How could he possibly prop up the establishment relying solely on an ancestral secret formula? The old man knew exactly what he was capable of.

He tapped Cheng Ying lightly on the head, calling her a "naughty girl." The old man felt considerably more relaxed. Hearing about it and seeing the reality were two different things. What if the child trusted his ancestral formula too much? Not that he doubted the formula's quality, but ancestral secrets were common, and he only had one set—too few to be entirely relied upon.

"Your ancestral formula should still be the main draw. From now on, you will be the most honored physician here," Cheng Ying insisted, firmly believing that treating obscure ailments was the most lucrative path. She was right about her chosen specialization.

Cheng Ming followed alongside, remarking, "Anyone who didn't know would think we've all jumped ship."

Cheng Ying was deeply annoyed with Cheng Ming. "You should have been here in the first place."

"I'm waiting for the dividends," Cheng Ming replied.

This was a clear unwillingness to invest in the family business. Where had this unlucky child gotten such strong ideas? "You can become a director here in two years. Do you know how many years you'd have to slog through where we are?"

Seeing Cheng Ming remain unresponsive, Cheng Ying pressed on, "You'll regret it later. I'm telling you, our doctors' salaries here are much higher than your current one."

"Am I such a person devoid of ambition?" As for what he truly thought or what his ambition was, perhaps only Cheng Ming knew.

Just then, his paternal aunt arrived, leading her elder daughter-in-law. Their expressions made it clear they were extremely satisfied. Seeing the towering building from afar, the two women remarked, "Look, this is our family's hospital."

Cheng Ming looked at Cheng Ying. "I really am just waiting for the dividends." This time, his tone was especially firm, indicating he truly didn't think highly of this place.

Cheng Ying glanced at the two women admiring 'their' hospital, saying nothing. Instituting the shareholding system back then was absolutely the right move; keeping family members out of the hospital's management was even more correct. The clinic had just opened, and they were already here to declare ownership. No wonder Cheng Ming wouldn't come over; if he had, who knew what his aunt and this cousin-in-law might have said to him.

Cheng Ying once again felt her foresight was vindicated. Dealing with the antics of this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair daily would have been maddening.

Calculating the shares: the paternal uncle’s family held ten percent, the second uncle’s family ten percent, the paternal aunt’s family ten percent, and the maternal uncle’s family ten percent. The remainder, Cheng Ying allocated ten percent to her maternal grandfather as an in-kind contribution for bringing the secret formula. Besides, Cheng Ying secretly set aside a portion for Miao Miao; her grandfather would surely leave everything to Miao Miao eventually—it would all be hers anyway. He and Chi Wu held fifty percent.

For the newly opened clinic, after such divisions, what remained for income wasn't much, but it was still income.

Moreover, the future development prospects were excellent. Cheng Ying was brimming with confidence.

The paternal uncle, second uncle, and paternal aunt each contributed one hundred thousand yuan. "This is our investment money. We won't take anything else. To just come and take money without contributing labor—we don't have the face for that."

Cheng Ying thought that building this structure couldn't have cost less than several hundred thousand, but for the uncle, second uncle, and aunt to produce this amount of money was surely an agonizing effort. It was completely unexpected.

Chi Wu said, "We don't lack this; Uncle, Second Uncle, Aunt, please keep it."

The paternal aunt insisted, "Put it away. If you hold this little amount now, we’ll feel too awkward when we collect our dividends later."

Cheng Ying wasn't being thick-skinned; she genuinely had faith. "Fine. Since everyone trusts me, I will accept it for now. Ten thousand yuan for ten percent of the shares is definitely an internal price. Don't worry, you won't lose out."

Cheng Ying had seen money sums greater than this, but this particular money made her heart surge with emotion. This was trust—the feeling of being trusted.

After seeing everyone off, Cheng Ying collapsed from exhaustion.

"I didn't expect Aunt and the others to actually bring the investment money," Cheng Ying said.

Chi Wu remarked, "People—distance creates beauty."

"There’s no way I can let this money be lost. You have no idea how hard it was for Old Aunt's husband, such an honest man, to earn one hundred thousand yuan," Cheng Ying stressed.

"Enough. Whose ten thousand yuan is easily earned? In the grand scheme, they aren't losing out. The land price alone is worth a fortune," Chi Wu countered.

Cheng Ying burst out laughing. "Okay, we didn't spend much when we bought it. Looking ahead, in my heart, you are far more generous than them."

Chi Wu thought to himself, I've given you far more than this, and you didn't exhibit this level of excitement. Does money earned through hardship really count for more, like old Mrs. used to say? This was perplexing. If he went to the construction site to haul sandbags himself, it would cause panic in the company; it was too complicated. He genuinely felt his wife lacked perspective. "Cut the nonsense. Give me something practical."

Cheng Ying’s mind immediately went blank, her whole body flushing. To have such a reaction, she really shouldn't be a woman... "Seducing me?"

"Rub my shoulders; they are aching."

Cheng Ying felt that being old married couple like this wasn't good; there was no passion... The topic shifted so fast she couldn't keep up. As a woman, Cheng Ying dared not correct Chi Wu, thinking, What I was thinking just now was impure; that’s not what you meant. She could only resentfully rub his shoulders until he was comfortable, and her temper had mostly dissipated. Her anger was gone.

Chi Wu stretched comfortably. "Every time you rub my shoulders for me, it's never as satisfying as today. It seems people are stronger when they're angry."

Cheng Ying wanted to smack Chi Wu a couple of times, but she had already used up her energy. Staring with wide eyes, she was only angry. "You knew you were making me angry, you did it on purpose!" This man must enjoy watching her make a fool of herself.

Chi Wu, shameless and perfectly relaxed, then moved to tease his wife. "Actually, I'd much prefer to go along with my wife's wishes and be more practical."

"Have you no shame?"

Chi Wu pulled his wife close and spoke sweetly, "Well, it's not just anyone; it’s because someone values their reputation so much that they nearly rubbed me to pieces."

Cheng Ying’s face turned beet red. "I meant you're taking advantage of me, asking me to waste my energy on that later!"

Chi Wu would not let up. "Even when you're full of energy, you're no match for me. Little thing, daring to provoke me. I’m telling you, this matter requires strict verification. Tonight, when you've rested up, we'll have to test it out."

"You shameless thing, get lost!"

Chi Wu just grinned sheepishly. "Of course, if you never manage to rest up, then I won't need to prove anything."

With that, he lunged forward. The fact that his wife told him to get lost meant she still had some energy left.

It really wasn't fair of Chi Wu; he waited until Cheng Ying had served him contentedly before starting to tease her. What an indulgence!

Even though Cheng Ying was slightly displeased, Chi Wu’s teasing dispelled it. It wasn't until the next morning when she woke up that Cheng Ying had a chance to bring up the issue with the paternal aunt and cousin-in-law. "I'm trying to be upfront now. If she tries to assign a dedicated bookkeeper to my clinic later, I'll be disgusted with myself. You don't know what they were saying—talking about their family's hospital! How dare they bring that up?"

Chi Wu said, "Don't be angry. You’re working at another hospital yourself; it's inappropriate for anyone to interfere."

"We still need to make things clear. They have shares, but they must not interfere with the clinic’s operations and management. Otherwise, I see it clearly—this won't end. They claim it's for better public service, but I'm doing this to make money, too. It’s for profit, after all. If they keep meddling and ruin it, all my effort will be wasted. I still want to leave something nice for Grandma."

In reality, Chi Wu felt his wife was overthinking things. When the old lady was alive, she couldn't have been better to Yingzi; even if Yingzi did nothing, the old lady wouldn't have minded. He didn't realize Cheng Ying felt a pang of guilt, deliberately lowering herself to placate the memory of a dead person. She hoped the old lady would forgive her for the sake of the descendants she cared for while alive, so that when they met again, the old lady could still give her a good swat with a feather duster.

Chi Wu replied, "Whatever you say, Director Cheng. You're already putting on airs."

Cheng Ying blushed slightly. "What are you talking about? Do I need to rely on being a broken director to put on airs? Besides, at most, I'm just a Section Chief."

"Indeed, Mrs. Chi carries more weight."

Cheng Ying pursed her lips but didn't argue. Up to this point, even though Cheng Ying believed her income wasn't less than Chi Wu's, people still mostly called her Mrs. Chi.

The way people addressed them showed the difference in their external influence. Cheng Ying didn't argue with Chi Wu about this; the main reason was she truly couldn't win. "One day, I will make you proud of me."

"I am already proud of you, but I still have to call you Mrs. Chi. If I call you Cheng Ying, you can't even get into your own company."

Saying that, he shamelessly grabbed his wife's hand and brushed it underneath him. "Proud enough yet?"

Cheng Ying was so angry she wanted to kick him, but she vented her fury first. "What kind of worthless company is yours where even the Deputy Boss doesn't know me?"

She recalled being polite when she went to his company to register. Cheng Ying had arrogantly stated, "I am Cheng Ying, and I'm here to see your CEO." The receptionist immediately replied that the CEO was too busy for visitors.

Cheng Ying was furious and almost erupted on the spot. No one in the company knew who she was. She said sharply, "Tell him his wife is waiting outside."

The receptionist’s face instantly changed. "CEO Chi instructed that if Madam Chi comes, he is always available. You are Mrs. Chi? Please proceed this way."

Cheng Ying's anger vanished for some reason upon hearing that. It wasn't strange that she didn't know the Deputy Boss; she never came around anyway. But knowing that the receptionist recognized 'Mrs. Chi' was actually quite nice. At least Chi Wu wasn't like some married man pretending to be a bachelor to deceive young girls.

So, when she saw Chi Wu, Cheng Ying gave him high praise. This proved that Chi Wu’s promotion of her reputation was effective.

From that time on, Cheng Ying started accepting the title Mrs. Chi. Although it sounded a bit old—she was so young—it felt good to hear. To have one's partner bestow such an honor upon you was perhaps a woman's vanity.

Chi Wu managed to placate his wife so she wouldn't fuss over trivial matters. He was happy when she was happy. He truly didn't want his wife to be so preoccupied with a small clinic, caring for it more than their three children. Would his children really settle for living off a broken-down clinic?

Cheng Ying’s work was going smoothly, except for the constant interviews with her superiors.

Cheng Ying was also helpless. It was just a small clinic; it truly shouldn't affect their main hospital that much, yet her superiors kept calling her in for talks. She suspected they thought she was a spy, poaching people for her own clinic. Cheng Ying was about to kneel. "I just feel my technique isn't fully honed yet, and I should learn more from my predecessors. Is that reason acceptable?" she asked very humbly.

Her boss’s face darkened. "Do you think it is? You're learning techniques here just to go serve your family clinic later."

Cheng Ying thought that was indeed a bit inappropriate. "I just prefer the security of a state job. Mine is private; surely that distinction makes sense?"

After much pleading, the supervisor scaled back from daily talks to one talk per week.

Cheng Ying felt her job stability was finally settling down when a colleague approached to complain. "Yingzi, I didn't realize you were so scheming."

Cheng Ying’s heart trembled at the phrase. "I didn't steal your brother-in-law, nor did I smash your family's windows. If you’re looking for trouble, don't come to me."

The colleague sneered, "But you stole my patients."

"That can't be right. We aren't in the same department."

The colleague’s face turned black. "Did you know? Many old clients came to me and said, 'Little Song, your mother is working again. We'll have to trouble your mother a lot more from now on.' My patients said goodbye to me and never returned."

Cheng Ying thought this was a good thing—it was the celebrity effect. Look how much they spent to hire the elderly doctor; just sitting there, she was a walking advertisement. And this had nothing to do with her; this was your mother stealing people. Remember to give her a raise later.

The colleague pressed, "You're still smiling? Are you sure you weren't thinking of poaching my corner when you went to my house to recruit the old lady?"

"I'm utterly wronged! I never thought that far ahead. Besides, even if I valued Sister Song's ability, I'd still need Sister Song's approval, wouldn't I? Otherwise, why don't you hang a sign at my clinic on Sundays?"

Sister Song quickly backed away several steps. "Are you trying to imply that the leaders have stopped looking for you recently?"

Cheng Ying beamed. "I think so. My recent performance must have gained the leadership's approval. I still have a decent moral standing."

Sister Song felt like she couldn't eat lunch. "That's so fake. Do you even possess such a thing?"

"How could you think that of me? I almost won the award for the city's Top Ten Youth!"

"No wonder you didn't win; your morality must have been lacking somewhere."

With that, the colleague left. This person’s mouth seemed to be filled with arsenic.

Cheng Ying smiled foolishly. Her own clinic apparently wouldn't lack patients. Look at the positive effect.

A colleague facing a similar issue approached. "Seeing you smile so slyly, I knew you had something bad brewing. You’re disrupting social harmony and development. However, having my business taken by my own mother isn't entirely shameful. In the end, it just means my medical skills aren't as good as hers. But when the leadership calls me in for a talk, I'll bring Doctor Cheng along. I'll trouble Doctor Cheng."

Cheng Ying nearly cried. "There's no need to be so polite. Really, no need to bring me along. I'm not close to the leadership; I can't put in a good word for you."

The stout brother was quite black-bellied. He made her feel like a foolish girl for so long, and she used to visit his family so frequently—he’d say she was trying to steal his mother. What a huge misunderstanding! Whether he mentioned it or not, it was internalized pain. "It's fine, you don't need to speak well of me. Just prove that I didn't refer my patients to you, and then tell them how shamelessly you lured my mother away."

No matter how he said it, there was a core of resentment in his tone. Why wasn't I the one being poached?

Cheng Ying felt this issue was serious. "The leadership is truly unreasonable. How can they doubt Brother Pang's character? Frankly, the leadership lacks a discerning eye. I think your biggest problem right now is finding an employer with a discerning eye so you can better devote yourself to serving the public and saving more people in need. What do you think?"

Brother Pang looked at Cheng Ying with pity. Then he heard a voice pitched an octave lower from behind, "For instance, you possess such a discerning eye?"

Cheng Ying felt like she had been hit by a cannonball. That was probably the sensation she was experiencing. Brother Pang, you aren't being honest; you're deliberately setting me up!

Brother Pang turned and walked away. The leadership probably wouldn't call him in for talks anymore; everything that needed to be explained had been covered.

Cheng Ying turned, putting on a bright smile. "Director, how can you call it a discerning eye? A discerning eye is insufficient to describe your brilliance and divine might."

The Director narrowed his eyes. "For instance, I fail to see the brilliance in you deliberately undermining the hospital's wall."

"I'm deeply wronged! I truly haven't referred a single patient to our clinic. I can swear on the spirits of the great figures!"

"You indeed haven't poached a single patient; I trust your integrity. But you poached a doctor! Without doctors, who am I supposed to lead? Do you want me, the director, to be a commander of an empty army? Your intentions are sinister!"

"No, how could I? Even if I had that idea, my small clinic doesn't have the capacity to absorb that many doctors!"

The Director squinted. "Have you considered it?"

Cheng Ying thought, He's truly cunning. "I wouldn't dare even think about it; please don't misunderstand me."

"I heard everything. You still dare to argue?"

Cheng Ying thought she might as well go home and eat herself.

The Director continued, "Doctor Cheng’s medical ethics are quite good. How about this: I heard your medicinal herbs are excellent, especially those few types of flowers and grasses. Share your procurement channels with our hospital."

"It is my honor to receive your affirmation, Director. Thank you for allowing me to serve the hospital."

"Consider it serving penance."

"Fine, say whatever you like. But if you really want them, our hospital doesn't use traditional Chinese herbs that often."

"Just because you're allowed to dig into my corners doesn't mean our hospital can't develop in multiple directions."

"Not at all, it’s your foresight."

"I wouldn't presume. I lack a discerning eye."

Cheng Ying covered her face. This wasn't over yet. "You possess phoenix eyes like Guan Erye! Every time I see your eyes, I feel refreshed, forgetting my work and dedicating myself selflessly."

The Director shuddered. "Stop trying to fool me with your flattery. Are you trying to invite me to be the director of your clinic?"

"How could I? I wouldn't dare! I’ll just ask about the channels for the herbs for you. Wait for good news."

The Director found this young woman—with excellent medical skills, a good personality, and impressive background and status—quite rare. It was uncommon to find someone with a solid foundation who still worked diligently.

He picked up the small mirror on the desk and examined his own eyes, which were nearly squinted shut from the bags under them. The Director muttered to himself, "How could she say that? It’s hard on the poor girl."

Then he crumpled his old face, trying to squeeze his eyes open for a long time. Never mind phoenix eyes, even widening them was an extravagance.

The old Director’s face darkened. What an insincere young woman.

Cheng Ying didn't object to the wide application of the medicinal herbs, but the export channel for the herbs was indeed a problem. The Director’s words implied he wanted to cultivate the flowering parts that could be used medicinally, suggesting he had researched the medicinal properties deeply. Cheng Ying inwardly admired her own vigilance. If she had made such a splash when she was alone and powerless, she would have been thoroughly investigated by now. Thankfully, she was timid back then; she sincerely felt relieved that even though life was hard then, she wasn't forced to rely on her spatial ability just to survive.

Next, she had to notify Chi Wu to clean up the aftermath for her. The clinic had only just opened, and people had already figured out the properties of her family's medicinal herbs. There was no secrecy in this industry.

But it was truly difficult to maintain secrecy for this kind of item. Did she have to brew the important parts and then send them home for people to drink? Cheng Ying frowned. There was a method, but it had severe local restrictions.

She worried. Worrying about lacking patients was bad; having patients was even worse.

During dinner that evening, Chi Wu brought up the medicinal herb issue first. "Yingzi, your Director called me. He asked when I'm treating him to a meal, saying you are too dishonest. Luckily, the Old Director took care of things from multiple angles, or you'd have been eating yourself by now."

Cheng Ying told Chi Wu resolutely, "The Old Director is just being spiteful and complaining first, absolutely!"

Chi Wu said, "Wife, you are working under someone; can you be a bit more low-key? At least we shouldn't be dishonest to the Director's face, right?"

Cheng Ying was conflicted. "Is it wrong to compare her to Guan Yu?"

Chi Wu lost his appetite. "How is she like him?" Was his sense of aesthetics flawed, or was his wife's?

"I complimented her eyes," Cheng Ying explained.

Chi Wu chuckled guiltily. "Then you truly have taste. Next time, perhaps avoid such abstract compliments. No wonder the Director misunderstood."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Your Director said that judging by how you talk and act, you aren't reliable, and he thought he should have communicated directly with me. He wants to get some herbs from our procurement channel, the same kind we use."

"At least one thing I said was correct: although the old man's eyes are small, his judgment is indeed sharp; very perceptive."

"I'm just glad I didn't know about this back then, or I don't know if I could have held back. We should use the space less in the future."

"A hero sees eye to eye. I broke out in a cold sweat after hearing the Old Director’s words. With so many capable people around, if I had been reckless back then, where would I be now?"

Chi Wu refused to dwell on the question. Thankfully, he now had the ability to protect his wife and children.

Cheng Ying ate in silence, wondering why, looking at the family of four now, she felt a sense of relief. Living a life is not easy; being able to stay together as a family is even harder. You cannot afford to make a single misstep; the smallest change might sever your connection to happiness.

Chi Wu felt that for the sake of his wife and children, he could not afford to stagnate; he needed a much more solid foundation. Raising children is difficult, but raising a wife is even harder. So far, Chi Wu was adjusting well to the two children, feeling that his wife was far more demanding, requiring much, much more effort.

Cheng Ying mused, "I wonder if Grandpa and Grandma are coming home to stay today. I never saw Mom and Dad invite the elders over before; why is it now that we've moved back that they start inviting people over?"

Chi Wu scoffed, "Don't be petty. That's your mother-in-law. Is she going to compete with you for affection? Your mother is likely worried that the old lady will treat you the same way she treats me—she's just trying to ease your pressure." R1152