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Old Ye asked the couple to stay in the medical point for observation. Qingda Meisu worked wonders, and the child’s temperature began to drop after just a few minutes.
After confirming that there shouldn’t be any major issues, Ye Zhiqiu advised, “Zhenhe, do you have any anti-inflammatory medicine at home? When the child wakes up, give her some medicine. It will help bring down the fever faster.”
“Yes, we do. The doctor at the clinic prescribed some yesterday, and we haven’t finished them yet. Old Ye, I’ll pay you for the shot when I have the money. Just put it on my tab for now.”
In rural areas, it’s common for people to run a tab at the local clinic when they don’t have cash on hand. They settle the bill when they have the means. Ye Zhiqiu, familiar with this practice, smiled and said, “Understood. Go back and make sure the child drinks plenty of hot water. Don’t let her catch a cold again.”
After expressing their gratitude to Old Ye, the couple carried their child back home. On the way, they ran into their two sons who had come looking for them.
“Dad, Mom, how is sister doing?”
“We just finished the injection. The fever has started to go down. How did you find us?”
“Mom, Grandma is here. Sister is at home with her. My brother and I came to find you first,” Mingcheng said excitedly.
The mention of Grandma’s arrival made both children unconsciously swallow saliva. Every time Grandma came, she brought some delicious treats. When they used to live with Grandma and Grandpa, those treats wouldn’t last long once they reached their mouths. Now that they had their own home, they hoped to enjoy more.
Upon hearing that her mother had arrived, Zhang Lan hastily pulled the two children back, with Wang Zhenhe following behind, holding his daughter.
When they arrived at their small house, they heard the voices of the old lady and the eldest daughter from outside. “Mom, why did you come?”
The old lady saw her daughter return with bruises on her face and couldn’t help but look at her with distress.
“If Mom hadn’t come, were you planning not to tell us about the separation? Luckily, someone from our village went back to their mother’s home yesterday, and that’s how I heard about your situation. You, my stubborn child, letting others bully you like this! That mother-in-law of yours is really shameless. I gave my daughter to them, not for her to be bullied. I didn’t even want to lift a finger against them. How could they have the heart to mistreat you?” The old lady spoke, tears welling up in her eyes.
Anyone would feel heartbroken hearing that their child had been mistreated, especially considering Zhang Lan’s fragile health. Geng Lianhua carefully examined her daughter’s wounds.
Wang Zhenhe gently placed his sleeping daughter at the edge of the kang before approaching his mother-in-law. “Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t take good care of Zhang Lan. It’s all my fault.”
The son-in-law’s apology was sincere, and Geng Lianhua also knew it wasn’t entirely his fault. “Zhenhe, when I married my daughter to you, I didn’t expect great wealth. I just hoped you would treat my daughter well. Look at what your family has done. Beating my daughter and granddaughter is bad enough, and on such a cold day, you all were kicked out. What can I say about your mother?”
The old lady couldn’t find the right words to address her son-in-law. Looking at the place where the children lived, it was heartbreaking. “Zhenhe, living here is not a long-term solution. In the future, the two of you should find a way to save money and build your own house. At least have a place of your own.”
The old lady didn’t blame her son-in-law too much. He was a good son-in-law; it was just that his mother was troublesome, causing difficulties for the children on both sides.
Zhang Lan and her eldest daughter prepared lunch since they hadn’t eaten in the morning. “Mom, Grandma brought these things.” Wang Xuan pointed to a pile of items on the ground.
Zhang Lan took a look. Inside the sack was about fifty pounds of cornmeal. In a gourd-shaped container were oysters, and on the ground were two baskets – one filled with clams and the other with twenty chicken eggs. There was also a small jar of oil. Seeing the many things her mother brought, Zhang Lan was nearly moved to tears. Her parents weren’t wealthy, yet they generously brought so much.
The old lady sat on the kang, gently touched her sleeping granddaughter, and felt that her temperature had gone down. She also noticed the large bump on the back of her head.
“Zhenhe, take good care of the child in these days. I suspect her fever might be related to this. Both of you need to be more careful; don’t strain yourselves.”
The old lady took out a handkerchief from her pocket, unfolded it layer by layer, revealing a stack of coins inside. “Zhenhe, take this twenty yuan for now. It’s not much, just a gesture. You’ve just separated, and you don’t have anything at home. You need to manage your household, and this money can help with that.”
“Mom, we can’t accept this money,” Wang Zhenhe knew that it wasn’t easy for the elderly couple to save some money. Besides, they still had an unmarried younger brother at home, and he couldn’t take the money.
“Mom, come over quickly. Grandma wants to give Dad some money,” Mingyuan, sharp-eyed, saw his dad trying to refuse and quickly called his mom over.
Zhang Lan came in and immediately noticed the handful of coins in her mother’s hand. “Mom, what are you doing? You’ve brought so many things this time; we can’t take this money anymore. We still have a younger brother at home; you should save some money for him.”
The couple resolutely refused to accept it, but Geng Lianhua held her daughter’s hand and said, “Dear daughter, Mom knows the money isn’t much, and you shouldn’t despise it. Living at home requires money; how can you manage without it? Both of you are the flesh of my heart. Every mother feels uneasy if her children aren’t doing well. Your younger brother is still young; we can slowly save money for him. When your days get better in the future, you can support your younger brother. Take the money; just don’t find it too little.”
After some back and forth, the mother and daughter struggled for a while, but Zhang Lan couldn’t resist her mother and reluctantly accepted the hefty twenty yuan.
“Mom, how did you manage to bring so many things by yourself?” Wang Zhenhe also noticed the items his mother-in-law brought.
“Today, Mom got lucky. There was a vehicle from the production team passing by, so I hitched a ride and brought some extra. Next time, I might not be so fortunate,” the old lady explained.
Sitting cross-legged on the kang, the old lady lovingly touched Mingyuan’s smooth little head. “Mingyuan, when the weather gets warmer, come to Grandma’s house and play with your older siblings.”
The children chatted with Grandma on the kang while Zhang Lan and her husband busied themselves in the kitchen preparing a meal.
Wang Qian had been asleep for the entire morning. Her fever had subsided, and she began to wake up. Seeing the kind old lady sitting on the kang, wearing a black cross-collared robe, with her hair arranged in a bun at the back of her head—though aged, she looked spirited, reminiscent of the appearance of Wang Qian’s grandmother from her childhood.
“Grandma,” Wang Qian couldn’t help but call out. In her past life, her grandmother was her only reliance, but sadly, she passed away before Wang Qian reached adulthood. After that, she shuttled between her parents’ two families and could no longer experience the warmth and care her grandmother had once provided.
“Hey, Qian Qian, you’re awake. Take a good look at who I am!” the old lady smiled and said to her.
Wang Qian’s memory painted this old lady as Grandma, a kind and gentle soul. “Grandma, I missed you,” this time she didn’t suppress her emotions, and she wanted to collapse into Grandma’s arms, crying out loud.
The old lady held her little granddaughter, patting her back gently. “Good girl, Grandma knows you’ve had a tough time these days. We won’t stoop to their level; our Qian Qian is the most sensible and good child in our family.”
The old lady’s soothing words gradually calmed Wang Qian, who stopped crying. In the past, when she was bullied by other children outside, Grandma would comfort her in the same gentle way.
“Grandma, why did you come alone? Where’s my little uncle and Grandpa?”