Qin Yuan completely lost her appetite. Anxiety and frustration churned inside her.
She blamed herself for not being careful enough. How could she have forgotten that Fan Jianjun, the Director of Public Security, was related to Hu Yinglian?
In her previous life, Hu Yinglian and her two children had managed to keep her in the dark for an entire lifetime. That alone proved how meticulous and calculating the family was. They never left loose ends.
After all, someone had to break open the ice and cut the rope that marked the safe path across the frozen river. There was no way a single person could have done everything alone.
The mother and her two children must have all been involved.
Which meant that the moment Qin Wang mentioned that he had “called the County Public Security Bureau,” they had already become wary.
That was probably why they had immediately gone to Director Fan for support.
More importantly, now that an injured man had been found at the forest farm, Hu Yinglian and Xia Min might also suspect that he had something to do with Qin Yuan.
What if the mother and daughter returned home, discussed the matter, and decided that the rescued man posed a threat to them and their plans?
They might become desperate enough to silence her savior for good.
The more Qin Yuan thought about it, the more anxious she became. Her heart practically leaped into her throat.
She immediately threw on her padded coat and stood up.
“Mom! I have to go to the forest farm across the river right now and get my savior transferred to another hospital!”
Ming Shuangfeng didn’t dare stop her, but she frowned worriedly.
“But you still don’t have the transfer letter or the money!”
“Director Fan is one of Hu Yinglian’s relatives. Do you really think I can go to the production brigade and successfully get an introduction letter or ask for an advance on my work points? They might already be waiting for me to walk straight into their trap so they can accuse me of colluding with a vagrant!”
Qin Yuan explained her concerns. Afraid of frightening her mother too much, she quickly tried to reassure her.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll find a way. You just need to keep an eye on things at home. And Xiaowang…”
Qin Yuan looked worriedly at her younger brother.
“If you go anywhere, make sure you tell Mom exactly where you’re going. Hu Yinglian didn’t get what she wanted, so she’ll definitely see our entire family as a thorn in her side. Understand?”
“I understand.”
Qin Wang nodded firmly.
“And if you notice Xia Min doing anything suspicious, do exactly what you did today. Be cautious, leave immediately, and don’t alert them that you’ve noticed anything.”
“Got it, Sis. I can tell now that no one in Xia Min’s family is any good. I’ll keep my guard up!”
Seeing how seriously Qin Wang promised, Qin Yuan finally felt a little more at ease.
She turned to leave, but Ming Shuangfeng hurriedly stuffed a cloth bundle into her hands.
“Ah-Yuan, you haven’t fully recovered yourself, and that young man who saved you… sigh. There are some steamed buns left over from this morning in the bundle. That’s all we have at home. If the boy is able to eat, warm them up before feeding him. We mustn’t mistreat the man who saved your life.”
“I know, Mom. Don’t worry. I’ll definitely save him. It’s just that he’s seriously ill, so I might not be able to come home tonight… but I promise I’ll come back at least once within three days. If the Xia family comes here to cause trouble, don’t open the door!”
Ming Shuangfeng’s eyes were filled with worry and conflict, but in the end, she gently nodded.
“I understand. You… sigh! Just be careful. Please.”
Only then did Qin Yuan tighten her grip on the bundle and turn to leave.
She deliberately straightened her back and made her steps look strong and energetic.
Because she knew her mother was standing at the doorway, watching her leave.
But the moment Qin Yuan walked out of the village, her tense shoulders immediately sagged.
She was exhausted.
So terribly exhausted.
But she couldn’t stop.
If Director Fan really reported her savior as a vagrant, then even if nothing else happened, he certainly wouldn’t receive timely medical treatment.
She had to find a way to transfer him as soon as possible.
Fortunately, Doctor Qiao at the forest farm clinic was a kindhearted man.
When Qin Yuan hurried back to the clinic, Doctor Qiao was gently wiping the young man’s arm with a warm towel.
Filled with gratitude, Qin Yuan quickly approached and offered to help.
“Doctor Qiao, why don’t you let me do it?”
Doctor Qiao shook his head and softened his voice.
“You don’t know how to do this yet. There’s a proper technique to it. Your movements have to be extremely gentle. Here, feel the water temperature. It can’t be any hotter or colder than this, or you could damage his skin.”
He sighed.
“I’m only going the extra mile because so many of you came here earlier, yet you were the only one willing to pay for his treatment. But what I’m doing can only help temporarily. It won’t solve the real problem. You still need to transfer him to the county hospital as soon as possible. Otherwise, such a healthy young man could end up disabled for life.”
Qin Yuan’s gaze fell upon the hospital bed, and her heart immediately tightened.
The young man remained completely motionless.
His complexion was pale with a bluish tint, and his lips were purple.
He looked exactly the same as when she had left.
Seeing him lying there on the verge of death made her heart ache terribly.
She took a deep breath before quietly asking,
“Doctor Qiao, may I ask you something? Other than getting a transfer certificate from the production brigade, is there any other way to have the county hospital admit him?”
Doctor Qiao looked her up and down, confusion appearing in his eyes.
“Didn’t you say he was your friend? How come you couldn’t even get an introduction letter? Just take his household registration booklet to the brigade and have them issue the certificate. It’s very simple!”
Ever since Qin Yuan heard Director Fan threaten to label her savior a “vagrant,” how could she possibly dare admit that she didn’t even know this man?
And if she didn’t know him, how could she possibly have his household registration booklet?
She forced out an awkward smile.
“Well… I was afraid his family would worry, so I didn’t dare go get any of his documents.”
“This… ah!”
Doctor Qiao frowned.
“If you don’t have his household registration booklet, his work ID will do. If absolutely necessary, even a marriage certificate can be used to verify his identity. With something like that, the brigade would be willing to issue the necessary paperwork. How could you not have a single document?”
Qin Yuan scratched her head awkwardly.
She didn’t dare tell him the truth, so she hurriedly changed the subject.
“By the way, Doctor Qiao, there’s also the matter of money. Given his condition, could the county hospital admit him first and let us pay the remaining expenses later?”
Doctor Qiao seemed to notice her predicament and stopped questioning her.
He answered frankly.
“If he has a work ID and an introduction letter, then yes, the county hospital could admit and treat him first. The remaining paperwork and reimbursement could be handled afterward. But if he has neither identification nor money, who would dare admit him?
“And you need to understand something else. In his current condition, he absolutely cannot be moved casually. An ambulance has to come and pick him up. Otherwise, how exactly are you planning to get him to the county hospital? On an ox cart? It’s forty kilometers away! Are you trying to have him die halfway there?
“You should also know that there’s only one ambulance in the entire county. It can’t be dispatched without an approval letter from the county hospital. And to get that approval letter, you need a work unit willing to guarantee his identity.
“You have none of that.
“Put yourself in their position. With no identification, no guarantee, and no paperwork, would you send the county’s only ambulance all the way out to this remote mountain village?”
By the time Doctor Qiao finished speaking, Qin Yuan felt completely overwhelmed.
She couldn’t help wondering—
In her previous life, had her savior actually survived?
If everything Doctor Qiao said was true, then without proof of identity, without an introduction letter, and without an approval letter, the hospital wouldn’t have dispatched an ambulance.
In that case, he most likely…
Qin Yuan couldn’t bear to continue that thought.
Tears of guilt gathered in her eyes, but she stubbornly forced them back.
She straightened her back and pressed one hand firmly against her pocket.
At that moment, she made an important decision.
“Doctor Qiao, I’m going to find a way to contact his… work unit right now. You have a telephone here, don’t you? Could I borrow it?”
Doctor Qiao looked troubled and hesitated.
Qin Yuan hurriedly added,
“Doctor Qiao, I’m willing to pay two yuan! I’ll only make one call, and I’ll keep it under three minutes. I promise I won’t cause you any trouble!”
Doctor Qiao sighed.
In the end, his kind heart won out.
“Come with me.”
Qin Yuan: He doesn’t have a work unit? I’ll invent one for him.
No parents? I’ll invent two.
No wife? I’ll give him…
I’ll give him myself!