Chapter 257: Jealousy

Faced with her daughter's threat, Hao's mother could only repeatedly promise that she would definitely find a way to get Su Ruo off the island and urge her not to act impulsively.

After hanging up the phone, Hao Manru swept away her previous resentment and returned to the dormitory in high spirits. In the past she could not match Su Ruo, but now she is in the military district, her turf with her parents' help, and Hao Manru does not believe she still cannot contend with Su Ruo.

Seeing Hao Manru return humming a little tune, Su Ruo felt no disturbance in her heart; she knew without thinking what Hao Manru had done during her time away and why her emotions fluctuated so greatly.

She most likely went to find reinforcements and called Hao's mother; as for what this mother‑daughter pair had plotted, Su Ruo felt not the slightest worry.

No matter what mother and daughter intend to do, they cannot hope to gain even the slightest advantage from her.

The next day, Su Ruo got up early; seeing Hao Manru still asleep, she said nothing, simply dressed, finished washing up, took her lunch box, and left the room.

As soon as Su Ruo stepped out, she encountered Wang Na and Zhou Hong, who also wanted to get a meal; they greeted her shyly and then asked if she would like to go eat breakfast together.

Actually, Su Ruo was indifferent; she didn't care about Wang Na and Zhou Hong's attitude, but since they had taken the initiative to invite her, she did not refuse.

The three went to the cafeteria together; Wang Na and Zhou Hong ordered a bun and a bowl of porridge, while Su Ruo ordered porridge and steamed buns, plus an egg.

Originally Wang Na and Zhou Zhong thought that having porridge and a bun for breakfast was normal, after all their families were not well‑off and they usually ate these things.

But upon seeing the meat‑filled bun in Su Ruo's hand and smelling its fragrant aroma, they instantly felt their own buns were dry and bland, and a sense of grievance welled up in their hearts.

Why, when they all came to lend support, could Su Ruo eat so well while they had to scrape by and carefully calculate their rations?

Zhou Hong struggled to suppress her emotions, but the bun in her hand became harder to swallow the more she ate; the coarse corn‑flour bun even scraped her throat. Compared with Su Ruo happily enjoying her meal across the table, she felt she and Wang Na were nothing but a pitiful little cabbage.

Zhou Hong felt a bit annoyed, thinking that everyone had come to support equally; why did Su Ruo demand special treatment? Even if she wanted to eat well, she shouldn't do it in front of her and Wang Na.

Su Ruo's behavior showed not the slightest consideration for Wang Na's feelings.

So Zhou Hong endured and endured, but finally could not hold back, saying: "Su Ruo, when we first arrived our monthly grain rations were fixed; if you keep eating like this, I'm afraid you won't make it to the end of the month!"

Su Ruo looked up at Zhou Hong and did not miss the flash of jealousy in her eyes.

Su Ruo never expected that merely eating a bun would provoke jealousy; knowing that she normally dines with Su Ruo and Li Zhaodi, having at least four dishes and a soup per meal, with a balance of meat and vegetables.

Therefore, the breakfast she is eating now is utterly ordinary for her; she now has tickets and money, so why should she wrong herself.

Su Ruo said lightly: "Thank you, I know my tickets are enough; you don't need to worry."

Zhou Hong knew everyone's tickets were the same; Su Ruo eating like that could not possibly be enough, so she instantly thought of the military officer she had seen yesterday.

Although Su Ruo had not behaved overly intimately with that person yesterday, one could tell at a glance that their relationship was not simple.

Zhou Hong immediately concluded that Su Ruo was the sort of woman who lives off a man, and therefore felt thoroughly disdainful.

"Su Ruo, I think we are both students of Jingda and women of the new era; the school has painstakingly trained us, so we should rely on our own efforts to strive, instead of depending on men everywhere."

Those words were a bit heavy; Wang Na instinctively tugged at Zhou Zhong's sleeve, signaling her to stop speaking.

But Zhou Hong paid no heed; she kept her chin slightly lifted, looking at Su Ruo with eyes full of contempt.

Su Ruo only felt that this person must have some serious problem—when did eating a bun become relying on a man?

With Su Ruo's ability, she could now buy a bun shop and make all the buns she would need in her lifetime.

Therefore, facing Zhou Hong's provocation, Su Ruo merely said lightly: "You're right; I hope you remember today's words and make a contribution that brings glory to our alma mater."

Zhou Hong was left speechless by Su Ruo's remark, instantly feeling even more frustrated, with that breath stuck in her chest, unable to rise or fall.

Wang Na feared that if they continued they would quarrel, so she hurriedly said: "All right, let's go; if we delay any longer we'll be late."

Although Zhou Hong felt unwilling inside, she ultimately said nothing more; as long as she did not provoke Su Ruo, Su Ruo naturally would not bother with her.

The three ate breakfast in silence, then went to the hospital; their workplace was a two‑story building not far from their lodgings.

Because the hospital had only recently been established, there were not many staff, most of whom were Western doctors; Wang Na and Zhou Hong had studied nursing, so they were assigned to the Western medicine department.

As one of the few practitioners of Chinese medicine, Su Ruo had her own office.

The office was not large—only a dozen square meters—but it was kept very clean; inside stood a single bed, a table, two chairs, and another chair specially for Su Ruo to place her belongings.

Since the room was on the second floor, the lighting was good; outside the office stood an old pagoda tree, and farther off one could see endless green hills. Su Ruo glanced around and was very satisfied with the environment.

The little nurse who had brought Su Ruo said: "Because our hospital has only just been established, there are not many patients normally; we usually treat some trauma cases, as well as family members of military personnel. If you feel bored, you can read a book to pass the time."

Su Ruo took a liking to this round‑faced little nurse and smiled as she thanked her.

After a few casual words, Su Ruo learned the nurse's background; her name was Chen Dan, a graduate of a health school.

Since it is hard to find a job without connections, and the unit was recruiting, Chen Dan—having good grades and being diligent and hardworking—was recommended by her teacher to come here.

Chen Dan said with a smile: "When my classmates heard that the conditions here were so harsh, far from home and with inconvenient transport, none of them wanted to come.

But I'm not afraid; although the conditions are a bit tough, we get three meals a day and lodging, with basically no expenses, so the money I have left can be sent back to my family.

That way, the money I earn is enough to support my younger brothers and sisters, letting the whole family eat their fill; if I work a little harder, my siblings can all go to school.

Su Ruo listened smilingly to Chen Dan's words; this was a girl with great ambition, and Su Ruo admired her.

While speaking, Chen Dan led Su Ruo to the pharmacy, which was not far from her clinic; though simple, it did stock the commonly used medicinal herbs.

It was a bit better than Su Ruo had expected; as the saying goes, even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice—if there were no medicines, Su Ruo's medical skill would be useless no matter how good.