It can’t be that hard to open a hospital in another world, right? 35
by adminChapter 35: Among Thousands of Lights, One Burns for Me
It was late at night when we left the Spring Water Goddess Temple. The group dispersed, each heading home. Knight Nolan took a detour and walked with Grett to a point near his home before they parted ways.
Grett walked alone through the dark streets. Looking left and right, the houses were all pitch-black, no lights visible. Their owners must have already gone to sleep. The occasional barking of a dog sounded half-hearted, half-asleep.
Grett strained his memory in this darkness, trying to recognize his own house. But the surroundings were too dark, all the houses looked similar—low, cramped, with eaves you could reach with your hand. He looked left and right for what seemed like forever, but couldn’t find anything resembling his home, and his anxiety grew:
Is this previous body’s memory even reliable?
To add insult to injury, his stomach let out a loud “grrr.”
Grett: “…”
He had eaten dinner, but it was long gone. Where could he find food in the middle of the night?
Had the previous body stored any dry rations before going on patrol?
Even if he had, after two or three days, would the black bread still be edible?
Maybe he should stay in the barracks tonight? Was it too late to go back and knock on the door?
Various thoughts swirled in Grett’s mind. Turning a corner, a sudden brightness appeared before him. Thirty or forty paces away, a window glowed warmly with light, not bright, but enough to be eye-catching in the pitch black night.
Grett instinctively walked toward the house. He had taken a few steps when the door creaked open, and a thin woman, shielding a lamp, cautiously stepped out. Raising her head, she saw Grett standing in the distance. Her face lit up with joy, and she waved her hand vigorously at him:
“Little Grett! You’re back! Did you eat dinner? —Kalen! Edward! Little Grett is back!”
With a clatter, a group of people rushed out of the house, led by Uncle Kalen.
Grett froze in place. He didn’t know why, but his heart ached, and his eyes welled up.
In his previous life, his parents divorced when he was very young. His mother sold hot dry noodles in the morning and congee at night, working hard to raise him. Studying medicine, practicing medicine, every final exam during his school years was like the college entrance exam, and after graduation, he worked overtime day and night, never having enough time with his mother. Finally, he was promoted to deputy director, and things were a little easier, but it was too late. He wanted to care for her, but she was gone.
Since then, among thousands of lights, there was no longer one left burning for him.
Until today.
“Aunt Eileen…”
He murmured. The woman rushed forward and grabbed him, looking him up and down:
“Little Grett, you’re back! You’re alright? I knew that… that thing wasn’t good! You saved your Uncle Kalen this time. Kalen told me everything. Luckily you saved him…”
She kept pulling him towards the house. Grett followed obediently, dragged into the house and seated at a table. With a thud, a bowl of steaming meat soup was placed before him. A meat bone stuck out from the soup, its aroma filled the air, making his mouth water.
“Aunt Eileen, I already ate dinner!”
Grett tried to decline. Before he could finish, his stomach rumbled again. He blushed scarlet, and Aunt Eileen laughed, ruffling his hair:
“Don’t be so polite with your aunt! You’ve eaten so many meals at my place growing up, I never saw you being embarrassed. Besides, your Uncle Kalen’s life is thanks to you. If you’re so polite with your aunt, do you want me to charge you for medical fees?”
As she spoke, she bustled about the room. With a swish, she sliced some bread and then cut two pieces of cured meat hanging from the ceiling. She put them between the slices of bread and handed them to Grett:
“You’re a growing boy, it’s good to be able to eat. Eat!”
Grett blushed again. He didn’t refuse any longer. He took the bread in one hand and the soup in the other, and started to eat. Aunt Eileen watched him eat with a smile, then turned and shooed her sons like a flock of chickens:
“Go, go, go! What are you looking at? Go to sleep! Children won’t grow if they don’t sleep!”
Uncle Kalen’s two sons were both younger than Grett. Edward was thirteen, David was ten. The two boys looked at Grett with longing eyes, wanting a bite to eat, but they couldn’t resist their mother, who picked them up and threw them into the bedroom one by one.
Grett felt a little embarrassed. He was about to speak, but then felt someone tugging on his hem:
“Brother Grett…”
Grett turned his head.
Standing next to him was a little girl, five or six years old, thin and scrawny. In the light, she looked up at Grett, shyly, her face slightly pale. She raised something up to his mouth:
“Brother, eat…”
Grett searched his memories of the previous body and realized this was Uncle Kalen’s youngest daughter, Avril, six and a half years old. Grett picked her up with a pang of affection and placed her on the bench beside him:
“Avril, why did you come out? It’s cold at night…”
As he spoke, he took her raised arm and gently pressed it down. The little girl twisted and refused:
“Brother eat!”
“Brother won’t eat, you eat…”
“Brother saved Daddy! Brother eat!”
Avril insisted on holding out her arm. Grett tried to dodge, but he always failed against the little girl’s persistence. In his memories, the girl had always been weak, tiring easily, coughing every time the seasons changed, and smaller than her peers. Grett didn’t dare let Avril work too hard. He turned to Aunt Eileen, complaining:
“Aunt, really, why did you tell Avril about this?”
“Of course, I told her.” Aunt Eileen watched with a smile, even raised her chin and gestured for Grett to not refuse. Grett had no choice but to open his mouth and let Avril stuff something into his mouth.
As soon as it touched his tongue, a faint sweetness spread. It was a piece of malt sugar. In his previous life, it was nothing special, but in this world, it was a rare treat for children, and if they got one, they would often treasure it for a month or two.
“Thank you…”
Grett gently stroked Avril’s hair. The little girl smiled back, and then suddenly burst into a cough. She pressed her hand to her chest, her little face flushed red. Grett hesitated, reached out to pat her back, and as he patted, his eyes dropped, and his heart skipped a beat.
It was early summer, and the weather was starting to warm up. The little girl was running around in slippers. Her little toes were exposed, and her toenails, which should have been pale pink, looked a bit dark in the light.
Cyanosis?!
Grett’s heart alarm blared. He rubbed his eyes, unable to believe it, afraid he was mistaken. He reached out and moved the oil lamp to the table, letting the light shine directly on the little girl’s feet, and he looked closely…
No mistake, Avril’s toenails were indeed slightly purple, cyanosis! Definitely cyanosis!
Aunt Eileen rushed over at this time, hugged her daughter, and gently patted her back. As she patted, she answered Grett’s question:
“It’s alright. Avril just doesn’t like to move, her body is weak, and she’s prone to coughing when the seasons change.”
Grett felt a chill. Fragments of memory surfaced, flickering. Avril had always been weak, prone to fatigue, coughing whenever the seasons changed, and smaller than her peers…
For a long time, Avril’s cough finally subsided, the blush on her face gradually fading. Grett took the opportunity to observe carefully, and saw that her lips were pink and slightly pale, but there was no sign of cyanosis. He pulled her hand, and saw that her fingernails were also a delicate pink.
Lower body more severe than upper body. Differential cyanosis.
Grett’s heart sank. All these signs pointed towards a disease he didn’t want to believe, but had to consider.
Don’t worry, don’t worry, it’s not necessarily. Grett desperately comforted himself, forcing a smile, “Aunt Eileen, you know, I recently became a Healer. Avril’s been coughing a lot, could you give me a tube so I can listen to her breath sounds?”
Thank you @Sherry_Gray for the 100 starting coins!
Today, the rankings briefly jumped to the top 20 of the light novel new book list, appearing on the first page (although now it has dropped back down). The collection has increased by 14!嘤嘤嘤… It’s much better than yesterday’s five. Thanks to all those who voted, voted for recommendations, left comments, and tipped~~~~
Keep asking for collection, monthly tickets, recommended tickets, book reviews… ask for everything…
(End of chapter)
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