While soaking her feet, Old Mrs. Huo chatted with Huo Yang in a random manner, talking about the grievances between Du Lao San and Huo Ze, the recent situation in Dujia Village, and Huo Yang's good-for-nothing father. They kept chatting until late at night when Old Man Huo walked into the house on the snow.
Fortunately, the neighbors were all asleep, and the knocking on the door was so quiet that it didn't alarm anyone.
As soon as Old Man Huo entered the room, Old Lady Huo quickly asked Huo Yang to pour him a small cup of wine. "Drink a little to warm yourself up first. I'll make you a bowl of noodles."
"Hey, slow down," Old Man Huo gave a few instructions, then he raised his head and drank the small cup of wine. After he warmed up, he pulled Huo Yang aside and told him what he had inquired about.
"Hu Zi was almost frozen stiff. Although he had clothes and other things given by the villagers, his legs were severely pressed and he had been lying on the ground for so long."
"As soon as I arrived in the town, I was sent to the emergency room. However, the medical conditions here are still a little worse than those in Cangzhou. After a while, someone came out and said that I couldn't be cured and needed a blood transfusion. They also said that my leg had to be amputated."
"Village Chief Du was called in to pay the money. Without it, there wouldn't be enough money for the surgery. It turned out that the money wasn't enough. Even after the people who went with him chipped in, it still wasn't enough. Later, the village chief had no choice but to go to the township government and call for help. The hospital agreed to do the surgery first, so Hu Zi's leg was amputated and he was sent back to the ward."
"When I came back, Hu Zi was running a fever. The doctor said if it subsides, he'll be fine. But if it persists, he might not make it," Old Man Huo lamented. "What's he trying to achieve? What good will he get from reporting? Can't he just live a good life with our support?"
Huo Yang didn't take Old Man Huo's sigh seriously. "It's normal for people to seek personal gain. It's actually a good thing that my uncle has moved to the pigsty. It's just that it's not convenient to send food so close. I can only send it when he goes up the mountain, or every few days. Too often is not good either. It would be even more troublesome if he gained weight and people noticed."
"I know that. Just focus on your work and don't worry about this family. Also, the matter between you and Du Jiang is getting serious, so you should be more cautious." Old Man Huo shuddered when he thought of what he heard in the afternoon. "I heard that the village chief seemed to want to introduce some potential partners to the girls at the educated youth site. The father of that sweet girl doesn't know about this, but I guess he's not a good person, otherwise why wouldn't he introduce his daughter to someone?"
"Dujia Village has strong clan ties, and the village has long been ruled by Village Chief Du, not to mention that Aunt Cui has helped her suppress Aunt Du and the others." Huo Yang's expression was indifferent, and he could neither agree nor disagree with Village Chief Du's actions. "But there are also advantages. There are no problems, otherwise we would not be able to settle here. But don't worry, Grandpa, Village Chief Du won't dare to do anything too extreme. After all, the people in the educated youth site are from well-off families, and he may not be able to get them well."
"I'm just afraid of crooked ways, which are hard to guard against," Old Man Huo shook his head. He was about to say something when another old man Huo came in holding a bowl. Seeing this, Old Man Huo shut his mouth in time.
Snore snore
Old man Huo was eating the noodle soup made by his wife. Although it was only seasoned with salt, he could still taste the delicacies from land and sea.
After a full meal and a sweaty meal, Old Man Huo wiped his mouth and sighed, "Home-cooked food is still the most delicious."
Mrs. Huo, who had been waiting all night, grinned when she heard this. "If you like, I'll do it for you later. But why are you back so late? Isn't the operation over yet?"
Old man Huo didn't know how to answer for a moment and subconsciously looked at Huo Yang.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Huo saw his look and slapped him, causing Old Man Huo to suddenly retract his hand on the table. "I'm asking you, why are you looking at Yangyang? Tell me what's going on. I've been worried about this all day."
Seeing he couldn't escape, Old Man Huo reluctantly recounted what he had just said to Huo Yang. After listening, Old Mrs. Huo sighed, "This really is true. You can't judge a person by his appearance. I don't know why Village Chief Du is doing all this trouble. It can't be for promotion, right? He's already old, what do you think he's trying to achieve?"
"I guess it's for promotion. I heard the town has a new leadership team." Huo Yang's brows were slightly tired. "Grandma, if you run into Du Jiang later, tell her about this. She'll know what to do."
"Okay," Mrs. Huo agreed readily, but she quickly reacted and turned to look at Huo Yang, "Shouldn't you be the one to show your courtesy in this kind of situation? Why are you hiding behind it?"
Huo Yang shook his head. "It's not appropriate for me to meet her. It will easily cause rumors. Besides, I'm vying for the position of deputy captain of the security team soon, and I'm afraid the village won't be able to keep an eye on me. Grandma, please don't go visit my uncle recently. I'll go deliver food after my vacation next week. My uncle knows what to do."
"Okay, I got it. I will remind Du Jiang. It's getting late. You have to go into the city before dawn tomorrow. You'd better get some rest." Seeing that it was getting late, Old Mrs. Huo urged Huo Yang to go back to his room to rest, and she also helped Old Man Huo back to the house.
The old couple in the east room couldn't sleep in bed, especially Mrs. Huo. She was worried about the girls at the educated youth site and Huo Ze. She tossed and turned for a while, and even made Mrs. Huo's sleepiness disappear completely.
"What's wrong? Are you scared?" Old Man Huo felt a little guilty, thinking that it was those words that scared his wife. "Don't worry, those girls are not stupid. Yu Chunxiao is from the city. Even the village chief wouldn't dare to do anything too much. Besides, there are male educated youths at the educated youth center."
"That's true, but how can a bunch of half-grown kids defeat a local tyrant?" Old Mrs. Huo sighed more often today. "You're old, and you're trying to move up the ladder. And you're still using such crooked methods. Aren't you ashamed to tell others about it?"
"You're just worrying about nothing. I don't think the village chief will be able to make it. If he could have moved up, he would have left long ago instead of working here all his life. Stop worrying about it and go to sleep."
Coaxed by Old Man Huo's words, Mrs. Huo thought for a moment and realized that what the old man said made sense. But then she remembered another thing. "By the way, do you think we should buy Yangyang a bicycle? It's not suitable for him to walk to and from work all day. I see that he has worn out two or three pairs of shoes. Children are the most useless when they wear out shoes. Besides, we are not short of money. I brought a lot of money when I bought the tickets, so I think it will be enough."
"Then buy it," Old Man Huo made the final decision. "If you have it, buy it. It won't make Yangyang tired, and it will be convenient to bring things back."
Old man Huo's words completely made Old Mrs. Huo unable to sleep. She immediately got up and started rummaging through the chest of drawers beside the bed.
Listening to the gurgling sound in the dark night, Old Man Huo looked helpless. He couldn't afford to hurt the old lady who was so quick to act. He couldn't afford to hurt her!
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