Chapter 30

“Then what should we do?” Wu Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, “How about I borrow a bike from the commune? Riding a bike would be faster.”

“That’s good, that’s good.”

“I’ll go quickly then. Grandpa Chen, please take care of Grandpa Lu for a while. If anything happens, just go to the field and call someone. I think I saw Aunt Dong and the others in the east field on my way here.”

Grandpa Chen nodded repeatedly, and as Wu Xiaoxiao was about to leave, the sound of a tractor approached the door.

“Oh no, Grandpa Lu needs your help again,” said Captain Huang before even entering the door.

Wu Xiaoxiao called out, “Captain Huang, why are you here?”

Captain Huang was surprised to see her: “Xiaoxiao, what are you doing here? Aren’t you at the orchard today?”

Wu Xiaoxiao explained, “I finished things at the orchard. I was about to go home when I ran into Grandpa Lu. He collapsed by the riverbank. He had an acute heart attack, and I need to find someone quickly.”

—-

In just a few sentences, she explained the dangerous situation clearly. Captain Huang was shocked. He had received the official notice from the county and was on his way to discuss how to allocate manpower from each village.

On the way there, he was glad that his team’s second brigade was closest to Grandpa Lu’s place, so he thought he would be able to help. But he never expected such a dangerous situation to have occurred. If Wu Xiaoxiao hadn’t arrived in time, things might have been worse.

Captain Huang didn’t dare to think further and quickly asked, “How is Grandpa Lu now? Should we take him to the county hospital for a check-up?”

“Today is good, there’s a car. Ah, it’s just that the tractor from the commune shakes a lot. I’m not sure if Grandpa Lu can handle the bumps.”

As they were discussing, Grandpa Lu, who had been lying on the bed, waved his hand and sat up.

Wu Xiaoxiao was the first to notice and immediately stepped forward, “Grandpa Lu, don’t rush to sit up. Rest for a bit more. Although you might feel better now, it’s still important for your body to recover.”

Grandpa Lu coughed a few times and shook his head, “I know my own body. I feel much better. Luckily, you found me in time. Otherwise, as Old Chen said, I might have left this old body behind. Alright, Captain Huang, if there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”

He understood his own situation. Although he had received letters from old friends indicating that things were loosening up at the top, especially since he was knowledgeable and involved in agriculture, he might soon be reinstated.

However, he wasn’t interested in resuming any official duties. He wasn’t a high-ranking official—just a teacher. But, for now, the formal notices hadn’t arrived, and the people in charge at the commune treated him with respect. They hadn’t suffered greatly, but he didn’t want to act arrogantly either.

Now, with the commune arranging a special car to take him to the county hospital for treatment, he felt uneasy about the situation. Furthermore, when his heart tightened by the riverbank earlier, he had felt darkness closing in, thinking he might not make it. At that moment, he had tried to reach for his medicine in his pocket but couldn’t.

However, after Wu Xiaoxiao gave him the medicine, he felt much better. He didn’t know whether it was the timing of the medicine or the fact that his heart had been calmer, but he recovered faster than usual. He felt completely fine now, even feeling a bit more relaxed.

Captain Huang was still concerned and asked again. Although he wanted to stand out by taking care of this emergency, he didn’t want to take any risks with Grandpa Lu’s health.

His thoughts were different from others. Regardless of the situation, these elderly men had lived through a lot, and he had to ensure they were safe while they were here. When their families arrived, he wanted to be able to face them without regret.

Seeing that Grandpa Lu appeared to be recovering well, speaking with more energy, and his complexion looking healthy, everyone felt relieved.

Wu Xiaoxiao was secretly pleased. It seemed that her healing abilities were still quite strong. She hadn’t expected her healing powers, which could save people on the brink of death, to be so effective here. The injuries she had healed in the apocalypse were much worse than just a slight heart issue.

Her abilities had grown stronger after spending time in the orchard, so helping Grandpa Lu with his heart condition was no problem. In fact, the energy she had sent to him had already started to heal some of his underlying issues.

That’s why Grandpa Lu now felt so much lighter. If she continued this treatment, his lifespan could be greatly extended.

Since Grandpa Lu said he was fine, there was no need to call Dr. Chen or take him to the hospital.

Captain Huang began to discuss the next steps with Grandpa Lu. Wu Xiaoxiao didn’t stay long, but she overheard Captain Huang talking about needing manpower to help assemble and repair agricultural machines for the county, hoping that Grandpa Lu could help direct the efforts and mentor the younger villagers.

She had heard about this from Dr. Chen before, and it seemed Captain Huang had already spoken with Grandpa Lu. She didn’t know what would happen next. For now, she was enjoying her time in the orchard and didn’t feel the need to pursue the opportunity to help with repairing the agricultural machines.

The fruits in the orchard were already starting to grow, especially the grapes, which were particularly lovely. There were more grapes this year due to the added fertilizer, and with her healing powers helping, the taste was sure to be excellent. Wu Xiaoxiao thought that when the grapes were ready, she would send some to Grandpa Lu and the others, specially treating them with her abilities to improve their health.

As she thought about these things, Wu Xiaoxiao walked briskly, thinking about going home to cook a nice meal for her mother and then heading to the fields to help out more.