How could this happen?
How could the old janitor suddenly faint?
Fang Yuan touched the old janitor's forehead. It was burning hot. The temperature must have been at least 39 degrees Celsius.
The young janitor supported the old janitor, lost in thought, and stood there in a daze.
"He seems to have a high fever. Get him to the hospital!" Fang Yuan shouted to the young janitor.
"Oh, yes, a fever?" The young janitor seemed to finally react. He touched the old janitor's forehead and then carried him on his shoulders.
As he was about to leave, he suddenly turned around, hesitated, and asked Fang Yuan, "Did you feel a particularly cold breeze just now?"
Wind? Yes, Fang Yuan had indeed felt a chilly breeze the moment the black cat leaped. Nanjiang wasn't cold in September. On the contrary, the sun was shining brightly and the breeze was gentle. How could such a cold wind blow? Moreover, it came from a strange source, seemingly blowing from a corner of Dormitory 441.
Clearly, the young janitor had also felt the cold wind. Could it be that the older janitor had developed a fever and fainted from this sudden cold wind? After all, his body wasn't as strong as a young person's, and his natural resistance was weaker.
But at this point, Fang Yuan didn't want to explain the matter to the young janitor. His priority now was to get the older janitor to medical treatment.
Fang Yuan said, "Don't ask so many questions. Go get treated by the old janitor quickly. If you're late, your condition might worsen."
The young janitor then stopped asking questions and, carrying the older janitor on his back, walked down the stairs. The hospital wasn't far from the girls' dormitory; a few hundred meters away was the affiliated hospital run by Nanjiang Medical College. Behind the two janitors, some girls whispered with gloating satisfaction.
"I told you Dorm 441 was filled with evil spirits. Look, you're in trouble the moment you enter."
"In my opinion, the girls' dormitory is full of girls, so it already has a strong negative energy. Plus, there's a ghost lingering in Dorm 441. Of course, a man wouldn't be able to withstand it. That young man was lucky to run away quickly, otherwise, he'd be in trouble too."
"Haha, I wonder how the school will arrange for anyone to live in Dorm 441. It's such a mess now, it's uninhabitable."
"Hey, why hasn't that brave girl come out yet? Did something happen to her too?"
"No, she's actually cleaning up in there by herself. It seems she's determined to stay there."
"Tsk! This kind of person harms others and herself. Let's see how long she can hold out!"
Although the conversation was whispered, it was loud enough for Fang Yuan to hear it all clearly. She knew what the girls were thinking—they were eager for her to leave Dorm 441 out of fear. But how could they possibly know the immense price they paid to get into Nanjiang Medical College? How could they easily give up over such a trivial matter?
For the over 3,000 yuan in tuition, she had scoured every relative she could find, shedding countless tears, enduring countless scorns, and kneeling down countless times to scrape together this sum. This sum barely covered her first year's tuition and her first month's living expenses; the rest was completely unavailable. She always remembered her father's words: "No matter how tortuous and difficult the road ahead, you must keep going, never give up!"
Although the janitor had left, she had her own hands and feet, and could still tidy up Dormitory 441 herself. The walls were only a little dirty; they didn't need to be painted or cleaned. As for other matters, if there was no water, she could get some from other dorms. If there was no electricity, she could use candles. The bathroom was a problem, and for now, she had to wait for someone to fix it. Fortunately, she had grown up in the countryside, so this was no longer a problem.
Fang Yuan didn't want to stay in a guesthouse; at fifty or sixty yuan a night, she couldn't bear it. Besides, she would eventually move into Dormitory 441, and it would need cleaning and repairs. She had been doing chores and farm work since she was a child, so these small tasks were no problem for her. She handled them with ease, and soon she was working enthusiastically.
Half an hour later, Fang Yuan ran into her first good friend from Nanjiang Medical College—Xu Zhaodi.
Xu Zhaodi walked into Dormitory 441. Fang Yuan, wearing a paper hat and wielding a bamboo broom, was hopping around sweeping the ceiling. In Xu Zhaodi's words, she looked like a circus clown.
However, Xu Zhaodi's appearance wasn't much better. She was wearing old floral clothes, had a burly figure, thick hands and feet, and spoke with a strong voice, giving her the look of a typical rural woman. Add to that the name "Zhaodi," so vulgar that even Fang Yuan, who also came from the countryside, found her look rather rustic.
Qin Yue had assigned Xu Zhaodi. She was worried Fang Yuan might be afraid of living alone in Dormitory 441, and since Xu Zhaodi was the older and more experienced of the freshmen, she had specifically asked her to accompany Fang Yuan. Unexpectedly, upon seeing her, she learned that the janitor had suddenly fallen ill and hadn't come to help them tidy up the dormitory.
After a brief self-introduction, the cheerful Xu Zhaodi immediately set to work. Working together was much easier, and as they chatted, they quickly transformed Dormitory 441's image.
"Fang Yuan, you don't look weak and frail. You're quite capable when you're doing things."
"I'm used to doing things myself."
"Really? You often do chores."
"Yeah."
"Me too. I'm the eldest in the family, with three younger sisters and two younger brothers. I have to help. How about you?"
Fang Yuan remained silent, wiping the tables and chairs vigorously. Xu Zhaodi looked puzzled. "Fang Yuan, what's wrong?"
"Nothing." Fang Yuan sat down, changed the subject, and exclaimed, "Yeah! Finally done! I'm so tired."
Xu Zhaodi didn't ask again, but smiled, "Not yet. I haven't cleaned the balcony windows yet."
"Ah..."
"Hehe, you take a break, I'll do it."
After that, Xu Zhaodi moved a chair onto the balcony and stood on it to clean the windows.
Fang Yuan was indeed tired, so she leaned against the side of the balcony to admire the scenery.
The Nanjiang River was still sweltering in September. On the basketball court, a group of boys played shirtless, seemingly showing off their muscles, surrounded by a crowd of young boys and girls watching. The artificial lake rippled, sparkling in the sunlight, and fish occasionally leaped from the surface. In the nearby grove, the chirping of various birds mingled, as if discussing the student couples living in the forest. The bright and peaceful atmosphere of the medical school had Fang Yuan dazed.
Then, a chill startled her awake, and she began to tremble all over. Xu Zhaodi noticed and asked her concernedly, "Fang Yuan, what's wrong? Why are you having malaria?"
"Malaria" is a rural term for the disease, scientifically known as malaria. During an attack, the body shivers, even in the scorching heat of midsummer, as if trembling in an icy river.
"No..." Fang Yuan uttered the words with difficulty. Malaria is contagious, and she didn't want Xu Zhaodi to misunderstand.
"Then you..."
"It's okay. It'll be fine in a few minutes."
Sure enough, after a few minutes, Fang Yuan's trembling subsided, as if nothing had happened.
But was it really nothing?