Chapter 81 I just don't want to give it to you.
Du Ruoxia ignored Gao Aijin, and Gao Songbai's condition worsened, with a persistent fever.
"Go and see where the water level is," Du Ruoxia said, looking at the young man beside her.
After watching the people descend the mountain, Du Ruoxia called over a few strong men from the village and told them something.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. They couldn't just wait; they had to save themselves!
Du Ruoxia told them to take knives and cut down the trees, then move them all to the flat area on the mountaintop.
Xu E couldn't understand Du Ruoxia's behavior, so she urged Tiezhu to dig up the sweet potatoes.
Du Ruoxia told her to cook half of it first, and not to touch the rest.
She directed some people to arrange the branches, and only after they finished did they realize that she was calling for help.
[Seriously injured! Help!]
The two-meter-large characters were arranged in a row, and the thick tree branches were arranged together, making them exceptionally conspicuous.
"Comrade Du, will this work?" Grandpa Gao Songbai asked anxiously.
Du Ruoxia pursed her lips, "This is the only way!"
The young man who came down the mountain returned quickly. He didn't come back alone; he was helping another man up.
Du Ruoxia tensed up when she saw him; Wang Hu was back!
"How did you get here with such a rapid flow of water?" Du Ruoxia examined Wang Hu and found no major wounds.
Wang Hu was clearly exhausted; his chest heaved constantly. Du Ruoxia fed him some water and food, which helped him feel a little better.
"They swam over."
"The troops have already gone to other areas for rescue."
Du Ruoxia felt extremely depressed as she listened, for she clearly remembered that this place was the hardest hit by the flood!
"Can't you get in touch with them? Didn't you send anyone here?" Du Ruoxia's eyes were cold.
Wang Hu shook his head. "They've all been dispatched. They're heading out according to the locations instructed by Section Chief Zhao. I've contacted the higher-ups, but the rescue team won't arrive until tomorrow morning at the earliest."
Du Ruoxia looked up abruptly, "Section Chief Zhao knows our destination?"
Wang Hu shook his head as he searched for Gao Songbai in the crowd.
Du Ruoxia also realized that before they got on the bus, Section Chief Zhao had most likely already spoken to Gao Songbai!
"Gao Songbai's leg is injured. If he doesn't go to the hospital, he might face amputation. Is there any way?" Du Ruoxia looked at Wang Hu expectantly.
Wang Hu shook his head helplessly, "The current is too strong; even a boat would be very likely to capsize!"
Du Ruoxia pursed her lips, then pointed to the words that had been erected, "Is there a way to make people notice these words?"
She guessed that the government would arrange for helicopter patrols, and if they saw this word, they might come down to rescue people.
Wang Hu pondered for a few seconds and then took out a bamboo tube-like object from his pocket. Du Ruoxia immediately recognized it as a signal flare.
"This is to make it easier for rescuers to find us. You can give it a try."
Du Ruoxia took it and looked up at the sky, praying that she would hear the sound of an airplane soon.
But before the plane even arrived, the children in the shed started making a fuss.
The children were hungry and kept asking for food.
"Distribute them all to eat, giving priority to the children and the elderly," Du Ruoxia said, looking at Tie Zhu's mother.
The child picked up the phone quickly, but the old man refused to, perhaps because of what Grandpa Gao Songbai had said.
Du Ruoxia remained silent; she had already done more than enough for these people!
Half a sweet potato is only enough for one person, and even excluding those who make sarcastic remarks, it's not enough to go around.
Xu E didn't force anyone, and moved on to the next person who didn't accept the offer.
In the end, she only had one left, and that's when she realized how scarce food was.
"Xu E, what's wrong with you? Why aren't you distributing the produce from our shed?" Gao Aijin shouted.
"Because I said I wouldn't give them to you. I bought the sweet potatoes, and I can give them to whomever I want," Du Ruoxia replied coldly.
Gao Aijin didn't dare to respond, muttered a curse under her breath and walked away. They could endure the anger and go hungry for a meal or two.
Ironically, the people in Gao Aijin's shed were exactly the kind who made sarcastic remarks and caused trouble.
“If you want them, you can buy them with money, one yuan each,” Du Ruoxia said calmly.
"This is robbery! I won't take a single cent! You just want a dollar!" Gao Aijin exclaimed excitedly.
"Didn't understand? I just don't want to give it to you!" Du Ruoxia replied with a smile.
The people in that shed dared not speak out in anger, and could only glare at Du Ruoxia, baring their teeth and cursing under their breath.
Du Ruoxia knew that some people just needed to be punished by heaven, and she didn't need to have any sympathy or patience for them.
"I will definitely report you for speculation and profiteering!" Gao Aijin pointed fiercely at Du Ruoxia.
Du Ruoxia sneered. She wished she could throw these people back into the village and even tried to use moral blackmail.
"Do as you please!" she said indifferently.
With Tie Zhu and the others guarding the sweet potatoes, Du Ruoxia wasn't afraid of them stealing them. Besides, they knew there wasn't enough food, and with so many people, they definitely wouldn't let them take it all.
The sky was still overcast, and the rain had lessened, but looking at the dark sky, the heavy rain would soon resume.
Du Ruoxia's state of mind changed when she saw the despair on Grandpa Gao Songbai's face.
“Grandpa Gao, I believe Gao Songbai will pull through. He’s such a kind man,” Xu E said, coming over to comfort him.
Du Ruoxia looked up at the sky, but it was all gray and she couldn't see anything.
She calculated Gao Songbai's situation and realized that there was no time left!
"Did you hear that?" Wang Hu suddenly asked.
Du Ruoxia looked at him and listened, but heard no sound.
"Open it up and put it in the air!" Wang Hu urged.
Without wasting a moment, Du Ruoxia immediately went outside the shed and opened the tube.
A plume of smoke shot straight into the sky, quickly dissipating, revealing a vibrant green landscape.
Du Ruoxia looked at the sky expectantly, but even with her neck aching, she still couldn't see a plane.
"Wang Hu, this... you must have misheard, right?" Du Ruoxia asked, looking disappointed.
Wang Hu shook his head in thought, still unable to figure out why the plane wasn't coming.
"Wait a little longer. Even if the plane can't see it, the villagers nearby will," Wang Hu comforted Du Ruoxia.
Du Ruoxia could only turn around and treat Gao Songbai's wounds to lower his body temperature further.
Fifteen minutes later, the roar of the plane finally arrived.
"An airplane! The sound of an airplane! Brother Songbai is saved!" Tiezhu shouted excitedly.
Du Ruoxia looked up at the sky, and sure enough, a helicopter flew over.
"Quick, quick, go over there and wave this thing!" Du Ruoxia shouted, picking up a strip of cloth.
Many people ran out after them, and with Du Ruoxia leading the way, they followed suit and waved.
The helicopter spotted the distress signal, circled several times, and then flew down.
Wang Hu stepped forward to communicate with them, and Du Ruoxia followed. A leader came down, and Du Ruoxia was surprised to see him.
"Comrades, you've worked hard!"
"I am a member of the patrol team sent by the Concord Military Unit. I am very pleased to see that you are all safe and sound!"
The newcomer was about the same age as Du Ruoxia, with a smile on his lips and a handsome profile. He first extended his hand to shake hands with Wang Hu.
Du Ruoxia was puzzled when she shook hands with the other person. The other person gave her a very friendly feeling, unlike the coldness of Section Chief Zhao.
"Boss, there are injured people who need to be transferred to the hospital immediately. They may need to have their limbs amputated. It's very urgent!" Du Ruoxia said anxiously.
She could be indifferent to a child soaking wet, and she could be ruthless towards the elderly, weak, sick, and young members of the Gao family, but she didn't want Gao Songbai, such a kind young man, to spend the rest of his life on crutches.
Perhaps it's because of her duty as a doctor; she may lack love and compassion, but her sense of responsibility is ingrained in her very being.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com