Chapter 182: Big Brother’s Accident
“Alright.” Ning Xiyue put down the meat and quickly washed her hands, then asked Liu Yao at the door, “Did the captain say who called me?”
Liu Yao shook her head. “No, but the captain said the caller seemed urgent and wanted you to get there quickly.”
“Okay, I’ll go right away. Thanks.” Ning Xiyue felt a sudden unease. She removed her apron, tossed it onto the bowl cabinet, and ran out immediately. “Ye Chu, watch the meat for me.”
“Okay, be careful on the way.”
“I know.”
Her words echoed in the wind, but Ning Xiyue was already sprinting toward the brigade office.
…
At the entrance of the brigade office.
Ning Xiyue leaned one hand on the door frame, one hand on her stomach, bending over and gasping: “Captain… who… who called me? Was it my family?”
“You’re running way too fast, kid. Come sit and drink some water to catch your breath.” The captain, busy organizing documents, was startled by Ning Xiyue suddenly appearing at the door. He walked over to steady her and poured a cup of hot water.
“Thank you, Captain.”
Ning Xiyue sat on the bench, holding the enamel cup the captain handed her, and gulped down the water to calm herself.
“No rush. They said they’d call you in a bit.” The captain frowned slightly and continued, “It’s Comrade Ji from last time, the one who used the phone in the office. Judging by his tone, he seems a bit anxious.”
Ning Xiyue paused mid-drink, set down the cup, and her expression turned serious. “What could have happened?”
Comrade Ji was usually so calm that even the captain could tell he was urgent — something must have happened.
“Ring, ring, ring—”
At that moment, the phone on the captain’s desk rang.
“Hello.” The captain answered. “He’s here.”
He handed the phone to Ning Xiyue and stepped outside, leaving her in the room.
“Hello, Comrade Ji, this is Ning Xiyue. Go ahead.” Ning Xiyue nervously answered, her heart pounding.
Listening to Comrade Ji’s words, Ning Xiyue felt her heart sink, unable to believe what she was hearing.
“What? What happened to my big brother? Tell me exactly about his injuries.”
“Your big brother isn’t in life-threatening condition, but his eyesight has been severely affected. The doctor said the best-case scenario is that he keeps his eyes but ends up with amblyopia; the worst-case scenario is complete blindness. Either way, he’ll have to retire.”
Comrade Ji’s voice sounded heavy over the phone.
“He loves this job so much. He doesn’t even know the truth yet. I’m afraid he’ll be crushed by the news and lose his spirit, so I haven’t told him. I thought of your medicine and wanted to ask if there’s any way to help.”
Despite her racing heart, Ning Xiyue remained unusually calm. “There is a way. If my big brother knew, tell him not to worry. Give me the hospital address; I’ll take leave and go take care of him. I can definitely help him recover.”
Hearing this, Comrade Ji felt hope that his brother’s eyesight could be restored. He had full confidence in Ning Xiyue.
“Good. I’ll help you get leave and arrange a train ticket. Don’t leave yet — I’ll call you back shortly.”
“Thank you, Comrade Ji.”
Ning Xiyue hung up and sat on the bench, calmly thinking about which illustration in her collection could provide a formula to treat eyes.
[Host, don’t worry.] Little Turtle comforted her, pawing her head.
“Mm, let me think.”
Ning Xiyue picked up the little turtle from above her head and held it in her arms. Feeling its energy, she cleared her mind completely and drew upon the memories stored in her brain. Suddenly, the image of the bear gallbladder she obtained yesterday appeared in her mind.
That’s right — the bear gallbladder she got yesterday had medicinal properties for improving eyesight.
She hadn’t checked the illustration yesterday, but perhaps it contained a formula.
With that in mind, Ning Xiyue quickly used her consciousness to view the bear gallbladder page in the collection.
Opening the totem, her heart faltered for a moment. Her hand trembled as she scrolled down.
On the third page, she focused on the two medicines listed in the middle: Mingmu Pills and Mingmu Eye Drops.
The Mingmu Pills and Eye Drops rated “Excellent” (90 points) could cure blindness, depending on the severity of the patient’s condition, with vision recovery up to 4.8 (0.8) and no aftereffects.
Those rated “Perfect” (100 points) could restore vision even for patients blind for years, achieving up to 5.3 (2.0) vision with no side effects.
Looking at the formulas and their effects, Ning Xiyue was certain: these were the ones.
Although she had never made a perfect 100-point medicine before…
Her expression hardened. This time, she would make a perfect medicine.
She would give her big brother the best treatment, to restore his eyesight even better than before.
“Ring, ring, ring—”
The phone rang twice. Ning Xiyue answered, feeling slightly more at ease this time.
