A week's time, and Jiang Nanfang had largely organized the major tasks in the town.
Unexpectedly, a minor hitch occurred at this point.
They were short a thousand meters of raw materials, so she had to accompany Engineer Tian, the senior driver, to the county town for procurement.
The two of them wandered around the county town for over an hour, and it was already four in the afternoon when they started their return journey.
The sky was a hazy gray, looking as if it were about to unleash a torrential downpour.
The shop owner, recognizing from their appearances that they weren't locals, kindly offered a warning to Jiang Nanfang.
"You two are from the city, aren't you? Not too familiar with our mountains. The roads up the mountain are all dirt. Once it rains, they become soft and prone to collapse, with a pit in every step. Unless the sun beats down for two or three days, it's basically impossible for vehicles to pass."
"Leave now while it's not raining, otherwise, once it really starts, it'll be at least two or three days before you can get into the village."
Jiang Nanfang certainly couldn't stay in the county town for a few days with just Engineer Tian, so she resolutely urged him to leave.
As soon as they left the county town, fat raindrops began to fall with a pattering sound.
The heavier the rain, the darker the sky became, and visibility dropped significantly. Engineer Tian dared not drive too fast, and the two of them swayed precariously in the rain.
"Do you think we'll make it back today? What if the road gets slippery later? We have no signal out there, and if something really happens, we can't even make an emergency call."
"But Engineer Jiang, don't be afraid. I'm here for you. No matter what happens, I'll protect you."
Seeing that he was so nonchalant that he could still consider these things, Jiang Nanfang grew anxious and ordered him to stop the car.
"Get out, you're driving too slowly. Let me take over."
"Huh? You can drive?"
At a time like this, Jiang Nanfang had no patience for his chatter.
She got out, they swapped seats, she engaged the gear, stepped on the accelerator, and the car shot off like lightning.
Engineer Tian watched her every move, executed with flawless fluidity, and was both astonished and impressed: "Wow, Engineer Jiang, I didn't realize you not only could drive but were so good at it."
"You, so capable, knowing everything, and also so beautiful. Which man in the future will be worthy of you?"
Having been bombarded daily with the uninspired 'sweet talk' of male engineers for a week since arriving here, Jiang Nanfang had become immune: "I just don't value my life as much as you do. If you were as reckless as me, you'd drive well too."
"..."
"Hold on tight. The road is bad; I don't want you flying out."
Against the pelting rain, they quickly sped from the county town to the town, and then from the town onto the muddy mountain road.
The car swayed left and right, but she maintained control with all her might, accelerating when she could and slowing down when necessary. Despite the rough ride, she managed the situation systematically.
It wasn't until they were two-thirds of the way that the car became stuck in a very soft mud pit.
Engineer Tian got out to push, while Jiang Nanfang applied gas from inside the car. After struggling for a long time, the car still wouldn't budge.
With no other option, they both had to get out and find stones and branches by the roadside to fill the pit.
It was completely dark now, and they were far from the signal tower, their phones having no signal. They fumbled around in the darkness, quickly becoming drenched like drowned rats.
Fortunately, the outcome was positive, and the car eventually managed to extricate itself from the mud pit.
By the time they returned home, it was already past six in the evening.
They were covered in mud and water, cold and exhausted. Although they changed their clothes in a timely manner, Jiang Nanfang still developed a fever that night.
She didn't recover after such a ordeal, and as it happened, the village chief came out to feed the pigs. Everyone stopped him and asked, "Do you have a village doctor in your village? Engineer Jiang has a bad cold, and the medicine we brought can't cure it."
"If this rain never stops and continues like this, what are we going to do?"
The village chief went in to check on Jiang Nanfang and asked about her symptoms. His expression darkened: "This is troublesome. Miss Jiang appears to have contracted malaria."
"This is much more serious than diarrhea. If it's not handled well, it could be fatal."
"You should all distance yourselves from her and not stay together. This thing is contagious."
There was no alternative; given the limited conditions and the bad weather, they couldn't all perish together.
After giving Jiang Nanfang her medicine, everyone had to go to Old Li's house further ahead.
After taking her medicine, Jiang Nanfang lay down alone in the village chief's house, groggily clutching her stomach.
It was of no use; she felt like she was about to die from discomfort.
At the Zhan family's residence, in the evening, three generations of the family dined together.
Worried that the changing weather might cause trouble for Mommy, Zhan Jingge feigned casualness and brought up a topic.
"Daddy, do you know the name of China's largest desert?"
Why suddenly ask about deserts out of the blue?
Zhan Beijue glanced at her and deliberately said, "I don't know. Do you?"
He actually already had an answer in mind, but he deliberately asked himself that question, just to see if she was plotting something.
Zhan Jingge saw through his thought process clearly.
"I do! The teacher told us yesterday about China's largest basin, largest desert, and highest peak. My brother and I are going to draw later. Daddy, have you ever seen what a desert looks like? How do you draw a desert?"
So that was it.
He had seen people draw lakes and mountains, but very few people draw deserts.
Zhan Beijue had never carefully considered this question. After a moment of thought, he replied, "I'll find some pictures for you later. If you really want to draw it, you can do so by following the pictures."
"The pictures aren't clear. It would be wonderful if Daddy could take me to see it in person someday. I want to know if deserts are really made up of very, very small grains of sand."
Her words made Zhan Beijue subconsciously think of Jiang Nanfang again.
"When you and your brother are on vacation, if there's an opportunity, Daddy will take you to see it."
Seeing that her objective was achieved, Zhan Jingge nodded with satisfaction and stopped talking: "Thank you, Daddy. You have to keep your promise, so my brother and I will wait."
After the meal, the two children returned to their room first, while Zhan Beijue stayed behind to talk with his mother.
Ever since the failed blind date last time, Zhan Beijue had used various excuses to avoid meeting his mother for several days. This was their first face-to-face meeting in a long time, so he was bound to be chided by her.
"Tell me, what exactly are you thinking?" His mother cut straight to the chase.