Bai Xiao got on the train; there were five of them in one partment. Since two of them were girls, Dr. Zhang made special arrangements for them to take the lower berths, while he and the two other men clambered onto the upper ones.
A whole day passed without much being said.
After over ten hours on the train, they finally arrived at the Gui Province station.
It was already late when they arrived. Upon exiting the station, they surprisingly saw the dean of the township hospital, personally leading staff, holding a hand-painted sign in the dark station parking lot that read ’Ruiyin Hospital Staff.’
These hospital staff, with their dark skin and lean figures, enthusiastically helped take all the equipment and medications from their hands, not letting them carry any baggage. Each of the staff had their arms and shoulders laden with items.
This left them feeling rather embarrassed.
"Hello, I’m the dean of the Wuzi Township Hospital, my name is Lun Jianguo. Wele, wele to our place."
"It must have been a tiring journey for you all."
Dean Lun was visibly a simple man, his hands and feet unsure where to place themselves with excitement upon seeing the five of them, repeatedly rubbing his large hands on his jacket.
Dr. Zhang represented the group to shake hands with Lun Jianguo. Being the eldest, as the big brother, it was unanimously agreed upon that he should take the lead in exchanging pleasantries.
"Dean Lun, we really didn’t expect you to e so late to pick us up. It’s too kind of you and has interrupted your rest."
He truly meant it, feeling grateful because it was pitch dark outside the station, and streetlights were scarce.
If it weren’t for Lun Jianguo and his team’s arrival, carrying all these machines and medications in such darkness would have left them at a loss.
There were no shuttles or transport services here. If you arrived at the station in the middle of the night, you’d be left with no choice but to camp out here.
To then try finding solutions once day breaks.
From the look of it, the people idly wandering around the station appeared ragged, with apathetic, cold, and even greedy expressions. With their large bags, they seemed like ripe targets.
Spending a night there, who knew what they might encounter!
Isn’t there a saying that remote impoverished regions breed unsavory characters? It’s not that they’re disparaging anyone, but poverty pushes people to desperation.
None of the five of them could handle violence with violence.
Lun Jianguo laughed.
"We got the notice, so we made preparations in advance; we arrived here yesterday specifically to wait for you. If not, you would have nowhere to go arriving this late at night; this station area isn’t safe. With all the equipment and medications you’re carrying, if something were to happen, we’d be at a loss."
"e on, let’s go. You must be tired from the journey. Let’s get on the night carriage, and we’ll arrive tomorrow. Once at the hospital, you can rest properly."
Dean Lun Jianguo, with his straightforward nature, led them onward without delay.
The five followed behind the staff, each with hands and shoulders free due to not being allowed to help with the carrying.
The five of them unexpectedly felt light and relaxed.
They didn’t expect a rural hospital to actually provide transportation, and all five of them were surprised.
Standing in front of the vehicle mentioned by Lun Jianguo left them slack-jawed. They knew conditions here were poor, but the sight of the ’vehicle’ before them was beyond expectations.
No! To be precise, it was indeed a vehicle, albeit not the kind of car they envisioned.
This was no ordinary vehicle at all.
It was a donkey cart.
Two donkey carts.
The black donkeys barely stood as tall as a person and didn’t appear sturdy, restlessly pawing at the ground in place, harnessed to carts without any covers.
One of the carts already had bedding laid out, with thick straw under the blankets, a testament to the effort put into preparation.
"Sorry about this; it’s all we have here. Please get in, make yourselves fortable, whether sitting or lying down. We still have to travel through the night," Lun Jianguo said, seeing their expressions, knowing city folks like them probably found this unmon and perhaps distasteful.
Blushing faintly.
Bai Xiao instantly noticed the embarrassment on Lun Jianguo’s and the other staff’s faces.
Feeling guilty about their modest conditions as they weled these distinguished city doctors.
Bai Xiao took the initiative to walk over, climbed into the cart, and patted the mattress beside the cart’s railing, "e on up, this cart is actually quite fortable. My family used to live in a rural area, and we were too poor to even own a donkey cart. Our village had to use ox carts to get to the market or catch a bus to town. Those ox carts were definitely slower than donkey carts! For me, this is a real upgrade."
He Xin immediately climbed up, followed by Dr. Zhang, and the other men didn’t hesitate either. They all hopped on.
"Dean, this cart is really fortable. After spending a whole day on hard benches, this feels soft and nice. I wouldn’t mind lying down for a nap," Dr. Zhang said with a smile, genuinely lying down.
Their actions and words instantly alleviated the embarrassment felt by Lun Jianguo and the others. Seeing they weren’t pretending, they finally felt relieved. They had done their best to make conditions as favorable as possible, worried the city doctors might actually be offended by such rustic settings and leave in a huff.
How could they face the villagers, who were quietly hopeful?
Upon learning the city doctors were ing, they went to great lengths to show sincerity, hoping to keep them, unlike the last time when doctors had turned back due to the poor conditions without even reaching the hospital.
That time could be blamed on him, unclear of mind, thinking city people were just like them. But with hindsight, how could they expect others to share their lifestyle?
This time, he made improvements, at least securing donkey carts borrowed from the villages. Normally, they would walk back, but if the five had to walk with them, they wouldn’t last an hour before turning back.
Thankfully, they got the donkey carts.
Lun Jianguo wiped the sweat off his forehead, praying for clear skies and no rain, relying on heaven for good fortune tonight.
The rest of the staff loaded the equipment and medications onto the other donkey cart, securely covering them with a plastic tarp tied with rope. After much diligence, the two donkey carts finally set off, clattering unsteadily into the night.
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