C21 Lee Qian Was Sick

Motivated by the desire to quickly amass a substantial amount of start-up capital, Zhao Lei diluted the Immortal Dew and used it to water his ginseng plants. As before, the two ginsengs in the flower pots exhibited noticeable changes in no time. They sprouted more leaves, and the fruits ripened to a vibrant red, signaling they were ready for harvest.

Zhao Lei meticulously gathered the ginseng fruits, planning to plant them in the Gourd Space later. Once the ginseng matured, he intended to sell a root or two as needed, which promised to be a reliable source of income.

Through repeated applications of Immortal Dew, Zhao Lei had begun to discern its patterns. While its effects were most pronounced in the hours immediately following application, they would fully dissipate only after four to five days. Eager to harness the full potential of the Immortal Dew, Zhao Lei decided to wait a few extra days before uprooting the ginseng.

During this waiting period, Zhao Lei kept himself busy. The vegetable seedlings in his garden had grown significantly, with cucumbers, tomatoes, and other fruiting vegetables nearing a foot in height, necessitating the construction of trellises for support.

To this end, Zhao Lei ventured into the mountains to cut a good supply of thin bamboo. After two days of hard work, he had erected all the necessary supports. Seeing the tomato vines and cucumber tendrils begin to climb the trellises filled him with a sense of achievement.

Time passed swiftly, and soon it was time to harvest the Immortal Dew from the Purple Gold Gourd once again. Zhao Lei consumed one drop to aid in his cultivation of the Three-purity Heart Sutra, while he diluted the remaining drop to water his vegetables.

Watering over two acres of land by hand was a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. Yet for Zhao Lei, now in prime physical condition from practicing the Three-purity Heart Sutra, the work was hardly a challenge. He spent just over two hours tending to the vegetable field and was nearly done, with only a small patch left to water.

At that moment, Zhao Lei noticed Lee Qian's father, Lee Jianguo, making his way toward the vegetable patch with a pronounced limp. Since sustaining a work-related injury a few years back, Lee Jianguo had struggled with mobility, finding even simple walks challenging. Yet today, he moved with a sense of urgency, his forehead beaded with sweat—a sure sign of serious trouble.

Zhao Lei quickly set aside his task and approached him, asking, "Uncle Lee, what brings you here?"

"I need your help!" Lee Jianguo, too anxious to even wipe away his sweat, implored, "Qian is ill. Could you please take her to the clinic in town?"

Zhao Lei, taken aback, inquired, "How long has she been sick? Is it serious?"

With a heavy heart, Lee Jianguo replied, "She's been unwell for a couple of days. I thought she'd recover quickly, but she's only gotten worse, even starting to babble incoherently..."

Realizing the gravity of Lee Qian's condition, Zhao Lei didn't wait to hear more. He dashed off to her home, while Lee Jianguo, fearing any delay could worsen his daughter's illness, bit back his pain and followed as fast as he could.

Arriving swiftly at Lee Qian's residence, Zhao Lei, deeply concerned for her well-being, didn't wait for Lee Jianguo. He pushed open the door and entered.

There lay Lee Qian, her complexion ghostly pale and her consciousness clouded, clearly in the throes of a severe illness.

Gently touching her forehead, Zhao Lei recoiled at the burning heat and frowned, saying, "Uncle Lee, this is serious. She's so ill, yet you didn't seek medical attention sooner? You shouldn't have waited this long!"

Soon after, Lee Jianguo arrived, his face etched with worry as he gazed at his daughter. "Qian has been like this since last night. I was at a loss. Remembering how you once helped her in the mountains, I thought to seek your assistance."

Zhao Lei, clearly frustrated, responded, "She should have been taken to the hospital much earlier. Why wait until now?"

Lee Jianguo was an honest man. Despite Zhao Lei's less-than-pleasant demeanor, he didn't get angry. Instead, he expressed his concern with difficulty, "I've been wanting to take Qian to town to see a doctor, but she mentioned the cost of medical care, so..."

Even though Lee Jianguo didn't finish his sentence, Zhao Lei had already figured out the situation. The thoughtful young girl had been avoiding medical attention to save money, not realizing her condition would worsen to the point that Lee Jianguo would seek help in such a rush.

Zhao Lei thought highly of Lee Qian and couldn't stand by while she was so ill. His first instinct was to dial 120 for an ambulance, but then he remembered where he was—Three-river Village, not Shen City's Jia University. An ambulance call would mean hours of waiting, which was far from ideal given Lee Qian's current state.

Without further delay, Zhao Lei decisively told Lee Jianguo, "Uncle Lee, get Qian ready. I'm going to ask Uncle Hu if I can borrow his tricycle to take her to the county for medical treatment!"

Lee Jianguo replied with heartfelt gratitude, "Okay, okay, thank you so much, Lei Zi!"

Zhao Lei didn't linger to hear more thanks; he was already on his way to Hu Qiang's place to secure the tricycle.

Yet, even with Zhao Lei cycling her to the county, it would take at least an hour. The image of the girl's frailty weighed heavily on him, and he worried whether they'd make it to the hospital in time.

As he quickened his steps toward Hu Qiang's house, Zhao Lei sighed inwardly, "Qian's illness couldn't have come at a worse time. I still have a field that needs watering..."

Then, an idea suddenly struck him. He stopped in his tracks, murmuring to himself, "Of course, why didn't I think of it sooner? If there's still water left for watering the crops, why rush to take Qian to the hospital?"

Zhao Lei, struck by a new idea, no longer sought to borrow a tricycle from Hu Qiang. Instead, he dashed toward his own home with urgency. Consumed with thoughts of healing Lee Qian's illness, Zhao Lei was oblivious to the fact that Xu Xiang had overheard every word he had uttered, hiding just around the corner.

As Zhao Lei disappeared into the distance, Xu Xiang emerged from his hiding spot, a cold smirk on his face. He muttered to himself, "Does this guy seriously intend to give Lee Qian water meant for the vegetables? Hehe... I can't wait to see how he wriggles out of this one!" With that, Xu Xiang picked up his pace and set off after Zhao Lei.

Zhao Lei first stopped by his house to grab a large bowl, then made his way to the vegetable patch in haste. He filled the bowl with water from a bucket—water that was originally meant for the crops—and carefully carried it toward Lee Qian's home.

Xu Xiang, who had been watching from a short distance, took in the entire scene and quickly trailed behind Zhao Lei, eager to reveal Zhao Lei's "true face" to Lee Qian and her father. The thought of not only elevating his own status in Lee Qian's eyes but also thoroughly humiliating Zhao Lei brought a smug smile to Xu Xiang's lips, and he walked with a lighter, more triumphant step.

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