Chapter 401: Ninety's Contrast System (4)

After three days and two nights, the train was about to arrive at Pingcheng Station.

Passengers who had long been sitting until they were numb stood up one after another; some stretched their limbs in their seats, while others took their luggage down from the racks in advance, placing it on their seats or by their feet.

"Xie Yang? Xie Yang, what's wrong with you?"

Seeing Xie Yang return from the restroom, her little face suddenly pale, her lips drained of color, and fine beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead.

Before she even reached her seat, she slumped over and fainted.

Although Yang Taohua and the others always complained that her personality was dull and inflexible, and often used her as a topic of gossip in private, they were still quite flustered to see her collapse.

After all, they were fellow villagers, and Yang Taohua in particular had received a catty of apples from Zhou Ru before heading south; no matter how much she disliked Xie Yang, she still had to put on a show, so she pulled at her throat and shouted loudly:

"Conductor! Conductor! Someone has fainted here!"

The conductor patrolling the carriage soon squeezed over with a kind-hearted elderly traditional Chinese medicine practitioner from the next carriage, holding a cup of warm Brown Sugar water in his hand.

Perhaps it was from experience; every time someone fainted on the train, eight times out of ten they could be revived by Brown Sugar water.

This time was no different; after Xie Yang was fed a few sips of Brown Sugar water, she slowly opened her eyes.

However, she still looked very weak and asked feebly, "What happened to me?"

"What happened to you? You fainted! We're almost at the station, about to get off the train, and you actually fainted, honestly..."

"Alright, Taohua! It's not like Xie Yang wanted to faint. Didn't you hear the doctor? She has hypoglycemia."

Yao Meifang, the eldest sister among them, interrupted Yang Taohua's complaining.

The elderly traditional Chinese medicine practitioner said gently, "The young girl clearly suffers from long-term malnutrition, leading to insufficient sugar storage in her body, which caused the fainting; this is a clinical manifestation of hypoglycemia. However, other possibilities cannot be ruled out, so it is best to go to the hospital for a check-up; don't take it lightly."

"Thank you, doctor."

Xie Yang nodded at the elderly practitioner and reached into her backpack to rummage around, her face embarrassed: "I have nothing to show my gratitude..."

"It was just a small effort, don't mention it."

The elderly practitioner smiled kindly, and before leaving, he repeatedly urged her to go to the hospital for a detailed examination as soon as possible.

"Your body is too weak. You might not notice it while you're young, but when you get older, it will induce many illnesses. Go to the hospital early to get checked out; get treated and nourished as needed, don't avoid the doctor out of fear of illness."

Xie Yang nodded obediently.

The train finally arrived at the station, and everyone felt as if they had returned from a great ordeal; they cheered and scrambled to grab their luggage and squeeze toward the carriage doors.

Xie Yang felt that she could be pushed toward the exit by the flow of people without having to move herself.

Finally, she stepped onto the ground and breathed in the fresh air.

After Yao Meifang and the others in the group had all gotten off the train, she took the lead in preparing to head to the bus station.

From the County to He Wan Village, one still had to take a half-hour bus, a forty-minute minibus, and a fifteen-minute three-wheeled taxi; if they didn't hurry, it would be dark.

"No one needs to go to the restroom, right? Hurry, hurry! If we miss the minibus, we'll have to waste money staying the night in town!"

"Got it, Sister Meifang!"

"Sister Meifang, we will definitely listen to you!"

Back in their home County, everyone's mood improved significantly, and they expressed their agreement with laughter.

When it was Xie Yang's turn, she said slowly: "I need to go to the hospital first."

"..."

Yang Taohua rolled her eyes at her in annoyance: "You're so precious! You faint once and have to go to the hospital."

Xie Yang blinked: "I don't feel well."

"Didn't that old doctor on the train already look at you? Is it worth going to the hospital right now? Can't you wait until you get home?"

"I don't feel well." Xie Yang only replied with this one sentence.

Everyone was worn down by her and had no temper left, so they turned to look at Yao Meifang to let her make the decision.

"Xie Yang, if you aren't feeling well, we won't stop you from going to the hospital, but I'm afraid we can't accompany you."

Li Meifang pointed to the large and small bags of luggage with a bitter smile:

"With so much luggage, it's really inconvenient to go to the hospital."

The most inconvenient part, naturally, was the fear of delaying time and missing the minibus.

Xie Yang hadn't intended for them to accompany her, so she nodded in understanding: "I'm just letting you all know; I'm going to the hospital for a check-up first and will go home later. Please help me pass a message to my mother."

"That's no problem." Yao Meifang agreed immediately, "Then take care of yourself."

"Okay." Xie Yang replied.

The group left the train station and automatically split into two paths:

Yao Meifang and the nine others carried their luggage to the bus station to catch a ride.

Xie Yang went alone, carrying her backpack and the woven bag containing the New Year goods designated by Zhou Ru, and walked in the opposite direction toward the County People's Hospital.

"Is it okay for her to go alone?"

Someone looked back at Xie Yang's retreating figure and felt she was very pitiful.

Yang Taohua snorted: "Then why don't you go with her? If she faints again, you'll be the one spending money and effort."

"... Forget it, I have so much luggage, my hands feel like they're about to break; I don't have the energy to detour to the hospital."

"We wouldn't be able to help even if we went; it's better to go back to the village early and tell her mother. If there's really something wrong, it's better for her family to come over."

"Yes, yes! We'll tell her mother as soon as we get back."

"Taohua, your house is close; remember to tell her mother when you pass by."

"Got it..."

Xie Yang asked for directions all the way to the largest and most official hospital in Pingcheng—the County People's Hospital.

Just right, across the street, there was a hotel converted from a guesthouse that existed before the eighties.

Needless to say, the prices of inns and hotels near the hospital were definitely on the expensive side for the local area.

Even a single room with only a one-meter-wide bed and a bedside table costs thirty yuan a night.

A room with a one-point-five-meter large bed actually costs eighty because it has an additional private bathroom.

The young couple in front of Xie Yang hesitated repeatedly before asking for two single rooms.

Xie Yang: "..."

If she asks for a large bed room, will she get beaten up by this couple?

The next second, the Main System heard its Host say readily to the front desk: "One large bed room, book for two nights first, I'll renew if needed, thank you!"

Main System: 【...】

Look quickly at that young couple; the way they are looking at you, Host, could materialize into Flying Knives.

Never mind that young couple; even the front desk was a bit surprised.

She had originally thought the young couple would choose the large bed room, but who would have expected them to choose two single rooms to save money, having to go to the public washroom at the end of the hallway to wash up and to the Canteen downstairs to fetch hot water.

Yet the single young girl, who she thought was dressed plainly and didn't look at all like someone who could afford a large bed room, asked for the large bed room.

She actually guessed everything wrong!

The landlady was right—one cannot judge a person by their appearance.

It seems she should treat every traveler who comes to the door with more enthusiasm in the future; who knows, there might be wealthy people among them who don't look the part!

Xie Yang felt baffled by the fiery gaze of the front desk.

She quickly took the key and went to the guest room.

After putting down her luggage, she went into the bathroom to take a satisfying hot shower and changed into clean clothes.

The smell lingering on her nose from the train carriage finally disappeared, and the air all around felt a bit fresher.

It's just that the set of clothes on her body is a bit short, but it's the same no matter which set she changes into; they are all leftovers worn by Zhu Meijiao.

They didn't fit well when worn before—because the original owner had a thin and tall build, while Zhu Meijiao had a short and stout build.

This year she went to Shencheng, where the food and free soup at the garment factory Canteen were enough to go around, so the original owner fed herself full every meal with fermented bean curd, salted vegetables, and dried radishes.

Being a big girl of sixteen or seventeen, she actually had a growth spurt—

Her height grew six centimeters this year, shooting up from one meter sixty at the beginning of the year to one meter sixty-six.

Because of this, the old cotton-padded clothes that Zhu Meijiao passed down fit even worse.

The sleeves couldn't cover her wrists, the pant legs couldn't cover her ankles, yet they were loose and didn't fit her body.

The climate in Shencheng is warm, so she didn't usually need to wear cotton-padded clothes.

Pingcheng is much colder; wearing cotton-padded clothes off the train, the cold wind whistled into her pant legs and sleeves, almost freezing Xie Yang, who hadn't taken the Physical Fitness Potion yet.

"Should I go buy clothes first and then go to the hospital for a check-up, or should I go to the hospital first to get the order and book the check-up items, then go shopping for clothes?"

Xie Yang lay sprawled out on the large bed, thinking while resting.

Finally, she decided: "Forget it, let's find a clean restaurant to appease my stomach first!"

Main System: 【...】

Human thoughts are truly hard to fathom.