A chilling cold permeated the air.
The hospital was small, and without needing to ask for directions, one could quickly find the consultation rooms by following the signs.
Hu Jiasheng went in and sat down. The doctor soon reached a conclusion: "Eczema."
"Why did I get eczema?"
The doctor explained: it could be caused by low immunity, or by contact with irritants or allergens. Stress and a bad mood could also trigger it.
"Also, your living environment must be kept dry and hygienic, with plenty of ventilation. Air out your bedding frequently and disinfect the area. It's not serious, I'll prescribe some medication, and you'll be fine in a couple of days."
Hu Jiasheng thanked the doctor. Looking at the rain that showed no sign of stopping, he took out his phone again to call for a ride.
This time, he wasn't as lucky as before. He had been waiting at the same spot for over half an hour, but no driver accepted his request.
Upon opening his news app, he saw that the rainfall intensity had reached over 30 milliliters per minute. Many vehicles in the city were submerged, and public transportation had travel restrictions.
It seemed unlikely he would be able to get a taxi today.
If he had been elsewhere, Hu Jiasheng might have just waited.
However, he was at the hospital, and such a gloomy-looking one at that, he really didn't want to stay any longer.
Fortunately, his place wasn't too far away, so he decided to walk back.
There was a shop at the hospital entrance, making it easy to buy an umbrella. Soaked to the bone, he bought one. It offered a meager shield, but it was better than nothing. With his phone navigation on, he waded through the water all the way home.
Upon arriving home, he first took a shower, changed his clothes, and then tidied up the house.
After a thorough cleaning, he took his medicine and forced himself to sleep.
He thought that when he woke up, the rain would have stopped, or at least subsided. To his surprise, not only did it not lessen, but the news reported that due to inadequate drainage facilities, some residential houses in the old town had been flooded.
The fire department was urgently dispatched to rescue people, urging citizens to be extra cautious and avoid unnecessary outings.
Hu Jiasheng didn't have a habit of cooking for himself or eating snacks, which meant he had nothing to eat when he was trapped at home.
He drank some water to stave off hunger, then idly browsed his phone for a while. Deciding to make productive use of his time, he took out his computer and continued working.
He worked until dark, when the rain finally began to subside slightly.
Having not eaten all day and needing to disinfect his home urgently, he knew he had to go out no matter what.
Knowing it would be difficult to get a taxi, he decided not to bother.
He changed into a pair of home shorts, grabbed his umbrella, and walked out.
There was a small supermarket not far outside his residential compound, but it only sold junk food.
He had to walk further.
After walking for nearly an hour, he spotted a reasonably sized supermarket. He went in, selected an air purifier and some spray for mite and bacteria removal, and bought some fresh fruits and vegetables. Carrying two large bags, he waded through the water again on his way back.
The round trip took him over two hours, leaving him utterly exhausted.
After another shower and change of clothes, and after tidying up his home, he began to prepare dinner.
Upon entering the kitchen, he discovered that the equipment was practically useless.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't paid, but the stove wouldn't ignite. His efforts to buy groceries were in vain.
Fortunately, having grown up abroad, his palate was more Western. Lettuce leaves with bread and some milk would keep him from starving.
He managed to get by with this for dinner, and so ended a dull day.
The next day he woke up, the rain had lessened slightly, and the city's water levels had dropped, but it was still impossible to work.
Moreover, Hu Jiasheng realized the medication prescribed by the doctor was not effective.
His body had been free of pain and itching yesterday, but today it had started to itch. He had to go to the hospital again.
He certainly wouldn't go back to the small hospital.
The doctors' qualifications and medical standards were too poor, otherwise he wouldn't have to make a second trip.
Before leaving, he searched for the Seventh People's Hospital, the closest one to his home, and tried to register online to avoid a long wait.
As a result, all three dermatology consultation slots, from eight o'clock to eleven in the morning, were fully booked.
Slots for the afternoon hadn't even been released yet.
He then searched for the Sixth and Fifth People's Hospitals.
Indeed, it was an era of universal ill health, with all consultation slots booked solid.
He didn't want to waste his time.
If he couldn't get an appointment this afternoon, his entire day would be wasted.
Fine, he would go back to yesterday's hospital.
Getting a taxi was much faster today. The driver quickly took him to the hospital entrance, charging him 17 yuan.
From the same pick-up location, for the same journey, the price was double that of yesterday.
It was then that Hu Jiasheng realized that this platform was not entirely fair and transparent.
It wasn't that he lacked legal awareness or didn't know how to protect his rights; he was simply too lazy to argue over such trivial matters.
He got out of the car, pretending to know nothing.
Upon reaching the consultation room, the doctor took one look and said:
"Are you taking any other medication? Yesterday it was clearly eczema, and today you have added allergic symptoms. Or have you eaten something wrong?"
Hu Jiasheng was taking antidepressant medication. He didn't know if its ingredients might interact with the doctor's prescription, but he didn't want to tell the truth.
So he said he was indeed having an allergic reaction.
"You need an IV drip. You have it all over your body, and the condition is quite serious. You'll need to be on an IV for at least three days. I'll write you a prescription, pay at the counter, and collect your medication from the pharmacy."
The doctor wrote the prescription. Hu Jiasheng took it and looked at it. The price wasn't expensive.
Two bags of glucose, one bag of Vitamin C, and one bag of anti-allergy medication, totaling 38 yuan.
It was just the environment… well, so be it.
He went to pay. Standing at the pharmacy window, he watched the staff member with a stern face pick up a small red plastic basin and unceremoniously fill it with several vials of injection.
Then, she began to call out: "Hu Jiasheng."
Hu Jiasheng raised his hand slightly.
She looked down, "Hu Jiasheng!"
"Here."
"Your medicine!"
She handed him the plastic basin through the small opening in the window.
Hu Jiasheng gripped the edge of the plastic basin, looking utterly bewildered.
So, what was he supposed to do with these things now? Go back to the doctor?
Seeing that he wasn't leaving, the woman, wearing a mask and glasses, looked up at him.
Noticing he was a young, handsome guy, her attitude improved slightly, but she still spoke vaguely.
"Go find a nurse to give you the IV!"
"Excuse me, where can I find a nurse?"
"There are nurses' stations on the first and second floors. Next!"
Two elderly people, trembling slightly, were already queuing behind him.
Hu Jiasheng felt he couldn't delay any longer and stepped aside.
The hospital wasn't that big, so he figured he could find it by walking a bit more.
Turning past the outpatient consultation rooms, he found himself facing a corridor.
As he walked past, a pungent smell of urine hit him.
Looking up, he saw that it was indeed a restroom.
The washbasin outside the restroom was built along an entire wall, with seven or eight faucets installed side by side.
All the faucets were rusty, and some were not completely turned off, dripping water.
The basin was yellow and black, with a thick layer of grime accumulated in the corners and edges.
The sight alone made him feel physically uncomfortable.
Hu Jiasheng quickly averted his gaze and looked to the left.
In the corridor to the left, a row of blue benches was placed against the wall, with a dense line of elderly men and women sitting on them.
Everyone had an IV drip in their hand.
It turned out they were all receiving IV infusions collectively here.