Chapter 169: Chapter 169: The Scope of the County Town
An Ning was just leaving the hospital through the main entrance when she ran into Jiang Xia, who was just coming in.
"I made a call. Two towns over, there’s no snow."
What Jiang Xia said coincided perfectly with An Ning’s plan.
"Are you still able to walk?"
An Ning wasn’t worried about herself, but she couldn’t help but worry about Jiang Xia.
Jiang Xia pulled down the scarf from his head and said, displeased, "You’re underestimating me, aren’t you?"
"I used to do long-distance forced marches as a kid."
"Here, this is for you."
Jiang Xia handed An Ning a bag, his breath puffing out in white clouds. "Change into these. I’m going to ask the doctor for a few bottles of glucose solution for the road."
An Ning’s mind went a little blank as she took the bag from Jiang Xia, a strange feeling blooming in her heart.
’He’s too good a friend. He must be my best friend, right?’
An Ning assigned Jiang Xia the most suitable position in her mind and opened the bag.
Inside was a face mask and a pair of gloves made of some unknown material. They were lined with fleece and looked very warm.
"What’s this?"
An Ning took out the item at the bottom. Unfolding it, she saw it was a vest, likely made of the same material as the gloves.
She had already decided in her heart that Jiang Xia was her best friend, so she accepted the gifts without hesitation.
When she had something good, she would share it with Jiang Xia, too.
An Ning found an empty room and put on the vest under her clothes. It was very warm.
After she was ready, she went to find Jiang Xia and the doctor.
The doctor was there, sighing with worry.
"Are you two really going? Do you have any idea how far it is?"
"If we don’t go, can you guarantee that Auntie An Qi will be okay?"
An Ning’s question made the doctor’s hands pause for a moment. He then quickened his pace and grabbed a few more bottles of glucose solution for them.
"Take these. If you feel tired, drink a bottle."
"Thank you."
An Ning and Jiang Xia thanked him separately. They each packed four bottles of the glucose solution.
An Ning paid for the supplies, and she and Jiang Xia went outside. The doctor followed them out, pushing a wheelchair.
"Huh? Did you do this?"
An Ning had just noticed the stretcher outside; it had been modified.
The base of the stretcher was the same, but a recessed space about the size of a single bed had been added to the top.
"Yeah, I got Fatty and the guys to help me out."
"Impressive. You thought of everything."
An Ning and Jiang Xia worked together to lift Auntie An Qi into the recessed space, securing her and making sure she was warm.
They used the quilts they had brought themselves, another quilt from the doctor, a small cashmere mattress pad the doctor had lent them, hot water bottles, and some free glass thermoses.
"Thank you."
"It was nothing. You two should get going."
The two set off again. The doctor, filled with worry, waved from behind them, shouting, "Be careful!"
"You have to be careful!"
An Ning and Jiang Xia resumed their journey.
They studied the route. Two towns over, there was a different railway line where they could catch a train.
At some point, the snow began to let up, and their visibility finally improved.
The farther they walked, the lighter the snow became.
It also wasn’t as thick on the ground.
It seemed the snowfall in Sanhe Town had been the heaviest.
After walking for who knows how long, they came across a truck.
The truck driver let them on and took them to the train station. They bought sleeper car tickets and took Auntie An Qi to the city.
After the whole ordeal, Auntie An Qi underwent surgery in the city.
The doctors in the city asked them several times in disbelief, confirming the story of their journey.
"This is almost impossible. All that way, and her internal organs weren’t punctured?"
An Ning knew why, but she just said to the doctor, "I guess we were lucky."
"This is more than just luck. It’s a miracle!"
The doctor went to prepare for the surgery. An Ning and Jiang Xia exchanged a look and sat down on the chairs outside.
"Heh heh..."
An Ning let out a low laugh. Jiang Xia turned his head.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I’m laughing at how difficult our journey was. Thank you, Jiang Xia."
"What are you thanking me for? We’re from the same village. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing."
Jiang Xia laced his hands behind his head and stretched his legs out.
"Am I that kind of person?"
"Hey, pull your feet in!"
A nurse pushing a gurney shot Jiang Xia an unfriendly look and wheeled the patient into the surgical area.
Jiang Xia quickly pulled his feet back, just in time to see An Ning stifling a laugh.
"If you want to laugh, just laugh."
"I can’t. We have to be quiet."
An Ning pointed a finger at a sign on the wall, the weight in her heart finally lifting.
She hadn’t rested the entire way.
She had been constantly using her spiritual power to protect Auntie An Qi’s internal organs.
Now, she could finally relax her mind. An Ning was tired—incredibly tired.
Jiang Xia wasn’t as tired as An Ning. He had rested on the train and was about to say something to her.
’She’s asleep?’
Jiang Xia instinctively sat up straighter. He reached out to support her but then didn’t know where to put his hand.
The surgery lasted for a total of three hours. An Ning slept for three hours.
When the operating room light went out, Jiang Xia gently rose to his feet.
"Is it over?"
An Ning woke up.
"Yeah, it’s over. Everything went well."
They spoke with the doctor. Auntie An Qi couldn’t be moved for now and would need to recuperate there for one to two weeks.
After giving them the instructions, the doctor left.
An Ning, having recovered a bit of energy, said to Jiang Xia, "I’m going to call the village."
"Wait!"
"Here’s Fatty’s number. The snow is too heavy; the village phone line might not be working."
"Okay."
An Ning turned and left. Jiang Xia looked at the time. It was about time to eat.
After leaving, An Ning found a public phone on the first floor. She tried calling the village, and sure enough, the call wouldn’t go through.
She then called Fatty, who was surprisingly enthusiastic on the other end. He said he would find someone to personally make the trip and deliver the message.
"Okay, thanks."
An Ning didn’t quite understand Fatty’s enthusiasm. After hanging up, she prepared to go to the ward to check on Auntie An Qi.
She comforted Auntie An Qi and told her that she had contacted Uncle An Qi. Auntie An Qi was overcome with emotion, full of nothing but gratitude.
"You just rest well. You can’t eat anything for now."
"Okay, okay. I won’t eat a thing."
Auntie An Qi was very obedient, afraid that if she did something wrong, it would end up costing more money.
She was constantly worried, wondering if the money they had at home would be enough.
After she finished talking with Auntie An Qi, An Ning went out.
She was a little hungry. ’But where did Jiang Xia go?’
An Ning looked around and spotted Jiang Xia on the second floor.
"Where did you go?"
"I ordered food. It’ll be ready soon. I came to get you so we can eat together."
An Ning was truly starting to see Jiang Xia in a new light. It was as if he was always one step ahead of her.
"Okay. Let’s eat first. After we eat, you can head back. I’ll wait here for Uncle An Qi."
"We’ll see. I have some other business in the city anyway."
An Ning said, "Oh," and followed Jiang Xia to eat.
Jiang Xia took An Ning to the hospital’s small cafeteria. They had three dishes, a soup, and six large steamed buns.
After the meal, they were both sweating, having expelled much of the cold from their bodies.
At the same time, the person Fatty had sent to deliver the message arrived in Shili Gou.
