Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1331 All Staff Transferred to Quarantine, Director Fang Can Return to the City (Two Chapters Combined)
"Yes!" The two staff members immediately turned around, jumped into the jeep, and sped off towards Dongfeng Commune with the engine roaring.

Chen Jingshan's anger had not subsided. He pointed to the medicine boxes piled up next to the makeshift clinic: "First team! Immediately inventory the emergency medicines and load all the usable critical care drugs into the vehicle! Send four emergency doctors and two nurses to Dongfeng Commune as well! The unconscious child must be stabilized within half an hour!"

"Understood!" The first group leader immediately responded and led his team members to quickly unpack and repackage the items.

The group was in a flurry of activity, and the crisp sound of glass medicine bottles clattering together was particularly clear in the tense atmosphere.

Old Hu said to Fang Yan:

"Alright, you guys go ahead with your work. I'll have someone prepare the food and bring it over in a bit."

Fang Yan nodded:

"Be careful on the road."

Lao Hu said:

"Don't worry, Lao Cui is here. He drives around these places every day and knows them very well."

Fang Yan continued to be busy, encountering the students who came for the free clinic today. By this time, they hadn't even had a hot meal, so they ate a few bites of steamed buns and pickled vegetables before getting back to work.

They all thought that once someone came, they could finish their work, but now they're in trouble and have to keep working.

Fortunately, Fang Yan is here with them today and told them that Lao Hu will bring their meals from the factory later.

Otherwise, it really would seem like we've come here to suffer.

After working for a while, the sound of an engine came from afar. Fang Yan looked closely and saw that it was An Dong driving back.

"Master!" Anton immediately ran over after parking the car and began to report to Fang Yan.

"The secretary of the commune over there has been arrested, and the site has been taken over by the epidemic prevention team. After the people who were providing free medical services over there found out, Professor Yue Meizhong led the way and they are now staying behind to cooperate with the epidemic prevention team."

"After the broadcast announcement, people started bringing their children to the commune to report for duty. The situation on site is relatively stable for now. Professor Yue told me to tell them not to worry about them."

Fang Yan nodded and said to Anton:

"You've worked hard. Quickly eat some dry food. We've almost finished dealing with the emergency here. After we arrange the follow-up treatment, we should be able to rest."

Anton nodded, then grabbed a steamed bun and started eating it.

Then, the busy people around him came over to ask him about the situation in the commune.

Anton swallowed the steamed bun in a few bites, then drank some hot water before speaking to the students and doctors from the clinic who had gathered around him: "The scene was really chaotic at first! When we arrived, the epidemic prevention team had just put the secretary of Dongfeng Commune into a jeep, and he was still shouting, 'Why are you arresting me?' Many villagers were so scared that they ran out of the village with their children, saying, 'The official has been arrested, and no one is taking care of the children.'"

He wiped his mouth, his tone tinged with relief: "Luckily, someone over there reacted quickly, standing at the village entrance and shouting that we were there for medical treatment. We also had the support of leaders from the Ministry of Health, and Professor Yue also stepped forward and revealed his identity, which made the villagers dare to stop. Later, the epidemic prevention team broadcast repeatedly that concealing information would result in responsibility, and that those who voluntarily brought their children for examination would receive medicine. Gradually, people started coming."

A female student wearing glasses frowned and asked:

"Have all the hidden children been found? How serious are their conditions?"

Anton said:

"When I left, the epidemic prevention team was leading village officials to search house to house."

One student said:

"I don't even want to think about what would have happened if it had been a day later. With scarlet fever, every day of delay increases the risk. How could that barefoot doctor from Dongfeng Commune not recognize it?"

Tao Guangzheng, who was standing to the side, said:
"Hey, it has little to do with doctors, it's mainly the Party Secretary..."

“At the grassroots level, it used to be quite common for people not to report such things, especially when it came to things that required taking responsibility. Some cadres’ first reaction was not to solve the problem, but to cover it up.”

He looked up and glanced at the people who had gathered around him, lowering his voice slightly: "I provided assistance to other places a couple of years ago. There was a village there that had an epidemic. At first, only a few people fell ill. The village secretary was afraid that reporting it would affect his year-end performance evaluation, so he had the barefoot doctor say that they had 'eating bad food' and secretly gave them some tetracycline to fool them. As a result, within a few days, many people fell ill, and even the doctors at the health center were infected. In the end, the region sent an epidemic prevention team to control the epidemic. The village secretary was arrested on the spot and I heard that he was sentenced to two years in prison."

Tao Guangzheng used to be the dean, as everyone knows, and there are quite a few students like him in the class.

Another student also said:

"That's right. Take last winter in our county, for example. Some children in the northern commune got rashes. The doctor recognized them and suspected it was rubella, so he quickly reported it to the commune secretary. But the secretary said not to cause trouble at the end of the year and insisted on not reporting it to the county health bureau. He even said it was normal for children to get rashes and that they would get better in a few days. Later, the rash spread to three villages, and two children developed pneumonia. Only then did the higher-ups get involved, and that secretary was immediately dismissed from his post. Now he's helping out in the commune canteen."

The female student wearing glasses was astonished: "Just for your own future, you're treating human lives like a joke?"

“It’s not all about career prospects.” Fang Yan walked over at some point, holding a prescription he had just written. “Some cadres are afraid of taking responsibility, thinking that ‘if it’s not reported, it’s not a big deal,’ and if something really happens, they can push it onto ‘sudden occurrence’; others are afraid that if the higher-ups send an epidemic prevention team, they will have to allocate supplies and organize manpower, which is not only troublesome, but also makes it seem like they haven’t done their job properly.”

He paused, recalling a case he had heard during previous training:
“The Ministry of Health recently reported a typical case where a commune secretary concealed a flu outbreak because he was worried about affecting grain procurement. As a result, the outbreak spread to four surrounding communes. In the end, not only was he dismissed, but the deputy county head in charge was also criticized in a public notice. In the past two years, the authorities have been cracking down harder, making it clear that concealment is more dangerous than the epidemic itself, so such cases have decreased somewhat. But there are always some people who take chances.”

Anton, munching on a steamed bun, interjected, "That Dongfeng Commune secretary is also muddle-headed. How can scarlet fever be concealed? So many children have fevers and coughs, how can they keep it a secret forever?"

“He was just betting he could get away with it.” Tao Guangzheng stood up and patted his pants. “He thought that once the child recovered on his own, the matter would be over. Who would have thought that our free clinic would come along, and that the epidemic prevention team would also arrive? Now he can’t hide it anymore. It’s only because the policies are strict now. In the past, he might have been able to find an excuse of ‘unclear situation’ to get by.”

As they were talking, the sound of a jeep horn came from afar. Everyone looked up and saw that a jeep that had gone to Dongfeng Commune earlier had driven back. It seemed to be returning to report the news to Chen Jingshan.

They didn't understand the dialect used in the report. However, after the report, Chen Jingshan quickly walked over from the communications vehicle, his serious expression largely gone.

Fang Yan addressed the crowd:

"They must have come to tell us about the next steps."

The others were also at ease, waiting for Chen Jingshan to come over and give instructions.

Chen Jingshan came over, nodded to everyone, and finally looked at Fang Yan, Wang Yuchuan, and Tao Guangzheng. His voice was clear and strong:
"I'd like to inform everyone of the latest situation at Dongfeng Commune; it's good news."

He paused deliberately, then said:
"All twelve sick children who were hidden in the commune have been found. The two who haven't shown up were taken by their parents to visit relatives in a neighboring village. The epidemic prevention team has contacted them and is sending people to bring the children back for examination. The five most critically ill comatose children have had their body temperatures drop below 38 degrees Celsius after Professor Yue's traditional Chinese medicine treatment and the epidemic prevention team's Western medical emergency treatment. Although they are still not awake, their breathing is stable, and they are temporarily out of danger."

It wasn't just the people speaking in dialect who were listening; some family members of patients were also listening. A low murmur of admiration rose from the crowd, and several people who had been anxiously waiting breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Jingshan said to Fang Yan and the others:

"Your team has done a great job in this matter."

He first looked at Fang Yan, "Director Fang, you diagnosed scarlet fever at the first time, and you also stabilized the mild cases with traditional Chinese medicine in advance. More importantly, you were the first to predict that Dongfeng Commune might be covering up the case, and you asked Secretary Zhou to send people to investigate in advance, which saved the most precious time for the subsequent rescue."

Dialectal wave:
"Anyone would have handled this situation the same way."

Chen Jingshan smiled, then turned to Wang Yuchuan and the old professors:

"Professors, your measures for dividing up isolation areas and guiding prevention are very professional. They have curbed the spread of the epidemic in our commune from the source. The comrades from the epidemic prevention team just told me that your explanation of case review and symptom identification saved them at least two hours of adaptation time."

Finally, he scanned the students around him:

"And to all my fellow students, despite the shortage of supplies and manpower, you all persevered in your posts at the free clinic, and not a single one of you backed down. This sense of responsibility is truly commendable. Including Comrade Lao Hu's material support and Comrade An Dong's tireless efforts, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly without any of these supporters."

"It's all we should do," everyone quickly replied politely.

Wang Yuchuan also didn't forget to add value to his superiors:
"The main reason is that the epidemic prevention team arrived in time, and there were sufficient medicines and equipment."

Chen Jingshan raised his hand to stop him from speaking:

"You deserve praise for doing your job to this extent." After saying that, he changed the subject, "But now, there are more important arrangements for everyone. The handover of work has been basically completed. The comrades in the epidemic prevention team have fully taken over the diagnosis, epidemiological investigation and disinfection work, and the subsequent prevention and control plan has also been formulated."

Seeing the obvious exhaustion on everyone's faces, he slowed his speech:
"I know you've been busy since this morning and haven't even had a proper hot meal. So, I hereby announce that, from this moment on, Director Fang, Professor Wang, and all of you students are officially withdrawing from the front line of epidemic prevention and control for rest."

Upon hearing this, many people couldn't hide their relief.

However, Fang Yan heard Chen Jingshan say "rest and recuperation" rather than "evacuation," indicating that they would not be allowed to leave the epidemic area.

Chen Jingshan, seeing what everyone was thinking, added:
"However, everyone cannot return to the city yet; they need to find a place to complete their medical observation."

Hearing this, everyone understood. They were patients in constant contact with infected individuals, placing them in a high-risk exposure group. The incubation period for scarlet fever is approximately 2 to 5 days, requiring observation and isolation. Chen Jingshan's gaze swept over the instantly grave faces of the group, his tone softening as he reassured them:

"Don't be nervous, everyone. Medical observation is not 'isolation and investigation,' it's about taking responsibility for yourselves and your families. Scarlet fever is caused by streptococcus, which is highly contagious and has a short incubation period. You've been in close contact with so many confirmed children, so even if you've been wearing masks and taking precautions, we still need to rule out the risk."

"The quarantine location is the newly renovated dormitory for educated youth that we plan to arrange. Each dormitory will house two to three people, and bedding, hot water, and toiletries will all be provided. The canteen will deliver the meals to you, so you won't have to make the trip yourself. There are radios in the dormitories at the observation point, and you can also borrow books and newspapers, so you won't feel bored."

“Every morning and afternoon, doctors from the epidemic prevention team will come to take temperatures and ask about symptoms. If symptoms such as sore throat or rash appear, they can be treated immediately. The first three days are the peak of the outbreak, which can minimize the risk of transmission. After three days, if your temperature is normal and you have no symptoms, and if you have the energy and really want to lend a hand, you can hand things to the epidemic prevention team from a distance or organize non-contact files. But you absolutely cannot enter the isolation area or have contact with sick children and their families.”

When the group heard the news, they weren't too surprised. They all had experience in this area, so it was understandable that they would do this. However, the conditions in this place were not very good.

Just as Fang Yan wanted to speak.

Chen Jingshan said to Fang Yan:

"Director Fang, your situation is special. You can return to the city after disinfection."

Fang Yan was taken aback when he heard this, then realized that this was a special treatment given to him because of the Ministry of Health and Director Liao.

Fang Yan thought for a moment and said, "Sir, thank you for your consideration. I know very well that your understanding of my situation is a special favor, and I am truly grateful."

He paused, glanced at the students around him, then turned to Chen Jingshan and continued, "However, as you know, the rules for medical observation are for everyone's safety. Although my situation is special, we cannot make exceptions during the first three days of the peak of the outbreak. If I go back to the city now and something happens, I will not only be letting down my family, but also betraying your trust. If word gets out, people will think that the rules are flexible, which will have a bad influence."

These words brought a hint of approval to Chen Jingshan's eyes. He had been worried that Fang Yan would use the "special treatment" as an excuse to leave immediately, but he hadn't expected the other party to be so thoughtful.

“So I will definitely stay during the critical three-day observation period.” Fang Yan changed the subject and said her thoughts, “I just have a favor to ask. Could you allow me to change the quarantine location? Comrade Lao Hu’s factory is not far from here. He mentioned to me before that the factory has a special disinfection room and an unused rest room, both of which are single rooms with good ventilation and disinfection conditions that are more complete than those in the educated youth dormitory. After all, it is a place where materials are produced, and the hygiene standards are naturally high.”

Fearing that Chen Jingshan might be worried, he quickly added:
"Besides, Lao Hu's factory also has some colleagues who are supporting them and are also going to undergo medical observation. We professors and students can get together, which will make it easier for the epidemic prevention team to manage and take temperatures together. If I go there to be quarantined, it won't break the rules, and I can also make better use of the factory's facilities to monitor myself. Do you think this is okay?"

Hearing Fang Yan's words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the conditions at Lao Hu's factory were definitely much better than here.

In other words, only Brother Fang has the ability to discuss and negotiate with the leaders; everyone else can only obey.

Chen Jingshan stared at Fang Yan for two seconds, a smile slowly spreading across his lips. He reached out and gently patted Fang Yan's arm. "Director Fang, you've thought things through even more thoroughly than I have. What do I have to worry about?"

He turned to the epidemic prevention team member beside him and instructed him:
"Xiao Wu, make a note of this. Later, take two colleagues with Director Fang to the factory and reiterate the regulations for the observation point to them: single room per person, temperature checks twice a day, and separate disinfection and disposal of garbage. None of these procedures can be omitted. Also, give a copy of the registration form to Director Fang and ask him to keep an eye on the other people under observation at the factory. If there are any abnormalities, please contact us immediately."

"Understood!" Xiao Wu immediately replied and wrote it down.

Chen Jingshan then looked at Fang Yan, his tone more earnest: "Please take good care of me for the first three days. The comrades from the factory who are providing support may not understand the ins and outs of medical observation. I feel more at ease with you there. If everything is normal after three days, you can go back to the city or stay to lend a hand, whichever is more convenient for you. I will have someone issue you a certificate then, and I will make sure it doesn't delay your affairs."

"You're too kind, it's all I should do." Fang Yan quickly waved her hand. "I'll talk to Lao Hu later and ask him to disinfect the rest room again in advance to ensure it meets the epidemic prevention requirements. I will definitely report to you immediately if there are any issues."

"Okay." Chen Jingshan nodded in satisfaction, then said to the people around him, "Everyone heard that. Director Fang set an example, so we must follow the observation rules even more closely. Now everyone, go and get settled. If you have any needs, just say so. Don't be shy."

Everyone agreed. Just then, Lao Hu's car returned, followed by their factory's tractor. The car was carrying the prepared lunch.

As soon as Lao Hu parked the car, he jumped out and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Dinner's ready! Don't just stand there! I've added some special dishes for everyone today, come and eat while they're hot!"

We had some steamed buns and pickled vegetables for lunch, and we weren't very hungry anymore. When we heard that food was coming, everyone gathered around.

Now that all the patients have been taken care of, they don't need to worry anymore.

There were several large buckets in the tractor's trailer. These must have been custom-made; there's no such style on the market. Lifting the lid, steam and aroma instantly wafted out. A pot of braised pork belly was glistening with oil, the fat trembling as if it were about to melt into the broth. Another pot of scrambled eggs was bright yellow and sprinkled with bright green scallions. There was also stir-fried cabbage, shredded radish stewed with vermicelli, and finally, two large buckets of steaming millet porridge, cooked until it was so thick it could cling to a spoon.

"My goodness, this food smells amazing!" Li Hui's eyes lit up. She had already finished digesting the steamed buns and pickled vegetables she had been eating, and now her stomach was rumbling just from the smell.

The others exclaimed in amazement, "Old Hu is really rich and powerful!"

This was in stark contrast to the steamed buns and pickled vegetables we had just eaten.

Old Hu said with a smile:

"You and Dr. Fang are risking your lives to treat patients, how can we let you go hungry? This meat was specially reserved by the factory canteen, and the eggs are fresh. Hurry up and get some! There's more if you're still hungry!"

As he spoke, he began to serve chopsticks and enamel mugs to everyone.

Fang Yan then noticed that his chopsticks were covered with his mark.

By this time, everyone was already impatient and gathered around with their enamel mugs, bowls, and chopsticks. The chef served braised pork to several students and urged them to eat more. The crisp sound of enamel mugs clattering, the slurping of porridge, and the aroma of food washed away most of the day's fatigue.

Fang Yan pulled Lao Hu aside, handed him two freshly steamed buns, and explained the medical observation arrangements in detail. Lao Hu immediately slapped his thigh after listening: "What's so difficult about that! I just told the logistics department to clean up those rest rooms next to the office building, change all the sheets and blankets, and stock up on disinfectant. Don't worry, it'll all comply with the epidemic prevention team's rules!"

“When I built my place, it was built to the standards of a large factory. We can call people from another commune over to quarantine together.”

Fang Yan nodded after hearing this:

"Okay, I'll let them know later."

After speaking in dialect, he took a bite of his steamed bun, then suddenly remembered something and asked in a low voice, "By the way, what about Director Shi Min and the cameraman from CCTV? What's their arrangement? Are they going to the factory for quarantine with us?"

Old Hu was taken aback. He had originally planned to send him back to the city, but this guy refused to go back and wanted to follow him and report on it.

He glanced around and saw Shi Min squatting to the side, taking pictures of them eating.

This guy is really dedicated!

"Comrade Shi, dinner's ready!" Old Hu waved to him.

Shi Min waved in response, but still didn't come over.

Fang Yan and Lao Hu exchanged a glance, then simply took the food and walked over.

After handing him the food, he said:

"I have something to tell you. We're going to Lao Hu's factory for three days of medical observation. What are your plans?"

Shi Min said:

“I’m observing with the rest of the team and I’m following the instructions. But there’s something I need to tell you. These rolls of film contain crucial footage from today’s free clinic and epidemic prevention efforts. If they’re left at the observation point for three days and get damp, they’ll be ruined. This footage needs to be sent back to the station for broadcast, so we can’t afford to delay it.”

"Could you please ask Director Chen to let my colleague send the film back to the city first? I can keep the camera, and the backup of the footage is ready, but these few boxes of original film need to be sent back for processing as soon as possible."

Fang Yan hesitated for a moment. This matter couldn't be delayed; the timeliness and preservation conditions of news materials were both demanding. He nodded: "Don't worry, I'll go ask Leader Chen right away. Sending the film back is no problem; we'll definitely make proper arrangements for you."

Then Lao Hu said to him:
"Alright, let's eat first. We've almost finished filming here. Once we get to the quarantine area, you can interview everyone you want."

Shi Min agreed, and finally turned off the camera with the photographer, took the enamel mug, and thanked him.

He picked at the braised pork with his chopsticks and swallowed more than half a bowl in just a few bites, clearly quite hungry.

"Thank you both in advance. We really can't afford to waste time on the materials," Shi Min said to Fang Yan and the others, wiping her mouth.

The photographer next to them started eating as well.

Judging from how ravenously they were eating, they must have been hungry earlier, and now that they were eating, they finally couldn't resist and were munching away.

Once they had eaten a little slower, Fang Yan asked him:
When will the part about treating patients be broadcast?

Shi Min said:

"Soon, if all goes well, we should see it on the news tonight."

PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated.

(End of this chapter)