The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Issuing a Side Quest

Cai Su’s vision was blurred by tears. Not watching where she was going, she bumped into Shen Lu, who was heading to the bathhouse.

She was chronically underfed and weak, and the impact nearly made her drop the child in her arms.

Shen Lu quickly reached out and caught the child, saying, "Careful."

"I’m sorry." Cai Su wiped harshly at her tears and held the child more securely.

"It’s alright." The woman before her looked so fragile, as if she might shatter at any moment. Her red, swollen eyes betrayed a mix of despair, terror, and a stubborn resilience.

Shen Lu couldn’t help but ask, "Did something happen?"

She remembered her quite well. After all, just a couple of days ago, the woman’s husband had nearly beaten her to death over a nutrient liquid, and she also seemed to have a good relationship with Granny Jin.

Cai Su glanced at Shen Lu, recognizing her as the tenant who had recently moved in. She ran a stall on Gold Street, and business seemed to be quite good.

She had never been the type to burden others; she’d only gone to Granny Jin today out of sheer desperation. Now, with Xiao Lang’s condition so dire, it forced her to compromise her principles further and further.

"My child is seriously ill. Could you lend me some money?" Cai Su knew she was being presumptuous, but for her child’s sake, she had to ask, no matter how forward it was.

Shen Lu neither agreed nor refused. After thinking for two seconds, she said, "Let’s go. I’ll go with you to the hospital and see what the doctor says."

If she hadn’t found the Vibranium today and been in a good mood because of it, Shen Lu would never have bothered to meddle in someone else’s business.

"The hospital is too expensive. The money I have is only enough for a clinic."

"To the clinic, then."

Shen Lu had some money on hand, but not enough to squander. Even acts of charity had to be weighed carefully.

Besides, she didn’t know Cai Su well. If it weren’t on Granny Jin’s account, she wouldn’t have even asked what was wrong.

Cai Su couldn’t figure out what Shen Lu was thinking, but her child couldn’t wait. She had no choice but to lead the way, hurrying to the nearest clinic.

The clinic was located in the Eleventh District, the closest one to Seventeenth Street.

From the outside, it was dilapidated, like the back-alley clinics Shen Lu had seen in her previous life.

The doctor at the clinic was a woman in her thirties with a cold expression.

There were no sophisticated instruments in the clinic; diagnoses relied purely on the doctor’s assessment.

"How do you want to treat him?" The doctor quickly checked Xiao Lang’s vitals and asked sharply, "Save his life, or make his passing more comfortable?"

’The implication was clear: she couldn’t cure him.’

"Save his life!" Cai Su answered without hesitation.

"2,000 Star Coins. Go pay the fee."

Cai Su’s hands were clenched tightly together. She only had the 400 Star Coins from Granny Jin, nowhere near enough for the 2,000 Star Coin life-saving fee.

The doctor was unfazed by her reaction. She hung the stethoscope back around her neck and said indifferently, "You should know the clinic’s rules. We don’t do credit."

"May I ask what exactly the child’s condition is?" Shen Lu suddenly asked softly.

The doctor leaned against the table. "It’s the precursor to an awakening, but due to chronic malnutrition, his body can’t supply the energy needed for it."

Cai Su was taken aback. "Isn’t it... just a cold and a fever?"

The doctor scoffed. "If a simple cold and fever could do this... Since we entered the New Era, humanity’s physical constitution has improved significantly. A common cold isn’t enough to kill a child anymore."

"So if we just give him nutrients, he’ll be okay?" Shen Lu asked.

"Theoretically, yes." The doctor spread her hands. "But what are you going to use to give him nutrients? A nutrient supplement? Don’t make me laugh. The energy from a single supplement is pitifully low. In his condition, a hospital would give him enhanced nutrition injections. One hundred thousand Star Coins per shot. Three shots and he’ll be fine immediately."

The more Cai Su listened, the paler her face became. "I-I don’t need him to awaken a superpower. I just want Xiao Lang to live."

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