Chapter 9
Chapter 9
For a week after the interview, the Shen family was unusually cheerful. Nan Lan cooked elaborate meals every day, and she learned many new recipes by watching short videos.
While others retire and travel, Nan Lan hasn't gone anywhere in the past six months; she's been taking care of her husband and daughter. Therefore, even though she told Zheng Meijuan that lie, Shen Qingyuan couldn't blame her. Everyone's had a tough time.
It's a messy account, and I can't make sense of it.
Thinking it was time to go back to work, Shen Qingyuan picked up a piece of spicy chicken with her chopsticks.
"Mom, I've already gained 20 pounds, I can't get any fatter."
Nan Lan picked up a chicken leg and gave it to Shen Qingyuan, saying, "Now you need to replenish your nutrition and gain some weight. There's no rush to lose weight, or you'll get too tired and thin again once you start working."
"They haven't decided whether they want me yet." Shen Qingyuan didn't want Nan Lan to be disappointed later.
“Mom had a feeling this was going to happen. With a daughter as talented as my daughter, who else would they choose?” Nan Lan laughed. “Come on, eat more. It’s low in oil and salt, so you don’t have to worry about gaining weight.”
For some reason, Shen Qingyuan suddenly pictured Ye Chuyang's "skinny" figure. She had heard that actors needed to be thin to look good on camera. Ye Chuyang hadn't eaten much that night, only picking at a few bites of vegetables.
King Chu loved slender waists, and many in his harem starved to death.
Why.
If I get any fatter, I'll probably weigh more than that kid.
Shen Qingyuan sighed, "Mom, didn't a lot of people compliment me on my looks when I was little?"
Nan Lan gets excited when she talks about this, “Almost everyone praises you, saying you’re beautiful and you’ll definitely be a great beauty when you grow up! Back then, your dad and I were always on edge whenever we took you out to play, afraid that you would be kidnapped by human traffickers.”
"There's no need to go that far," Shen Qingyuan said with an awkward smile.
Shen Qingyuan did indeed inherit the best features from her parents. Her eyebrows and face shape resembled Shen Jing'an, while her nose and mouth resembled Nan Lan's. It seems she even improved upon her own features a bit.
Shen Qingyuan suddenly had a whimsical thought: "If I had studied more art back then and entered the entertainment industry, could I be a big star now?"
“Uh,” Nan Lan said awkwardly, “She’s not that good-looking, is she? She could be a celebrity.”
Shen Qingyuan didn't think Ye Chuyang was good-looking enough to be a star back then.
A period drama is playing on TV, and a beautiful woman in elaborate ancient costume is reciting her lines with her small mouth. Every smile and frown is captivating.
Nan Lan pointed to the TV screen and said, "I think this actress is really beautiful. With looks like that, she could definitely be a star!"
Shen Qingyuan glanced at it and said, "Okay, it is indeed quite beautiful."
Seeing her daughter's slightly disappointed look, Nan Lan smiled and sighed, "It's all makeup. Other people's makeup skills are amazing. If a skilled makeup artist did your makeup, you would definitely look good too!"
The mother and daughter seemed to have had a relaxed conversation for the first time in a long time.
“Looks are secondary; they’re something you’re born with, nothing to be proud of.” Nan Lan pointed to her head and continued, “The most important thing is that there must be something here, knowledge and wisdom.”
Shen Qingyuan thought for a moment and realized that knowledge and wisdom didn't seem to be that important in this day and age.
After one episode of the TV series aired, the cast list came out, and Shen Qingyuan paid special attention to the actress Nan Lan had mentioned. The actress's name was Ning Xin. It was a nice-sounding name.
-
Over the weekend, Song Ting invited Shen Qingyuan to go shopping. A new shopping mall recently opened in the commercial street area, and she heard it has a fair number of big-name clothing brands. Mostly second- or third-tier brands, I suppose.
The two of them shopped for half a day, and Song Ting bought two dresses, saying that there were many blind dates recently, and that during the mating season, both men and women had to be prepared to show off their talents.
Shen Qingyuan was short of money, but thinking that she hadn't bought clothes in a long time and might need them when she started working, she bought a simple and elegant suit.
Song Ting already knew about Shen Qingyuan's job interview at the city hospital.
“Shen Qingyuan, if you really intend to stay in Chenyang, I have quite a few fine young men I can introduce to you.”
Shen Qingyuan believed this; Song Ting knew quite a few people from all walks of life.
Shen Qingyuan said, "Thank you, reporter, but I have no intention of dating right now."
Song Ting shook her head. "Who said that just because you're in love, you've met someone? You should be acquaintances and friends first. As for whether sparks will fly, nobody can say for sure. You know, if you don't want to find someone now, there won't be many good young men left when you want to in a few years. Especially in a small place like Chenyang, people rush to get married after they turn 25. At our age, we're not at an advantage in the dating market anymore. We have to secure a spot for ourselves."
Shen Qingyuan chuckled. She admired Song Ting's competitive spirit and drive.
During her school days, she was the same way, wishing she could get first place in every monthly exam, and feeling miserable if her ranking dropped even slightly.
Their generation was caught in the baby boom, and their peers were everywhere. From their school days, school buildings were already overcrowded. When it came time to find a job, hundreds or even thousands of people were vying for the same position. Even if you tried your hardest, you might not get in.
Competition is practically an instinct ingrained in the bones of their generation, a survival instinct.
“I have a younger brother I can introduce to you. He’s clean-cut and comes from a good family. Like you, he’s a graduate student.”
Before Shen Qingyuan could agree, Song Ting took out her phone and made a call.
"Song Ting, don't do anything reckless!"
Meanwhile, Song Ting spoke a few words into her phone, and soon a boy wearing glasses came over.
At first glance, he was tall and quite handsome. Although Song Ting treated him like a younger brother, he was actually only two years younger than her, had just graduated with a master's degree, and was currently doing an internship under Song Ting's guidance.
"Let me introduce you, this is my friend Shen Qingyuan, and this is my colleague Fang Zhou," Song Ting said casually.
Shen Qingyuan said "hello" rather embarrassedly, feeling that Song Ting was abusing her power to harass her subordinate.
Fang Zhou was alright; perhaps journalists are generally more thick-skinned, as he greeted Shen Qingyuan quite naturally.
"I heard from Sister Ting that her car broke down, and I happen to be running errands nearby. So, I'm offering a ride to Miss Chen. Don't be shy, I'm just killing time anyway, and it would be great to make a new friend."
Shen Qingyuan thought to herself, "Song Ting has quite a few tricks up her sleeve." Indeed, openly proposing to matchmake a man and a woman would be fine if it worked out. But if it didn't, the working relationship would be a bit awkward.
Song Ting said, "You two, one square and one round, it's quite interesting."
Fang Zhou clicked his tongue and said, "It really is. I didn't even notice until Sister Ting mentioned it. It's quite a coincidence."
Shen Qingyuan gave a stiff smile.
Song Ting raised an eyebrow at Shen Qingyuan, then turned to Fang Zhou and said, "Alright, I have something to do later. Fang Zhou, then I'll ask you to take my friend home. I'll treat you to dinner another day!"
"Don't be so polite, Sister Ting!"
"Miss Shen, my car is parked in the underground garage. Please follow me."
Since they were already there, Shen Qingyuan had no choice but to follow, turning her head to glare fiercely at Song Ting. Song Ting grinned slyly, clearly gloating.
Fang Zhou drives an Audi A6. To drive a car in this price range right after graduation, his family must be quite well-off.
Once in the car, Fang Zhou was quite quiet. He only asked for Shen Qingyuan's address, entered it into the navigation, and set off.
Shen Qingyuan had initially thought dealing with new friends would be troublesome. Unexpectedly, Fang Zhou was quiet and not the type to pry; he simply mentioned the recent weather and road conditions. This actually made Shen Qingyuan quite fond of him, finding him rather well-mannered.
Shen Qingyuan's home is in the old town, about ten kilometers away from the commercial street. It takes less than half an hour to get to the vicinity of the residential area.
"Mr. Fang, you can just pull over to the side of the road. Thank you so much for today!"
As he spoke, Fang Zhou turned a corner, parked on a quiet side street with little traffic, and turned off the engine.
"Miss Chen, just call me Fang Zhou. Sister Ting has helped me a lot; her friends are my friends too. Please don't hesitate to ask me for help in the future. If it's convenient, let's add each other on WeChat?"
Shen Qingyuan agreed, took out her phone, and opened the WeChat QR code. Perhaps because she hadn't been in contact with men for a long time, she felt a little reserved and awkward.
My former colleagues were mostly men. Orthopedics is a field that requires a lot of strength, so there are many male doctors. When you're surrounded by men, you hardly notice their gender. Besides, colleagues are just colleagues; we're there to do the work, so we all treat each other like laborers.
Looking back, people are only in the mood for romance when they are relaxed and at peace. In times of war and chaos, it's impossible to be in that mood.
Shen Qingyuan was in a good mood lately. She felt that before, she was like someone crouching at the bottom of a valley, just staying there without any desire to climb out. Now, she had moved a little bit, so how could that not be considered progress?
By the time Shen Qingyuan arrived home, it was already dark.
Shen Jing'an sat on the sofa in the living room, neither turning on the TV nor reading a book.
"Dad, you're off work." Shen Qingyuan called out.
Shen Jing'an responded slowly.
At this time of day, Nan Lan would usually be cooking in the kitchen, with pots and pans clattering around. But today, the kitchen is quiet, without a sound.
The atmosphere was a bit off. Shen Qingyuan slowed down her movements as she changed into her slippers.
A brown paper envelope was placed on the coffee table.
Shen Qingyuan, with her sharp eyes, immediately recognized it as the envelope Nan Lan had given her before her interview at the city hospital. She later secretly put it in a rarely opened drawer in the living room.
At this moment, Nan Lan walked out of the master bedroom, her aura exuding gloom.
Has the truth come out?
"Dad, Mom, I think the interview should be based on one's own abilities, so I didn't send it." Shen Qingyuan explained without being asked.
Nan Lan said, "I knew you hadn't delivered it that day."
Shen Qingyuan protested: "Mom, did you go through my bag?"
Nan Lan ignored her protest and said, "I know you kids are shy and don't want to give it away, so I had your dad deliver it to them the next day."
However, after traveling around, the red envelope returned to the Shen family intact.
Shen Jing'an raised his head, his expression grave. "Yuanyuan, what exactly happened while you were working in Jicheng?"
That feeling is back again.
There was not a sound, as if we had entered a vacuum.
The surrounding air was heavy and stagnant, like a dense, transparent net, squeezing and confining us...
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