Chapter 267: The Clinic

Chapter 267 The Medical Station

Jin Yu helped Ye Xiaoxiao haul her suitcase inside.

Ye Xiaoxiao also met the station chief of the medical station. The entire station was just a small courtyard with only three staff members—no bigger than a school nurse's office.

The fifty-year-old Zhao Chunhua was the station chief, along with a thirty-year-old male doctor Yang Juan and nurse Li Zhen, just twenty-five.

Ye Xiaoxiao exchanged greetings with everyone.

Apart from Dr. Yang Juan, the other two were local residents.

Neither had undergone systematic medical training. Zhao Chunhua was a barefoot doctor [a term for rural doctors in China during the mid-20th century], and Li Zhen’s nursing knowledge was self-taught.

Ye Xiaoxiao didn’t have anything against self-taught practitioners, but she was shocked by the state of medical care here.

Station Chief Zhao Chunhua led Ye Xiaoxiao to the dormitory.

It was right next to the medical station, also a small courtyard. Previously, only Li Zhen and Yang Juan had lived there, but now Ye Xiaoxiao would join them.

There were enough rooms, so they wouldn’t have to squeeze together.

However, apart from a usable bed, the room had a bare-bones setup.

Zhao Chunhua said, "We just fixed the windows and roof a few days ago, so don’t worry about leaks or drafts. I never expected we’d get an intern doctor here—welcome, welcome!"

Though Zhao Chunhua was happy to have new blood in the medical station, he wasn’t about to get his hopes up.

Interns usually left after a few months. It had happened before—most couldn’t stick it out here.

Some didn’t even last a month before leaving.

"Comrade Ye, you can stay in this room for now."

Ye Xiaoxiao looked at the bare-bones setup and nodded. "Alright."

Zhao Chunhua went over the basics before returning to the medical station, telling her to rest first and that work arrangements would come later.

Jin Yu set down Ye Xiaoxiao’s luggage. "Comrade Ye, if you’re missing anything, I can bring it over tomorrow. The nearest general store is an hour’s drive away."

Since this was a task assigned by higher-ups, Jin Yu wasn’t about to drop the ball.

Ye Xiaoxiao handed Jin Yu some money and ration coupons (still used then). "Could you buy me three thick comforters?"

She planned to use them as bedding.

She hadn’t expected the place to have nothing but a bare wooden frame for a bed—conditions were truly harsh.

Seeing the money in his hand, Jin Yu realized she wasn’t hurting for money.

So he suggested, "Then I might as well bring back a hot-water flask, a washbowl, and other necessities too. I’ll pick up whatever else seems lacking. It’ll take a while before this place can be fully equipped."

It wasn’t that Zhao Chunhua wasn’t being neglectful—supplies were genuinely scarce.

Just because people in big cities had cars didn’t mean everyone was well-fed.

The Northwest was a backwater even compared to Bai Shi Village.

See, when folks from Bai Shi Village went to town or the city, at least they could see a fair number of factories lining the roads.

And Nalan County had nothing but wind and sand.

This place was still quite far from the grasslands, not a major city, with inconvenient transportation and scarce resources—truly a godforsaken wasteland.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Thanks for your help."

Jin Yu: "No problem."

He was just following orders; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to take out the government car.

Jin Yu took the money and left, saying he would definitely deliver the items before nightfall.

Meanwhile, Ye Xiaoxiao straightened up the place.

There wasn’t even a wardrobe, so she left most of her things packed.

With no water available, all she could do was give the place a quick dusting.

In the courtyard, Li Zhen, with her short hair, elbowed Yang Juan.

"How long’s this one gonna last? Look at her, so soft and pampered—I bet three days at most."

The clinic wasn’t busy, so when Li Zhen and Yang Juan weren’t on duty, they hung around the dorms.

Yang Juan was reading a book and ignored her.

"Still reading? Are you really planning to leave this place?"

Seeing that he wasn’t responding, Li Zhen tried to snatch the book from him.

Only when Yang Juan snapped, "Li Zhen, give it a rest!"—his voice loud enough for even Ye Xiaoxiao to hear—did she pause.

Ye Xiaoxiao glanced out the window. The two outside were grown adults but acted like kids.

Yang Juan snatched the book back and retreated to his room.

Li Zhen then wandered over to Ye Xiaoxiao’s door.

"The boss said to keep an eye on you. Do you need anything?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Excuse me, where do we get water around here?"

This was her biggest worry.

Li Zhen: "There’s no water-fetching spot here. Every morning at eight, the water truck brings the day’s supply. Everyone gets a set amount, but you’re not on the list yet."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "..."

Li Zhen: "But I can’t leave you high and dry. If you’re thirsty, I can share some with you—a scoop for fifty cents."

She sure knew how to hustle.

Water was indeed precious in the desert, so Ye Xiaoxiao gave her ten bucks.

"Let me get ten bucks’ worth for now."

Li Zhen’s eyes lit up, but then she said, "I don’t have that much. But you can leave the money with me, and I’ll split my share with you daily."

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded. "Sure."

Li Zhen, as if afraid she might change her mind, hurriedly tucked the money into her pocket.

"Then it's settled. I'll come get you when it’s time to deliver water tomorrow."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "What’s the deal with meals here?"

Li Zhen: "The base has a canteen. Just bring your lunchbox to get food. Don’t worry—you’ll get fed."

Ye Xiaoxiao let out a relieved sigh.

Not having to cook for herself was a win.

Li Zhen eyed her curiously. "Are you a medical student?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "I studied traditional Chinese medicine."

Li Zhen: "TCM? That explains why you got posted here. Which university did you attend?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Jinghua University."

Li Zhen: "Jinghua… University? The *Jinghua* in the capital?"

Her voice pitched higher, skeptical.

"Yes."

"No way. What’s someone from *Jinghua* doing in a dump like this?"

Ye Xiaoxiao didn’t argue, letting her doubt.

Two hours later, Jin Yu returned, laden with bundles of cotton bedding and daily necessities.

He’d bought so much stuff that he’d even grabbed a washstand.

"There aren’t any other furnishings here. See if the Head can scrounge up a desk for you."

A desk’s too bulky to fit in his car.

Besides, the local supply and marketing cooperative didn’t sell desks.

But the room was useless without one.

"I owe you one."

Ye Xiaoxiao wanted to treat him to a meal, but there were no restaurants here, and she hadn’t received any meal vouchers for the canteen yet. She had no way to repay him.

Jin Yu wasn’t sticking around either.

Ye Xiaoxiao had come straight from the train to this place—she was dead on her feet.

So once he’d unloaded everything, Jin Yu left.

"Next time I see you, I’ll treat you right."

Jin Yu smiled. "You bet."

After Jin Yu left, Ye Xiaoxiao laid out both quilts on the bed and covered them with the bedsheet she had brought from the capital.