"You're looking for Dr. Si?" Yu Shiya scrutinized the plainly dressed, average-looking woman before her with suspicion, "What's your relationship with him?"
"Family." Zhang Lijuan felt somewhat nervous under the female doctor's gaze. She felt that the doctor was looking down on her. Before leaving the house, she had been pleased with her appearance, thinking she was the most beautiful woman in the village. But after meeting Tong Yao and the female doctor, she was filled with an inexplicable sense of inferiority that was hard to describe.
Around the same age, one was wearing a white lab coat, working as a doctor while she was a village woman visiting the city. The gap suddenly seemed enormous.
Family?
As far as she knew, Si Chen only had a younger sister at home. The woman before her didn't resemble Si Chen, so she couldn't be his sister. She was carrying a change of clothes, seemingly planning to stay in the city. The only possible explanation...
"You're Dr. Si's wife, aren't you?"
Yu Shiya's mouth curled slightly in amusement. Her eyes sparkled with a touch of pleasure, and her tone was much more polite and respectful.
Si Chen's wife?
Zhang Lijuan was thrilled by the title, momentarily forgetting to object. To be precise, she didn't want to object. She distinctly felt that the woman's attitude towards her improved once she speculated about her being Si Chen's wife.
It seemed Si Chen must have a good reputation at the hospital. It felt great to be respected and flattered.
Seeing her blush and remaining quiet, Yu Shiya thought she was feeling shy and led Zhang Lijuan towards the stairwell. "I'll take you to find Dr. Si. He's on rounds in the Inpatient Department."
Zhang Lijuan silently followed behind Yu Shiya, eying her slender waist similar to Tong Yao's, she secretly thought that city food must not be very nourishing, making everyone so thin and unfit for farm work.
They reached the ground floor of the Inpatient Department, just as Si Chen was descending the stairs after conducting his ward rounds. A young nurse trailed behind him. Seeing Zhang Lijuan there seemed to surprise Si Chen as his normally aloof and calm eyes displayed a hint of surprise.
"Why are you here?"
Seeing Si Chen dressed in a white lab coat, broad-shouldered, upright and extraordinarily handsome, Zhang Lijuan's heart uncontrollably thumped, her face instantly flushing hot red. She was afraid that the misunderstanding about her status as Si Chen's wife would be exposed, so she quickly said, "Brother Chen, I came with Xiaohui, something happened on the way..."
As she spoke, she glanced at Yu Shiya, as though it wasn't convenient to explain in front of her.
"Come with me."
Si Chen started towards his office, and Zhang Lijuan quickly jogged to catch up.
The young nurse who had been following Si Chen asked curiously, "Dr. Yu, who is that woman?"
Yu Shiya glanced at the silhouette entering the hospital building and, with a smile and hands in her white lab coat pockets, said, "Dr. Si's wife."
"Huh?" The young nurse's eyes widened in astonishment. "Dr. Yu, you must be joking! Dr. Si is so handsome and capable. Why would he choose a wife like that?"
Although Zhang Lijuan was not ugly, she was miles from being considered beautiful. Further, with her dark skin and large frame, she appeared somewhat sturdy. Coupled with her dowdy attire, standing next to Si Chen, people might think she was his older sister.
Rural mothers-in-law usually preferred daughters-in-law like this. But in the eyes of the city folks, a woman like her beside Si Chen was like a flower stuck in a pile of cow dung. Even if Si Chen didn't marry a fairy-like woman, he should at least choose an intellectual.
Hearing the young nurse also thought Zhang Lijuan was mismatched to Si Chen, Yu Shiya felt quite delighted. "How could it be false when she admitted to it herself?"
"No wonder Dr. Si is reluctant to return home even after getting married." The young nurse sighed and analyzed, "He must not have agreed to the marriage willingly. Did you see how unhappy he seemed upon seeing his wife? Usually, newlyweds are sweet and affectionate."
Yu Shiya agreed, a smile lifting the corners of her lips, "I heard it was an arranged marriage."
"Everyone thought you and Dr. Si seemed like a pair. We were hoping to receive wedding favors from the two of you." The young nurse expressed her disappointment, "Didn't expect Dr. Si to get married so suddenly after taking just a day off."
Yu Shiya laughed openly as if unbothered by Si Chen's marital status, "Now that Dr. Si is married and his wife has arrived, you shouldn't speak of these rumors. It wouldn't be good if it gets back to his wife."
The young nurse realized her blunder. After all, Yu Shiya was still an unmarried woman, and Si Chen was already married. If word got out, it would surely tarnish Yu Shiya's reputation. Quickly making an excuse, she hurriedly left.
Si Chen led Zhang Lijuan to his office where he closed the door softly behind him before asking plainly, "Did someone at home fall ill?"
Zhang Lijuan was carrying clothes, which made Si Chen think she was accompanying a hospitalized family member. It's typical in rural areas to seek familiar doctors when family members are sick in hopes of receiving better treatment.
Si Chen was already used to this.
"No." Zhang Lijuan answered subconsciously, but then realized that someone had indeed come to the hospital, not due to illness but an injury. So, she corrected herself, "Someone has come to the hospital, not sick, but injured."
While speaking, Zhang Lijuan couldn't bear to meet Si Chen's eyes. Despite Si Chen being their neighbor and few years older, they rarely interacted. Whenever he was home, Si Chen either worked in the fields or locked himself in his room studying. Unlike other kids, he never went out to play, and this continued as he got older.
She felt that Si Chen always emitted a different aura from others, signaling that he was extraordinary. This aura was not so apparent during his student years, but now it was fully on display. Standing in front of him, she couldn't help but feel nervous, her heart pounding, and finding it hard to express herself clearly.
"We initially planned to visit the city and get a checkup on my back, but then Yao, your wife, insisted on coming after knowing we were heading here. Given her embarrassing antics and tarnished reputation in the village, I thought it was a good idea to bring her to the city, to avoid people making fun of her. The journey was fine initially until Yao decided to meddle in other people's business halfway and got injured by a knife. Xiaohui is with her, getting her registered."
"Did your brother get married?" At this point, Si Chen still didn't know that Zhang Lijuan meant his wife when she said 'sister-in-law.'
Stunned by Si Chen's question, Zhang Lijuan realized he had misunderstood. Reluctantly, she explained, "When I say sister-in-law, I mean Tong Yao, your wife."
Although she was reluctant to acknowledge the relationship between Tong Yao and Si Chen, they were officially recognized as husband and wife by the villagers after getting their marriage certificate and holding a wedding ceremony.
Upon hearing the words, "Tong Yao, your wife," Si Chen felt his eyebrows twitch. Without asking for further details, he rose from his seat with a serious expression and walked out of the room. Zhang Lijuan, somewhat taken aback, instinctively followed him out.