Chapter 36: Living Yama?

"Wen Ci, are you planning on going to the hospital for work today?"

Seeing her dressed up, Hou Li asked with curiosity.

Wen Ci nodded. "Today is my first day. I’m still a little nervous."

Zhu Jing reassured her, "What’s there to be nervous about? I’m sure you’ll do great."

A smile bloomed on Wen Ci’s face. "Thank you for cheering me up."

Breakfast at the military region’s cafeteria was free, so it was always packed. Fortunately, the male soldiers hadn’t finished their morning run yet, so the wait wasn’t long.

"Are you Zhu Jing?"

Zhu Jing had planned to eat at the cafeteria before heading back. She had just sat down and taken a sip of congee when a man in a military uniform walked out from the back kitchen, approached her table, and asked the question.

Zhu Jing nodded. "I am."

She recognized the man before her as the head of logistics for the Northwest Military Region—a high-ranking official her husband had mentioned once before.

"I hear your ancestors were Imperial Chefs?"

"Yes," Zhu Jing nodded.

As she said this, her gaze shifted to Wen Ci. Only a handful of people knew her ancestors had been Imperial Chefs, and among them, Wen Ci’s husband was the one with a military post.

Besides, Wen Ci had complained more than once during their meals that the Northwest’s logistics had missed out on a true gem.

"We would like to invite you to be a head cook, but before that, we need to test your skills. When might you be available?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jing’s face lit up with joy. She couldn’t be more confident in her culinary skills; if the leadership wanted to test her, the job was as good as hers.

"May I ask what the salary for a head cook is?"

"Thirty-five a month."

The Northwest Military Region’s cafeteria had three head cooks in total, working on a rotational basis. The salary was even higher than that of some young, newly enlisted soldiers.

"Th-thirty-five?!" Zhu Jing’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Her husband only made thirty a month.

Zhu Jing said, "I’m free anytime. You can test me right now."

The head of logistics smiled. "Not right now. How about you come by the cafeteria at two-thirty this afternoon?"

Zhu Jing replied, "Yes, sir."

As soon as the head of logistics left, Zhu Jing looked at Wen Ci with immense gratitude, her eyes glistening with tears. She choked back a sob and said, "Wen Ci, thank you."

Half of her husband’s salary had to be sent to his parents for their living expenses. After that, there wasn’t much left from his monthly pay. They were living hand-to-mouth, completely unable to save anything.

If she really got this head cook job, their lives would become so much easier.

"What are you thanking me for?" Wen Ci shook her head and said earnestly, "Sister Jing, you’re a diamond in the rough. You were bound to be discovered eventually."

She had only mentioned it to Huo Jingyuan in passing. Whether or not Sister Jing could successfully become a head cook in the Northwest Military Region’s cafeteria would ultimately depend on her own skills.

But she was confident that Sister Jing could win over the leadership with her cooking.

After breakfast, Wen Ci parted ways with Sister Jing and the others. The family compound and the hospital were in opposite directions. As she entered the hospital grounds, she began seeing more and more doctors and nurses in white coats.

The hospital had its own separate arrangements for both lodging and meals.

Wen Ci went to the hospital director’s office on the third floor. New nurses had to be assigned to a supervising doctor by the director. She stood outside the door and knocked.

At that moment, a senior head nurse was sitting in the director’s office. Hearing the knock, the director smiled and said, "That must be the new nurse."

He then called out toward the door, "Come in."

Given permission, Wen Ci pushed the door open and entered. Seeing the director and the head nurse, she adopted a humble stance and said in a soft voice, "Hello, I’m the new nurse, Wen Ci."

The director nodded, his gaze falling upon the head nurse. The final decision on which doctor would supervise the new nurse was up to her.

The director smiled. "This is our hospital’s head nurse, Wang Yan."

In the hospitals of the 1980s, a head nurse’s status was often even higher than that of many attending physicians, and nurses in general were held in extremely high regard.

Wen Ci said obediently, "Hello, Head Nurse."

The head nurse nodded, pointed to a brand-new nurse’s uniform on the desk, and said slowly, "You must wear this to work every day. The hospital has lockers where you can change. Go change on the second floor, and then I’ll take you to meet the doctor."

"Okay."

-

After changing, Wen Ci looked down at her new uniform and felt a sudden weight of responsibility settle onto her shoulders.

The hospital consisted of an outpatient department, an inpatient department, and a pharmacy.

The head nurse asked, "Can you read traditional Chinese characters?"

"I can," Wen Ci nodded.

Led by the head nurse, Wen Ci entered an office where two young female doctors were seated. Wen Ci had seen one of them before.

’Su Wanqing, the one who came back from overseas.’

Wen Ci thought for a moment. ’If I remember correctly, that’s the name of the female doctor sitting by the window.’

The head nurse’s gaze shifted between the two doctors before settling on one. "Doctor Yu, this new nurse is assigned to you. Feel free to put her to work."

"Alright."

After the head nurse left, Wen Ci gave Doctor Yu a brief introduction. "My name is Wen Ci. Doctor Yu, please let me know whatever you need me to do."

"I’m Yu Qing."

Yu Qing’s eyes rested on Wen Ci as she asked curiously, "Wen Ci, what made you decide to come to the Northwest to be a nurse?"

"Huh?"

Wen Ci was a little taken aback.

She hadn’t expected Doctor Yu to ask such a question. Blinking, she collected herself and offered a smile. "I came to the Northwest Military Region with my husband’s posting."

’She followed her husband’s posting?!’

A newfound respect entered Yu Qing’s gaze, but she didn’t intend to pry into Wen Ci’s family matters. "So, do you have any medical background?"

Wen Ci answered honestly, "Not really."

Yu Qing gleaned the key information from that short exchange. She stood up, moved to Wen Ci’s side, and offered a gentle smile. "That’s all right. The work at the Northwest Military Region Hospital isn’t too complicated. You’ll pick it up after watching a few times."

-

For the rest of the morning, Yu Qing showed Wen Ci around the hospital and introduced her to the other doctors and nurses. At noon, they headed to the staff cafeteria.

"So who do you think Doctor Su really came to the Northwest for?"

"I heard..." The speaker paused, lowered their voice, and continued, "Okay, no guarantees on the source, but I heard Doctor Su came to the Northwest for the Living Yama over on the base."

Wen Ci and Yu Qing had just sat down when they overheard the shocking piece of gossip.

Wen Ci had no idea who this "Living Yama" was.

The name "Living Yama" alone told her it was someone fearsome in the military.

Wen Ci wasn’t particularly curious, though. It was her first day, and she couldn’t appear too gossipy. She glanced to the side and asked, "Doctor Yu, did you graduate from a formal medical university?"

’She has such a scholarly air about her.’

Yu Qing shook her head. "For three generations, my ancestors were barefoot doctors. I learned medicine from my parents growing up, and later I went to the city to get my medical license."

The regulations weren’t as strict back then; as long as a doctor had the skill, they could treat patients and save lives. But the Northwest Military Region Hospital is a military institution, so its doctors must be certified.

"Is the certification exam hard to pass?"