Reborn! I Ditched the Run and Married the Heir-Chapter 326: Cold-Shouldered

Inside the tent, Xiao Li sat on a blanket that had already warmed up, holding a cup of hot water, while Qin Xiao was getting her something to eat.

"Nini, make do with it tonight. Once Feng Ye and the others bring supplies tomorrow, it will be a little better."

Qin Xiao said as he handed Xiao Li a bag of bread, which she took and began to eat.

"Uncle, you really have foresight, knowing that we wouldn’t be welcome here, and had Feng Ye come ahead to prepare supplies."

Although Qin Xiao came with Xiao Li in her car, it didn’t mean he didn’t bring his own people.

Feng Ye also brought a convoy over, loaded with supplies. Once these supplies reach the mountain, the medical team will have something hot to eat, and the free clinic in the village will be easier to carry out.

Qin Xiao smiled as he took out his phone, unsurprisingly finding the signal was very poor, making it impossible to make a call.

He quickly turned on the small signal tower he brought and then stepped out of the tent.

Outside the tent, Director Du was also holding his phone trying to find a signal, as he needed to report their situation to the hospital leadership.

Seeing him like this, Qin Xiao laughed and said, "Director Du, don’t bother. Give me a hand and there will be a signal soon."

As Qin Xiao spoke, he began searching for something around, prompting Director Du to come over and ask, "Professor Qin, what are you looking for?"

Qin Xiao said calmly, "I’m looking for wood to use as a stand to hold this signal tower up." With that, he shook the signal tower in his hand.

Upon seeing the signal tower, Director Du immediately laughed and started helping, "Professor Qin, you really came prepared!"

The two of them found a pile of wood under an eave, picked out a long one, and carried it to the center of the square. They tied up the signal tower and then erected the wood.

After securing the wood, Qin Xiao explained, "I’ve done medical support in mountainous areas before, and the conditions were worse than they are here in Gu Family Village. So as soon as I knew we were coming to the mountains, I prepared everything we might need."

Director Du nodded, "This is my first time going to the mountains, and I really have no experience. Today’s been so confusing.

Leading a team for a free clinic and not being welcomed by the local villagers is a first for me!"

In the past, when going out for free clinics, they occasionally encountered one or two people who misunderstood doctors, but most were welcoming. During the clinics, there were long lines of people, unlike this time, where they were met with a cold reception as soon as they arrived!

Back then, when he learned the medical team would stay in the mountains for three days, and living conditions would be a bit challenging, he thought maybe they could stay with local villagers. The tents were more of a precaution, but in the end, they all ended up in tents.

It was already winter, and the mountain temperatures at night dropped to minus three or four degrees Celsius.

Sleeping in a tent was freezing!

After all, not everyone brought tents and electric blankets like Qin Xiao did.

Qin Xiao patted Director Du on the shoulder, "Hang in there for one night, it’ll be better tomorrow."

Director Du nodded, looked at his phone, and seeing the signal had strengthened, quickly called the hospital leadership.

Qin Xiao returned to the tent, and Xiao Li quickly handed him a cup of hot water, "Uncle, it’s cold outside! Sit down."

Qin Xiao took the hot water, "Nini, my body is cold, don’t come close just yet. I just checked outside, and although everyone has gone into the tents, it’s too cold, and staying inside isn’t warm either.

It’s still early, and there’s a long way till dawn. How about starting a fire outside so everyone can warm up?"

Xiao Li nodded, "That’s a good idea. The fire can keep burning, at least warming things up a bit."

Qin Xiao agreed, "I’ll go out and gather wood first. You stay here, and when the fire’s burning well, you can come out."

"Okay."

Qin Xiao took a couple of sips of hot water and left the tent again. The place where they had set up the tents was the village’s wheat-drying ground, and fires couldn’t be built there to avoid damaging the ground.

Qin Xiao walked some distance away, nearly five meters from the tent area,

and gathered some dry wood to start a fire.

Xiao Li, sitting inside the tent, opened a small slit in the door and saw that Qin Xiao had already started the fire, so she came out of the tent and went next door to call Yue Wenwen and Zeng Yuanyuan.

Since the tents were quite heavy, they had to bring medical supplies alongside them, so the number of tents was limited. Each one was shared between two people, with some men even sharing between three.

Yue Wenwen opened the tent door, peeking her head out, "Sister, what are you calling us for?"

Xiao Li smiled, "Uncle has started a fire; you two don’t stay cooped up inside, call Yuanyuan to come out and warm up by the fire."

Upon hearing that they could warm up by the fire, the two of them immediately came out, and Xiao Li spoke loudly enough that the people in the nearby tents also heard and started coming out. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The fire was burning brightly, and sitting beside it was much warmer than staying inside the tents. Those who had been freezing not long ago found their limbs becoming more agile after moving to the fire.

There were a lot of people, and one fire wasn’t enough, so a few male doctors gathered some more wood and started another fire, borrowing some flames from this one.

With two fires burning and a crowd gathered, they finally didn’t feel cold anymore.

Sitting around, feeling bored, a female nurse suggested they sing some songs together.

Director Du quickly interrupted, "No, no, don’t make too much noise; we might disturb the villagers."

Just after Director Du said this, someone was seen approaching—it was Village Chief Gu.

Village Chief Gu had been eating at home when his wife mentioned seeing firelight near the wheat-drying ground, which startled him and made him run over to check what was happening.

Village Chief Gu hurried over, relieved to see they hadn’t set up the fire on the wheat-drying ground.

Seeing his expression, Qin Xiao quickly stood up to greet him, laughing, "Village Chief Gu, with the temperature so low, it was a bit cold for everyone in the tents, so we came out to warm by the fire.

Rest assured, we know we can’t have fires on the drying ground. We’ll ensure someone stays to watch the fires when we rest tonight, so it’ll be perfectly safe!

We just have to use some of your wood."

Having said this, Village Chief Gu could only respond drily, "Feel free to use the wood, it’s all from the mountains anyway, just be careful with the fire."

Qin Xiao smiled and nodded, "Got it, got it!"

Village Chief Gu glanced at the crowd and then left.

After he left, someone quietly grumbled, "How frustrating. This is the first time a free clinic has been so frustrating!"

Zeng Yuanyuan, participating in a free clinic for the first time, didn’t understand and asked Yue Wenwen, "Wenwen, have you done a free clinic before? Are they always this difficult?"

She didn’t quite get it; at the hospital, doctors were always respected by patients!

During a free clinic, how could it be that doctors were disliked?

Yue Wenwen shook her head; she, too, was doing a free clinic for the first time.