Da Peng reluctantly woke up. Seeing his younger brother also passed out drunk, he went forward and nudged the other two awake.
"This Osmanthus wine has a strong kick," Xiao Peng mumbled, still feeling groggy. "I still feel sleepy."
Gu Qingcheng rubbed her eyes. "I should head back, or my father will start looking for me."
"Are you coming back tomorrow?" Da Peng asked, slurring his words as he supported Xiao Peng.
"Yes, to help you guys out," Gu Qingcheng replied without hesitation.
By the time Gu Qingcheng returned to the medical clinic, Gu Chaobei's surgery had finally concluded. Upon seeing his daughter, he remembered he had brought her down the mountain. He quickly asked, "Qingcheng, have you eaten?"
"Not yet," Gu Qingcheng said, guessing her father hadn't eaten either and wanting to accompany him.
"Doctor Gu, it's time to eat," a servant called out, carrying a food box.
"Qingcheng, the clinic has arranged lodging for us," Gu Chaobei said as he led his daughter towards a side courtyard next to the clinic.
It was a somewhat desolate courtyard, with frozen grass stalks in the yard. However, the room itself was acceptable, having been cleaned. Since the clinic staff assumed they were father and son, only one room was allocated, but it was furnished with two camp beds. The room lacked underfloor heating, and two large charcoal braziers were lit, yet the room remained quite cold. The bedding on the beds, however, was thick and warm, with cotton batting underneath and a heavy twelve-jin (approximately six kilograms) quilt on top.
The servant followed them in, placed the food box down, and said, "Please enjoy your meal, Doctor Gu. I will come back to clear up later."
After the servant left, Gu Qingcheng opened the food box. Inside, she found a plate of stir-fried meat, four steamed buns, and a bowl of vegetable and meat slice soup. The fare was quite good; while not as exquisite as a restaurant's, it was still decent. Father and daughter finished the meal. They couldn't afford to waste food, no matter what.
This was Gu Qingcheng's first night spent outside after the extreme cold, and she found it quite unaccustomed. She retrieved an electric heater from the storage cabinet and plugged it in. Once the room warmed up, she quickly snuggled into bed. The environment at the foot of the mountain was indeed much harsher than on the mountain.
Gu Chaobei asked her where she had been for most of the day. Gu Qingcheng didn't hide anything, saying she had gone to help move bodies. Gu Chaobei, being a doctor, had a broad mind. Other parents might have found it unlucky or considered their child strange for helping to carry corpses. However, Gu Chaobei praised her, saying she had done the right thing. Allowing a child to learn about death was an important part of their growth education. Gu Chaobei had previously considered how to educate his daughter about death in modern society, but the Chinese were very sensitive about the topic of death. Seeing his daughter healthy and happy, he had put the matter aside for the time being. After coming here, where they struggled on the edge of death every day, his daughter had adapted well and even actively participated in charitable deeds without becoming despondent or negative. Gu Chaobei was relieved.
Having been busy with patients all day, Gu Chaobei was exhausted. The moment he lay his head on the pillow, he fell asleep. Gu Qingcheng also felt very tired. They hadn't exchanged many words before her eyelids felt heavy as lead. Her father was already softly snoring. Just as she was about to sleep, the system suddenly popped up, asking, "Host, there is dark chocolate here that removes fatigue and maintains energy. It costs 10爽点 per piece. Are you willing to purchase it?"
"Huh? There's such a good thing? Is it the same dark chocolate that the system gave me as a beginner's gift?" Gu Qingcheng asked.
"Yes, that was a trial sample. This is the full-sized product, but the effects are the same. Were you satisfied with the effects of the trial sample? If so, don't miss out on the full-sized product!" Whenever it was time to sell goods, the golden finger seemed to become gentler, even a bit fawning. Gu Qingcheng also noticed this and said, "Can you describe its effects in detail?"
"If you eat the full-sized product after consuming the trial sample, the effects will not stack. The current effect is to eliminate fatigue. You can only consume it once a day, and the effect lasts for 12 hours."
"Wow, is it really that good?" Gu Qingcheng's spirits immediately lifted, and she generously said, "Give me ten pieces." She had accumulated 500爽点 from the satisfaction of helping the Da Peng brothers that day, so buying ten pieces of dark chocolate was not an issue. The crucial point was that they truly needed the boost from the dark chocolate now, as her father's body couldn't withstand such continuous work. After all, there were too many injured people in the city, and a few doctors like him simply couldn't cope.
The next morning, Gu Chaobei woke up to find his daughter already washed and ready. He yawned, feeling his whole body ache. "Qingcheng, you sleep in a bit longer. I don't get to sleep, and I have to be busy early," he said.
"Dad, there's dark chocolate here. The system says eating it can keep you energized for 12 hours," Gu Qingcheng handed Gu Chaobei a piece of dark chocolate. Gu Chaobei had no doubts and accepted it without hesitation, eating it immediately. After eating the dark chocolate, Gu Chaobei felt all his fatigue disappear, and he was full of energy, like an eighteen-year-old young man.
"Wow, system products are always top-notch!" Gu Chaobei's remark made the system ecstatic, likely chuckling to itself. Gu Qingcheng popped a piece of dark chocolate into her mouth as well. Indeed, a warm current seemed to flow through her, and she felt comfortable all over. The muscle soreness from helping to push carts and carry loads yesterday had vanished.
"Dad, you're still busy today, right?"
"Yes, I took in 20 apprentices yesterday and taught them some basic surgical knowledge. They can already handle some minor external injuries, and I personally handle the more serious cases that require surgery," Gu Chaobei sighed. Gu Qingcheng was also astounded. In modern society, this would be impossible. It takes at least five years to train a surgeon, and her father had trained 20 apprentices in one day. Of course, this was due to the dire circumstances.
"Dad, don't worry, go ahead and be busy, save more people. I'll go help the Da Peng and Xiao Peng brothers. Don't worry about me," Gu Qingcheng said. Gu Chaobei, ever since communicating with his wife, knew that by retrieving items from the storage cabinet, he could ascertain his daughter's safety. He had done so when he had free time yesterday, occasionally taking out a candy or a cup of water. As long as he could retrieve an item, his daughter was safe. There were too many patients, and he had no time to worry about his daughter.
The clinic's servant brought two bowls of steaming wonton noodles and two hot oil-fried cakes in a food box for their breakfast. The food box had a lid and a charcoal fire underneath for warmth, so the food was still piping hot when it was brought into the room. Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but marvel at the ingenuity of ancient people. Father and daughter quickly finished their meal and then hurried off to their respective tasks.
Gu Qingcheng found the Da Peng and Xiao Peng brothers. The two brothers were surprised that after yesterday's hard work, Gu Qingcheng would return to help them. They were overjoyed but also somewhat puzzled, asking, "Young Master Gu, why go to such trouble? This is work that we can do."