Chapter 59

“Let me see, let me see!”

If she really fell to her death, Lu Jianguo and his wife would fight them to the end.

Lu Jiaojiao lay unconscious on the ground. Yin Zhihuo reached out to check her breathing. “Mom, she’s still alive. Quick, quick, let’s take her to the brigade clinic.”

Fulfill the entrusted responsibility.

The He family had entrusted the two little ones to Tang Jingchuan to bring them to the Xiangyang Brigade. Tang Jingchuan was reliable in handling things. His decision to stay a bit longer instead of returning to the army was twofold: to spend more time with family after two years away, and because he had connections at the commune. He took the opportunity to help process the two kids’ household registration transfer documents.

When Qian, the commune officer, came to deliver the transfer proofs, Tang Jingchuan asked He Ting to visit his house and personally thank him.

He Ting, meanwhile, let He Yunqi and He Yunran play with the Tang family kids. Unexpectedly, Lu Jiaojiao, lurking in the shadows, stirred up trouble, leading to this chaos.

The commune officer Qian, an old classmate of Tang Jingchuan, had done a great favor for Tang Jingchuan’s niece and nephew. Tang Jingchuan invited him to stay for a meal.

Lu Baiwei’s eldest aunt had already prepared food. She insisted Lu Baiwei stay and eat with them rather than cook separately at home. She also told her to bring her children along.

While Lu Baiwei was halfway through the meal at her uncle Tang Jingshan’s house, a brigade member rushed over, breathless.

“Baiwei, hurry, come quick! Your sister, Lu Jiaojiao, fell and hit her head—she’s covered in blood and is being treated at the brigade clinic.”

“The blood was terrifying. Don’t know if she’ll make it…”

Lu Baiwei didn’t want to involve herself in anything related to Lu Jiaojiao. But as the brigade’s barefoot doctor, she felt obligated to fulfill her duties.

Though reluctant, she put down her half-eaten meal and hurried to the brigade clinic.

—

“How did this happen?”

Lu Jiaojiao’s injuries were shocking. Her head and face were covered in blood, and she had been carried on a dismantled door panel by Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihuo to the clinic.

Under Lu Baiwei’s questioning gaze, Yin Zhihuo looked uneasy.

He was genuinely afraid that Lu Jiaojiao might not survive. If she didn’t, Lu Jianguo and Liu Chunhua would fight him to the end.

“She fell off the windowsill herself,” Yin Zhihuo stammered.

“And why was she climbing the windowsill?” Lu Baiwei asked, her tone steady but probing.

“She’s just trouble! She insisted on climbing up there,” Shen Guixiang replied impatiently. “Enough with the questions. Just treat her already. Why are you asking so much?”

Lu Jiaojiao’s fall had drawn a crowd. The brigade clinic was now surrounded by people eager to see what had happened.

Worried that further questioning would expose their involvement in beating Lu Jiaojiao, Shen Guixiang urged Lu Baiwei to focus on the treatment.

Lu Baiwei, however, sensed that the situation wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Lu Jiaojiao’s severe injuries felt out of place—there had to be more to the story.

Lu Baiwei asked those questions because she found Lu Jiaojiao’s fall suspicious—there was clearly more to the story.

She couldn’t understand what kind of terrible things Lu Jiaojiao might have done to deserve being beaten by Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihuo every few days. And now, she was in such a terrible state after this fall.

In her previous life, when she had married Yin Zhihuo, although Shen Guixiang was difficult and Yin Zhihuo had his own issues, they refrained from physically abusing her, probably because she could make money on the black market.

Things seemed vastly different this time around.

Feeling something was off, Lu Baiwei had asked a few more questions. But ultimately, everyone has their own fate, and this outcome was something Lu Jiaojiao brought upon herself.

As the brigade’s barefoot doctor, Lu Baiwei focused on her duty to treat the injured. Since Shen Guixiang was unwilling to answer questions and Yin Zhihuo looked guilty, she decided not to press further.

Proceeding with her work, Lu Baiwei pulled out her silver needles and applied a few to stop the bleeding. Afterward, she cleaned the blood from Lu Jiaojiao’s face and head, inspected the wounds, and sprinkled hemostatic and pain-relief powder.

Once she finished, Lu Jiaojiao gradually regained consciousness.

Though her awareness hadn’t fully returned, tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. But Lu Baiwei felt no sympathy for her.

“All right, she’s awake now. I’ve cleaned her wounds, stopped the bleeding, and reduced inflammation. However, to determine whether she has any brain injuries, you’ll need to take her to the commune hospital for further examination,” Lu Baiwei said flatly, putting away her needles in a businesslike manner. “The cost for stopping the bleeding and reducing inflammation here is two yuan and forty cents.”

“Before you carry her to the commune hospital, settle the bill.”

—

As long as Lu Jiaojiao was awake, that was good enough for Shen Guixiang.

The thought of taking her to the commune hospital—implying more expenses—was out of the question. Shen Guixiang didn’t care about Lu Jiaojiao’s survival. Instead, in front of the other brigade members, she started arguing with Lu Baiwei over the medical fees.

“She’s your sister! How can you charge her for treatment? What kind of sister are you?”

For Shen Guixiang, paying money was as painful as pulling teeth. The idea of parting with over two yuan—enough to buy several pounds of meat—was unbearable.

No way she was going to pay.

Trying to shirk the payment? Lu Baiwei wasn’t one to waste time arguing with someone like Shen Guixiang.

“Are you sure you won’t pay?” Lu Baiwei asked coldly.

She added decisively, “Fine, then. I’ll deduct it directly from your family’s work points at the brigade office!”

“What’s wrong with you? She’s your sister, and you’re charging her for treatment?” 

Hearing that her family’s work points would be deducted, Shen Guixiang immediately exploded in anger. 

But Lu Baiwei wasn’t about to indulge her tantrum. “The brigade health clinic is collective property. It’s not my private practice. All the medicines and equipment here, as well as my role as a barefoot doctor, belong to the brigade.” 

“Every penny I earn from treating patients has to be handed over to the brigade office.” 

“Whether it’s treating Lu Jiaojiao or taking medicine for myself, I still have to pay the brigade for the medical costs.” 

“Refusing to pay for treatment means you’re withholding collective property. If I ask the brigade to deduct it from your work points, what’s the problem?” 

In front of the onlooking brigade members, Lu Baiwei confronted Shen Guixiang, “Or are you saying you want to cheat the collective out of its due?” 

Her reasoning was airtight, leaving Shen Guixiang speechless. 

Refusing to pay the collective could result in public criticism and disciplinary action from the brigade. 

Faced with the crowd, Shen Guixiang reluctantly muttered, “Who’s cheating the collective? I just don’t have any money on me right now. You cover it for now.” 

So, she didn’t plan to cheat the collective—just Lu Baiwei. 

In her previous life, Shen Guixiang had pulled plenty of stunts to take advantage of others. 

Lu Baiwei scoffed coldly. “Fine, I’ll put it on your tab. But the brigade accounting office will calculate interest on your overdue medical fees.” 

What? 

Interest, too? 

Shen Guixiang barely worked in the fields because she hated the hard labor. Her son, Yin Zhihuo, pretended to work daily but often slacked off. Together, they earned barely any work points. 

At the end of the year, the grain converted from their work points wasn’t enough to feed the family. They relied heavily on the daughters who had married out to pinch money and goods from their in-laws to support the household. 

If the brigade deducted work points and added interest, the whole family might starve. 

Realizing the significant loss, Shen Guixiang, who initially claimed to have no money, begrudgingly pulled out the cash, cursing under her breath as she handed over the 2.40 yuan for Lu Jiaojiao’s medical expenses. 

Though Lu Jiaojiao was awake, her head throbbed painfully. She hoped Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihuo would quickly take her to the commune hospital in town. 

But Shen Guixiang’s refusal to pay the 2.40 yuan and her endless argument with Lu Baiwei hit her hard. 

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.