Chapter 58 Lung Cancer
In the courtyard, an even heavier gloom descended upon the already gloomy atmosphere.
Li Yugu had been coughing for some time. At first, he just felt that his throat was dry and itchy after autumn arrived, and he coughed a few times, so he didn't take it too seriously.
But recently, the cough has become more and more severe. It often comes in the middle of the night with a sudden, violent cough that makes the face turn red and leaves the person unable to breathe for a long time.
He coughed incessantly during the day, and he visibly lost weight, his face turned ashen, and his already hunched back became even more bent.
At first, Wang Juan found it noisy, but later she saw that Zhao Qingda's cough was really frightening and there seemed to be blood in her phlegm, so she panicked and urged Zhao Qingda to take her to see a doctor.
Zhao Qingda grumbled impatiently, "It's just a cough, some medicine will do the trick," but Li Yugu herself was in so much pain that he eventually took her to the hospital.
On the day the test results came out, Zhao Qingda stood in the hospital corridor, feeling dizzy and his hands and feet were ice cold.
Lung cancer. Late stage.
The doctor's words still echoed in my ears: "...It was discovered too late; it had already spread...Surgery wouldn't be very effective; the main approach is conservative treatment to alleviate the pain..."
Late stage... lung cancer... Zhao Qingda's mind was buzzing.
His mother, who had always worked tirelessly to take care of the family, had been diagnosed with a terminal illness? Or was it in its late stages?
Money? We need money for medical treatment, but where do we have any spare money at home?
Who will take care of a patient with terminal cancer?
Wang Juan is unreliable; she can barely take care of her own son and is constantly thinking about how to get pregnant again.
Zhao Qingda wants to drive a car to make money... Should we make him stop working to support his family?
After learning what illness he had, Li Yugu remained unusually calm.
Looking at her son's ashen and desperate face, she remained silent for a long time before saying in a hoarse voice, "Let's not get treatment. Let's go home. What's the point of wasting that money?"
She knew in her heart that this family could no longer withstand any more storms.
She's old and sick; perhaps it's retribution.
On Wenbin's side, however, a rare bright spot appeared in his life.
His relationship with Han Manjuan, a female textile factory worker, is progressing smoothly.
Han Manjuan is thirty years old this year, a few years younger than Wenbin. She has a decent appearance and a straightforward personality with a touch of shrewdness.
She has high standards and is an only child. Her parents were minor officials in the county in their early years and are well-off. They have always insisted that their future son-in-law should move in with them to take care of them in their old age.
Because of this condition, she was delayed until she was thirty and became what people called an "old maid".
She had met Wenbin a few times and felt that although he was not handsome and did not talk much, he was honest, reliable, and had a clear and upright look in his eyes.
Most importantly, he is now the acting manager of Zhao Fei's two pig farms, managing dozens of people, with a stable income and a promising future.
Wenbin also liked Han Manjuan's straightforwardness and competence, and her lack of affectation.
When discussing marriage, Han Manjuan frankly stated her requirements: "My parents only have me as their daughter, and they'll have to rely on us when they get old. My family will provide the house, but we'll have to live together. Can you... accept that?"
Wenbin acted almost without hesitation.
His parents died early, his sister went missing, and he had no more attachments to his hometown.
For him, home is wherever his family is. He's not that sensitive about whether or not he marries into the family.
He simply said sincerely, "Manjuan, I am grateful that your family will provide the house. Your parents will be my own parents from now on. I, Wenbin, may not have much else, but I have strength and a sincere heart. I will definitely treat them as my own parents and give you a stable home."
These words are simple, yet they resonate deeply.
Han Manjuan felt reassured after hearing this. When her parents met Wenbin, they found him to be steady, honest, and caring towards their daughter. Although he came from a rural background, he had built his career through hard work, and they liked him more and more.
And so the marriage was arranged.
After a life of wandering, Wenbin finally has a warm little home that will soon belong to him, and his longing to find his sister becomes even stronger as a result.
He wanted Xiaoxiao to see that her brother was getting married and doing well, so she could rest assured.
Wen Xiaoxiao's tailor shop has welcomed an important helper.
Sister Liu's aunt, Liu Shuhua, a neat and tidy old lady with her hair combed meticulously, arrived carrying a small bundle.
As soon as she entered the house, without saying a word, she put down her bundle, rolled up her sleeves, and carried all the children's clothes that had been sitting unwashed for two days to the backyard, where she quickly fetched water and began to wash them. Her movements were both swift and thorough.
"Xiaoxiao, right? Don't be so polite with me." Liu Shuhua said while hanging up the clothes, "Now that I'm here, you don't need to do these chores. You're carrying a lot, so take a rest."
Wen Xiaoxiao felt a warmth in her heart and quickly thanked him.
While Liu Shuhua was there, she hired workers to dismantle the old wooden bed.
She had already decided that the most comfortable and warm place to stay with her baby during her postpartum period was a heated brick bed.
Following her instructions, the workers used bricks and mud to build a spacious and sturdy kang (heated brick bed), which took up almost half of the room.
New kang (heated brick bed) needs to be dried.
Wen Xiaoxiao, along with her two children and Liu Shuhua, made do with a few nights in a cheap hotel nearby.
Although it costs some money, I'm still happy at the thought of being able to sleep comfortably in the future.
Back at the shop, I slept on the dry, warm new kang (heated brick bed), and it was indeed much more comfortable.
Liu Shuhua took excellent care of Yizhen and Bao, cooking, washing clothes, and cleaning. She was not talkative, but she was very attentive, which greatly relieved Wen Xiaoxiao, allowing her to finally focus on her pregnancy.
However, as the pregnancy progressed into the late stages, the body became increasingly heavy, making sleep a challenge.
Her enormous belly made it uncomfortable no matter how she lay down; her legs and feet were swollen, and her lower back ached.
What's even more agonizing is that she started dreaming about Zhao Fei frequently.
Sometimes I dream of him driving through the vast wilderness, searching, his back to me lonely.
Sometimes I dream of him standing under the jujube tree in the courtyard, silently looking at the east wing;
Sometimes I only dream of him, with a blurry, worried look in his eyes.
Every time she woke up from such a dream, her heart would pound like a drum.
The longing that had been forcibly suppressed surged up like a tide.
She touched her round belly, feeling the powerful kicks of the little life inside, her emotions a complex mix of feelings.
Was leaving the right or wrong decision?
What will the future hold?
Inside the building, it was late at night and all was quiet.
Zhao Fei was once again awakened from his sleep without warning.
He sat up, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Unable to sleep, he simply put on his clothes, got out of bed, and went to the balcony.
He gazed at the not-quite-full moon on the horizon, his brow furrowed.
Xiaoxiao...where are you now? Are you doing well? Is your baby...coming soon?
An unspeakable worry and longing, in this quiet night, is exceptionally clear and particularly painful.
The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly, illuminating different window frames in the city and several souls struggling and adrift in the whirlpool of fate.
Some people are terminally ill.
Some people are born into a new life.
Some people are strong on their own.
Some people are sleepless at night.
The torrent of life carries everyone along, heading towards an unknown tomorrow.
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