Swift, precise, and fast, followed immediately by Song Min's bloodcurdling scream that pierced the sky. The village dogs heard it and began barking incessantly.
After screaming in agony, Song Min fainted. The old doctor splinted his leg and, after some effort, finally finished. He turned to Liu Zhaodi and said...
"He can't get out of bed for half a month. You should let him lie down properly on the kang (heated brick bed). If the wound is itchy, he is not allowed to scratch it. I have already applied the medicine for him."
"If he takes good care of himself, he can recover. But if he doesn't take good care of his leg, I can't guarantee what will happen. You'll have to figure it out yourselves!" After saying that, he picked up his medicine box and left without asking for any further medical fees, thinking that this family was so poor they couldn't afford to pay.
"Doctor, have you forgotten something?" Liu Zhaodi chased after him to the door. She thought that simply treating a wound wouldn't cost more than a silver bracelet, and wanted to try and get some extra money back from the doctor. She wasn't sure, but she wanted to get back as much as she could, since her family was poor.
The old doctor checked her belongings and shook his head at her.
"You have to give me my change! I gave you my silver bracelet, and you only needed to treat your wound. You don't need that much money!" Liu Zhaodi rolled her eyes. She felt that the old doctor was trying to renege on the debt, otherwise why would his expression be so unpleasant?
The old doctor was so angry he couldn't speak. In all his years of practicing medicine, this was the first time he had encountered such a family. He thought to himself that he shouldn't have been so soft-hearted. He took a few breaths before he could speak.
"I just used the best medicine for your son, and I've already been generous enough by not asking you to pay extra."
“But… we can’t possibly use that many!” Liu Zhaodi retorted.
The old doctor felt that if he stayed any longer, he would be driven mad with anger, so he took out a dollar from his pocket and threw it on the ground.
"Even if you come to invite me with eight sedan chairs in the future, I will never come to your house for medical treatment again."
After saying that, he left in a huff. He hadn't made any money on this trip; in fact, he had lost money. The old doctor felt terrible and secretly vowed that he would never come back, even if they begged him on their knees.
Liu Zhaodi picked up a one-yuan coin from the ground. She didn't chase after the old doctor; getting so much money was already a pleasant surprise. Returning to the house, she looked at her son lying on the kang (heated brick bed). If he couldn't be cured, things would be terrible. Her face was filled with worry; she didn't know what to do…
night.
Qiao Xiaoni used the oilseed rape from her home as filling, along with chives from the backyard, and organized everyone to make dumplings.
Normally, we only get to eat dumplings during holidays like Chinese New Year, and even then, the filling is made with a rare cut of oily pork. We used every plate and bowl in the house, filling the entire table. Served with seasoned pickles and garlic sauce, everyone ate with gusto, their mouths drooling with delight.
After finishing one plate, Qiao Xiaoshan felt his belt was a bit tight, so he loosened it a bit, then brought another plate to himself and ate it very quickly, one bite at a time.
Li Meihua was afraid of overfeeding her son, saying, "Why are you eating like a starving ghost? I've never seen you eat this much before!"
Qiao Xiaoshan swallowed the dumpling in his mouth. "That was before. Our family didn't even have any oil in our cooking. We ate just to keep ourselves from going hungry."
Things are different now; we're eating dumplings.
Li Meihua, "Didn't you have breakfast at Grandma's house this morning?"
"Breakfast is ready. They even boiled an egg for me, but the food from the long journey was already digested." After saying that, Qiao Xiaoshan ate two more dumplings before feeling full.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
