13
Longing for Home
In the afternoon, Lin Jianchun didn’t go out again, instead staying home waiting for Lu Xuanzhou’s return.
Unexpectedly, Lu Xuanzhou still hadn’t returned by dinnertime.
Mother Lu said, “Let’s not wait any longer, we should eat first.”
Little Lu, who had been working all afternoon, was already starving. “I’ll serve the rice.”
Because Lu Xuanzhou was supposed to come home, Mother Lu had specially cooked a full pot of rice. Little Lu served everyone a heaping bowl: “Hehe, since my brother didn’t come back, the three of us will have to work harder and eat more.”
Mother Lu wanted to put away the stir-fried chicken with pickled radish, but Lin Jianchun stopped her: “Mom, the pickled radish won’t taste good tomorrow.”
“Mom, my sister-in-law is right, it won’t be good tomorrow. We don’t know when my brother will be back, and it might spoil by then.”
Mother Lu glared at her younger son. “You and your big mouth. Your sister-in-law specially bought that to nourish your brother. He’s been on a business trip for several days…”
“Mom, I bought it for everyone to share,” Lin Jianchun quickly interrupted Mother Lu. Those words were too ambiguous—what did she mean by nourishing Lu Xuanzhou? At night, they just slept under the same quilt, that’s all.
“My sister-in-law is the best to me.”
Although Mother Lu felt sorry about Lin Jianchun spending money, she was pleased to see this elder sister-in-law willing to take care of Little Lu.
Perhaps the chicken was too nourishing, or Mother Lu’s words were too impactful, Lin Jianchun actually dreamed of Lu Xuanzhou.
She dreamed that Lu Xuanzhou was so hungry he was skin and bones, his abs no longer pleasant to touch—all she could feel were rows of ribs. It scared her awake.
Lin Jianchun suddenly felt her task was immense: if she wanted to touch abs, she’d have to raise him herself.
After washing her clothes, she first went to the State-run Restaurant to return the lunchbox, then asked Zhou Ying to save a meat dish for her.
Zhou Ying readily agreed, guessing that Lin Jianchun came from a well-off family and worked at the post office, hence being able to eat meat every few days. Such a quality regular customer was worth maintaining well.
Zhou Ying chatted with Lin Jianchun for a while until they heard commotion outside, then both went out to look.
“A car hit someone!”
“Don’t let the murderer escape!”
As soon as Lin Jianchun and Zhou Ying emerged, they saw chaos on the street—a jeep had hit someone and run over the victim’s leg.
Lin Jianchun watched as the three people who got out of the jeep were surrounded by the crowd. The three anxiously explained while constantly looking in one direction. They tried several times to break through but were pulled back each time.
“Comrades, we have urgent business to attend to. Could you please let us leave first? We will take full responsibility for the injured. We can leave our documents as collateral.”
The crowd saw their genuine anxiety, but someone in the group shouted: “No! You’ve killed someone! Who knows if you’re using fake documents to fool us?”
Lin Jianchun, sharp-eyed, sensed these three had the bearing of Chinese soldiers. Even while being jostled by the crowd, they never fought back, only anxiously explaining while trying to push through.
As Lin Jianchun squeezed through the crowd, she saw the two agitators nearly step on the injured person.
Lin Jianchun immediately pushed them. “What are you stirring up trouble for? You almost stepped on the injured person! If you kill someone by stepping on them, will you pay with your lives?”
Only then did the concerned citizens focus on the two agitators—they did seem rather shady.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, the two immediately turned and fled.
The three who had been cornered wanted to give chase, but were stopped by the crowd.
The three looked pleadingly at Lin Jianchun, who said, “Leave some form of identification—work credentials, anything that can prove who you are. Otherwise, how will the hospital track you down for medical expenses?”
The three tossed Lin Jianchun a unit identification card. After glancing at it, she promptly and solemnly put it away.
Noticing the crowd still blocking the way, Lin Jianchun shouted, “The injured person is still alive! Saving them is the priority!”
“Yes, yes, saving them is most important! Quickly take them to the hospital!”
Seizing the opportunity, the three agilely dashed off in pursuit.
Seeing the injured person had fallen unconscious and was bleeding from the head, Lin Jianchun hurriedly stopped the eager bystanders from moving them. “Wait! I know basic first aid. After being hit by a car, they shouldn’t be moved carelessly. Let four people lift them together in unison and place them on a wooden board.”
Zhou Ying suggested, “Let’s use the door plank from our State-run Restaurant.”
A state-run store provided a door plank, and once everyone had worked together to move the injured person onto it, they jogged toward the nearest Jingyi Fifth Hospital.
The doctor on duty was an elderly physician named Xu.
“Hurry, stop the bleeding for the patient. Prepare for a blood draw and expedite blood typing. The patient has lost too much blood and may need a transfusion.”
“Get an X-ray to check for fractures. Ask the orthopedics department head to prepare in the operating room.”
The nurses, receiving their orders, sprang into action, racing against death.
Doctor Xu personally wheeled the emergency bed to the radiology department, only to find the door tightly locked.
“Where is the radiology doctor?”
A young nurse from radiology whispered, “Director Xu, Dr. Li Yuehan always insists on starting work at nine.”
Doctor Xu slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering. “Well, which of you knows how to operate this CT machine?”
The young nurse shook her head. “Dr. Li Yuehan never allows us to be present when he uses this machine. He also says the radiation is high and it can only be used once a day at most.”
This CT machine had been imported from abroad. Due to its complex operation—entirely in English—and the foreign manufacturer’s requirement for a designated specialist to operate it, Jingyi Hospital had no choice but to agree in order to acquire the advanced equipment. Unexpectedly, they ended up with a privileged figure they couldn’t easily manage, so they eventually assigned him to the branch, Fifth Hospital.
Seeing Director Xu’s expression darken, the young nurse quickly added, “I’ll go fetch Dr. Li Yuehan right now, but it might take twenty minutes round trip.”
Doctor Xu’s face turned grim, and he couldn’t resist cursing under his breath.
Lin Jianchun grew anxious. She still had the three soldiers’ unit identification in her pocket. If the injured person wasn’t saved in time, could it spark conflict between the military and civilians? If exploited by malicious parties, the situation could escalate.
And that Dr. Li Yuehan wasn’t on duty.
Lin Jianchun stepped forward voluntarily: “How about letting me give it a try?”