When they woke up in the morning, the air around them had become even colder.

Pushing open the door, the sky was still gloomy, but it had stopped snowing. However, after a full night, about ten centimeters of snow still lay on the ground.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to alleviate the dry climate, and the air no longer felt so biting and frigid.

After a week of practice, Du Xuejing had grown accustomed to her daily work routine. Honestly, her progress was remarkably fast; she learned more practical knowledge, and more thoroughly, than in an entire semester at school.

Although she still spent her days as an assistant to others, she was well aware of how much progress she had made.

But every morning, she would pull a long face, extremely reluctant, especially on this snowy morning; she was even more dissatisfied.

Seeing that Du Heng had no intention of letting her rest, she could only pout and slowly drag herself to the car.

Du Ping had risen early and already cleared most of the snow from the doorway. Now, he stood in front of Du Heng’s car, holding a broom.

His daughter’s dissatisfaction was, to him, a source of great satisfaction. So, when Du Xuejing reluctantly climbed into the car, he didn’t even spare her a glance. Instead, he said to Du Heng, who was also coming out, "There’s snow on the road. Put on the anti-skid chains."

Du Heng gazed ahead. A vast expanse of white stretched before him, thick snow blanketing the driveway.

It was a bit cold that morning, and Du Heng felt a little lazy, unwilling to squat down and struggle with the anti-skid chains. He opened the car door and hopped in. "I’m not putting them on. The snow hasn’t melted yet, and it hasn’t been packed down. It shouldn’t be slippery."

Du Ping tried to persuade him a few more times, but seeing Du Heng was unmoved and had already shifted into gear, ready to leave, he said no more.

The main reason was that most people in the village were like Du Heng and rarely bothered with anti-skid chains, especially right after a snowfall when it wasn’t too thick.

Du Heng drove onto the road, maneuvering carefully while helping Du Xuejing review her lessons.

However, after the car fishtailed several times in a row, he dared not let his attention wander any longer and fell silent, focusing on driving properly.

When they reached the intersection with the main road where the terrain flattened out, Du Heng quickly stopped the car and swiftly retrieved the anti-skid chains from the trunk.

The previous slips had nearly scared the daylights out of him.

As he knelt on the ground attaching the chains, several cars drove past.

Those drivers were more cautious; their anti-skid chains were already securely in place.

Du Heng observed them as he worked on his own chains.

Just then, a tricycle PUTT-PUTT-PUTTED up behind him, and a loud voice cut through the noise, "Xiao Heng, off to work?"

Crouching, Du Heng heard the voice and looked back. It was his cousin from the third brigade. He smiled and greeted him, "Bing, Sister-in-law, what are you two up to?"

"There’s a Clam Market in the new district. We’re going to buy some things for the New Year."

"It’s snowing so heavily. Can’t you go another day?"

"It’s closest to us today. The Clam Markets in the next few days will be in other places, further away."

Bing took off his thick gloves, pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and offered one to Du Heng. Du Heng shook his head, saying he didn’t smoke, so Bing put the pack away. "Look at this weather, still gloomy. Who knows if it’ll snow again. If it doesn’t, fine. But if it keeps snowing, we won’t make it to any Clam Market. Better to head out early and get our shopping done.

Then, even if it’s raining knives for the next few days, it won’t bother me. I’ll be sleeping soundly."

Du Heng glanced at the tricycle’s cargo bed. Seeing Bing’s wife bundled up tightly against the cold, he called out, "Sister-in-law, why don’t you get down? I can give you a ride."

"No, thanks. We still have to pick up two more people. We’ll all go together."

Du Heng didn’t press the issue. He kicked the tire now fitted with the anti-skid chain and asked Bing, "Where’s your son?"

"Didn’t bring him. He’s at home with your aunt."

Bing put his gloves back on. "We’re off. Let’s drink together for the New Year."

"No problem. Bing, you can organize it when the time comes."

He might not be much of a drinker, but one had to keep up appearances.

After laughing and exchanging pleasantries, Bing’s tricycle PUTT-PUTT-PUTTED away. Du Heng moved to the other side to attach the anti-skid chain to the other wheel.

Further down the road, Du Heng saw Bing’s tricycle again, parked outside another house. It was likely the family they were going to pick up.

「At the Health Clinic」

Du Heng let Du Xuejing get to her tasks and immediately went to check on Liu Amei. Finding her still asleep, Du Heng questioned the young nurse.

"Any issues last night?"

"She cried out in pain for a while in the latter half of the night. She didn’t sleep well and just drifted off a short while ago."

"What about the bleeding from her lower body? Has it lessened at all?"

"Still the same, she can’t control it. There’s a small amount of Black Blood seeping out, but the color is a bit lighter."

Du Heng nodded. "You’ve worked hard. Get some good sleep after your shift ends."

"Thank you, Dean."

Du Heng turned and left the hospital room, heading towards the registration office.

His most important task today was to attend a meeting at the Bureau—a general assembly to review everyone’s work. The deans from all the Health Clinics and the heads of the community health service stations in the district were required to attend.

"Zhen, have you finished that report I asked you to write yesterday?"

Wang Zhenzhen retrieved a folder from her drawer. It contained a thick stack of printed materials. "It’s all done. Take a look, are there any problems? If not, I can make corrections now."

Du Heng skimmed through it. "No issues. Please staple it for me."

Just as he finished speaking, a man burst into the hall, shouting, "Doctor! Doctor!"

Seeing the man’s desperate expression, Du Heng quickly walked out of the registration office. "I’m the doctor here. What’s wrong?"

"Quick, quick! A car slid into the ditch at Dapo Water House!" The man was practically screaming, his voice not only loud but also filled with extreme urgency.

Du Heng’s heart trembled.

The Dapo Water House marked the final, particularly steep stretch of road descending from the mountain into Central Lake Valley. On one side, the road was cut into a cliff face, while the other bordered a deep ravine.

How deep was the ravine?

It had never been measured, but a rough estimate put the drop from the road surface to the bottom of the ravine at over one hundred meters.

Although there were some terraced plots carved into the slope within that hundred-meter drop, these too were steep, only slightly flatter than the main road, and certainly not enough to stop a tumbling vehicle.

"Slow down. Did it fall into the ravine itself, or onto the land below the road?"

"Into the ravine!"

Du Heng’s heart pounded with panic, and he braced himself for the worst.

"How many people?"

"Seemed like five or six. I didn’t get a clear look."

Du Heng took a deep breath. "Yu! Yu! Quickly organize half our people for a rescue! Everyone with a car, drive! Location is Dapo Water House! Move!"

The order was given, and the benefits of their prior training immediately became apparent.

Everyone moved quickly but methodically, preparing supplies before driving off.

Du Heng said to Wang Zhenzhen, "Call the Municipal First Hospital immediately and have them send an ambulance! Call the police station too, tell them to dispatch officers now!"

Lu Zhongjiang walked over to Du Heng. As soon as Du Heng finished his calls, Lu Zhongjiang asked, "Dean, what about the ten o’clock meeting at the Bureau?"

"The materials are on the table inside. You go in my place. Ask Director An to excuse my absence."

"Alright."

Cui Guanghaia was somewhat bewildered. Although he had been a dean of a Health Clinic before, he had never been involved in anything like this.

Now, watching everyone bustle about—either preparing supplies or already departing in groups—he felt utterly adrift, standing rooted to the spot like a wooden dummy.

Du Heng turned, saw Cui Guanghaia, and said with a frown, "Dean Ruoge, you stay and manage things here. Help coordinate."

In less than two minutes, an ambulance, three private cars, five doctors, and eight nurses roared out from the Health Clinic.

Just as they rounded a bend, two vans pulled out from the police station across the road, quickly joining their convoy.

Du Heng had a terrible sense of foreboding.

If the man wasn’t mistaken, and the car truly had plunged into the ravine, then the five or six people inside were almost certainly done for.

A hundred-meter drop. His hands were trembling.

With that thought, Du Heng immediately dialed Dong Yuezhang, the Town Mayor. "Dong, where are you?"

"In the district, getting ready for a meeting. What’s up?"

"Get back here, quickly! A car fell into the ravine at Dapo Reservoir!"

Dong Yuezhang’s breath caught. "What’s the situation at the scene?"

"I don’t know yet. I’ve just dispatched a team."

"You don’t know anything at all?" Dong Yuezhang grew agitated. "It’s the middle of the New Year holiday, and something like this happens!" he fumed.

Du Heng sighed. "You should hurry back. I suspect the situation is dire. The drop there is about a hundred meters."

One hundred meters?!!!

Dong Yuezhang momentarily forgot how to breathe. After a three-second pause, he said, "Call me the instant you get to the scene! I’m coming back right now!"

"Okay."

The moment he hung up, another call came in from someone equally frantic. "Xiao Heng, where are you?"

"Gong, I’m in the car, on the way to the accident site. You?"

"I’m in the lead police car," Gong Daoyang said, trying to steady his nerves. "Xiao Heng, what exactly happened?"

"I don’t have the exact details. Someone rushed into the Health Clinic saying a car had overturned into the ravine."

"What kind of car? How many people inside?"

"He didn’t say what kind of car. As for people, five or six. The informant wasn’t clear; he probably didn’t know for sure himself."

Du Heng knew why Gong Daoyang was asking this.

Rural police stations, in addition to their daily public security duties, also handled some traffic police responsibilities, such as promoting safe driving, addressing the illegal use of agricultural machinery, and managing the unregulated sale of gasoline and diesel.

While such matters were often overlooked in normal times, it was a different story when an accident occurred.

Once something like this happened, his days would become very difficult.

Gong Daoyang hesitated. "Is it possible the person who reported this to the Health Clinic was mistaken, or even lying?"

"Not likely. The man is in our car, coming with us to the site. Besides, I know him. He’s from Majiagou."

Du Heng’s words extinguished the last flicker of hope in Gong Daoyang’s heart.

Now, all he could do was pray that no one had died, however slim that hope might be.