When Yunyi saw Geng Erhong on the road, she placed a straw hat directly on her head.
Geng Erhong was delighted. "Oh dear, I completely forgot about the straw hat! It’s a good thing you remembered. How much is it? I’ll pay you."
Yunyi didn’t refuse. After all, clear accounts make for good friends. "Fifteen cents."
Geng Erhong, always impulsive, immediately took the money from her trouser pocket and handed it to Yunyi. "Take it. Thank you for thinking of me. Otherwise, I’d likely be itching to death again this afternoon."
The afternoon work was the same as the morning: applying supplementary fertilizer to the cornfield.
However, they had only been working for a short while when chaos erupted outside. "Branch Secretary, Branch Secretary! Something terrible has happened! Doctor Gong was gored by a wild boar while picking herbs on the mountain!" Google seaʀᴄh novᴇlfire.net
The Branch Secretary immediately dropped what he was doing. "What? Where is he? Where is he now?"
The messenger panted, "He’s almost at the foot of the back mountain. People from the neighboring Ma Family’s village carried him back."
Hearing this, the Branch Secretary, anxious and flustered, called several strong young men and ran with them towards the back mountain.
This caused an uproar among those working in the cornfield. "It’s not even autumn harvest yet, how can wild boars be coming down from the mountains?"
"I ran into Doctor Gong. He said he was going up the mountain to pick herbs. Could he have gone into the deep mountains?"
"When did you see him?"
"It was this morning, on my way to work. We walked together for a bit, and he even said that the weather looked like it might be building up to rain, and his medicinal herbs were running low, so he needed to go and prepare some more."
Everyone stopped working. Many people ran towards the foot of the back mountain, while others stood at the edge of the field, looking towards the back mountain and discussing the incident.
Before long, cries were heard. "Dad, hold on!"
Gong Baotong, who had come to work in place of a family member, also ran over. Doctor Gong was, after all, his kinsman. When he saw Doctor Gong’s condition, he was horrified. "Uncle Yang, my Fourth Uncle is so badly injured, I’m afraid he won’t make it to the commune health center. We need to stop the bleeding first!"
The Branch Secretary knew this all too well. "But Lin Fang is on leave and not in the village. She’s gone to the military unit to visit her sister-in-law."
At that moment, Gong Baotong thought of Yunyi and said, "Uncle Yang, an educated youth—the newly arrived Chu Zhiqing—knows medicine. We can ask her to come help stop the bleeding before we take him to the health clinic."
The Gong Family patriarch also hurried over. He had previously heard Gong Baotong mention what happened on the train.
Without waiting for the Branch Secretary to speak, he made a swift decision. "Gengtian, have someone find Chu Zhiqing and bring her to the brigade health clinic. Sending Fuwen to the commune in this state... I’m afraid that won’t work."
Yunyi was still in the field, banking soil around the plants, when she heard someone calling her from afar, "Chu Zhiqing, Chu Zhiqing! Stop what you’re doing and come out, quick!"
Hearing the shouts from the edge of the field, Yunyi said a word to Geng Erhong and Liu Chenglin, then walked out. "Do you need me for something?"
The person was drenched in sweat. "Yes, it’s a matter of utmost urgency! Please come with me to the brigade health clinic right away."
Without giving Yunyi a chance to speak, the person grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the health clinic.
When they arrived, Gong Baotong looked somewhat apologetic. "Chu Zhiqing, I’m sorry. It’s a matter of life and death, so I had no choice but to reveal that you know medicine."
Yunyi didn’t blame him. Instead, she looked at the injured man, who was a bloody mess.
The Branch Secretary’s forehead was covered in sweat from anxiety. "Chu Zhiqing," he pleaded, "please help us save him."
At that moment, Doctor Gong’s son, so anxious he was almost incoherent, blurted out, "Chu Zhiqing, my younger cousin said you’re very capable—your medical skills, yes, your medical skills are excellent! Please, save my dad! Rest assured, no matter the outcome, our family absolutely won’t try to blame you or cause trouble!"
Many Gong Family members chimed in, their faces etched with fear, clearly worried Yunyi might refuse.