"Xiao Cheng, is this your relative?"
Cheng Ruzhu smiled and nodded, "My niece and her husband."
The elderly woman in the next bed looked at Zhou Jiao and her family and said, "Your niece is really quite pretty. And your niece’s husband looks spirited. Is he a soldier?"
Cheng Ruzhu didn’t intend to talk much with her. She smiled and then motioned for Zhou Jiao and Zhang Guoqing to step outside to talk. She was worried they might really miss the train if they delayed any longer.
Zhang Guoqing leaned down and said to Ping’an, "Stay here with your uncle, and don’t wander off."
Ping’an obediently nodded, "Dad, hurry up."
Zhang Guoqing patted his head and smiled at the wide-eyed Yu, "Get well first. Next ti, wherever you want to go, your brother-in-law will definitely take you."
"Deal!"
Zhang Guoqing nodded with a warm smile. As the kid lay there, his face looked even paler. Poor kid, joy turned to sorrow.
At the end of the corridor, Zhou Jiao opened her backpack slightly, showing a corner for Cheng Ruzhu to see, and whispered, "There’s a box of imported penicillin in here, all labeled in a foreign language. You can ask the doctor if it’s useful. Don’t say it’s from , I’m worried word might spread, and people will co knocking."
Cheng Ruzhu chuckled and nodded, "Okay. Give a couple of vials to take back."
Zhou Jiao ignored her, taking off the backpack and placing it on her, "We’re family, no need to be so polite. Even if it’s not needed, keep it on hand. You can use it to do favors if you et soone you like."
Cheng Ruzhu didn’t refuse further. She knew Zhou Jiao’s personality well; if she insisted, she’d beco annoyed. However, she weighed it in her hand, sothing seed off.
"Did you pack a lot of stuff in here? Take the dicine, and the rest is for Ping’an to eat."
Zhou Jiao held her hand, "Alright. It’s just a military satchel; how much can it hold?"
Cheng Ruzhu smiled and shook her head, "Alright, alright, I’ll take it all. There’s nothing more for you to do here, go ho early. I won’t be seeing you off tonight."
"No need. At the right ti, the driver will take us straight to the station. I’ve already told Auntie and my mom not to co with us."
"Be careful. Don’t let Ping’an eat anything on the way. Yu got sick from so sour plum soup and lamb tripe he drank when he ran out."
Zhou Jiao nodded, "Okay. If you’re too busy, let Auntie know; there’s still an Aunt at ho."
"No need. If he’s okay by tomorrow morning, I’ll take him out of the hospital."
"If you’re missing anything, get it from my house. My parents aren’t ho, there’s surplus supply this month."
"Okay. I’ll co clean it out."
Not far from the door, Zhang Guoqing watched them co over and asked again, "Do you really not need to transfer hospitals?"
Cheng Ruzhu shook her head, entered the room, and waved at Ping’an, "Sweetie, quickly go with your dad, or you’ll miss the train. Once you get back, you must behave and not learn from your uncle about putting everything in your mouth, understand?"
While waving goodbye to Yu, Ping’an replied, "Got it. Uncle, I’ll bring you so at. You must get better quickly and wait for my return."
"Don’t have too much fun there and not co back. I’ll be at the Big Courtyard waiting for you."
Cheng Ruzhu saw Zhang Guoqing and his family off, and when she turned back into the ward, she found her son staring closely at the military backpack on the bedside table. She nodded quietly, pleased that her son was smart enough to catch her signals.
"They’re gone? Hurry and see what they brought."
Cheng Ruzhu glanced at the overly familiar elderly woman. Why was she so excited? Could she even share with her? She glanced at the woman’s child on the hospital bed and sighed softly.
"Nothing good. Aunt, why are you the only one looking after the child? Where are the parents?"
The elderly woman was imdiately distracted, "The couple still has to work, and there are four other kids at ho my husband has to take care of. Only at night does soone co to replace ."
"The child suffers, and the adults have it hard too." A thin, elderly woman on a nearby bed echoed the sentint.
The elderly woman finally found soone with shared experiences and quickly asked, "Exactly! Sister, are you also alone with the child? Is this your grandson or granddaughter?"
"Grandson!"
"What’s wrong with him?"
"The rascal went swimming in the river, got caught on so tal scraps, and had a big wound. He was afraid of getting scolded and didn’t say anything. In the middle of the night, he developed a high fever, scared us to death!"
Cheng Ruzhu listened on while patting her child and said softly, "Get so sleep and rest up."
"Mom, just thinking about my sister and them getting on the train makes unable to sleep. Why am I so unlucky? My brother’s okay, why am I the one who gets sick?"
Cheng Ruzhu chuckled and tapped her son’s nose, "Is that going to stop you from eating recklessly again next ti?"
"Mom, I feel like I have no other symptoms except being weak. What if I go over there too?"
"Don’t even think about it! Your sister and brother-in-law have to take care of Ping’an and your sick brother. Do you really want to add to that burden?"
Yu hung his head and shook it, then beat the bed hard in frustration.
"Alright, it’s not like they won’t co back after visiting the Northeast this ti. Join them next ti, and Mom will definitely agree!"
"I guess that’s all I can do." Yu’s eyes turned to the backpack, and he pointed at it, "Mom, I’m hungry. What did Sister bring for ?"
Cheng Ruzhu shook her head, "No, the doctor said you can’t eat anything now."
"Co on... Don’t you know my sister? She’d definitely know what I can eat when I’m sick. Open it and see, it’s bound to be sothing I can eat now."
Cheng Ruzhu watched him with determination in his eyes, and her heart softened. She picked up the bag, placed it on her lap, and carefully unwrapped it. Nudging the dicine box aside, she found a package of brown sugar and grape powder.
Seeing these, Cheng Ruzhu instinctively smiled at her son and motioned him to keep quiet. She put on the backpack, carried the basin, and headed out.
Finding a secluded spot, she placed the brown sugar and grape powder on the basin and covered them with a towel. She unwrapped the contents of the bag again and murmured, "Silly girl!"
——As if it were just a little stuff? There was a big bag of milk candy, imported milk powder, and a jar of canned food. Cheng Ruzhu was sure if the bag had more space, this silly child would have emptied her house! Such a kind and loyal child, how could she not love her?
Cheng Ruzhu made furtive plans to ask colleagues going to the South for the trade fair to bring back so local specialties. If the opportunity arose, she’d try to visit herself.
After visiting the doctor, Cheng Ruzhu inquired whether the child needed imported dicine. With the attending doctor’s disapproval, she returned to the ward with a smile.
"Mom?"
Along the way, having learned that her son’s condition wasn’t serious, Cheng Ruzhu felt at ease. Now she smiled and took out the previously rewrapped grape powder, making a cup of warm water for him.
"Get through tonight, and we’ll go ho in the morning."
Yu said unhappily, "I told you I’m fine. We can discharge now and catch up with my sister and them." As he took a sip, his eyes brightened, "Mom?"
Cheng Ruzhu gave him a knowing look and saw his silly grin, which made her smile back. This ti, the child wouldn’t fuss about going to the Northeast. Great, all three sons were taken care of!
User Comments
0 comments from readers