At that moment, Yun Qinghuan was already sound asleep. In a drowsy state, she felt like she was holding a little fireball, scorching hot. Subconsciously, she tried to push it aside.
However, after several attempts, she couldn’t move the little fireball, which seemed to be sticking tightly to her.
Growing anxious, she abruptly opened her eyes, still somewhat groggy. Realizing that the warm bundle in her arms was An’an, she touched the little guy’s burning skin and instantly became fully awake. The first thing she did was quickly light the kerosene lamp by the bedside and then check on the child.
An’an’s face was flushed, probably due to Yun Qinghuan suddenly letting him go, making him feel extremely insecure. Frantically waving his hands in the air, he called out, “Dad, Mom!”
His cries grew louder, “Dad, Mom, don’t leave An’an!”
He sobbed, tears streaming down, looking very pitiful. However, his eyes remained tightly closed, indicating that he was still in a dream.
The death of Bai Wensong had indeed left him with a trauma.
Yun Qinghuan felt a pang of heartache as she hurriedly approached, tightly embracing the child. “An’an, be good, Mom is here.”
She comforted him while patting his back.
Perhaps sensing the familiar presence, his emotions gradually stabilized. However, his small hands clung tightly to Yun Qinghuan’s clothes, unwilling to let go.
His fever was severe, and even touching his forehead felt scorching hot.
Children shouldn’t have such a high fever for too long; it could lead to trouble.
After all, An’an’s father had an accident due to a severe fever.
Yun Qinghuan thought of calling Liu Yuzhi. She lacked experience in taking care of children and was unfamiliar with the place. Even finding a doctor here was a challenge.
However, An’an clung tightly to her, refusing to let go. Helpless, she wrapped herself in a piece of clothing, used a blanket to cocoon An’an, and carried him to find Liu Yuzhi.
She hesitated as she approached Liu Yuzhi’s door. These days, Liu Yuzhi had been incredibly busy, and now, she finally had a chance to sleep peacefully. Waking her up suddenly would undoubtedly be unpleasant.
But Yun Qinghuan genuinely didn’t know how to take care of a sick child, especially with An’an having a high fever. Delaying treatment was not an option.
In the midst of her hesitation, the door to the neighboring west room suddenly opened. A man in a wheelchair came out, and upon seeing Yun Qinghuan, he wasn’t surprised. However, when he noticed An’an in her arms, he furrowed his brow. “What happened to An’an?”
Relieved to see a familiar face, Yun Qinghuan quickly brought the child to him. “Naihan, what should we do? An’an suddenly has a high fever, and I don’t have experience. I don’t know how to take care of him. Considering how hot he is now, should we take him to the hospital?”
Hearing that An’an had a fever, Bai Naihan’s expression instantly became serious. In the Bai family, any illness related to a fever was considered severe. After all, there had already been someone in the family who had been severely affected due to a fever.
Putting aside concerns about suspicions, he reached out to take the child from Yun Qinghuan. “I’ll take a look at him.”
Yun Qinghuan glanced at his bandaged leg, feeling a bit worried. She stepped back to avoid his hands. “Don’t hold the child; be careful not to press on your injury.”
“No problem.” The man still had a tight frown, but seeing Yun Qinghuan not letting go, he reluctantly reached out to touch the child’s forehead, then compared it with his own.
After the comparison, his expression became even more serious. “The fever is too severe; we must quickly take him to see a doctor.”
Hearing this, Yun Qinghuan became anxious. “What should we do? In the middle of the night, where can we find a vehicle to take An’an to the hospital?”
“Let’s go to the village clinic first. We can have the doctor prescribe some medicine, administer an IV, and see if we can reduce the fever tonight. If it doesn’t work, as soon as it’s daylight, I’ll borrow a car to take the child to the county hospital.”
“Does the village clinic have a doctor at this late hour?”
Yun Qinghuan was particularly worried; in the middle of the night, the doctor probably wouldn’t be in the clinic all the time.
“I’ll go call him; he lives in the village.”
“Alright, let’s hurry.”
Yun Qinghuan, holding the child, was ready to rush outside.
After running a few steps, she quickly turned back to ask him, “By the way, should I call Mom?”
“No need; wait until morning. If An’an’s fever hasn’t gone down by then, we’ll tell her.” Bai Naihan said as he wheeled himself towards the house. “You don’t need to rush; I’ll go inside and get a flashlight and some money.”
Getting medical attention requires money.
He moved quickly, coming back with a flashlight in no time. He gently closed the door and then wheeled his chair towards Yun Qinghuan.
As they reached the main gate, there was a stick blocking the door. Yun Qinghuan was considering whether to move it to avoid tripping Bai Naihan. In the blink of an eye, Bai Naihan had already maneuvered his wheelchair past the barrier, and Yun Qinghuan didn’t see how he did it.
Throughout the journey, Yun Qinghuan, holding the child, followed Bai Naihan’s guidance. He was behind her, rolling the wheelchair and shining a flashlight on the path ahead.
The rural night was pitch dark, especially in this era. At this time, everyone was sound asleep, and there were no streetlights. The village roads were dirt paths, and walking fast stirred up a lot of dust. The road surface was uneven, with occasional large potholes, and Yun Qinghuan, carrying the three-year-old An’an, was in a hurry.
Even though An’an was thin, he weighed around twenty pounds, which was quite heavy for the currently slender and frail Yun Qinghuan. When they encountered a large pit, she stumbled, almost falling with the child. Bai Naihan behind her quickly reached out and steadied her. “Sister-in-law, be careful.”
“Thank you.” Yun Qinghuan was still a bit shaken, looking up to express her gratitude.
“No problem. You don’t need to rush; we’re almost at the village clinic.”
“Mm.”
At this moment, she felt grateful to have him accompany her. Otherwise, walking alone with the child on this pitch-dark dirt road, the quiet night occasionally interrupted by the sounds of cats and dogs, and the calls of some wild animals, would be unsettling. The night breeze rustled the leaves, casting shadows on the ground that swayed and changed shapes, occasionally taking on eerie forms, enough to frighten her.
It felt like being in a horror movie.
After calming herself down, she noticed that besides the child’s burning temperature, the man’s hand supporting her arm was also scorching. Alarmed, she naturally took a few steps forward, distancing herself from him. “An’an.”
While walking, she reached out to touch the child’s forehead. “Be good, it will be less uncomfortable soon.”
The little one continued whimpering, crying like a kitten in distress. Yun Qinghuan could tell he was in pain.
His crying also made Yun Qinghuan feel a bit uneasy.
The man gently pinched his hand and softly said, “We’ve arrived.”
“Arrived where?” She was a bit slow to react.
“The clinic. We’re here.”
∞
Translator Note
Next release
– Dec. 25 (8am)
(There’ll be extra chapters for Christmas, stay tuned!)
If you like/appreciate my work, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi.
🌸
∞
- “My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life. They will never die, and no one will snatch them from my hand.” — John 10:27-28
