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Wen Qinghe dreamed that she had fallen into molten lava, her entire body engulfed by flames, burning and painful.
“Ugh… it’s so hot…”
In a daze, a touch of coolness brushed her forehead. She didn’t even have time to feel it before the soothing chill disappeared.
With no relief, the burning pain in her limbs made her whimper miserably.
“Waaah… it hurts…”
A male voice called anxiously, soothing her:
“Qingqing, sweetheart… I’ll take you to the doctor…”
——————————————
It wasn’t until nearly dawn that Yan Xiao realized something was wrong with the little girl’s temperature. At first, she had just been murmuring softly about the heat, kicking off the quilt with restless feet.
He had patiently tucked her back under the covers again and again.
After last night, fearing she might have nightmares, he had stayed by her bedside all night.
But as morning approached, he noticed her breathing had become heavy, and her little face was unnaturally flushed. When he touched her, he realized she was burning up.
His heart ached as if it were being whipped repeatedly, wishing he could take the illness himself.
Not daring to delay, he quickly wrapped her in his clothes, held her in his arms, and rushed her to town to see Doctor Ling.
Although the village had a local doctor, the girl’s condition was delicate, and he didn’t trust anyone else.
Fortunately, the rain had stopped, though the roads were muddy and rough—so much so that even a bull cart might not be faster than his own feet.
Even so, it took him over an hour.
Feeling her fevered body in his arms, her soft, fine hair dampened and sticking to her face with sweat, her lips starting to flush from the heat, he saw that she no longer murmured softly, only furrowed her brows and breathed faintly.
Yan Xiao’s brow furrowed, eyes bloodshot, his voice trembling and hoarse:
“Qingqing! Just hold on a little longer—we’re almost there…”
——————————————
In a small courtyard filled with the aroma of herbs, Doctor Ling Qing saw the rain had stopped and was laying herbs out to dry.
“Doctor Ling! Hurry! Qingqing has a fever!”
Hearing this, his beard trembled.
Tsk, always trouble for Doctor Ling; never a dull moment for the old man.
But when it came to a patient, he dared not slack off.
Seeing the girl’s flushed face, he still flinched slightly.
“Oh dear, how did she get a fever?”
Yan Xiao pressed his lips together. “She was startled last night, and on top of that, it rained heavily…”
Doctor Ling quickly sat and took her pulse. Each passing second felt like an eternity to Yan Xiao—he nearly wanted to crush a fly between his eyebrows from the stress.
Finally, Doctor Ling spoke: “It’s good you brought her here; it’s not severe. I’ll prescribe some medicine—once she takes it, she’ll be fine.”
Yan Xiao relaxed but worried she disliked bitter medicine.
“Can you make it sweet? She doesn’t like bitter medicine.”
Doctor Ling gave him a sharp look. “Do you take me for a chef? I can’t make it taste good for you!”
He stroked his beard and added: “Good medicine tastes bitter but cures illness. You can’t spoil her too much. Lucky timing—you brought her just as it’s time for acupuncture, or my old bones would have been worked to death by following you.”
——————————————
When it was time to give the girl acupuncture, Ling Huaqing had Yan Xiao remove her outer coat. Beneath it, her originally fair, delicate neck and ears were covered with tiny red rashes.
He hurriedly helped remove the coat, his face filled with shock. “Her neck… how did it get like this?”
Ling Huaqing: “That’s because of you. This jacket is yours, right? She’s allergic to rough fabrics. Apply this ointment three times a day, and it should clear in two days.”
He tossed the ointment from the cupboard and began the acupuncture.
Yan Xiao looked at the red patches on her neck, guilt piercing him—he wished he could punish himself.
——————————————
One hour later, Ling Huaqing finished the treatment.
“All done. Acupuncture will continue every three days. Just make sure she stays warm and avoids cold or overexertion. After taking the medicine, you can take her home. Don’t disturb my wife’s rest.”
“Thank you so much!”
Ling Huaqing muttered to himself—when it came to this girl, his manners were surprisingly polite…
——————————————
Hongxing Brigade.
Last night’s storm had devastated many households; numerous roofs had been ripped off.
The worst hit was the Educated Youth Camp.
Old houses, poorly maintained, situated in the lowlands of Fengjia Village, were battered by the storm. Several roofs were missing tiles here and there.
The houses leaked, flooded, and were temporarily uninhabitable.
Fortunately, everyone had noticed in time and evacuated, so no one was injured.
As for items soaked by water, they could only be sorted out once the sun came out.
Yet the youths needed a place to stay. After Fang Ming had been taken, eleven remained.
After careful consideration, the brigade leader decided to arrange the youths in villagers’ homes.
Everyone was called on to help if possible. Once the busy season passed and the camp was repaired, they could return.
At first, nobody was happy—crowding into a house with others, sharing beds, extra mouths to feed, and limited rations.
Silence fell over everyone.
Feng Dabing, temples throbbing with frustration, added sternly:
“The youths aren’t free lodgers—you’ll still contribute your rations. Plus, an extra person is extra labor. You won’t lose out.”
Hearing this, people relaxed and began choosing which youth they wanted.
Naturally, the stronger, more capable ones were picked first. Even Feng Dabing’s wife chose a girl youth.
In the end, ten of the eleven youths had been placed.
Only Wen Qinghe remained. Nobody wanted the trouble.
She was beautiful, like a fairy, but in these times, beauty didn’t put food on the table.
Since arriving at the brigade, she had only worked a day before exhausting herself.
Weak, unable to carry or farm properly, and reportedly often lying down—who would want to take care of her?
Feng Dabing twitched with frustration—this girl was a real problem. The corn harvest was starting, yet someone had to care for her.
At that moment, Yan Xiao appeared, dusty and hurried:
“She doesn’t go to anyone else’s home. She’s my fiancée, so she can only come to my house. We’re about to get married. After the harvest, I’ll invite everyone to our wedding banquet!”