Chapter 30 Can I come to work now?

Hearing that the variety show opportunity she had worked so hard to secure was gone, Shen Ruowan finally couldn't smile anymore. Her face twisted in pain, and she clenched her fists tightly.

Meanwhile, the agent on the other end kept pressing, "Xiao Wan, think quickly, who exactly did you offend?" In their line of work, offending people is commonplace; they fight tooth and nail for resources, open and covert struggles abound. Offending someone isn't scary; what's scary is not even knowing who you've offended—the enemy is in the shadows while you're in the open, leaving you only able to passively take the hits.

Shen Ruowan took a deep breath, mentally counting the people she might offend, and soon a unlikely figure flashed into her mind—Qin Guanlan!

The other party was previously the general manager of the Qin Group, so naturally he has such power and influence. But if it really is him, is this act of picking a fight for Shen Qingtang or because Ge Youan is being targeted? If it's the latter, Shen Ruowan only feels a bit unlucky and can only whisper in Qin Rongyun's ear to persuade him to go and talk to him. If it's the former... She pursed her lips, her heart suddenly filled with panic.

She quickly said with a cold expression, "I know who it is, and I'll handle it myself."

Mei moved her lips slightly, clearly wanting to continue asking questions, but seeing Shen Ruowan's displeased face, she chose to swallow her words.

She swiped her phone and said, "Xiao Wan, you should have received the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes that Master Huang sent back to his disciples, right? Have your assistant send me a picture, and I'll post it for you. There are already conspiracy theories in your comments section, saying that Master Huang doesn't like you at all and only took you as his disciple because of online pressure."

Seeing that Shen Ruowan remained silent for a long time, Sister Mei had a guess in her mind and said, "Aren't you Elder Huang's last disciple? How come you didn't mention it? Could it really be..."

Shen Ruowan blinked and quickly interrupted, "Although I am a newly accepted disciple, I have never met Elder Huang, so our relationship is naturally a bit distant. It's normal that he didn't give me any mooncakes."

Although she spoke calmly, a hint of guilt flashed in her eyes. While Ge Youan's matter seemed to have no connection to her, in reality, Old Huang's impression of her had become very poor.

Her success in becoming Huang Lao's disciple can be attributed to "a connection made online," as there was no deep emotional foundation between them.

Sister Mei, being a woman of great experience, knew perfectly well that things couldn't be that simple. The speculations online might have some truth to them. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh softly and say, "That's such a pity." No female celebrity in the entertainment industry has ever dared to market herself as someone with medical skills. It was clearly a great publicity opportunity, but they had to give it up because of the other party's poor relationship with Old Master Huang.

Shen Ruowan felt even more troubled. She didn't know why she had ruined such a good hand. She stared into deep thought and realized that whenever she encountered Shen Qingtang, it was like a curse; the outcome was always unsatisfactory.

Because so much hope had been placed on Qin Guanlan, the possibility that his legs might still have a chance to be healed was kept completely secret by Su Rong's orders. However, the news that Qin Guanlan was going to work at the company spread like wildfire throughout the entire Qin Mansion.

After hearing this, Old Madam Qin kept praising, "Guan'er is indeed worthy of being the grandson of my Qin family." This action was also a good way to give a warning to those collateral relatives who had other ideas.

When the news reached Bai Rou's ears, her usual gentle smile finally crumbled. Looking at her son, who was lying on the sofa watching TV with great satisfaction, she felt even more disappointed in him and slammed her hand on the table, saying, "Xiao Yun, you must go to work at the company tomorrow."

"What? I'm going to work at a company?" Qin Rongyun frowned and said, "Mom, you know I've never been interested in company matters." To him, going to work at a company was less appealing than enrolling in an acting training course, so as not to waste each other's time and energy.

Bai Rou couldn't help but grumble, "I asked you to go to work at the company before, but you kept making excuses. Now your older brother is crippled and still wants to go to the company. Can't you be a little more attentive? Do you think you'll still have a place in the Qin family in the future?"

Hearing this, Qin Rongyun shrugged dismissively and said, "Mom, don't exaggerate. I'm also a member of the Qin family, and I'll definitely get half of the family fortune in the future."

Sitting at home waiting for dividends is so much easier than going to the office every day.

Bai Rou said in a low voice, "Really? Qin Guanlan would be so generous as to divide his family property among you, the culprit who caused his legs to become crippled?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Rongyun felt a ringing in her ears, as if she had been pricked by a needle, and her face turned pale instantly.

Bai Rou, feeling sorry for her child, softened her tone and coaxed, "Since you're not acting right now, why don't you go to the company for a few days? Just think of it as getting a feel for the company atmosphere beforehand, so you can better immerse yourself in workplace scenes later. Your acting skills will also improve, and you'll easily win awards."

It must be said that Bai Rou was very good at winning people's hearts. With just a few words, she got Qin Rongyun to nod enthusiastically and say, "Okay, Mom, I will go to work at the company tomorrow."

*

A week later, Shen Qingtang finally received her junior TCM doctor's license, which also foreshadowed her starting work at the clinic.

"Sister Shen, shall I drive you to Renxin Medical Clinic today?" Qi Yi smiled and stopped Shen Qingtang, who was about to leave, and offered his services. The Qin Mansion was large and located in a remote area, at least an hour's drive from the clinic. The original owner of this body did have a driver's license, but unfortunately, there was no car for her at the Qin Mansion.

Shen Qingtang shook her head and said, "No need, Uncle Wang can take me there." As soon as she finished speaking, a white Santana stopped with its dual-color hazard lights flashing.

Qi Yi frowned, looking troubled, and said, "Sister Chen, just let me drive you, otherwise..." He didn't finish his sentence, but just gestured with his lips towards someone inside the house.

Clearly, this was Qin Guanlan's order.

Hearing this, Shen Qingtang was both amused and exasperated. It suddenly made her feel like parents who are worried about their children going to kindergarten and have to pick them up and drop them off.

But she knew perfectly well that this was Qin Guanlan's good intention, and she couldn't and didn't want to refuse, so she could only back down and say, "Then I'll go tell Uncle Wang." Before getting into the car, she waved to Qin Guanlan from afar.

Qin Guanlan seemed to sense something, immediately put down the documents in his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips, and waved in response. Xiao Qing and Xiao Xia exchanged a knowing glance as they cleared the table.

[Waaaaah, I'm shipping them again!]

My favorite couple is giving us sweet moments again!

After getting into the car, Shen Qingtang said, "Qi Yi, thank you for your help today. You don't need to worry about it in the future. Brother Qin needs you more than I do."

Qi Yi laughed, "Sister Shen, you can't say that. I don't want to be killed by Brother Qin's piercing gaze or his chilling aura." Seeing Qi Yi's exaggerated expression of fear, Shen Qingtang couldn't help but chuckle, "Brother Qin isn't that scary."

"Of course Brother Qin is terrifying!" Qi Yi replied without hesitation. "Sister Chen, you have no idea that Brother Qin was known as King Yama Qin when he was in the army. He's an exception in front of you, as obedient as a child."

"Really?" Shen Qingtang's eyes curved slightly as she asked curiously, "What was Brother Qin like when he was in the army?"

Qi Yi patted his chest and laughed, "Sister Shen, you've come to the right person. Brother Qin is an elite in the army..." As he spoke, he thought to himself that he finally understood why Brother Qin always liked to have him accompany Sister Shen.

If it were Qi Er, who wouldn't utter a single word even after three blows, could he have praised Brother Qin so brilliantly and dazzlingly? He couldn't even muster ten adjectives without making a sound.

An hour later, Shen Qingtang and Qi Yi arrived at Renxin Medical Clinic.

Qi Yi looked at the navigation map on his phone, then turned around and his eyes were first drawn to the white decorative fence. He asked in surprise, "Sister Chen, did your clinic know that you would be working here in the future, so you wanted to renovate it?"

The fence was high and dense, and a thick white tarpaulin was draped over the outside. The only way to see the completed work inside was through a small hole that someone had poked open in the middle.

It should be a pharmacy inside, it's surprisingly large. The plaster has been applied, and the electrical wiring and cables have been installed. The project is about 90% complete, and all that's left is to hang up the pharmacy's sign and move all the equipment inside.

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingtang turned her gaze away from that spot and shook her head, saying, "This clinic doesn't belong to me; the one directly across the street is."

"What? That place across the street?" No wonder Qi Yi looked so surprised and astonished. The clinic across the street was only about a third the size of this one, which was under renovation. The lettering on the door was already incomplete, but a yellow flag was sticking out, with the four characters "Renxin Clinic" written in barely visible yellow characters. Perhaps it was too cold in the morning, but the blue wooden door was half-open and half-closed, and two steps led up to it. The moss growing on it gave off a chill for no reason, and it didn't look like a thriving business at all.

If you only glance at it, you're sure to miss it. To put it bluntly, it doesn't seem to be far from going out of business.

Qi Yi pursed his lips, then suddenly realized, "No wonder Sister Shen turned down Elder Huang's invitation and insisted on coming to her clinic for an internship." If she didn't come now, she might never be able to come again.

Sensing Qi Yi's teasing tone, Shen Qingtang smiled and said, "Though small, this clinic is fully functional. Don't underestimate it; it's profitable every month." The exact amount, always ten thousand yuan, was deposited into her bank account—more stable than bank deposit interest.

"Really?" Qi Yi said with some skepticism, "I don't see many guests here."

Shen Qingtang nodded slightly and said, "At least it's the only pharmacy on this street." Although the original owner's family had offended the Qin family because of her troubles and kicked her out of the Shen family, the pharmacy they gave her was carefully selected.

Although this clinic is not large, it has a great location, serving two or three surrounding communities. It can make a lot of money just by relying on repeat customers. When the former manager, Cui Shiming, was in charge, the net profit was at least tens of thousands of yuan per month. However, since Chen Maquan took over, the profit has been decreasing every year, and now it is barely around ten thousand yuan.

The original owner had no knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine and had never carefully looked at the previous accounting records. In addition, after being abducted for so many years, she was ignorant and thought that it was already good if a pharmacy could make a profit of 10,000 yuan a month. Therefore, she never noticed the clues.

Qi Yi understood the sarcasm hidden in Shen Qingtang's words and realized that this place was also a spider cave.

He reached out and knocked on half of the door, politely asking, "Is anyone home?" Without waiting for a response, he stepped inside, revealing the entire Renxin Pharmacy to them.

In fact, the clinic was more dilapidated than the two had imagined. It was a pharmacy converted from an old-fashioned courtyard from the last century. The strong smell of herbs filled the air. Shen Qingtang glanced around and roughly estimated that it was about 70 square meters. The clinic was divided in two by a curtain, with a front hall on one side and a back hall on the other.

The front hall contained four or five red camphor wood medicine cabinets and two long tables, with plastic benches piled up in the corner. A quick glance revealed a division into a weighing and dispensing area, a medicinal herb display area, and a checkout area. Adjacent to the back hall, there were two or three small private rooms separated by curtains, containing several single beds. Judging from the silver needles, gauze, and other instruments placed nearby, this was an acupuncture treatment area.

Shen Qingtang thought to herself that behind her should be a storage room, a medicinal herb processing room, and a decoction area. She strained her ears and could faintly hear the voices of a man and a woman.

Before two minutes had passed, a skinny man carrying a medical book entered the front hall by lifting the curtain. He yawned impatiently and said, "Who is it? Coming here so early? We open at nine in the morning."

After seeing who it was, he frowned and said with a very unwelcoming expression, "Why are you here?" Then he called out to the back hall, "Dad, Shen Qingtang is here."

Qi Yi said somewhat displeasedly, "Who are you? How dare you talk to Sister Chen like that? This clinic belongs to Sister Chen." Even if she came ten times a day, it would be perfectly reasonable for her. Now, however, she has fallen into the position of being questioned, which is truly upside down.

Hearing this, Chen Li curled his lips in disdain and said, "So what if she is the boss? Running a clinic requires people who know medicine. Without my father, her Renxin Clinic wouldn't be able to stay afloat."

Chen Li's words were indeed quite impolite, which made Chen Maquan in the back hall smirk with pride. However, he quickly suppressed his smirk and hurriedly came out to reprimand Chen Li, saying, "Xiao Li, how can you speak to Miss Shen like that?" After saying that, he smiled at Shen Qingtang and said, "Qingtang, I've spoiled my child. Don't listen to his nonsense. Back then, I was able to become the director entirely because of your father. I'm just helping out now."

After speaking, he paused and asked, "Why did you suddenly come today?" His eyes revealed an undisguised shrewd calculation. Hearing this, Qi Yi frowned slightly and turned slightly to the side, revealing a hint of displeasure. He finally understood why the other party's son was so arrogant; it was all in the same vein.

Shen Qingtang had met Chen Maquan once before and knew his opportunistic and sycophantic nature. She said in a calm tone, "It has indeed been a long time since I've visited, which is why I need to come to the pharmacy more often to learn how to run it properly."

Hearing Shen Qingtang's words implying the master's intentions, Chen Maquan's eyes flashed with displeasure. Over the years, he had long regarded Renxin Medical Hall as his own business, but now someone was going to interfere.

But he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he kept nodding and said, "Of course, this Renxin Medical Clinic is your property. But Qingtang, Uncle Chen is just reminding you that running a medical clinic is not easy." He smiled and said, "Putting everything else aside, you should at least get a junior TCM doctor's license, right?" Although he was smiling, his eyes were full of sarcasm.

The difficulty of this year's primary Chinese medicine practitioner license exam was astonishing. After the exam, it sparked heated discussions among people in the industry. Even his son, who had studied diligently and taken the exam twice, failed. He couldn't believe that Shen Qingtang, who had no medical background, could pass the exam.

“That’s right, that’s right. How can someone like you, who doesn’t even have a junior TCM doctor’s license, enter a clinic?” Chen Li nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Qi Yi gave a wry smile, glanced at the review materials in his hand, and said, "Don't you have any either?"

Chen Li immediately shook his head and said confidently, "It's different. I've been studying medical books since I was a child, and my major in university was Chinese medicine. I just had bad luck last time, but I'll get it sooner or later."

Shen Qingtang nodded and said, "I agree with Uncle Chen. Anyone who can work at the clinic should at least have a junior TCM doctor's license." As she spoke, she casually took out her license and said, "Uncle Chen, can I start working at the clinic starting today?"

The slap in the face came so quickly that Chen Maquan's face twisted in pain, and his throat felt like it was stuffed with a piece of burning coal. It took him a long time to force out a sentence: "Of course, would you like me to take you to see the clinic first and introduce it to you?"

Under Chen Li's unwilling yet envious gaze, Shen Qingtang paused and politely declined, saying, "Uncle Chen, these things are not urgent. The recent expenses for medicinal herbs seem to be quite high. I want to go through the accounts for the past few months."

Upon hearing this, Chen Maquan's face darkened, and he adopted the demeanor of a senior, saying, "Qingtang, the cost of medicinal herbs increases every autumn, which is an annual tradition. Besides, with so many accounts, can you possibly review them all today? Don't worry, the profits deposited into your bank account every month will not be less."

Shen Qingtang didn't reply, but just stared at him quietly. Chen Maquan instantly felt an unspoken pressure. After a long stalemate, he had no choice but to back down and said, "Qingtang, wait here for a moment. I'll find the account book for you right away. Xiaoli, come and help me." If you ignored the subtle grit in his voice, no one would notice his abnormality.

Seeing the two walk away, Qi Yi couldn't help but complain, "We've been here for so long, and they haven't even poured us a glass of water." Shen Qingtang took out a disposable cup, filled it with water from the water dispenser, and handed it to Qi Yi, saying, "It's good enough that they didn't kick us out."

Clearly, her arrival has already jeopardized the interests of some people.

While they were waiting, a man and a woman suddenly came out of the back hall. They were talking with their heads down, and it was clear that they were very close. When their eyes fell on Shen Qingtang and Qi Yi, they both looked puzzled.

Shen Qingtang took the initiative to extend her right hand and introduce herself: "Hello, I am Shen Qingtang, the owner of this pharmacy."

Having apparently heard of the name, the tall, well-proportioned young man made no attempt to hide the disdain and contempt in his eyes, ignoring it as he walked past and entered the medicine counter, where he began to count the herbs on his own.

Seeing this, Cui Mingyue looked a little embarrassed: "So you are the owner of this pharmacy. Sister Qingtang, you are so beautiful." She shook Shen Qingtang's right hand in a very familiar manner and said, "I am Cui Mingyue, the daughter of Cui Shiming. That was my fifth senior brother, Cui Min."

Director Cui was honest and kind, with outstanding medical skills. During his lifetime, he took on many apprentices, selecting the best among them to become his disciples and inherit his mantle, which is a common practice in the Chinese medicine industry.

After saying that, she stuck out her tongue a little embarrassedly and said, "Fifth Senior Brother wasn't targeting you just now. He's just too busy. Eldest Senior Brother only came back from the countryside at noon today, and the other doctors didn't come to work this morning either..." Seemingly feeling that it wasn't good to talk badly about others behind their backs, she immediately changed her words and said, "They all took leave, but they just happened to have something to do today."

Shen Qingtang's eyes flickered slightly. Whether there was something really wrong or not, she naturally had her own judgment. Therefore, she simply nodded slightly and said, "As long as I've already informed Uncle Chen, that's fine."

Upon learning that Shen Qingtang would also be working at the clinic, Cui Mingyue smiled and said, "That's wonderful! I'll have company now."

From the corner, a sarcastic laugh suddenly rang out: "A rich young lady who knows nothing actually wants to work at a clinic? Is she trying to kill people?"

"Fifth Senior Brother, don't say that. Sister Shen has already obtained her junior TCM doctor's license, hasn't she? Don't..." Before she could finish speaking, Cui Min sneered again, looking at Shen Qingtang with an unfriendly expression, and said, "Apart from that silly bamboo pole who carries a book around all day, who here hasn't obtained their intermediate TCM doctor's license? Someone like you might not even be accepted for an internship at another clinic."

Cui Min's words were truly unpleasant to hear. Qi Yi frowned repeatedly and couldn't help but say, "Sister Chen's medical skills are very impressive, what makes you think you can..."

"Qi Yi." Hearing Shen Qingtang's reminder, Qi Yi reluctantly swallowed his words.

Cui Mingyue quickly smoothed things over, smiling apologetically at Shen Qingtang, "Sister Shen, Fifth Senior Brother is a bit sharp-tongued, but he doesn't mean any harm. We have quite a few patients at our Renxin Medical Clinic, so your medical skills will definitely improve..."

“We have a lot of patients here, but they are mostly middle-aged and elderly people with headaches and colds. They recognize the doctors who practice here, not the clinic.” Cui Min glanced at Shen Qingtang coldly and suddenly said, “If you don’t work harder, this place will go out of business in no time.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingtang nodded lightly and said, "Thank you for reminding me." Hearing this, Cui Min couldn't help but shudder. She shifted her gaze to Shen Qingtang, a strange expression appearing on her face, before finally looking away after a long while.