Chapter 191: The Spread of the Illness
Chapter 191: Chapter 191: The Spread of the Illness
Hearing this, Yang Guanghui felt a wave of depression. The gap between his aspirations and reality was just too wide.
"Sigh, what good is a high school diploma if you can’t go to college? I’m still just a farmer!" Yang Guanghui said with a bitter smile. "Sigh, the future looks bleak!"
Li Qiong chimed in, "Sigh, I used to get great grades. My teacher even said I could get into a good university."
Listening to them, Wang Yuan couldn’t help but sigh as well. Although her grades hadn’t been the best, they weren’t bad either. Getting into a teacher’s college or something similar should have been no problem.
But now?
She was facing the dirt with her back to the sky, far from home. ’Thankfully, I have another way out. I’m already most of the way through. I hope that once the mission is complete, I can leave this place and go back to Jincheng City.’
She would even be willing to work in a factory.
Wang Yuan was filled with excitement and anticipation.
"Let’s just take it one step at a time. Don’t overthink it," Wang Yuan said with a smile. "Worrying is useless. We might as well be happy."
It used to be everyone consoling Wang Yuan, but today she was the one consoling them.
Zhao Nuanyue knew Wang Yuan’s secret, but Li Qiong and the others had no idea.
"Haha, Wang Yuan, now you’re the one consoling us! It proves you’ve come to terms with things. I’m really happy for you," Li Qiong laughed. "Seeing Nuanyue studying makes me want to read too. Maybe one day I can catch up and won’t have to cram at the last minute."
Yang Guanghui listened and nodded. "That’s true. I’ll read too. It’ll be winter soon, and I can’t just sleep all day! I should use my brain, or it’ll get rusty."
Seeing this, Zhao Nuanyue smiled. "Sure. A set has several books, so we can share them. There’ll be plenty to go around. By the way, the New Year is in a little over a month. Are you guys going back home?"
Hearing this, Wang Yuan gave a slight smile. "I might go back. What about you?"
Yang Guanghui couldn’t let go of the figure in his heart. He said bitterly, "I want to go back. I want to see if she’s doing okay..."
Li Qiong shook her head. "I’m not going back. Last year, I went home and had to sleep on a makeshift bed of benches in the living room. It was uncomfortable, and my two sisters-in-law picked on me. It put my mom in a difficult position, but she didn’t dare say anything. Both of my sisters-in-law got pregnant and had babies one after another, so there’s probably even less space at home now. I’m better off staying here. I have a big bed and plenty to eat."
"Nuan Yang, the Little Red Carp, and I aren’t planning on going back either," Zhao Nuanyue replied. "When we went back last year, we almost didn’t make it back here. It was too dangerous."
"It’s good that you’re not going back. We can keep each other company," Li Qiong said with a smile. "We ate aquatic plants this summer and saved a lot of grain. We can have a great New Year’s celebration."
Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "Mhm, okay. Plus, with all the things we’ve gathered from the mountains, we’ll have more than enough to eat."
They shared their respective frustrations, comforting one another.
Zhao Nuan Yang was diligently teaching the Little Red Carp to read and learn. The Little Red Carp was a fast learner, which made Zhao Nuan Yang especially happy. He was already starting to love being a teacher.
Meanwhile, Miao Dahai, Hua Yusen, and Sun Haoran took Gu Qingyu to the best hospital in the county seat for a full-body examination.
After evaluations from both a National Doctor and a Western physician, the conclusion was the same: Gu Qingyu’s body was continuously weakening and deteriorating.
The symptoms weren’t affecting a specific organ but the entire person, so they didn’t know how to treat it.
Soon, news of Gu Qingyu’s condition spread and reached Zhao Liqiang. Having laid low for a year, Zhao Liqiang was ecstatic.
’The Guo Family’s young miss is truly formidable. Success came so swiftly.’
So, after secretly arranging for another examination of Gu Qingyu, Zhao Liqiang was finally satisfied. He immediately wrote a letter to his contacts in Jincheng City to inform Miss Guo about Gu Qingyu’s situation.
Consequently, those secretly monitoring Gu Qingyu’s condition all rushed to verify the information before writing to their respective superiors or sending someone to report in person.
Miao Dahai, Hua Yusen, and the others stayed in the county seat for three days. Utterly disheartened, Gu Qingyu looked at the three of them and said, "I know my own body. I don’t think I’m going to make it. Let’s go back. There’s no point in seeking treatment in the city. It’s a waste of money, and they can’t cure me anyway."
Hua Yusen and Sun Haoran knew the truth, but they put on expressions of distress and anguish.
Miao Dahai also sighed and said, "Gu, wait for me. I’ll go file a report and see if I can get permission to take you to the city for a look."
Gu Qingyu was classified as "assistance personnel" and couldn’t easily leave Labor County, which was why Miao Dahai had to file a report.
Hearing this, Gu Qingyu’s sallow face broke into a faint, helpless smile. "Forget it. Don’t go to all that trouble. Let’s just go back. Let me live out my days in peace in Nianqiao Village. If I die, bury me near the Dragon King Temple. I quite like it there."
Since Gu Qingyu had said this much, Miao Dahai stopped trying to persuade him.
And so, the group braved the blizzard and returned to Nianqiao Village.
Various reports spread to different places. Naturally, this included people from Hua Yusen’s organization, who were making a final push to be able to return to the city.
The oxcart had a makeshift canopy to block the wind, and inside, Gu Qingyu was covered with a thick quilt. The road was slippery, so their pace was slow.
It was dark by the time Hua Yusen drove the oxcart to the Dragon King Temple.
Zhao Nuanyue and the others were just about to eat. When they saw the arrivals, they quickly made way for them to carry Elder Gu inside. They then served the freshly made hot soup and hot water to Gu Qingyu, Miao Dahai, Hua Yusen, and Sun Haoran so they could eat first and warm themselves up.
She had just heard from Hua Yusen that they had been on the road since morning.
Before they ate, however, Zhao Nuanyue quickly boiled some brown sugar and ginger water, giving each of them a bowl to drink to ward off the chill and break a sweat.
Wang Yuan saw Gu Qingyu vomit halfway through his meal and knew his condition had worsened.
’This slow-acting poison is truly potent, killing without a trace!’
Wang Yuan was terrified and guilt-ridden. Whenever Gu Qingyu looked at her, she had to turn her head away, not daring to meet his gaze.
At the same time, she was eagerly anticipating a letter from Guo Dongmei that would allow her to return to Jincheng City.
Li Qiong and Yang Guanghui were genuinely sad and sentimental for Gu Qingyu. After all, they had lived in adjacent courtyards for a year, seeing each other constantly.
Gu Qingyu’s condition deteriorated day by day. He would only show a smile when Hua Yusen, Sun Haoran, or Zhao Nuanyue were around. The rest of the time, he was faking his illness.
At that moment, Zhao Nuanyue’s admiration for Sun Haoran’s medical skills grew even stronger. ’How can he possibly achieve this?’