Chapter 30 Chapter 30 (Inverted v) [VIP]
The temperature was too cold, there was no electricity, and the roads were blocked, so the funeral arrangements were very simple.
There was still no cell phone signal, making it impossible to contact distant relatives and friends. The only people who had come were from the village. Everyone gathered inside the house. Because there were children and elderly people inside, the windows were tightly shut, leaving only the door a crack for air. The fumes of burning wood, human scent, and foot odor mixed together like a biohazard scene. Bai He gasped as he opened the door and entered.
He couldn't help but press the mask on his face. Grandpa Bai and Grandma Bai were old, and their sense of smell had deteriorated a little, but it wasn't affected much.
They went straight to the memorial hall. Zhao Lixin's wife, Tan Mei, her eyes swollen like walnuts, handed them incense and paper money. The Bai family members took them, lit them in front of the coffin, and bowed solemnly.
Perhaps anticipating the unforeseen consequences, Wu Qiu, now in her early sixties, had already prepared a coffin and photos several years ago, despite her family's objections. Therefore, under the current circumstances, her funeral can still be held in a respectable manner.
Zhao Li knelt at the side and returned the greeting. He looked lifeless, his eyes vacant and dazed. Tan Mei wasn't much better. She was already thin, and now she looked like a stick. Her face was sallow and haggard, and a thick layer of dry skin formed on her lips. Grandma Bai was deeply concerned about her condition and couldn't help but advise, "Go and rest for a while. I'll help you keep an eye on the scene."
"If you exhaust yourself, your mother-in-law will be miserable in the underworld too."
Suddenly, she collapsed. Holding Grandma Bai's hand, tears streamed from her eyes, wetting her flushed cheeks. "Aunt, when my mother passed away, she weighed only 60 pounds—less than a child!"
Tan Mei cried until she had no strength left in her body and collapsed to the ground like a noodle. Seeing this, Grandma Bai quickly hugged her tightly and took her to the side.
The Zhao family was small and materially poor, but their bond was strong. Both Zhao's mother and son were kind and honest, treating their daughter-in-law like their own daughter. Tan Mei never suffered any hardship from her in-laws, and her mother-in-law even found ways to earn money and share the burden. Although life was difficult in the past, the family had hope.
But when good days finally came, his mother didn't get to enjoy them for a single day.
"Aunt...Aunt, we...we are unfilial...unfilial! Mom...Mom, you have never enjoyed happiness every day." Tan Mei cried until she almost died.
The sentimental Grandma Bai wiped her tears. When the aunties around her saw this, they quickly helped to lift Tan Mei up and kept comforting her.
"Sister Qiu knows that you are filial."
"If you torture yourself like this, how can the old lady in the underworld be at ease?"
…
No matter how much comfort you offer, it will be ineffective for someone who is in extreme grief.
"Our...hiccup...our An'an...An'an hasn't come back yet. Mom was thinking about her grandson before she...died...hiccup."
The Chen family has only one child in three generations, Chen Youan, who is only 20 years old and attending university in another province. We have not been able to contact him since the signal was cut off.
The grief of losing her loved ones and the worry about her children made Tan Mei, who had not had a good rest for several days, feel dizzy and fainted.
"Hurry, Tan Mei fainted, two people come and carry her to the clinic."
"Get out of the way, help!"
…
…
The originally dull house suddenly became chaotic, with chaotic shouting and the sound of tables and chairs falling mixed together...
"Bang" the door was opened, and a group of people ran out in a hurry against the wind and snow.
Grandma Bai was worried and followed the others to the village clinic. Bai He followed her there, fearing that something might happen to her. Grandpa Bai stayed at the Chen family's house, helping them stabilize the situation and handle matters, to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos in the family's absence.
The Sheshui Village Health Center is located in the village office building. Both beds are occupied, and there are many patients and their families sitting outside.
Sheshui Village already has a large population of elderly and children, and yesterday's sudden temperature drop left many vulnerable. Those with mild symptoms were given medication and sent home to recuperate. Those with more severe symptoms stayed here for IV drips. The cries of children, the heavy breathing of the elderly, the heart-wrenching coughs, and the painful wails of the elderly—everyone who entered couldn't help but feel a tightness in their chest.
Huang Zhiming, the only doctor in the health center, was extremely busy, constantly shuttling among the patients. He almost wished he could be torn into three pieces. His father and children were helping him change IV bottles and prescribe medicines...
Seeing a large group of people rushing in, he shook his sore hands and ran over quickly, "What's going on?"
The moans in the room died down a bit, and everyone's attention was focused here.
The people who accompanied her rushed to say, "She fainted while crying just now."
"He didn't wake up even after pinching his Ren Zhong..."
"Put her down first..." Seeing that the man carrying her had trembling arms and was obviously unable to hold on any longer, Dr. Huang said hurriedly.
Everyone looked around and saw that the only two beds in the hospital were occupied. A young man had the foresight to find two benches and put them together. Several people carefully placed her on them, and Grandma Bai directed the crowd to disperse.
Tan Mei's complexion was extremely pale, her cheeks sunken, and her face dark and yellow, like a dead person. Her hands were also cold to the touch. Doctor Huang's expression became solemn. He put on his stethoscope and examined her carefully, then sighed. "It's nothing serious. Fatigue and grief are the result. Rest well at home and adjust your mood. She is a little anemic. I'll give her two bottles of water first."
Hearing this, Chen Lixin, whose nerves had been tense, sat down on the ground. He rubbed his face fiercely, and water appeared between his fingers. "It's okay, it's okay."
The people around him understood his feelings and patted him on the shoulder.
The people from the Chen family who had come with them quickly left at Dr. Huang's request. The Chen family's current situation depended on Chen Lixin, the head of the family. He couldn't stay with Tan Mei, and with no one to take care of her, the soft-hearted Grandma Bai stayed here.
"I'm fine here alone. If you have nothing to do, go home!" Grandma Bai said to her grandson who had one eye wide open and didn't know what he was thinking.
Bai He adjusted his drooping hat and said, "The snow outside is up to your thighs. I'm worried about you walking alone."
Grandma Bai raised her eyebrows and said in a strong voice, "What's the big deal..."
"Doctor Huang, help!" Her voice was drowned out by the panicked shouts outside the house. Grandma Bai and Bai He couldn't help but look at the door.
At the door, two people struggled to support an old woman whose belly was swollen and looked like she was six or seven months old, pushing the door open.
After finally taking a breath, Dr. Huang's face suddenly became bitter and helpless, as if he had swallowed a bowl of Coptis chinensis in one gulp.
In just a few seconds, the two men carried and dragged the woman to Dr. Huang.
The man with gray hair pleaded, "Doctor Huang, she is in so much pain, please take a look at her."
The woman they were supporting had no strength left and was only able to stand there thanks to the support of two people. Her face was as pale as paper and she could only cry out in pain.
"Doctor, please help my mother." Which child can bear to watch such a scene? The daughter who was supporting her on the other side almost knelt on the ground and begged him.
Huang Zhimin took a long breath and said in embarrassment, "Uncle Zhao! Aunt Zhao needs to go to the hospital for this illness. We don't have any equipment here and can't treat her!"
Huang Zhimin's face was covered in sweat despite the cold weather. He was a nurse by training and had become a doctor at the village clinic. His abilities were limited, and he usually only treated minor coughs and fevers. He wouldn't dare intervene in a serious illness like cirrhosis and ascites.
"The road... the road was blocked by snow. I tried to drive out this morning but couldn't." The daughter said dejectedly while hugging her mother.
The man also begged desperately, "Doctor Huang, if you don't see her now, she will really die. If something really happens, I won't blame you."
Dr. Huang was in a dilemma. He wanted to save the patient, but he was afraid of being blackmailed. The doctor-patient relationship was a delicate one, and at times like these, the family's words couldn't be trusted. If he could help, it would be good. If he couldn't, he might end up in jail himself.
The people around didn't understand Dr. Huang's difficulties and urged him to give her an injection of painkillers first.
“The situation won’t be any worse than it is now.
"Human lives are at stake, Doctor Huang, please hurry up!"
Seeing her father being coerced by the crowd, his eldest daughter was so anxious that her eyes turned red, and she shouted at the top of her voice, "My dad can't do it, he can't bear it."
The little girl is already sensible and knows the seriousness of the matter. Her father has not received formal and rigorous medical training and is just a barefoot doctor.
Neither her father nor her family can bear the weight of a human life.
But no one cared at this time. Zhao Jiaru clung to the last straw and refused to let go. Doctor Huang was pushed to the medicine table by everyone.
In this situation, if they still refuse, the Huang family will never be able to survive in Sheshui Village. Doctor Huang gritted his teeth...
"Are the village chief and the village doctor of Sheshui Village here?"
The door opened, and a group of people in green military uniforms walked in, wrapped in the wind and snow. But when they saw that the room was packed with people, they stopped outside.
Dr. Huang took advantage of the moment when everyone's attention was diverted and escaped. "I am Huang Zhimin, the village doctor of Sheshui Village. You are..."
The leader gave a standard military salute and said, "We have been ordered to bring a doctor to give everyone a pneumonia vaccine. Please ask the village chief to notify the villagers."
Doctor Huang's eyes lit up when he heard those two words. He looked eagerly at the people behind him who were carrying medicine boxes and backpacks. "Comrade, are these doctors from the hospital?"
The captain, led by "Nature", was confused.
"That's great." Doctor Huang felt like he had found a savior. He ignored etiquette and pulled the person's sleeve and walked towards the examination table.
"Please help me, there is a patient here in a very critical condition..."
Unexpectedly, this person came to the patient's side, and after a quick examination, he also looked embarrassed.
The doctors and nurses who came were from the town. Their medical skills were better than Dr. Huang's. They usually treated the elderly for chronic diseases, and sent patients with serious illnesses to the city hospital.
Finally, they looked to the person at the back for help. And that person lived up to their expectations. He stepped out, and everyone made way for him.
He pressed on Aunt Zhao's body a few times and got some medicine prescribed at the clinic. The pain on Aunt Zhao's face eased a lot, and the heartbreaking moans on her lips also stopped.
As the Zhao family father and daughter burst into tears of gratitude, he rushed to speak, "I only temporarily controlled this aunt's condition. Her internal condition is very serious and she needs to go to the hospital for surgery."
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