“Oh,” Jin Qiu responded, somewhat reluctantly retreating to his original position. However, he couldn’t help but reach out one more time to tidy the stray hairs on Bai Lu’s forehead.
Although it was very late, neither of them mentioned leaving. Even just sitting together in silence brought them an unprecedented sense of peace. But no matter how long they sat, they eventually had to part. Jin Qiu didn’t want Bai Lu to lose her precious rest time just to sit there with him. After all, the medical staff had to care for so many wounded; they were so busy that their heels nearly hit the backs of their heads, and nighttime was their only chance to squeeze in some sleep. Without proper rest, they wouldn’t have the energy to care for the patients during the day.
Bai Lu and Jin Qiu walked one after the other through the rural wilderness. Jin Qiu didn’t turn to leave until he had escorted her near the tents and watched her go inside. Bai Lu returned to the tent and crouched down next to Wen Nuan to rest.
As soon as dawn broke, another busy day began. Most of the injured here were using medicine Bai Lu had purchased from the Myriad Realms Mall. The effects were superior, and everyone recovered quickly. Those who were sufficiently recovered went to the victim relocation centers to find their families. The woman who had given birth and her baby were also found by their family and reunited. As for what the future held, no one knew; after all, life is what you make of it.
By the seventh day after the geological disaster, the rescue and treatment were largely complete. The seriously injured had long since been transferred to hospitals in surrounding cities. Consequently, the doctors and nurses who had come from Heyi County to provide support were sent back.
On the bus ride home, everyone leaned back in their seats in silence. No one spoke—they were either exhausted or simply didn’t feel like talking. Bai Lu leaned against her seat, looking out the window. She hadn’t expected that the night she gave Jin Qiu the chicken leg would be the last time they would see each other for a while. She wondered when their next meeting would be.
The thought of Jin Jialing’s imminent return gave Bai Lu a bit of a headache. She hoped he didn’t view her as a prize he was unwilling to let go of. However, she had a plan to make Jin Jialing bring up the “breakup” himself, without tarnishing her or Jin Qiu’s reputation. In truth, they hadn’t actually had a formal engagement ceremony witnessed by parents or friends; the “engagement” was just something Jin Jialing told people. Therefore, the “breakup” had to be initiated by him.
If she simply ended things and got together with Jin Qiu, people would suspect they had been having an affair all along. They would spend their lives being pointed at, and future generations might misunderstand them, turning their story into gossip and a laughingstock for a hundred years. If they were to be together, it had to be open, honorable, and clean.
Unless they left this area entirely. However, having lived in the North for a lifetime in her previous existence, Bai Lu was more accustomed to life here. she had no desire to return to her hometown in the South; she felt zero sense of belonging there.
The only reason to go back would be to use her money to buy several plots of land in cities outside her hometown and hold onto them for appreciation. Many foreigners would eventually come to the South to invest and build factories, causing land prices to skyrocket. A simple plot would eventually be worth millions or tens of millions, while right now, a square meter cost only a few dozen yuan. Buying a thousand or ten thousand square meters now would mean massive wealth in ten years, achieving true financial freedom.
When the bus arrived at the county hospital, the local staff disembarked, and the vehicle continued on to take the township hospital staff back. In the entirety of Heyi County, there were only two hospitals: the county hospital and the township hospital. The township hospital was located about two hours away from the main town, a site chosen to make medical care more accessible to the surrounding production brigades.
In her previous life, this hospital had always existed but was never renovated, becoming increasingly dilapidated over the years. As young people moved to the cities, leaving only the elderly and children in the villages, the township hospital eventually became little more than a place for old people and kids to get IV drips—essentially no different from a village clinic.
When the bus finally stopped at the hospital entrance and everyone was eager to get off, the head nurse stood by the door and turned to face them.
“Everyone has worked hard during this period. You’ll have tomorrow and the day after off to rest. Starting the day after that, I expect you to work hard.”
“Yes, Head Nurse! We will work hard!” everyone responded in unison. With two days off, they planned to sleep until they lost track of time.
After getting off the bus, Bai Lu stood at the back of the line to wait for her luggage. She intended to wait until everyone else was done, but Gao Chen brought her luggage over to her.
Bai Lu felt quite embarrassed. “Dr. Gao, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Didn’t you help me earlier?” Gao Chen handed the suitcase to her. “Nurse Bai, regarding the money for the supplies you bought for me—can I pay you back when you come to work the day after tomorrow?”
“That’s fine,” Bai Lu nodded. She took her suitcase and headed back to the dormitory with the others.
Once inside, they dropped their bags and grabbed their toiletries, heading straight for the showers. Wen Nuan was in the stall next to Bai Lu. While washing her hair, she said, “Bai Lu, let’s get some rest early today and head into town together tomorrow!”
“Sure!” Bai Lu agreed readily. She had already exchanged several tens of thousands in cash and could now afford to buy a house in the town or the county seat.
Houses were cheap at this time. In other cities, one or two thousand yuan could buy a large house with a courtyard; here, she could probably get one for a few hundred. In her previous life, she and Jin Qiu had only that one house, and after she transferred the deed to her grandson, she was kicked out. In this life, she intended to buy multiple houses to provide herself with her own sense of security.
After a long, satisfying shower, the girls returned to the dormitory, smelling fresh and laughing. The conditions were simple—no fans or air conditioning—so they sat around the table in the middle of the room, using cattail fans to cool themselves and dry their hair.
Wen Nuan asked while fanning herself, “Bai Lu, do you think we’ll have to go back to Su Shan City?”
“Hard to say,” Bai Lu shook her head. “If they can handle the workload there now, they won’t need us. But when post-disaster reconstruction gets busy, they might send us back to help.”
Wen Nuan reached back to scratch her shoulder. “I really don’t want to go back. I haven’t eaten or slept well these past few days; I’ve lost several pounds. And my calves and arms are so sore.”
“Want me to give you a massage?” Bai Lu raised an eyebrow.
Bai Lu was prepared to follow any orders the hospital gave her. Wherever they sent her, she would go. She hadn’t refused even when she lacked experience in her past life; now that she was experienced, she certainly wouldn’t decline.
“Yes, please!” Wen Nuan said with a giggle, stretching her arm out toward Bai Lu.