Chapter 33: Full Recovery

Meanwhile, Qiao Dalong dropped Lei Honghua and her family off at the clinic and prepared to leave.

The tractor wasn’t collective property anymore. When the production teams were dissolved, everything accumulated over thirty years was quickly distributed.

Besides small items like farm tools, baskets, and carrying poles, there were five cows, a mule, a hand-tractor, a diesel engine for grinding flour, a water pump for irrigation, and other large items.

Their family held several meetings to get the tractor.

His father, uncles, and four brothers, along with over a dozen cousins, gave up all the large items and even contributed money to the team to secure the tractor.

For years, several families shared it, using it for trips to town.  The money earned was shared among the four families.

He didn’t like lending it out, even to villagers.

Lei Honghua and Qiao Jiuwang weren’t good at socializing. They borrowed it this morning without offering gas money or even a thank you. Now, it’s almost dinner time, and they’re borrowing it again.

If it weren’t for the fact that Qiao Dalong had to call Qiao Jiuwang “uncle” and it involved a life-threatening situation, he wouldn’t have made the trip.

Did they think the tractor ran on air and didn’t require maintenance?

When the team divided the large items, Qiao Jiuwang didn’t want any, only money. He claimed he had many sons and plenty of labor, taking a lot of money home. Now, he needed to borrow a tractor.

If they didn’t show their appreciation this time, he wouldn’t lend it again.

Seeing the family get off, Qiao Dalong didn’t say a word and drove off quickly.

“Hey, Dalong, Dalong! Give us a hand, carry Jianguo inside!”

Ignoring them, Qiao Dalong sped away.

Qiao Jianguo, a grown man who had never been short of food, was tall and weighed over 120 jin (about 120 pounds).  Qiao Jiuwang struggled to carry him.

Lei Honghua helped, and together they carried Qiao Jianguo inside.

“Doctor, doctor, come quickly, save him!”

The nurse and doctor on duty were startled by Lei Honghua’s cries.

Seeing Qiao Jianguo was still moaning, they relaxed a bit.

“Where does it hurt?  Lie down here, don’t move.”

“Pain? Right ribs? Here?”

“Aaahhhh! Pain, pain, pain!” Qiao Jianguo cried out when the doctor gently touched him.

After examining him, the doctor saw bruises and concluded he’d been run over by a heavy object.

The doctor gave a diagnosis.

“Yes, it’s a rib fracture, and a minor crack in his right leg.  Go through the admission procedures…”

Lei Honghua cried, “Doctor, doctor, is my son alright?”

“It’s not serious.”

“His ribs are broken, and it’s not serious?  If the ribs pierced his heart, would he die?” Lei Honghua asked tearfully.

The doctor instinctively replied, “If it pierced the heart, he would die, but don’t worry.”

“Waaaaah, why wouldn’t I worry? Isn’t the heart under the ribs? Waaaaah, doctor, please save my son!” Lei Honghua slid to her knees and grabbed the doctor’s leg.

“Ma’am, please get up. The heart is on the left side; your son’s injury is on the right, lower down. Don’t worry!”

Despite the doctor’s explanation, the family remained doubtful.

Qiao Jiuwang anxiously went to Qiao Fangfang to borrow money.

Qiao Fangfang lived in a nearby village with her in-laws.  Seeing Qiao Jiuwang, she knew it must be serious for him to come so late at night.

Though prepared, she was still shocked to hear about her brother’s hospitalization.

She went back to her room, took her dowry money, told her in-laws, and went to the hospital with Qiao Jiuwang.

Qiao Fangfang’s husband, Deng Ming, also told his parents and followed.  As her son-in-law, he should be there.

Qiao Jiuwang had four sons but only one daughter, Qiao Fangfang, whom he loved dearly.  He wasn’t like other families who favored sons, so Fangfang had a good life and a close relationship with her parents.

As Qiao Jiangxin expected, Lei Honghua’s family didn’t return that night.

The next day, when Qiao Jiangxin woke up, Qiao Youfu and Qiao Youcai were already in the fields.

They were farmers; grain was life.  Even though they planned to split the family, they couldn’t let the crops rot.

Liu Afang’s pregnancy was important not only to Qiao Youcai and Qiao Jiangxin but also to Qiao Youfu.

There’s a saying in the countryside: “A nephew standing at the door means the family line isn’t broken.”

He and Youcai were brothers, raised and worked together, rarely apart.  Their bond was stronger than their relationship with their father, Qiao Jiuwang.

Previously, Liu Afang had handled everything: raising the chickens and pigs, washing clothes, cleaning, fetching water, cooking three meals a day.

Now, the chickens and pigs were gone, and Qiao Jiuwang’s family wasn’t home.

Liu Afang felt restless and wanted to go to the fields to pick corn.

Qiao Youfu and Qiao Youcai disagreed, but Qiao Jiangxin said, “Let Mom go. She can do some light work, nothing too tiring.

Jianguo’s injury isn’t serious.  They left in a hurry yesterday without taking anything.  If they return and find Mom alone, she’ll be at a disadvantage. We’ll pick the corn and dry it on the mountain; no need to rush back. Mom can husk corn in the shade.”

As the sun rose, Qiao Jiangxin followed Qiao Youfu and his brother, picking corn.  Although she’d done this work before, she hadn’t done it in over a decade.

Despite wearing long sleeves, the sharp corn leaves seemed to have eyes, scratching her face, neck, and wrists.  The burning pain and itch accompanied her sweat.

After carrying the corn to a nearby tree, Qiao Jiangxin stopped picking and used a sickle to cut the half-dry corn stalks.

At the town clinic…

Qiao Jianguo, with a leg cast, lay in bed, talking animatedly.

The doctor said he was fine; the rib fracture and leg crack weren’t life-threatening and wouldn’t affect him long-term.  He’d made a full recovery.

Recalling his ordeal, he spoke rapidly.

“Liu Afang, that bitch, gave me these bumps on my head. She’s quiet, but she’s vicious.  And Qiao Youfu, that bastard! 

He’s my own brother, and he did this to me!

If I hadn’t been lucky, I’d be dead.”