Qi Zhifang was sweeping the street haphazardly when someone came over and said, "Qi Zhifang, the police station called and wants you to go to the hospital. Your mother is quite ill!"

The person who came saw Qi Zhifang sweeping the streets in late autumn, wearing leather shoes, a red and black plaid woolen skirt, a green sweater over a white shirt, and a woolen coat of the same color as the skirt. Just looking at her like that, he couldn't help but feel a toothache!

Even on a blind date, you shouldn't dress like this. She's a middle-aged woman with chubby eyes, she'll be retired in a few years. Dressing so inappropriately, I'll pass on the message and head back quickly, so people don't gossip.

Qi Zhifang was stunned. She thought something was wrong with her mother. She quickly put down the broom and went to the workshop to find Wang Dong. When Wang Dong came out in his work clothes, he saw Qi Zhifang frowning and just staring at her coldly. Qi Zhifang said anxiously, "Dongdong, you need to ask for leave quickly. Your grandmother had a stroke yesterday and went to the hospital again. The police station just called and said things are not good. We need to go and see her right away."

Wang Dong's heart tightened, and he ran to ask his team leader for leave. Qi Zhifang sat on the back of his bicycle, and Wang Dong pedaled all the way to the Second Hospital. The mother and son went in, and Wang Dong rushed to the bedside, knelt down, and cried, "Grandma, what's wrong?"

Seeing Qi's mother with her mouth crooked and eyes slanted, he cried even more sadly. His hands trembled as he touched Qi's mother's hair and lay down by the bed to cry. Qi Zhifang looked around and found that Wang Hong was not there. He frowned and said, "Where did Wang Hong go? How did she take care of Grandma!" He turned around and went to the nurses' station, only to find out that Wang Hong had left for work early in the morning. Qi's mother had been alone for more than two hours.

There was no other way but to hurry back and pour out the hot water. I endured the nausea and washed Qi's mother before changing her pants.

Then, with tears in her eyes, she looked at Wang Dong and said, "Dongdong, what will your grandma do in the future?"

Wang Dong couldn't believe that his grandmother, who was always neat and tidy and meticulous in her clothes and life, no matter how poor they were, had become like this. He was very confused. Qi Zhifang sat to the side, lost in thought.

They stayed there for a whole day. At noon, Wang Dong went to get lunch. The two of them ate steamed buns, and he fed Qi's mother noodles.

Wang Hong rushed over without even eating dinner after get off work. Although Li Qiuxiang said she would take care of everything, Wang Hong was still worried. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her brother and mother were there. Then Qi Zhifang looked at her with a gloomy face and said coldly, "Where have you been? Didn't you stay with Grandma? Don't you know what your grandma is like? How could you bear to leave her alone in the hospital? She was so good to you when you were little! You ungrateful wretch, you heartless bastard! You only care about yourself!"

Wang Hong was stunned by the scolding, opening her mouth but not knowing what to say! Qi Zhifang turned her head to the side, "Go away, we don't need you! Go live your own life! Selfish, heartless, shameless..."

Faced with Qi Zhifang's incessant cursing, Wang Hong could only cry and didn't know what to say.

Wang Dong growled, "Stop arguing. Oh, and I wanted to ask, didn't you guys agree on how to replace him yesterday?"

Qi Zhifang choked, and Wang Hong cried as she said, "Yesterday, my aunt, my uncle passed away, and my mother passed away too. I'm the only one here keeping watch at night. My workplace doesn't allow advance notice of leave, and there's no one to cover my shift, so I called my sister-in-law, hoping she could put in a good word for me..."

Qi Zhifang was furious. "Are you brainless?! You tell her everything! Does she care whether your grandma lives or dies?!"

Wang Dong looked at Qi Zhifang and his angry voice squeezed out between his teeth, "She's a pig-brain, and what about you? You're smart! You left Grandma with Honghong to take care of, and she took care of her all night! Why didn't you say you'd come and relieve her today? What, you want to leave Grandma all to her alone?"

Qi Zhifang stammered for a long time, finally convincing herself, "I was just thinking of coming over after get off work! What's wrong with a young person staying up all night?..."

"Enough! It's always 'What's wrong with you? What's wrong with you!' We're perfectly fine when you're not home. But as soon as you come back, it's always something, it's so annoying!" Then, looking at Wang Hong's big dark circles, she said irritably, "Go back and rest first, and look at yourself."

Wang Hong hesitated and said, "Let me take care of Grandma!"

Wang Dong said, "If you stay up another night, are you even going to work tomorrow? If something goes wrong, it's a small matter if they deduct your salary, but if they fire you, your wife will skin you alive! Go back now and don't cause any more trouble!"

As she got up to leave with Wang Hong, Qi Zhifang stopped her, saying, "What are you doing? Are you all leaving? Leaving me all alone..."

Wang Dong said angrily, "I'll take Honghong back. Besides, Grandma is your own mother, she's the best to you. Can't you take care of her for one night?" Turning to Wang Hong, he said, "Come on, I'll take you back!"

The brother and sister walked out, and Qi Zhifang, still furious, turned and called Xiao Hu. When Xiao Hu arrived, Qi Zhifang threw herself into his arms and started crying again. (She then proceeded to recount her grievances... [20,000 words omitted])

As for Li Qiuxiang, she left a while early to find Zhao Aiguo. Before she even entered his office, she saw him showing off his ball skills on the playground!

He roared, "Zhao Aiguo!"

"Hey! They're here!"

Despite the cold weather, Zhao Aiguo was wearing black pants and a long-sleeved sailor shirt. When he saw Li Qiuxiang arrive, he put on his royal blue sweater, grabbed his black wool coat, and came over to say, "Sister Qiuxiang, what brings you here?"

"Come and see you, what do you have to eat?" Li Qiuxiang wasn't thinking of eating for herself, but rather that Wang Hong had stayed up all night yesterday, so she would probably just make do this morning and lunch.

Zhao Aiguo wiped his sweat with a towel and said, "Today it's just celery, green peppers, dried tofu, and fermented bean curd. There's not much meat!"

Li Qiuxiang handed over the lunchbox with the meal tickets and money, saying, "The fermented bean curd is delicious, get me a box!"

Zhao Aiguo said "oh," told Li Qiuxiang to wait in the office, and ran off. He returned shortly afterward with a lunchbox.

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