The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Begins in Songhu

Chapter 348 A Special Meal Delivery (Two Chapters Combined)

Time: 23 days after returning from time travel, around 1 p.m.

Location: The kitchen of Deyuelou, the main store in Panjiayuan.

"Dog, no! Baozi, don't worry at all. Once we're done with the lunch rush, I'll transfer the money to those accounts right away. There won't be any problems."

Holding the phone, Hu Biao spoke with unusual seriousness, making his assurances to the person on the other end.

While saying these things, this guy's emotions were very complex, with excitement, lingering fear, and relief all appearing and intertwining at the same time, making for quite a fascinating performance.

This call was made by Annie, who had been busy with work lately, taking time out of her busy schedule on set.

To clarify one important matter, the lawyer has reached an agreement with the platforms to which Hu Biao owes money, as long as the principal he owes is deposited into the designated account this afternoon.

Then the money Hu Biao owed them, as well as all the expenses incurred during the delay, can be completely wiped clean.

This means that Hu Biao has finally paid off all the debts he owed; his name will be removed from the list of dishonest persons within three working days.

From then on, he could travel by plane and high-speed rail, and his spending was no longer restricted—these were minor matters.

The key was the feeling of being debt-free and carefree, especially the feeling of finally struggling out of a quagmire and successfully getting ashore, which made Hu Biao extremely excited.

Especially when I thought about the days when I was doing odd jobs, lying down, and just drifting through life like a walking corpse, I couldn't calm down at all.

So much so that, in a moment of extreme emotional excitement, she even dared to call Annie "dog."

If it weren't for the inconvenient timing and Annie's lack of free time, this guy would have really wanted to invite his girlfriend over for drinks and get completely drunk.

After hanging up the phone, Hu Biao smoked two cigarettes outside the back door before he could calm down his agitated emotions.

Then he went back to the kitchen and prepared the last private dish of the day, a grand finale: braised ox penis.

Because he was in such a good mood, Hu Biao put in extra effort while preparing the dish, making the already delicious and effective finale even better than usual.

After finishing his work, Hu Biao glanced at the twice-cooked pork, pork stew with vermicelli, and various braised dishes that he had prepared in advance.

After calculating the remaining amount, it was enough for lunch.

He immediately left the kitchen, intending to go to the office to get his phone and transfer a total of 50 yuan to the accounts designated by the three platforms.

When they got to the cashier, they saw a waitress named Xiao Wen, who was in charge of taking orders through a mini-program, and she looked quite troubled.

Upon seeing this, Hu Biao instinctively stopped and asked:
"Xiao Wen, what happened?"

Upon hearing Hu Biao's question, Xiao Wen finally realized what was happening and, as if she had found a pillar of support, began to tell her boss about her situation:

"There is an order for braised pork with vermicelli, which is to be delivered to the pediatrics department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The note says it needs to be delivered urgently."

But all the delivery drivers are out now, and it will take at least an hour to deliver the food after they come back.

With just this simple sentence, Hu Biao basically understood what was troubling Xiao Wen.

At top-tier hospitals like Peking Union Medical College Hospital, a large proportion of the inpatients are seriously ill patients who have traveled long distances from other places for treatment.

Whether it's the family members or the patients themselves, they are all so far from home, have to bear high medical expenses, worry about their condition worsening, and so on. It's not easy for them at all.

Given his limited personal abilities, Hu Biao felt there wasn't much he could do about it.

Even though it was seven or eight kilometers away from the store, and delivering there would be quite a hassle, they still enabled the ordering function there.

Incidentally, although the price of the order remains the same, they will give you an extra braised egg or a chicken foot or something.

The goal we are pursuing is simple: we hope that medical staff with poor appetites, especially patients and their families, can eat a little more so that they can have the energy to eat their fill.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he thought that even if he went to deliver food, it wouldn't take up much time, and it wouldn't delay the transfer of money to the three platforms.

Hu Biao took off his chef's uniform and put on a vest with the 'Deyuelou' logo printed on it.

He said to Xiao Wen, "Have the kitchen prepare the meal immediately, I'll deliver it myself; oh, and add two braised eggs."

In the time that followed, Hu Biao rode an electric bike and merged into the traffic of the capital city, beginning a food delivery journey that could be described as unprecedented...

Thanks to his comprehensive physical fitness, which has been improved multiple times, Hu Biao's nerve reaction ability is already among the strongest in the ordinary people.

So he made the most of his little electric scooter.

He rode through the dense traffic with the agility of a fish, arriving at the East Campus entrance of Peking Union Medical College Hospital three to five minutes earlier than the fastest deliveryman in the store.

This wasn't Hu Biao's first time delivering meals to a hospital, so he naturally knew some of the rules of large hospitals: meals couldn't be delivered directly to the wards, but could only be placed in the pick-up area, and customers would be notified by text message or phone call to come down and pick them up themselves.

But today's situation is a bit strange. He was just about to park his electric scooter in the parking area at the entrance.

A security guard in his thirties at the entrance yelled at him, but not at the word "parking is not allowed here," but at the following:
"Why are you taking so long? Hurry up and ride your bike inside."

You know how to get to the pediatrics department, right? Go inside and turn left; it's the fifth floor of the second building.

Good heavens! Hu Biao has done many jobs over the years and has been scolded by security guards more than once, but this is the first time he has been scolded for delivering food too slowly.

It's certainly a good thing that you don't have to walk to the food pick-up area.

He immediately turned on the throttle and rode his electric scooter through the gate; at that moment, he couldn't help but think to himself, "This security guard is actually a pretty nice guy."

As soon as he entered, a food delivery guy who seemed hungry saw him and tried to ride in after him.

He was stopped by the security guard, who rudely shouted, "Hey! Where are you going? You don't know you can't ride a bike in the hospital, right? Don't mind him, he's in a special situation."

"What special circumstances? Judging from the looks of it, this pork stew with vermicelli, even if it wasn't ordered by the dean, was at least ordered by the vice dean."

Upon hearing such a commotion, Hu Biao instinctively thought of this.

However, Hu Biao quickly dismissed this idea.

As he carried the bag of food to the fifth floor, a nurse waiting at the elevator entrance caught his eye when she saw his vest.

Then, in a tone full of disdain, he said, "Why are you so late? Hurry up and go inside, turn left and go to room 507, the third room."

While responding with "Oh, oh," Hu Biao was somewhat taken aback by the scene.

My initial assessment changed from that the person who ordered the food was the hospital director and vice director to a department head; unfortunately, this assessment was still incorrect.

When Hu Biao reached the door of Room 507, he was stopped by three police officers: two men and one woman.

"Why are you taking so long? You're so dawdling." As she complained, the female officer snatched the food from his hand and quickly went into the room.

Good heavens! All of the above has completely rendered Hu Biao speechless.

This sparked his intense curiosity, and instead of leaving immediately after delivering the food, he craned his neck and peered into the room.

After seeing the situation clearly, my heart inexplicably began to clench...

******
In the ward, on a bed near the door, lay a little boy who looked about eight or nine years old. His face was bloodless, and his whole body looked deathly pale.

She was so thin she looked like a little chick, and it seemed like she could barely move while lying in bed.

Especially near the left ear, a large tumor can be clearly seen, with the blood vessels and veins on it clearly visible.

And sitting beside the bed was a peculiar man.

What made him stand out was that he was wearing a prison uniform with "XXX Detention Center" written on it, and even had heavy shackles on his legs.

Before Hu Biao could figure out what was going on, a girl's voice rang out beside him. The voice belonged to a pretty girl in a nurse's uniform, the same girl who had given him directions at the elevator entrance:
"Mr. Hu, I'm so sorry! Actually, you delivered it quite quickly; we were just a little impatient."

"The child was diagnosed with leukemia when he was three years old. His family sought medical treatment everywhere, spending money like water. Even selling the house wasn't enough..." "In order to raise money, the child's father was so desperate that he stole several transformers from rural areas and sold them for 4 yuan."

Thanks to this life-saving money, the child was cured, but the father was sent to jail; even with a lighter sentence, he still has to serve four years..."

"A few days ago, the disciplinary officer saw the father crying and asked him what happened. He found out that the child's illness had relapsed and he had been given a critical condition notice. He needed to have surgery immediately, but there are still two difficulties."

First, the surgery and subsequent treatment costs are exorbitant, totaling nearly a million dollars.

Secondly, because the condition was so severe, the success rate was extremely low. Even if our hospital's best experts performed the surgery, the success rate would not exceed 20%, and there was a very high probability that the patient would not survive the operation.

Regardless of whether surgery is needed or not, the child wants to see his father at this moment…

"Originally, the child's father had only been in prison for a little over a year, and his sentence was not even halfway through, so he was not allowed to visit his family outside of prison; however, those officers were quite nice, and after discussing it in a meeting, they made a special exception for him."

The police officers raised a total of 29,000 yuan, and other inmates also raised more than 10,000 yuan.

The hospital has also reduced a large portion of the fees, but there's still a shortfall of 500,000..."

"That pork stew with vermicelli was ordered by the child for his father. He was not worried about his own health, but was always worried that his father was not eating well in prison."

He wanted to take this opportunity to treat his father to something nice; braised pork with vermicelli was his father's favorite dish, as he remembered it.
In addition, he also saved five hundred yuan for his father, which were pocket money given to him by kind people. He wanted his father to keep it to buy things to eat...

By the time she finished speaking, the nurse was already crying.

These medical staff are used to all kinds of tragic separations and deaths, so their psychological threshold is indeed higher than that of ordinary people.

But they are, after all, just ordinary people, with normal human kindness and emotions.

More importantly, at this moment, with the child's expectant eyes watching, the father had already started eating the takeout he had specially ordered.

As Dad ate heartily, his head was down, so no one could see the expression on his face; but they could see his large tears falling into the fragrant pork stew with vermicelli.

This scene moved everyone present, including Hu Biao.

After letting out a silent sigh, the loser mentally complained, or rather, had already made a decision:
It turns out that the mysterious place really didn't intend for them to get rich from the spoils of their time travel; even if they temporarily obtained a sum of money, they would do everything in their power to make them squander it later.

Otherwise? Could Hu Biao really be so heartless as to watch such a tragedy happen?
Some might say that even if Hu Biao didn't come up with the 50 yuan, the child's surgery costs could still be covered by the help of society.

Hu Biao knew that if he contributed 50 yuan, the procedure and outcome of the surgery might be much better; because of that mysterious place, things might be kept a little secret.

Besides, even without that 50, Hu Biao's life wouldn't be unbearable.

In just a few months, his situation has undergone a dramatic transformation.

He used to work one day and then play for at least three days.

Today, there is a million-dollar shop in Majuqiao, with a thriving flagship store, a branch store, and two new branches that are expected to be successful once they open.

So it's just a matter of paying back the money to those three platforms a month later and getting off the blacklist; compared to this family, I'm already much luckier.

Having convinced himself of these reasons, Hu Biao pulled the nurse aside.

He first asked in a low voice, "Hello, do you know me?"

This girl's emotions changed quickly; even with her eyes reddening, she answered enthusiastically the next second, "Of course! Boss Hu can call me Xiaoyue."

Just because your food is delicious, and because you always give me those braised eggs and chicken feet as a free gift with every order, I've already joined the Deyuelou foodie group.

So the moment you walked in, I recognized you immediately.

Everyone in the group keeps saying that no one is as handsome as Boss Hu, and no one cooks as well. There may be some people who cook well, but no one is as handsome as Boss Hu.

He's like the handsome leading men of the catering industry, the likes of Yanzu, Hu Ge, and Yi Bo.

"Oh dear! You're all too kind. I, Hu Biao, am not as good as you all say. I'm just a little handsome."

"Xiaoyue, right? Remember to include your name next time you order, and I'll have someone send you an extra braised chicken leg."

Hu Biao is actually the same kind of dog-faced guy; his expression can change in an instant.

Overjoyed by the praise, he grinned so wide that his back teeth were almost showing.

Fortunately, he quickly remembered his business, adjusted his expression, and solemnly said to Nurse Xiaoyue, "I plan to pay 50 yuan into that child's account for medical expenses so that he can have surgery immediately."

I hope you can inform me of the surgery results as soon as possible.

The most crucial thing is that this matter must be kept secret from me. Just tell everyone it's someone who wishes to remain anonymous.

That's right! Hu Biao plans to donate quietly.

Rather than saying he did good deeds anonymously, it's more accurate to say that he hadn't lost the last vestiges of reason in his heart.

His years of experience navigating society have taught him to believe in the goodness of human nature, while also recognizing the evil within it.

In order to avoid all sorts of trouble that might follow and make it impossible for me to continue living, it is very important to donate this 50 anonymously.

After hearing this, Xiaoyue stared at Hu Biao for a long while with wide eyes.

He then said, "Boss Hu, if I didn't know my place and that I'm no match for the boss's wife, I would have definitely poached you from her. You're handsome, skilled, and kind."

Even so, I will remain a die-hard fan of your Deyuelou from now on.

Come on! I'll take you to see the attending physician first, and then I'll take you to pay the fees..."

Half an hour later, Hu Biao, who had delivered a meal that cost 50 yuan, squatted on the curb in front of the hospital, scratching his scalp incessantly.

It's not because this person hasn't washed their hair in a long time that their scalp is itchy.

As a qualified chef, he naturally knows the importance of personal hygiene; he takes a shower every day and washes his hair at most every two days.

The main problem is that after the initial impulse dissipated, he is now having quite a headache.

First of all, he can confirm one thing: even now, he has no regrets about donating that windfall of 50 yuan.
The key issue is that Annie has been very concerned about paying off her debts and getting off the list of defaulters as soon as possible, and she even went out of her way to find a lawyer to talk to her.

Then this situation arose, and how was he supposed to explain it to Annie?
I imagine they'll be quite disappointed when they find out.

However, it would be even more wrong to keep this a secret, so Hu Biao gritted his teeth and called Annie to explain the situation.

Finally, he said, "Baby! I'm sorry."

"Why don't you give me the lawyer's phone number? I'll talk to him and see if I can get 500,000 yuan by this time next month at the latest, enough to settle these accounts."

But after saying this, Hu Biao, who was prepared to be scolded and not to retaliate, received this response instead:
"I've said it before, you don't need to apologize to me unless you go out and mess around; of course! If that really happens, it won't do me any good to apologize to me."

It's okay to donate now, it's not a big deal.

There's no need to discuss the matter with the lawyer. I'll use my share of 500,000 to pay you back first. Remember to pay me back by this time next month.

After saying that, Annie hung up the phone without showing any displeasure.

On the one hand, the windfall of 50 yuan was not a big deal for her; if it was gone, it was gone. As for asking Hu Biao to pay her back next month, it was just to protect that little man's pride.

Besides, Hu Biao knows how to remain anonymous, which prevents a series of subsequent troubles.

On another, and more importantly, she believed that since Hu Biao was so kind to a complete stranger, how could he possibly mistreat her in the future?

Using 50 yuan to see my husband for who he really is is such a great deal...

(End of this chapter)