Chapter 3072 Can Support You
She said, "Although your wife's treatment here is free of charge, food does cost money. Furthermore, your three children are all here, and their food and lodging are quite expensive. Since they have no money, they are temporarily owing us money. They were orphans and widows, so we couldn't ask them for anything, so we just asked them to do some work to offset the cost. Now that you're here, let's settle the remaining balance."
Hu Dazhui widened his eyes. This was different from what he had heard. Didn’t the villagers who came to the clinic for treatment say that Dalang and his two siblings made a lot of money working as helpers in the clinic?
Hu Dalang realized instantly that between his father and Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhou was of course more trustworthy, so he nodded without thinking, "Yes, we owe money to the Medical Bureau. Dad, after the rice is harvested this year, we can sell some to pay off the debt to the Medical Bureau."
When Hu Dazhu heard this, he couldn't help but jump up and down, "How can we sell the grain? What will our family eat if we sell it?"
"You can't owe the hospital money," Hu Dalang pleaded, "Dad, Mom can walk now. Master Zhou said she'll be fine after a while of treatment. Mom's medical treatment and medicine are free. The hospital even provides her with a place to live. All she needs is food."
Hu Dazhu looked unhappy.
The onlookers were unhappy. They were all patients, or local merchants and families. Seeing that Hu Dazhu refused to even pay for his meal, they couldn't help but say, "The medical department has done the most they can. In the past, when there was no medical department, it would have been hard to find a pharmacy willing to waive the consultation fee, let alone the medicine."
"That's right. We should be grateful for the kindness of others. Otherwise, if we let the hospital down, and the hospital closes, wouldn't that hurt all of us?"
"At first, when I heard him crying so miserably and looking so miserable, I thought it was really inappropriate for him to stay away from his wife and children for four or five months. But now it seems that he is the one who is inappropriate. Doesn't he want to save his wife?"
"I just can't stand men like this. It's not like the disease can't be cured, so why don't they treat it? In the past, treatment required medicine and consultation fees, which was fine. Our family was poor and there was no other way. We couldn't let people spend all their money on treatment. But now the hospital has waived the medicine and consultation fees, and they still won't treat it. What's the point of marrying a man like this?"
A woman with a bad temper said directly to Hu Dalang: "Just let your mother divorce you. It's better to live on your own than to look at this slovenly old face."
Hu Dalang didn't say anything.
Hu Dazhu's face turned red and his fists clenched, but he could not refute what the crowd said.
Bai Shan then stepped in to stop everyone from talking and asked them to disperse. "A day's plan begins in the morning. Do you have so much time to watch the fun? Go back to work."
The crowd then reluctantly dispersed, but some people turned around and walked away, but stopped after walking a dozen steps, still looking at this side from afar. It was more convenient for those whose shops were near the medical department, so they squatted in front of their shops and looked over here.
Obviously, the attraction of liveliness is still very strong.
After most people had left, Bai Shan said to Hu Dazhu, "It's okay if you don't have money, but your wife and children live here. Why don't you bring some food from home for them? It's cheaper to cook it yourself than to eat out."
He slowed down his tone and said, "In a person's life, besides career and future, parents, wife and children are the most important things. Your parents are gone, and you are not young anymore. So, your wife and children are the only ones left in your family. As a husband, even if you can't protect them and shelter them from the rain and wind, you should at least be considerate and be able to provide a little help."
Hu Dazhui lowered his head and said nothing. No one knew whether he heard it or not.
Bai Shan waved to County Captain Dong, who then let him go and stepped aside.
Bai Shan said to him, "But this is the county town. No noise or disturbances are allowed. Even outside the city, in your own home, you are not allowed to hit your wife and children. Since this summer, the county has had every village head preach about the law and human relations. Although fathers have the responsibility and right to educate their children, they cannot hit their children at will. If you do it seriously, you are breaking the law. If you do it lightly, it will hurt the relationship between father and son. Why bother?"
Bai Shan persuaded Hu Dazhu to leave.
Zhou Man stood aside in amazement. After Hu Dalang entered the medical office and walked away, she couldn't help but ask him, "When did you become so gentle?"
Bai Shan smiled slightly and said, "I have always been so gentle."
Zhou Man turned around and left, holding Xi Bing as he strode into the medical office. He said to her, "Open all the doors and let the patients come in and wait."
The cake should be served.
Bai Shan watched her go into the medical office, and said to Yin Huo who was looking over, "I'm serious."
Yin Huo thought for a moment and said, "I think she's serious about this."
Bai Shan couldn't help but smile. "Administrative measures shouldn't rely solely on force. Although persuading people to be good may be annoying, it can save many people from trouble if it does work."
Hu Dazhui didn't commit any crime. He just locked people up and released them after two or three days. In the end, it might not be much of a deterrent. What if the people became cunning and eventually no longer feared even the county government? That would be terrible.
In the end, it was his wife and children who suffered.
Yin Huo expressed his doubts, "How can you change a person like that with just a few words?"
Bai Shan: “It’s difficult.”
"But it's just a few words, it won't take much effort." Bai Shan smiled, beckoned Old Man Fei over, and instructed: "If he comes again in the future, don't let him cause trouble in the hospital. Well, don't let him enter the hospital for now. If he comes again, call Hu Dalang out to see him."
He also instructed County Lieutenant Dong, "Have someone pay more attention to the Medical Department."
"Yes, I'll have the brothers patrol this area more often. Sir, do you want us to keep an eye on that guy?" County Lieutenant Dong, who was more experienced than Bai Shan in this area, said, "Look at him. His wife and children were away seeking medical treatment for four or five months, and he didn't care. He planted the winter wheat last month and is now hibernating, and yet he only came now..."
How could such a person expect him to listen to Bai Shan's words?
Bai Shan thought for a moment and nodded, "Tell the hangers-on to be more careful. If they cause trouble, they will be arrested and beaten according to the law."
County Magistrate Dong immediately agreed.
Hu Dalang also felt that his father was not a good person and it was obvious that he could not be persuaded by a few words, so he went directly to the backyard and took his younger brother and sister aside to talk. "Don't go out recently. If you need any errands, come to me. If I'm not here, ask Sister Xiao Kou and the others for help, okay?"
The two children nodded in agreement. Hu Xiaomei felt like she was already half an adult, so she bit her lip and asked, "Brother, will Dad take us back to the village?"
Hu Dalang asked, "Do you want to go back?"
The two of them immediately shook their heads, with some fear in their eyes.
They didn't want to go home at all. Although they had to do a lot of work in the hospital, they didn't feel tired at all. They could eat their fill here, and no one would scold or beat them...
Hu Dalang patted their heads and said, "If you don't want to go back, then we won't go back. Big Brother has grown up and can support you."
See you tomorrow
(End of this chapter)
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