This was a massive undertaking.
Qin Du's injuries were extremely severe, especially the wound on his shoulder. It was a mangled mess of flesh and blood, looking as if he had carried something incredibly heavy or been smashed by something.
Many parts of his legs and hands were purple from the cold, and in some places, the skin would peel off with just a light touch.
Ji Zhuxin didn't even dare to keep looking, but the doctor had a good mindset. "This Qin Du is really lucky to be alive. To still be breathing in this state... if it were anyone else, they would have died halfway. Eating more meat really does help."
Ji Zhuxin rolled her eyes at the doctor. "How can you still joke at a time like this?"
The doctor chuckled cheerfully, "Well, he's still alive, isn't he?"
"Are you guys still going to the county town these days?"
Ji Zhuxin shook her head. "How could we? The snow has blocked the way."
The doctor sighed. "It's better for you. Unlike us, whether it's windy or raining, we have to work."
"Your salary is high. I run around at both ends, and my pay is low," Ji Zhuxin grumbled as she washed the bloodstains off the towel.
The doctor sighed and continued to examine Qin Du's wounds. "What's the use of high pay? That local tyrant is always withholding my supplies, giving me a headache. If I had known, I would have gone to work for his wife instead."
Ji Zhuxin said absentmindedly, "With your temper, could you really do that job?"
Ji Zhaoxi came panting as she carried another bucket of hot water in. She had lost count of how many times she had run back and forth today.
Seeing the two chatting, Ji Zhaoxi asked worriedly, "Is Brother Qin Du going to wake up soon?"
The doctor let out a laugh. "It's hard to say when your Brother Qin Du will wake up. I can only make sure he keeps breathing."
Ji Zhaoxi fell silent and sat by the side, watching him. How could he have so many injuries on his body?
She touched Qin Du's tightly clenched hand. It was freezing cold, so she directly applied a hot towel to it to help his hand warm up quickly.
Suddenly, she felt something. Curious, she took a look and found that Qin Du was clutching something in his hand.
"What is this?" Ji Zhaoxi held Qin Du's hand.
The doctor was about to say that whatever was inside couldn't be taken out, but the very next second, he saw Ji Zhaoxi pull the item out of his hand.
When unfolded, it was a crisp ten-yuan bill.
The doctor frowned. "Ten yuan? Where did he get a bill with such a large denomination?"
Could he have stolen it?
Ji Zhuxin glanced at it. "He earned it by working as a temp."
The doctor's eyes grew even more suspicious. "Where is there a temp job that pays this well?"
Ji Zhuxin clicked her tongue. "At the forestry farm."
The doctor fell silent, his eyes full of extreme surprise. "He actually managed to get the money from the forestry farm."
Everyone knew that the forestry farm went around all day tricking people with that ten yuan for three days recruitment notice, but actually getting that ten yuan was no easy feat.
"Then that explains all these injuries on his body."
In the second half of the night, Qin Du started running a fever again. The doctor had to give him several injections before his fever subsided.
Having been busy for so long, the doctor let out a heavy yawn, packed up his medical kit, and went home.
Ji Zhuxin was also exhausted. She patted Ji Zhaoxi's head. "Call me if anything happens."
In the end, she couldn't compare to a child's boundless energy.
Ji Zhaoxi nodded vigorously.
The room suddenly grew quiet.
Ji Zhaoxi had never been to Qin Du's room before. His room was very simple; aside from some daily necessities, there was nothing else, making it hard to see any traces of life.
There were many books and written papers on his desk. Ji Zhaoxi took a look and found many of her assignments mixed in. These were what she had written when she first started learning.
As soon as Ji Zhaoxi saw what she had written back then, she immediately covered them up. What on earth was she writing? She couldn't imagine what kind of mood Qin Du had been in when he praised her back then.
Qin Du slept for a long time. In his groggy state, he could feel someone tending to his wounds.
The pain came and went repeatedly. He didn't know how many times he had fallen asleep and woken up, but his eyes just wouldn't open.
Suddenly, he felt as if he had returned to the bottom of that freezing cliff. It was dark and bitterly cold. He couldn't see anything; he just climbed upwards relying purely on instinct.
Just as he was about to reach the top, the supervisor's face suddenly appeared at the edge of the cliff, his expression twisted.
"Go to hell!"
Qin Du's fingers twitched, and his eyes snapped open, filled with bloodshot veins. He panted heavily, his heart feeling like it was about to jump out of his chest, and stared blankly at the ceiling.
It took him a long while to realize that he was at home.
The back of his hand accidentally brushed against a patch of warmth. He turned his head and saw Ji Zhaoxi asleep, leaning against the edge of his bed, her hand still gripping his blanket.
Qin Du's gaze instantly softened. He carefully touched her face. Ji Zhaoxi subconsciously nuzzled into his touch, murmuring something under her breath.
As soon as Qin Du tried to sit up, the pain in his body made him frown. Gritting his teeth, he got out of bed.
His face was still very pale. First, he went to the kitchen to fill a metal hot water bottle with hot water and placed it under the covers. Then, he bent down and gently picked Ji Zhaoxi up. His wounds hurt a lot, but he didn't care much.
Only the dead feel no pain.
Ji Zhaoxi snuggled dependently into his chest. Qin Du laid her down on the bed, took off her shoes, and tucked her in with the blanket.
The table was covered with medicine. Qin Du walked outside, gritted his teeth, and changed his own dressings, cold sweat gradually seeping out on his forehead.
After changing his medicine, he went to add firewood to the stove, poured a cup of hot water, and took the medicine to his mother's room.
When Mother Qin was woken up by Qin Du, she was still a bit dazed. But as soon as she saw him covered in injuries, she burst into tears of heartache.
"Don't cry, Mother. I'm fine." Qin Du's voice was still a bit hoarse.
He handed the hot water to Mother Qin. "Mother, take your medicine first."
In a few days, he would have to make another trip to the county town to buy more medicine and, while he was at it, pay back the money he owed Sister Zhuxin.
Mother Qin was also thinking about this. With red eyes, she held his hand. "If it weren't for your Sister Zhuxin and Xi Xi being here during this time, I really wouldn't have been able to survive."
Qin Du nodded. "I know, Mother. I will pay Sister Zhuxin back as soon as possible."
Trembling, Mother Qin pulled a bracelet from behind her pillow. "Pawn this. Nothing else matters; just pay Zhuxin back first."
This was what his father had given her when they got married, and now it was finally serving a purpose.
Qin Du sighed and shook his head. "Mother, don't worry about this. I will earn the money as soon as possible."
He could never do something like pawning his mother's bracelet.
During those three days at the forestry farm, Qin Du had fully realized that selling manual labor wouldn't make big money. To make quick money, he would have to take some less-than-legitimate paths.
His father's dying words of warning echoed in his mind.
Study hard, protect his mother well, and walk the righteous path.
Qin Du silently lowered his head. He was probably going to disappoint his father.
Walking the righteous path could never protect the people he wanted to protect.
