Lin Shu said, “Mom, some illnesses can get better on their own, but inflammation like this won’t heal without anti-inflammatory treatment. If you don’t treat it properly, a small problem can become serious, and you might even lose your sight.”

Fang Dihua retorted, “Nonsense! My eyesight has been fine since I was eight.”

Lin Shu: … You’re really stubborn!

She asked, “Doesn’t your eye hurt badly when you have a flare-up? Can’t you see clearly?”

Fang Dihua, stubborn as ever, said, “No, I’m perfectly healthy. My hearing is fine, my eyesight is sharp, and I haven’t even gone gray. I’m stronger than you.”

Lin Shu: Clearly, you’re just being stubborn. Don’t you remember how painful and tearful it was when your eyes hurt?

Lin Shu crossed her arms, pouted, and turned her head towards the outpatient clinic. If Fang Dihua wouldn’t go, she wouldn’t leave either.

She was determined to stay put.

Passersby and patients’ family members peered at them, curious about the commotion.

“Look, the young wife is causing a scene.”

“That’s why I tell you, don’t marry a wife who only looks good but is useless. She’s just throwing a tantrum.”

Fang Dihua, hearing them criticize her daughter-in-law, felt frustrated and almost moved to tears.

She saw that Lin Shu was indeed stubborn, and with no other choice, she finally agreed, “Alright, alright, let’s go see. It’s true that running a household makes you realize the cost of things. You’d think a dime is enough, but those unscrupulous people won’t let you leave without spending three or five yuan.”

Lin Shu, showing her negotiation skills from her past life, insisted on the importance of medical treatment, emphasizing that doctors were there to heal, not to deceive.

Her persistent argument soon left Fang Dihua feeling overwhelmed.

Fang Dihua grumbled, “Alright, alright, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were the head of the women’s committee.”

Lin Shu sighed, “I’m just trying to help you.”

They went to the ophthalmology department where there was no line.

A man in his thirties, the doctor, greeted them warmly, which made Fang Dihua suspicious.

She was used to the impolite attitudes of city service staff and wondered if this was another scam.

Lin Shu, determined to get her mother-in-law the treatment she needed, pushed her toward the examination area.

After several tests, the doctor reported, “You have a chronic inflammation. This has been going on for years.”

Fang Dihua was disheartened and suspicious. “Are you trying to scare me into spending more money?”

Lin Shu clarified, “Yes, it’s been a long-standing issue. Doctor, please do what you can to fix it in one go.”

The doctor explained, “Chronic inflammation can’t be cured in one go. We need to reduce the inflammation and drainage first. We may need a small procedure depending on the situation…”

Fang Dihua, alarmed by the mention of surgery, hesitated. “That sounds too complicated. It might cost too much. Last year, Mrs. Qiu’s husband spent over twenty yuan in the hospital and still died a month later. I don’t want to spend money and get nothing out of it.”

The doctor then went to prepare the prescription, explaining how to use the medication and what to expect.

Lin Shu, drawing from her past experience, made sure to get detailed instructions on how to manage the treatment.

The doctor, impressed by Lin Shu’s knowledge and thorough questions, remarked, “You seem quite knowledgeable. Are you a sent-down youth?”

Lin Shu smiled and replied, “No, not at all. Thank you, Doctor. We’re just country folk who don’t come to town often. Could you also prescribe some common medicines?”

The doctor was impressed and accommodating, understanding the difficulties faced by rural residents.

He provided the necessary medication and instructions for follow-up.

Fang Dihua, though still reluctant, finally accepted the treatment plan.

She realized that despite her initial skepticism, the care and professionalism she received were genuine.

“Get the medicine ready.”

What you need are medicines for diarrhea, fever, inflammation, pain relief, especially for sore throats.

Sometimes, drinking a bit of honeysuckle and chrysanthemum tea helps with a sore throat, but if it’s severe, you need to take medicine; otherwise, persistent tonsillitis can be troublesome.

The male doctor was very patient, unlike some doctors who become impatient and scold uneducated farmers.

Lin Shu: “Doctor, my father-in-law does acupuncture. He used to do it for my grandmother, and now he does it for my mother. Do you think it’s effective?”

The male doctor was intrigued and asked a few questions, then praised, “Of course it’s effective. Your father-in-law is remarkable—he’s a barefoot doctor?”

Lin Shu shook her head. “No, he just learned it specifically to care for his family.”

Male Doctor: “In that case, I’ll write down a few acupuncture points for you. Have your father do the acupuncture at home. Combining Chinese and Western medicine will be more effective.”

Lin Shu thanked him, took a stack of prescriptions, and went out to pay and collect the medicine.

However, she couldn’t find Fang Dihua outside. “Mother?”

After calling out several times, she saw a large hand sticking out from the corner of the wall, waving at her. “Over here, stop shouting.”

It looked as if she was sneaking around.

Lin Shu ran over. “Mother, what are you doing?”

Fang Dihua had a stern face. “We’re not taking the medicine; let’s go quickly.”

Since they had already paid for the consultation fee, they didn’t owe anything to the doctor.

If they didn’t take the medicine, there was no need to pay.

Lin Shu: “Mother, we’ve had the examination. We need to pay the examination fee.”

Nowadays, hospitals require payment for examination and treatment before paying, so many people try to avoid paying.

Fang Dihua was very reluctant. “How much is the examination fee? Pay it, and we won’t take the medicine.”

Lin Shu: “Mother, you can’t save a little money and ignore the big issues. If you neglect a small problem, it could become a big one.”

Fang Dihua: “…”

This daughter-in-law is really something, even daring to argue with her mother-in-law!

The other sons’ wives don’t dare!

Lin Shu: “Mother, if you don’t get your eye checked, it’s inconvenient for you to work. It’s easy to damage crops while hoeing the land. If you go from ten work points a day to five, you might lose several hundred yuan.”

Fang Dihua: “…!”

She closed her left eye and imagined it.

Indeed, it would be inconvenient to work without one eye. She hadn’t considered this before.

But she was still reluctant to spend the money. “Don’t scare me. I’ve had poor eyesight for years without getting any worse. Is it really going to get worse now just because he checked it? It must be his fault!”

Based on her experience, her eyes had been uncomfortable for many years, and it hadn’t been bothering her during the busy farming seasons each year, hurting for ten days or half a month, but resting for a few days would make it better.

It didn’t really need spending money.

When she was younger, no one did acupuncture for her, and she suffered more.

After getting married, having her husband do acupuncture was more bearable, and it didn’t cost anything.

Lin Shu purposely put on a stern face. “Mother, when my father comes, what if people laugh at him for not treating his wife’s eyes?”

Fang Dihua immediately thought, oh no, that won’t do. She didn’t want to embarrass her husband.

But she really didn’t want to spend the money and firmly said, “What’s embarrassing about not buying medicine? We’re poor peasants, we can’t afford it.”

Lin Shu sighed.

The old lady was really hard to persuade!

She had to bring out her trump card. “Mother, if you don’t get your left eye checked, when you read with my father for Marx, you’ll only be able to use one eye. Imagine having two eyes but using only one. Do you think Marx will be happy? In the end, Marx might say, ‘Fine, you provide for me with one eye, and I’ll use one eye to look after your son.’”

Fang Dihua was flustered. “Why is he so stingy?”

Lin Shu: “Mother, sincerity is key.”

In the end, Fang Dihua, for the sake of her son, had to reluctantly spend the money.

The examination fee was 1.5 yuan, and various medicines cost over 2 yuan, totaling nearly 4 yuan for the whole visit.

It really hurt her to spend that money!

In the future, she would not take the third daughter-in-law out for a walk!

Better to let her stay at home and stew in her own troubles!