On a deep winter night, the stars in the sky seemed to have lost their luster, and the sky and the earth were pitch black.
In the dark room, Li Hongmei was sleeping in bed with her two children, Lin Xiaoman and Ma Xiaobao. She was startled by the sound of Ma Jianguo coming back in the middle of the night.
The couple talked for a few words. Afraid that they would be cold, Ma Jianguo took a quilt and went to Ma Fuguo's room to sleep for a while.
Ma Jianguo got up as soon as it was dawn.
After getting up, Ma Jianguo picked up an axe, chopped down the door of Ma Jinhua's room, and then started searching through all the drawers and cabinets.
Li Hongmei got up when she heard the noise, and asked Lin Xiaoman to look after Ma Xiaobao while she went to cook.
Because Ma Jinhua had taken some food before going out yesterday afternoon, the few of them were not hungry, so Li Hongmei burned the remaining food.
By the time breakfast was ready, Ma Jianguo had already found the money and the key to the food cabinet.
After handing the key to Li Hongmei, Ma Jianguo took the money and lunch box, rode the bicycle he borrowed yesterday, and set off for the hospital.
After watching them leave, Li Hongmei went into the house, dressed Ma Xiaobao who had already woken up, then held him in one hand and held Lin Xiaoman's hand with the other.
Without Ma Jinhua, the mother and daughter ate their fill, and Li Hongmei even gave her an egg.
Lin Xiaoman's acting skills kicked in, her face full of greed and longing, yet she was also afraid and quickly waved her hands, "Mom, I don't want to eat it. Grandma will beat me if she finds out. It hurts, it hurts!"
"No, eat it, your grandma won't know." Li Hongmei smiled and touched her head.
"Then... I'll eat it!" After hesitating for a long time, Lin Xiaoman couldn't help but take a bite out of temptation, and then his face was full of happiness as if he had eaten some delicacies from the mountains and the sea.
After taking two cautious bites, Lin Xiaoman handed the egg to Li Hongmei and said, "Mom, eat it."
"Ama has already eaten, let's eat it!"
Li Hongmei's eyes were filled with relief. "Daughter, what's wrong with having a daughter? How thoughtful!"
"Hmm..." Lin Xiaoman continued to chew the egg obediently. After finishing, she looked unsatisfied. "Mom, the eggs are so fragrant and delicious! Will I be able to eat eggs again in the future? Is Grandma not coming back? I heard from Grandma Song yesterday that Grandma can't be saved."
"I guess so."
Li Hongmei also saw Ma Jinhua's appearance yesterday.
It's like that, I'm afraid this person won't survive.
"Ah? What should we do next? Should we listen to Second Aunt?"
"Huh?" Li Hongmei was stunned and asked in confusion, "Why should I listen to her?"
"Grandma is at home, she's the boss. Grandma treats Second Aunt well, so does that mean Second Aunt is the boss? She has to work for Second Aunt, cook for her, clean, and do the laundry..."
"Of course not!" Li Hongmei retorted.
With her mother-in-law Ma Jinhua putting pressure on her and her mother-in-law being the head of the family, she has no choice but to endure it. But if Ma Jinhua is gone... whose brother's wife will be the head of the family!
According to tradition, either the eldest brother will be the head of the family, or the family will be divided and live alone.
Li Hongmei thought it was unrealistic to want to be the head of the second son and his wife, but it was also impossible for her to make a living under Song Ping! Therefore, after her mother-in-law passed away, the family would probably be divided.
Divide the family and be the master of the house!
It has to be said that Li Hongmei was looking forward to it with some excitement.
Hospital.
The total amount is three hundred and twenty-five dollars and eighty-nine cents.
Ma Jianguo, a simple-minded man, explained everything to the two brothers without leaving out a word.
Then the three brothers went to the hospital window to settle the bill and pay what they owed yesterday, and more than sixty yuan was gone.
The three of them couldn't help but feel distressed, among whom Ma Fuguo was the most heartbroken.
He had been working in the factory for nearly a year, with a monthly salary of about 20 yuan. Except for a little he spent himself, he gave the rest to his mother, which amounted to nearly 200 yuan.
So, most of it is his money!
We agreed to save it all for him to use when he gets married!
Ma Fuguo wanted to slap himself in the face. He was so old, couldn’t he save money for himself?
He must have been completely stunned by shit at that time!
Even though Ma Fuguo was heartbroken, he could only watch the money being spent.
Day by day, the money became less and less, and after a week, the more than 300 yuan was completely spent.
The money is gone, and the problem arises again: should it be treated?
The doctor said that the situation has been initially controlled and if it is controlled well, he can still live another ten years.
But the follow-up will cost at least another three hundred yuan.
During this discussion, Ma Qiangguo and Ma Fuguo became resolute.
Song Ping had spent the past week cleaning out the hospital's toilets, and she was filled with resentment. She couldn't help but whisper to Ma Qiangguo: "Life is unbearable without money! How can I raise my son without money? How can I find a wife for my son without money?"
Ma Qiangguo has been persuaded by others to be incurable.
Ma Fuguo is the only one in the family with a stable job and a salary. He is afraid that all his future wages will go into this bottomless pit, and he may even be asked to sell his job in the end.
He would never go back to the village to make a living by digging in the fields.
Ma Qiangguo and Ma Fuguo had already discussed this privately, so when Ma Jianguo asked to borrow money to continue treatment, they both said in unison, "Just go home and stop the treatment."
"You..." Ma Jianguo stared at his two brothers in disbelief and asked, "That's our mother!"
Ma Qiangguo sighed and said sadly, "I want to get treatment too, but I don't have the money!"
"If you don't have money, you can gather it together, borrow it, or sell it..."
"You have to pay it back if you borrow it!" Ma Qiangguo interrupted, "Brother, I have a wife and a son. I can't let them starve to death!"
Ma Fuguo then said, "Brother, I don't have a wife yet. My wife is already in the hospital, and now I have to borrow money. What should I do? Are you going to make me a bachelor for the rest of my life?"
“You, you guys…”
"Brother, let's divide the family! After the division, even if you want to sell all your share of the property, we won't stop you." Ma Qiangguo suggested.
"Yes, brother, let's split the family!" Ma Fuguo agreed.
This was the final result reached by the two brothers. They both knew that according to Ma Jianguo's temperament, he would definitely continue to treat the case. He would really sell everything he had to treat the case, and they could not be dragged into it.
After the family is divided, the eldest brother will pay for the treatment, which will make them feel better and will not harm their interests. It is definitely the best option.
"You..." Ma Jianguo was so angry that he pointed at the two and cursed them for being unfilial, but in the end he was unable to change the outcome.
…
The final result is separation.
After leaving Song Ping in the hospital, the three brothers returned home. After counting their belongings, they divided everything in the house. The land was divided into three parts, one for each person. Since there was nothing valuable, there was no dispute.
Although their household registration and residence were not divided, Ma Qiangguo and Ma Fuguo could not wait to shout in the village: "We have separated!"
Subtext: From now on, borrow money from whoever you want, don’t borrow money from them!
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