Chapter 213: Visiting the Sick They could all see that Elder Qiao was afraid that he would not live long...
Chapter 213 Visiting the Sick
"Knock, knock!"
Li Zhonghua knocked on the office door and reminded him softly, "Minister, you have a GATT group meeting in half an hour.
At 10:30, you will meet with representatives of foreign companies attending this year's Federation of Industry and Commerce Entrepreneurs Summit. You have a speech to make.
There is a banquet for foreign guests at noon and you are required to attend... "
Yan Jiuru nodded, scribbled a few notes on his notepad, and glanced at his watch. "The lunch reception... isn't Vice Minister Wang here? Let him represent the Ministry of Commerce. I need to go visit Mr. Qiao."
Li Zhonghua hurriedly wrote it down: "Okay."
Mr. Qiao was the deputy director of the Organization Department whom Yan Jiuru and Chen Yin met when they first came to Yancheng.
Now that I am old, I have retired and enjoyed my benefits long ago.
But he had ruined his health by working in the revolution when he was young, and after retirement he suffered from all kinds of illnesses.
A few days ago, Yan Jiuru called Mr. Qiao to ask about the issue of local governments using the amount of investment they attract as a measure of political achievement and taking kickbacks, only to find out that Mr. Qiao was ill and hospitalized.
For old comrades of their age, every hospitalization is very risky. It can even be said that they may not be able to leave once they are admitted.
Yan Jiuru turned down the scheduled reception because Mr. Qiao’s son said that his father was in great danger this time, after all, he was over eighty years old. . . . .
In the past few years, Yan Jiuru has witnessed the departure of several old leaders, including the old general who was left in Yunci Temple.
Human power is limited. Even gods have to go through tribulations, let alone mortals.
No one can live forever.
Yan Jiuru sighed lightly, called Chen Yin, and made an appointment to visit her at Xishan Sanatorium at noon.
He had a feeling that this might be the last time they met.
***
As soon as the meeting speeches at the Federation of Industry and Commerce ended, Yan Jiuru left early.
The leaders of the Federation of Industry and Commerce originally had some opinions about his absence from the luncheon, but after hearing his explanation that he was going to visit Mr. Qiao, they expressed understanding.
Even the second-in-command visited Mr. Qiao during his hospitalization, which shows that he is not in good condition. It is only right that those with connections should rush to visit him.
Before leaving, Yan Jiuru contacted Chen Yin first: "Are you done with your work? I'll pick you up now."
Chen Yin looked up from her computer, checked the time on her wrist, and replied, "Okay. By the way, do you still have that ginseng wine you used to make? Let's take two bottles and buy a fruit basket at the store when we pass by."
Although the ward is certainly filled with various fruits and supplements, visitors will never go empty-handed, so they still have to prepare what they need.
"good."
***
The low-key yet domineering Red Star sedan stopped in front of the Computer Information Center building, and the security guards stood much straighter than usual.
Chen Yin came downstairs with her handbag and smiled slightly when she saw this. This was always the case every time this car came to pick her up, so she was used to it.
After leaving the office building and approaching the car door, she knocked on the car window twice, opened the door, and wrinkled her nose. "Why are you still smoking?"
"Oh, I just had a cigarette."
Yan Jiuru quickly extinguished the one in his hand, destroyed the corpse, and activated a cleaning talisman to make the air fresh.
Chen Yin rolled her eyes at him, got into the passenger seat, and put her handbag at her feet: "Is the wine ready? We're passing by Zhongbai Grocery Store, why don't we stop there?"
Yan Jiuru reached back and grabbed a plain paper bag from the back seat. "I found two bottles. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten about it. I haven't brewed it in all these years."
"I haven't forgotten. This was the most valuable gift we had when we first arrived in Yancheng. I also gave it to Old Qiao back then." Chen Yin sighed softly. "Well, I don't expect this to cure anything, but it's just a token of my appreciation."
The visit to the patient had to be before noon, so the two of them were short on time.
Yan Jiuru started the car and said, "Let's go. Oh, by the way, I called my second brother and asked Xiaojing to pick up the child. He will also have lunch there."
There are so many advantages to living close to relatives. If you suddenly don’t have time to pick up the children, you only need to make a phone call and you don’t even have to worry about the subsequent arrangements.
The fourth and fifth children are in the government kindergarten, which is farther away from home than their older brothers and sisters were at that time. Yan Jiuru and Chen Yin don't want them to go back and forth.
Rushan and his wife are not as busy at work as they are, and Xiaojing is more convenient in logistics, so she helps them pick up the children from time to time.
Xiao Si and Xiao Wu are used to their parents suddenly not coming to pick them up one day, and their uncle and aunt take over.
The two little guys were not shy at all, and even smiled and ordered some dishes when they saw their uncle and aunt.
Every family has a few signature dishes, and no matter how good other people’s cooking skills are, they can’t make the same taste.
Whenever they come home with their mouths full of greasy food, Mom and Dad can't help but say a few words, but so what? Anyway, they have learned to be thick-skinned and just enjoy their food.
***
When the two arrived at the Veteran Cadre Sanatorium, it was already past eleven thirty, and they were finally in time.
The veteran cadre ward on the third floor was very quiet. Qiao Yu, the eldest son of Mr. Qiao, was smoking in the corridor with several other men.
He heard the voices and saw that it was Yan Jiuru and his wife. He quickly dropped his cigarette and stamped it out, then called out, "Minister Yan, Director Chen, you're here!"
The other men also put out their cigarettes and nodded to them.
Yan Jiuru took a quick look and found that two people had features that were somewhat similar to those of the Qiao family. They should be relatives, but he didn't know about the others.
Yan Jiuru nodded in response and asked softly, "How is it? How is Mr. Qiao recovering?"
"Let's go. My father should be waking up by now." Qiao Yu did not answer directly, but invited Yan Jiuru and others into the ward.
***
This is a single ward for veteran cadres. The snow-white room has light green walls, which makes the originally monotonous and pale room look a bit lively and vivid.
On the hospital bed, Mr. Qiao was indeed awake.
A female comrade who was sitting beside the bed and peeling fruit for the old man stood up, nodded at them, and her eyes fell on Qiao Yu's face behind her.
Qiao Yu called out, "Dad, Minister Yan and Director Chen are here to see you~"
Old Qiao's eyes turned.
When he saw who it was, a smile appeared on his face.
Yan Jiuru and Chen Yin hurried over.
This old man, who had given them great support and help when they first arrived in Yancheng, and who had once been as reassuring as a mountain, was now thin and frail, with some of his white hair growing longer and drawn back, prominent cheekbones, and patches of age spots...
The warm and humorous face of Mr. Qiao when they first met him flashed before their eyes, and they both called out in a low voice: "Mr. Qiao——"
Old Qiao extended his dry hand towards them and greeted them in a hoarse voice, "Why are you here..."
"Delay, work..."
Chen Yin took a deep breath and said with a mature smile, "I just heard that you were sick. I remembered that I still have two bottles of ginseng wine at home from a few years ago. I'll ask the doctor if I can let you take a sip to satisfy your craving."
"Satisfying a craving" is definitely a polite excuse, those who understand will understand.
Yan Jiuru also smiled and said, "If you can't drink it now, when you recover, I'll buy you a roast duck, roast chicken, or braised pork intestines, and we can have a few drinks."
Chen Yin handed the paper bag and fruit basket to the female comrade.
Old Qiao's hands trembled slightly, and he pointed at the female comrade with a smile: "Qiao Li, my daughter..."
Qiao Yu also introduced several men who entered the room together, including Old Qiao's grandson and son-in-law, and a nephew.
Mr. Qiao's second son and his wife and other people took care of Mrs. Qiao at home.
It can be seen that Mr. Qiao is seriously ill this time and his family is already making preparations.
Qiao Li took the things and took a look into the paper bag. She saw two bottles of wine without any trademarks and put them on the table beside her.
Chen Yin and Yan Jiuru didn't care either.
After all, they have a room full of good stuff, all of which are branded goods, so it's normal that they don't like their "three-no" products.
At this time, Old Qiao waved to Yan Jiuru: "Xiao, Yan~"
Yan Jiuru hurried forward, held his dry hand, and bent down to listen to him more closely.
Seeing that he was breathing slightly, he also gave him some true energy.
It’s just that someone as seriously ill as Old Qiao can no longer withstand too much extra energy, otherwise the 107th Institute would not be stingy with its collection of elixirs to these old revolutionaries.
Energy that is too strong may not be able to save lives, and may even cause your body to explode if you are not careful.
Yan Jiuru was also very careful and only gave a little.
Just this little bit made Mr. Qiao's face look visibly better.
He naturally felt it, shook his head gently and patted Yan Jiuru's arm.
Both knew that this relief would not solve the terminal problem.
Old Qiao regained his strength and nodded to Chen Yin with a smile before speaking to Yan Jiuru word by word: "You two are great."
He was very pleased that the two young men from the countryside whom he had helped back then had actually stepped ahead of most people step by step, and their future was not limited to that.
"When you encounter problems at work, you can't rush to achieve a solution. If you can't think of a solution, take a break, walk around, and take a look..."
***
After coming out of the Veteran Cadre Sanatorium, Yan Jiuru and Chen Yin were both silent.
They could all see that Mr. Qiao probably didn't have much time left.
The age of the two is just right for them to be the backbone of the business. Originally, no matter what problems they encountered, they always had seniors behind them to ask for advice and rely on. As the seniors pass away one by one, the heavier burden of the future will fall on their generation.
Just as Mr. Qiao said, they will become the support of others in the future, but they have to polish this process by themselves.
"Gurgle~" Yan Jiuru's stomach was singing the empty city plan.
The two of them then remembered that they had been so busy that they hadn't had lunch yet.
"You must be starving. Let's find a restaurant to eat outside," Chen Yin suggested.
Yan Jiuru patted the steering wheel and said, "Well, should we have something to go with the rice, or try some new dishes?"
Chen Yin touched her stomach and said, "I'm a little hungry too. Let's just have something to go with the rice."
"Okay, there's a Hongfu Restaurant in the West District. I heard from Li Zhonghua that the chef here makes excellent home-cooked dishes. The fish-flavored shredded pork, sweet and sour pork, squirrel fish, and Kung Pao chicken are all very good."
"It's so annoying. My stomach is growling no matter what dish you name."
After being scolded by his wife, Yan Jiuru chuckled, stepped on the accelerator, and the car sped away.
The world is big, but eating is the most important thing.
***
The Red Star car slowly stopped in the open space in front of the restaurant, immediately attracting the attention of the diners in the restaurant.
With the rapid economic development in the past two years, there are more cars in Yancheng, but not everyone with money can buy a Red Star sedan. Most of the people who drive one are famous government leaders.
As soon as Yan Jiuru and Chen Yin entered the door, the foreman in charge of reception came over to greet them.
"Welcome..." Seeing the face he often saw on TV and in newspapers, the foreman was completely stunned. He opened and closed his mouth for a long time before stammering, "Hello... hello!"
"Please... please wait a moment..."
He stumbled all the way to the back, shouting as he ran: "Manager, boss, here comes the big shot!"
Yan Jiuru even heard a "thump" sound coming from behind, not knowing whether someone fell or crashed.
Chen Yin smiled, she had seen this kind of thing so many times that she didn't think it was a big deal anymore.
"Waiter, do you have a private room?" Yan Jiuru saw two waiters, a man and a woman, looking at them. They were not as excited as the foreman, probably because they did not recognize him.
The male waiter came over immediately and asked tentatively, "There's only a private room for eight people. Are you the only two?"
"Yes, just two of you. Then we need a quieter seat." Yan Jiuru took a look at himself and walked towards a booth by the window.
An eight-person private room is a bit too big for two people, and it's a waste of other people's resources.
The male waiter hurried over to wipe the chair and get the menu.
It was already the end of lunch time and there were not many guests eating. There were only four or five tables of guests eating in the lobby.
"Hey, look, is that who she is?!" A lady at one table poked the man next to her and winked at him.
"Huh?" The confused man looked over as he was being pointed at. "Ah!"
The different pronunciations of the two words showed his excitement at the moment.
Not only at their table, but people at other tables also recognized Yan Jiuru's face.
"It really is the Minister of Commerce..."
"Are they here to inspect the hotel?" someone muttered.
What's more, seeing Yan Jiuru with a beautiful lesbian, looking very intimate, several lesbians started gossiping.
"Who is that beautiful lesbian you're talking about?"
"Don't tell me you found a lover outside, right?"
"It's hard to say. This leader is in his prime, handsome, has a high position, and is not short of money. Hmm, it's possible that a woman would force herself upon him."
Chen Yin didn't even realize that in just a few words she had become the Minister of Commerce's mistress.
A gay man who claimed to have discovered a new world was so excited that he felt like the lucky moment of his life had fallen from the sky. If he didn't do something, he would be sorry for the opportunity given by God.
***
Here, Chen Yin had just ordered two dishes when the head chef and the owner of the restaurant came hurriedly from behind.
The guests who were whispering to each other also shut up and pricked up their ears to eavesdrop on what the boss said.
The boss Wang Mao recognized him at a glance, and the foreman was right.
The chef looked at him, tugged at the clean chef's uniform he had just put on, and the two of them quickly walked to the card table.
"Uh, Minister Yan?" Wang Mao rubbed his hands. "Excuse me, I'm the owner of Hongfu Restaurant, and this is our head chef Dong. Uh, I just heard from the foreman that you're here. I'm deeply honored to have you."
Yan Jiuru and Chen Yin nodded helplessly and replied, "Hello. We're just passing by and want to have a quick meal."
The guests at the tables over there exchanged glances, and sure enough, they didn't recognize the wrong person.
At this time, the waitress cleverly brought up the hot tea set and kettle on a tray and tried to smile naturally: "Your tea bowl is hot, and the hot water is here for you. Please be careful, it's hot."
The boss glanced at her. Although he really wanted to change to his treasured tea set, it was too late now, so he had to put the tea bowls and kettle away himself.
"Look, do you want to change your private room? We have one available."
Yan Jiuru took a look and said, "No need to bother. This will do."
The main reason was that he was too hungry and had to eat quickly.
Chef Dong obviously noticed. He nudged the boss with his arm and bowed slightly, saying, "What would you two like to eat? Today, the kitchen has fresh fish, beef, mutton, spare ribs, and seasonal vegetables."
He was determined to show off his cooking skills and to find a way to make something even if he didn't have any ingredients.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yin said, "Is there anything that can be made with squirrel and mandarin fish?"
"able!"
Must be able to!
Chef Dong thought to himself that even if the fresh fish in the store was not suitable for making squirrel mandarin fish, he would still go out and find a suitable one. It would be a fool to miss such a rare opportunity to show off his cooking skills!
Humph, it is said that there are too many officials in Yanjing City. If a brick falls from the city wall, it can at least hit two directors and a department head, but it is not likely to hit a minister!
Chen Yin also ordered Kung Pao Chicken, Spicy Stir-fried Beef Tenderloin, Sweet and Sour Pork, Fish-flavored Shredded Pork, and a Loofah and Egg Soup.
"A bowl of rice for the main course."
"One... basin?" The boss thought he had misheard.
Yan Jiuru handed him the menu and nodded, "I have a big appetite. Um, to be more precise, I'd like two kilograms of rice."
Others eat by the 'liang', and now a bowl of rice is about three liang. He won't be full without four or five bowls, so Chen Yin needs at least two bowls.
Both of them were hungry. "Please be a little faster."
The boss and the chef quickly ran back to prepare.
"Boss, go see if anyone has mandarin fish nearby. If they don't have sea bass, that'll be fine too."
They usually use grass carp or carp as a substitute for this dish, but if they dare to use inferior fish as a substitute for the Minister of Commerce's dish, they will be like the birthday boy who is tired of living.
The boss called around to source ingredients, while Chef Dong personally prepared a few quick dishes.
Stir-fried beef tenderloin, Kung Pao chicken, and shredded pork with fish-flavored sauce are all home-cooked dishes, but making them delicious also requires basic skills.
Wang Mao made a few calls and luckily found a nearby seafood restaurant that had mandarin fish. He went out to pick the fish himself and reminded the kitchen staff, "Hey, take our best rice and make a pot of rice. Don't forget!"
***
Yan Jiuru took out a bag of Qingling tea and made two cups with the hot water here.
He handed the first cup to Chen Yin: "How about you try this tea?"
Chen Yin took a few sips and said, "Hmm, not bad. It feels like I'm being cleansed from the top of my head down."
"Do you have any extra? If you do, bring me a pack so I can drink it in the office. My brain feels a bit foggy from working on the computer and coding every day."
Yan Jiuru raised his hand and brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen from her face, saying, "If others don't have it, you should have it. I'll bring you two packets later. This quantity is not large, so you should give less to others."
There was a soft "click" sound, and a flash of light appeared in the bathroom.
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