Chapter 39: The Rejection

“Wow, you sure know a lot, young lady.”

Jiang Ning continued her work, carefully digging out the wild mountain Ganoderma. “I’ve read a lot of books, so naturally, I understand these things.”

Hearing that Jiang Ning had learned from books, the old man’s eyes brightened even more.

Talented individuals were rare, and encountering one was a true blessing.

The old man asked, “Besides identifying medicinal herbs, what else can you do?”

Jiang Ning thought for a moment and replied, “I know a bit about acupuncture, preparing medications, and massage therapy.”

The old man, being a discerning judge of talent, extended an invitation, “Young lady, I run a medical clinic. Would you be willing to work at my clinic?”

“Work?”

The old man nodded and said, “Yes, the consultation fees you collect from treating patients can be kept by yourself. However, I won’t be able to pay you a salary.”

Jiang Ning’s eyes lit up. This old man was indirectly offering her a place to practice her skills and even refusing to take a cut from the consultation fees she earned.

Could there really be such a generous person?

She found it hard to believe.

Could this old man be a human trafficker?

The more Jiang Ning thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Her mind was racing with ways to knock the old man unconscious and hand him over to the police when someone tugged at her sleeve.

Jiang Ning turned around to see Zhiqi pulling at her sleeve and saying, “Aunt… Auntie, he’s the old grandfather from the De Xing Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic, five miles away from the family compound.”

Hearing from Zhiqi that the old man was indeed a doctor, Jiang Ning felt a bit embarrassed. She had actually suspected him of being a human trafficker.

Having misunderstood him, Jiang Ning felt a little apologetic.

Doctors deserved a lot of respect, and Jiang Ning was grateful for the old man’s offer to work at his clinic. “Thank you for the invitation. I’ll consider it.”

The old man, hearing that she needed time to think, didn’t push her further. “Alright, I won’t pressure you. If you decide to come, you’re welcome anytime.”

After the strange old man left, Jiang Ning continued to collect some more herbs. Once she had filled Zhiqi’s small basket, they headed back home.

During dinner, Jiang Ning brought up the idea of wanting to work to Shen Mo.

Shen Mo put down his chopsticks and listened attentively to Jiang Ning before speaking, “Work? Why the sudden interest in working? Is the money not enough?”

Jiang Ning replied, “It’s not about the money. It’s not good to just sit around doing nothing, and staying at home all the time can be quite boring.”

Although Shen Mo had a desire for his wife to stay at home forever, he quickly dismissed the thought. His wife was capable and shouldn’t be confined to the house.

Shen Mo asked, “Have you thought about what kind of work you want to do? Do you need me to help you inquire?”

Jiang Ning smiled and said, “I know some medical skills and plan to develop in that field.”

Hearing her mention medical skills, Shen Mo remembered the praise from Sister Li about Jiang Ning saving her daughter, “Alright, I’ll help you inquire if the medical clinic at the military camp is hiring.”

For Jiang Ning, any work would be fine as long as she had a place to work.

Jiang Ning nodded, “Please do. Whether it works out or not doesn’t matter. There’s also a clinic not far from the family compound. If it doesn’t work out there, I’ll ask at the clinic.”

Jiang Ning knew that Shen Mo was quick to act, but she didn’t expect him to move this fast. The next morning, after he finished training and came back, he told her to have lunch and then follow him to the military camp. The person in charge of the medical clinic wanted to meet her.

Jiang Ning didn’t hesitate. After lunch, she waited for Shen Mo to finish washing the dishes, and then they headed to the military camp together.

At the entrance of the military camp, Jiang Ning needed to register as usual, and Shen Mo accompanied her while she did so.

As they were registering, a young and pretty girl suddenly approached them.

Yan Liyue didn’t expect to run into Shen Mo here, but when she saw Jiang Ning standing next to him, her expression soured.

Seeing Jiang Ning registering, she walked over, leaned on the edge of the booth, and smiled at the guard on duty, “I don’t need to register, do I?”

She had been in and out of the camp so frequently that she was well-known here. The familiar guards usually didn’t require her to register.

However, this guard, who seemed a bit unfamiliar, strictly said, “Dr. Yan, even though you work at the medical clinic, you’re still considered an external staff member. You must register when entering and leaving the camp.”

Yan Liyue’s expression changed. She had intended to show off her special status in front of Jiang Ning, but instead, she was embarrassed.

Feeling humiliated, Yan Liyue angrily stomped her foot, “I didn’t need to register the last time I came.”

Hearing this, Shen Mo furrowed his brow.

He said, “The military camp is a highly secure area. No matter how familiar someone is, they must register to enter. That’s the rule.”

He didn’t look at anyone while saying this, and after helping Jiang Ning finish registering, he looked up at the guard and said, “Find out which guards were on duty the last two days. Those who were negligent will have double training today.”

The guard saluted Shen Mo, “Yes, Deputy Regiment Commander!”

Shen Mo didn’t even give Yan Liyue a glance while speaking.

After registering, Shen Mo led Jiang Ning into the camp.

Yan Liyue watched the tall and short figures ahead of her, a very matching pair, and bit her lower lip.

After much inquiry, she had only recently learned that Shen Mo was in the military district in the capital. Without hesitation, she had come here to pursue him, only to find out that Shen Mo was already married.

She had come to be close to Shen Mo and to try to start a relationship with him.

From the day Shen Mo had saved her from the sky, she had decided that she would be with him for life.

There would inevitably be some conflicts between two people. If Shen Mo and Jiang Ning ever got a divorce, that would be her opportunity.

She hoped that opportunity would come soon.

Shen Mo dropped Jiang Ning off at the medical clinic and then left. When Yan Liyue entered the clinic, she saw that the administrative officer, Political Commissar, was questioning Jiang Ning.

After listening for a moment, she realized that Jiang Ning was there to apply for a job at the medical clinic.

The Political Commissar was still asking Jiang Ning about her skills when Yan Liyue suddenly interrupted, “Comrade Jiang, which prestigious medical school did you graduate from?”

Without giving Jiang Ning a chance to answer, she continued, “Did you have a teacher who personally guided you?”

Jiang Ning glanced sideways at this rude woman.

Was she targeting her?

Jiang Ning replied, “My family was poor, so I didn’t go to school. I taught myself everything I know.”

Yan Liyue, adept at highlighting key points, said with a tone of surprise, “So, you mean you never attended school, had no teacher to guide you, and all the medical knowledge you have is self-taught.”

Jiang Ning detected a hint of disdain in her words.

“Yes, it’s self-taught,” Jiang Ning admitted. Considering the original owner’s circumstances, the woman’s statement was indeed accurate.

“Oh my goodness, so you’re just a barefoot doctor who knows a little bit of medicine,” Yan Liyue exclaimed dramatically, widening her eyes. She then turned to Political Commissar Chen and said, “Commissar Chen, the health of our soldiers is of utmost importance. With Comrade Jiang’s level of medical skills, it might be quite difficult for her to handle the job, don’t you think?”

Before Political Commissar Chen could respond, she continued addressing Jiang Ning, “Let me introduce myself. My name is Yan Liyue. My father is the Chief of Staff, and I graduated from the Heilongjiang Medical University. My mentor is currently working at the military hospital in Heilongjiang. Even with my background and education, I am still only an external staff member at the medical clinic. With your current abilities, it seems you might not be qualified to work here at the military district.”

Yan Liyue exuded the unique pride of a cadre’s child. When mentioning her background and education, her eyes and expression radiated confidence. She finally felt a sense of relief after the frustration she had experienced at the camp entrance.

Jiang Ning observed that Yan Liyue’s eyes and nostrils were practically pointing to the sky. Having a strong background and abilities made a bit of arrogance forgivable.

The reason Yan Liyue was targeting her was obviously because of Shen Mo. In fact, Jiang Ning had been observing Political Commissar Chen, especially after he heard that she had not attended school or received formal medical training. She could tell from his expression that the job was probably not going to work out.

In terms of credentials, she was far behind Yan Liyue.

Yan Liyue had both the background and the education.

Jiang Ning, on the other hand, had neither.

Yan Liyue noticed that Jiang Ning remained silent and assumed she was speechless. This filled her with a sense of vanity.

Having a pretty face was useless if it couldn’t put food on the table.

Political Commissar Chen glanced at Jiang Ning and then at Yan Liyue, feeling an odd tension crackling between the two young women.

However, his primary concern at the moment was Jiang Ning.

Although Yan Liyue’s questions touched on Jiang Ning’s self-esteem, they were indeed practical considerations.

He had agreed to meet Jiang Ning largely because of Shen Mo, thinking that she could help out with some basic tasks at the medical clinic.

But now, without any formal education or experience, and being self-taught, Jiang Ning’s qualifications were lacking.

Yan Liyue was right. The health of the soldiers in the military was crucial, and he couldn’t risk it.