Life is Like a Journey – Chapter 78

Volume 2: Inheritance

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Take off your clothes

“Hao Renjie, have you seen Yu Gui?” Lu Qingshi, guarding at the tunnel entrance, immediately grabbed him and asked as he crawled out covered in dust and dirt.

            

“Wasn’t she with you?” Hao Renjie panted heavily, having just narrowly escaped death from a second cave-in, still shaken.

“We can’t contact her. What about the others?” Liu Qingyun and Chen Yi both shook their heads.

In this kind of rescue operation, they usually spread out with doctors and nurses in pairs to look after each other, and would never allow someone to be alone.

            

Lu Qingshi rubbed her brow, forcing herself to calm down: “Good person sister, tell me about the situation just now.”

As Hao Renjie spoke, Gu Yanzhi took out paper and pen to draw a floor plan of the tunnel: “The bus that had the accident is here. Initially, Qingshi and Yu Gui separated here. At that time, you were still with her, right?”

“Yes,” Hao Renjie nodded, swallowing: “At that time, Yu Gui did debridement, suturing, and bandaging for that patient. We sent him out together. When we were almost at the tunnel entrance, we saw Sister Lu and the others. Yu Gui said she would go help too. I thought since we were close to the tunnel entrance, I’d send the injured person out alone. When I came back in, I couldn’t find her anymore.”

            

Lu Qingshi interrupted him: “Why didn’t you report it when you couldn’t find her?”

Hao Renjie hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head in frustration: “It was too busy at the time, I didn’t think much about it. I just joined other doctors in rescuing the injured. I thought she was with you and safe… I’m sorry…”

Lu Qingshi moved her lips but couldn’t say any words of blame. In the chaos, with so many injured, it really wasn’t his fault.

            

She turned and went back to the tent, replenished some regular medications and instruments, and walked out with a bulging bag on her back.

Gu Yanzhi walked over with the drawing: “The tunnel is about 8 kilometers long, and about half of it hasn’t been cleared yet, blocked tightly by fallen rocks… Yu Gui probably wouldn’t go that way.”

Lu Qingshi nodded: “I understand. I’ll go in to find her.”

            

Gu Yanzhi grabbed her wrist: “I’ll go with you.”

“And me, I’ll go too.”

“I’ll go too.”

            

“I’ll go too.”

Everyone stood behind her with newly organized first-aid kits on their backs. Lu Qingshi slightly pursed her lips, revealing a gentle smile, when unexpectedly a voice cut in.

“If you all go to find Yu Gui, what about these patients in the medical station? Are they supposed to wait to die?”

            

The mountain roads were slippery and difficult to navigate, ambulances were in short supply, and there were still many stranded injured people lying in the tents.

Hao Renjie gripped the strap of his backpack tightly, his expression darkening: “Then—”

Lu Qingshi stopped him mid-sentence, patting his shoulder, both speaking to him and addressing colleagues worried about Yu Gui’s safety.

            

“Don’t worry, I’ll go in to search for survivors, and look for Yu Gui along the way.”

Xu Qiankun had been speaking in a sarcastic tone: “Chief Lu, please come back quickly, don’t get trapped in there too. After all, there’s still a bunch of injured people out here waiting for treatment.”

Gu Yanzhi put her arm around her shoulder and walked away. Lu Qingshi followed, stumbling, tugging at the strap on her backpack: “What’s wrong?”

            

She didn’t look back: “I’m afraid if I stay any longer, I won’t be able to resist punching him in the face. How have you managed to work with him for so long?”

Lu Qingshi’s lips curved slightly into a smile: “I’m used to it.”

The tunnel entrance had been blocked again by a second cave-in. The firefighters had to exert tremendous effort to dig out a life-saving passage from the pile of rubble.

            

Gu Yanzhi, Lu Qingshi, and other rescue officials crawled in one by one. The communication device Gu Yanzhi was wearing rang. After she answered, her expression didn’t look good.

“We need to hurry. The meteorological department has notified us that there will be continuous heavy to torrential rain in this area in two hours. At that point, the search and rescue work will have to stop.”

“Okay,” Lu Qingshi nodded, sweeping her flashlight back and forth across the pitch-black tunnel.

            

Gu Yanzhi patted the search dog she was holding on a leash, put some things Yu Gui had used under its nose to smell. The search dog barked twice and darted off.

Everyone turned on their flashlights and followed.

Coming out of the factory after finishing the night shift, Fang Zhiyou didn’t see that familiar figure. Since early this morning, a faint uneasiness had been hanging over her heart. She walked quickly towards home, holding an umbrella.

            

While waiting for the traffic light, she unconsciously took out her phone to check the time. It was past midnight, and there was an unread text message.

She pressed the right key: Zhiyou, I’m sorry, I’ve gone to the disaster area. This is the only time I’ll break my promise. I will return safely, wait for me.

The phone number was unfamiliar, but it was signed by Yu Gui.

            

Fang Zhiyou’s hands shook with anger, and an uncontrollable fear rose from the soles of her feet.

She recalled what her coworker had said today: “Did you know that the Changping Tunnel collapsed? So many people died. They say there are dead bodies floating in the Changshui River now.”

“That’s right, how could it be so serious? It was just the first day it opened for traffic. They say there was a school organizing an autumn outing, and barely anyone survived from a whole bus.”

            

“Hey hey hey, latest news, just now there was a second cave-in. They say several rescue workers and doctors were buried.”

She stopped what she was doing and leaned over. The screen showed several firefighters carrying out a stretcher. Although it was covered with a white cloth, a bloodied wrist wearing a white coat was exposed.

Fang Zhiyou suddenly felt her heart racing, but desperately comforted herself that everything was fine. Yu Gui had already promised her that she wouldn’t be a doctor anymore. After the HIV initial screening results came out, she would find a proper nine-to-five job.

            

Fang Zhiyou frantically dialed that number, calling several times in a row, but all she got was “The number you have dialed is not in service area.”

She was so angry she wanted to smash her phone but managed to hold back. Looking at the sign of Renji Medical University flashing in the night sky, the green light had already turned red. She ignored it and ran straight across the road. A driver slammed on the brakes and cursed loudly: “F*ck your mother’s c*nt, are you looking to die?!”

Fang Zhiyou heard nothing, just kept running in the same direction with her umbrella.

            

The night at Renji Medical University was still crowded. Those who stayed were all seriously injured patients or those who needed observation. The outpatient hall was filled with fracture patients either sitting or lying down. A mix of disinfectant smell and the scent of damp earth hit her as she entered.

Fang Zhiyou barged in and grabbed a nurse, asking: “Where’s Yu Gui?!”

“Hey, who are you? Regular outpatient services are suspended today. Go to the community hospital if you need to see a doctor…” The nurse was carrying a medical tray and walking hurriedly, not wanting to deal with her much.

            

Fang Zhiyou raised her voice and shouted again: “I’m asking you, where is Yu Gui?!”

The gazes of people around all turned towards her. The young nurse finally stopped, looking her up and down: “Dr. Yu went to the disaster area with Chief Lu. Who are you to her?”

“Can you contact your medical team? I… I am her…” Fang Zhiyou paused for a moment, then slowly said: “Cousin… I tried calling your Chief Lu but no one answered…”

            

The young nurse, seeing her disheveled state with muddy trouser legs, softened a bit and handed her the tray she was carrying: “Then help me hold this. The signal in the mountain area should be poor. I’ll go to the medical affairs office to ask.”

Fang Zhiyou was extremely grateful, bowing slightly: “Thank you, thank you.”

While waiting for her to return, Fang Zhiyou unconsciously walked to the emergency department. If the outpatient hall was still peaceful, then this place was filled with the smoke of battle and flying flesh and blood.

            

The smell of blood that even disinfectant couldn’t cover was almost nauseating.

The corridor was packed with extra beds. She had to tense her body to pass through the crisscrossing IV stands.

The people lying on the hospital beds were wrapped in bandages, barely alive, or had lost limbs, with empty sleeves and pant legs.

            

There were gray-haired elderly people crying over wheelchairs, middle-aged men kneeling and wailing, and children of a few years old who had lost their parents in the collapse, holding blood-stained dolls in their arms with bewildered and innocent eyes looking at the people coming and going around them.

“Wah!” A mouthful of sticky fresh blood splattered onto her shoes. The person lying on the hospital bed started to convulse violently. Fang Zhiyou was startled and quickly pulled back her foot. A group of people in white coats and light blue nurse uniforms rushed over.

The child was scared and started crying loudly: “Mama… I want Mama… Papa… Papa… where are you?”

            

Somehow, perhaps the primitive compassion in human nature was triggered, Fang Zhiyou’s toes turned in a different direction, walking towards the little girl.

“Finally found you, why did you come here?” The young nurse came back panting, and immediately saw her skillfully disinfecting a small wound on the little girl’s leg.

“You have nursing experience?”

            

Fang Zhiyou nodded, handing the tray back to her: “There’s a patient at home. How is it?”

“Well…” The young nurse’s face looked unpleasant: “During the second cave-in just now, Dr. Yu didn’t come out…”

Fang Zhiyou’s vision went black for a moment, and she grabbed the wheelchair for support, her knuckles turning white from gripping so tightly.

            

“Hey hey hey, don’t faint! Quickly, sit down, sit down. Sister Li, please bring me a cup of glucose water.”

“I don’t want it,” Fang Zhiyou pushed the sugar water back into her hand, regained her composure, and walked straight out, her eyes red.

“Where are you going?!”

            

“I’m going to the disaster area!”

“Are you crazy?! There are no more vehicles going to the disaster area now. All roads are closed, no vehicles are allowed to pass. Besides, our Chief Lu has already gone in to find her. There will be good news. Calm down, don’t be impulsive… Hey!”

Before the nurse could finish speaking, that person had already pushed away her hand and rushed into the rain.

            

Fang Zhiyou spent ten times the usual price to rent a black motorcycle willing to take her to the disaster area, but it would only take her to the highway entrance five kilometers away from Changping Tunnel, because there would be police checkpoints there. The rest of the way she would have to go on foot.

Fang Zhiyou sat on the back seat without hesitation: “Let’s go.”

The rain started again intermittently. She wiped her face, not knowing if it was tears or rain. The motorcycle driver looked back at her bedraggled appearance: “Little miss, you’re from Feng County, right? They say the landslide there was pretty serious too, many houses collapsed…”

            

It was better when he didn’t speak. Once he started talking, she couldn’t stop her tears. Fang Zhiyou bit her lip, trying not to cry out loud.

The motorcycle driver sped up again: “There’s a raincoat in the trunk, put it on.”

“Thank you.”

            

On this dark night, the rain fell harder and harder, one person and one motorcycle braving the wind and rain on the winding mountain road.

From time to time, rumbling thunder could be heard from deep in the mountains, but she had only one thought: even if the sky falls and the earth cracks ahead, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, she must see her.

But too many things happened on this night. Many, many years later, when she could finally let go, if you were to ask her: Do you regret it?

            

All you would get is a sigh.

Because at that time, she really didn’t know how to choose what was best for both of them.

Another chest and abdominal combined trauma surgery ended. Under Lu Qingshi’s long-term training, most people in the emergency department had basically mastered the skill of outdoor thoracotomy, suturing, and hemostasis. The injured person was sent to the ambulance with stable vital signs. Liu Qingyun stretched his muscles and bones, let out a long breath, and walked out of the tent to get some fresh air.

            

Qin Xuan jumped down from the ambulance, holding two constant temperature boxes in her hand. She handed them to the accompanying young nurse. Inside were the urgently needed red blood cells and cryoprecipitate.

“Where are Lu Qingshi and Yu Gui? I don’t see them.”

Even if you’re made of steel, you need to eat and drink after being busy for a whole day, right? As night fell, basically every medical station had lit their stoves. The doctors who weren’t on duty gathered in twos and threes, slurping instant noodles.

            

Chen Yi also brought two boxes of [brand name] over to share with them: “Don’t mention it. After you left, there was a second cave-in. Yu Gui didn’t come out, and we can’t contact her. Sister Lu went in again.”

Qin Xuan gritted her teeth: “I’ll go too.”

“Where’s Qin Xuan? Has Qin Xuan come back? There’s a 21-week pregnant woman who’s miscarrying…” Xu Qiankun took off his gloves and ran out.

            

“I…” Qin Xuan was choked for a moment, looking up at the tunnel entrance that looked like a crouching beast under the overcast night sky. She gritted her teeth and still plunged into the tent.

“Coming!”

“Can you still walk?”

            

Lu Qingshi leaned against the severely damaged vehicle body, catching her breath slightly, then stood up straight.

“I can.”

Gu Yanzhi reached out to support her. The search dog, carrying something in its mouth, ran back from afar and pounced into her arms, wagging its tail furiously.

            

Lu Qingshi adjusted the flashlight to its brightest setting. It was Yu Gui’s communication device. The case was broken and stained with blood.

Her heart tightened. Gu Yanzhi patted the search dog’s back: “Good boy, quickly lead us there.”

Everyone followed.

            

“Yu Gui!”

“Woof woof!”

The dog was running around in circles. The echo traveled far in the tunnel. The person lying in the rubble moved slightly, and a blood-covered hand reached out from the soil.

            

“Cough cough…” A mouthful of dust came out as she spoke. Yu Gui’s voice was terribly hoarse: “Is… is anyone there? I’m… I’m here…”

“Yu Gui!” Lu Qingshi ran over with the flashlight: “Where are you?!”

“Lu… Teacher Lu… I’m here…” After being trapped for four hours, finally hearing her voice, Yu Gui was almost crying with joy.

            

In front was a steel reinforced concrete slab that seemed to have fallen from the tunnel ceiling. Lu Qingshi climbed up on the thumb-thick ribbed steel and shone the flashlight down, illuminating her pale, bloodless face.

“Are you injured?”

Yu Gui shielded her eyes from the blinding light: “My leg is trapped, I can’t move.”

            

The fallen rocks had crashed onto a seven-seater minivan, crushing the body but also creating a triangular space where people could fit. Beneath Yu Gui was a woman with a terrified face holding a child. The doctor had used her not-so-sturdy back to prop up a piece of sky, which could also be considered a stroke of good fortune.

Lu Qingshi breathed a sigh of relief and threw down the first-aid kit: “Bandage yourself, and the two injured people beside you too.”

Gu Yanzhi lay on the ground to measure the size of the gap. It was about the size of a fist. It seemed impossible to crawl in like before.

            

“How’s your leg?” Watching her insert the needle tip into her own vein, Lu Qingshi was still concerned about the leg problem she mentioned earlier.

“No feeling, it might be fractured. I can’t touch it.”

“How can you be so stupid? How old are you…”

            

The woman holding the child managed a smile: “It’s not Dr. Yu’s fault. If it weren’t for her, my child and I would have died here.”

“How old is the child?” A routine inquiry, but the round-faced woman’s expression became evasive: “Eight… eight months…”

Can an eight-month-old have such long hands?

            

The little hand stretching out from the thin swaddling cloth looked like it belonged to a one or two-year-old.

Lu Qingshi frowned slightly: “Where are you injured?”

“Hit my head,” Yu Gui answered for her: “When I rescued them, I did an examination. Minor scalp abrasion, nothing serious.”

            

“Do the examination again. Give me the child, I’ll take it out first.” The gap above was just big enough to fit an adult’s arm, but enough for an infant. Lu Qingshi reached out her arm.

But the woman held the child tightly: “No… I want to go out with my baby…”

Only after repeated urging did the woman hand the child to Yu Gui. Yu Gui stretched out her arm, sweating profusely, trembling as she supported herself against the vehicle body.

            

Lu Qingshi glanced at her leg. The right leg was trapped under the slab and couldn’t move. This person didn’t say much, just bit her lip and endured.

“Qingshi, come down first. We’re ready to pull.”

“Okay.” Lu Qingshi jumped down. Gu Yanzhi steadied her and tied the rope around her waist. Other firefighters did the same: “One, two, three, go!”

            

The heavy slab was moved inch by inch by human power. The rope dug into the soft flesh of their shoulders. Gu Yanzhi’s forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat as she gritted her teeth.

Lu Qingshi took half of the rope from her chest and also let it dig into her own shoulder.

Yu Gui was also desperately trying to hold on, feeling the muscles and bones being crushed inch by inch with excruciating pain. She couldn’t help but cry out in pain.

            

“Yu Gui!” Lu Qingshi called her name from outside.

“What?” Yu Gui answered, shaking like a sieve.

“Normal pleural effusion is red and light yellow. If a patient presents with black pleural effusion, what disease might they have?”

            

As if back in the hellish ward rounds, Yu Gui racked her brains: “Based on the physical examination, if infection is ruled out, we can suspect metastatic melanoma or carbon-containing empyema.”

“The patient’s living environment and work have no possibility of inhaling activated carbon. Answer again.”

Yu Gui trembled: “Is it lung cancer? No, no, it’s pancreatic pseudocyst rupture…”

            

She was about to kneel down to this person: “I’m sorry, Teacher Lu… I… I don’t know…”

“Are you a pig? What are the early ECG changes in acute myocardial infarction?”

“Is the cause of massive hemoptysis in bronchiectasis combined with severe bronchitis or congenital anatomical malformation of the bronchial artery?”

            

A series of questions were thrown at her. Yu Gui was dazed and confused, no longer paying attention to her leg pain: “It’s… it’s combined with severe bronchitis…”

Lu Qingshi pulled her out of the gap with a cold face: “Neither. Go back and rewrite Internal Medicine 100 times.”

Yu Gui’s eyes rolled back, and she lay down straight.

            

When she woke up again, she was in a warm tent. Qin Xuan was sitting beside her, dozing off. She suddenly sprang up from the bed: “I know! It’s bronchial artery and pulmonary artery terminal dilated vascular tumor rupture!”

Qin Xuan almost fell off the chair: “Damn, what are you yelling about?!”

This time Yu Gui really yelled, grimacing in pain: “My… my leg… is it ruined…”

            

Qin Xuan rolled her eyes: “You won’t die. Your Teacher Lu personally set the bone for you and personally sent you back. Tsk tsk tsk, I don’t even get this treatment. I’m jealous, jealous.”

Yu Gui was in so much pain she was sweating: “She also punished me to copy Internal Medicine 100 times. I don’t want this kind of blessing. Quick, give me a pain killer injection.”

Qin Xuan threw the syringe to her: “Do it yourself.”

            

“By the way, how are the mother and daughter I rescued?” Only after the transparent liquid was slowly pushed into her vein did Yu Gui feel a bit better and ask.

At this, Qin Xuan was even less inclined to deal with her: “What were you thinking? Of all people to rescue, you rescued a human trafficker. Fortunately, your Teacher Lu was observant and felt something was off. She secretly notified Xiang Nanke. A background check revealed a previous record of human trafficking. As soon as they came out, they were arrested.”

Yu Gui sighed: “I didn’t know… I just saw them looking so helpless…”

            

Qin Xuan shook her head but didn’t really blame her: “Alright, rest well. We’ll send you back tomorrow to recover.”

“What about that child?”

Qin Xuan’s hand paused slightly as she was lifting the curtain: “Preliminary examination suspects congenital biliary atresia. The child has been sent back to the hospital for further treatment.”

            

Yu Gui lowered her head, supporting her forehead with her hand.

On a stormy night, the rescue operation was temporarily suspended. More than half of the fallen rocks in the tunnel had been cleared, and the life detection device no longer detected any signs of life. But Gu Yanzhi was still a bit uneasy about this. She ate instant noodles while glancing at the tunnel entrance, with one foot propped up on the toolbox.

Suddenly, a white figure caught her eye. She quickly sat up straight.

            

“Did something happen?”

Lu Qingshi shook her head, holding iodine, cotton swabs, gauze, bandages, and other items in her hand: “Take off your clothes.”

“Cough cough cough…” Caught off guard by this answer, Gu Yanzhi choked on a mouthful of instant noodles, coughing earth-shatteringly. The surrounding subordinates cast various strange, curious, envious, and waiting-for-her-to-make-a-fool-of-herself glances.

            

Lu Qingshi ignored them: “Hurry up.”

But Gu Yanzhi wasn’t so clear-conscienced. She put down the instant noodle bowl and pulled her all the way back to her own resting tent.

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