Han Qingying and the members of Li Yang's team exchanged glances, their expressions quickly replaced with concern. Without another word, they swiftly set down their ice creams and hurried downstairs to check on the situation.
At the entrance of the Store, a woman held her daughter, who was breathing faintly with flushed cheeks, wailing in despair. Beside her stood the injured eldest brother, along with the anxious second brother and the elderly father—the entire family wore expressions of deep sorrow.
Members of the Field Operations Department had already gathered around helpfully, inquiring about the situation with concern. Li Yang, Han Qingying, and the others also joined the group.
The girl’s mother choked back sobs, her voice trembling violently. “It’s been two days since she got heatstroke, and she’s not getting any better. We’ve given her water and tried cooling her down with wiping, but she’s only getting worse!”
As she spoke, she cried even harder. The girl in her arms seemed to sense her mother’s grief and stirred weakly, but she barely had the strength left to even moan. The exhaustion from the journey had pushed her already fragile body to the brink of collapse.
Han Qingying’s heart tightened sharply. As a nursing graduate, she knew all too well how severe the consequences could be if heatstroke wasn’t treated promptly and effectively.
If heatstroke drags on, it can lead to heatstroke illness! Heatstroke illness is fatal, with an extremely high mortality rate!
“Auntie, please don’t panic. I studied medicine in university—let me take a look,” Han Qingying stepped forward, soothing her gently.
Li Yang and the other team members also helped calm the distraught family. Everyone made space so Han Qingying could work effectively. “Everyone, step back a little to keep the air flowing!”
Han Qingying crouched down, gently touching the girl’s burning forehead before checking her pupils and tongue coating. Her brows furrowed tightly. “This is severe heatstroke. If it continues like this, it could be life-threatening.”
The woman’s face instantly turned as pale as paper, as if the sky had collapsed. Her body trembled violently, on the verge of breaking down.
Qin Zhiyuan frowned and spoke up supportively at the right moment, his tone filled with concerned worry. “What do you need to save her? I can provide whatever is necessary here.”
Han Qingying’s eyes lit up immediately. She looked up, her gaze full of trust. “Boss, could you prepare some ice cubes? If you have some light saltwater, that would be even better!”
Qin Zhiyuan nodded promptly, turning to open the refrigerator.
These items were simple enough. To make iced Sour plum soup, he had pre-frozen a whole drawer of ice cubes, which now came in handy. Light saltwater was even simpler—just add a bit of salt to mineral water.
A large cup of ice cubes and a large cup of light saltwater were placed at the entrance of the Store. Han Qingying was already accustomed to items appearing out of thin air at the Store’s entrance, but for the others, it was their first time witnessing such a sight. They couldn’t help but widen their eyes at the two large containers.
Han Qingying paid no mind to the reactions of those around her. She quickly picked up the ice cubes and carefully placed them on the damp towel draped over the girl’s forehead.
The damp towel, which had been warmed by the heat, quickly cooled under the effect of the ice cubes, beginning to serve its purpose of physical cooling.
“Thank you, thank you so much!” The girl’s father cried tears of joy, bowing repeatedly in gratitude.
“It’s alright, she’ll get better,” Han Qingying reassured the girl’s mother while swiftly continuing her work.
The woman, her face streaked with tears, nodded vigorously, tightly clutching her daughter’s hand as if holding onto her last shred of hope.
"Auntie, help me wipe Nannan's palms, soles, armpits, and other areas with ice cubes. This will help cool her down faster," Han Qingying instructed.
The woman quickly nodded, took ice cubes from the cup, and carefully wiped the girl's body as Han Qingying directed.
Han Qingying lifted the girl and brought a cup of water to her lips, gently coaxing, "Drink some diluted saltwater to replenish fluids and electrolytes."
The girl's lips were dry, and she struggled to open her mouth, slowly swallowing a few sips while making faint sounds in her throat.
Han Qingying focused intently on her condition, occasionally adjusting the ice pack's position and feeding her a few more sips of diluted saltwater.
The Store wasn't hot, and with this cooling routine, the girl's breathing seemed to stabilize slightly. Her once-burning forehead gradually felt cooler, and her complexion improved a bit.
The woman's hands trembled slightly as she caressed the girl's cheek. "Nannan, you'll get better. Mommy is here."
Seeing the girl's condition stabilize, Han Qingying couldn't help but sigh in relief. However, she knew this was only a temporary relief. To fully recover, medication was essential.
"Store owner, do you have medicine for heatstroke? She's suffering from severe heatstroke and won't recover easily without medication," Han Qingying asked Qin Zhiyuan for help. Even the most skilled housewife can't cook without rice.
In the Post-apocalypse, human resources were only consumed, with little to no production. Precious items like medicine were simply beyond the reach of ordinary people like them.
Qin Zhiyuan frowned, thinking for a moment. "Yes, but it's not in the store. You'll need to wait about ten minutes while I retrieve it."
His medicine was stored in a medical kit at home. The trip from the warehouse to his home took about ten minutes, and if he walked briskly, he could make the round trip in twenty. He could fetch it quickly.
Upon hearing this, the girl's family was filled with gratitude. Not only did the store owner not have the medicine in stock, but he was also willing to retrieve it from elsewhere.
The girl's mother burst into tears again. She pulled her entire family and was about to kneel before Qin Zhiyuan. "Boss, thank you so much! You're our savior. We're willing to pay any price!"
Qin Zhiyuan was startled and quickly reached out, gently supporting them with his fingers to prevent them from kneeling. "No need to kneel. Saving lives is what matters."
From the perspective of others, it seemed as though an invisible force had lifted the kneeling family to their feet. Instantly, the onlookers' gazes grew even more reverent and respectful.
The store owner must be a god! Who else could lift someone without touching them?
"Wait a moment. I'll go retrieve the medicine now," Qin Zhiyuan said, grabbing his keys and turning to leave the warehouse quickly.
While waiting, Han Qingying continuously wiped the girl's face with a damp towel, softly encouraging her from time to time. "Hold on a little longer. The medicine will be here soon."
The mother wiped her tears with trembling hands. "Young lady, it's all thanks to you. We wouldn't have known what to do without you."
Han Qingying smiled. "Saving lives is paramount. It's what should be done."
Time passed second by second, feeling unbearably long. Just as everyone was growing anxious, Qin Zhiyuan's voice finally rang out again, carrying a hint of breathlessness from the intense exertion.
He jogged while carrying the items and rode a shared bicycle, completing the round trip within fifteen minutes, thoroughly exhausting himself. "I'm back, wait a moment, I'll give you the medicine now."
What Qin Zhiyuan brought back was Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. Pills and capsules were too large for the little people to consume, but Huoxiang Zhengqi Water could be poured into a cup for them to drink.
He took a moment to steady his rapid breathing, deftly removed the outer packaging of the Huoxiang Zhengqi Water, cut open a small opening, picked up the prepared small measuring cup, and carefully poured the Huoxiang Zhengqi Water into it. The transparent liquid, carrying its distinctive medicinal aroma, gradually filled the measuring cup.
Once finished, he gently placed the measuring cup steadily in front of the girl's family and instructed Han Qingying, "This is Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. As for the dosage, you can decide based on the situation."
Han Qingying nodded, holding the cup to feed the girl a few sips of the Huoxiang Zhengqi Water. The pungent smell made Nannan instinctively furrow her brow, but with Han Qingying's gentle coaxing, she reluctantly swallowed it sip by sip.
Seeing that the dosage was sufficient, Han Qingying immediately stopped feeding the medicine. After all, all medicine has its toxicity, and drinking too much of this stuff wouldn't be good either.
Qin Zhiyuan brought over the entire medical kit. He had already noticed that not only was the girl's physical condition not great, but her older brother standing beside her also had an injured arm.
The bright red bloodstains on his clothes were glaringly fresh, clearly left not long ago. Most likely, he had been attacked and wounded by Mutant Beasts on the way to the Store. If not disinfected and treated for inflammation, festering and infection could become serious problems.
Qin Zhiyuan opened the medical kit, where various medicines and medical supplies were neatly arranged, readily available for him to use.
He unscrewed the cap of the Iodophor bottle, the brownish-yellow liquid swaying slightly at the mouth of the bottle. Tilting the bottle gently, he poured the Iodophor into the small measuring cup.
Next, he picked up a few children's fine cotton swabs, snapped them in half with a bit of force to shorten their length, making them easier for the little people to handle.
Qin Zhiyuan gently placed the items in front of the injured young man, his voice carrying a tone of gentle concern.
"Clean the wound on your arm as well."
"Don't let it get infected."
Author's Note: