Bai Xue was awakened by the cold at dawn, unable to sleep due to the thin blankets at the clinic, which barely provided any warmth. She sat up and saw her father and second uncle sleeping soundly.
They were already accustomed to the cold, so the room temperature was warmer than at home, allowing them to sleep peacefully.
Bai Xue couldn't sleep, so she decided to go out for a walk.
She wandered to the canteen, and indeed, it was already open. Although there were few patients, the medical staff all dined in the clinic's canteen, which made it normal to open early.
Bai Xue went inside and saw the same young male comrade from yesterday, who said they were having cornmeal buns for breakfast, but if she didn't have food vouchers, she would need to trade grain for them.
Bai Xue traded coarse grain for five cornmeal buns, three bowls of piping hot... clear broth that they called porridge, and a small plate of pickled vegetables.
