"Load that box onto the truck too, quickly, or we’ll miss the deadline!" Hu Tianhan commanded.
The person loading the goods abruptly shoved Bai Suxiang aside, heaving the box Hu Tianhan had pointed at onto the truck.
"Hey, you..." Bai Suxiang couldn't dodge in time and was pushed to the side.
The person didn't apologize. Instead, they shot her a cold glare.
"Are you alright?" Hu Tianhan hurried to help Bai Suxiang up and asked.
"I'm fine. Why is this person behaving like this?"
"Don't be angry. They've been working for a long time, and it's inevitable they might be careless. Please don't mind them!" Hu Tianhan said to comfort her.
Just then, his phone rang.
"Flowers blooming, birds singing..."
"Hello... Got it!"
This was a great opportunity to make a good impression, but due to the time constraint, he couldn't linger. He could only help Bai Suxiang to the side, give a few final instructions, and then get into his car and leave.
A gust of wind swept across the platform, carrying a surprising warmth. Bai Suxiang felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"Comrade, where are the vegetables?" A new vehicle pulled up, and someone got out to ask.
"Over there, turn left ahead and you'll see them!" Bai Suxiang pointed the way.
"Alright, alright, thank you! Appreciate your hard work!" The person said from inside their protective suit and drove on without further delay. The vehicle bore the inscription: Sandong City, Bazi Gou Street.
Watching the supplies being loaded onto one vehicle after another, and thinking that the people of Sandong City would soon receive their daily necessities, she felt proud to be part of this effort.
After an unspecified amount of time, someone announced it was time for a meal. Their work was taken over by others, allowing them to rotate and rest.
"Ring ring!" Just as she picked up her lunchbox, her phone rang. She had been so overwhelmed with work that she hadn't even looked at her phone. Seeing it was her mother calling, she quickly answered.
"When are you coming back?"
"I don't know yet. Maybe in a few more hours."
"Have you eaten?"
"I'm eating now?"
"What? What time is it? Why are you only eating now? I told you not to go, not to go, but you wouldn't listen!" Guo Xiufang immediately chided upon hearing Bai Suxiang.
"Mom! Stop talking. We only have a short break for meals, and we have to continue assisting with the transport of supplies shortly!" Bai Suxiang explained, trying to distract her mother, as it was uncertain if she would be able to leave even after finishing her shift.
"Okay, I understand. Take care of yourself. No matter what, you must eat on time, do you hear me?"
"I hear you. Alright, Mom, I have to go, we're very pressed for time. Goodbye!" Hearing a soft "hmm" from the other end of the line, Bai Suxiang hung up.
To be honest, until the moment she received her lunchbox, Bai Suxiang hadn't felt tired. But after the phone call, she realized her arms ached and her legs felt a bit wobbly. Such was the intensity of the work; even just assisting with loading had exhausted her. She thought of those who had been serving the public during this time, and felt immense admiration!
Several people joined her for the meal. They were all doing the same work, which fostered a sense of camaraderie. A few simple words created topics of conversation. This brief respite from their intense work was a rare moment of relaxation.
"Alright, let's go, back to the grind! This is probably the only way to cure insomnia!" An auntie, in her late forties or early fifties, stood up and said. Her face, though tired, wore a smile.
"Hehehehe, hehehehe!" The people around her chuckled. They all got up and put on their protective gear in unison.
Several more hours passed. Bai Suxiang was so tired that her arms and legs felt foreign to her. If she hadn't gritted her teeth and persevered, she felt she could have fallen asleep standing up.
"Okay, that's it for today's work. The relief team will be here any minute!" Hearing these words, Bai Suxiang let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, she could clock out and go home! As a volunteer, there was no salary; it was purely voluntary. She had no intention of asking for payment, but even a strong body needed rest. Beyond that, she had no other requests.
"Ah, I can finally go home! See you tomorrow!" From the voice, it was clearly the insomniac auntie.
"Who said you could go home? Accommodation has already been arranged for you. You are not to go home for now!" The speaker was the team leader, his voice deep and resonant.
"Why?" Along with the auntie's question, everyone turned to look at the team leader.
"We've received notification that, as a precautionary measure, everyone will rest nearby. This is a plague. If you go home, you could very well infect your family. I'm sure none of you want to spread it to your loved ones." The voice was firm and logical. Upon hearing the word "infect," the desire to go home diminished significantly for everyone. Bai Suxiang was no exception. She had been looking forward to a hot bath and a good sleep at home after finishing her work, but now, she couldn't even go home!
"Everyone follow me. If you need to report your safety to your families, do so quickly!" As soon as he said this, many people became busy.
"Mom, I'm not going home tonight... Arrangements have been made, a place has been arranged!"
"Son, Mom isn't going home today... I'll take you shopping when I get back, okay?"
"Wife, I'm not going home. Take good care of Mom, Dad, and the kids..."
The surrounding voices became a cacophony. They were fathers, mothers, children, brothers, and sisters, all facing separation at this moment.
"What? Don't talk nonsense. Who said the train station was infected... That's slander! Aren't we all fine? It's just too late, and we have an early start tomorrow, so we're staying at the train station! Don't listen to their rumors! Don't worry..." A voice boomed from a corner of the platform. The previously noisy platform suddenly fell silent. Many eyes were fixed on him. He turned around, realizing he was being stared at, and understood his voice had been too loud.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I scared everyone. The rumors outside say we're quarantined here, which is why we're not allowed to go home!" This statement, rather than calming things, caused the platform to erupt.
"So that's why they wouldn't let us go home! It turns out this is the reason."
"It's all these bored people. Otherwise, would we be unable to go home!"
"Ah, I really regret coming here!"
Various voices mingled once again. Accompanying these sounds was everyone's anxiety. No matter how tired their bodies were, upon hearing about being quarantined, they were instantly wide awake. The hardest part for everyone to accept was the fact of being quarantined. They all looked at the team leader in unison.
"Don't listen to others' nonsense. Do you not know if the train station is compromised? If we were infected, would we have no symptoms at all?" The team leader could only explain.
A pair of eyes watched the scene unfold from the shadows.