Chapter 5 : Going to the Health Station

Han Lei hurried over, pushing a cart that was prepared with a straw mat and quilt.  

Following close behind him was Sun Dashu, dripping with sweat, clearly having just returned from work.  

Sun Dashu had been working on a plot of land at the westernmost edge of the fields, a place that required a half-hour walk each way.  

“Brother, I’ve borrowed the cart. Let’s take my sister-in-law to the health center right away,” Han Lei said.  

Without worrying about propriety, Han Zhenyu picked up Su Xieqiu and carefully placed her on the cart. Then he turned to the two men and said, “I can handle it alone. You’ve both been working hard all day, go back and rest.”  

Han Lei took hold of the cart and said, “Brother Zhenyu, let me go with you. It’s better to have someone there to help.”  

Sun Dashu chimed in, “I’ll come too.”  

Some young men who were friends with Han Zhenyu also offered to lend a hand.  

However, their families, wary of Han Zhenyu’s reputation, quickly intervened. They feared that associating with him might lead their sons astray, and sternly forbade them from going.  

Most villagers disapproved of Han Zhenyu’s lifestyle, seeing him as someone who didn’t take responsibility seriously. They believed he was bound to cause trouble sooner or later and discouraged their families from getting too close to him.  

Unfazed by the onlookers’ judgmental gazes, Han Zhenyu politely shook his head at his friends’ offers.  

“No need,” he said. “Leizi, Dashu, and I can manage. You’ve all been busy today, go home and rest early. Sorry for causing trouble for everyone.”  

The young men, restrained by their families and feeling embarrassed, responded hastily, “It’s no trouble at all. If you need help, just let us know. Don’t be so formal.”  

Han Zhenyu nodded in acknowledgment, then hurried off toward the commune with Han Lei and Sun Dashu.  

As the cart rattled along, Su Xieqiu felt the jolting movement churn her stomach, almost making her throw up everything she had eaten earlier.  

She realized pretending to be unconscious wasn’t the best idea if discovered, it could be humiliating.  

Opening her eyes slowly, she accidentally locked eyes with Han Zhenyu.  

His gaze was deep and enigmatic, with a straight nose, chiseled features, and an aura of understated masculinity.  

Even his patched, coarse clothing couldn’t conceal his presence.  

Recalling the original owner’s memories, Su Xieqiu noted that this man was only three years older than her, just twenty-one but carried himself with an air of maturity far beyond his years.  

She nearly gawked in disbelief. The original owner must have been blind.  

To overlook such a man and instead pine for the unfaithful, refined-looking boyfriend from the city?  

No, not just blind, utterly clueless.  

Han Zhenyu broke the silence, his voice calm, “Awake?”  

Snapping out of her thoughts, Su Xieqiu quickly nodded. To avoid drawing suspicion, she covered her forehead and closed her eyes again, pretending to be in discomfort.  

“Just hang on for a bit longer, we’ll reach the commune soon,” Han Zhenyu said evenly. He added, “There are quilts in the cart, cover yourself if you’re cold.”  

Imitating the original owner’s demeanor, Su Xieqiu awkwardly replied, “Hmm,” and fell silent.  

But inwardly, she was grumbling: ‘This man is so detached. Couldn’t he at least offer to cover me up?’  

Clearly, he didn’t have any affection for the original owner either.  

‘But that’s a good thing,’ she thought. ‘It’ll save me trouble in the long run.’  

Meanwhile, Han Lei and Sun Dashu, pulling the cart at the front, listened to the couple’s stiff exchange and couldn’t help but find it odd.  

How could they possibly look like a couple? If you didn’t know them, you’d think they just met today.  

But then, remembering how Brother Zhenyu and Su Xieqiu had gotten married, it seemed normal after all.  

Although the villagers didn’t think highly of Brother Zhenyu, calling him a gangster who loitered around all day and never worked, both Han Lei and Sun Dashu knew better. They knew Brother Zhenyu wasn’t like that, and he was quite capable in his own way.  

When they reached the commune health center, Han Zhenyu asked Su Xieqiu, “Can you walk by yourself?”  

Su Xieqiu got out of the cart and said, “Yes.”  

Han Zhenyu pulled out two packets of biscuits from his bag and handed them to Sun Dashu and Han Lei. “Eat something to fill your stomach. I’ll take her in to see the doctor.”  

The two men, already hungry after a long day of work, didn’t bother with pleasantries and took the biscuits immediately.  

Sun Dashu said, “Brother Zhenyu, we’ll wait for you and sister-in-law here.”  

Han Zhenyu nodded and led Su Xieqiu inside the health station.  

The doctor saw the large cut on her forehead and exclaimed, “You’ve been injured for a few days, right? Why didn’t you come sooner?”  

Su Xieqiu was honest with the doctor and explained, “I was beaten by my sister-in-law. I couldn’t get up from bed. I was unconscious for two days and just woke up today.”  

The doctor was taken aback, glancing at Han Zhenyu, whose face had darkened. The doctor didn’t ask any more questions.  

While bandaging Su Xieqiu’s wound, he said, “You’re really careless. Why didn’t you come see a doctor earlier when the injury was so serious? Aren’t you worried about it getting worse?”  

Su Xieqiu remained silent.  

Han Zhenyu asked, “Doctor, does she need to be hospitalized?”  

The doctor thought for a moment before replying, “Although hospitalization isn’t necessary, she should stay for a while. It’s a big cut, and it’s on her head. She needs to rest and take good care of herself for the next few days.”  

He added after a pause, “If you can, give her some good supplements to help her recover faster.”  

“Okay, I understand. Thank you, doctor.”  

The doctor disinfected Su Xieqiu’s wound, gave her some anti-inflammatory medication, and wrapped the injury with gauze.  

“It’s all set,” the doctor said, handing Han Zhenyu a prescription. “I’ve prescribed some anti-inflammatory drugs. Go to the pharmacy and get them.”  

Han Zhenyu took the prescription and said, “Thank you.”  

The two of them went to the pharmacy next. Han Zhenyu went to get the medicine, while Su Xieqiu stood by and waited for him.  

Looking around at the old-fashioned hospital, Su Xieqiu sighed deeply in her heart.  

Did God think she hadn’t suffered enough in her previous life?  

Was this why she was sent to this difficult era, to experience even more hardship?  

Based on the memories of this body, it was now 1970, nearly nine years before the country’s reform and opening up.  

In this time, you needed a letter of introduction to go anywhere. Without one, you would be considered a vagrant or, worse, a spy.

The relatives in the original owner’s city were unreliable, and Su Xieqiu wasn’t planning to go back to find them.

It’s better to stay in the village for the time being. At least for the next few years, the countryside will be more stable than the city.

As for this worthless husband, if they could continue living in peace like before, it would be fine to stay in this situation.

If Han Zhenyu disagreed, they could divorce, and she could return to the Youth League Home.

Han Zhenyu took the medicine and saw her standing there in a daze. With the bandage on her head, she looked so thin that it seemed like she could be blown away by the wind.

He shook his head helplessly, feeling somewhat disappointed. How could this woman be so foolish?

Han Meili was younger than her and not as tall, so how could she end up in such a state?

Couldn’t she fight back? Why just stand there and let herself be beaten?

He sighed inwardly and began thinking about how to send this big trouble back to the city as soon as possible.

Han Zhenyu walked up to her and said, “Let’s go back, Lei Zi and Da Shu are still waiting outside.”

Su Xieqiu snapped out of her thoughts and nodded slightly, “Okay.”

The two walked out of the health station one after the other.

Han Lei and Sun Dashu were sitting on the cart, chatting. When they saw them coming out, they asked with concern, “Brother Zhenyu, is sister-in-law okay?”

“The doctor said the wound is deep, and because it’s on her head, there might be long-term effects. So, I’m planning to report to the police tomorrow and have Han Meili and Zhang Qianyun explain themselves. They could be facing charges of attempted homicide.”

Han Zhenyu was planning to subdue the old Han family this time so they wouldn’t dare to harm Su Xieqiu again in the future.

It seemed unlikely he’d be able to send this woman back to the city immediately.

But there was a lot he still needed to do, and it would be impossible to stay at home with her every day. He needed to think of a way to prevent further problems.

Han Lei and Sun Dashu were shocked. “Brother Zhenyu, is my sister-in-law’s injury really that serious? The doctor said there might be sequelae?”

Han Zhenyu replied seriously, “She’ll probably suffer from frequent headaches and won’t be able to do any heavy work in the future.”

Su Xieqiu listened to his exaggerated claims and quietly lowered her head.

Unexpectedly, Han Zhenyu had already thought of a solution.

In that case, she decided to ignore the rest of the matter for now and let this man handle it.

In name, he was the husband of this body, so it was only right for him to take charge and settle things.