Chapter 61 Gao Fei's Accident
“Grandpa was just thinking about the past…” Li Yi rubbed Gao Nianping’s head, his voice choked with emotion, “Grandpa’s wife passed away early. If she were still here, how happy we would be today. We would have enough to eat and wear, and we would never have to live in fear again…”
In his childhood, his family was wealthy. The Li family's prosperity was second to none in Guanming Hutong. Many people envied his wife, saying she was born to enjoy a life of luxury.
Who could have predicted that all their happiness would be destroyed by the son they raised themselves, and that they would end up living a life of hunger and cold in their middle age?
Now he can fight crickets again, but his wife didn't survive the hardest days, leaving him, an old man, to live a lonely life in this world.
The two little ones didn't understand what "leaving early" meant, but Gao Nianping had a vague feeling that Grandpa Li's wife would never be able to come home again.
He could clearly sense that his grandfather was very sad. The pure sadness was like a layer of fog, slowly enveloping the children's innate ability to empathize.
Gao Nian'an stretched out her chubby little hand without hesitation, her dimples clearly visible on the back of her hand, as she tried to wipe away the tears that had somehow flowed from the corners of her eyes.
"Grandpa, don't cry."
A soft, childlike voice urgently comforted Li Yi, while delicate fingers repeatedly wiped away the tears that kept rolling down his face.
Li Shuaishuai was startled and hurriedly and laboriously turned his body to wipe the corner of his other eye.
The aunties who were chatting and laughing not far away all stopped.
"Old Li is probably thinking about Sister Zhang again." Dong Qiaoying threw the cleaned scallions into the basin. Whether it was the pungent smell of the scallions or something else, her eyes were red.
"Sister Zhang is such a good person!"
"Old Li and Sister Zhang are both good people, how could they raise such an ungrateful child?"
"I heard from Aunt Fang that Old Li's son wanted to come back, but Old Li didn't agree..."
Chen Yun pricked up her ears.
The country spends money and effort to send batches of people abroad to learn advanced technologies, hoping that they will return to serve the country after completing their studies.
People like Li Yi's son, who went abroad and refused to return, should have been on the defector list long ago, and by convention, they shouldn't be able to return to China.
"Tell us the details quickly," Dong Qiaoying asked, catching up on the key point that Chen Yun was curious about.
The aunt shook her head: "I just met Lao Fang on the road and asked him a couple of questions casually. You'll have to ask Lao Fang for details yourself." As she spoke, she waved over: "Lao Fang, come and sit down."
Aunt Fang looked up and glanced at him, her expression indifferent, but she didn't stop walking towards him after putting down the cleaver.
After hearing about the Li family's past, Chen Yun's dislike for Li Huguo's parents was not as strong as before.
Thinking of the reason why Ruanqiu had argued with her mother-in-law when she came back, she quickly leaned over and whispered a reminder: "Remember to call her Mom. No matter how much you deny it, she is still Shuai Shuai's grandma."
Ten days ago, Li Huguo and Ruanqiu returned home. They had only been sitting down for a few minutes when the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law started arguing, all because Ruanqiu called Fang Fang "Aunt Fang".
Although Chen Yun still couldn't quite figure out Fang Fang's thoughts.
She neither acknowledges Ruanqiu as her daughter-in-law nor gets angry when Ruanqiu honestly calls her "aunt" without trying to establish a relationship... In short, she seems to be a difficult mother-in-law to get along with.
Ruanqiu nodded reluctantly.
"Old Fang, come and sit down."
Fang Fang sat down with a sullen face, and the small stool immediately creaked, as if it could not bear the weight that had just fallen.
"I'll replace this broken stool tomorrow!"
"..."
"Hello, Aunt Fang." Chen Yun greeted her first at Dong Qiaoying's prompting.
Fang Fang nodded with a smile on her face: "Bring your children to my house to play often in the future. I see that your second child likes Li Yi quite a bit."
"Mom," Ruanqiu called out.
All the aunties turned to look at Fang Fang, fearing that she would immediately change her expression and kick them out.
"Hmm." Fang Fang responded, her tone stiff but a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. Then, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly: "Shuai Shuai really looks like Hu Guo."
Ruanqiu: "..."
Seeing that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would definitely not be able to have a peaceful conversation anytime soon, Dong Qiaoying quickly changed the subject to Li Yi's trip to Haishi.
"That bastard?" Fang Fang said bluntly, throwing the green onion she had just picked up on the ground in anger: "That bastard couldn't make it abroad, so he stole the factory blueprints and brought them back, saying he pretended to betray the country in order to infiltrate and steal the blueprints... Anyway, I don't believe it."
Li Yishu's son was named Li Hudang, and he was sent abroad to study mechanical engineering.
In Fang Fang's view, if he were truly an undercover agent, he would not have asked someone to smuggle his wife and children out of the country, nor would he have cared for his parents back home.
"Do you really think the country trusts him? ... It's only because of the blueprints he brought back." Fang Fang scoffed sarcastically. "Otherwise, why wouldn't they even arrange a job for him?"
Later, Li Hudang let slip that Li Yi had a hard time living abroad, and that even with a job that others considered good, he still couldn't afford to feed, clothe, and pay rent for his family.
Thinking that stealing secrets and returning to China would earn a national reward, or at the very least, a job at a research institute.
Unexpectedly, after China's reform and opening up, various systems had already undergone tremendous changes, and the blueprints that Li Hudang brought back showed that domestic enterprises had already obtained technical support for cooperation with foreign factories.
Unable to find work in Haishi, Li Hudang thought of his parents in Beicheng and called to say he wanted to go home, but Li Zhong refused outright.
Li Yi's trip to Haishi was solely to put an end to his conflict with Li Hu's faction.
Regardless of the truth, it is a fact that Li Hudang indirectly caused his wife's death, and the Li family will absolutely not tolerate such an unfilial son.
"Li Hudang is just thinking about the few rooms in his house and wants to move back in... I think he's daydreaming!"
“No wonder Uncle Li was so heartbroken.” Chen Yun looked at Li Yi.
The morning sunlight gently enveloped the elderly woman and two children in the rocking chair. The sadness caused by experiencing too many separations and deaths had not disappeared, but it was gently supported by the children's pure and innocent care.
The rocking chair gently sways, gradually smoothing away the scars etched by time.
***
Before dinner, the guests gradually arrived, and a figure that made Chen Yun very happy was also present.
Gao Ming, who had gone to pick up Zhou Xiaojuan, arrived home covered in dust. The first thing he did upon arrival was to pick up Gao Nian'an and kiss her cheeks twice.
"Where did you go to play again, you little rascal? Look how tattered your dress is... Just wait and see how your mother deals with you."
Looking at that tattered dress, Gao Ming couldn't help but have the same thought as Chen Yun.
"Dad," Gao Nian'an said sweetly, "did you bring me anything delicious?"
“Dad went to rescue people, not to go out for fun.” Chen Yun sighed helplessly, untied her messy braids and re-braided them: “Dinner is almost ready, go wash your hands.”
This is the fourth time I've braided my hair today. I don't know where I get the strength to keep loosening the braid over and over again.
"Wash your hands before eating."
Upon hearing that they could eat soon, Gao Nian'an, who had been craving a big chicken leg, eagerly kicked his legs to get down.
Gao Ming was swayed by the movement, and the surprise on his face instantly turned into a mixture of amusement and disbelief.
"You didn't do it on purpose?" Chen Yun was equally astonished.
"Do I look like it!" Gao Ming chuckled and shook his head. When he put Gao Nian'an down, his expression suddenly furrowed, but then he smiled as if nothing had happened: "Our eldest daughter is really strong."
"Now I finally understand why this braid can come undone five or six times a day."
Chen Yun didn't show any extra expression. After her daughter ran far away, she took Gao Ming's hand and led him to the less crowded courtyard wall.
I unbuttoned my shirt and looked at my shoulder; sure enough, it was covered in bruises.
"It's nothing. I just had a little conflict with the other party when I was leading people away. I bumped my shoulder on the wall and got a bruise."
Now was not the right time to go into details, so Chen Yun simply nodded and buttoned up her clothes again.
"Where is Nianping?"
Gao Ming had his daughter in his arms, but his son was nowhere to be seen. He found it strange that the chubby boy, who was always attached to his older sister, was not there.
"I'm coaxing Uncle Li inside the house," Chen Yun said with a smile and a shake of her head.
“Huh… Uncle Li?” Gao Ming seemed unable to connect the two.
Chen Yun simply led the person to Li Yi's house and pointed inside: "See for yourself."
The room was quite lively.
The TV was on, showing a very popular Hong Kong drama series, but it seemed like no one was watching it.
Li Yi lay half-reclined on the chair, his mouth slightly open. Gao Nianping quickly offered him a segment of orange, while Li Shuaishuai held a palm-leaf fan tightly with his two small hands and kept fanning himself.
Li Zhong, sitting on the sofa, was so angry that he was puffing out his beard and glaring at his opponent.
"Shuai Shuai, Grandpa will take you to buy toys."
Li Shuai ignored him and continued to fan Li Yi intently.
Gao Tiejun just sat there with his legs crossed, watching the excitement.
After all, Gao Nianping hadn't forgotten his grandfather, and would occasionally come over to feed him orange segments, while Li Zhong was the only one no one cared about.
"When did my son become so good at serving people!" Gao Ming's tone was also tinged with sourness.
"Then you'll have to ask Gao Nianping."
Gao Ming pushed open the door and went inside, while Chen Yun turned around and went back to the kitchen to serve the dishes.
***
The meal was quite lively. Li Yi was in a good mood and drank a lot of wine with several men. He was already drunk before the guests had even left.
Li Zhong helped the people into the house and settled them in, and the banquet naturally began to end.
Apart from the aunties who stayed to wash the dishes, everyone else said goodbye and went home.
Before leaving, Li Huguo and Ruanqiu were called into the house by Li Zhong to talk.
Chen Yun, arm in arm with the slightly tipsy Gao Ming, led the family of four slowly home in the cool breeze.
Gao Nianping excitedly showed her sister the stone gourd she had received that afternoon, a thank-you gift from Li Yi to express his gratitude for the two little ones' comfort.
The stone gourd was polished to a shine, and a thin red string hung from its mouth, just the right size for the children to wear around their necks.
Chen Yun couldn't tell right from wrong, but since Li Yi said it was a stone gourd, she believed it was a stone and didn't let the children refuse.
"Little brother, how about you wear it for two days and I'll wear it for one day?" Gao Nian'an suggested.
Unfortunately, Gao Nianping rejected her without hesitation. He lovingly stroked the stone gourd and gave his sister a suggestion: "Grandpa Li has many more stone gourds. If you treat him well in the future, he will definitely give you some too."
"Call him Grandpa Li!" Gao Tiejun suddenly corrected, "Only your biological grandfather can be called Grandpa; everyone else has to include his surname."
"Dad's just jealous, isn't he?" Gao Ming laughed.
He wasn't so gentle with his son, Gao Tiejun, and slapped Gao Ming's shoulder without hesitation.
Gao Ming's face turned pale with pain, and he stopped and clutched his shoulder.
"What's wrong!" Gao Tiejun finally realized something was wrong and quickly went around to Gao Ming's side: "Did something happen when you went to pick up Zhou Xiaojuan?"
"We'll talk about it when we get back." Chen Yun helped Gao Ming walk home.
Judging from the range of motion of his arm during the meal, there should be no fracture. Chen Yun thought it was probably a muscle strain and that they should check for any external injuries.
The bruise spread from his shoulder to his entire shoulder. Chen Yun carefully examined the bones and confirmed that there was no fracture.
The pain is relatively mild; it's probably just a muscle strain.
"It's alright." Gao Ming smiled ingratiatingly at Chen Yun, who was frowning. "I would never rush into danger, after all, I have a wife and children to support!"
"I'll go back to my room to get the medicinal wine." Gao Tiejun turned and went back into his room.
"Dad, blowing on it will make it stop hurting!" Gao Nianping started blowing on the shoulder, which was far away, and Gao Ming even bent down so that his son could reach it.
Gao Nian'an was so heartbroken that tears streamed down her face, and she helped blow on the air with her eyes brimming with tears in her eyes.
Chen Yun wasn't sure if it had any effect, but Gao Ming seemed to be enjoying it very much.
The neighboring house must have heard the noise and soon there was movement. Gao Lan and Zhou Jianguo walked into the main room one after the other.
Zhou Jianguo had a large bruise on his jaw, and he looked even more seriously injured than Gao Ming.
"Is Second Brother alright?" Gao Lan cautiously peeked at Gao Ming's expression, her words of concern sounding shifty and cunning.
"It's just a sprain." Chen Yun, however, felt that Zhou Jianguo's injury was more serious: "How's Jianguo's face? Should I take a look?"
"It's just scary to look at." Zhou Jianguo waved his hand, and just as he was about to smile, he accidentally aggravated the injury on his face, making him wince in pain: "If it weren't for my second brother's help, I probably wouldn't have made it back."
"Apply the medicine first, and then tell us what's going on."
Gao Tiejun returned with the medicine and went inside to check on the eldest son's family. He was puzzled as to why none of the four family members were there.
Chen Yun took the medicinal wine and rubbed it in her palms to warm it up.
He had only pushed a few inches into the shoulder blade when the pain almost made Gao Ming groan.
He finally understood who his daughter inherited her strength from; Chen Yun's grip was truly impressive.
The slight pause went unnoticed by others, and Chen Yun continued to push the bruises around her.
Because of his interest in learning traditional Chinese medicine, he had not studied massage or tuina. Strangely, just now Chen Yun seemed to have a very clear understanding of Gao Ming's sprain and how to massage away the bruising.
It's as if they have everything under control, and they even know exactly how much force to use in a massage.
Strange... but not that puzzling.
After all, this wasn't the first time she'd experienced this strange feeling; in the blink of an eye, it was as if she already had the belief that she naturally possessed.
"You guys apply the medicine first, I'll ride my bike to check on the boss."
Gao Fei works at a steel factory. Usually, he goes straight home after work unless he has to work overtime. He has never been home until dark like today.
"Dad, I'll go with you." Gao Ming quickly pulled up his clothes.
Gao Tiejun is getting old and his eyesight is not good. In the past two years, he has not been able to see the house number clearly without his reading glasses. Gao Ming is even more worried about him riding his bicycle late at night.
"Then I'll take the two kids to bed first." Chen Yun didn't stop her husband. She waved to the two children and looked at Gao Lan: "You apply the medicine to Jianguo first. I want to go to your room to see Xiaojuan after the children are asleep."
Although he didn't see Zhou Xiaojuan, Chen Yun still wanted to see the only bloodline left by that poor woman.
"Then Jianguo and I will wait for you inside."
Even with her gentlest tone, Gao Lan was still intimidated by Chen Yun, her second sister-in-law. Her eyes darted around as if she had done something wrong.
Chen Yun smiled.
I went back inside to wash and bathe the two children, and then told them stories for a while, finally managing to coax the siblings to fall asleep one after another.
They moved the chair to the side of the bed to block the view, and then placed the couple's pillows on it.
Once she was sure she wouldn't roll off the bed, Chen Yun turned on the bedside lamp, closed the door, and went to the front yard.
There was no one in the main room, but there were figures moving around in Gao Fei's bedroom. Zhou Jianguo and Gao Lan could only linger outside.
"What's wrong?"
Gao Lan stood on tiptoe, looking anxiously into the house: "My brother's hand is injured, but I didn't see how bad it is."
"Quickly let Chen Yun in."
Upon hearing Chen Yun's voice, Gao Tiejun quickly waved aside Gao Yi, who was blocking his way, and made way for him.
Gao Fei sat on the edge of the bed, his left arm limply resting on his leg, the cold sweat on his forehead particularly noticeable under the light.
Upon closer inspection, his left wrist was twisted at an unnatural angle, and faint traces of bruising could be seen spreading under the skin.
His hand fell limply to the side, his fingers were slightly bent, and the tips of his fingers were an abnormal bluish-purple.
"Take a look at your older brother, see if he twisted his wrist?" Gao Tiejun said.
“It’s not a twisted hand.” Chen Yun simply ran her hand down Gao Fei’s arm and immediately confirmed, “It’s a broken wrist.”
"fracture!"
Qiu Zhifang was shocked. Her gaze lingered on Gao Yi's face for a moment before quickly looking away.
She hadn't realized the seriousness of the problem and was even anxiously asking what kind of plasters she should buy to apply.
"He needs to be taken to the hospital for an X-ray," Chen Yun said.
"Just buy some medicine and apply it," Qiu Zhifang said hurriedly.
"Sister-in-law, my brother has a fracture, not a sprain! Do you even know what a fracture means?"
Chen Yun couldn't believe that Qiu Zhifang didn't even know what a fracture meant; anyone who could read should be able to understand it.
But the truth is that Qiu Zhifang doesn't recognize many characters, and even her name was taught to her by Gao Fei.
"A fracture means a bone is broken," Gao Liang quickly explained, anxiously grabbing Qiu Zhifang's arm and pulling her aside: "We need to get her to the hospital immediately."
"There's something wrong with the bones!" Qiu Zhifang exclaimed in shock.
Just as Chen Yun was frantically searching for a splint to stabilize her wrist, Qiu Zhifang suddenly raised her hand and slapped Gao Yi hard across the face.
"It's all your fault, you beast, that your father broke his bones!"
"Alright!" Gao Tiejun's face was ashen. He winked at Dong Qiaoying, "Don't let Zhifang waste time. We'll go to the hospital once Chen Yun is stabilized."
"I'm going to find Li Huguo to get the car keys."
Li Huguo has been using the company van to commute to and from get off work lately, parking the van under the big banyan tree at the entrance of the alley.
Gao Fei was in so much pain that he couldn't speak, and even breathing felt like his body was numb with pain for a long time.
Chen Yun successfully located the fracture point and fixed the entire arm to the board. The pain seemed to lessen after the bandage was tightened.
"Sister-in-law," Gao Fei said weakly, "I hope my hand isn't ruined."
"A simple fracture can be cured with a year of rest, but a comminuted fracture may have long-term effects."
Given the current level of medical care, Chen Yun is not confident that a comminuted fracture can be fully healed, and the lack of rehabilitation services in the later stages may leave some sequelae.
"What aftereffects?" Qiu Zhifang's face was completely drained of color.
"My fingers are not flexible, my hands hurt on rainy days, etc..."
"What can we do then! Your older brother relies on these hands to work. If his hands become clumsy, how will he work!"
Chen Yun wasn't quite sure what Gao Fei's job was, but Qiu Zhifang said it probably required dexterity in manipulating machines, and any hand problems would definitely affect his work.
Upon hearing this, Gao Fei was filled with fear.
"However, the chance of a comminuted fracture is very small." Seeing that the two were almost out of their wits, Chen Yun quickly reassured them softly: "Big brother is still young, his bones are definitely not that brittle."
The two were somewhat relieved after Chen Yun comforted them.
The car sped all the way to the Renmin University Hospital, which was the closest to Guanming Hutong. Gao Tiejun said that the hospital was most famous for its orthopedics department.
The X-ray results came back quickly, and the attending physician, with a serious expression, came to the door of the examination room and spoke to the group.
"A comminuted fracture requires immediate hospitalization for treatment."
When the worst-case scenario we had anticipated occurred, we didn't have time to consider the potential issues with finger dexterity later on, and we hurriedly arranged for Gao Fei to be hospitalized.
But when I got the hospital admission application form and went to pay, something unexpected happened.
Qiu Zhifang held the form, her face flushed with anxiety, but she couldn't utter a single word. She neither spoke nor left, pacing back and forth at the ward door, on the verge of tears.
"Gao Ming, I don't have any money on hand. Could you pay your sister-in-law's medical bills first?" In the end, Gao Fei took the initiative to speak.
Gao Ming suppressed his doubts and went downstairs to pay the fee, and soon returned to the ward with the doctor.
"We'll go get a cast put on first, then we'll have a blood test tomorrow morning to check for any infection..."
The efficiency of Renmin University Hospital is exceptionally high; the doctors even walk with a brisk pace.
He rushed into the ward, gave his instructions, and then hurriedly went to other wards.
Even at the largest hospital in the northern part of the city, there is not a moment of peace at night.
"My brother is going to get his cast put on. You guys just wait in the hallway!"
Gao Ming borrowed a wheelchair and pushed Gao Fei downstairs to have his cast put on.
Fearing that it would delay the rest of the other patients in the ward, Gao Tiejun called everyone to the end of the corridor.
There were old wooden chairs in the corridor, their age unknown. They creaked twice before finally stopping when you sat down.
"Zhifang, tell me first what happened when Gao Fei said he had no money?"
The photo shows the money Gao Tiejun paid. The hospital fees and the cast alone cost only 100 yuan, yet Qiu Zhifang couldn't even come up with 100 yuan... There's something fishy about that.
Gao Fei neither smokes nor drinks, and usually goes home after get off work. Apart from the 30 yuan he earns each month for food, Dong Qiaoying has never asked them for any other money.
Gao Tiejun knew his eldest son had a hard life, so he helped pay for the tuition of his two grandsons and also took care of their food and clothing.
Logically speaking, barring any special circumstances, saving a few thousand yuan over the years shouldn't be a problem at all.
Qiu Zhifang initially hesitated and refused to speak.
Chen Yun directly took over the conversation: "Big brother still needs money for his recovery. If sister-in-law doesn't tell the truth, I wouldn't dare let Gao Ming lend you money. What if the borrowed money just disappears into thin air again..."
"We'll need more money later!" Qiu Zhifang's face turned even paler, and her body trembled slightly.
"Of course we need money!" Chen Yun quickly added, her mind racing. "Even if rehabilitation doesn't cost much, Liangliang will be starting school soon... tuition and fees will be a huge expense, not to mention Gao Yi's tuition and fees..."
Gao Tiejun cleared his throat, putting on a serious expression: "Erming is back too. From now on, we parents have to treat them equally. You'll have to pay their own tuition and fees from now on. I wanted to tell you this a long time ago, but who knew..."
After going around in circles, the most crucial point is: "Where is the money you've saved over the years?"
"Gao Yi secretly used them all!" Qiu Zhifang said, her heart filled with despair.
The money is gone... or it's completely gone and can't be found!
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