Chapter 105: The New Sanitation Worker
When Ning Xiyue heard about this new task, she was quite excited. The rewards she received from completing these task-based check-ins were indeed generous, and since this was an independent sign-in mission with no limit on attempts, it wouldn’t use up her three daily check-in opportunities.
It couldn’t get any better.
While multitasking, Ning Xiyue also took out the registration book and had Zhao Anguo record the details of the treatment for Little Gou Dan that day.
All patients treated at their brigade’s health station had to be registered and accounted for at the end of the month with the brigade accountant.
From the time Little Gou Dan was brought in for hemostasis to the completion of the bandaging, the entire process took just over ten minutes.
Seeing the boy smile again, one of the villagers — who had initially been skeptical about Ning Xiyue becoming their doctor — was now completely convinced.
He muttered quietly to someone next to him, “She’s amazing. That was a pretty big wound, but Dr. Ning handled it in just a few moves. Now I understand why the captain made her our barefoot doctor.”
One of the men who had helped carry Little Gou Dan over was Aunt Liu’s husband. Upon hearing this, he immediately responded:
“Don’t underestimate Dr. Ning. She’s the real deal. Why else do you think the captain chose her? Of course, it’s because she’s skilled. My wife’s always praising her medical abilities at home. Just last night, when someone came looking for a barefoot doctor, my wife even recommended Dr. Ning. I don’t know if they went to find her or not.”
From inside the room, Ning Xiyue overheard the man’s words and suddenly pieced everything together.
So it had been Aunt Liu who spread the word yesterday, which led to that big opportunity coming her way.
It seemed she owed Aunt Liu a proper thank-you.
Once that group left, more people came by for treatment — though most had only minor ailments. Some were even just there out of curiosity. When she asked them, they admitted they’d come because of the buzz created by the previous patients.
Ning Xiyue couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. Oh well — at least they could help her complete her mission.
After preparing herbal remedies for a few patients with mild colds, she discovered that treating and prescribing medicine for five cold patients advanced her mission progress.
Throughout the morning, there was a steady stream of onlookers, and her task progress bar moved forward quite a bit. By the time she finished seeing her last patient just before noon, the progress bar read 4/5, and she smiled in satisfaction. Just one more stage and the bar would be full.
She tidied up and got ready to go home and cook lunch.
Ning Xiyue picked up her large bag from the break room and headed out.
Just as she was locking the door, an anxious voice called out from behind her:
“Xiyue, wait — don’t close the door yet!”
She paused and turned to see Li Xiuxiu hurrying toward her with a bundle in hand.
“Huh? What are you doing here?” Ning Xiyue asked, reopening the door and leading her inside.
“From now on, I’ll be your sanitation worker. This place belongs to the two of us now.” Li Xiuxiu spread her arms wide inside the health station as if to say, This fish pond is ours now — we can do whatever we want.
She laughed heartily and pulled a slip of paper from her pocket. “Here’s my assignment note. The captain told me to follow you and learn from you as your assistant.”
Ning Xiyue took the paper and saw the brigade’s official seal on it, confirming it was real. So her future partner was Li Xiuxiu. Earlier that morning, she’d been wondering why a health station in such a large production brigade only had one person — normally, there should be a barefoot doctor and a sanitation worker.
It turned out the sanitation worker had also been replaced — with none other than the daughter of the brigade captain’s younger sister, Li Xiuxiu.
Indeed, Captain Zhang Dawei was Li Xiuxiu’s maternal uncle.
Ning Xiyue could guess some of the captain’s intentions, but she didn’t mind. Li Xiuxiu was a nice girl — cheerful and easy to get along with. She’d much rather work with someone like her than have to teach all the basics to a total stranger.
“Welcome, Xiuxiu. From now on, let’s serve the people together and learn side by side.” Ning Xiyue said with a bright smile, hugging her, thereby tacitly acknowledging the captain’s little scheme.
The little turtle floating in the air shook its head. The host has learned to bow her head now.
Ning Xiyue glanced upward as if replying, What do you know? When under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head. Besides, I genuinely like this girl.
Li Xiuxiu felt even happier after hearing Ning Xiyue’s words. She pulled out two apples from her pocket and shoved them into Ning Xiyue’s hands. “Teacher Xiyue, don’t worry. I’ll work hard, follow your lead, and make sure I don’t hold you back. Consider this my apprentice gift.”
“Don’t call me ‘teacher.’ I’m still learning too. Let’s just learn together as friends — call me Xiyue.” Ning Xiyue hadn’t expected this little gesture — Xiuxiu was clearly someone who knew how to seize opportunities. “Here, let’s each have one. From now on, we’re partners working hard together.”
Ning Xiyue put one apple back into her hands and lifted her own with a smile.
“Alright — partners working hard together.”
Li Xiuxiu raised her apple too, clinking it gently against Ning Xiyue’s.
They both exchanged a smile.
As they walked further inside, Li Xiuxiu looked around at the interior layout with delight. “Xiyue, is our break room over there?”
“Yes.”
Carrying her bundle, Li Xiuxiu headed straight into the break room. “So this is going to be my temporary home?”
“You’re not going back to stay at home? Will Aunt Zhang Mei even allow that?” Ning Xiyue asked curiously.
“It’s because Wu Xiuli is going on blind dates now, and my mom wants me to do the same. She’s even arranged someone to come meet me today, but I don’t want to start dating so soon. We had a bit of a fight, so I decided to move into the break room here for a few days,” Li Xiuxiu said, sounding a little troubled.
Ning Xiyue sympathized. Escaping marriage pressure was impossible in any era — especially in the countryside of this time, where people often married young.
But she reminded her, “Our health station doesn’t have a kitchen, only a pot for decocting herbs and a stove.”
Li Xiuxiu patted the bundle she’d brought. “It’s fine. I brought my own food. The stove and pot will be enough. In a few days, once my mom cools down, I’ll get my uncle to talk to her, and then I can go back.”
“Alright then. You get settled. I’m going back for lunch and will return later. If anything urgent comes up, you can come find me.”
“Got it. I’ll tidy up the bed in the meantime.”
Ning Xiyue picked up her own big bag again and headed toward the educated youth dormitory.
After returning and dropping off her things, it was already getting late. She went into the kitchen, locked the door, and stir-fried a simple dish using the pot there. The rice had been cooked with her automatic kitchen system inside her spatial storage.
Before long, she was enjoying a steaming bowl of rice and a fragrant stir-fried pork with chili dish.
Little Ash (Xiao Hui) was squatting on the other side of the table, eating its nutritious meal too.
Seeing how listless the little creature was after being cooped up in the kitchen all day without playing, Ning Xiyue said, “Little Huihui, you can come to work with me this afternoon — then you’ll be able to play outside.”
“Awwoo!” Little Ash barked excitedly.
Ning Xiyue chuckled. “Hurry up and eat. We’ll leave as soon as you’re done.”
But just as she finished her meal — before she even had time to clean up the dishes — Li Xiuxiu, who was supposed to be at the health station, came running over in a panic, calling for her to come back.
Sure enough, some flags should never be raised lightly. She had casually said that Xiuxiu could come find her if there was an emergency — and an emergency had indeed appeared.
