Chapter 18: Lei Honghua’s Lifeline

The village’s part-time doctor (treating the sick and working in the fields when not) rushed in, carrying a medicine box, “Where, where?”

Qiao Jiangxin quickly raised her hand, “Here, Uncle Haimou, here. Look at my father’s wrist, the veins are showing.”

Lei Honghua grabbed Liu Haimou as he passed by, “Haimou, my Jianguo, quickly treat my Jianguo.”

Qiao Jiangxin stood up and was about to kick Qiao Jianguo.

Lei Honghua screamed and quickly released Liu Haimou, crouching to shield her son.

Qiao Jiangxin pulled Liu Haimou over and said to Lei Honghua, “I tell you, if you keep interfering, your son will suffer. My father just needs medicine and a bandage, but Fourth Uncle needs stitches. If you keep making a fuss, no one will be treated.  Decide whether Fourth Uncle or my father is more important.”

Qiao Jiangxin’s tone was cold, implying that if she continued to interfere, no one would receive treatment.

Qiao Jiuwang’s face darkened, his jaw muscles bulging.  He didn’t speak, meeting Qiao Jiangxin’s sharp gaze.

Liu Haimou was about the same age as Qiao Youcai, having grown up together. However, he had more education and, thanks to the village chief’s uncle, had been selected for a month-long training program at the county hospital. He later became the village doctor.

But he still had to work in the fields during collective work. Qiao Youcai’s brothers were capable, and the village chief often paired him with Qiao Youcai or Qiao Youfu when assigning work points.

He had long been sympathetic to Qiao Youcai’s brothers.  Ignoring the howling Qiao Jianguo, he carefully disinfected, medicated, and bandaged Qiao Youcai’s wrist.

“I’ll give you some oral and topical medicine later. This injury… be careful, if it damages the tendons, it will have long-term effects.”

Lei Honghua was anxious, urging him repeatedly.

Liu Haimou didn’t delay. After bandaging Qiao Youcai, he quickly attended to Qiao Jianguo.

“Bring a long bench, have Jianguo lie on it.”

“It will hurt. If you can’t bear it, bite on a towel. Uncle Jiuwang, you should hold him down.”

Liu Haimou used a fishing-like hook to sew the wound, pulling the thread while using forceps to push the fat back in. Qiao Jianguo’s screams were hoarse, attracting half the village.

Finally, he finished stitching Qiao Jianguo’s wound.  While applying the bandage, Liu Haimou instructed, “Change the dressing morning and night, take the medicine three times a day, don’t touch the wound, and don’t move too much when using the toilet. If the stitches break, it needs to be sewn again.  Don’t get it wet.”

He cut and applied the bandage, then took out two bottles of medicine and some cotton and gave them to Lei Honghua.

While putting away his tools, he said, “One oral medicine, one topical medicine.  A total of 11.7 yuan. Jianguo’s is 10.6 yuan, and Brother Youcai’s is 1.1 yuan.”

Lei Honghua glared at Qiao Youcai and went into the house to take out 10.6 yuan, giving it to Liu Haimou, “Whoever used the medicine should pay for it. Jianguo almost died, should I pay for him? Do you think I’m Guanyin Bodhisattva?”

Qiao Youfu turned to Qiao Jiuwang, “Dad, our earnings are all in Mom’s hands. Mom should pay.”

Lei Honghua retorted, “How much do you earn? Don’t you eat or drink? Aren’t you capable?  Aren’t your wings hard enough to fly? Why are you asking me for a little over a yuan? I tell you, don’t expect me to pay a cent!”

Looking around at the onlookers, Lei Honghua shouted, “Everyone knows that when I married into the Qiao family, these two brothers were only ten years old.  For so many years, didn’t I provide for them?  Now, they’ve become my enemies. They eat my food and curse at me!”

“Outsiders think I’m a bad mother, but only I know the bitterness I’ve endured. Woo woo woo, I thought we were family, I swallowed my teeth,”

Remembering the recent commotion, Lei Honghua’s tears flowed freely. This wasn’t fake crying; this was real grief.

Yesterday, a chicken was killed, and she was beaten by her husband.  This morning, another chicken was lost, she almost had her throat cut by Qiao Jiangxin, and the other two chickens were killed this morning. Her fourth son was beaten black and blue.

Her husband finally returned, and she thought he would help her get revenge, but her precious son received eleven stitches.

“Woo woo woo, I don’t care about family secrets being revealed…”

Qiao Jiuwang interrupted Lei Honghua, “Enough, what are you all doing here?  Disperse! What’s there to see? Has the harvest been brought in?”

Qiao Jiuwang didn’t want people to know about his family’s problems.

Regardless of whether Lei Honghua or Qiao Youfu’s brothers were right, they were being ridiculed, and people said he, the head of the family, had no authority.

Lei Honghua was sobbing and complaining to an older woman, but Qiao Jiangxin was impatient and said to Qiao Jiuwang, “Grandpa, do you think we shouldn’t pay for my father’s medical expenses?”

Lei Honghua’s sobs softened, listening for Qiao Jiuwang’s response. She wouldn’t pay.  Medical expenses used to be recorded and deducted from work points at the end of the year.  After land reform, there were no more work points, and several villagers with outstanding medical bills refused to pay. Now, cash payment was required for medical treatment.

If they didn’t have money, they had to borrow.  They couldn’t owe Liu Haimou.

She was doing this on purpose. She wouldn’t pay, and she would see who would lend money to those brats. She wanted to crush those ungrateful sons into the dust.

Qiao Jiuwang chased away the onlookers and slammed the door shut, blocking out their view.

He also wanted to suppress his sons. They were getting too arrogant. He wanted everyone to know that he, Qiao Jiuwang, was the one in charge of this family.

“Now you call me Grandpa? It’s useless. If you have money, you can see a doctor, if not, don’t. It’s not a serious illness.  You think the family money grows on trees?”

Lei Honghua’s smug smile was wiped away when Qiao Jiangxin said, “Fine, we’ll pay ourselves. Uncle Haimou, we’ll pay with something else.”

Qiao Jiangxin ran to the kitchen and returned with a cleaver.

Lei Honghua, remembering the knife at her throat that morning, tensed up.

But Qiao Jiangxin didn’t approach her. She went to the pigsty next door.

The pigsty held two pigs, the family’s most valuable asset, their income depending on selling them at the end of the year.

The pigs were bought at the beginning of the year and now weighed over a hundred kilograms each. Qiao Jiangxin and Liu Afang took care of them. They were Lei Honghua’s lifeline.

The pigs, thinking they were about to be fed, approached Qiao Jiangxin.  Lei Honghua, seeming to understand what was happening, screamed, “Aaaaaah, stop her, stop her!”

Ignoring Lei Honghua’s screams, Qiao Jiangxin swung the cleaver at the pigs.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah”

Lei Honghua’s scream drowned out the pigs’ screams.

Then, with a thud, Qiao Jiangxin turned to see Lei Honghua lying straight on the ground.