Chapter 47: Injuries
“Where is the person?!”
“Just ahead at the corner of Clear Water Ditch.”
Tan Dafeng, with cold air seeping out from his body, said nothing and whipped the ox’s butt hard.
Normally, this ox would be treated like a treasure no matter which brigade it was in—who would dare treat it like this? Getting a harsh scolding from the Brigade Leader would be the least of it!
But there were priorities, and Xu Qiang knew he was anxious to save people, so he could only turn his head and pretend not to see, though his chest hurt so much he kept gasping.
Only after smoothly finding the person and safely arriving at the hospital in town did that tension ease.
……
Su Ning, waking up to the distinctive smell of disinfectant, knew right away that she had arrived at the hospital.
As soon as she opened her eyes, cracked cement floor with fine fissures came into view, followed by a big face abruptly squeezing into sight.
“Su Ning, you’re awake? How do you feel? Anywhere uncomfortable?”
“Can you keep your voice down?”
Not scared to death, but shaken by his booming voice right by her ear, making her chest tight and nauseous.
Tan Dafeng lifted her up like a chick and moved her aside, then bent down and asked softly, “Ning Ning, where does it hurt?”
“A bit nauseous and want to vomit.”
“The doctor just said it’s mild concussion—nausea and vomiting are normal. There’s a big lump on your head.”
Seeing her face pale as she lay there head down, Tan Dafeng felt both angry and heartbroken—this person had left home perfectly fine at noon, and in just a short while, she was covered in wounds.
If he’d known, he wouldn’t have let that stubborn Da Zhu go deliver her; he should’ve gone himself!
“I’ll be fine after resting a bit, Uncle Tan, how did you come?”
“That kid from the Second Brigade ran frantically all the way to our brigade, and he had the sense to directly beat the big drum at the village entrance. I only heard about your accident when I came out.”
“What about the others, how are they?”
“Su Jianmin broke his arm, I injured my leg—medicated and put in plaster cast, nothing serious, don’t worry!”
Fu Jiaming, tiptoeing on his uninjured foot, poked his head out from behind the tall and burly Tan Dafeng and answered first.
Seeing doubt still in her eyes and her brows tightly furrowed, he continued breathlessly, “As for that guy Yan Qi, he broke two ribs and has a bruised femur, can’t move for now.”
How did he break two ribs?
Su Ning belatedly reached up to touch her forehead: mild concussion, ribs…
Could it be, her?
That blow to the head, too forceful?
Her body stiffened noticeably, and an uncomfortable awkwardness crept onto her face unconsciously.
“Cough, good that he broke them! If not two ribs, it would’ve been the skull, right?”
“Compared to the skull, anyone would choose to break the two ribs!”
Fu Jiaming, watching her expression change and thinking of their buddy awkwardly huddled on the sickbed, held back laughter as he persuaded, “Su Ning, doesn’t that make sense?”
Her expression immediately returned to normal, shaking off that tiny bit of guilt, Su Ning nodded imperceptibly: said like that, no problem!
But after all, it was her who injured him, even if to save him, she should still go see him.
She glanced at the IV drip hanging there, estimating it would finish in a little while.
“Uncle Tan, these look scary but they’re just superficial wounds. Why don’t you go back first?”
“Yeah, yeah, Uncle, rest assured, I can help take care of Su Ning!”
Tan Dafeng shot him an annoyed glance: why is this kid everywhere?
Heh, precisely because you’re here, I’m not reassured!
Ignoring him directly, Tan Dafeng thought of the ox cart and Brigade Leader still waiting outside the hospital, hesitated a bit, then nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I’ll go back and have Granny stew a pot of chicken soup to send over—you lost so much blood, you need to replenish well.”
“No need, Uncle Tan. Once the IV is done and I get the last medicine, I’ll be discharged. I’ll wait for you all tomorrow.”
“Ning Ning, you mustn’t push yourself, don’t joke with your own body!”
“I won’t, Uncle Tan, rest assured, I’m really fine.”
Minor injuries don’t keep him off the front line—even heavier ones Tan Dafeng had suffered before, but she wasn’t one of their rough-skinned tough guys, she was a delicate girl, so naturally he worried more.
But hearing her emphasize repeatedly that it was fine, Tan Dafeng said no more, though he stayed until the last bottle of IV was done before getting up to leave.
Only after he left and the hospital room held just the two of them did Fu Jiaming dare to breathe heavily, hopping over on his lame leg to the sickbed.
“You’re afraid of Uncle Tan?”
“Me? I’ve been scared by my old man since childhood—anyone with that same imposing manner makes me flinch!”
“Let me tell you, Su Ning, you don’t know the miserable experiences I had as a kid…”
……
With a ‘talent’ like Fu Jiaming there, time flew by like clockwork.
Dozing off hazily and waking again, the dizziness was mostly gone, and though her back still hurt, she could finally move a little.
After asking the doctor about precautions and getting the last medicine, Su Ning went to handle discharge.
Upon learning the medical expenses had been paid, she raised a brow and turned back to the inpatient building.
“Su Ning, why are you here? I was just about to visit you—look, I got food for you!”
Fu Jiaming, holding a lunchbox, opened the room door and saw her hand raised to knock, smiling as he stepped aside. “Perfect, eat it hot right here! Discharge done?”
“I’m here to see Comrade Yan, and to give you the medical expenses.”
While they spoke, Yan Bei on the sickbed heard the noise and quickly adjusted his undignified posture.
Sweating profusely until he turned sideways, then the two entered one after the other.
Fu Jiaming’s mouth curved up: he knew to save face for his good brother, but it wasn’t complying with the warning.
Unaware of their silent exchange, Su Ning smiled and greeted, then carefully sized up the half-reclining man for the first time.
Short hair at his forehead damp with sweat stuck in strands, deep eyes like a starry night sea, thin lips pressed tight under a high nose bridge.
“Are you, in a lot of pain?”
“Can endure.”
Yan Bei ignored the stinging pain and forced a smile at the corner of his mouth. “Haven’t thanked Comrade Su yet—thank you for saving my life.”
“You saved me first when we fell from the cart, so logically I should be the one thanking you.”
“How about you two just call it even?” Fu Jiaming opened the lunchbox lid and handed it to her. “We’re all friends who’ve shared life and death— no need to be so polite!”
Long curled lashes trembled slightly as Su Ning smiled and nodded, taking the lunchbox with both hands and thanking him.
“Right, Fu Jiaming, I forgot to ask last night about my clothes?”
“Oh, your clothes were punctured full of holes by gravel, so I… cough, threw them away. Sorry, how about I compensate you with a new one?”
“No need…”
“Hey, it’s settled then—when we get back to the factory and hand in the task this time, I’ll definitely bring one!”
After hastily eating enough to fill her stomach and insisting on leaving the medical expenses, it wasn’t convenient for her as a female comrade to stay, so she left the hospital first.
……
“The person’s gone, still looking?”
Fu Jiaming, back after seeing her off, saw him still in the same posture from when they left, eyes blankly fixed on the door.
Dragging a stool to sit beside him, he poked his arm curiously. “You, Comrade Yan Bei, you’re acting very strange—could it be…”
“Shut up!”
“Ow~ I’ll shut up, take it easy—I don’t want to send you to the emergency room again!”
……
Meanwhile, Su Ning leaving the hospital didn’t choose to take a ride back to Gu City, but went to the guesthouse to book a room.
When she slowly reached the room, closed the doors and windows, the sweat-soaked back made the wounds burn painfully.
Entering Peach Blossom Spring Space, she casually took a spare set of clothes from the bedroom, carefully removing the somewhat smelly patient clothes.
She fetched some clean water, wiped her body with a towel, then put on the new clothes and walked out into the yard.
“Good thing, no need to do it by hand myself!”
Looking at the space welcoming another bountiful harvest, she sighed, then skillfully used her spiritual power.
Until all the things were smoothly stored in the Underground Storage Room, her body, about to leave, suddenly paused.
Her back felt waves of numbness and itchiness—that was the sensation of wounds healing.
She immediately returned to the bedroom, quickly removed her clothes, and slowly tore open the gauze on the wounds.
Su Ning turned her back to the mirror and saw all the wounds on her back had healed and scabbed.
“This?”
Can the air in Peach Blossom Spring heal wounds?
