Free Web NovelChapter 59: Chapter 50: Hospital
Late at night, after the children were all asleep, muffled whispers could still be heard from the room Mo Laoer and Second Aunt Mo shared. Second Aunt Mo asked Mo Laoer, "Tell me, your brother and sister-in-law, they don’t work, they don’t earn work points, and they’re running off to the city every other day. What on earth are they up to? What’s so alluring about the city? Now that Xiao Man isn’t living with them or helping them work, if they don’t get enough food rations at the end of the year, how are they going to feed six kids? And Mo Xiaoqiang and Mo Xiaoneng are growing boys; they eat like horses! Just make sure they don’t come to us to borrow grain. You are not to agree, you hear?"
Mo Laoer clicked his tongue. "Do you think I’m that stupid? I have my own son and daughter to raise, don’t I?"
"Do you know what your brother and sister-in-law are doing in the city?"
"I asked my brother, but he wouldn’t tell me!"
"Could it be you have some relatives in the city they’re going to sponge off of?"
"As if we’d be so lucky! If we had relatives like that, you think I wouldn’t know? I’d be running there faster than they would!"
"Then what on earth are they...?" fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
"Sigh, never mind. I think I heard my brother say it’s because of his wife. Her health is suffering after having so many children, so they’re probably going to the hospital to see a doctor and get medicine. Didn’t you see? They secretly borrowed all that money from the old man and even handed over Xiao Man as collateral!"
"The villagers are all saying Xiao Man isn’t your brother and sister-in-law’s biological child, and I, for one, believe it completely! Your sister-in-law has never once treated Xiao Man like her own daughter. During holidays, Xiao Feng and Xiao Zhi always get new clothes, while Xiao Man only gets to wear your sister-in-law’s old, altered hand-me-downs! She’s either getting hit or cursed at all day, ordered around to do chores without a moment’s rest. She has it worse than a servant girl from the old days! Tsk, tsk, tsk! They say she was switched at birth at the hospital. I wonder what good family she came from. If her real parents knew their own flesh and blood was being treated so horribly, they’d die of heartbreak... Hey, hey! Laoer, don’t fall asleep! Think about it—if Xiao Man was the wrong baby brought to our family, then what about the other one? What about the one Liu Fengying actually gave birth to? Hey, Laoer..."
The snoring only grew louder. Second Aunt Mo gave him a vicious pinch but still couldn’t wake him, so she had no choice but to go to sleep as well.
At that moment, in the city of Wancheng, the inpatient department of Wancheng Hospital was aglow. The lights from the building and the streetlamps in the courtyard shone brilliantly, illuminating every nook and cranny—a stark contrast to the pitch-black darkness that fell over the countryside at night. Mo Guoqiang and Liu Fengying were sitting on a concrete curb, Liu Fengying sobbing her heart out.
As it grew late, the number of people walking by dwindled. Only the occasional doctor or patient’s family member passed, each casting a strange glance their way. Growing impatient, Mo Guoqiang nudged Liu Fengying and said, "Stop crying. You’ve been at it since morning. Do you have an endless supply of tears? What good is crying going to do? What’s done is done with Xiao Feng!" freeweɓnøvel.com
"’What’s done is done!?’ How can you say that! You don’t feel a shred of pity for our daughter!"
"I don’t feel sorry for her? How could I not? I... But no matter how much my heart aches, it can’t undo what you did with those tongs! That one strike ruined Xiao Feng’s entire life! I haven’t even started blaming you yet, and here you are... What a cruel mother you are!"
Liu Fengying clutched her chest with both hands and let out a WAIL, bursting into tears again. "I didn’t mean to ruin her! I was just trying to... Oh, my baby! My precious girl..."
Liu Fengying had suffered the biggest blow today and had completely lost control of her emotions. She would burst into hysterical wails whenever she started crying. That was why the doctors and nurses had kicked them out of the ward, to keep her from disturbing the other patients, forcing them to come sit out here.
Although Mo Guoqiang was frustrated, he couldn’t just leave her be. He could only try to comfort and console her. In other families, the man was the master of the house, but in theirs, everything was decided by Liu Fengying. For many years, Liu Fengying’s decisions as the head of the family had always been correct. Mo Guoqiang admired her for it and had grown accustomed to following her orders.
"There, there, stop crying now. Xiao Feng is in the hospital. If you cry until you collapse, who’s going to take care of her? What did the doctor say earlier? She needs to be hospitalized for at least a month. We only brought three hundred yuan. It’s not enough. We have to go back and get more money!"
At the mention of money, Mo Guoqiang’s face grew grim. After Xiao Feng had been injured, she had been unconscious the entire time at the village clinic. The couple had only had twenty yuan on them in total, so they hadn’t even dared to consider sending her to Wancheng Hospital. It was the old man who had stepped forward to sign the papers and make his mark, borrowing money from the brigade office. Three hundred yuan was placed, still warm, into Mo Guoqiang’s hands. Secretary Mo had then arranged for a tractor driver to race against the clock, rushing the couple and their child to the city for medical care.
But it had been for nothing. After an examination, the doctor said Xiao Feng’s right eye was too severely injured. There was only one possible outcome: blindness. As for her left eye, after it healed, she might be able to perceive vague shapes under the bright sun.
The total cost for the hospitalization and treatment would be seven to eight hundred yuan, and they had only paid three hundred so far!
Mo Guoqiang had no idea where to find that kind of money. His family had no savings to speak of. In the past, whenever they needed a bit of cash, he had to rely on Liu Fengying to come up with a scheme. Then, the two of them would go coax and deceive the old man. But now... the old man had taken the old woman and Xiao Man, split from the family, and was living separately.
Thinking of Xiao Man, Mo Guoqiang’s heart filled with hatred and regret. He hated that little monster for showing up right when she did, and he regretted not grabbing her and dragging her home. If he had, none of this would have ever happened!
Because of Xiao Man, his thoughts drifted uncontrollably to another girl—his biological daughter, Xuanxuan!
Suddenly energized, Mo Guoqiang grabbed Liu Fengying excitedly. "Feng Ying, Feng Ying! I-I’ve got it! We’ll go find Xuanxuan! We’ll ask her for help! Xiao Feng is her biological sister; she’ll definitely help us! Her mother was just transferred to the Education Bureau, and her father got a promotion... They’re rich!"
Liu Fengying’s crying stopped abruptly. She looked up and glared at Mo Guoqiang. "What nonsense are you spouting? Do you want to ruin Xuanxuan’s entire life? Have you forgotten we just saw Xuanxuan’s parents yesterday? It’s all that nosy Old Man Wei’s fault. He saw us looking for Xuanxuan and got suspicious. He even called her parents directly yesterday... They know everything now! They’re... they’re Xiao Man’s parents, too! Luckily, they were both just promoted. They have lots of meetings to attend and all sorts of reports to write. I heard there’s a flood somewhere in the region, and Xuanxuan’s father has to go inspect the relief efforts... They don’t have time to come see Xiao Man! Have you forgotten? Xuanxuan cried so hard yesterday that she fainted! She said she would never, ever return to the countryside with us, and I don’t want her to either! She has a wonderful life in the city, like a princess. Why should she have to come back to the village to suffer? And another thing, that family arranged her marriage long ago. Her fiancé is in the military, from a powerful and influential family! Xuanxuan said if she can’t marry him, she’d rather die! Do you have the heart to see her die?"
"That wasn’t my intention at all!" Mo Guoqiang argued hastily. "I just... I just wanted to ask Xuanxuan to help us borrow some money from her parents..."
"Absolutely not!" Liu Fengying wiped a tear from her eye, her expression resolute. "My Xiao Feng is already ruined; I will not let Xuanxuan’s future be destroyed as well! Asking Xuanxuan for money will attract her parents’ attention. What if they ask how our daughter got hurt? Could you answer them? Xuanxuan is right—her parents can’t see us too often. Every meeting adds another layer of risk for her! What if that couple suddenly decides to come to the village to see Xiao Man? What then? The Xiao Man of today is no longer the sloppy, filthy girl she once was. That damned old man and woman have a little money now. They butchered a pig for their housewarming, and when you butcher a pig, you can render a jar or two of lard. They’re definitely saving the pork cracklings to feed her, and she’s getting fairer and more delicate by the day. Haven’t you noticed? Xiao Man walks just like *that woman*—quietly, without a sound! Her features take after that father of hers, who’s more handsome than a movie star. And those eyes, like stars... they’re like two peas in a pod! If they see a Xiao Man like that... what hope will be left for our Xuanxuan?"
