Chapter Fifty-Eight: Qi Zhaodi Collapses

Faced with so many black fungus mushrooms, Han Li could only resign himself to being a little mushroom picker for a while longer.

“He picked the most mushrooms, more than the stars in the sky, la la la la la la la la.”

Humming a tune even he could barely recall, Han Li soon stripped both dead trees of every last ear fungus.

By then, Han Li knew he had to hurry down the mountain. Guided by the sparrow, he had ventured deep into the woods. But sparrows, born with night blindness, could not see once it grew late.

Pressed for time, Han Li quickened his pace, intent on returning home as soon as possible. However, as he neared the foot of the mountain, he spotted a very thin figure ahead.

In these times, most people were slender, but in Shanghe Village, only Qi Zhaodi was quite so gaunt.

At this moment, she was walking back with her basket on her back. Han Li paid little mind at first—everyone here was a young educated youth; a simple greeting would suffice.

“Comrade Qi, did you just finish gathering mountain goods too?”

But Qi Zhaodi didn’t respond. Han Li was rather puzzled by her silence—had his famously charming face lost its magic?

As he looked more closely, he realized something was wrong. Qi Zhaodi’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes unfocused.

She continued forward in a daze, her gaze hollow as if she hadn’t noticed Han Li at all.

Something was definitely off. Han Li reached out and touched Qi Zhaodi’s forehead.

Goodness, she was burning up—her temperature was high enough to fry an egg. She must be completely delirious.

“Comrade Qi, Comrade Qi!”

Han Li called her name loudly several times. Slowly, some awareness returned to her gaze.

But her eyes remained dull, and she replied in a weak, hoarse voice, “Comrade Han, I...”

Before she finished, she pitched forward, her body reaching its absolute limit. Only sheer will had kept her stumbling toward the Educated Youth Courtyard; seeing Han Li made her relax, and she fainted on the spot.

Though Han Li reacted quickly and caught her, sparing her from a nasty fall, the situation was still dire. No one knew how long she’d been burning with fever.

With such a high temperature, this was no trivial matter—Qi Zhaodi needed a doctor immediately.

All the prescriptions Han Li knew were for martial arts training, none suited for a case like this. He dared not risk someone’s life; the only thing to do was get her medical attention as quickly as possible.

He swung his own basket to his chest, then carried both Qi Zhaodi and her basket on his back.

He jogged toward the village chief’s house, since Shanghe Village didn’t even have a barefoot doctor.

In these times, people relied on endurance for minor illnesses, only spending money at the clinic when absolutely necessary.

The nearest health clinic was at the Red Flag Commune, more than twenty li away; the county town was forty li off. Walking there on foot was out of the question.

With his basket in front and a person plus another basket on his back, Han Li became quite the spectacle as he entered the village.

“Comrade Han, what’s going on? Who are you carrying?”

“I found Comrade Qi collapsed on the mountain road—she’s clearly passed out from a fever. I need to borrow a cart from the village chief to take her to the doctor.”

“Oh dear, you’re right! Just look at her, her face is flushed with fever.”

Han Li explained as he hurried to the chief’s house, drawing quite a commotion along the way.

Hao Hongmin and a few others rushed over when they heard the news. By then, Han Li had already arrived.

He quickly explained the situation to the village chief and asked for a female comrade to take Qi Zhaodi by bicycle.

Village Chief Zhao shook his head, “Bicycle? It just rained—the wheels get stuck in the mud every dozen meters, slower than walking! Go hitch up the horse cart instead. Wife, fetch a cool towel for Comrade Qi’s forehead—don’t let this poor girl’s brain get cooked.”

Han Li dashed off to arrange the cart, smacking his own forehead along the way. How could he forget that rubbing down the body with high-proof spirits is more effective for reducing fever?

But this required a female helper. Not far off, he ran into Hao Hongmei and the others and explained briefly.

“One of you, please fetch the bottle of Beidacang liquor from my cupboard, then help Comrade Qi wipe down...”

Hao Hongmei stared at Han Li in confusion, but He Mi stepped forward, “Let me do it. I used to help my grandmother with this at home.”

Han Li nodded. “Comrade Qi’s in bad shape, so please hurry.”

When Han Li reached the livestock shed and explained, the old man in charge of the animals remarked, “That horse only arrived yesterday, and today it’s already working—pulling a cart for a sick person, no less.”

Han Li could only sigh.

The old man fetched the horse from a side shed while Han Li pulled the cart from another. Nearby stood two dilapidated houses—no need to ask who lived there.

When Han Li and the old man returned with the horse cart, just as they were about to leave, the village chief grabbed Han Li by the arm.

“You can’t go yet.”

“Why?”

“Because you found Comrade Qi, so you must go with her to the clinic.”

“Why?”

Chief Zhao coughed, then awkwardly explained, “Everyone knows Comrade Qi’s situation—she has no money for treatment, and the village has none to spare either (and even if there was, we couldn’t use it for an educated youth or the villagers would complain). Since you found her, and you’re not short on money, so...”

Han Li pursed his lips. “I’ll pay for her treatment, but it’s not convenient for me as a man to accompany her and take care of her at the clinic.”

Chief Zhao replied, “Paying is enough. Whether she needs someone to stay with her, we’ll see. If so, Comrade He can do it. We want you along in case the cart gets stuck in the mud—you’ll be there to help push.”

Han Li had no choice.

Hao Hongmei sat in the middle of the cart, holding Qi Zhaodi, while Han Li rode on the back bench behind the horse.

The cart got bogged down three times on the way; both Han Li’s pant legs were caked with mud. If he hadn’t been wearing rubber boots, his feet would have been soaked through.

When they finally reached the commune’s health clinic, the old man, worried about his horse, dropped them off and went to the inn to rest, where both horse and man could get a meal and a nap.

“I’ll head back to the village first thing tomorrow. If you want a ride, come find me early at the inn.”

Han Li nodded and hurried off to pay the fees, while He Mi took Qi Zhaodi to see the doctor.

After examining her, the doctor said they were lucky to have brought her in so soon—otherwise, pneumonia would have been the least of their worries.

P.S. Many thanks to the generous supporters Starry Night Phantom and Wind Passing Before My Eyes for their rewards of 100 points each.