Chapter 573: Sponge Bath
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
As she reached out her hands and touched Zhai Sheng’s face, she discovered that Zhai Sheng’s face felt very hot. It was not just the face. His hands, especially the wound and its surrounding areas, also felt extremely hot.
Qiao Nan took in a breath of cold air and quickly drew open the curtains slightly. She looked beside Zhai Sheng’s bed and saw a cup of water and a pill. Obviously, these were meant for Zhai Sheng’s consumption but had not been done so as Zhai Sheng had been unconscious and sleeping.
The thing that Qiao Nan felt most heart-wrenching about was that Zhai Sheng was perspiring so much that his hair was drenched. Strands of his shiny and straight hair were visibly obvious. There was a layer of sweat on his tanned skin, reflecting a different sheen of light. His brows, which were as sharp as a sword, were knitted gently. The once good-looking thin lips had a layer of white skin on it. There were also lines of crack on it.
Qiao Nan was so frightened that she kept trembling. Shi Qing told her that Brother Zhai’s injury was not serious. How was it not so? It was clearly very serious!
Brother Zhai was so seriously injured and he did not have anyone by his side to take care of him. What did the army mean by this? What was happening? Could it be that even the political commissar did not bother about this matter?!
Qiao Nan, whose face immediately turned crimson due to anger, took a cotton bud and soaked it in water. She then tirelessly used it to wipe Zhai Sheng’s cracked lips softly again and again. She stopped only when the water had completely moistened Zhai Sheng’s lips, and the previous layer of white skin had disappeared.
When she saw Zhai Sheng unknowingly open his mouth and extend his tongue, she knew that he was obviously feeling thirsty. Qiao Nan dared not feed him water immediately. She took the anti-inflammatory medicine pill on the stool beside his bed, removed the shell, dissolved the medicine power into the cup of water, and stirred the mixture.
“Brother Zhai, I know you’re thirsty. Let’s take the medicine first. I’ll then feed you water.” Although she clearly knew that Zhai Sheng would not be able to hear her, Qiao Nan stubbornly spoke to him by his ears. She then took the spoon and fed the anti-inflammatory solution into Zhai Sheng’s mouth in little mouthfuls.
The anti-inflammatory medicine tasted very bitter, especially if taken in this manner.
However, Qiao Nan did not have any other alternative. If she did not make Zhai Sheng take his medicine in this way, given Zhai Sheng’s current condition, he could not swallow the pill at all.
Hence, Qiao Nan deliberately did not satisfy Zhai Sheng’s thirst. This was the only way for Zhai Sheng to accept the extremely bitter medicine without any hesitation.
Gradually, after Qiao Nan finished feeding half a cup of water to Zhai Sheng, she then took another half a cup of water and patiently fed Zhai Sheng spoon by spoon again.
“Comrade, can I seek your help to bring in a basin of water?” After resolving Zhai Sheng’s physical needs, Qiao Nan requested the soldier outside for water.
The soldier hesitated for a while. “Teacher Xiao Qiao, please lock the door properly after I leave. Unless I come back, please don’t open the door to anyone, especially women.” He had been on duty for half a day and could not even remember the number of women who had come to visit Regiment Commander Zhai.
From female doctors to young nurses working by the female doctor’s side, and even those female military performer soldiers came to join the ‘fun’. He had been so tied up.
“Okay, rest assured. Unless you’re back, I’ll definitely not open the door for anyone.” Qiao Nan did not know whether to laugh or cry. So this was the reason why there was someone on duty at the door of Brother Zhai’s room.
After receiving Qiao Nan’s assurance, the soldier closed the door before he went to get water for Qiao Nan.
Fortunately, when Qiao Nan was looking after Zhai Sheng, it was quite quiet outside the door. No one else came to knock on it. Even Qiu Chenxi, who was dragged away by Shi Qing earlier, did not appear.
“Thank you.” Seeing the soldier carrying a big basin of water, Qiao Nan gave him a smile full of gratitude.
“Don’t mention it. Teacher Xiao Qiao taught us so much English. We should be the one thanking you. Teacher Xiao Qiao, what else do you need? Just let me know.” The soldier was honest. “This basin of water is quite heavy. Shall I help you bring it to the room?”
“That’s good too.” Qiao Nan nodded and gave way to him.
After the soldier entered the room, he looked around suspiciously. He found Zhai Sheng lying well on his bed with no signs of discomfort. The cup on the table was now empty, and so was the medicine container. “Teacher Xiao Qiao, did Regiment Commander Zhai take the medicine himself or did you feed him?”
At the time when he assumed his duty, Regiment Commander Zhai had not taken his medicine.
“I dissolved the medicine powder into water and fed him with a spoon. Regiment Commander Zhai is a little feverish. I think the wound is inflamed.”
“Really? Should we get the army doctor?” The soldier was a little nervous. He did not know about this situation at all.
The supervisors gave orders and specified that he only had to guard the door abidingly and not let anyone except Teacher Xiao Qiao enter the dormitory of Regiment Commander Zhai. He did not need to do anything else. However, he did not know that Regiment Commander Zhai’s condition was not as light as he thought to be.
Qiao Nan’s face was filled with awkwardness. “I’m not sure as well. Why don’t you go and get a doctor for Brother…, I mean, Regiment Commander Zhai to take a look at him? I’ll guard the place. Or, you guard while I’ll go and get the doctor?” Besides feeding Zhai Sheng medicine, she did not know how to do anything else too.
“Why don’t we do this? Teacher Xiao Qiao, you look after Regiment Commander Zhai and I’ll check with the political commissar?” The soldier looked at Zhai Sheng’s condition and picked a solution in the middle.
Although Zhai Sheng was a little feverish, on the surface, the soldier also could not tell if there were major concerns.
“That’s fine too.” Qiao Nan was extremely anxious. The soldier appeared at the right time as she could have someone to discuss this with. “Then, quickly go. Don’t delay. I’ll be looking after Regiment Commander Zhai here. There certainly won’t be a problem.”
“Fine. Teacher Xiao Qiao, wait here. I’ll be back soon!” Without a word, the soldier ran to the office of the political commissar and told the political commissar everything.
After the political commissar heard of it, he put down the pen in his hand calmly. “Do you still remember my previous order?”
“Yes, I do. I just need to guard the door of Regiment Commander Zhai’s room and not let anyone else, besides Teacher Xiao Qiao, enter.”
“That’s right. I don’t have any new instructions. You can go back.”
The soldier stared straight at the political commissar, totally confused.
“What’s wrong? You don’t understand? Should I repeat myself?”
“Reporting, Political Commissar, I understand.” The soldier saluted and returned to the place of duty with his head full of sweat. “Teacher Xiao Qiao, the political commissar said… said that Regiment Commander Zhai’s condition is not serious. It’ll be fine if we just let him rest. We need not get the army doctor.”
“Are you certain?” Qiao Nan’s sullen voice could be heard.
“Yes, I am!”
“Sigh…” Qiao Nan gave a sigh again. Why did she have the feeling that the situation this time was so odd and ridiculous?
Previously, as she was not sure if anyone would be coming, Qiao Nan had to hold back her original plan. Now that she knew that it was impossible for anyone to come, Qiao Nan simply took the towel in Zhai Sheng’s room, soaked it in water, and wrung it dry. She then wiped Zhai Sheng’s face and hands.