Chapter 89 Fake Collar felt that he deserved it, but also felt that this old man was...
Dong Xinghua felt a lump in her throat and almost burst into tears.
This nickname was something she only heard when her mother was around. Back then, her eldest sister was the eldest daughter, and she was the youngest, both treasures to their parents. After her mother passed away, her eldest sister soon went to the countryside, and her father remarried, marrying a new wife. She went from being the youngest daughter to the third child.
Dong Xinghua had some complaints against Old Dong, but he was her biological father after all. Seeing how miserable he was now, she felt sorry for him.
"Youngest, let's boil some water together so we can wash Dad's hair and give him a bath and change into clean clothes."
"Okay." Dong Fuyun sold all the socks in his hands at a low price. He had been looking for odd jobs outside these days, but there were too many people and too few jobs. He had been looking around for two days but still couldn't find a job that he could do.
Dong Fuyun lit the coal stove and boiled a pot of water.
Dong Xinghua used wooden boards and benches to build a temporary bed in the living room. The brother and sister put a thick coat and cotton pants on Old Dong, carried him to the temporary bed in the living room, and let Old Dong lie on the wooden bed with his head hanging in the air.
One of the siblings held Old Dong's head while the other filled it with hot water and washed his hair. Dong Xinghua hadn't washed his hair in over a month, so the first time she washed it, the shampoo barely worked up a lather, leaving it feeling greasy.
When flushing, the water that flows out turns gray.
Xu Heye took the basin containing the dirty water outside and poured it out. Dong Xinghua continued to wash for the second time. This time it was better, but the dirty water was still turbid after washing, but the color was lighter than before.
After washing it again, the water finally became clear again.
After rinsing off the foam, Xu Heye quickly picked up two pieces of honeycomb coal that was still burning in the boiler, put them in the brazier used for warming the fire, and brought it over to place next to Old Dong.
The old man's immunity is already poor due to his injury, and the weather is cold, so it would be bad if he caught a cold.
It doesn't matter that he is uncomfortable, it is his uncle and aunt who are suffering.
Dong Xinghua gave Xu Heye an approving look, adjusted the position of the brazier, found a towel, wiped Old Dong's hair, and used the heat from the honeycomb coal to dry his hair.
The heat from the honeycomb coal was quite good, and Old Dong's hair was dried in a short while.
Dong Xinghua combed her hair, and found every strand was distinct and very clean.
"Okay, it's clean."
She carefully touched the roots of her hair again. They were not damp at all; they were completely dry. Dong Xinghua nodded in satisfaction and dropped the wet handkerchief into the basin of dirty water.
She washed her hair, wiped her face and neck, but she was not happy with the dirty sweater on Old Dong.
"Youngest, is there any hot water in the pot?"
"Yes." The speaker was Xu Heye, who was the one who fetched and changed the water just now.
Dong Xinghua looked at Dong Fuyun and said, "Youngest, carry Dad inside and bring the brazier in. Once the room is warmer, we can wipe Dad's body and change him into clean clothes."
"Okay." The brother and sister took Old Dong back to the house, wiped his hands and feet, turned him over and wiped his back. As Dong Xinghua was wiping, she saw a pressure sore the size of a fingernail growing a little above the old man's tailbone.
Dong Xinghua's face turned completely cold. With so many people in the family, if everyone turned the old man over once a day, he wouldn't develop pressure sores in just a month or so.
But when they thought about how dignified the old man was when they first arrived, they felt it was not surprising that he developed a pressure sore.
She was too lazy to even wash her face, let alone care whether he had pressure sores on his body.
These are the eldest son and stepson whom the old man values most.
Dong Xinghua felt that he deserved it, but also felt sorry for the old man. She wiped him with iodine, changed him into clean clothes, and then took a pillow, placed it on its side, and let the old man lie on it to relieve the pressure on his back.
After covering herself with the quilt and bringing out the brazier, Dong Xinghua looked at Dong Hongfu and her voice lowered.
"Brother, did you know that the old man has a pressure sore on his back?"
"What?" Dong Hongfu was a little surprised. "How could this happen?"
The doctor said that bedridden patients should not lie still and need help from their family members to turn them over. Although Dai Ying did not go to work, he had seen his wife turning the old man over every morning and evening.
He looked at Dai Ying and said, "Wife, don't you turn Dad over every day?"
"Yes, right." Dai Ying's words lacked confidence.
In the first few days after the old man was discharged from the hospital, she did follow the doctor's instructions and turned him over every two hours, but later, when there were more things to do at home, she became a little lax.
"So you entrusted this matter to your sister-in-law, and just let it go and ignored it?" Dong Xinghua did not blame Dai Ying. After all, Dai Ying was just a daughter-in-law, not a child. It was her eldest brother Dong Hongfu who was really disappointing.
"Brother, you didn't even know that the old man had a pressure sore. If I hadn't been free today and came to wipe the old man's body, would you have waited until the flesh on Dad's back rotted and emitted a foul smell before you discovered it?"
"How is that possible?" Dong Hongfu said stubbornly, and then he began to blame Dong Xinghua, "Don't look for trouble, Third Brother. I'm a man, how can I serve others?"
"If you really care about Dad, why don't you come and take care of her yourself? If you don't come to serve her yourself, don't say that others don't take good care of her."
Dong Xinghua nodded. "You're right. If I don't take care of him myself, I have no right to blame others for not taking good care of him." She stretched out her hand and said, "Then return the two hundred yuan I gave you."
Daughters do not inherit their parents' property, so they bear no responsibility for supporting their parents in their old age. A typical married daughter who returns to visit her ailing parents might bring a few cans of food, a bag of egg cakes, and a few or so yuan in pocket money.
She had so much money to burn, so she gave him two hundred yuan. She felt that her father was paralyzed in bed, and her brother and sister-in-law from her mother's family had a hard time taking care of him. She wanted to give him more visiting money so that they could take better care of him.
Now it seems that Old Dong's son is not even as good as his neighbor. If he can't take responsibility, then he should return the money she gave him.
"No," Dong Hongfu refused immediately. "I've already spent the money you gave me on Dad. Besides, it's not right for a daughter to visit her old father, take some money, and then give it back."
Dong Xinghua sneered: "I knew it."
"Brother, you have to know that children are influenced by what they see and hear. You treat Dad like this now, so I'll see how your son treats you in the future."
Dai Ying became unhappy when she heard this.
"Third brother, don't talk nonsense. Our Kangtai is very filial!"
"Whatever you want." The siblings parted unhappily. As for Wang Sumei and Liu Qiang's family, Dong Xinghua didn't even bother to look at them, let alone say anything.
It was almost noon, and Dong Xinghua wanted to make some nutritious soup for her father. However, she had just had an argument with Dong Hongfu, and she was not willing to use their stove.
If we do it here, how can we not give them a share?
Xu Heye asked her aunt and uncle to go to her rental house, which was close and only took half an hour to walk there and back. She prepared the food there and put it in a thermos so it wouldn't be cold when she brought it over.
Dong Xinghua agreed when she heard this, so she took away the delicious fish and meat she had brought.
Dai Ying watched Dong Xinghua carry away the things she had brought, and immediately poked Dong Hongfu's arm, "Your little sister is really stingy. She bought some things and took them away before leaving."
"Let's go, let her take it all." Dong Hongfu was embarrassed and angry. "I don't care about her little thing. Do you think I can't eat a fish or a bite of meat without her?"
When she got home that night, Dong Xinghua discussed with her husband, "I want to take half a month off to take care of Dad for a few days."
Pang Li always put his wife's wishes first: "It takes so long, can your factory handle it?"
Dong Xinghua said, "Okay, there isn't much work in the factory recently, and they are planning to have us work in shifts. I took the initiative to ask for a half-month leave, and the team leader will be so happy!" After all, if she doesn't go to work, the shift assigned to her can be given to other workers, and everyone can get more wages.
"Okay." Pang Li said, and then said, "Wife, don't worry about taking leave. Our factory has made progress in the development of parts recently and has received many orders. After completing these orders, we will probably get a bonus." So even if Dong Xinghua didn't go to work, the money he earned could support the family.
Dong Xinghua leaned against Pang Li and said with emotion, "Thank you, husband."
Pang Li hugged her: "Why are you still so polite to me? Back then, I was busy with work, and you took care of Mom all by yourself. Now you want to take a few days off to take care of your father-in-law. Not only can I not take care of him myself, but I also stop you from fulfilling your filial duties. Am I still a human being?"
As for whether Old Dong treats his wife well, or whether he treats her less well than his brothers, that's something Dong Xinghua should weigh in. Dong Xinghua is willing to take care of Old Dong, and all he needs is his support as a husband.
Dong Xinghua immediately hugged Pang Li back: "Husband, you are so kind. It is worth marrying you."
"It's not a loss for me to marry you." Pang Li turned his head and looked at his wife's pretty face, his heart moving.
I have been busy working overtime recently and am exhausted. I fall asleep as soon as I get home every day and have no bad thoughts.
It was a rare opportunity to rest for half a day today. Pang Li grabbed his wife's hand and lowered his voice: "Are you tired from taking care of your father-in-law today? Why don't you come back to the house and let me massage your shoulders?"
Dong Xinghua knew what Pang Li was thinking. She glanced at him and stood up: "Let's go."
In the days that followed, Dong Taohua took the bus to the staff quarters every morning to apply medicine to Old Dong, turn him over, cook and feed him, and change his diapers. She would then take the bus home after dark.
The weather was cold, so Xu Heye discussed with her aunt to let her live with her for a while. It was more convenient to get from Zhangshu Lane to the family compound than taking the bus from her home for an hour or so.
That day, when Xu Heye came back from school, she saw Dong Xinghua washing clothes for Old Dong again.
"Aunt, didn't Grandpa just wash this sweater a few days ago?"
"It was just washed and changed for your grandpa yesterday. When I was feeding him this morning, soup dripped onto his collar." Dong Xinghua said as she rubbed the clothes, "You know, my aunt is a bit of a germaphobe and can't stand dirt. Although the oil stains are not many and not obvious if you don't look closely, I can't stand it." She knew there were oil spots on the clothes, so she couldn't help but look there. The more she looked, the dirtier it seemed, and she couldn't help but change the clothes for the old man.
Xu Heye glanced at the bamboo poles at the door of her house, which were covered with Lao Dong's clothes.
"You washed them all, does Grandpa have any clothes to change into?"
"He's bedridden and doesn't move around, so his clothes don't get dusty. If you want to keep them dirty, you can put a bib on him or a fake collar when he eats. That way, he doesn't have to take off his clothes to wash..."
"Good idea." Dong Xinghua slapped her thigh and looked at Xu Heye with surprise: "As expected, young people's brains are very useful."
"By the way, He Ye, what is this fake collar you're talking about?"
Xu Heye's breathing was a little rapid: "Aunt, don't you know what a fake collar is?"
Dong Taohua shook her head. "I know about collars, but I've never heard of a fake collar."
"I haven't heard of it?" Is it rare that the fake collar hasn't been made yet? Xu Heye was very excited. "I haven't heard of it, it's good that I haven't heard of it."
Xu Heye looked at her aunt, and she suddenly knew what business her uncle could do.
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