Chapter 666 Hospital
Chapter 666: 666 Hospital
Before dinner, Ethan Dawson and Ronan Kendrick went to the laborers’ quarters. There was no supervisor today, but the laborers, intimidated by the White Wolf, hadn’t slacked off. To prevent them from causing trouble while they were away, Ronan decided to hypnotize them.
Ethan Dawson went to inspect their work. The medicinal herbs had been washed clean. Of the thousand-plus acres of herb fields, only a few dozen acres of Cannibal Flowers were left to harvest. Tomorrow, they could pull a few people to plow the fields. Five hundred acres would be for rice, and the rest would all be planted with vegetables and corn.
The Earth-Surging Golden Lotuses and cacti cultivated two months ago had already been handed over to the base. The survival rate was said to be very high, and several dozen acres had already been planted on the farmland in the desert and grasslands.
"The herbs can be moved to the storage area. It’s not good for preserving them here." Seeing Ronan Kendrick approach, Ethan Dawson shared his thoughts. The large plaza in the space for processing herbs was in front of the planting area. The wooden cabin and the laborers’ quarters were also in this region. Because the planting area had so many plants, the air was quite humid, and herbs left here would spoil easily.
"Got it. I’ll gather them." Ronan Kendrick washed his hands and began collecting the dried herbs. Ethan Dawson stuck a label on the outside of each bamboo basket to prevent the herbs from getting mixed up.
When the two returned to the wooden cabin, everyone had already finished cooking dinner.
"Why are you just getting back? Did the laborers cause trouble?"
Ronan Kendrick naturally took Evelyn Ford’s hand and walked toward the dining area. "No. After I hypnotized them, Mr. Dawson and I moved the herbs to the storage area. We can start plowing tomorrow and get the rice planted as soon as possible."
The rice seedlings were already cultivated and could probably be transplanted in about a week. If they started plowing now and got the paddies ready, they could plant the seedlings in a week.
"The wheat planted in the cotton fields has already started to ear. I just went to check on those few acres of small hot peppers. They’re growing exceptionally well and are very productive. Once the peppers turn red, we can pick them. I plan on making some fermented chili paste, and also pickling some cabbage, spicy kimchi, and radishes." As Evelyn Ford spoke, everyone couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Taylor Vance came out with the last dish. Quincy was sitting to the side, scooping a bowl of rice for everyone. "All the food’s here. Let’s eat."
"Since we’re plowing tomorrow, I won’t go out. I’ll go back out after the water and electricity are connected. There’s no work for me outside anyway, and someone is coming to help us build the bathroom. I spent the whole day outside today, and I don’t know if it was because the wind was too strong or the sun was too harsh, but my skin has gotten so dry. Especially my calves. When I pull up my pant legs, a layer of flakes comes off. It’s still more comfortable staying inside the space."
Miles Vaughn pointed to a spot on his face where the skin was peeling. Aside from the four who were always running around outside, it seemed everyone else was having a little trouble adjusting to the new environment.
"That’s fine. It’s up to you. If you can’t get used to living outside, you can live in the space. If you want to adapt to the base’s environment, you can stay outside."
After dinner, everyone washed up and went to sleep. They had more work to do tomorrow and needed to be well-rested.
「The next day」
Evelyn Ford and Wendy went to work at the base as usual. The medical tent had been dismantled, as a five-story hospital had been built. All the doctors, nurses, and patients had been transferred over. When Evelyn arrived, Dr. Turner was already in her office preparing for a lesson.
She had taken the day off yesterday for the move. As soon as she got to the office today, everyone gathered around to congratulate her on her new home.
"Dr. Ford, I saw you ride your bike here. Is your place far from here?"
There were many new doctors in the office. The oldest was already fifty-five, while the youngest was just in their teens.
Evelyn Ford nodded. "A bit far. Have any new patients been sent to our department today?"
The other person nodded. "There are two. They fainted at their posts and were just brought in. I just examined them. They’re only two months pregnant. These people... they’re probably trying to take advantage of the base, having babies like crazy to collect all the subsidies. Lately, I’ve been seeing at least four newly pregnant women every day."
"Yeah, the base issued a notice, didn’t it? Pregnant women can receive a monthly subsidy from the confirmation of pregnancy until the end of their postpartum confinement. Newborns can also receive subsidies until they’re three years old. It’s like the base is helping raise the children. Some people don’t want to work, so they’ve hit on the idea of getting pregnant to collect benefits." The doctor who chimed in had a look of utter disdain. The others didn’t want to comment on such behavior, but it was clear they all looked down on it.
"As long as they give birth safely, a pregnant woman can receive subsidies for about ten months. But the subsidies have tiers. From the first to the eighth month, they get a 100-gram bag of salt and about three and a half pounds of coarse flour each month. From the eighth to the tenth month, they get an additional five eggs and a 300-gram bag of milk powder. After the baby is born, during their month of postpartum confinement, they receive an extra 300-gram bag of powdered brown sugar and a set of baby clothes on top of all that. I was doing my rounds yesterday and overheard a few pregnant women talking. They plan to have another baby right after this one. They figure they might as well take what the base is offering, since the base helps raise the children and they can still get the subsidies."
Evelyn Ford hadn’t expected so much to have happened at the hospital after just one day off. "Do pregnant women not have to work after their pregnancy is confirmed?"
A female doctor holding her water cup walked over to Evelyn Ford. "The diligent ones still go to work, of course. The lazy ones just want to get by on the supplies the base hands out. This move by the base might increase the population, but it’s also creating a lot of lazy and selfish people. Dr. Ford, you have no idea. Yesterday, a pregnant woman told me that they are the base’s greatest heroes, and that the children they bear will become the future pillars of the base. She told me to ’serve’ her well. Can you believe she said ’serve’? I’m not a maid! I was so pissed. If I weren’t concerned about the baby in her belly, I really would have hit her."
The department head coughed and came over too. "I suggest the base implement a policy. After two or three kids, take the husbands of these women for vasectomies. Although the base provides some subsidies, if you don’t work, it’s not nearly enough to feed one person for a month. What kind of well-behaved children can parents with that mentality raise? Quality over quantity."
Evelyn Ford nodded in agreement.
"I heard the base has over ten million people. With that many people, is the base still short on manpower?"
"The base lacks labor. Even with over ten million people, there aren’t many teenagers and children. If we don’t encourage people to have kids, in a few years, the base will have an aging population problem. After all, you can’t compare the elderly to the young." After speaking, the department head looked at everyone grimly.
"Look at me. I’m already fifty this year."
Just then, the oldest doctor in the department walked in from outside. He went up to the department head, his tone unfriendly. "What’s wrong with being old? Are you trying to fire me?"
"Wouldn’t dare." The department head rolled his eyes and walked away with his cup.
Evelyn Ford was curious about their relationship. The female doctor from before leaned in and whispered to clarify, "They’re brothers. But they don’t get along very well."
Evelyn Ford got it.