High fever, vomiting, pain...

Ling Chengyan couldn’t control herself at all, drifting in and out of consciousness, barely awake...

The moments of wakefulness were brief, but she knew Hongling and Xiaoyu were always by her side in the hospital room. Wang Liansheng had to take care of Xiao Xing and Shi Tou, yet he still made time each day to visit her, clean her, talk with her, and give her water...

When she woke and found Wang Liansheng there, she’d ask about the team members. Wang Liansheng didn’t hide anything, truthfully telling her that Fu Qiang was still being treated in Beijing, but his condition was gradually improving with no more high fevers. The team members who had gone with her to fight the flood had undergone tests with satisfactory results, with less than a quarter being infected.

Moreover, Beijing General Hospital collaborated long-distance with the provincial logistics hospital to determine Ling Chengyan’s treatment plan, as well as the deworming treatment plan for the infected team members. Now the team members had started taking deworming medication.

"Don’t worry, they’ll be fine."

"Completely, no side effects," Ling Chengyan said with difficulty.

Wang Liansheng nodded, combing her hair, "Don’t worry, I’ll pass your message to Zhang Yuanhong. He came during the day to see you, but you were asleep and didn’t know."

Ling Chengyan nodded with effort, her eyelids heavy as she once again lost control, falling back into sleep.

That day, in a state of half-sleep, half-wakefulness, Ling Chengyan heard someone crying by her side, the sound noisy and weeping.

She frowned, struggling to open her eyes, turning her head to see not her usual team members, but three young men of varying heights and builds.

She couldn’t help but find it amusing, "Why are you crying? I’m not dying." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Gouzi was crying uncontrollably; Liu San noticed she was awake and turned his head away, not wanting her to see him. But Daxiong, still simple-minded as ever, clumsily wiped his face of tears and blinked hard at Ling Chengyan, forcing out a smile, "Sister Yan, you’re awake?"

Ling Chengyan, too weak to do much, blinked to express her intentions, smiling at the three lads, "Water."

Gouzi wiped his tears and got up to pour water, while Daxiong stepped forward to ask, "Sister Yan, should I help you sit up to drink?"

Indeed feeling a bit better today, after lying down for who knows how long and feeling her bones starting to ache, she nodded in agreement.

Despite his simple appearance, Daxiong was careful, gently helping Ling Chengyan sit up, while Liu San knowingly placed a pillow behind her back.

"Sister Yan, try it, don’t burn yourself," Gouzi said, handing the cup over.

Ling Chengyan accepted it with both hands, feeling moved as she looked at the shallow half cup of water, thinking how the once unruly children had grown, her lips involuntarily curled up.

After sipping the water slowly, she felt some strength return, and she spoke, "Why the tears, did you cause some trouble? Did the business go under?"

At this, Liu San shook his head immediately, "Don’t worry, Sister Yan, the company is doing well."

Gouzi, having wiped away his tears, tried to lift the mood, "Sister Yan, you’ve been too busy to come to the company, but we’ve joined forces with the Ling Family brothers, a formidable duo, unbeatable!"

"Haha, Gouzi’s right, with our two families united, no one can compete, we’re invincible," Daxiong added.

Ling Chengyan kept her lips curled but decided to give them a little lesson, "I’ve told you to read whenever you have time, didn’t you sign up for night classes? Is this all you’ve learned?"

Liu San, Gouzi, and Daxiong exchanged glances, shuffling awkwardly until Daxiong, the honest one, stepped forward, "Sister Yan, we’re trying hard, but we’re just a bit slow, easily forget things..."

Gouzi mercilessly exposed Daxiong, "Haha, Sister Yan, you don’t know, Brother Xiong falls asleep the second he opens a book, works better than two bottles of liquor."

"You dare tease Daxiong? Why don’t you admit you can’t sit still for two minutes..." Liu San joined in, their friendly banter easing the tension in the room.

Ling Chengyan finished the water in small sips, starting to tire, just as Hongling and Xiaoyu returned from the rooftop with the laundry, prompting her to send the three away.

That day was the first time since her illness that Ling Chengyan sat up and drank half a cup of water.

From then on, she began to recover day by day.

Sipping water, eating porridge, a few apple slices... finally, after resting for eleven days, she could get out of bed.

The high fever and vomiting ceased entirely, only a lingering pain in her right abdomen remained, something the doctor said was a normal part of recovery, and would gradually improve.

Once mobile, Liu Xianghu visited her. He had mostly recovered, still somewhat weak, but with no major symptoms left.

Zhang Yuanhong continued to visit daily, smiling at her, "I knew you’d be fine, built like an ox."

Ling Chengyan smiled along, but as she did, she couldn’t help but clutch her right abdomen.

Zhang Yuanhong’s smile faltered, concerned, "Didn’t they say you were getting better? Why the pain?"

Ling Chengyan stopped smiling, and the pain subsided.

She shook her head, "It’s improving, not healed. ’The illness comes like a mountain, goes like silk,’ it takes time."

Zhang Yuanhong snorted, walking over to support her against the headboard, casually sitting on the bed’s edge as he grabbed an apple, peeling it while remarking, "You need proper treatment, no lingering issues; otherwise, your ’iron’ resilience might be thoroughly tested."

Ling Chengyan laughed, not bickering with him.

After his comment went unanswered, Zhang Yuanhong switched the topic to the team’s condition and the situation at the station.

Sickness made the days seem unexpectedly lengthy.

On the seventeenth day, Ling Chengyan managed to leave her room, enjoying the rare winter sun.

The wind still held a chill, but in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot, the sunlight was warmly comforting.

Wrapped in a military coat and with hands tucked away, Ling Chengyan squinted against the sun, smiling with Hongling and Xiaoyu who accompanied her, "I wonder if the village elders still hang out by the wall..."

Hongling chuckled, adjusting the scarf around Ling Chengyan’s neck, "Most don’t anymore, they’re busy, winter idle time sends them to the city for odd jobs, no time for wall-chat. Only Grandpa Wu, Grandpa Qi, and a few others still like hanging at the brigade office wall, chatting, smoking, playing chess..."

"I remember a large millstone by the brigade office wall?" Ling Chengyan recalled.

"Yes, exactly, that millstone serves as a seat, a chessboard too, beloved by the villagers. The old men sun themselves, kids slide on it... Just like Hongjun and Hongbing back in the day, wore out their pants often enough to earn spankings at home, hahaha..."