An ambulance trip costs 100 yuan, and Zhao Xiulian and Zhao Baojia are worried about the cost.

Even the old man in the hospital bed insisted on using a handcart.

Li Weidong, however, made the arrangements directly by phone.

"Money can be earned again, but once a person is gone, they're truly gone!"

He sighed, "Ambulances are expensive, but we're not short of money. Calling an ambulance is safer, and there are doctors watching over us on the way, so I feel at ease."

Zhao Xiulian couldn't refuse him, so she had to agree.

Most importantly, she was also worried about something happening on the road.

The ambulance arrived quickly, but it couldn't fit so many people.

Li Weidong immediately said, "Lili, you go home with your third uncle. Mom and I will accompany Grandpa to the county."

"Tell Ono when you get back that she shouldn't worry."

Zhao Xiulian then said, "Your brother and I might not be able to come back tonight. If you're scared, let Xiaoye stay at our house. She can go to school with you tomorrow."

Li Xiaoli objected: "I'm also worried about my grandfather, and I want to go and check on him with him."

"obedient!"

Li Weidong's face darkened: "Just go back. Ask the school for a day off tomorrow and take the bus to the county hospital with your uncle, understand?"

Zhao Baojia nodded: "Lili, your brother is right. We can't help if we go there. Let's go home first. I'll pick you up early tomorrow morning and we'll go to the hospital together."

Li Xiaoli reluctantly followed Zhao Baojia home.

Li Weidong and Zhao Xiulian got into the ambulance.

A doctor and a nurse from the county hospital arrived in an ambulance. After a brief examination of the old man, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"The patient is doing well. We'll schedule surgery after we get there, and there shouldn't be any major problems."

Li Weidong was immediately relieved.

Zhao Xiulian breathed a sigh of relief and grasped the old man's hand: "Dad, did you hear that? Everything will be alright after the surgery, don't worry!"

The old man nodded slightly but did not speak, his expression quite forlorn.

On the way, Li Weidong didn't stop working. He called Ji Dahai and asked him to help arrange a bed.

"Your maternal grandfather is my maternal grandfather too. Don't worry, I'll make sure this matter is arranged perfectly!"

Ji Dahai readily agreed: "Just come, I'll make the arrangements right now. Not only will I arrange a bed for you, I'll also arrange the best doctor in the county!"

Li Weidong laughed and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you. I owe you a favor. If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know."

Ji Dahai immediately beamed with joy: "No trouble at all, it's no big deal! I'll be asking you about starting a company later!"

Li Weidong had previously asked him to start his own company and offered to give him guidance, so he went back and began to study it.

He was just a hoodlum, good at running a restaurant, anyway, he was dealing with all sorts of people.

But when it comes to running a legitimate company, they are completely clueless about the ins and outs, having no idea whatsoever.

He was just worried about not daring to bother Li Weidong when the opportunity came knocking on his door.

Li Weidong agreed, said a few more words, and then hung up the phone.

Then I realized something was off.

The old man's eyes were red, and he looked as if he had been crying.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?"

Li Weidong asked anxiously, "Is your body in severe pain?"

According to the doctor at the township hospital, the old man probably had a burst fracture of the spine; it sounds painful.

He couldn't help but ask the nurse, "Nurse, my grandpa is in a lot of pain, is there anything we can do? Like painkillers or something."

"You can't take painkillers!"

The nurse scolded, "You have to bear the pain. You can only get medication after you get to the hospital and have an examination."

Li Weidong felt heartbroken and held his grandfather's other hand, saying softly, "Grandpa, don't be afraid, Mom and I are with you!"

"We'll be at the hospital soon, and the pain will subside after the surgery."

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, because once he did, tears immediately welled up in the old man's eyes.

The elderly man, nearing eighty, was already thin and frail; his weeping was even more heartbreaking.

Zhao Xiulian also started crying: "Father, please don't cry. It hurts my heart to see you cry! It's all my fault for not taking good care of you."

Li Weidong was at his wits' end: "Mom, why are you getting involved? My grandpa is upset, and your crying is just making things worse."

"Little sister, don't cry."

The old man finally spoke, patting Zhao Xiulian's hand: "Dad doesn't feel pain."

Hearing the familiar address, Zhao Xiulian cried even harder: "Dad, when have you ever cried? Don't try to comfort me. If it hurts, just scream it out. It'll make you feel better."

The old man's eyes dimmed.

Li Weidong's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but ask, "Grandpa, it's not your body that's hurting, it's your heart that's hurting, isn't it?"

Zhao Xiulian was stunned.

The old man looked at the roof of the car, two lines of tears streaming down his cheeks, his voice hoarse: "I've lived my whole life, and what I've always talked about is raising six children. Even when I'm old and die, it'll be lively, and I won't have to worry about them."

"But before I even died, my children refused to take care of me anymore."

He choked up as he said this.

Zhao Xiulian then realized what was happening and quickly said, "Father, you still have me, right? And you still have Third Brother, he's been saying he needs surgery too!"

The old man refused to speak again, but his tears flowed even more profusely.

Li Weidong saw this and sighed silently.

My aunts always say that the old man is biased, but in those days, it was good enough to have enough to eat and wear. How much bias could he have?

In his memory, his grandfather seemed to be an omnipotent superman.

While other families had maternal grandmothers, the maternal grandfather refused to remarry, saying that stepmothers would abuse the children, and he raised six children all by himself.

A man who is not only good at chopping wood and farming, but also adept at washing clothes and cooking at home.

When Li Weidong was a child, he often went to his maternal grandfather's house to play. Every time his grandfather went into the mountains, he would bring back some wild fruits or game. He would divide them into six portions and have Li Weidong deliver them to each of the families.

No one was ever left out.

Over the years, the old man has suffered a lot. He thought he could finally enjoy life after his children had all grown up and started their own families. But then he stumbled and fell, which revealed the true colors of his children.

Thinking of this, Li Weidong couldn't help but sigh.

The things my uncle and aunt said in the hospital ward were chilling even to me, an outsider, let alone my grandfather, who was directly involved.

He held the old man's hand and comforted him, "Grandpa, Mom is right, we're here for you! From now on, just focus on getting better and leave everything to us."

"Relax and get well soon, that's the most important thing."

The old man nodded, but his expression grew increasingly somber.

Even his grandson is so filial, yet his own son and daughter wish for his death. It's heartless!

Li Weidong knew in his heart that this was a knot in the old man's heart. He couldn't figure it out himself, and no amount of advice from others would help. So he could only sigh and stop talking.

We remained silent the whole way until we finally arrived at the county hospital.

Ji Dahai was actually waiting there. As soon as he saw him, he came up to him and said, "Brother Weidong, you've finally arrived!"

"Quickly, I've arranged everything!"