Chapter 36: Hospital

Old Lady Xue shouted, “I was wrong, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have cursed at you. Please, let me go!”

Meng Yufei asked, “Tell me, who exactly were you calling a cheap wench just now?”

Old Lady Xue’s gaze flickered toward Yin Guixiang, only to meet a pair of eyes filled with resentment.

Meng Yufei tightened her grip again, making Old Lady Xue scream in pain, “It was me! It was me! I was calling myself a wretched shrew!”

“That’s more like it. Remember, next time, watch your mouth when you’re in front of me.”

Meng Yufei flicked her hand and released Old Lady Xue, making her stumble back several steps. Clutching her wrist in pain, Old Lady Xue realized with shock that there wasn’t even a single mark on her skin—it looked perfectly fine.

Her heart trembled. I’ve run into a tough one this time…

“You… you people sure are something. I—I have things to do, I’ll just head out, alright?” With that, she turned and bolted out of the house.

A wise person doesn’t suffer immediate losses. Just wait until my son gets back—he’ll stand up for his mother!

Muttering to herself, Old Lady Xue ran off while still cradling her hand.

Meng Yufei walked over to Yin Guixiang, took a handkerchief from her bag, and crouched down to wipe the tears off the two children’s faces. They had cried so much that their faces were streaked with tears and snot, looking utterly pitiful.

Xiao Zhang, remembering the reason they had come in the first place, said to Yin Guixiang, “Sister-in-law, we actually came here with good news. You’ve been selected as a childcare at the kindergarten! Bring your identification documents to the personnel department tomorrow morning to complete the paperwork. If all goes well, you can start work next week.”

The resentment in Yin Guixiang’s eyes as she stared after Old Lady Xue gradually cleared. She snapped out of her daze and looked at Xiao Zhang uncertainly. “R-Really?”

Xiao Zhang nodded. “Absolutely.”

Yin Guixiang froze for a moment before hurriedly nodding. “Thank you… I—I understand. I’ll definitely go tomorrow.”

After wiping the children’s faces clean, Meng Yufei stood up and said, “Sister-in-law, you look pretty badly hurt. I think we should go to the military hospital and have you checked out.”

Yin Guixiang waved her hand. “N-No, it’s not that serious. I don’t need to go to the hospital.”

Meng Yufei insisted, “I think the children were really frightened just now. We don’t even know if they got hurt somewhere. It’s better to get them checked at the hospital.”

Xiao Zhang nodded in agreement. “That’s right. The hospital isn’t far. I’ll go with you.”

At the mention of the children, Yin Guixiang quickly crouched down and checked her daughters carefully. Seeing that they had no visible injuries, she let out a sigh of relief.

“Director Meng, thank you so much. The children are fine, so there’s no need for the hospital trip.”

She then invited the two of them to sit on the sofa and hurried to pour them some water. “I really appreciate your help just now. Sorry you had to witness such an embarrassing scene.”

Meanwhile, Meng Yufei went to the door and took her daughter, Xia Qinqin, by the hand. “Were you scared just now?” she asked gently.

Xia Qinqin shook her head. “Mom was amazing! You defeated the fierce old granny!”

Seeing that the two little sisters inside had finally stopped crying, Xia Qinqin asked, “Mom, can I have some candy from your bag? I want to give it to them.”

“Of course.” Meng Yufei handed her bag over. Xia Qinqin reached inside, grabbed a handful of candies, and walked over to the two girls. In a soft voice, she said, “These candies are really sweet. You should try them!”

Yin Guixiang brought over a cup of water and handed it to Meng Yufei. “Director Meng, have some water. Thank you for stepping in and helping just now.”

Meng Yufei took the cup and said, “As the saying goes, ‘family scandals shouldn’t be spread.’ Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone about what happened today.”

Yin Guixiang sighed helplessly. “Ever since she came here, what reputation do we even have left in the family compound? One more time or one less time doesn’t make a difference anymore.”

Meng Yufei said, “Since that’s the case, sister-in-law, don’t mind me meddling, but I really think you should go to the hospital.”

Yin Guixiang was puzzled. “Why… why do I need to go?”

Meng Yufei explained, “Going to the hospital isn’t just for treatment—it’s also to leave evidence that your mother-in-law hit you. You just said you don’t care if people find out, so why cover for her?”

Xiao Zhang chimed in, “Exactly! People need to know how vicious your mother-in-law is. She actually dared to lay hands on you!”

Meng Yufei continued, “Based on what you know about your mother-in-law, she just ran out of here. What do you think she’s saying to people right now?”

Yin Guixiang sneered mockingly. “She’s probably telling everyone that I hit her.”

Meng Yufei nodded. “That’s why you must go to the hospital. If you don’t, you’re just letting her spread lies unchecked. Are you really willing to swallow this injustice?”

“Of course not!” Yin Guixiang said angrily. “I wish I could tell everyone how wicked that old woman is.”

But after speaking, she hesitated and said, “But… she’s still my mother-in-law. If I do this…”

Meng Yufei replied, “She’s your mother-in-law, not your mother. You’ve been putting up with her for your husband’s sake, but look at how she treats you. Not only does she not care about saving your dignity, but she also doesn’t care about Commander Xue’s reputation either. A mother-in-law like that—what’s the point of tolerating her any longer?”

Yin Guixiang was momentarily stunned by her words. But after thinking carefully, she realized it made sense.

Xiao Zhang added, “Sister-in-law Yin, just look at how terrified your kids are. If you don’t fight back now, do you want them to keep going through things like this in the future?”

Hearing this, Yin Guixiang instinctively turned to look at her daughters. The two little girls huddled together, their eyes red from crying, their small bodies still trembling.

She then glanced at Xia Qinqin, who was holding a handful of candy and trying to comfort the sisters. The little girl was neat and clean, with her hair braided perfectly, wearing a crisp white dress, looking sweet and well-cared for.

Yin Guixiang’s nose tingled with emotion. She could endure suffering herself, but was she really going to let her children suffer too?

With this thought, she clenched her teeth and said firmly, “I’m going to the hospital! I won’t put up with her anymore!”

Before leaving, she remembered her youngest daughter and quickly went into the house to check on her. Fortunately, the little one was still asleep. She picked her up and carried her along to the hospital.

Meng Yufei and Xiao Zhang accompanied Yin Guixiang on the way. Her hair was still disheveled, and her face bore visible bruises.

“Oh my, what happened?”

“Who did she fight with? How did she end up like this?”

Along the way, curious neighbors from the family compound kept stopping to ask. Xiao Zhang loudly explained to each of them, “Sister-in-law Yin was beaten by her mother-in-law at home! She respected her as an elder and didn’t dare fight back. If we hadn’t happened to be there, who knows how much worse she’d be hurt by now?”

“Why did she hit her? Tsk, Old Lady Xue made the five-year-old wash dishes, but the child accidentally broke one. Instead of letting it go, she started hitting and scolding the poor kid! When Sister-in-law Yin tried to step in and plead for her daughter, she ended up getting beaten too.”

“Fortunately, the kids had their mother to protect them, but even so, they were scared out of their wits… To make sure they’re okay, we’re rushing them to the hospital now.”

As they made their way toward the military hospital, the gossip spread like wildfire. Before they even arrived, news that Old Lady Xue had beaten her daughter-in-law and granddaughters so badly they had to be taken to the hospital had already circulated throughout the family compound.

They had seen it clearly—Yin Guixiang’s hair had been yanked out in clumps, and there was a large wound on her face. The two little girls beside her looked completely terrified…

At the hospital, Doctor Huang heard that a family member from the compound had brought children for a check-up. She went over to take a look and saw a woman sitting on a chair with her hair in disarray, holding a child in her arms.

Standing beside her were two young women, each holding the hands of three little girls. Recognizing Xiao Zhang from the logistics department, Doctor Huang asked,

“Xiao Zhang, I heard someone from the compound came to see a doctor. Was it you?”

Xiao Zhang turned around and saw Doctor Huang standing at the door. She quickly pointed to the woman on the chair and replied, “Not me, I came to accompany Sister-in-law Yin.”

Doctor Huang looked at the woman on the chair again and finally recognized her—beneath the messy hair, it was Yin Guixiang. Shocked, she asked, “Yin Guixiang? What happened to you? Did Commander Xue hit you?”

Yin Guixiang shook her head. Xiao Zhang, standing beside her, explained, “It was her mother-in-law who did this. Look at her hair, how it was pulled out, and her face… Fortunately, Sister Meng and I arrived in time. Otherwise, who knows how much worse it would have been.”

Doctor Huang frowned deeply. “What happened? How could her mother-in-law hit her?”

Xiao Zhang pointed to Da Ya, who was still teary-eyed. “Her mother-in-law made Da Ya wash the dishes, and when the child accidentally broke one, she got furious.”

Doctor Huang sighed, “That’s completely unreasonable! Who makes a child this young wash dishes? And besides, does Commander Xue’s salary really not cover the cost of one broken bowl?”

Xiao Zhang nodded. “Exactly.”

Doctor Huang then asked, “Has the Women’s Committee been informed? Why haven’t they sent someone over?”

At this moment, Yin Guixiang spoke up, “Doctor Huang, ever since my mother-in-law came to the island, the Women’s Committee has already been troubled several times over the past few months. They’ve tried to mediate, talked to her repeatedly, but she’s completely unreasonable. I can’t keep bothering them anymore.”

Doctor Huang responded, “Does Commander Xue know about this? His mother and wife are fighting like this, and he can still focus on work?”

Yin Guixiang said bitterly, “He doesn’t have a choice. That’s his own mother—what can he do?”

Doctor Huang sighed. “The family compound exists to provide a stable home front for officers and soldiers so they can serve without worries. But with your mother-in-law causing such a mess, how can your home be stable? She’s even affecting the atmosphere of the entire compound.”

She then instructed Yin Guixiang, “Go back and tell Commander Xue that I said this—if he doesn’t handle this family conflict properly, I’ll have Old Li talk to him personally and make him reflect on his responsibilities. A man who can’t even manage his own household—how can he manage bigger things?”

Yin Guixiang nodded. “Alright, I’ll talk to him when I get back.”

At this moment, a nurse came over with iodine to disinfect the wound at the corner of Yin Guixiang’s mouth. The doctor examined the two little girls while Xiao Zhang stood behind Yin Guixiang, helping to tie up her disheveled hair.

Only then did Doctor Huang turn her gaze to Meng Yufei, who had been quietly standing to the side. Noticing the doctor’s look, Meng Yufei smiled and said, “Hello, Doctor Huang. I’m a family member of the 1st Regiment’s Xia Junshan.”

Doctor Huang suddenly realized, “Oh, you must be Xiao Meng! Weren’t you the one who solved the financial document issue the other day? Director Wang came to my house yesterday and couldn’t stop praising you.”

Meng Yufei smiled modestly. “Director Wang was too kind.”

Doctor Huang looked closely at Meng Yufei’s face, feeling an odd sense of familiarity. She asked, “Xiao Meng, I heard you’re from Haishi?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Do you know Meng Yueming?”

Meng Yufei was surprised. “She’s my mother. You know my mother?”

Both Meng Yufei’s mother and father had the surname Meng.

Doctor Huang smiled. “I thought so—you do resemble Teacher Meng in some ways. Over a decade ago, I did a two-year training program at Haishi People’s Hospital. Back then, your mother was the head nurse in our department, and she took great care of us interns who had come from out of town.”

Meng Yufei smiled. “What a coincidence.”

Doctor Huang sighed. “Time flies—it’s been over ten years already. I still remember listening to Teacher Meng’s experiences as a wartime nurse at Haishi Hospital. Her stories were a great inspiration to us young medical workers. Is she still working at the hospital?”

Meng Yufei replied, “Her health hasn’t been great, so she applied for early retirement two years ago. Now, she just does housework at home and occasionally meets up with friends.”

Doctor Huang nodded. “That’s good. The country is peaceful now, and veterans like your mother should be enjoying a comfortable life at home.”

Meng Yufei smiled. “My mother often says she only feels at ease retiring because the new generation of medical professionals is more than capable.”

Doctor Huang laughed. “You even speak like Teacher Meng—no wonder you’re her daughter. When you have time, come over to my place for a meal. Old Li mentioned last time that when Regiment Commander Xia’s family arrives, he wants to invite you and your husband over for dinner.”

Meanwhile, the nurse finished treating Yin Guixiang’s wounds and reminded her, “Alright, be careful not to get the wound wet for the next two days.”

The doctor also completed the check-up on the two children and said, “The kids aren’t physically injured, but they were frightened. Be mindful at night in case they have nightmares.”

Yin Guixiang nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, doctor.”

Hearing that the children were fine, Doctor Huang said, “I still have some medical records to complete. Xiao Meng, Xiao Zhang, stay with Guixiang and make sure she gets home safely. I’ll be leaving now.”

“Alright, take care, Doctor Huang.”

After seeing Doctor Huang off, Yin Guixiang asked the doctor to check on her youngest daughter. “She’s been sleeping a lot lately. Could you take a look?”

The doctor examined the sleeping child and gave a diagnosis.

“The child is mildly malnourished. You should improve her diet by adding more nutritious food, like eggs, minced meat, and fruit. If you can get milk, that would be ideal.”

Yin Guixiang thanked the doctor as she took her child back into her arms. Thinking about how her mother-in-law hoarded the eggs, she felt even more resentment.

Unable to hold back, she complained, “Ever since she came, she’s been holding onto all the ration coupons. If I don’t give them to her, she throws a tantrum and rolls around on the floor. She has no shame at all.”

Xiao Zhang, irritated, said, “Then don’t give her any! Let’s see how long she can keep making a scene.”

Meng Yufei added, “Sister-in-law, if I remember correctly, the ration coupons from the family compound are issued to you and your children. Your mother-in-law’s registration hasn’t been transferred here yet, has it?”

Yin Guixiang nodded. “No, her household registration is still with the production team. The grain and work points she gets every year all go to my eldest brother-in-law’s family.”

Xiao Zhang offered a suggestion. “Next time you go to collect the coupons, don’t give them to her. Those coupons belong to you and your children—they should be used for your own needs. Don’t worry, our finance department issues the coupons. From now on, you come and collect them yourself, and we won’t let your mother-in-law take them.”

Yin Guixiang nodded firmly, gritting her teeth. “Alright, I won’t give her the coupons anymore.”

Even if that old woman threw a tantrum and rolled on the ground again, she wouldn’t hand them over!

Meng Yufei then asked, “Sister-in-law, Doctor Huang told you to talk to Commander Xue about this. How do you plan to bring it up when you get home?”

Yin Guixiang sneered. “What’s the point of telling him? That’s his mother—there’s nothing he can do either.”

Meng Yufei said, “I think you should just tell him exactly what was said. Like you said, they’re mother and son. Commander Xue has spent his whole life with his mother—he grew up safely, became a soldier, and is now an officer. He must have his own way of dealing with her. You, on the other hand, should just focus on taking care of the children and living your own life. Let Commander Xue handle his mother’s issues himself. Don’t get involved in their mother-son matters.”

Xiao Zhang agreed, “Sister Meng is right. Commander Xue should handle this himself.”

Yin Guixiang nodded, thinking over Meng Yufei’s words with a thoughtful expression.

—

That afternoon, Deputy Director Fu attended a meeting at the army logistics headquarters. After the meeting ended, he walked out of the logistics building, preparing to return to the family compound, but someone called out to him.

“Deputy Director Fu, wait a moment. I have something to ask you.”

He stopped and turned to see who it was—Deputy Commander Chen from the 2nd Regiment.

“Commander Chen, what can I do for you?”

Deputy Commander Chen walked up to him and asked directly, “Deputy Director Fu, I want to know why my wife, Qi Huiying, wasn’t selected as a kindergarten teacher. She has a high school education, which is considered a good level of education here in our family compound, right? I heard that one of the three teachers selected this time only has a middle school education. Why was she chosen over my wife?”

Hearing this, Deputy Director Fu frowned slightly, then quickly regained his composure. “Commander Chen, here’s the situation—your wife, Comrade Qi Huiying, didn’t apply for the teacher position. She applied for the principal position.”

“The principal?” Deputy Commander Chen asked in confusion. “Are you sure there wasn’t a mistake?”

At home, Qi Huiying hadn’t mentioned what position she applied for—she only said she was going to work at the kindergarten. Naturally, he had assumed she applied for a teaching position. After all, hadn’t she been eyeing the elementary school teacher job before?

Deputy Director Fu replied, “There was no mistake. When she came to sign up, our staff even reminded her several times. Ahem… It seems that Comrade Qi Huiying felt that working as a kindergarten teacher would be beneath her qualifications.”

Noticing Deputy Commander Chen’s darkening expression, Deputy Director Fu continued, “Besides, the person competing for the principal position against her was Comrade Tian Ruizhi. She used to be the literacy class teacher here in the family compound, and before joining the army, she was an elementary school principal. Given her experience and background, wouldn’t you say she’s the most suitable choice for the kindergarten principal role?”

Deputy Commander Chen nodded. “Yes, Sister Tian is the perfect choice for the principal position. I see… I misunderstood the situation. Sorry about that, Deputy Director Fu.”

“No problem at all. Now that everything is clear, there’s no misunderstanding.”

As Deputy Commander Chen turned to leave, his face darkened—he was definitely going to have a serious talk with his wife when he got home.

—

After Meng Yufei and Xiao Zhang escorted Yin Guixiang and her children home, Xiao Zhang went to find Zhou Wenqian, while Meng Yufei took Xia Qinqin to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some fruit.

As they walked, Xia Qinqin clung tightly to her mother’s hand and asked, “Mom, was that mean grandma big sister Da Ya and little sister Er Ya’s grandma?”

In just a short time, she had already exchanged names with Yin Guixiang’s daughters and made friends with them.

Meng Yufei replied, “Yes, she’s Da Ya and Er Ya’s father’s mother.”

Xia Qinqin hesitated before asking, “Mom, do I have a grandma? Will she be as mean as big sister Da Ya’s grandma?”

Meng Yufei said, “I’ve never met her either, but your father told me she’s a gentle person. She wouldn’t scold people like that mean grandma.”

Xia Qinqin nodded. “Oh, that’s good. I don’t like grandmas who scold people.”

At the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, Zheng Sanmei was still selling fruit at her stall. By the afternoon, there weren’t many fruits left.

Zheng Sanmei saw Meng Yufei and Xia Qinqin and greeted them warmly, “Sister, you’re here! What fruit are you buying today?”

Xia Qinqin ran over and immediately spotted the pineapples—there were only two left. She pointed at the bigger one and said, “Hello, Sister! We want to buy this one!”

Zheng Sanmei smiled and said, “Wow, you really have a good eye! This pineapple looks sweeter than the other one.”

Xia Qinqin proudly put her hands on her hips. “It looks better too!” The prettier one must be sweeter!

Meng Yufei smiled and asked, “How much is this one?”

Zheng Sanmei said, “I’m about to close up, so I’ll give it to you for five mao.”

The bigger pineapple was supposed to be six mao, while the smaller one was five mao, but Zheng Sanmei charged the price of the smaller one.

Meng Yufei handed over five mao, took the pineapple, and said, “Thank you! I’ll come by again next time to support your business.”

“Of course, Sister, you’re always welcome!”

Meng Yufei then walked over to the vegetable stall next door, but most of the remaining vegetables were wilted. Even though they were cheaper, she decided not to buy any.

After thinking for a moment, she went into the supply and marketing cooperative and bought twenty eggs since they were almost out at home.

The shop assistant, Zhao Meixia, smiled as she packed up the eggs. “Director Meng, we were able to distribute this month’s ration coupons smoothly, and it’s all thanks to you!”

Meng Yufei took the eggs and smiled. “I was just doing my job. By the way, I happen to need your advice on something.”

Zhao Meixia quickly said, “Go ahead.”

Meng Yufei explained, “The family compound is building a kindergarten, and we need to buy some toys. Do you think the supply and marketing cooperative can help us get them?”

Zhao Meixia replied, “Purchasing is handled by Director Zheng. He’s in the office at the back—I’ll call him now.” She then went to fetch Director Zheng.

Director Zheng, a local man in his forties, listened to Meng Yufei’s request and readily agreed, “No problem. The supply ship is coming to the island tomorrow morning. I’ll ask the delivery worker from the department store to bring the items next time. Director Meng, just give me a list of what you need.”

Meng Yufei took out a notebook and pen from her bag and said, “Thank you! I’ll write it down now.”

Swings, slides, spinning tops, jump ropes, picture books, origami…

Children in this era didn’t have many toys, so Meng Yufei listed a few common ones and handed the list over. “Please try to get these if possible. If you can’t find everything, that’s okay.”

Director Zheng glanced at the list and, seeing that they were all common items, nodded. “Got it! Don’t worry—I’ll make sure to get everything. You can send someone to pick them up next Monday.”

Meng Yufei asked, “Do I need to pay in advance?”

Director Zheng waved his hand. “No rush. Pay when the goods arrive. We have a long-standing partnership with the supplier, and we settle accounts monthly.”

Meng Yufei smiled. “Alright, thank you so much.”

—

With everything settled, Meng Yufei carried the pineapple in one hand and the eggs in the other, walking home with Xia Qinqin.

“Qinqin, how about I steam some eggs for you when we get home?”

“Yes! Tonight, I want rice with eggs—I’ll eat two bowls!”