Chapter 10

“I’ve already taken my medicine.”

Wang Changping’s voice was still a bit cold, as if he was keeping people at a distance.

“Should I help you inside to sit down, Comrade Wang?”

Liu Yu asked, testing the waters.

Wang Changping nodded slightly, and as soon as he did, Liu Yu helped him inside—or rather, she practically carried him in. Fortunately, she was able to manage; Wang Changping was a big man, taller than Liu Yu by half a head. If it were another girl, she wouldn’t have been able to move him.

There was a big black dog lying in the yard of Wang Changping’s house. Liu Yu was startled when she saw it, but it stayed calm, neither barking nor biting. It just kept glancing at her.

Seeing that the dog wasn’t interested in her, Liu Yu gathered her courage and helped Wang Changping into the house. The interior was simple, with just a table, a few chairs, and a bed in the inner room. Liu Yu thought for a moment—chairs were not as comfortable as a bed, so she helped him sit on the bed instead.

“Comrade Wang, do you have anyone to take care of you? Should I call someone to help?” Liu Yu kindly covered him with a blanket and offered to run errands for him.

“No.”

Wang Changping shook his head. His reply was blunt and brief, as usual.

Liu Yu clicked her tongue. The educated youth, having left the city for the countryside, were supposed to support each other, but here was Wang Changping, sick and with no one to care for him. It seemed like he wasn’t well-liked—truly a lonely star.

But he was sick, and no one could leave him without help. Liu Yu sighed, thinking that fate had its way of testing people’s resilience. She couldn’t refuse.

“Comrade Wang, if you don’t mind, I can take care of you for a while. But I have to work, so I can only come when I’m free. Is that okay with you?”

She tucked the blanket around him again, and of course, if Wang Changping was like other educated youth and had prejudices against her, she would leave him to his own devices.

Wang Changping pulled the blanket up to his chin. His face had a slight flush, likely from being sick, but there didn’t seem to be any dislike for her: “Thank you for your trouble.”

Liu Yu thought for a moment and then snapped her fingers: “Drink more hot water!”

“Drink more hot water”—the quintessential line from a scumbag.

But from a health perspective, it was necessary for a feverish patient to drink a lot of hot water.

Without hesitation, Liu Yu walked straight to the kitchen, grabbed some dry firewood, and boiled a large pot of hot water.

She also thought about the patient needing nutrition. She scooped out half of the hot water into another container, then slaughtered a chicken, cleaning and preparing it swiftly.

—-

In Wang Changping’s kitchen, Liu Yu rummaged around and found a half-sized ceramic basin, which she used to put the chicken in and placed it in the cupboard. She filled a thermos with hot water and placed it, along with a glass, on Wang Changping’s bedside.

“Comrade Wang, drink this hot water. The more you drink, the quicker you’ll recover. Alright, I’m going to report to the production team now. As for that chicken, let me prepare it for soup. It’s the most nutritious for a patient!”

Liu Yu said with a smile, though her grin didn’t improve her chubby face much.

A timely gesture is always better than a distant one. Wang Changping felt truly grateful and also thought that Liu Yu was quite different from the rumors. The others said Liu Yu was lazy, pretentious, and unpleasant, but the Liu Yu in front of him was efficient and hardworking, just a slightly chubby girl.

“Alright, after work tonight, I’ll make you chicken soup.”

Liu Yu did all of this because Wang Changping had saved her life, and she wanted to return the favor.

“Mm, I’ll remember that.”

Wang Changping, holding the cup of hot water, slowly spoke. After drinking some of it, the redness on his face became more pronounced.