Your schemes were practically hitting me in the face

By then, the three people outside seemed to have reached a decision. The boy's grandmother hurried into the duty room and said sincerely, "Miss! Their attitude was terrible, and I've already told them off! I'm sorry for the trouble, but please take another look at the boy!"

"It's all right," Song Ning said. "Undo his clothes and keep wiping his forehead, armpits, soles, and palms with warm water. Go over them several times."

With that, Song Ning left the duty room. In the lobby, the two women were still hugging each other and wiping away tears. She couldn't tell whether they were crying out of worry for the boy or because his grandmother had scolded them.

She gave them a single glance, then turned and went upstairs.

When Sister Ying saw Song Ning actually going upstairs, apparently abandoning the boy for real, she began crying even louder.

The boy's grandmother was also a little disappointed to see Song Ning simply leave.

She frowned and called out through the doorway, "Stop crying, both of you! Come wipe Doudou down!"

As they wiped the boy's body, Sister Ying sobbed, "Mom! Doudou's fever is so high. Will wiping him like this really help? Is that girl... really leaving him alone? Juanzi didn't even say anything!"

The boy's grandmother wrung out the towel. After a long pause, she said, "She's a complete stranger to us. This was obviously trouble, yet she still offered to help, and you two questioned her! Of course she'd be angry!"

Sister Ying panicked. "But-but she really isn't helping anymore! What are we going to do about Doudou? If his fever keeps up, something could go wrong!"

Seeing that Sister Ying was about to cry again, the attendant helping beside them hurriedly spoke up. "Um... why don't you feel his forehead first? Maybe... he's already a little better?"

The boy's grandmother paused, then reached out to feel his forehead, looking somewhat uncertain.

"Ying! Feel him! Isn't Doudou less hot than he was before?"

Sister Ying quickly felt the boy's forehead, then pressed her own against it to check. She broke into a delighted grin. "His fever's going down! It really is! This wiping is working! Let's do it a few more times!"

Sister Ying happily resumed wiping him down, but the boy's grandmother turned to look at the attendant.

"Excuse me, did that girl just..."

Now certain that Song Ning hadn't drawn that blood for nothing, the attendant said, "I think that girl already treated him!"

By then, Song Ning had returned to her room.

She genuinely didn't care about the arguments downstairs.

Dazhui, Shaoshang, Gaoyang, and Erjian were all major acupuncture points used to reduce fevers.

A high fever in a child was hardly some complicated, baffling condition.

For her, treating it was a simple matter.

If the boy hadn't been so young and suffering so much, she wouldn't have bothered getting involved.

After being a doctor for so long, she had seen every kind of patient.

If she spent every day arguing and getting angry with them, she might as well quit the profession.

Honestly, medical treatment also depended on the right connection between doctor and patient, and on both sides making an effort.

At least back in her old world, Madam Mei had been like that. She offered only three hundred appointments a year, and the booking fees had been driven to astronomical heights.

Even people who finally managed to secure an appointment had to depend on Madam Mei's mood and whether she felt like seeing them!

Of course, appointments with Song Ning, the hospital director, hadn't been cheap either!

Mostly because she was lazy and didn't even want to offer three hundred appointments... and scarcity drove up the price, sending it higher and higher!

At that thought...

Sigh! I kind of miss Madam Mei. I wonder if she's been arguing with Old Man Song these past couple of days...

I'm probably already dead over there...

I wonder if those two can bear it...

With those scattered thoughts running through her head, Song Ning drifted into a gloomy sleep.

She slept until the attendant's knocking woke her.

The attendant had come specifically to deliver something.

She handed Song Ning a wooden box, explaining that the grandmother of the boy from that morning had left it for her.

Song Ning was surprised. The wooden box was exquisite, and when she opened it, she found a set of silver acupuncture needles of excellent quality.

"This is..."

"The boy's grandmother said this box was meant to be a gift for an elder, but she no longer needed it. She's very grateful that you saved her grandson, and she wanted you to have it, hoping you could put it to use!"

Song Ning hurriedly asked, "Which room are they staying in? Could you take me there?"

The attendant shook her head. "They just left by bus. The county added several southbound buses to get the stranded travelers moving. They were heading north to visit relatives and had been stuck here for days. As soon as they heard there was a bus home, they left!"

After the attendant left, Song Ning looked at the silver needles, deeply moved.

She had helped the boy without expecting anything, yet it had brought her an unexpected reward!

To her, silver needles were what a gun was to a soldier, or an oar to a boatman!

And now, she had something to rely on!

Before heading downstairs, the attendant had reminded her that meal service in the dining hall was almost over.

Only when Song Ning went downstairs did she realize it was nearly two in the afternoon.

There were noticeably fewer people in the lobby. The county had added eastbound and southbound buses, allowing many stranded travelers to leave.

But outside, the rain kept shifting between light and heavy without ever stopping. She had no idea how much longer she would have to wait here.

As she was thinking about it, someone called from behind her, "Comrade Song! Comrade Song! Perfect timing! There's something I'd like to discuss with you!"

Song Ning turned to see Director Hao running over from the back courtyard, slightly out of breath.

"Here's the situation! The disaster has worsened. There have been extensive landslides in the mountains up ahead, and several villages have been hit. Last night, Bijie and several surrounding counties and cities assigned doctors to a medical team, which has already gone into the mountains to help. We've just received word that they're still desperately short of medical personnel and supplies, so a second medical relief team has been organized. It leaves tomorrow morning!"

"You mean... you'd like me to join the relief team?" Song Ning asked.

"Heh!" Director Hao smiled warmly. "The main thing is... there aren't enough doctors, and the hospitals still need staff! Quite a few members of this second team are barefoot doctors from nearby villages and towns. Everyone's contributing whatever they can! I only thought of asking because I saw that you knew medicine! Of course, disaster relief comes with risks, so we must respect your wishes..."

"I'll do it!" Song Ning answered immediately. "Director Hao, sign me up! We should all contribute what we can, right?"

She hadn't given it much thought. Going out with the medical team to help people was better than being cooped up in the guesthouse.

"Good for you!" Director Hao gave her a thumbs-up. "I knew you were a girl with a spirit of service!"

As he spoke, Director Hao happily pulled a sheet of paper from his inside pocket.

"Here, Comrade Song! Since you've agreed, let me give you this first!"

Song Ning looked at it. It was actually a letter issued on her behalf by the Bijie County government, addressed to the Southwest Military Region.

"Director Hao, this is..."

"Ha ha... I can't ask you to give your time and effort for nothing, can I?"

A touch of pride entered Director Hao's voice. "After receiving word of the disaster last night, the Southwest Military Region sent troops to support the affected areas. I remember Section Chief Fang saying your husband is stationed in the Southwest Military Region!"

He lowered his voice and continued, "If you join the medical team, you can meet up directly with the people from the Southwest Military Region! Then you can return to their base with them and see your husband sooner! Isn't this a perfect arrangement?"

Director Hao's eyes narrowed to slits as he smiled, his entire face practically begging for praise!

Song Ning gave the letter in her hand a shake and teased, "Director Hao! If I'd refused to join the medical team, wouldn't you have had this written for nothing?"

"Not a chance! I saw everything that happened this morning! You treated that boy even after his family gave you a hard time! How does the saying go? Skill breeds courage. You've got both medical integrity and medical ethics. How could a girl like you refuse to join the medical team?"

"So you had every angle worked out!" Song Ning teased. "If I didn't know you ran the guesthouse, I'd think organizing the medical team was your responsibility too! You've certainly gone to a lot of trouble!"

Director Hao chuckled, looking a little embarrassed. "You really are sharp! You've guessed it! Organizing the medical team really was assigned to me! It's been giving me such a headache... I'm trying to recruit people everywhere!"

Song Ning couldn't help clicking her tongue. "I knew it. Your schemes were practically hitting me in the face..."