Qi Zhijun sat there like a lifeless old man, looking like he was on his deathbed. Qi Zhifang glanced at her brother, feeling uneasy, and asked, "Brother, what are your thoughts on Xiao Cui's matter?"
Qi Zhijun shook his head listlessly and said, "What ideas could I possibly have?"
He held his head in his hands, scratched his hair, sighed, and said, "I'm a useless piece of trash who can't even support myself. What right do I have to ask such a good woman to suffer with me? I came back a day early this time, thinking I'd get a letter of introduction from my workplace and give Cui back her freedom so I wouldn't be a burden to her anymore. I feel like I've wronged her in this life."
Upon hearing this, Qi Zhifang was immediately blinded by rage and blurted out, "Who does she think she is? She's been hooking up with Wang Yanda for a long time. If Wang Yanda were still alive, she'd be a whore, an adulterer with him. If I hadn't seen the evidence of their affair, would I have been so greedy as to spend his compensation money? I..."
Qi Zhijun clutched his chest and stared at Qi Zhifang in disbelief. "Fangzi, what did you say? What do you mean?"
Qi Zhifang completely failed to notice Qi Zhijun's expression, and continued, "She was my mistress with Wang Yanda, she wrote love letters to Wang Yanda, and the two of them were often together..."
"Slap!" Qi Zhijun slapped Qi Zhifang across the face. Qi Zhifang was stunned and said incredulously, "You hit me?"
Qi Zhijun suddenly laughed, and as she laughed, tears streamed down her face. She said, "You are truly my good sister, the woman who would let me marry your own husband!"
Qi Zhifang was taken aback and said, "What do you mean? What do you mean, my husband's woman?"
Qi Zhijun, already in a state of frenzy, said, "It's all good, you really are all good. Qi Zhifang, I've never treated you badly! When you were a widow and couldn't afford to eat, I married Wei Shuqing to make things a little better for the family. For those few years, I only kept three yuan from my salary each month, and I dragged my wife to hand over all my wages to the family, just so you and your three children could have enough to eat and eat well. I lost my wife and children, and then you just watched me pick up Wang Yanda's used shoes without telling me. You..."
As he spoke, he collapsed to the ground and fainted. Qi Zhifang cried out in terror, "Mom, Mom! My brother has fainted!"
When Qi's mother came out, she panicked and quickly called two neighbors to take Qi Zhijun to the hospital. After the doctor finished the injection, he came out and said, "The patient has been suffering from long-term malnutrition. The hunger has caused a very serious stomach disease. This time, he fainted because of emotional distress."
Qi's mother panicked. Looking at Qi Zhijun, who was lying on the hospital bed with a sallow complexion, cracked lips, and was so thin that he looked unrecognizable, she felt a deep pain in her heart.
She wasn't unaware of the kind of life Qi Zhijun led. This son had been filial and family-oriented since childhood. Only now did she reflect on whether she and the old man had made a mistake. If they had treated Xiao Wei better back then, would the family still be able to survive?
She didn't know that the original plan was for Wei Shuqing, that big fool, to raise their whole family until that special era was over. When Qi Zhijun became an official with a bright future and his wings were strong enough, he no longer needed Wei Shuqing, so he ran off with that little Cui. Wei Shuqing raised their children herself, and in the end, she left with nothing, not even leaving a house for her grandson.
So, people shouldn't eat too much. Being full brings countless troubles, while not being full only brings one trouble! Even Qi's mother can reflect on this now, and her values have returned to normal!
Because he was facing hospitalization, Qi Zhifang quickly went downstairs to call Xiao Hu, "Brother Xiao, my brother is in the hospital now, could you please lend me some money!"
Xiao Hu was at his desk, holding a phone in one hand and scribbling on the documents on the desk with a pen in the other.
"Brother Xiao, please, I really have no one else to beg for. I..." Qi Zhifang's tearful voice came through the phone. Xiao Hu frowned, put down his pen, and asked in a deep voice, "Which hospital?"
"The Sixth Municipal Hospital!"
Xiao Hu glanced at his watch and said, "Okay, I'll be there in an hour and a half!" After hanging up the phone, he wiped his face, thinking of his wife, and told himself, "I'm doing this for Qi Zhifang's brother. Huaihua will definitely understand."
Then he got up, took twenty yuan from his newly received wages, thought for a moment, and then took half a jin of sugar coupons, asking the orderly to prepare the vehicle.
At the entrance of the Sixth Hospital, Qi Zhifang paced anxiously back and forth, fearing that Xiao Hu might change his mind and not come. A short while later, a military vehicle pulled up in front of the hospital. Xiao Hu, dressed in military uniform, got out, and Qi Zhifang finally felt relieved. As she walked towards him, Xiao Hu didn't stop, continuing to walk inside and asking, "How is your brother?"
Qi Zhifang jogged after her and said, "It's just that she's malnourished and has a bad stomach. She got excited after saying a few words at home and fainted!"
Xiao Hu hummed in agreement, and the two of them entered the ward one after the other. Xiao Hu greeted Qi's mother, glanced at Qi Zhijun, and said, "You two stay here and I'll go pay his hospital fees."
He went to the payment window, paid three yuan, and then handed the remaining money and half a jin of sugar coupons to Qi Zhifang, saying, "Keep these for your brother to buy some good food to nourish his body."
Qi Zhifang took the money and only whispered "thank you!" Xiao Hu nodded, wanting to say something but ultimately didn't. He hurriedly took the bus back. On the way, he was still thinking about how to explain the twenty yuan and the missing half-pound of sugar coupons to his wife.
Not long after Xiao Hu left, Qi Zhijun woke up and refused to stay in the hospital. He packed his things and left.
With a heavy heart, Qi's mother followed Qi Zhijun home and cooked him a thick porridge with a drop of oil, a little salt, and some shredded cabbage.
Qi Zhijun numbly accepted the drink, finished it, and lay down to sleep. Only then did Qi Zhifang realize that she had made a mistake.
The next morning, the Qi family did two important things. First, Qi's mother went to the neighborhood committee to exchange her house for a smaller one. Coincidentally, Old Liu's son next door was getting married, so they gave Qi's mother an extra 1143 yuan. Qi's mother then moved to his small house.
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