Chapter 151 A Lingering Ghost, a Woman's Headache

"Police officers! You must help me! My son has been rendered bedridden and unable to move by this heartless woman, and she even tried to run away with our money! Now she's beating this old woman! Is there no justice in this world?!"

Jiang Wanxia spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, coldly staring at Qian Xiaoxia on the ground. She then addressed the police and the surrounding patients, raising her voice: "She's spewing filth! My husband was in trouble, and I've been running around taking care of him for days. Everyone's eyes are sharp enough to see! I wanted to go to Shanghai to ask the Wang family for money to treat my husband! But she just showed up and started beating people without even asking what happened!"

"Yes, yes, Officer, this Comrade Jiang has really had a tough time."

“That’s right. She’s been taking care of everything these past few days, from cleaning up after her to changing her diapers. We’ve all been watching.”

The family members in the same ward couldn't stand it and spoke up for Jiang Wanxia.

Qian Xiaoxia sensed that the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, and her eyes lit up as she immediately came up with an idea.

She scrambled to her feet and pointed at Jiang Wanxia: "Fine! Since everyone says you're virtuous and good at taking care of people, then from today onwards, you must serve my son every step of the way, from eating and drinking to toileting and cleaning him up! If he makes even the slightest mistake, I'll skin you alive!"

Seeing this, the police mediated for a few moments, repeatedly emphasizing that fighting was not allowed in the ward, before leaving.

Qian Xiaoxia nodded repeatedly, saying she understood.

As soon as the others left, she immediately began to rummage through Jiang Wanxia's body like a thief, taking all the few dollars and grain coupons she had hidden in her inner pocket.

"How dare you hide money from your family! Do you even know that this money belongs to the Wang family?!"

Qian Xiaoxia put the money in her pocket and only gave Jiang Wanxia two dark cornbread buns and a small amount of pickled vegetables at mealtimes each day.

Jiang Wanxia was already having trouble eating and sleeping in the hospital, and now she was barely getting enough to eat. After a few days, she was so hungry that she was dizzy and unsteady on her feet, and she also had to endure Qian Xiaoxia's constant insults and nitpicking.

"You can't even clean my son properly! You're useless!"

"Look at you, you dead body! Are you trying to curse my son to die sooner?!"

Hearing this, Jiang Wanxia was so angry that she dared not speak out.

That day, she had another wicked idea.

While Qian Xiaoxia went out to get hot water, Jiang Wanxia quietly approached Wang Fang and Wang Jianhua and said, "Are you really just going to watch your mother throw all the money into this bottomless pit? The experts have said that her illness is just a waste of time. Once all the money is gone, what good will it do for you two to get married and live your lives in the future?"

Wang Fang was quick-witted, and upon hearing this, a clear hint of hesitation appeared on her face.

But Wang Jianhua, who was pampered by his family since childhood, didn't take Jiang Wanxia's words seriously at all: "Stop trying to sow discord here!"

He ignored all advice, turned around and ran out, telling Qian Xiaoxia everything Jiang Wanxia had said.

A few minutes later, Qian Xiaoxia rushed back with a kettle of boiling water, looking furious.

"You heartless, rotten bastard! You dare to instigate my son and daughter!"

She slammed the kettle down on the ground, grabbed her hair, and gave her another brutal beating.

In the afternoon, the ward door was pushed open, and a nurse walked in with a folder. Her clear voice was particularly loud in the ward: "Wang Jianjun's family, come and settle the fees for the past few days. We owe the hospital more than a thousand yuan, and we need to pay it off as soon as possible, otherwise the medication will have to be stopped tomorrow."

More than a thousand yuan?!

Qian Xiaoxia thought she had misheard, and she snatched the payment slip filled with dense numbers from the nurse's hand.

"So much? You're robbing me!"

The young nurse, used to this kind of scene, pointed expressionlessly to the form in Qian Xiaoxia's hand: "Everything on the form is written clearly, what medicine was used, what tests were done, all of which are life-saving. Take a look for yourselves. After you've looked at it, go to the window to pay."

Qian Xiaoxia, clutching the form, turned her head and saw Jiang Wanxia with a gloating expression.

She raised her hand and slammed the payment slip across Jiang Wanxia's face: "Go! Pay the money!"

Jiang Wanxia was stunned by the blow, then shouted incredulously, "Why! I don't have any money!"

The old woman had even taken all the few coins and food coupons she had on her!

"Why should I?" Qian Xiaoxia sneered. "It's because my son is lying here half-dead because he was trying to save your good sister Jiang Wanqiu! If it weren't for her, would my son be suffering like this? If this debt isn't owed to you, then who is it owed to!"

Jiang Wanxia was stunned by the scolding, but then she quickly realized what was going on.

yes!

Wang Jianjun became like this because he wanted to save that bitch Jiang Wanqiu!

Why should she bear the burden of this huge medical bill?

"You've got it wrong!" she pointed at the bill. "This money should be paid by my sister! My man got like this because he was trying to save her! She has to take responsibility for him and support him for the rest of his life!"

"I don't care which of you sisters will raise him, I won't give you a single penny! You have to get my son cured!"

At that moment, the ward door was pushed open.

Wang Jianjun's attending physician came in.

I just heard the nurse say that this family was arguing again, and sure enough, when I pushed the door open, I saw this tense scene.

He glanced at the lifeless Wang Jianjun on the bed, frowned, sighed, and kindly suggested, "Arguing won't solve anything. Isn't the patient's brother-in-law Zhao Wenchang? He's a soldier. Maybe you could contact the military hospital. Their medical conditions and resources are better than ours in the county. They might have a solution."

After the doctor finished speaking and gave a few more instructions about the patient's condition, he turned and went to the next ward.

Jiang Wanxia thought it was feasible.

She wanted to dump Wang Jianjun, this hot potato, along with the huge medical bill, all on Jiang Wanqiu and Zhao Wenchang! Not only that, she also wanted to use this as an excuse to leech off them like leeches and squeeze every last penny out of that little bitch Jiang Wanqiu!

She deliberately cleared her throat and said to Qian Xiaoxia, "Mom, the doctor is right. My brother-in-law is no ordinary person; he's a high-ranking officer in the military region! He has a lot of people under his command! Getting my husband to the military hospital is just a matter of a word for him, isn't it?"

A flicker of interest flashed in Qian Xiaoxia's eyes.

Seeing this, Jiang Wanxia added, "And... my sister has money! When she came back for the New Year, she bragged to me that she and my brother-in-law have ten thousand yuan in savings!"

"Ten thousand yuan?!"

Qian Xiaoxia listened intently, her eyes wide with surprise.

The abacus beads in her mind started clicking and clattering.

Curing my son's illness is important, but if... if I could get my hands on that ten thousand yuan...

Upon hearing that there was money to be made, Qian Xiaoxia, along with Jiang Wanxia and carrying the thin transfer application form, boarded the first long-distance bus to the military region early the next morning.

At the entrance of the military compound, the soldiers standing guard stood as straight as pine trees.

Qian Xiaoxia immediately put on a heartbroken expression, grabbed Jiang Wanxia, ​​and said that she was a military family member and had a huge injustice to appeal to her superiors.

The two were led to the office of Commander Le of the military region.

The office was simply furnished with a large desk, a few chairs, and a map hanging on the wall.

Chief Le was somewhat surprised to see the person who suddenly appeared.

He gestured to the chair opposite him and said in a calm voice, "Sit down. Tell me what's on your mind."

As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Xiaoxia suddenly knelt down on the cold cement floor with a "plop".

Her kneeling startled even Chief Le.

"Hey, what are you doing! Get up!"

"Commander! If you don't stand up for us, my daughter and I will die here today!"

Qian Xiaoxia didn't get up at all; she just started yelling at the top of her lungs.

She wailed while wiping away non-existent tears, rubbing her face until it was bright red.

Jiang Wanxia immediately reacted, kneeling down next to Qian Xiaoxia, her shoulders sobbing, her head bowed, looking weak and helpless, tears streaming down her face: "Commander...please, save my man..."

Seeing that her daughter-in-law was so understanding, Qian Xiaoxia cried even harder.

She recounted the story in a rambling, embellished manner.

In her words, Wang Jianjun became a living Lei Feng who "bravely risked his life to save Comrade Jiang Wanqiu," a great hero who responded to the call of the nation and sacrificed himself for others. Jiang Wanxia, ​​on the other hand, was a "good wife with affection and righteousness" who remained by her husband's side even when he was seriously injured and on the verge of death, and who emptied the family's savings to pay for his treatment.

She then turned her attention to Jiang Wanqiu.

“Sir, we’re not unreasonable people. My son saved someone, and I’m proud of that! But now the person is lying in the hospital, like a living dead, and the doctor says that if he’s not transferred to another hospital soon, he won’t survive! We’re so poor we can’t even afford to eat, where would we get the money?”

"The girl who was rescued is named Jiang Wanqiu. She just packed her bags and went to the army with her husband to enjoy a life of luxury, completely ignoring Jianjun! Her husband is even an officer! They live a life of luxury, while Jianjun doesn't even have money to save his life! This... this is outrageous!"

She was sobbing uncontrollably, and when she got emotional, she even banged her head on the ground, making a dull thud.

Chief Le frowned deeply. He glanced at the crumpled transfer application that Qian Xiaoxia handed him, then gave a sharp look at the sobbing Jiang Wanxia.

As a leader, he had seen many situations, and the more agitated the other party was, the more suspicious it indicated.

He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table and said in a deep voice, "It is a soldier's duty to save lives. Comrade Wang Jianjun's actions deserve recognition and praise."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I agree in principle to accept the patient from the hospital. It's a matter of life and death, so we should transfer the patient here first to receive the best treatment."

Upon hearing this, Qian Xiaoxia was overjoyed, but then Chief Le said, "As for the compensation you mentioned... we understand the family's feelings, and we will consider it accordingly. Now, I will send someone to call Zhao Wenchang and his family over so we can confront them face to face."

Although she was not satisfied with the result, she knew she couldn't push too hard and could only agree for now.

Soon, there was a knock on the office door.

Zhao Wenchang and Jiang Wanqiu walked in one after the other.

When Jiang Wanqiu saw Jiang Wanxia and Qian Xiaoxia kneeling on the ground, crying their eyes out, she felt a headache coming on.

The ghost lingers.