"Sister Chen, what happened?"
Sister Chen forced a smile and said, "Qingqing and Sheng An are here. Come in. My mother is in the room. She just mentioned you and said you would definitely come today." As she spoke, tears fell.
All these indicated something ominous, and Qiao Qingqing felt anxious.
When Qiao Qingqing entered Dr. Wei's room, she found that Dr. Wei's children, grandchildren and relatives were all in the room. She pushed the door open and everyone turned to look at her.
"Qingqing is here, Mom, Qingqing is here."
Dr. Wei, who was lying on the bed, had gauze wrapped around her head and her face was as pale as gold paper. Her eyelashes trembled but she couldn't open her eyes for a while when her son called her.
"I was just discharged from the hospital yesterday. The director said it would only take two days." Sister Chen explained, wiping away tears.
"How could this happen, teacher?" Qiao Qingqing walked sideways from the passage made by the crowd to the bedside, rubbed her hands to warm them up, and reached into the quilt to touch Dr. Wei's hand. She had studied hard for a year, using the energy she had put into her last life to survive in the apocalypse, and she had made some progress in this year. When she started to feel the pulse, her heart sank completely.
"He was fine when I left last week. Why did it happen so suddenly? Who hurt the teacher?"
Dr. Wei's son sighed, "It was a medical dispute. A patient's family member took such a thick ice pick and wanted to stab a doctor in the oncology department. My mother was providing acupuncture technical support in the oncology department at the time. She blocked it in a hurry, and the ice pick stabbed into the back of my mother's head..." He couldn't continue, his voice choked,
Doctor Wei's daughter cried silently: "I told her not to work at such an old age, but she didn't listen. She said she could still work for a few more years and would be rehired by the city hospital after retirement. She worked herself to death. There were floods and ice disasters. I told her not to work anymore, but she didn't listen either. She said she wanted to earn more money. It was so cold, she had to get up at six every day, and walk to the hospital in minus dozens of degrees... Mom, mom, it's not worth it, you shouldn't have gone to the hospital!"
The grandchildren started crying too, and Qiao Qingqing's heart was in a knot.
The fingers of her hands moved, and she looked up quickly, seeing Dr. Wei opening his eyes with trembling eyelids.
"Qingqing is here. Is it cold? Is everything going well..."
Qiao Qingqing took a deep breath and forced a smile: "Teacher, I'm here. It's not cold. I'm wearing very warm clothes. My husband came with me. The journey was smooth and we didn't encounter any robbers."
"I left something for you. You should study hard, study hard." Doctor Wei looked away and looked at his children and grandchildren. Seeing that she was going to say goodbye to her children for the last time, Qiao Qingqing stood up and left. She and Shao Shengan stood outside the door. She could not hear Doctor Wei's voice, but only the sobbing of others.
I don't know how much time passed, but a burst of mournful crying broke out in the house.
"Teacher Wei is gone." Qiao Qingqing looked at Shao Shengan.
Shao Shengan held her hand.
In just four days, an old doctor who was still strong and stick to his post in the harsh environment of the natural disaster lost his life and left this world completely.
Qiao Qingqing was unprepared and felt empty inside.
The funeral was simple. People who had received help from Dr. Wei came to pay their respects. The hospital also sent a representative to offer condolences. Dr. Wei's son said, "My mother taught many students, but now you are the only student to see her off."
"Can't you notify me?" Shao Shengan asked.
"I didn't inform them. My mother said that transportation is inconvenient now, so we shouldn't waste time and effort. We can wait until later... when one of them comes to visit my mother, we will know what we need to know then."
The next day, Dr. Wei's family sent her body to Fushan in accordance with Dr. Wei's wishes.
This is the second time that Qiao Qingqing has come to Fushan after her rebirth. The last time she came, she sent off her best friend Yuan Xiaowen. This time, she came to see off her mentor, Dr. Wei. Although their acquaintance originated from a "transaction", during the past year of getting along, Dr. Wei taught Qiao Qingqing with all his heart and really treated her as a student. Later, Qiao Qingqing began to call her teacher. Now that she is sending her away, Qiao Qingqing is very sad.
After not being here for a year, the cemetery in Fushan has become more densely populated. Thick smoke is billowing from the chimney of the crematorium at the foot of the mountain. When Yuan Xiaowen came out of there, only a jar was left, and the same was true for Doctor Wei.
She went to see Yuan Xiaowen.
There was a box covered with frost in front of the grave. She recognized it as a ring box, which should have been sent by Hu Yanhai.
"Wenwen, it's been a year since you passed away. If everything went well, you should have a new life now, and maybe even celebrated your first birthday." Qiao Qingqing looked at the simple three words "Yuan Xiaowen" on the tombstone, without even a photo, and felt a dull pain in her heart. She forced a smile, took out a scarf, and wrapped it around the tombstone.
"I knitted this. My mother taught me how to knit. I crocheted the rose pattern you like..." Qiao Qingqing choked up, "I hope you can be reborn in another world, a world that is warm and peaceful."
After visiting Yuan Xiaowen, Qiao Qingqing and Shao Shengan returned to the Wei family. The grave had already been dug, and she watched as Dr. Wei's family buried the urn.
After the burial, Qiao Qingqing went home with them and received a particularly heavy foam box.
"This is what my mother specifically left for you. Take it back and study it well."
The box was filled with books, notebooks, and a set of silver needles.
Qiao Qingqing thanked him and hugged the box.
She asked, "How is that man?"
Dr. Wei's son was stunned for a moment, then he saw the coldness in her eyes and reacted. He sighed again with a complicated tone, and it was unclear whether it was hatred or sympathy, or all of them.
"Dead. After stabbing my mother, he used the ice pick to pierce his own heart and died instantly. His wife is dead, too. She died in her bed."
Carrying the box back home, Qiao Qingqing sat quietly all night and got up early the next morning to read.
"Do you want to find another doctor for tutoring?" Qiao Songzhi asked tentatively a few days later.
Qiao Qingqing shook her head: "I can learn by myself." Teacher Wei has already laid a solid foundation for her.
"Okay, that's fine too."
Watching her mother walk out of the room, Qiao Qingqing thought to herself: She no longer wants to establish close emotional connections with more people.
In the end times, human life is as precious as an ant, and disaster may strike at any time. Even if one's heart is strong enough, every separation is still painful.
After that, Qiao Qingqing and Shao Shengan went to deliver supplies to Dr. Wei's home once a month. Sister Chen asked her not to do it anymore: "Everyone at home has work to do, and I've gone to the city hospital to do logistics. There's no shortage of supplies at home. You should also think about it for yourself. Saving more supplies is the most important thing these days."
"It's okay. I will definitely keep enough for myself before sending it to you. Just accept it with peace of mind. This is for Anmei. The teacher loved her the most when he was alive."
Sister Chen had no choice but to thank her and brought her daughter over: "Call me auntie, you can only grow up thanks to the rice, flour and milk powder I brought."
The thin little Anmei shyly called out "Auntie" and then buried her head in Sister Chen's arms.
It has been a year since the big temperature drop. In her previous life, the extremely cold weather lasted for two years. Qiao Qingqing didn't know if the situation would change in this life. The change in the timing of the flood made her realize that nothing in the world is constant, and she had to be prepared at all times to deal with possible crises that might occur suddenly.
Shao Shengan understood her thoughts best. He had worked hard to study the solar generator thoroughly and dismantled it successfully. Now the equipment was well placed in the space.
After that, he deeply realized the importance of mastering a practical skill in the end times. In addition to training, he always continued to study and learn further on weekdays, learning theories and putting them into practice. Based on the instruction manual and the e-book database provided by Qiao Qingqing, he has conducted in-depth research on the home's circuits, electrical appliances, generators, floor heating systems, etc.
Qiao Qingqing naturally strongly supported this and gently encouraged: "Then I'll leave it to you. If you can dismantle a solar generator, nothing else will be difficult for you. You can also learn how to repair air conditioners. Although I have stored a lot of air conditioners in the space, they are all high-quality high-temperature resistant air conditioners, but I'm still worried that the temperature will be too high in the future, and the air conditioners will break down too quickly after running for a long time, and I will have no air conditioners to use in the future."
"Leave it to me!" Shao Shengan was very confident.
The couple works hard in their respective areas of expertise to prepare for future survival challenges.
One day, Shao's father saw Shao Sheng'an studying a circuit book and casually said, "I heard that the library caught fire a few days ago. I heard that the fire was so big that it burned down two floors. I saw that they must be rebuilt in a few days. Rebuilding requires re-designing the circuits. I heard that they all have electric floor heating. If there is no electricity, everyone will be freezing. Sheng'an can go there to work."
Shao Shengan smiled when he heard it: "Then I'll pay attention to it."
While sewing clothes, Shao's mother said, "The shelters run by the government now have heating, which is great. Aunt Wang from 701 downstairs said that 702 next door wants to send Uncle Tian and his family to the shelter, saying it's warm there and they can sleep well at night. It's a pity that there are no spots left, so they can't get in."
"That's right. Before, the houses in low-lying areas were flooded, and many people had no choice but to leave their homes and go to the shelters. At that time, everyone said it was miserable. It was not as comfortable as us who could stay in our own homes. But now, the shelters have heating. I heard that those who left the shelters can't go back anymore. They have to draw lots again for a spot!" Qiao Songzhi continued the topic and chatted, "If you ask me, this is how things are in this world. It's not right for one person to get all the benefits. At that time, many people disliked the poor conditions and environment of the shelters, but now they are all very happy."
"Didn't the Song family downstairs come back a few days ago? It was like they were returning home in glory." Shao's father sighed.
"That's a villain who has succeeded, with a sneaky look." Shao's mother recalled the incident when neighbors blocked her door and wanted to share the floor heating in their home. She still held a grudge against Song Jianmin, one of the culprits.
Father Shao exclaimed: "You can even say four-character idioms now."
"What's so difficult about that? Qingqing teaches Feifei everything in the cartoons she plays. I can learn it right away."
Qiao Qingqing laughed when she heard this: "It seems that Sheng An inherited his cleverness from his mother."
Shao's mother said proudly: "It must be true. My maternal ancestors had a Jinshi degree. It is written in the family tree of the ancestral hall in my hometown. The memorial archway is still there!"
Father Shao said cheerfully: "It's up to you. It's up to you."
Two days later, Song Jianmin returned to the community again and said that he could bring two people into the shelter.
"I was just transferred to the shelter in the gymnasium last month. The gymnasium has a better environment... We are all neighbors. For the sake of our past friendship, I will take a small loss. Give me 10 kilograms of food every month. Any food is fine. I will bring people in. Of course, one person! Two people need 20 kilograms! The quota is first come, first served. No bargaining, no price!"
Song Jianmin said this in the corridor, and Qiao Qingqing heard it when she was sweeping the floor at the door. She ignored it. This matter had never happened in her previous life, and she was not interested. Later, she heard from Grandma Wang that Chen Binggang had sent both Mr. Tian and Mrs. Tian to the gymnasium. Grandma Wang sighed: "Old Tian and his family are lucky. This godson they have is sincere to them, if nothing else."
Qiao Songzhi agreed with a smile: "If he can do this, he is no different from being my own son."
"My own son and daughter can't compare to Xiao Chen. Mr. and Mrs. Tian raised a good son and daughter. They are both successful and have gone abroad and won't come back! What's the point of sending more money? Now there is a natural disaster and no one can come back. Sigh!"
"That's not the case. If Qingqing from my family could go abroad and have a career, I would support her. I gave birth to her and raised her, so I don't have to tie her down to my side."
"Alas, it's not good for you to think like that. I wanted to tell you before that Xiaolin really treats you well. It's not good for you to get divorced——"
Qiao Qingqing coughed twice to change the subject.
Grandma Wang noticed her and asked, "Qingqing, why haven't you given birth to a child yet?"
"Giving birth to a child is painful in this world. I won't let her have one. Qingqing, go to the attic and collect the clothes!"
Qiao Qingqing was obediently sent away by Qiao Songzhi.
The next morning, Shao's father and mother found an opportunity to ask Shao Sheng'an about the conversation between Qiao Songzhi and Grandma Wang yesterday.
"Dad, actually I don't want to have a baby."
"You have that space, and your family has no shortage of things. Even the rich are not living as well as we are now. Don't be afraid of having children and having a hard life." Shao's father advised him, "I can't count on your brother anymore. You are the only one who can carry on our family's incense. Mother-in-law loves Qingqing. Let's talk it over with her and make a promise. She should agree."
Mother Shao also said hurriedly: "I told you before that even if you have the ability, you can't change your heart. You must be good to Qingqing and not be ungrateful. Now I mean the same thing. We will all be good to Qingqing. She can be bold and don't be afraid."
Shao Shengan took a deep breath and said, "Actually, there is something wrong with me. I can't have children."
After Qiao Qingqing got up, Shao's mother prepared hot water for her.
"Brush your teeth and wash your face with hot water."
Qiao Qingqing shook her head: "I usually use cold water--"
"It's really cold today, so just use hot water. Be obedient. Mom made steamed dumplings and mixed noodles today. Wash your face and brush your teeth and eat it while it's hot. I'll bring it to your room, where it's still warm."
This made Qiao Qingqing confused. Although Shao's mother was usually very kind to her, such meticulous care was not her character.
Too thoughtful, too deliberate.
Looking at Shao's mother's eyes again - loving, guilty, and sad. Her heart skipped a beat and she turned to look for Shao Shengan.
"Are you looking for Sheng An? He's out taking out the trash. Ignore him and brush your teeth quickly. The water will get cold soon."
She knew that this matter was related to Shao Shengan, so she agreed with a smile and planned to ask Shao Shengan for clarification later. After learning what Shao Shengan said to his parents-in-law, Qiao Qingqing was inevitably a little depressed.
"Don't be sad, be happy." Shao Shengan gently pinched her face, "The supply ship notified us that they will send out the cold-resistant tomato No. 2, let's go get it together!"
Qiao Qingqing grabbed his hand and said, "Stop pinching it. I just put on some facial cream and it will be wiped off by your hand."
Shao Shengan touched the back of her head instead and said softly, "Are you really not going to collect the supplies together?"
"Go, of course." Qiao Qingqing held his hand and looked into his eyes, "I love you so much."
"Silly Qingqing, I love you too." He pretended to think and asked, "I can't pinch your face, but can I kiss you?"
Qiao Qingqing smiled and leaned over to kiss his face.
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