Half an hour later, the mother and her two children rode in an oxcart into the city and went to the Ji family's courtyard.
The Ji family's courtyard was deserted, and the gate was secured with a large brass lock. When the neighbor saw someone coming, he quickly pointed out, "Go to the hospital. I heard that her daughter-in-law has a high fever that won't go down. I wonder if she's gone crazy from the fever. She's already been taken to the hospital for emergency treatment."
Upon hearing this, Granny Zhang glared at her daughter. Zhang Qing dared not utter a sound. Last night, she only wanted to teach Zhang Hong a lesson and prevent her from returning to the Ji family so soon. How could she have been burned into a fool?
The three turned to go to the hospital. As they passed the supply and marketing cooperative, Zhang Bao pestered his mother, "Mom, is there any candy there? Mom, buy me a piece of candy?"
Unable to get any more help from Ji Xia, Zhang's mother had no choice but to take her son to the supply and marketing cooperative, hoping to say a few kind words to Ji Xia.
Because of the sudden drop in temperature, there were hardly any customers at the supply and marketing cooperative. Granny Zhang looked around but couldn't find Ji Xia, so she asked the two female clerks, "Where is Comrade Ji Xia? Isn't she working today?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Hongju turned around and pointed to Sun Xiaoyu beside her: "You're looking for Ji Xia? She's not working anymore, but her second sister-in-law is here, you can talk to her if you need anything."
"What? Second sister-in-law?"
Zhang Qing and Granny Zhang stared at Sun Xiaoyu in shock: "Wait a minute, wasn't this job supposed to be for her sister-in-law?"
Sun Xiaoyu looked at the mother and her two children suspiciously, then smiled slightly: "Who are you?"
Just as Zhang Qing was about to speak, Granny Zhang suddenly pulled him aside: "Let's go. Your sister and brother-in-law are still in the hospital. Go ask your brother-in-law."
With a dark expression, she grabbed her son and strode away. Zhang Bao cried and begged for candy, but she scolded him severely instead.
Liu Hongju scoffed and said to Sun Xiaoyu, "I know who they are."
Sun Xiaoyu vaguely guessed the identities of the three people, but simply smiled and remained silent.
Liu Hongju shook her head, looking speechless: "So, there's a reason why some people are poor."
"Holding a hen that lays golden eggs, yet trying to kill the hen to steal the eggs? Aren't you afraid of losing everything? How can you not be poor?"
Granny Zhang couldn't understand their conversation, but Zhang Qing, who was walking at the back, did. Upon hearing this, he turned around and gave Sun Xiaoyu a sinister look.
So what if it lays golden eggs? If it does, the eggs will either go to Zhang Bao or Zhang Lan; she'll never get any. Since that's the case, we might as well kill the chicken.
If she can't have it, then nobody can have it either.
At the hospital, the doctor gave Zhang Hong an IV drip, and her fever finally subsided.
Ji Zhijun asked Zhang Lan to stay with Zhang Hong while he went to the doctor's office. He then learned that Zhang Hong not only had a high fever but had also suffered a head injury. He prescribed her medicine to dispel blood stasis.
Ji Zhijun returned to the ward with a sullen face. Zhang Hong had already woken up, and when she saw her husband, her eyes reddened.
Ji Zhijun sighed: "What happened? The blanket is wet, and the straw under the mat is wet too. Didn't you even change it?"
Zhang Hong forced back the tears welling up in her eyes and said weakly, "It was dry the night before last, but it got wet yesterday. I was just about to change it when someone knocked me unconscious with a stick."
"What? The injury on the back of your head was caused by someone hitting you?" Ji Zhijun looked shocked. He thought Zhang Hong had accidentally bumped into something and injured herself.
Zhang Hong's face darkened: "It was Zhang Qing. When she heard that I was planning to come back today, she deliberately splashed water on my blankets and bed, and then knocked me unconscious. She won't let me go home."
Ji Zhijun was speechless for a long time: "Has she gone mad?"
Zhang Lan said in a low voice, "Big sister, do you believe me now? Second sister is like this. When she's having a hard time, she hopes that you and I are having a hard time too, preferably worse than her."
Zhang Hong gritted her teeth and whispered, "In this lifetime, Zhang Qing will never get a single benefit from me."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Granny Zhang arrived at the hospital with her two children. Before even entering the ward, she shouted, "Oh no, oh no, Ah Hong is in trouble!"
Zhang Hong leaned weakly against the bed, looking at her mother and sister expressionlessly.
Ji Zhijun sneered, "Who's wrong? Is it you or your father-in-law? Don't worry, as the only son-in-law, I will prepare an earthenware jar to hold your ashes."
Upon hearing Ji Zhijun's words, Granny Zhang's expression changed several times. After a long while, she said to Zhang Hong with a mournful face, "Someone has already taken over your job."
"Someone's taken over? Who?"
Zhang Qing said gloatingly, "There's a pretty girl working there. I heard she's your aunt's second sister-in-law?"
"My aunt's second sister-in-law?"
Zhang Hong finally reacted after a long while, looking at Zhang Pozi expressionlessly: "Mother, I won't get any work anymore, are you satisfied now?"
"What do you mean I'm satisfied? It's not like I caused this. You were only home for two or three days, and they gave their jobs to others?"
Zhang Hong looked at her mother with a mocking gaze: "If it's not you, then who is it? Never mind, this job was originally arranged by my brother-in-law for my aunt, so it's a good thing that my sister-in-law is taking over. It's like returning something to its rightful owner."
"What about the five yuan you promised to give your family every month?"
"What else can I do? I don't have a salary, and I don't even get five yuan of pocket money a year. Where am I going to get money to give to my parents' family?"
...
At noon, Ji Xia, carrying a bag, came out of the classroom with Yang Cuiqin and several other female classmates. When they saw the figures outside the school gate, Yang Cuiqin gave them a push: "Your man is here, hurry up and leave, we won't get in your way."
The girls giggled and turned to leave.
Ji Xia waved, walked out of the school gate, and went to Chen Jing's bicycle.
"In a moment."
Chen Jing handed the umbrella to Ji Xia, took out a rag from his pocket, carefully wiped the water droplets off the back seat of the car, and then invited her to get in.
"Where should we eat? In a small workshop?"
"No, let's go home. It's quieter at home. Lan will cook. I have exams coming up soon, and I need to study at noon."
As Ji Xia spoke, she sat sideways in the back seat of the car, holding an umbrella in one hand and placing the other on his waist.
Chen Jing touched Ji Xia's fingers: "Why are they so cold? Luckily I was prepared."
As he spoke, he pulled a pair of leather gloves out of his pocket: "Here, these are made of rabbit skin, see if they fit?"
"You have so many things in your pocket, are you Doraemon?"
Ji Xia chuckled softly, put on the gloves, and the furry lining wrapped around her hands, and the slight chill disappeared.
The two returned to the Ji family home, which was indeed quiet. The gate was locked with an iron gate, and there was not a single person inside.
Ji Xia unlocked the door with her key and glanced into the kitchen. The kitchen was cold and empty, and the table was bare.
"Hey, where's Zhang Lan? Where did she go instead of cooking?"
Ji Xia turned to look at Chen Jing suspiciously. Chen Jing shook his head and smiled wryly: "I don't know, he may have gone off to do something?"
He looked around and said, "Never mind, you stay home and wait. I'll go to the restaurant and get some food to go."
Ji Xia responded, and suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door. Turning around, she saw Zhang Lan rushing in with a small basket.
"Sister Xia, you're back. I'm so sorry, my sister is in the hospital, and I just went to take care of her." Zhang Lan apologized hastily, her face full of worry.
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