Chapter 20: He’s Quite Well Built

At that moment, the middle-aged woman, still kneeling, finally spoke to the village doctor, “I really don’t know what to do. Please, you have to save my son, he’s still so young, he hasn’t even gotten married yet. I beg you, please save him.”

After hearing her desperate plea, a villager chimed in, “Grandma, you should listen to the Third Uncle. What he says is right, hurry up and get to the hospital, the longer you wait, the worse it will get.”

Grandma, with tears streaming down her face, slowly -got up, supporting her son as they made their way out of the village doctor’s office.

As they left, Third Uncle’s wife, who was watching from the side, sympathetically commented, “I really hope he can be saved. That poor woman has been raising him alone since he was a child. If anything happens to him, it’s going to break her heart.”

Li Yiyi, overhearing, quietly remarked, “He has rabies. It’s a disease that has no cure, and it’s fatal. There’s nothing to be done.”

Her comment made the two nearby villagers freeze in surprise.

“Is what you said true? Rabies really is that dangerous, and there’s no cure?” Third Uncle’s wife asked, her voice filled with alarm.

Li Yiyi nodded slowly. “Yes, it’s true. There’s no cure.”

Just then, Third Uncle called out, “Li Yiyi, come in for a moment.”

She quickly asked Third Uncle’s wife to look after the children and then followed him into the village doctor’s office.

After they entered, Third Uncle stood in the waiting room, waiting for her.

“Li Yiyi, tell me more about rabies. Is it really as bad as you say?” he asked.

Li Yiyi nodded. “Rabies is a virus that dogs carry. It’s transmitted through saliva when a dog bites a person. Once infected, there’s no cure. The symptoms include extreme pain, fear of light, and water. I observed his symptoms, and they match rabies perfectly.”

After hearing this, Third Uncle stroked his white beard and sighed deeply. “I never thought such a disease existed. Yesterday when you mentioned it to Him, I thought you were just scaring him. Looks like I’m getting old and haven’t kept up with the times.”

He looked at her curiously and asked, “Where did you learn about this disease?”

Li Yiyi couldn’t explain that rabies was a well-known disease in the modern world and that there were even vaccines to prevent it. She casually replied, “I read about it in a book. I don’t remember which one.”

Luckily, Third Uncle didn’t press the matter further. He changed the topic and asked about her studies.

“I’m doing pretty well. Jiang Hong helped me find a couple of books on the topic. I’m reviewing them now,” she said.

Third Uncle nodded with satisfaction. “Good, keep it up. If you pass the exam, you’re always welcome to work here with us.”

Li Yiyi was very happy with the offer. “Thank you, Third Uncle. I’ll make sure to pass the exam.”

They chatted for a while longer until a patient arrived for treatment. Li Yiyi left the clinic and returned to the yard.

As she stepped out, Third Uncle’s wife approached with the two children.

“Did Third Uncle give you any trouble?” she asked with concern.

Li Yiyi paused for a moment, then shook her head and smiled. “No, he was very kind to me.”

Third Uncle’s wife looked at her in disbelief. “Kind? He’s the kind of man who makes the village chief step aside when he gets angry. You’re the only one who thinks he’s kind.”

Li Yiyi just smiled, then took the children from her. “Thank you for looking after them.”

“No need to thank me. We’re family,” Third Uncle’s wife said. “By the way, you said Him has rabies and there’s no cure. Is that really true?”

Li Yiyi’s expression turned serious. “Yes, it’s true. He was bitten by a dog and contracted rabies. It’s a fatal disease, and there’s nothing that can be done.”

Hearing this, Third Uncle’s wife looked horrified. “I had no idea that being bitten by a dog could be so deadly. It’s terrifying! I’ll make sure to tell my children to be careful.”

That afternoon, Li Yiyi heard that he had died shortly after being taken to the hospital.

Later that day, Li Yiyi was getting ready to study in her room when Jiang Hong walked in carrying a large backpack.

“What are you doing?” she instinctively asked.

Jiang Hong pulled out several items from the backpack and answered, “You promised I could sleep in the room, so I brought some clothes. I’m just putting them away.”

Li Yiyi looked at the clothes—each one issued by the team, with no casual wear in sight. To be honest, there was something charming about how men looked in these types of clothes, especially in this era.

No wonder the original owner had gone to such lengths to marry this man.

Once he had placed his clothes in the corner of the room, Jiang Hong turned to her with a suggestion. “Let’s not study this afternoon. Let’s take the kids into the city to buy some clothes for you and the children.”

He quickly left the room, his face flushed.

Li Yiyi smiled as she watched him leave. She had to admit, this man was growing on her.

By 3 PM, she saw a men’s double-barreled bicycle parked at the front of the house.

They each took a bike, with one child in tow, and headed toward the city.

Once in the city, they left their bicycles at a friend’s house for safekeeping, as bicycles were a precious commodity that could easily be stolen in those days.

With the bikes taken care of, the family of four set off to explore the city.

The two children were fascinated by everything they saw, clearly experiencing the city for the first time.

As they wandered through the streets, they arrived at a department store. Jiang Hong, without hesitation, led the family inside.

They started by browsing through the clothing section, where a saleswoman immediately noticed Jiang Hong’s uniform and greeted him warmly.

“How can I help you, comrade? What kind of clothes are you looking for?” she asked with a smile.