The sound of the electronic piano filled the room as the children sat in their seats, singing.

For young children, music and art classes are the most joyful and eagerly awaited subjects in school.

Chen Baozhen stood at the podium, counting the beats, while Qin Yao stood at the back of the classroom with a camera, capturing the scene.

Chen Baozhen came to school for class today. Qin Yao had nothing to do, so she came along to sit in. She also borrowed a camera to take pictures for Chen Baozhen as keepsakes.

“I’ve never seen a class so well-behaved before. With you holding the camera at the back, look at how stiff these kids are. No one is even whispering.”

It was rare for elementary school students to be quiet. It was the first time Chen Baozhen had encountered such a “fake” classroom, and she quietly complained to Qin Yao.

Qin Yao couldn’t help but smile.

When the class ended, the children were reluctant to leave. “Sister Yaoyao, did you take pictures of me?” they asked.

“When can we see the photos?”

Qin Yao smiled and said, “Wait for them to be developed, and then Teacher Chen will show them to you.”

“Sister Yaoyao, will you come again next time?”

“Are you going to be a teacher here?”

“Sister Yaoyao, you’re so pretty…”

The children’s sweet words came like waves of spring onions, one after another, showering Qin Yao with compliments she couldn’t resist.

After finally escaping from the children, they returned to the office where Chen Baozhen and Qin Yao boiled water and made tea, chatting about how “adorable the children were.”

“Teacher Chen, is this your friend?”

The office, about 20 to 30 square meters, had five or six desks, with several teachers sharing the space. A teacher named Zhou, who taught art, asked about Qin Yao.

“She’s my good sister, Qin Yao.”

Chen Baozhen had asked around in the school, but there were no current openings for teachers. She could only apologize to Qin Yao with regret.

“The school already has enough teachers.”

Qin Yao responded, “It’s okay. I’ll keep looking.”

“Teacher Chen, does your friend want to teach here? Is she a family member? Who’s her husband?”

Chen Baozhen replied, “She’s not married, doesn’t have a partner.”

“She wants to be a teacher here?” A female teacher in blue smiled faintly. “Is she here to find a partner? Every time a new female teacher arrives, the next year, she’s usually someone’s wife.”

Her tone carried a hint of pride. “It’s much harder to come here as a teacher now. A few years ago, it was easier.”

The female teacher, Xie Lanzhi, sized up Qin Yao, much like a grain inspector at a food depot. “Your friend is pretty, though a bit on the heavy side. Her parents work at a factory, which is a plus. Don’t have too high expectations, but she should be able to find a suitable match.”

“Those who become Navy officers usually have some education, and their standards are higher than ordinary men’s.”

Qin Yao didn’t like the high-handed attitude of the teacher. She shook her head and said, “I’m not looking for a partner, and I don’t want to get married. I just want to find a job.”

Teacher Xie Lanzhi burst out laughing. She thought she had figured it out and deliberately said, “Is it because you’re overweight, and people find you unattractive? You’re actually very pretty, but people on this island are so thin. If you were thinner, you’d look even better.”

“On your own, you look good, but if a skinny person stands next to you, it would look off.”

“Finding a job is good for now. After you lose some weight, you can take your time to choose.”

Xie Lanzhi opened her drawer and casually grabbed some fruit candies and sunflower seeds, offering them with an exaggerated gesture. “Xiao Qin, have some of this. I don’t have much to offer you since it’s your first time here.”

She grabbed a handful but when she noticed two pieces of chocolate mixed in with the fruit candies, her eyes involuntarily twitched.

For ordinary guests, Teacher Xie wouldn’t have been so generous. But Qin Yao, being so pretty yet chubby, probably wanted to lose weight, and after hearing her comment, she might not even dare to eat it.

People who gain weight easily, unless there’s a major famine, can’t lose weight no matter how hard they try.

Teacher Xie, while advising Qin Yao to slim down, wasn’t too thrilled by the idea. If Qin Yao lost weight, she’d be even more beautiful, and Teacher Xie didn’t want to see that.

“Thank you, Teacher. I’ll take it then.” Qin Yao smiled and reached out, taking a generous handful of fruit candies and sunflower seeds.

Before Teacher Xie could relax, Qin Yao picked out two pieces of chocolate.

Teacher Xie’s eyes suddenly felt sharp pain, as if her heart had been cut with a knife.

Qin Yao unwrapped the chocolate and ate it in front of Teacher Xie, who was watching in agony. She even gave one piece to Chen Baozhen.

“Teacher Xie, I just can’t resist eating, I love it. I can’t stop.” Qin Yao said, holding her cheeks like a cute little sea otter. But to Teacher Xie, it wasn’t cute at all.

Teacher Xie forced a smile.

Qin Yao and Chen Baozhen ate peanuts and drank hot tea together. At that moment, Qin Yao realized that her current chubby figure made her stand out a lot.

Anyone who saw her would think she’d look better if she lost weight. Though everyone advised her to lose weight, they still gave her candy and peanuts in this time of obvious scarcity.

Teacher Xie wasn’t the first, nor the second. Many women didn’t want to see her become beautiful after losing weight.

On the way back, Chen Baozhen couldn’t help but comment, “Yaoyao, you really have good social skills. Everyone loves giving you food.”

“You don’t know, last time when Teacher Zeng’s friend came, Teacher Xie hid the chocolates and candies very carefully.”

Qin Yao: “…”

Sister, you’re so clueless.

“Yes, I have good social skills.” Qin Yao smiled, showing a small row of white teeth. This morning, she felt that she had lost a little weight. It wasn’t obvious, but she was indeed losing weight.

This wasn’t just an illusion. Her weight-loss secret wasn’t anything special—it was the effect of being around her good friend, Chen Baozhen.

Under the influence of the affection system, as long as Qin Yao stayed with people who had high affection for her, she could be “nourished” by their goodwill.

What this “nourishment” exactly meant, she couldn’t explain, but she could feel her body getting better.

This meant that as long as she stayed by Chen Baozhen’s side, she would naturally become slimmer and more beautiful. Even if she didn’t deliberately try to lose weight, she would slim down. However, this was a gradual process of nourishment and change.

Because of this, she had no psychological pressure when eating candy.

The two of them returned to Chen Baozhen’s house. In the neighboring yard stood Tian Shuyun, who had a face full of resentment. She had just received news from her cousin’s husband that Doctor He, whom she had met for a blind date before, had “politely rejected” her.

Last night, Tian Shuyun tossed and turned, unable to sleep, imagining countless futures where she married Dr. He. Now, her dreams were shattered, leaving her seething with frustration.

“Qin Yao, I heard they had a male officer over for dinner yesterday. Was he there to meet you? How did it go?”

Tian Shuyun hoped to hear the joke that Qin Yao had been rejected too.

“I met Dr. He yesterday. He’s a nice guy, but he’s a little too frail. I didn’t like him very much, so it didn’t work out.”

Qin Yao uttered an “oh” and said casually, “I went to the school to look for a job but didn’t find anything.”

Tian Shuyun eagerly asked, “What about that male officer who came yesterday?”

Qin Yao answered flatly, “I’m not looking for a partner around here.”

Tian Shuyun pressed, “Could it be that he didn’t fancy you, so you’re saying that?”

Qin Yao chuckled, “I think it’s Dr. He who didn’t fancy you.”

Tian Shuyun’s face turned awkward.

“The one who came to dinner yesterday is that Commander Gu, the one Xiao Huo mentioned,” Qin Yao added casually.

Tian Shuyun froze. Commander Gu? The most eligible bachelor officer?

She forced a smile. “Today my cousin invited Head Nurse Ge over. Would you like to come meet her? Head Nurse Ge loves helping people find matches.”

“No, thank you,” Qin Yao declined. She and Chen Baozhen began tidying up the yard. They had planned for half a day at school to fix up the yard, plant some simple vegetables, and create a little garden.

Chen Baozhen felt guilty. “Sorry to trouble you with this.”

“It benefits me too.” Qin Yao smiled, thinking about the effortless weight loss from staying close to her sister.

Soon, Bai Qiuling and Head Nurse Ge arrived. Before entering the yard, Head Nurse Ge’s eyes lit up as she looked at Qin Yao. The girl was stunning and had a lucky aura about her. No wonder Dr. He had taken an interest in her.

Dr. He was getting on in years, and if she could help him find a match, it would be a great accomplishment.

Head Nurse Ge had little contact with Chen Baozhen, and she often used Chen Baozhen as a negative example. She was too embarrassed to approach her, so she had proactively reached out to Bai Qiuling to connect with this side.

After talking to Tian Shuyun for a moment, Head Nurse Ge said, “Xiao Tian, I’ll keep an eye out for suitable candidates.”

“I just saw a new face next door. Isn’t that Xiao Qin who came with you that day? She’s looking for a partner too. I’ll go ask her.”

Tian Shuyun immediately said, “Head Nurse Ge, I heard that yesterday Commander Gu had dinner at her place. Maybe he came to meet her, but now that she met Commander Gu, she might not be interested in anyone else.”

“This Xiao Qin is so beautiful. I have never seen anyone prettier than her. If she could lose weight, she would be fair and beautiful, a first-class beauty.”

“That’s right,” Head Nurse Ge agreed. “I must hurry over to check.”

Saying that, Head Nurse Ge quickly walked over to the neighbor’s house.

Behind her, Tian Shuyun was left stunned. Why did it feel like Head Nurse Ge was so focused on Qin Yao?

“Xiao Qin, right? I’ve heard of you from Huo Wei. Do you remember Xiao Huo? He was the one who drove that day, my nephew,” Head Nurse Ge started the conversation with Qin Yao, approaching gently.

“You are?” Qin Yao asked, feigning confusion, though she had already guessed the woman’s identity.

The woman had her hair tied back, was not tall, had a kind face, and spoke in a friendly tone. There was a bit of a frown on her forehead and a small mole on her chin. People often said it was a matchmaker’s mole. Head Nurse Ge had been bothered by it in her youth but embraced it after marriage, proudly calling it her “matchmaker’s mole.”

“I’m Ge Yunxia, but you can call me Head Nurse Ge.”

Qin Yao quickly replied, “Is this Head Nurse Ge? Hello, hello.”

After exchanging pleasantries with Head Nurse Ge, Qin Yao didn’t wait for her to speak first and instead asked, “Head Nurse Ge, I was wondering if you had any information on job openings here. I’m looking for work.”

As a head nurse, Head Nurse Ge should have many channels for information.

“Work? You’re looking for a job?” Head Nurse Ge was taken aback. She had expected to help Qin Yao connect with Dr. He, but instead, Qin Yao was asking about jobs.

“Yes, do you have anything suitable for me?” Qin Yao asked.

“There is something. The military hospital is currently recruiting a batch of nurses, a special batch, not official positions, but anyone can apply,” Head Nurse Ge explained.

Qin Yao immediately asked, “Can I apply too?”

“Yes, you can. There are no special requirements, but you need to think carefully. It’s hard work, like the health aides. You’ll need to undergo military-style training for a while, attend medical classes at night, and later there will be assessments…”

Head Nurse Ge explained the details of the recruitment process. While it wasn’t a formal recruitment, those hired would essentially be temporary workers, similar to auxiliary medical staff in other units.

Being a temporary nurse at a military hospital? Qin Yao thought it was acceptable. The workload for nurses back then was not as demanding as it would be later. Despite the country’s poverty in the 70s and 80s, state-owned enterprises didn’t push for high efficiency and were not overly strenuous.

Furthermore, Qin Yao thought she had other advantages. She had decent writing skills but lacked a platform to showcase them.

For now, finding a job as a nurse seemed like a good starting point. She could learn basic medical skills, and once she got a better understanding of the situation, she could work her way into an office job in the hospital’s publicity department.

One must learn to seize opportunities.

Qin Yao explained her situation to Head Nurse Ge, “Given my circumstances, can I apply?”

“The situation is a bit complicated, but it’s not impossible,” Head Nurse Ge said, initially furrowing her brows but then suddenly relaxing. If Dr. He and Qin Yao could get together, wouldn’t that be a perfect match?

A doctor paired with a nurse—let Xiao Qin ask Dr. He anything she doesn’t understand. In no time, feelings would surely develop between them.

Xiao He, your chance has come—fate has brought you a match!

With that thought, Head Nurse Ge chuckled to herself.

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell you exactly what to do and even teach you personally. But you have to promise me one thing,” she added.

Qin Yao asked, “What is it?”

“I’ll introduce you to two potential matches, and you need to meet them. Don’t let my efforts go to waste,” Head Nurse Ge said with a smile.

Just meeting them… Qin Yao agreed, “Alright.”

“Good,” Head Nurse Ge replied, pausing for a moment before continuing, “Actually, most things can be arranged easily, but there is one issue. You’ll need to handle it yourself. The training is not only under the hospital’s jurisdiction; the other side must agree too. It’s not a big deal, but considering your situation, you’ll need to get Commander Gu’s signature of approval. He’s in charge of the training.”

“Commander Gu—you’ve probably met him. I heard that he came to dinner at Gao Jianguo’s place yesterday. You’ve met him, right?”

Qin Yao: “……”