Chapter 886: Chapter 886: Going to the Countryside for Volunteer Medical Service Chapter 886: Chapter 886: Going to the Countryside for Volunteer Medical Service Lu Yichen saw everyone off to the hospital’s assembly point and watched them board the bus.
He was planning to wait until the bus left before leaving, but Luo Qiao rolled down the window, “Brother Chen, if you don’t leave now, you’ll be late for work.”
As she spoke, she took out a pen and wrote ‘love you’ in the palm of Lu Yichen’s hand.
Seeing the words, a smile curved Lu Yichen’s lips. He looked around and pretended to grip something in his hand, “Alright, then take good care of yourself, and remember to call me.”
After seeing Luo Qiao nod, he glanced at his wristwatch and reluctantly turned to leave.
A female comrade sitting next to her teased, “That must be your sweetheart, and he seems to find it hard to part with you.”
Luo Qiao turned with a smile on her face, “That’s my love, he worries about me traveling alone.”
The woman observed Luo Qiao’s delicate face, “You’re already married?”
Luo Qiao nodded.
At that moment, Nurse Zhang from the back seat spoke up, “Sister Qin, don’t you know Dr. Luo?”
Seeing her puzzled look, Nurse Zhang quickly explained, “This is the Dr. Luo who assisted Professor Chang in surgery, the one who brought honor to our hospital at the Shanghai medical exchange conference.”
Sister Qin laughed, “So you are Dr. Luo. I’ve heard colleagues mention you, but I’ve never had the chance to meet you personally, as I’m always in the pharmacy. You really are beautiful.”
Luo Qiao smiled, “Thank you for the compliment, Sister Qin. I didn’t realize I was so famous. I really appreciate everyone’s high regard.”
Sister Qin smiled at Luo Qiao, “To think you are so young yet already assisting Professor Chang in surgery, and now you’re capable of handling major surgeries on your own. Many people admire you, and some are jealous, but you are genuinely a talented, capable doctor with a sense of responsibility.
Most doctors and nurses who have worked with you give you a thumbs-up, so don’t be modest. You do have the qualities that make others envious, jealous, and even hateful.”
The others around laughed when they heard this, and many looked over at Luo Qiao. Indeed, despite her young age, her medical reputation was significant.
Her proactive volunteerism to join the medical team for rural outreach earned her even more recognition and admiration.
This time, there were over a dozen doctors from various departments, in addition to pharmacists, nurses, and support staff, necessitating the split into two groups for separate deployments.
Once everyone arrived, the leaders gave a few encouraging words, and the medical team finally set off from Capital City.
The destination for Luo Qiao and her group was the Southern Central Nanshan Mountain Area, centered around Yishui and Mengyin. Around noon, they found a local’s home to borrow a pot to cook a large pot of vegetable soup, which, along with the wheat-flour steamed buns brought from the canteen, solved their lunch.
After a brief rest, they set off again, and those who had ventured into rural areas before shared that their treatment this time was quite good—they even had a public bus to travel in, as opposed to the usual Jiefang trucks used in the past.
Luo Qiao fell asleep shortly after boarding the bus, but was soon jostled awake by the bumpy ride. The roads were all dirt, with some stretches running through riverbeds, riddled with potholes and protruding stones that made several passengers on the bus nauseous.
They arrived at their destination just as it was getting dark. As soon as the bus stopped, people came to escort them, arranging for them to stay at the commune middle school. Everyone was carrying simple bedding rolls.
It seemed the place had been tidied up in advance, and the welcoming comrade said, “Dinner is ready. After you’ve freshened up and eaten, we’ll discuss tomorrow’s plan.”
Luo Qiao and Sister Qin shared a room. Lu Yichen had specifically prepared a military mattress for her, which was dirt-resistant and had been aired out in advance. He also provided a towel blanket and a single-bed wool blanket, in case it was too thin during rainy days.
After settling in, the two took their meal boxes and went out. The locals had prepared a “Chanhung-style pot” with pork head meat, tofu, radish balls, and lamb soup. Despite the approaching darkness, the savory smell attracted many locals, with children climbing the wall to peek at the food in the courtyard, their eyes shining with eagerness.
Luo Qiao felt a pang as she saw this; life here was only just sufficient to keep bellies full. The children were enticed by the aroma and reluctant to leave, even as night fell.