed it, other military wives would think poorly of her. So even if the complainant was Gao Xiulian, she wouldn’t let those words slip.

Luo Shuzhi made her stance clear and continued, “If this matter isn’t properly resolved, who will be willing to comply with the resettlement in the future? If you’re not satisfied, I’m not satisfied, the whole thing will fall apart! How will we carry on our work? You used to work in the Women’s Federation, and you’ve had more contact with military wives, so you should understand our difficulties, right?”

Chen Wenfang didn’t respond, only sighed deeply. “What a mess, what’s all this about?”

……

When Luo Shuzhi went to find Chen Wenfang, Lin Wei was out shopping with the children at the supply and marketing cooperative.

Last night, she had cut up some mangoes, gave a little to the two children, and ate a few bites herself. Afraid of allergies, the rest went to Zong Shao, who had eaten them before without any issues.

Afterward, because she was worried the children might develop rashes while sleeping, the whole family of four slept together that night.

But by morning, everything was calm, though the brothers were still thinking about the sweetness of the mangoes, since they had only eaten a small piece yesterday and hadn’t had enough.

So, when they went grocery shopping today, Lin Wei took them back to the supply and marketing cooperative, bought a few more mangoes, one for each child. She also bought some bananas and rambutan, but skipped the lychees because they were too hot for the body, and rambutan tasted similar.

After finishing at the cooperative, the three of them went to the seafood supply station. Today, they didn’t buy any fish, but Lin Wei picked up some oysters, then went to the nearby market to buy a few heads of garlic.

She bought more garlic, as she had cleaned up the house yesterday, and also tidied up the small patch of land by the door.

The island had plenty of vegetables, many of which didn’t require a ration ticket, and the prices were affordable. So Lin Wei didn’t plan to grow too many greens, as they were more troublesome to manage. But she could plant some garlic and chives; once they sprouted, they didn’t need much care and could be harvested in batches.

After shopping, Lin Wei and the two children were heading back.

When passing by the Zhou family’s house, they ran into Xiao Shitou, who was squatting down playing with stones. As soon as he saw them, he turned to join them. Ruirui didn’t move but just looked up at Lin Wei, clearly wanting to join in the play.

Lin Wei wouldn’t stop them; in fact, she hoped the two children could make new friends after arriving on the island.

“Go ahead,” Lin Wei said, walking over and pulling out some rambutan from her pocket and breaking off a few bananas to share with them.

Ruirui happily accepted, but Xiao Shitou hesitated until Deng Xiangyun came out of the house after hearing the noise and nodded in agreement. Only then did Xiao Shitou take the fruit.

After giving fruit to the children, Lin Wei offered some to Deng Xiangyun.

Deng Xiangyun initially didn’t want to accept, but Lin Wei smiled and said, “We just moved in, and we have nothing. If it weren’t for you lending us some oil, salt, and vinegar, we wouldn’t even be able to cook, let alone eat fish from Shanghai. If you don’t accept this, I won’t dare come to your house again, afraid of taking advantage.”

“Fine,” Deng Xiangyun reluctantly said, accepting the fruit. “How’s your household registration coming along?”

Lin Wei smiled and said, “The military resettlement office said it should be done in a few days. I’ll go check again tomorrow. Once the household registration is settled, I’ll go get the food ration book and tickets.”

“Then it seems like your life is getting on track,” Deng Xiangyun said with a smile.

“Yes,” Lin Wei nodded, but her gaze suddenly froze as she saw the three children squatting down playing with stones.

When she had discussed things with Zong Shao the previous night, she hadn’t thought about asking anyone to help take care of the children. After all, she had just arrived with the military, didn’t know the military wives here well, and wasn’t sure of their personalities or if they would be willing. She also worried the children wouldn’t adapt.

But now, an idea suddenly came to her. Ruirui and Xiao Shitou got along well. If she could ask Deng Xiangyun to help watch the children, they might adjust more easily.

Moreover, in these past few days, Lin Wei hadn’t seen Deng Xiangyun leave the house, so she assumed she wasn’t working. More importantly, after these few days, Lin Wei felt that Deng Xiangyun was a decent person, and she could trust her with the kids.

But since they hadn’t known each other for long, it wouldn’t be appropriate to just say, “Can you take care of my kids? I’ll pay you.” Lin Wei swallowed the words that almost escaped her lips and decided to wait until Zong Shao returned in the evening to discuss it with him first.

It would be best to mention it to Zhou Jianhai first, to gauge their attitude. If they had no objections, then she would ask Deng Xiangyun.

After making up her mind, Lin Wei didn’t linger with Deng Xiangyun. She waved goodbye to the children and went back home alone.

Once at home, she placed the fruit in the living room and put the groceries and oysters in the kitchen. Then she went out to fetch a basin of seawater to soak the oysters, which would help them last longer.

The people at the supply station said that if the oysters were eaten the same day, just soaking them in clean water would suffice. But since she was new to the place and didn’t want to take any chances, Lin Wei was happy to “waste” a little time this way.

After soaking the oysters and tidying up the kitchen, Lin Wei heard someone calling her name. She walked out and saw Chen Wenfang standing outside the yard, with a surprised expression on her face. “Director Chen, what brings you here?”

“I have something to discuss with you.”

Chen Wenfang had considered letting Luo Shuzhi arrange for someone to inform Lin Wei about the job change, but then thought it wouldn’t be appropriate. After all, it was she who had discussed the position with Lin Wei initially, and if anyone was going to inform her about the change, it should be her.

So she came personally.

When Lin Wei saw the serious expression on Chen Wenfang’s face, she immediately thought of Zong Shao’s words: “The longer the night, the more dreams.”

Although she had told Chen Wenfang her decision last night, since she hadn’t officially started the job, things could still change. Therefore, hearing about the change from Chen Wenfang didn’t surprise her. She calmly asked, “May I ask why the sudden change?”

Chen Wenfang didn’t hide it. “Luo Shuzhi from the military resettlement office said that someone heard you talking about this and reported it to her. You just arrived with the military, and your household registration hasn’t been processed yet, so this doesn’t quite follow the rules. That’s why…”

Lin Wei was stunned and interrupted to ask, “Wait, I never told anyone about this, right?”

Chen Wenfang’s expression became serious. “You didn’t tell anyone? Then how did the person who complained say you admitted it yourself?”

“I didn’t…” Lin Wei was about to say she didn’t know, but then remembered the conversation Liu Dan had with her as she passed by her door last night. She then explained the situation to Chen Wenfang.

Chen Wenfang asked, “Are you saying that someone overheard your conversation and then went to complain to Director Luo?”

Lin Wei wasn’t sure, so she simply said, “I haven’t mentioned it to anyone else.”

Chen Wenfang sighed. This was truly an unwarranted disaster!

But she still said a few words to Lin Wei. “They say ‘walls have ears.’ How could you discuss something so important outside?”

Lin Wei spoke softly, “I didn’t think much about it at the time.”

Seeing her like this, Chen Wenfang felt a bit sorry for her and tried to comfort her. “It’s not necessarily that someone eavesdropped. It’s possible the person who complained didn’t tell the truth.” After thinking for a moment, she added, “In the future, it’s better to keep things amicable with your neighbors. Of course, important matters should never be discussed in public.”

Listening to Chen Wenfang’s advice, Lin Wei’s heart warmed up, and she smiled as she replied, “I understand.”

Lin Wei had an oval face with little flesh, making her look a bit too thin and not quite fitting the current aesthetic for middle-aged people. She didn’t appear very full or festive.

However, her eyes were beautiful, with a hint of almond shape, and when she smiled, her eyes sparkled, making her very endearing. The idea of fullness or festivity became less important.

People of Chen Wenfang’s age tended to like this kind of charming girl.

Moreover, with her previously agreed-upon job suddenly falling through, Lin Wei showed no trace of resentment upon hearing about it. Instead, she was touched by Chen Wenfang’s few words, which showed she was a decent person.

Because of her higher regard for Lin Wei, Chen Wenfang opened up to her. “Although this incident happened, don’t worry. It’s not your fault. Once your household registration is sorted, go to the military family settlement office to register. They’ll arrange a job for you. Your education level will definitely give you an advantage over other military wives when it comes to job placement. Just wait patiently. There’s no need to rush.”

In fact, Lin Wei wasn’t too anxious about work. She had a town household registration from following her husband and also received supply rations. Although those without work got slightly fewer rations than those with work, she had a small appetite, and the twenty kilograms of grain per month was enough for her.

She didn’t have to worry too much about money. She had savings, and Zong Shao earned a good income. Even if it took a year or two for her to be arranged for a job, she could wait.

What worried her was whether Director Luo might have an issue with her. Although the incident wasn’t her fault, the trouble had started with her. Moreover, from Chen Wenfang’s words, it seemed that Director Luo had requested to have her replaced…

Lin Wei thought this over and asked, though she phrased it carefully. She didn’t directly say that Director Luo might have a problem with her but asked whether she should go and explain the situation to Director Luo.

Chen Wenfang thought to herself that Director Luo’s problem with Lin Wei wasn’t because of this matter. If Lin Wei went to explain, it might cause embarrassment, so she waved her hand and said, “No need.”

Seeing Lin Wei still hesitate, Chen Wenfang explained, “Director Luo has always cared about her reputation. As long as you don’t make any mistakes, when there’s a position available, she won’t deliberately make things difficult for you.”

If it hadn’t been for the improper process and the complaint, even if Director Luo had a problem with Lin Wei, she wouldn’t have taken any action.

In the end, it was just a matter of unfortunate circumstances.

Chen Wenfang was thinking this when she suddenly noticed something off in Lin Wei’s expression. After a slight hesitation, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Ah?” Lin Wei snapped back to her senses, staring at Chen Wenfang. She asked softly, “Director Chen, may I ask you something?”

Chen Wenfang immediately felt that something wasn’t right with Lin Wei but couldn’t figure out what. She could only say, “Go ahead and ask.”

Lin Wei didn’t speak immediately. She took a deep breath and, after a moment, asked, “The Director Luo you mentioned—does she have a niece named Luo Yun?”

Chen Wenfang froze and fell silent.

Seeing her silence, Lin Wei already knew the answer. The color drained from her face, and her lips turned pale.

Chen Wenfang thought Lin Wei had misunderstood after hearing something, so she quickly explained, “Although Director Luo wanted to set up Luo Yun and Zong Shao, Zong Shao rejected her outright. There’s definitely nothing between them, so don’t think too much about it.”

However, Lin Wei only smiled bitterly. She knew exactly what had happened between Luo Yun and Zong Shao.

Luo Yun came from a cadre family and had studied at a health school for over a year before it closed down. Her parents, fearing she would get involved in political activities, sent her to live with her aunt on Yanzhou Island. It was there that she met Zong Shao.

In truth, they didn’t have much interaction. Zong Shao was entirely focused on his career, and he was either on the ship or at the camp. They hardly saw each other.

But love can come in many forms—some people fall for love at first sight, others gradually develop feelings. Luo Yun was the former; she believed in following her feelings.

For Zong Shao, Luo Yun chose to stay on Yanzhou Island, becoming an intern nurse at a health station. At that time, her thoughts were simple: she just wanted to watch him from afar.

However, human nature is greedy. Once she was able to watch him from afar, she wanted more.

She began observing Zong Shao and noticed that after receiving allowances at the end of the month, he would go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy things. Then, on his next break, he would visit the county post office to mail something.

She hadn’t even enjoyed her discovery for long when Zong Shao found out. He severely criticized her behavior and warned her that if it happened again, he would report her.

Luo Yun was frightened and no longer followed him, but she didn’t give up immediately. She just silently continued to like him until her aunt, Luo Shuzhi, noticed and proposed to set them up.

At first, Luo Yun was shy but also hopeful, not expecting Zong Shao to reject her outright.

Later, Zong Shao went home to visit relatives, and when he returned, rumors spread that he had a girlfriend. Initially, Luo Yun thought it was just a smokescreen to avoid the arranged marriage, but within half a year, she heard that he had married.

Luo Yun was devastated and struggled in silence for two years before applying for a transfer to Yangcheng. It was there that she met the male protagonist.

This was the backstory of the original novel, and Luo Yun was the original female lead.

Since the events of the original novel took place after Luo Yun had transferred to Yangcheng, the events on Yanzhou Island only appeared in her memories. After Lin Wei arrived on the island, she mainly interacted with the military wives, so besides Zong Shao, she hadn’t encountered other characters from the original story.

Zong Shao was her husband, and they had known each other for a long time. She couldn’t deduce from his presence alone that this world was a novel.

Therefore, she always doubted her dreams.

Of course, she could ask Zong Shao whether he knew Luo Yun or even ask who the base’s political commissar was and what his wife’s name was. But suddenly asking these questions would seem strange. She hadn’t decided whether to tell him about this yet, so she hesitated.

On the other hand, her hesitation also hinted at avoidance.

Although she had decided to face this matter actively while on the ship, hoping to change her fate of an early death, it was a rational decision. Emotionally, however, she couldn’t help but feel the urge to avoid it.

It was like covering her ears and stealing a bell—if she didn’t ask and didn’t think about it, it would be as if nothing had happened.

For the past few days, she had felt like she was living in a dream until that name from the original novel, which hardly appeared, pulled her back to reality, forcing her to investigate further.

The outcome was clear.

The dream was real, and her fate was indeed grim.