Chapter 10: The First Day at Work

Shen Nanzheng did not travel far. From his jeep, he watched Lu Meiqin enter the apartment building before starting the engine and heading straight to the military district.

There was a medal ceremony in the afternoon, and after today, he would officially be a regimental commander. Yet, this brought him little joy; it was merely repeating the events of his previous life. What truly delighted him was being one step closer to Wen Ran.

At that moment, Wen Ran was listening to the head nurse’s instructions. Ruan Ling and another girl named Jin Baoli had also arrived for their first day. Like her, they wanted to complete the onboarding process early to put their minds at ease. The first day was dedicated to familiarizing themselves with the layout, the departments, the facility culture, and the workflow—essentially just getting their faces known. They were not expected to handle any real work yet. In this era, there were not many high-tech instruments, so getting started was relatively easy.

The three newcomers were assigned as apprentices to the pharmacy, starting with learning the medications. As apprentices, their pay was the lowest in the hospital—only 85 yuan per month. Unlike those assigned through health school who held official staff positions, they were essentially doing odd jobs under the title of "nurse." Still, this made them happy; passing the assessment would grant them the opportunity to become permanent staff. Success was a matter of taking things one step at a time, staying grounded, and letting dreams come true naturally.

Wen Ran had taken a quick look earlier. The Chinese and Western medicines in the pharmacy were all familiar to her; the efficacy, contraindications, and dosages of each seemed etched into her mind. Even the scent of the pharmacy felt inexplicably familiar. She neither liked nor loathed it; she simply felt grounded and at peace. Her reverence for medicine was carved into her bones—when used correctly, it is a remedy; when misused, it is a poison.

When Head Nurse Liu Mei, who was overseeing their internship, spoke, Wen Ran listened intently and answered actively. Ruan Ling, being more vivacious and coming from a background where her mother was a department director, had a fearless personality. She asked many questions, which occasionally drew glares from Jin Baoli. Jin Baoli’s habit of rolling her eyes was hard to miss. Wen Ran, standing opposite her, noticed and said directly to Head Nurse Liu, "Head Nurse, does Jin Baoli’s eye seem to be twitching?"

When the head nurse looked over, Jin Baoli had just finished rolling her eyes. Frowning, she asked, "Jin Baoli, are your eyes uncomfortable?"

Jin Baoli was speechless. Of course, she knew there was nothing wrong with her eyes. Being new, she quickly replied, "No, it’s nothing, I just didn't sleep well last night."

"As long as you're fine," the head nurse said, pointing to the unorganized medicinal herbs. "You, categorize these herbs I just mentioned."

Jin Baoli had been too busy being annoyed by Wen Ran and Ruan Ling to pay close attention. Now she was stunned. Not daring to even pout, she went over reluctantly. Having not listened, it was impossible for her to sort them correctly, and the more she tried, the messier it became. The head nurse grew angry and told her to stand aside.

She then handed the task to Wen Ran and Ruan Ling. Ruan Ling wanted to vent her frustration at Jin Baoli, feeling a headache just looking at the pile. Wen Ran, however, saw this as a great opportunity to perform. Without trying to hog the spotlight, she worked with Ruan Ling to clear the pile in record time. Usually, an experienced nurse would take an hour; for newcomers, finishing in a morning would be considered excellent. To everyone's surprise, the two of them finished in just twenty minutes.

The head nurse was as pleased as if she had found a treasure and praised them without reservation. Ruan Ling, knowing her own limits, said honestly, "Head Nurse, it was Wen Ran’s guidance. I was still confused, but she knew exactly where everything went with just a glance."

"It was your cooperation that helped," Song Wen Ran said, remaining humble and not claiming the credit for herself.

The usually stern head nurse smiled. "You both did very well. Starting this afternoon, memorize the drugs you just categorized. You must be clear on their pharmacology, properties, usage, contraindications, and side effects."

"Understood, Head Nurse," Wen Ran and Ruan Ling replied in unison.

At lunch in the hospital cafeteria, the two stayed together. Jin Baoli shot them another habitual glare before turning to the table furthest from them, which suited them just fine. Even better was the food; it was quite good. Wen Ran, hoping to improve her health, was eager to eat more.

Ruan Ling nudged her with her elbow and gestured with her chin. "See him? That’s Dr. He Jinyan. He’s handsome and a brilliant doctor. We saw him often when we were kids, though he’s surely forgotten me by now."

Wen Ran glanced over before lowering her head to continue eating. He Jinyan was the male lead, the son of Dean He, Shen Nanzheng’s stepfather. Due to the marriage between Dean He and Zeng Lanhui, the two men had initially been at odds. However, both were men of integrity and eventually reconciled. His medical skills were indeed commendable; after the Reform and Opening-up, he would even go abroad for advanced studies.

Ruan Ling had always liked him, and half the reason she became a nurse was for his sake. However, due to various misunderstandings and conflicts, they never ended up together. Ruan Ling was eventually framed for administering the wrong medication to a patient and was fired, leading to her mother’s demotion. Yet, their friendship remained constant and deepened over time.

Seeing Ruan Ling’s lovestruck expression, Wen Ran sighed internally—such was fate. She urged, "Hurry up and eat. What’s meant for you won’t run away. Let’s focus on the tasks the head nurse gave us first."

"Sigh, why did I ever get on this sinking ship?" Ruan Ling complained, dreading the mountain of medical information.

Wen Ran smiled. "I'm here, I’ll help you."

Ruan Ling put a piece of meat in her bowl. "For that promise, let’s do our best together!"

"Let’s do it!"

In the afternoon, Wen Ran diligently memorized all the medications again, refusing to slack off just because she had prior memories. Since awakening her past life's memories, she had noticed her pulse had suddenly vanished. She was unsure if she would still be infertile in this life as she had been in the last, so improving her medical skills was the only logical path.

Thinking of matters at home, she declined Ruan Ling’s invitation after work and rushed home. Lu Meiqin was cooking in the hallway as if nothing had happened. The hallway was as lively as ever, the clatter of pots and pans intermingling in an oddly harmonious way.

She whispered, "Mom, how did it go?"

Lu Meiqin lifted her lips. "Very smoothly."

Wen Ran was left speechless. She entered the room full of suspicion. Wen Xin was crying while packing her things, her eyes swollen. Song Jianshe’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, ready to erupt at any moment. Seeing Wen Ran, he didn't give her a pleasant look and even blamed her for the current situation.

If she had just obeyed and gone to the countryside, none of this would have happened. Now, Wen Xin couldn't marry Fu Kaiyu, and that afternoon, the factory director had unexpectedly and specifically singled out Wen Xin regarding the rural assignment, forcing her to commit in front of everyone. She had no choice but to go. While she still held her candidacy for workshop director, she had offended the Fu family, so her chances of being elected were likely gone.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "Are you satisfied now?"