Bai Lu had the “Myriad Realms Mall,” allowing her to purchase the exact same brands of soap and detergent she normally used. No matter how clever Wen Nuan was, she would never suspect that the items were bought from the mall rather than brought from their dormitory.
The first half of the night was when the county hospital nurses took their break. Bai Lu used this time to step out for some air and slipped over to the “kitchen” area. Thinking that the new mother and the wounded patients needed extra nutrition, she purchased a batch of pork ribs from the mall. These were meaty ribs, not just bare bones. To prevent the kitchen staff from distributing them unfairly, Bai Lu specifically used her left hand to write a note:
“Two pieces of ribs and one bowl of soup per person.”
Next, she bought another thousand catties of broken rice and a thousand catties of old pumpkin. Old pumpkins were very cheap—it cost less than six hundred mall coins for a thousand catties— and they made delicious pumpkin porridge or could simply be steamed, providing everyone with at least two pieces.
Worried that the ribs might spoil or be overlooked, Bai Lu moved a short distance away from the “kitchen” and threw a rock hard against the tent. Hearing the noise, the people inside came out to investigate. When their flashlights swept over the area and revealed the massive pile of ribs, they jumped with excitement. The commotion woke the others, and they immediately set to work processing the meat.
By stewing the ribs now, they would be ready to serve as soon as dawn broke.
At two o’clock in the morning, it was finally time for Bai Lu and Wen Nuan to rest. They took clean clothes and soap and left the tent. Bai Lu handed Wen Nuan a pear, and the two walked toward the river, eating as they went.
A male patient, resting in a spot closest to them, had woken up the moment they crouched by their suitcases to get their clothes. He listened intently to their movements and, once they stepped out, began to follow them stealthily.
He was incredibly excited, thinking that these two young, beautiful girls would soon be at his mercy. He considered himself lucky—was this what they called a blessing in disguise?
When they reached the river, Bai Lu scanned the surroundings with her flashlight. Once she was sure no one was around, she said to Wen Nuan, “You wash first; I’ll keep watch. Then we’ll swap. Don’t take your clothes off—just reach inside to wash. That way, if we run into someone, you can get out immediately.”
“Bai Lu, you’re so smart.” Wen Nuan remarked. If they took their clothes off and someone suddenly appeared, they wouldn’t be able to come ashore and would be forced to hide in the water.
“It’s not smarts, just experience,” Bai Lu said earnestly, carefully scanning the area again with her light. “Once you’ve traveled more in the future, you’ll understand.”
The conditions here weren’t the harshest; in truly desperate areas, there wouldn’t even be a place to bathe, and one would simply have to stay filthy.
Wen Nuan found a suitable spot, set down her flashlight, and waded into the river. She didn’t dare go too deep, staying just a few steps in. Though the water was chilly, the sensation of it submerging her body was incredibly refreshing.
Wen Nuan bent over to wet her hair, rubbed in some soap, and began scrubbing with both hands.
Standing on the bank, Bai Lu didn’t dare relax for a second, remaining in a state of high tension. If someone were to suddenly appear, would she and Wen Nuan be ‘stuck’ here? She still had many meaningful things to do and didn’t want to lose her life here; after all, a second chance at life wasn’t something that would happen repeatedly.
On the other side, the man would dive to the ground every time the flashlight beam swept in his direction, blending in with the weeds and rocks. This allowed him to avoid detection.
This time, as the man waited for Bai Lu’s flashlight to pass so he could continue his advance, someone suddenly stepped heavily onto his back. He was pinned firmly against the rocks below, and the sharp edges dug painfully into his skin.
“One arm is already broken, yet your wicked heart still won’t die? What is the point of saving someone like you? Are you worthy of the resources everyone spent on you and the effort poured into saving you?” Jin Qiu’s rubber-booted foot ground down hard, making the man howl in pain.
When the flashlight swept back, Bai Lu was surprised to see the figure standing in the circle of light. As the beam moved downward, she noticed the man pinned to the ground less than twenty meters away.
Bai Lu’s heart skipped a beat. She was relieved she had made Wen Nuan bathe with her clothes on. If this man had seen her, would he have tried to force Wen Nuan to marry him? At this time, the mindset in many rural areas was still quite traditional—they believed that if a man saw or touched a woman, they had to get married.
Some girls used this to force a man they liked to marry them, and men who couldn’t afford a bride price would use this method to snatch a wife for free.
Seeing Jin Qiu give her a “don’t worry” gesture, Bai Lu’s tense heart finally settled. With Jin Qiu watching over them, she felt both warm and sweet.
Although his behavior upon their reunion had been no different from a stranger’s, making it hard to discern his feelings, he clearly cared for her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have appeared here.
Once Wen Nuan finished bathing and came ashore, Bai Lu held up her nursing uniform as a screen so Wen Nuan could change behind it.
By the time Wen Nuan was dressed and it was Bai Lu’s turn to bathe, Jin Qiu had already dragged the man away.
He couldn’t deal with him openly because that would let everyone know Bai Lu had been bathing in the river at night, and it would make people wonder how a rescue worker knew she was there. However, he couldn’t just let him go easily, or there would be other victims in the future. He had to give him a lesson he would never forget so he could never harm anyone again.
Soon, blood-curdling screams like those of a slaughtered pig echoed from the depths of the woods.
The next morning, someone found a shirtless man in a pathetic state near the tents. He was quickly carried inside. Bai Lu knew he was the one Jin Qiu had stepped on because the man had never returned after their bath.
It was truly a waste of their efforts to care for him so diligently. To think he intended to harm them—did he have no conscience or a shred of gratitude?
Gao Chen came over to examine the man. His condition was too severe; the tent didn’t have the proper equipment to perform the necessary surgery. But without the operation, the man would lose his reproductive capacity.
Since Su Shan City was reeling from the geological disaster, there were currently no hospitals capable of such surgery. The only option was to send him to the Heyi County Hospital, which was about a four to five-hour journey. Since it was daytime and road conditions were better than at night, they could likely make it in just over three hours.