The days when I was an obstetrician and gynecologist in Chang'an

Chapter 978 Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

(Thanks to yelr for casting 2 monthly votes.)
After a flurry of preparations, on a bright spring morning, a small convoy slowly drove out of Anhua Gate in Chang'an.

Although Li's parents were extremely reluctant to part with her, seeing that Li Sanlang, Sun Yanxia, ​​and Tang Dalang were all there, and that even Xing Yu, who had a relationship with Li Sanniang, had arranged for a caravan to take care of Luzhu'er and the others along the way, they finally saw Luzhu'er off on her journey westward with tears in their eyes.

On Mr. Ke's side, two bodyguards, a man and a woman, were arranged in name only. One was disguised as the coachman, and the other was disguised as the coachman's wife and they went on the road together.

Secretly, another team was arranged to protect them from the side.

Before Lu Zhu'er left, her uncle Xu Jingzhen made a special trip to the Li family to give her some advice, telling her not to be reckless on the road and to run away if anything happened.

In addition, the Tang family also hired a team of bodyguards to protect them.

It can be said that, barring any major accidents, Dewdrop and her companions should be safe on their journey westward.

Dewdrop glanced one last time at the majestic Chang'an city wall, then at Li's parents who had come to see her off, before resolutely turning around and getting into the carriage.

Li Sanlang rode in front on horseback, with Sun Niangzi and Luzhu sitting inside the carriage, while Tang Dalang rode alongside on another horse.

Sitting on the left side of the carriage shaft is a member of the Bad Guys codenamed Three, while on the right is another member of the Bad Guys codenamed Twenty-Five, disguised as the coachman's wife.

Two mule carts followed behind the carriage that Dewdrop was riding in, carrying luggage, medicine, and some scarce supplies to be taken to Yumen Pass.

Dewdrop and her companions were accompanied by bodyguards in front of their carriage and behind their mule cart.

The wheels rolled on, heading west.

Li San Niang walked this road three years ago, and now her daughter will follow in her footsteps and embark on the journey again.

The journey was far more arduous than imagined.

Although they were escorted by experienced bodyguards, the long journey, unpredictable weather, and different local customs constantly tested Dewdrop and her companions, who had never traveled far before.

For the first time, Dewdrop witnessed the magnificent scene of "a lone plume of smoke rising straight from the desert, the setting sun round over the long river," and for the first time, she experienced the fear of the sky turning yellow and the air becoming difficult to breathe when a sandstorm struck.

However, along the way, Dewdrop showed amazing resilience and adaptability.

She not only quickly learned how to keep her balance while reading in a bumpy carriage, but also learned from Lao San (Bad Guy) how to identify directions and deal with emergencies. She even learned a few simple self-defense techniques from Wu Niangzi (Bad Guy Twenty-Five).

Every night when she camped out, she would take out the letters that Li San Niang had sent back to Chang'an and read them repeatedly by the campfire, as if she could draw strength from her mother between the lines.

She insisted on reviewing medical books every day, exchanging medical skills with Tang Dalang and Li Sanlang, and recording all the diseases and herbs she saw and heard along the way.

Tang Dalang saw all of Lu Zhu'er's efforts and felt admiration, pity, and respect for her.

Along the way, whenever Tang Dalang wanted to get closer to Lu Zhu'er, Li Sanlang would always make Sun Yanxia move forward, never giving Tang Dalang a chance to be alone with Lu Zhu'er.

Once or twice was fine, but after three or five times, Tang Dalang, being no fool, naturally understood what Li Sanlang meant.

Thus, Tang Dalang was indeed polite, but when the night was quiet, he would still find a moment to talk to Lu Zhu'er alone.

After more than two months of trekking, Dewdrop and her companions finally arrived in Guazhou.

After resting for two days in Guazhou, the group boarded carriages and headed towards their final destination – Yumen Pass!

The closer you get to Yumen Pass, the stronger the sense of desolation and bleakness in the air becomes.

Along the way, we began to encounter more and more caravans from other tribes, and sometimes there were more camels than people.

Dewdrop's heart clenched even tighter; she felt both anticipation and fear.

Finally, one evening, the majestic, weathered pass, seemingly blending seamlessly with the heavens and earth, appeared on the horizon. The gates were tightly shut, and the patrolling soldiers, their armor gleaming and banners fluttering, stood in a state of heightened vigilance.

Beneath the walls, the quarantine camp's tents stretched out in a continuous line, everything orderly yet exuding an undeniable coldness and hardness.

Their convoy was stopped by the guards at the pass.

A soldier in armor stepped forward and questioned him sternly.

Li Sanlang stepped forward to negotiate, handed over their household registration certificates, and stated the identities and purpose of their group.

Upon hearing that the soldier was a relative of Physician Li, his serious expression softened considerably, and he even showed a hint of respect.
However, the soldiers still meticulously required them all to enter the quarantine camp for a seven-day observation and disinfection period.

"I'm sorry, but Dr. Li has established a rule that everyone, regardless of their status, must be inspected upon entry."

We dare not disobey.

The soldier clasped his hands in a fist salute to Li Sanlang.

"Of course, of course! We'll go right now!"

Li Sanlang readily agreed without a word of complaint.

After they settled down in the quarantine camp, which was divided into men's and women's sections, it was almost dark when Li San Niang learned of their arrival.

Li San Niang, Qiu Xiang, and Lao Shi rode swiftly from the quarantine area to the entrance of the quarantine camp.

She reined in her horse, dismounted, registered at the entrance of the quarantine camp, and hurried inside.

Her gaze swept eagerly across the crowd, and finally, Li San Niang's eyes were fixed on the young girl who had just unloaded her belongings from the carriage.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

Dewdrop also saw Li San Niang.

Her face was thin, her skin was slightly dark from years of exposure to the wind and sun, and her eyes and brows showed an undeniable weariness, but Li San Niang's eyes were surprisingly bright, as if they contained the stars and the sea.

Three years have passed, and Li San Niang has lost a lot of weight and gotten darker; she looks so tired.

But that look, that figure, that ingrained familiarity made Dewdrop recognize her instantly.

After thousands of miles apart and three years of separation, countless days and nights of longing and worry surged forth at this moment.

Dewdrop's lips trembled as she tried to call out "Mother," but her throat felt as if it were blocked by something, and she couldn't make a sound. Tears welled up unexpectedly, instantly blurring her vision.

Li San Niang ran towards the direction of the dewdrop, her steps faltering slightly with urgency.

She ran step by step toward the carriage, her eyes fixed on her daughter, as if afraid that if she blinked, the person in front of her would disappear.

She walked to the car, looked at the tearful Dewdrop, and reached out her slightly trembling hand, as if she wanted to touch Dewdrop's face, but she was afraid that it was just an illusion.

"...Dewdrop?"

Li San Niang's voice was terribly hoarse, with a hint of uncertain sobs.

"Auntie!"

　Thank you yelr for casting 2 monthly votes.

　　Thank you so much for your support and encouragement!
　　(End of this chapter)