Chapter 108
On New Year's Eve, the central government issued a Level I emergency response order, imposing a complete lockdown and putting everything on hold.
Official figures on the number of infections in various regions have begun to be released. Hubei Province is the epicenter of the outbreak, with the number of infections rising at a rocket-like rate. Neighboring provinces and cities are also experiencing severe infections, with the number of cases continuing to rise, creating a climate of fear among the general public.
Under the shadow of the pandemic, the Lunar New Year's Eve, a time for family reunions, has lost its liveliness and warmth, leaving only desolation and fear.
Chen Zhiyi and Qin Wei cooked the New Year's Eve dinner together. It had both meat and vegetables, and it looked and smelled delicious, but neither of them had much of an appetite.
When the country is in trouble, every citizen has a responsibility. At this time, people with a sense of responsibility and commitment want to do their part, contributing their strength if they have the ability, and their money if they have the means.
Chen Zhiyi and Lin Ting immediately donated money anonymously through official donation channels. At the same time, Chen Zhiyi used his personal connections to purchase a large number of medical-grade masks and protective suits from abroad and transported them back by special air freight.
When Lin Ting saw an online advertisement for a professional mask manufacturer seeking cooperation, she realized they were providing machines and manpower but lacking fabric. She remembered a fabric supplier she had previously worked with who had the qualifications to produce mask fabric. Fortunately, Lin Ting had saved the contact information of every manufacturer she had worked with in the past and quickly got in touch with them.
Without hesitation, the fabric factory first donated its stockpile of fabric free of charge, and then called on workers to continue production. Through Lin Ting's mediation, the two sides reached a cooperation agreement.
The moment Lin Ting hung up the phone, the New Year's bells rang.
Several families across the street were waving sparklers on their balconies, the tiny lights adding a touch of starlight to the pitch-black night and illuminating a sliver of the road ahead.
Chen Zhiyi stood next to Lin Ting and said, "You'll get better soon."
Lin Ting kept her gaze ahead and nodded. "Mm."
"I'm sorry, it's been ten years, and this is only the second New Year we've truly spent together, yet I still haven't been able to spend a proper and happy New Year with you. I'm such a failure."
"Where did we fail? Raising such a large amount of epidemic prevention materials in such a short time is not something an ordinary person can do."
Their eyes met, and Chen Zhiyi understood Lin Ting's thoughts. He joked, "Teacher Ye, you flatter me. You're the kind of person who can handle a factory."
In the face of great calamity, personal feelings become unimportant. The world is not at peace, so how can we be attached to our small families?
After the complete lockdown, daily necessities were distributed by the community, but there was a clear shortage of manpower. The community director promoted the spirit of dedication in the group chat and called on everyone to volunteer. Although some people volunteered, the number was still not enough.
Lin Ting received a call from the community. Chen Zhiyi avoided it, adhering to the "cohabitation agreement," but he guessed who was calling and what they meant. He hoped Lin Ting could be a little selfish at this moment, but in the end, she still agreed.
Chen Zhiyi's face was filled with anxiety as he loudly rebuked her, "Are you crazy?"
Lin Ting remained calm. "I'm not crazy. Someone has to do this. It'll be someone else, if not me."
“We have donated so many supplies and are still raising more. We have done our best. Can’t we be a little selfish at a time like this?”
"Others have many things to worry about, such as elderly parents and young children, but I am all alone and have nothing to fear."
When the community director used this reason to persuade her on the phone, she felt more fearlessness than sadness. This was her vulnerable side, but also her invincible side.
Chen Zhiyi immediately hugged her, choking back tears, "You may not care about me, but you have to care about Xiaowei. What will he do if something happens to you? He values you so much and can't live without you, and neither can I."
Lin Ting could feel his body trembling, and comforted him, "I don't think you're worried I'm cursing you?"
"You're still in the mood for jokes at a time like this?" Chen Zhiyi let go of her. "I've made up my mind, I'll go with you."
Lin Ting immediately stopped her, saying, "You can't. You have parents and family."
“No, I broke off all ties with them three years ago. I’m all alone, just like you. My only concern is you, and I’d rather be with you. I’ve already cut off all my escape routes for you. I just want to walk hand in hand with you on the road ahead that belongs to us. Whether the road ahead is bitter or sweet, smooth or bumpy, I’m not afraid, as long as you’re there.”
“If you don’t agree, I won’t let you leave the house even if you have to crawl over my body.”
The determination in Chen Zhiyi's eyes made Lin Tingxin's heart pound violently, the intense beating sending shivers down her spine.
His presence would repeatedly stir up vast ripples in my otherwise calm heart, lingering for a long time.
Chen Zhiyi and Lin Ting were assigned to distribute supplies and carry out daily disinfection work in the four districts. The mountain village was divided into four districts. Their work was simple: when supplies were being distributed, they would pack the supplies and place them in front of each household; in addition, they would carry a disinfection gun and spray disinfectant in public areas every day.
The two rarely came into contact with people and wore full protective gear, so the risk of infection was low. This made them feel a little more at ease and able to work more freely.
To save on protective equipment, the two worked 24-hour shifts, and when they got home, they would basically fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow. The cooking, cleaning, and disinfection work at home fell to Qin Wei, who did a very good job, which made Lin Ting very gratified.
Although frontline service work is tough, it also brings occasional small moments of warmth and surprise.
A platter of sliced fruit, hot ginger and brown sugar water, unopened face masks, and a smiling face sticker on the door—small gestures, seemingly insignificant, yet they give everything meaning.
Heaven will favor those who are grateful, and we will surely get through this.
Even when handsome people are wrapped up so tightly that you can't tell who they are, their brilliance still shines through, and some people even recognize who they are.
"Are you Chen Zhiyi?" A high school girl hid behind the door, looking him up and down.
Chen Zhiyi placed the bags of supplies in front of her house. "Who is Chen Zhiyi? I don't know him."
The girl became interested. "He's my idol. I grew up watching his shows."
Chen Zhiyi: "..." This is what the actor most wants to hear, and also what he least wants to hear.
Touched yet cruel, Lin Ting suppressed a laugh.
Chen Zhiyi said stiffly, "I'm not him. I'm much more handsome than him. Disinfect the things and take them inside. Keep the door closed and stay home to take online classes and study."
"Of course you're not him. He's not as talkative as you." With a snap, the girl slammed the door shut.
Lin Ting scolded, "Can't you speak a little nicer? This girl is your fan."
"She even called me old."
"They're just complimenting you."
"Forget it, they should just focus on their studies."
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Lin Ting and Chen Zhiyi found it strange that the supplies distributed to Room 401, Building 18, had not been taken inside for three days.
After ringing the doorbell for a long time, a boy who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old opened the door.
Chen Zhiyi pointed to the bag, "Why haven't you taken it inside yet?" Actually, he was a little angry. With supplies scarce, how could they be wasted so easily?
The boy didn't speak, but just lowered his head, his eyes were dull and lifeless, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
Lin noticed his unusual behavior and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Where are your parents?"
The boy's eyes welled up, and he moved his lips. "They've all been infected and taken to the hospital." Suddenly, as if remembering something, his eyes lit up, and his voice was full of pleading. "Sister, you're from the community, could you help me find out which hospital my parents were taken to, and how they are?"
Lin Ting didn't speak; this matter was too difficult, and she had no way of finding out.
The boy knelt on the ground, his voice trembling with endless pleading, "Sister, brother, please help me, I don't want to be an orphan."
Chen Zhiyi wanted to help him up, but worried about cross-infection, so she said, "Get up first. I promise you, we'll help you find your parents. Tell me their names and ages."
The boy seemed to see a glimmer of hope, and immediately stood up, his voice trembling with excitement, "My dad's name is XXX, he's 48 years old, and my mom's name is XX, she's 46 years old."
"Okay, I'll let you know as soon as possible."
However, Lin Ting focused on other things and comforted him, "No matter what, you have to take good care of yourself so that your parents can focus on fighting the disease and not have to worry about you while you're in the hospital."
The boy nodded.
Chen Zhiyi immediately contacted the Nancheng Center for Disease Control and Prevention through his personal connections and found that the boy's parents were in the intensive care unit of Nancheng First People's Hospital, and their condition was not optimistic.
Lin didn't know how to tell the boy, so they decided to keep it a secret for now, since it wasn't the final step yet.
During this period, whenever Lin Ting was on duty, she would prepare a meal and bring it to the boy, and she would stay with him for a while while he ate.
The door was open, and the boy was squatting inside eating, while Lin Ting was leaning against the wall, sitting on the floor to rest for a while.
"Sister, still no news?"
"Well, no news is good news, don't worry."
"Thank you, sister. I've been asking the same question for the past few days. I already know the answer, but you still answer me patiently."
"I wouldn't find it annoying; I would do the same if I were you."
The boy took a sip of the soup in his lunchbox. "It's so delicious. My mom used to love making fish soup for me. She said that people who eat more fish are smart and have good memories. Sometimes, when I got tired of it and became picky, I would complain that she cooked it badly, throw away the fish soup she put in my bowl, and shout that I would never eat her cooking again. But my mom never got angry and still cooked for me every day, so I would have something to eat as soon as I got home from school. I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to eat her cooking again." Tears welled up in his eyes and finally slipped down, dripping into the soup and creating delicate ripples.
Lin comforted him, "Yes, every mother's happiest moment after a busy day is when the whole family sits together and watches their child eat the food they've cooked. That sense of satisfaction is irreplaceable. So your mother is also anxious and looking forward to coming home to cook for you. So you should sleep well, eat well, study hard, and clean the house when you have time. When they come back, let them see a grown-up and sensible you."
"I know." The boy wiped away his tears, finished eating all the food in the lunchbox, washed the lunchbox, put it in a bag, and handed it to Lin Ting.
"Thank you, sister. When the pandemic is over and everyone takes off their masks, I will definitely treat you to a meal and remember what you look like."
Lin Ting took the bag, her tone becoming lighter, "It's fine to treat me to a meal, but there's no need to remember what I look like. I have a very ordinary face."
The boy smiled shyly, "No, in my heart, my sister is anything but ordinary; she's very beautiful and gentle."
Tsk tsk, Chen Zhiyi, who just came up, overheard this. It has to be said that Lin Ting is unmatched in "slaying her younger brother". I myself fell for her in the same way back then.
A few days later, the boy's parents passed away. The only belongings they handed to Lin Ting were his cell phone, ID card, and death certificate. She stood there, stunned, not knowing what to say. It was too cruel.
In the end, all Lin Ting remembered was the boy's trembling hands as he accepted his parents' belongings, his eyes empty and lifeless, as if his soul had been ripped out, his gaze filled only with pain and despair, and his sorrowful voice asking her a question, "Sister, what should a person do if they lose their father and mother?"
Every word felt like a heavy stone pressing down on Lin Ting's heart, making it hard for her to breathe. Each heartbeat felt like an ordeal. This time, she didn't know how to comfort the boy, because she had been through it herself. In the face of extreme grief, no words of comfort could help.
After leaving the boy's house that day, Lin Ting sat by the garden downstairs for a long time. She looked up at the sky, and it seemed even the heavens were grieving; the night was as dark as ink, without even a faint starlight. This was the first time she had truly felt the horror of the pandemic. She knew that many beautiful families must have collapsed in this disaster.
She has experienced two family upheavals, and such blows take a very long time to heal, perhaps even a lifetime. But that only heals the pain; the memories will not disappear.
Chen Zhiyi walked over and sat quietly beside her. He knew that Lin Ting was thinking of him because she felt the same way.
Lin asked him, "Do you think he'll come out?"
"Yes, he is still young and full of vitality. Just like a piece of ivy that has been cut down will wither for a while, but when spring comes, it will grow new life."
"That's good."
Lin wrote a letter to the boy, telling him that he, like the boy, had lost his parents. At first, he couldn't accept this fact and was terrified of walking the long road of life alone. But they still had to live on strongly. Their parents weren't gone; they had transformed into leaves, flowers, birds, and stars to accompany them. As long as they remembered them, they lived on. Forgetting was the end of life. Carrying their beliefs forward, they would live strong, brave, and brilliantly, so that on the day they reunited, they could stand before them with pride and tell them that their son was truly wonderful and had not let them down.
The next day, Lin Ting received a reply from the boy: "Thank you, sister. I will live well. I still remember our promise."
Lin smiled. She thought that the boy's parents must be watching over their precious child from heaven as he grew up. She wished him good fortune and a carefree life.
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