Rebirth to a Military Marriage: Good Morning Chief Chapter 2 - Fever

The intense heat consumed Qiao Nan, making her feel as though her entire being was turning to ash.

After a prolonged battle, Qiao Nan managed to pry her eyes open. Instead of a sterile hospital room, she found herself in a familiar, aged environment.

“Mom, Nan Nan is unwell. Is it really okay to leave her by herself?”

“It’s perfectly fine. Your sister can endure hardship; a slight illness won’t take her life. Besides, she’s due to start school the day after tomorrow. It’s actually beneficial that she’s sick, preventing her from enrolling.”

Preoccupied with her elder daughter’s affairs, Ding Jiayi mused that if her younger daughter missed the enrollment opportunity due to illness, she could then persuade the unfortunate girl to abandon her studies and find work to contribute financially.

“Mom, this watermelon is incredibly sweet. Have a taste too.” Qiao Zijin, content with the conversation, smiled and offered Ding Jiayi a bite of watermelon.

As the mother and daughter exchanged words, Qiao Nan, burning with a high fever, finally grasped her situation.

Time had reversed twenty-five years, returning her to the Qiao family home. The fifteen-year-old Qiao Nan, afflicted with a high fever, had missed the school enrollment deadline that year. It was the same year her mother had convinced her to drop out and work to support Qiao Zijin.

That year, the autumn night before Qiao Nan’s fever struck, it had rained heavily. The weather was particularly chilly for the season.

Qiao Nan recalled tucking herself in with a blanket before sleeping. Yet, upon waking sick, she found the entire blanket pooled at the foot of her bed.

Qiao Nan vaguely remembered a presence in her room amidst the downpour in the dead of night.

Consequently, the blanket was no longer covering her. Even the window beside her bed was inexplicably wide open.

Had this not occurred, Qiao Nan wouldn't have succumbed to a cold and fever.

In her former life, Qiao Nan had always suspected an intruder. Regarding the window, which had been shut before sleep and later found open, she dismissed it as a delusion brought on by her sickness and delirium.

However, this time, Qiao Nan held a different conviction.

“Last night,” someone had definitely entered her room. Not only had they removed her blanket, but they had also deliberately unlatched the window. Their intention was clear: to induce sickness and ensure she missed the school enrollment date!

Just as Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin were enjoying their moment, a resounding crash startled them both.

“Nan, Nan Nan?” Qiao Zijin’s expression, which had been beaming while she ate half a watermelon, froze. Holding the spoon awkwardly, she hesitated, unsure whether to continue or put it down.

Observing the half-eaten watermelon in Qiao Zijin’s grasp, Qiao Nan chuckled inwardly.

Qiao Zijin, doted upon by their mother, had been overbearing and selfish since childhood. She had a peculiar habit when eating watermelon: holding half the fruit and consuming it entirely with a spoon.

It was the 1980s, and their financial situation was precarious. Each time Ding Jiayi purchased watermelons, she would inform Qiao Nan and Qiao Zijin that only half a fruit had been acquired.

Yet, Qiao Nan had personally witnessed Qiao Zijin holding and eating half a watermelon.

Qiao Zijin was permitted to eat half a watermelon. For Qiao Nan, receiving even a minuscule sliver was considered fortunate!

“You wretched girl, why did you kick the door? Who are you trying to frighten?” Ding Jiayi’s face, devoid of any remorse, darkened. She pointed accusingly at Qiao Nan’s nose and began to berate her.

Enduring her illness, Qiao Nan persisted, “I have a fever. Where is the fever medicine?”

“What fever medicine? You’ve already finished it. There’s none left.” Ding Jiayi’s eyes flickered with guilt as she delivered this news.

Disregarding Ding Jiayi’s protest, Qiao Nan began searching for the medicine. In her previous life, foregoing medication had worsened her fever, leading to a delay in medical attention and a near case of meningitis.

This incident resulted in significant medical expenses for her family, reinforcing her mother’s claim that the family's funds were depleted by her illness. That belief was the catalyst for her dropping out of school to support Qiao Zijin.

“You wretched girl, what are you even looking for?!” Qiao Nan’s actions incensed Ding Jiayi. With her left hand, Ding Jiayi yanked Qiao Nan’s hair, while simultaneously striking her across the face with her right hand.

The sharp report of the slap echoed, cold and definitive.

A ringing sound filled Qiao Nan’s ears instantly after the slap. While her face was not the primary pain, her nose throbbed intensely. A relentless nosebleed erupted, akin to a broken faucet, staining the very collar of her shirt.

“If you’re feeling unwell, go and rest. Stop causing trouble!” Ding Jiayi surmised that Qiao Nan wouldn’t possess the physical fortitude to resist. She attempted to haul Qiao Nan back to her room, intending for her to continue sleeping. Ding Jiayi was resolute in preventing Qiao Nan from taking her medicine, no matter the cost.

Should the wretched girl recover, she’d undoubtedly enroll in school, becoming a drain on their resources. Ding Jiayi was planning to let Qiao Nan remain ill for at least a month after the school year commenced.

Dreaming of taking medicine? What a far-fetched idea!

At this juncture, Qiao Nan perceived Ding Jiayi’s scheme. She refused to yield, bracing herself and headbutting Ding Jiayi’s body.

This action didn’t inflict much pain but was profoundly unexpected. Ding Jiayi recoiled in surprise, releasing the hand that had been gripping Qiao Nan’s hair. Seizing the moment, Qiao Nan bolted from the house.

“That wretched girl!” Ding Jiayi, lagging several steps behind, stomped her feet in fury and bellowed, “If you have the nerve, don’t you ever come back!”

Witnessing Qiao Nan’s defiance for the first time, Qiao Zijin stood stunned. “Mom, what’s gotten into Nan Nan? Didn’t she always do as you said?”

“Pay her no mind,” Ding Jiayi replied, patting her elder daughter’s hand, appearing unfazed. “Despite her fever, she ran out and refused to rest at home. She’s practically inviting her own demise.”

Qiao Nan, her head throbbing with fever, felt an overwhelming urge to flee, but she had no clue what her next step would be.

Suddenly, Qiao Nan collided with someone. Her nose, which had been bleeding nonstop, now felt even more painful, and tears began to well up.

“Be careful.” A man’s voice, deep and resonant, spoke out. In contrast to the sweltering June heat, his voice washed over Qiao Nan like a cool breeze. Her waist seemed to land against an arm as unyielding as tempered steel.

As Qiao Nan regained her balance, it took shaking her head thrice before she could fully come to her senses. Lifting her gaze, she met a pair of eyes as sharp and piercing as a blade.

“You have a fever?” the man inquired, his brow furrowing upon sensing Qiao Nan’s elevated temperature. His lips, usually straight and firm, pressed into a tighter line upon noticing the bloodstains on Qiao Nan’s collar. “Follow me,” he commanded.

Confused, Qiao Nan followed the man. It wasn’t until she was seated on a plush sofa that she began to regain her composure.

“Fever medicine.” The man’s voice, devoid of warmth, cut through the air as he extended one hand holding the medicine and the other a cup of water. Given her precarious state, Qiao Nan felt no hesitation in accepting. She took the medicine from the man’s grasp, swallowed it, and then cautiously observed him.

The man was strikingly handsome—his face was sculpted, his thick eyebrows exuded an aura of righteousness, his nose was straight and well-defined, and his eyes possessed a captivating yet stern quality. His lips were pressed together, hinting at displeasure. Qiao Nan couldn’t help but feel a flutter of nervousness.