Chapter 537: Chapter 537: No Need to Spit at Me
The rain was getting heavier, and although the wind had calmed down a bit, visibility was still obstructed.
The current disaster relief conditions couldn’t compare to those in later times. Not to mention specialized rescue equipment, they didn’t even have excavators.
If they wanted to save people, they had to dig with shovels, one scoop at a time.
The rain was too heavy, and there was still a possibility of further landslides on the mountain, so some people had to be allocated to prevent another occurrence of mudslides.
There was a severe shortage of manpower.
Fortunately, the relevant government departments, medical workers, and other rescue personnel who received the message were arriving one after another.
The initial group, including Yi Chichi, who were so busy they were dizzy, finally had a chance to catch their breath.
It was at this time that Ji Jian and the others showed up.
"Chichi, quickly wipe off your sweat!"
Yi Chichi, who had been working for several hours, looked quite disheveled. Her face and head were covered in sweat, and her body was dirty and stained with blood, except for her hands, which were clean.
The strong smell of disinfectant was also present.
She was just about to find some water to drink when Ji Jian handed her a clean cloth.
"Why are you here, sister-in-law?"
She was filled with surprise, and Ji Jian concisely explained, "I’m worried that you might be overwhelmed and have no food or hot water."
So, she had come to handle logistical support.
Yi Chichi reached out to take the cloth and wiped her face carelessly, her eyes locked on the water bottle hanging on Ji Jian’s frame as she swallowed involuntarily. "Sister-in-law, can I have some water?"
She was almost dying of thirst.
"Here you go!"
Ji Jian handed her the water bottle, "You drink, I’ll go with Xiao Yang and the others to fetch water and make meals."
Before she finished speaking, she turned around and left.
Yi Chichi quickly followed to the door of the medical tent and looked outside. It was only then that she realized that besides the rescuers, there was a group of military wives and local villagers who came with their equipment to provide logistical support.
Tents were set up, and dry firewood, wrapped in tarpaulins, was unloaded from carts and moved into the tents. A burly man pushed through the continuous rain and fog with a large iron pot and rushed into the tent.
Along with the smell of rain and earth, the scent of oil and smoke filled the air.
Yi Chichi was silent for a moment; it seemed that Ji Jian and her team had been there for a while.
She gulped down the water from the bottle, her mouth not touching the mouth of the bottle. Just as she was about to go to Mr. Zhang, Xiao Duo came over.
"Sister-in-law, could I have a drink too?"
This girl had also been busy until now. Yi Chichi was in charge of assisting Mr. Zhang and Doctor Lin with simple wound cleaning and bandaging.
Xiao Duo, on the other hand, not only had to do these tasks but also manage the medical supplies, making her even busier and having to talk more.
Due to the strong wind, heavy rain, and the cries of the injured, everything was too noisy, and she had to shout to make herself heard.
After shouting for several hours, even an iron throat would be ruined.
Her voice had become hoarse and raspy, and she spoke with a pained expression, so Yi Chichi quickly handed her the water bottle, "Drink slowly, don’t gulp too fast, otherwise you’ll..."
Before she finished speaking, Xiao Duo, who had taken the bottle and drank eagerly, was drinking too fast and got choked up, coughing violently. The water she hadn’t swallowed yet also spurted out.
Coincidentally, it splashed on Doctor Lin’s weary face.
Doctor Lin said, "..."
He wiped his face and said helplessly, "Xiao Duo, if you don’t like me, you could just say so; there was no need to spit at me."
"She didn’t spit; she got choked."
Seeing Xiao Duo blushing, eager to explain, Yi Chichi worried she might choke again while talking, so she quickly explained for her while patting her back to relieve the coughing.
Xiao Duo eagerly nodded to affirm what Yi Chichi said was correct and kindly handed the water bottle over, clearly meaning for Doctor Lin to have a drink too.
"Where did the water bottle come from?"
Doctor Lin was truly thirsty, so he didn’t refuse the water bottle handed to him. He took it and asked, and Yi Chichi explained, "Ji Jian and the others have arrived; we’ll have something to eat soon."
As soon as she said this, everyone’s stomachs began to growl and call out.
The three exchanged glances and quickly resumed their busy activities.
The excavation continued, and at one point, there was a minor landslide. Luckily, the affected area had already been excavated, so there were no large-scale casualties.
However, some of the people digging were injured by the falling debris, but thankfully, these were merely superficial injuries, not serious.
Around ten in the morning, Ji Jian and the others had hot meals, hot dishes, and hot water prepared.
The team started eating and hydrating in batches; by two in the afternoon, the rainfall gradually reduced, then stopped for over an hour before starting again.
But by then, all the excavation work had been completed, and the damage to houses and personnel casualties had been logged.
The next steps involved waiting for the rain to stop for post-disaster reconstruction, a task unrelated to Yi Chichi.
She couldn’t help with that.
Mr. Zhang, being older, couldn’t physically endure the work after a night and a day of exertion, so he, along with Yi Chichi, withdrew from the medical team and went home to rest.
It was dark by the time they got home. The light in the living room was on, and the main door was open. Qin Jiu was singing "Ying Shan Red."
The young boy’s voice was quite pleasant and enjoyable to listen to, and Wen Yi was nodding along, clapping his little hands.
Wen’s mother wasn’t visible, but the kitchen light was on, so most likely she was boiling water to wash up at this hour.
The sound of the rain covered the creaking of Yi Chichi pushing the courtyard door open, so no one noticed her return. It wasn’t until she stepped over the threshold into the living room that the clapping Wen Yi saw her, and a bright smile broke out on his chubby face.
"Mama..."
He squealed excitedly, crawling towards her, hands and feet moving together.
The mommy-like syllables from Yi Chichi’s mouth sent a shiver down her spine, and her exhaustion seemed to recede like the tide, disappearing all at once.
But the crawling and excited speed of the little one dispersed all her joy into smoke, prompting her to retreat hurriedly.
"My good boy, don’t come over yet, Mommy is dirty."
Having spent so much time in the medical tent, with the mixed smell of mud, blood, medicine, and disinfectant, not only was she smelly, but filthy.
Not to mention potentially covered in germs, not something she wanted for the child.
But Wen Yi, ever selective in his hearing, didn’t listen when he should and was sharper than ever when he shouldn’t.
Yi Chichi’s retreat didn’t deter his advance, but seemed to spur him on even more.
Luckily, Qin Jiu reacted quickly. Seeing her appearance, he rushed over like a shot and scooped the crawling creature, Wen Yi, into his arms, holding him tight. "Be good, little brother. Let Mommy bathe and change into clean clothes before holding you."
Without waiting for Wen Yi to react, he called out to the kitchen, "Grandma, Auntie is back, can you make some noodles or boil some eggs for her?"
Then he asked Yi Chichi, "Auntie, have you eaten yet?"
"Not yet."
She hadn’t had the time.
Wen’s mother poked her head out of the kitchen just in time to hear this and promptly asked, "Do you want noodles or eggs in sugar water?"
"Noodles."
Eggs in sugar water weren’t her thing, too sweet and cloying, "But you can crack an egg in the noodles."
"Do you want to eat before or after you shower?"
"I’ll eat after I shower."
Cooking noodles wouldn’t take long, but a shower wouldn’t be quick either.
Her hair needed washing; it was better to eat after the shower, saving the noodles from getting soggy and impacting the taste.
So, Yi Chichi went to shower.
Wen Yi threw a fit, clamoring to go too. A stubborn little one could be quite a handful, so Qin Jiu had no choice but to find backup in Wen’s mother.
Wen’s mother didn’t have many options either, and ended up holding Wen Yi near the bathroom door, chatting with him while Yi Chichi bathed.
When she finally emerged clean, Wen Yi had quieted down, immediately reaching out his pudgy hands for a hold, his face still streaked with tears, eyes puffy and red from crying.
"All I did was take a shower, it’s not like I’m abandoning you. Why the tears?"
Yi Chichi, feeling tender, kissed him. Wen Yi was content with his mother there, babbling away and trying to grab the noodles from her chopsticks as she ate.
He was already starting on solid foods, so Yi Chichi didn’t stop him, letting him taste the noodles.
After satisfying her hunger and quenching her thirst, Wen’s mother and Qin Jiu began asking about the situation in Santai Village.
