Fan Ye?
Jiang Fuyue was stunned.
She didn’t expect it to be her!
Back then, after the competition ended, Fan Ye’s ranking was enough to guarantee admission to any university in China, including B University and Q University.
Several top-ranked foreign universities had even extended olive branches to her.
But Fan Ye rejected them all.
She said, “I’m still young. I want to go back to Duofu.”
At the time, many people didn’t understand, including the teammates who had competed with her.
Duofu was so remote, so poor, having the chance to leave and break away from that place was such a stroke of luck, yet she gave it up?!
Fan Ye didn’t explain anything. She silently packed her luggage, still using that snakeskin bag, even though she already had a better suitcase.
“Sister Yue,” when Jiang Fuyue saw her off at the station, Fan Ye suddenly smiled at her, “Others don’t understand me, but I know you definitely do, right?”
Jiang Fuyue was taken aback.
“Everyone says Duofu is poor and backward, and they all think I should leave. But precisely because Duofu is poor and backward, that’s why I should go back!”
“I’ve seen the outside world, it’s so beautiful, dazzling, colorful. But the people in Duofu haven’t seen it. They don’t know how good the outside is, so they cling to the old and reject outsiders. If those who have seen the world all leave, then Duofu will forever remain that poor, backward island, and its people will never live with electric lights or running water for washing and cooking.”
“So, Sister Yue, I must go back! That’s my hometown. My family, my friends are there, and so many islanders who have never enjoyed the benefits of modern society.”
At that moment, it was as if there was light in Fan Ye’s eyes: “I know I’m small and naive, but I still want to try, to see if I can make Duofu improve a little, even just a little.”
“Like my father, he’s so knowledgeable, knows far more than I do. It seems he once had a wonderful life outside the island, yet he still chose to stay in Duofu, to protect his people.”
“I’m not as great as my father. Maybe one day I’ll leave the island to learn more, or maybe in the future, when hope seems absent, I’ll gradually lose the determination to persist, but…”
Fan Ye smiled, her dark, thin face full of vibrant vitality: “Those are matters for the future. At least right now, I don’t want to leave, and I haven’t lost hope for the future. So I want to do it!”
Jiang Fuyue patted her head: “You’re very brave.”
“Mm! I think so too! Sister Yue, will we… be able to meet again in the future?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll go to Duofu to see you.”
“Really?! You’ll really come?!”
“Mm, I will.”
This was a promise Jiang Fuyue personally made.
In her previous life, she had promised Fan Sheng; in this life, she promised Fan Ye.
She would definitely fulfill it!
And now…
“Fan Ye, what happened? Tell me slowly.”
A choked sob came from the other end. “Sister Yue, please save the villagers. Th-they’re about to die!”
Jiang Fuyue’s gaze suddenly sharpened: “Explain carefully.”
“Since November last year, people on the island have been falling ill one after another. At first, those infected feel cold all over, shiver, then develop fever, convulsions, vomiting. After a few days, some recover, some die. Especially children, basically none survive.”
Jiang Fuyue put the call on speaker; Xie Dingyuan was also listening.
Feeling cold, shivering, fever, convulsions, these symptoms appear in many infectious diseases. Based on this alone, it was impossible to determine exactly which illness it was.
Jiang Fuyue pondered for a moment and asked, “What’s the mortality rate among adults?”
“Half.”
“That high…” Jiang Fuyue frowned and exchanged a glance with Xie Dingyuan. Both realized the situation was not right.
“Did you inform the higher-level government departments? Seek medical assistance?”
Fan Ye: “When people first started getting sick, I called. They sent a medical team to the island, but the villagers rejected them and refused treatment. Then more people kept dying, so they trusted them even less…”
In truth, she was being somewhat tactful.
When the medical team first arrived, dozens of villagers, carrying tools, blocked them at the dock, scaring the young doctors badly.
It was only when Fan Sheng stepped in and stabilized the situation that things didn’t turn deadly.
After much persuasion, the villagers finally agreed to let the medical team stay temporarily to treat them.
After a period of time, with little treatment effect and patients dying one after another, the villagers, who had endured for so long, finally erupted. This time, even Fan Sheng, the clan leader, couldn’t hold them back.
The medical team was driven away. Patients turned to witch doctors for treatment, but large numbers of infants and adults still died one after another.
Fan Ye tried again to seek government help, but the ignorant villagers refused to accept it and even hurled insults at her.
They said she had gone wild after leaving, that her heart no longer belonged to Duofu. Some extremists even called her a traitor and demanded Fan Sheng deal with her.
Fan Sheng was not to be trifled with, he took action against several troublemakers and protected his daughter.
But the disease still raged. The entire Duofu Island was shrouded in the shadow of death.
Fan Ye wanted to do something for everyone. She tried to popularize modern medical knowledge, to make them believe in doctors and science, but the villagers simply wouldn’t listen.
They stubbornly clung to tradition and refused to accept new things. Fan Ye almost begged them in tears.
But it was useless.
Seeing more and more people die, with no other options left, she finally clenched her teeth and called Jiang Fuyue.
“I’m sorry, Sister Yue. Today is New Year’s Day, you and your whole family must be celebrating happily, but I… I really have no other way…”
“Fan Ye, listen to me.”
The sobbing on the other end quieted.
Jiang Fuyue: “Have your father step forward first and stabilize everyone’s emotions. At a time like this, there must not be chaos. I don’t know if the three major clans on the island still exist. If they’re still as ambitious as they were twenty years ago and want to seize power from your father, then the first thing you need to guard against is them!”
Fan Ye was stunned.
How did Sister Yue know there were three major clans on the island?
Th-this isn’t even something you can find online!
Even ordinary islanders don’t know…
How did she know?
Outside the room, separated by a drafty door, Fan Sheng also froze in shock.
Sister Yue… Yue…
Agata!
Is it her? Is she back?!
“Secondly, seek help from higher authorities as soon as possible. You should have special communication channels. Even if doctors can’t come to the island, you must ensure the supply of basic medicines.”
If people can’t go to the island, the medicine must still be delivered.
Fan Ye nodded: “Okay!”
Jiang Fuyue: “Lastly, have your father go find the witch doctor. Warn him not to prescribe medicine recklessly or incite the villagers’ emotions. If he doesn’t listen, take action if necessary!”
Fan Ye was stunned.
Sister Yue even knew about the witch doctor? And… take action directly?
Was she serious?
The witch doctor held a very high status on the island, even her father usually showed him some deference.
“R-really need to take action?”
Jiang Fuyue smiled faintly: “Just tell your father. He’ll know what to do.”
“…Ah? Okay! Um, Sister Yue, do you know my father?”
Jiang Fuyue paused.
Xie Dingyuan also lowered his head to look at her.
After a moment, she gave a soft “Mm”
“I know him.”
But Fan Sheng probably wouldn’t recognize her now.
Outside the door, the man’s whole body stiffened. The next second, hot tears burst from his eyes.
“Also, make sure to keep indoor ventilation, don’t drink raw water, prevent mosquito bites. Once the fever medicine arrives, distribute some to every household and clearly explain the dosage.”
“Okay!” Fan Ye seemed to have found her backbone, her whole person regaining spirit. “I’ll go handle it right away.”
Jiang Fuyue: “I’ll apply to higher authorities to personally lead a team onto the island.”
……
After hanging up, Jiang Fuyue and Xie Dingyuan returned to the private room.
The two old men were gathered around a chessboard, playing against Han Ting, two versus one. But the situation didn’t look optimistic, their brows were already furrowed enough to trap mosquitoes.
Fu Wanxiu, Shi Qingzhi, Han Yunru, and Xie Yunzao formed a mahjong table. The two older ladies were clearly seasoned “mahjong masters,” every move calm and composed.
Xie Yunzao wasn’t bad either, she usually played with socialites and ladies, keeping herself well-practiced.
Only Han Yunru’s tile-drawing movements were somewhat unfamiliar, and her reactions slower than the other three.
But her luck was incredible, whatever tile she wanted, she could almost always draw.
Even when she lost, it was small losses; but when she won, it was always big hands!
Xie Yunzao: “If I had your kind of luck, I’d already be unbeatable.”
Shi Qingzhi chuckled: “Little Ru has always had good luck since she was little, even guessing on exams, she’d get the right answers.”
The women chatted and laughed, playing mahjong.
On the men’s side, Zhong Yunyi, Han Shen, and Han Ke were playing Dou Dizhu.
All three wanted to smoke, but none of them dared, so they just held cigarettes in their hands, fiddling with them. When the craving hit, they’d just take a sniff.
Han Heng was playing a newly endorsed mobile game with Jiang Chenxing.
Everyone had their own fun, smiles on every face.
“Hey, Yueyue, Ah Yuan, you’re back? Have you picked the wine? The restaurant has already started serving dishes.”
The two exchanged a glance, and in the end Xie Dingyuan spoke: “Sorry, there’s an urgent situation we need to handle. Yueyue and I have to leave immediately.”
“Huh? You haven’t even eaten, why leave already?”
Xie Dingyuan grabbed their coats, handing Jiang Fuyue hers: “It’s urgent, not convenient to explain.”
Jiang Fuyue put it on and picked up her bag: “Enjoy the holiday, have fun, we’re heading out!”
With that, the two left like a gust of wind.
“W-what’s going on?”
“Maybe they’ve been urgently summoned…”
A heaviness settled over everyone’s hearts.
The Han family and Jiang Da and his wife still had lingering fear from Jiang Fuyue’s last trip to the Shenkewo virus outbreak area in Africa. At this moment, their faces were full of worry.
In the end, it was Fu Wanxiu, who had seen many storms, who stepped forward to steady everyone.
“…All these years, Ah Yuan has come and gone through wind and rain, leaving at a moment’s notice, I’m used to it. The children dedicate themselves to the country and work for the people’s well-being. As parents, we shouldn’t hold them back! It’s a holiday today, they would definitely want us to be happy.”
The atmosphere warmed slightly, but it wasn’t as lively as before.
……
Xie Dingyuan immediately reported the situation on Duofu Island to higher authorities.
The organization took it very seriously and convened an emergency meeting at once.
In the end, it was decided that Xie Dingyuan and Jiang Fuyue would jointly lead the team onto the island.
The departure time was set for three days later.
During that time, Jiang Fuyue and Xie Dingyuan prepared medicines, arranged supplies, and accounted for personnel…
Soon, everything was ready.
But on the night before departure, Xie Dingyuan was called away by a phone call.
At dawn, Jiang Fuyue received notice,
Xie Dingyuan could not go to the island! She would have to lead the team alone!
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