Chapter 66: Martial Law
Mi Yang’s condition fluctuated, but it never exceeded 38 degrees.
At night, Bai Luochuan, ignoring his objections, squeezed onto the same bed with him, taking care of him without leaving his side.
The medical staff would come every day. When they took Mi Yang’s temperature, it was always the most nerve-wracking time for Bai Luochuan. He would sit to the side, watching without blinking, for fear of missing any detail. When the doctor nodded to indicate that there was nothing abnormal and came to take his temperature, Bai Luochuan would relax a lot. His health was much better than Mi Yang’s, and he was not affected at all.
Mi Yang would sometimes deliberately joke with him, trying to get him to relax, but Bai Luochuan couldn’t tell what was a joke and what was real at this point. He would nod in agreement to whatever Mi Yang said.
Mi Yang said, “Usually, you’re the one who orders me to buy snacks. This time, after we go back, how about you buy me bread for a month? The kind of big croissants that are freshly baked from the bakery near the school.”
Bai Luochuan nodded. “Okay.”
Mi Yang teased him again, “They have to be hot enough to burn my hand when you give them to me.”
Bai Luochuan said, “Okay.”
Mi Yang glanced at him and smiled. “Why are you so easy to talk to today?”
Bai Luochuan hugged him from behind, wrapping them both in the quilt, and rested his chin on his shoulder, seriously making a self-criticism, “In the future, I’ll get your food for you, fold your clothes for you, and buy you snacks… I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”
Mi Yang took the opportunity to demand, “You have to have a better temper too.”
Bai Luochuan said in a muffled voice, “I’ll try to change.”
He was so obedient that Mi Yang felt a little embarrassed. “I was just teasing you. Actually, you’ve already helped me a lot. Getting your food and folding your clothes are all small things that can be done easily. Anyway, we eat together, and our clothes are all put together.”
Bai Luochuan still held onto him and wouldn’t let go.
Mi Yang thought for a moment. “Get the book from my bag. Let’s read it together.”
Only then did Bai Luochuan move away a little, but he soon sat back in his original position and read with Mi Yang. Mi Yang had brought two books in his bag. One was the one about ancient book restoration that Wei Xian had found for him, and the other was a random book of inspirational short stories that he had grabbed from home. Bai Luochuan also read along with him. Mi Yang casually flipped open the random book and picked a short story to read.
Neither of them spoke, just lowered their heads and read.
Bai Luochuan read faster than Mi Yang. With a sweep of his eyes, he saw a sentence on the right page, “Some roads can only be walked alone.” He sat there, his face pale. “Let’s not read this.”
Mi Yang hadn’t reacted yet. “Hmm? This is the only one.”
Bai Luochuan took the book from his hand and said stiffly, “This book is not good.”
When he wanted to hide something, he would always deliberately cover it. This time was no exception. He deliberately pinched the sentence on the right page with his thumb, but he only covered a few words, and some were still showing. Mi Yang saw it out of the corner of his eye but didn’t fight with him, letting him take the book and throw it aside.
Bai Luochuan held Mi Yang in his arms, wrapping his arms and legs around him, like a baby hugging a teddy bear, and said in a muffled voice, “Don’t even think of going anywhere.”
Mi Yang said, “Mm, I’m not going.”
Mi Yang remembered the last time he had seen the young master Bai in such a panic. It was when they were children.
At that time, Wei Xian had just come to the border town to teach them. The old man was very serious about their studies, and the book list he had chosen was also carefully prepared. Some of the books Mi Yang had never even heard of before.
It was also that time that he had talked to them about life and death.
This question had clearly made the little Bai Luochuan a little at a loss. It was the first time the child had heard about the meaning of “death,” and his eyes were filled with confusion. He didn’t speak all day. At night, when Mi Yang was lying in the same small bed with him, he was suddenly hugged by the child, who asked in a stammering, low voice, “Will Mom and Dad die?”
Mi Yang whispered, “They will.”
The little Bai Luochuan’s hands, which were holding him, tightened a little, and he asked him again, “You will too, right?”
How had he answered at that time? It seemed that while comforting him, he had told him that everyone would, and he had also told him that life was actually very short, so you had to do some happy things so as not to waste it… It had been too long, and he couldn’t remember clearly. On the contrary, the impression of the small hands that were holding him, trying to be brave but couldn’t help but tremble slightly, was very deep.
Just like now.
Mi Yang sighed, leaned his head back a little against his chest, and after a long while, he slowly said, “Do you still remember when Mr. Wei first came, he read us a book that talked about the question of life?”
Bai Luochuan said dryly, “I don’t remember.”
Mi Yang was about to say more when he was quickly interrupted. Bai Luochuan clearly didn’t like this topic and stiffly changed the subject, “You participate in so many competitions every year. You’re working too hard. Like this competition, I don’t think the kind of small handicrafts you like are this kind. Why do you always participate?”
Mi Yang said, “I’ve told you before. I want to win an award. The scholarship at the end of the year is quite a lot.”
Bai Luochuan said, “Uncle Mi and Auntie Cheng have money. They can support you.”
Mi Yang smiled. “But I also want to help them lighten their burden. My family is saving money to buy the shop my mom is currently renting.”
Bai Luochuan said, “That location is good, but it’s a little small, right?”
Mi Yang said, “Mm, we can’t afford a bigger one.”
Mi Yang was not clear about the future demolition and planning situation, but he knew some of the general business districts. And buying a small shop in Shanghai would definitely not be a mistake. In the future, it would be a place where every inch of land was worth gold. And that shop could be used on two floors. The first floor could be a pharmacy and a clinic, and the second floor would also be very convenient for living.
Bai Luochuan seriously talked to him for a while about the matter of choosing a location for the pharmacy. The young master Bai condescended to talk about a small hundred-square-meter house for a long time, analyzing it bit by bit, without any impatience. He had been there so many times that he was almost as familiar with it as his own home. Mi Yang listened quietly as he talked. Bai Luochuan talked to him for a long while about family matters, even about Mi Xue, whom he disliked the most.
Bai Luochuan said, “I still have a set of airplane models that someone gave me. I’ll give that to Mi Xue later. Didn’t she always want to see the one you made for the competition? The one you made was too much trouble. Don’t give it to her. It’s just right to give her this model.”
Mi Yang chuckled and nodded. “Okay.”
Bai Luochuan said again, “I can give your little sister something else, like a teddy bear or something. What do girls like?”
Mi Yang said, “Barbie dolls or small snacks, I guess. Xiaoxue has always wanted to eat hawthorn preserves. Last time my dad came to Beijing on a business trip, he brought a portion back. She liked it very much and would eat one every day, cherishing it so much.” He sighed and glanced out the window. “I had originally promised her that I would bring a box for her this time when I went back, but now I can’t.”
Bai Luochuan said, “When you’re better, I’ll go and buy it with you.”
Mi Yang smiled. “Forget it…” After a while, the control would be strict, and there would probably be very few shops open on the street. He was thinking this and hadn’t said it out loud when Bai Luochuan, hearing him say those three words, held him a little tighter. “We can. I’ll go with you. I’ll buy your little sister a whole box.”
Mi Yang didn’t react at first. Hearing his tense tone, he only then realized that Bai Luochuan was afraid he would lose the will to live. From talking about his family to his favorite little sister, he was afraid that he would give up on this world.
Mi Yang was an experienced person. Although he was a little flustered, he was not particularly afraid.
He patted Bai Luochuan’s hand and comforted him, “Alright then. But a whole box is still too much. Xiaoxue is losing her baby teeth. She can only eat one a day at most…”
He slowly continued the conversation, and Bai Luochuan was not so nervous anymore. He also relaxed a little and continued to talk with him in a desultory way. Both of their voices were small, and in the empty room, they were wrapped in a snow-white quilt, warming each other.
Bai Luochuan would call home every day to briefly report the situation. Luo Jiangjing’s voice was tired, but she would always answer the phone immediately and ask about the situation. Luo Jiangjing had gone against everyone’s advice and bought a large piece of unfinished buildings in Shanghai two years ago. The company had been very divided about it. Some said it was a hot potato, and some said it was a golden doll. In any case, it was now an asset in her hands, and the cash flow had been greatly reduced. It was also the most difficult time.
Bai Luochuan also knew that she was busy with work and just said simply, “I’ll be back in a little over a week. Mm, you take care of yourself too. It’s nothing. Don’t send anyone. We’re both fine. Why don’t I let Little Good Boy talk to you?”
Bai Luochuan said as he handed the phone to Mi Yang. Mi Yang took it and heard Luo Jiangjing’s voice, as gentle as ever, “Little Good Boy? Are you better? Do you want Auntie to ask a doctor to come and see you?”
She had been calling him that along with Bai Luochuan for several years and was used to it, with a hint of affection.
Mi Yang quickly said, “No need, Auntie Luo. I’m already better. I took my temperature today, and it was 36.5. I just have a low fever at night, just like before. It’s probably because of the change of seasons.”
Luo Jiangjing said, “I’m still not at ease. I’ll have someone come and see you in a couple of days.” She then said a few words to the person beside her, seemingly signing some documents. “Then it’s settled. You take care of yourselves. I’ll send a driver to pick you up in a few days.”
Mi Yang agreed, and the other side hung up.
After notifying one parent, he also called Cheng Qing, who was waiting. Because there was no special explanation on the TV news, although Cheng Qing was a little puzzled, she did not realize the seriousness of the situation. In addition, Mi Yang had said that the Bai family had already sent someone to visit, so she did not insist on coming herself, just reminding them to keep warm and that they could buy a few more clothes if they hadn’t brought enough.
Cheng Qing was very at ease with the two of them. Mi Yang and Bai Luochuan were together and could contact their families every day, so she was not too worried.
A few days later, the news reported a few more cases of people being sent to the hospital. Even the central station had a brief few dozen seconds of report during the noon news, and the atmosphere became solemn.
The staff in the hotel also wore thick gauze masks. After leaving the food at the door, they would quickly leave, very afraid of the “quarantine room” they were in.
Every day, someone would walk up and down the hallway with a disinfectant spray, sometimes even spraying some in through the crack in the door, the smell pungent. Originally, Bai Luochuan could have left the room and walked around in the hallway for a while, but now the entire floor of the hotel had been set up with a checkpoint, and a cordon had been pulled up.
From morning to night, you could hear the sound of ambulances whizzing by. The whole of Beijing was already showing faint signs of martial law.
