When She Stops Being Dramatic

Chapter 396: Chapter 144: The Green Tea Female Side Character in a Period Drama (31)

The Chi Family didn’t have a rule about being silent during meals. It wasn’t that Mr. and Mrs. Chi weren’t proper, but that they were too busy with work. Mealtimes and bedtime were the only times they could all be together.

As a result, dinner became a daily meeting to discuss their lives and work, with all three actively taking part.

Today, however, Chi Yun’er had something on her mind. She merely listened with pricked ears, wolfing down her food.

Mr. and Mrs. Chi were discussing the day’s wedding banquet—which family’s child was going to which high school, where another’s was working, who had found what kind of partner, and who was now a grandparent.

Parents were always nudging their children from one life event to the next. They used to worry she wouldn’t find a suitable partner, and now they were already asking when the wedding banquet would be, urging Chi Yun’er to get settled in her job quickly and have two children in three years after getting married...

Hearing this, a flicker of understanding crossed Chi Yun’er’s eyes. She definitely felt the pressure.

’If I didn’t know that in six years, we’d only be allowed to have one child, I would have planned to devote most of my time and energy to my career.’

’I’m very happy with Jiang Yihua, but while love and a career can complement each other, one can’t replace the other.’

’I don’t want to become a housewife who spends all day by the stove, with her world revolving only around her husband and kids.’

’That kind of love would become a burden to your partner, and it would gradually throw your own life out of balance.’

’Still, I’ve always planned on having kids—two or three would be nice, to make our little home lively and bustling. Six years should be enough time to let things happen naturally, right?’

The thought passed in a flash. Chi Yun’er didn’t slow her eating and was the first to finish. With a smile, she announced she was going to take a shower to ”let her food settle,” then headed upstairs to grab a change of clothes.

”This girl... I see how organized she is with her work and think she’s grown up after being away for a year, but look at her—still so hasty.” Mr. Chi chuckled and shook his head.

Mrs. Chi shot him a sidelong glance. ”Somehow I get the feeling the first part of that sentence was what you really wanted to say.”

”How is she hasty? I think Yunyun is perfect just the way she is. Or would you rather she be like you, all work and no play, with that dazed look on her face?”

Mr. Chi let out a huff. ”Hey, let’s stick to the topic and not make personal attacks. Besides, you praise our daughter all the time. Can’t I get a word in?”

The two exchanged a smile. She was their only, precious treasure—beautiful, obedient, and so outstanding she was the model ’other family’s child’ everyone compared their own to. The sense of accomplishment and pride they felt as her parents was indescribably wonderful.

At the banquet that afternoon, everyone had been green with envy, making all sorts of snide remarks.

After her shower, Chi Yun’er sat cross-legged on the sofa, toweling her hair dry.

She mulled over the future of the Welfare Department. The summer heat relief benefits program was nearly wrapped up, and everything had gone off without a hitch.

The Dragon Boat Festival was a month ago, so zongzi were a concern for next year.

Next up were National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival in October. That left a three-month gap—the perfect amount of time for her to get a store up and running in the hospital’s name.

At this thought, she glanced at the time. Then, she approached her father, who was reading the newspaper, and her mother, who was crocheting a coaster, and told them her idea.

One was a senior figure at the hospital, and the other was the director of the supply and marketing co-op; both could offer excellent advice.

Mr. and Mrs. Chi were quite open-minded and didn’t interrupt, listening patiently as she laid out everything: her reasons for opening the store, her plans for its setup and operation, its future development, and more.

”I think it’s a good idea,” Mr. Chi said with a nod. ”There’s a supply and marketing co-op outside our General Hospital, and it’s not small, but its stock—both in variety and quantity—is no different from any other co-op of its size. It doesn’t specifically cater to the needs of our patients and their families.”

”Our hospital has the organization’s support, so consultation and medication fees aren’t high. We can cover employee salaries and benefits, but anything beyond that is a struggle.”

”Some medical equipment is very expensive, and repairs and replacements are another huge cost. Our hospital hasn’t acquired any new instruments in a long time. This technological deficit will cause our hospital—and by extension, the organization—to fall behind from the very start!”

”Who doesn’t understand that? But medical costs are transparent, our staff is enormous, and we can’t make cuts anywhere. Where is the money supposed to come from?”

Outsiders saw the General Hospital as a prestigious institution. But along with being a leader in the field, it was also responsible for many public welfare services that were vital to the community.

For example, the annual free physicals for employees, or the special considerations for certain patient groups... there were too many obligations that outsiders didn’t see.

Furthermore, the hospital is state-run. Profits from our main operations have to be turned over, so we have no financial autonomy. If we could develop a side business, we might be able to fight for the right to manage it independently. Any profits could then be reinvested into the hospital’s operations and management.