The secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Huang Jiyang, completed his duties in Xijiang Province after the Lantern Festival and moved to a resource-rich province with a strong comprehensive strength in all aspects. The vacated position did not have to wait for long. The governor, Zhang Bingtong, became the secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and the governor's position was directly taken by Zhao Kunsheng, the second-in-command of a central ministry, to begin his political journey.
A new team, a new beginning. However, with the spread of the SARS epidemic throughout the country, the burden on the shoulders of the two provincial leaders was not easy.
The SARS epidemic broke out in Guangdong and Hong Kong. From the initial four or five cases, it suddenly rose to more than three hundred cases. Xijiang Province, which was far away, did not seem to be aware of the approaching danger. It was still immersed in the aftertaste of the New Year with the footsteps of spring.
At this time, the atmosphere over the Mesopotamian plain in the Middle East was extremely tense. The United States stared at Iraq covetously and issued an ultimatum. The warships of the allied forces had already approached the Gulf of Aden, and the war was about to break out.
SARS. Everyone was familiar with it. It was a severe acute respiratory syndrome of atypical pneumonia, or SARS for short. The clinical symptoms were coughing, chest tightness, fever, and shortness of breath, which were symptoms of coronavirus. Like other viral infections, people's initial understanding of SARS was only a common cold and fever. They did not know that this was a global, invisible war.
In the sixth century, the first global outbreak of the plague killed nearly ten thousand people every day for fifty to sixty years. At the end of the eighteenth century, tuberculosis became prevalent, and the cumulative death toll exceeded two hundred million. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, influenza broke out in Spain, killing more than forty million people worldwide.
Every outbreak of disease had an unusually complicated cause. However, after a thorough investigation, they all came to the conclusion that it was animals. In other words, it was animals that infected humans. This time, SARS traced the source to the civet civet. Whether it was true or not, no one knew.
Fan Chunfang was about to give birth, and Fan Rongkui was so busy every day that he did not even have time to go home. Lu Yiwei had originally planned to accompany Fan Chunfang to wait for his son's arrival, but the current situation did not allow it. He could only take the time to go home and take a look before returning to work.
Due to the outbreak of SARS, the Jinse Company's investment in the silkworm factory was put on hold indefinitely. The remote mountainous area of Heishan County did not seem to be affected by the epidemic. People lived a peaceful life, working at sunrise and resting at sunset.
Lu Yiwei was not in charge of the sanitation work, but the provincial leaders had just been reshuffled. Even if he had nothing to do, he had to stay at his post obediently. There is a saying that a new official takes on a new role. Zhang Bingtong, the secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, had not yet started his first role, but he had already thrown himself into the battle against SARS.
Everything was so peaceful until a suspected case of SARS appeared in Pingkang City, which suddenly caused an uproar in the entire province. The new governor, Zhao Kunsheng, personally went to Pingkang City to take command. He requested the leaders of the city to actively prevent and control the epidemic. They must overcome the difficulties and fight the epidemic well.
However, in the face of this new virus, everyone was helpless and did not know what to do. The higher health authorities did not issue any guidance, nor did they come up with relevant measures and methods. Therefore, following the example of Guangdong and Hong Kong, they first isolated the suspected patient. A large number of medical workers stood in front of the patient at a loss. No one knew how to treat it.
Two days later, the suspected patient succumbed to his death, which made people nervous again. What was even more terrifying was that everyone who came into contact with the suspected patient had different degrees of fever and coughing, which caused panic.
Pingkang City's deputy mayor, Zhang Zhiyuan, even personally met the patient and shook hands with him to encourage him. He did not show any similar symptoms and was still isolated.
After learning the news, Lu Yiwei was on tenterhooks. He immediately called Zhang Zhiyuan to ask about the situation.
Zhang Zhiyuan comforted him on the other end of the phone, "Shaking hands won't be contagious. Don't worry, I'm fine. However, although you are in Heishan County, you must not let your guard down. You must always be on guard. "
After ending the call with Zhang Zhiyuan, Lu Yiwei could no longer sit still. He got up and walked to Yan Bugao's office to give advice. "Secretary Yan, there has been a case in Xijiang and a person has died. We can't just sit and wait for death. We should deploy as soon as possible and get involved in this work."
Yan Bugao's office had many precious flowers and trees, especially the Yew tree. It was said that it was cut from a 10,000-year-old Yew tree in Sichuan. It was extremely precious. Yan Bugao treated it like his own son and took good care of it all day long. Even when he was on a business trip, he specially told the traffic staff to water it. However, after nearly a year, half of the Yew tree's leaves had turned brown. It was unknown whether it could not adapt to the environment or there was a problem with the planting.
Yan Bugao was sulking because of the Yew tree, and Lu Yiwei had to disturb him at this time. He said angrily, "Yiwei, why are you so anxious? It's only one person died. What's the fuss about? The knowledge about SARS is broadcast on TV every day. It is said that it is spread from person to person. As long as you don't come into contact with the patient, you can be infected. Could it be that the air from Ping Kang City has drifted to Black Mountain County? That's impossible. We are not at a disadvantage. "
"Secretary Yan, I heard from my father-in-law that this SARS is unusual. We should really prepare for it." Lu Yiwei tried to persuade Yan Bugao.
Yan Bugao put down the water bottle and turned to look at Lu Yiwei. "Yiwei, I know you are doing this for our County's sake. But the higher-ups have not given us the relevant documents. What do you want me to do? Put the whole city under martial law? This will definitely cause more panic. Let's wait and see what the higher-ups have to say. "
"But …"
"That's enough. I know what to do." Yan Bugao raised his hand and stopped him. "Oh, is your wife going to give birth soon?"
"Yes."
"That's good news." Yan Bugao said. "How about this? I will give you a few days off. Go back and accompany your wife. You don't have to worry about the County's affairs."
Lu Yiwei did not expect Yan Bugao to do this. He shook his head helplessly and walked out of the office.
Back in the office, Lu Yiwei called Huai Sheng High School's principal, Zhou Dake, to ask about the school's situation.
"Don't worry, Secretary Lu. Ever since the outbreak in the South, I have been extra careful, especially the cafeteria. I have to disinfect it almost every day. In the past, we used to use public utensils, but now we let the students bring their own utensils."
Hearing that Zhou Dake had already started to prepare, Lu Yiwei was relieved. It was easy to get sick in crowded places. He reminded, "Once you notice someone with a fever and cough, immediately report to me and take measures."
"Okay, I got it."
After the call, Lu Yiwei sat at his desk with nothing to do. Just as he was about to call Fan Chunfang, his mother-in-law, Sun Chunyun, called.
"Yiwei, come back quickly. Fangfang has a fever and is coughing. No matter how I look at it, she looks like a SARS patient."
"Ah?" Lu Yiwei's heart was in his throat. As he went downstairs, he said, "Mom, don't worry. I'll be back soon."
Back at his home in Jiangdong, Lu Yiwei almost ran up the stairs. Panting, he entered the door and went straight to the bedroom.
Seeing that Lu Yiwei was back, Fan Chunfang struggled to turn over. She covered her mouth and signaled Lu Yiwei to step back. "Yiwei, don't come over … cough, cough, cough …"
Seeing Fan Chunfang like that, Lu Yiwei staggered and panicked, realizing that fear was coming. He turned around and asked Sun Chunyun, "Mom, did you take her temperature?"
"Yes, it's 39.4 degrees."
Lu Yiwei's hands began to tremble. He tried his best to stay calm and said, "Did you tell Dad?"
Sun Chunyun said anxiously, "That old thing, I called him countless times, but he didn't pick up. That's why I called you."
"We can't wait!" Lu Yiwei said decisively. "Send Chunfang to the hospital immediately."
"No!" Sun Chunyun stopped him. "Fangfang is about to give birth. If she goes to the hospital, she'll definitely be quarantined. I won't be at ease if something happens to her."
"Why are you still thinking about that at a time like this? Let's go!" As he said that, he ignored the risk of contagion and carried the heavy Fan Chunfang downstairs.
"Yiwei, let go of me. Be careful that you don't get contagious …" Fan Chunfang kept struggling, but Lu Yiwei's strong hands held her tightly like a pair of pliers. He rushed down the stairs without a care.
When they arrived at the nearest hospital, the doctors' expressions changed when they heard that a patient was coughing with a fever. The doctor in the emergency room said directly, "Our medical standards here are limited. Please go to the Provincial People's Hospital."
At this critical moment, Lu Yiwei wanted to argue with them, but Fan Chunfang's condition was more important, so he got into the car and took her to the Provincial People's Hospital.
The Provincial People's Hospital had entered a state of Level 1 alert. The previously busy scene suddenly became a lot more deserted. Previously, there were people coming and going at the main entrance without any obstruction. Now, the main entrance was closed and there were armed policemen standing guard. There were few doctors in white coats passing by in the courtyard. They were all fully armed and quickly left. In addition, they had specially opened a passage for patients with fever. Almost all the resources of the hospital were gathered to prepare for this battle.
When they heard that there was a patient with a fever, the doctors of the Provincial People's Hospital looked nervous. More than ten nurses wearing masks and protective clothing surrounded the patient. They first sprayed disinfectant and rushed her to the fever clinic.
After a series of examinations, what they worried about finally happened. Fan Chunfang was confirmed to be a suspected SARS patient. Sun Chunyun suddenly blacked out and fainted on the spot.
Lu Yiwei was also shocked. How could this be possible?
Before he could react, Fan Chunfang was pushed into the ICU. At the same time, Lu Yiwei and Sun Chunyun were also quarantined.
Sun Chunyun argued with the doctor, "What kind of lousy hospital is this? My daughter only has a cold and a fever. How can you diagnose it as SARS?"
The attending doctor patiently explained, "Please don't panic. This is just a preliminary diagnosis. There is no definite diagnosis. Tonight, a group of experts will rush over from the capital to give your daughter another consultation. If it's not SARS, just treat it as a common cold. Take some medicine and get some fluids. If it's SARS, we will determine a new medical treatment plan. "
Sun Chunyun was annoyed and slammed the table, "We still have to wait until tonight? What do you mean? Do you know that my daughter is about to give birth? If something happens to her, can you bear the responsibility? "
The doctor said, "It's because of the uniqueness of your daughter's condition that we have to give special treatment. Not only your daughter, but there are also more than ten patients waiting to be diagnosed. Please calm down. "
"Calm down what?" Sun Chunyun pointed at the doctor and said, "Let my daughter out now. We won't see her anymore."
"That won't do."
"What?" Sun Chunyun's eyes widened, "Do you know who I am? Get your director here. "
The doctor did not know Sun Chunyun and said, "Please calm down. No matter who you are, as long as you are a patient, we will treat you equally. I hope you will cooperate."
Lu Yiwei stopped Sun Chunyun from the side and said, "Mom, don't be angry. Let's listen to the doctor."
Sun Chunyun suddenly squatted on the ground and burst into tears, saying, "What sin have I committed …"
At that moment, there was a flurry of footsteps in the corridor. Soon, Fan Rongkui came in with a solemn expression. When he saw Sun Chunyun and Lu Yiwei, he was stunned for a long time.
"You … Why are you here?"
When Sun Chunyun saw Fan Rongkui, she immediately stood up and pounced on him, beating him, saying, "You damn thing, you're not home all day long. You don't even pick up your phone. You don't even care when your daughter is sick. Are you still a member of this family?"
Fan Rongkui was confused and looked at Lu Yiwei.
Lu Yiwei went forward and explained.
Fan Rongkui's blood pressure rose. If it was not for the staff next to him supporting him, he would have fallen to the ground like Sun Chunyun. Just now, Fan Rongkui had just finished his report in the governor's office and received a call from the provincial hospital, saying that there was a new case. As the Executive Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health, he was in charge of this work. How could he just stand by and watch? He did not have time to go back to the office and rushed to the hospital. What he did not expect was that the new case was actually his daughter.
Everyone at the scene knew the cause of the matter and kept quiet.
Fan Rongkui was still awe-inspiring just now, holding a meeting with his entourage to convey Governor Zhao's instructions, but in the blink of an eye, he was physically and mentally haggard. He turned around and held the hospital director's hand, saying, "Old Li, you have to help my daughter get through this no matter what."
Director Li said with a solemn expression, "Director Fan, please don't worry. The experts will be here soon. Tonight, I will personally organize an overnight consultation with the experts and come up with a solution as soon as possible."
Fan Rongkui also began to lose his rationality, saying, "You just said that the experts will only arrive at night. We can't wait, we must arrive before afternoon."
"This …" Director Li was in a difficult position.
Fan Rongkui said to the staff next to him, "Call the Ministry of Health immediately and tell them that the situation in Xijiang Province is critical. Ask them to send the experts here immediately."
"Okay." The staff quickly went out to make the call.
As the Deputy Director of the Xijiang Province Leading Group to Fight SARS, Fan Rongkui knew the horror of the epidemic like the back of his hand. He repeatedly urged the director to get treatment as soon as possible.
The director knew the uniqueness of the patient. He thought for a while and said, "Director Fan, how about this? I will immediately video call the relevant experts for a remote consultation."
"Okay, go immediately."
Lu Yiwei and Sun Chunyun were isolated. After a series of examinations, they were not seriously affected. But because they had contact with the patient, they needed to be observed for a period of time.
Lu Yiwei paced back and forth anxiously in the isolation room, eager to know about Fan Chunfang's situation.
He could not wait any longer. Lu Yiwei walked out of the isolation room and wanted to enter the ICU, but he was stopped by the medical staff.
"Comrade, you can't go in."
Lu Yiwei pushed the medical staff away and forced his way in. He said, "My wife needs someone to guard her now. I have to go in."
"Comrade, can you calm down?" The medical staff said, "The situation is not normal. What if you let her in and get infected? Aren't you afraid of death? "
The word "death" made Lu Yiwei tremble. He clenched his fists anxiously, but he could not help at all. He called a medical staff to the side and asked, "Doctor, let me ask you. If my wife is really diagnosed, will the child …"
"We can't rule out this possibility." The medical staff said bluntly, "Blood is the main channel of transmission of the disease. Think about it. The child is still relying on the mother's blood supply. If she has a problem, will the child be fine?"
Hearing this, Lu Yiwei was about to go crazy. If he lost his wife and child, what was the point of living? Everything he had worked hard today was for his family to have a good life in the future. But … things happened just like that. Why did the heavens always go against him? What did he do wrong?
Lu Yiwei leaned against the wall and looked at the medical staff coming in and out. A tragic cry came from a room in the distance. He felt like his heart was being squeezed by someone. He clenched his teeth so hard that they hurt. It was as if he could see the Grim Reaper floating in front of him.
He made a bold decision. While the medical staff ran to the next room, he pushed open the door and rushed in.
Fan Chunfang, who was lying in bed, gaped in surprise when she saw Lu Yiwei enter. She shouted with all her strength, "Yiwei, are you crazy? Get out! "
Lu Yiwei could not care less. He sat in front of the bed and held Fan Chunfang's hand tightly, "Chunfang, I can't leave you."
Instantly, time stopped. Fan Chunfang's tears gushed out like a broken dam. She caressed Lu Yiwei's cheek and said, "Yiwei, why are you so silly? This disease will kill you."
"Even if we die, we have to die together." Lu Yiwei had already made his decision, "If you and our child are gone, what meaning do I have in this world?"
"No!" Fan Chunfang suddenly pushed Lu Yiwei away and pointed at the door, "Leave quickly. I won't allow you to do this. You are too selfish. You still have your parents and daughter. Can you bear to abandon them? Cough, cough, cough … "
Lu Yiwei said in an abnormally calm manner, "Chunfang, I've said it before. I will protect you no matter where or when. Even if there are any mishaps in the future, I am willing to bear it with you."
It was said that a friend in need was a friend indeed. And Lu Yiwei's actions were enough to explain everything. Other than feeling touched, Fan Chunfang pounded on the bed and said, "Yiwei, I beg of you. Leave quickly …" With that said, she climbed onto the bed and wailed.
At this moment, the medical staff came in and was dumbfounded when they saw the scene. After being stunned for a few seconds, they quickly picked up the phone on the wall and reported, "Director Li, Director Fan's son-in-law has barged into the intensive care unit …"
After the call, the medical staff walked over and said, "Comrade, why did you do this? Leave, you still have to do another check-up. "
Lu Yiwei stood up and said, "Doctor, my wife needs me. Please allow me to accompany her more."
The medical staff was touched by this love as he shook his head helplessly and walked out.
The wait was painful. The specialist did not come even in the afternoon.
Fan Chunfang's condition worsened. Lu Yiwei paced around anxiously. Director Li came a few times but was helpless. He could only wait for the specialist.
"Yiwei, ask the doctor if it's too late to perform a C-section now. I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on much longer, "Fan Chunfang said weakly.
"Don't say silly things." Lu Yiwei consoled her, "You will definitely be fine."
"I really can't hold on any longer." It was unknown if Fan Chunfang was really feeling it or if she was frightened by the atmosphere of fear. She said, "I have to give birth to your son. That way, I won't have any regrets when I leave."
Lu Yiwei was devastated and could not find the right words to comfort her. He said, "Soon, the specialist will be here soon."
Fan Chunfang suddenly sat up from the bed and pulled out the IV tube. She got off the bed and said, "If you don't want to go, I'll go."
"Chunfang!" Lu Yiwei held her back, "Can you calm down?"
"Can I calm down?" Fan Chunfang flared up at Lu Yiwei for the first time. She said, "This is a matter of life and death. It's not a joke. I can control life and death. Why should I let my son suffer with me?" With that said, she walked out the door and said to the medical staff, "Doctor, please immediately arrange a C-section for me."
No matter how the medical staff persuaded her, Fan Chunfang did not listen. After Fan Rongkui learned of the situation outside, he persuaded through the door, "Fangfang, you have to calm down. The specialist will be here soon. Don't worry, you and the child will be fine."
The most terrifying thing about a person is undoubtedly knowing their own life and death. Fan Chunfang had no choice, and she could not implicate the innocent child in her belly. After a stalemate, Fan Rongkui finally compromised and agreed to the operation.
Just as Fan Chunfang was pushed into the operating table, the specialist arrived in time. Without any time to rest, they immediately organized a comprehensive consultation on Fan Chunfang. After a tense consultation that lasted for three to four hours, the conclusion made everyone heave a sigh of relief. It was just a common cold and fever. The cells in the body did not have any pathological changes.
Knowing that Fan Chunfang was fine, Lu Yiwei was overjoyed. He sat on the bed and gasped for breath. The muscles in his body relaxed and he felt weak all over. He suddenly jumped to the ground and could not sit up for a long time.
In the face of death, everyone was afraid. No one could escape from the secular world. This was a human's instinctive reaction.
However, things were not easy. Due to the shock, Fan Chunfang's water broke, and the child in her belly was born prematurely.
It was another long wait. Finally, at five o 'clock in the morning, a baby's cry broke the silence of dawn.
The moment the 'surgery in progress' light above his head went off, Lu Yiwei felt that time had stopped.
The doctor came out to report that the mother and child were safe, but Lu Yiwei did not hear it at all. He rushed into the ward mechanically and saw Fan Chunfang lying on the bed, sweating profusely.
Sun Chunyun was so excited that she covered her face and cried. She said to Fan Rongkui next to her, "Lao Fan, quickly give our grandson a name."
Fan Rongkui thought hard for a long time and said, "I think he should be called Lu Lang. He was born in Langdan, and I hope he will be handsome, live a happy life, conduct himself well, have a good heart, do things well; I hope even more that he will be healthy, open and happy. "
"This name is good. What do you think, Yiwei?" Sun Chunyun was very satisfied with the name Lu Lang.
Lu Yiwei also thought it was good. He nodded and said, "I think it's good. His nickname will be Lang Lang."
"Haha … Lang Lang, nice name!" The family had experienced sorrow and joy in one day. The separation of life and death made them cherish each other even more.
Fan Rongkui and Sun Chunyun were very touched by Lu Yiwei's actions. Sun Chunyun secretly asked Fan Rongkui, "Lao Fan, if I'm sick, will you accompany me regardless of life and death like Yiwei?"
"I … will."
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