"Xiao Cheng, is this your relative?"
Cheng Ruzhu smiled and nodded, "My niece and nephew-in-law."
The old lady in the next bed stared at Zhou Jiao and her family of three. "Your niece is so pretty. Your niece-in-law is also very smart. Is he a soldier?"
Cheng Ruzhu had no intention of talking to her any further. She smiled at her and motioned for Zhou Jiao and her to come out and talk. She was worried that if they delayed any longer, they would miss the train.
Zhang Guoqing lowered his head and said to Ping An, "You stay here with your uncle, don't wander around."
Ping An nodded obediently, "Dad, hurry up."
Zhang Guoqing patted his head and smiled at Xiaoyu, who was looking eagerly at him. "First, take care of yourself. Next time, wherever you want to go, your brother-in-law will definitely take you there."
"It's a deal!"
Zhang Guoqing nodded with a smile. The child looked even paler when he fell down. The poor child was so happy that he ended up in tragedy.
At the other end of the corridor, Zhou Jiao opened her backpack, revealing one foot. She let Cheng Ruzhu take a look and whispered, "Here's a box of imported penicillin. It's all in foreign language. Ask the doctor if it's useful. Auntie, please don't tell them it's mine. I'm afraid someone will come to my house if the news gets out."
Cheng Ruzhu smiled grimly and nodded, "Okay. Give me two and take the others back."
Zhou Jiao ignored her and took off her backpack and put it on her. "We're just friends, don't be so polite. If it's no longer useful, keep it. If you see someone you like, you can do it as a favor."
Cheng Ruzhu didn't refuse after hearing this. She knew the child's temper very well and thought it would be troublesome to refuse again. But she weighed the weight and realized that something was wrong.
"Did you put a lot of stuff in there? Take the medicine and the food back to Ping An."
Zhou Jiao held her hand, "That's enough. How much can you fit in this military bag?"
Cheng Ruzhu smiled and shook her head. "Okay, I'll take it all. There's nothing for you to do here, so go back early. I won't see you off tonight."
"What are you sending us for? When the time comes, the driver will drive us directly to the station. I've already told my aunt and my mother not to go."
"Then you have to be careful. Don't let Ping An eat anything outside on the road. Xiao Yu just ran out and drank some sour plum soup and stuffed his stomach with goat offal."
Zhou Jiao nodded, "Okay. If you're busy, tell your aunt, there's still my aunt at home."
"No, I'll take him out of the hospital tomorrow morning if there's nothing wrong with him."
"Then come to my house and get whatever you need. My parents are not home, so I have extra supplies this month."
"Okay. I'll go and clear it out."
Not far from the door, Zhang Guoqing watched them approach and asked again, "Really, we don't need to transfer to another hospital?"
Cheng Ruzhu shook her head, went inside and waved to Ping An, "Baby, go back with your dad quickly. You'll miss the train if you're late. Be sure to behave when you get home. Don't be like your uncle and stuff everything into your mouth, okay?"
Ping An waved goodbye to Xiao Yu and said, "I know. Uncle, I'll bring you some meat. You must get better soon and wait for me to come back."
"Don't go over there and have fun and don't come back. I'll go to the compound and wait for you to come back."
After Cheng Ruzhu saw Zhang Guoqing and his family off, she returned to the ward and saw her son staring intently at the military backpack on the bedside table. She nodded to herself, thinking the child was quite clever and could understand her.
"They left? Go see what they sent."
Cheng Ruzhu glanced at the familiar old lady. She couldn't understand why she was so excited. Could she still get some? She glanced at the child in the other woman's bed and sighed inwardly.
"It's nothing good. Auntie, why are you the only one guarding the child? Where are her parents?"
The old lady's attention was immediately diverted when she heard this. "My husband and I have to go to work, and there are four children at home who need my husband to take care of. Someone only comes to relieve me in the evening."
"The children suffer, and the adults suffer too." A thin old lady lying in the hospital bed not far away also sighed.
The old lady finally found a like-minded person and asked hurriedly, "That's right! Big sister, are you also alone with your child? Is this child your grandson or your grandson-in-law?"
"grandson!"
"What's wrong with you?"
"The naughty boy went swimming in the river and got caught in a metal slag wound. He was afraid of being scolded by his family and couldn't tell them. Then he had a high fever in the middle of the night. It was terrifying!"
Cheng Ruzhu patted the child while listening and said softly, "Go to sleep and rest your mind."
"Mom, I can't sleep when I think about my sister and the others getting on the bus soon. Why am I so unlucky? My brother and the others are all fine, why am I the only one who's sick?"
Cheng Ruzhu laughed and tapped her son's nose, "Let's see if you dare to eat anything you want next time!"
"Mom, I feel like there's nothing wrong with me now except I have no strength. What do you think about me being like before?"
"Don't even think about it! Your sister and her husband have to take care of Ping An, a baby, and your sick brother. Do you have the nerve to do that?"
After hearing this, Xiaoyu shook his head dejectedly and pounded the bed hard.
"Okay, it's not like they'll never come back again. Next time I want to go play there, I'll have to get Mom's approval first!"
"That's the only way." Xiaoyu rolled his eyes at his backpack and pointed at it. "Mom, I'm hungry. Look what my sister brought me?"
Cheng Ruzhu shook her head, "No, the doctor said you can't eat now."
"Tsk... Who is my sister? How could she not know what I should eat when I'm sick? Go open it and take a look. It must be something I can eat right now."
Cheng Ruzhu looked at him looking at her with full confidence, and something moved her. She picked up the bag and placed it on her knees. She carefully opened the package and pushed the medicine box down, revealing a bag of brown sugar and grape powder.
Seeing these two things, Cheng Ruzhu subconsciously smiled and nodded at her son, winking at him to keep quiet. She then put on her bag and carried the washbasin out.
After finding a secluded place, she took out the brown sugar and grape powder, placed them on the basin, covered them with a towel, and opened the bag again. Seeing this, she muttered, "This silly girl!"
"How could this be just a little something?" Inside the bag was a large bag of candy, a bag of imported milk powder, and a can of food. Cheng Ruzhu was absolutely convinced that if the bag wasn't too full, this silly kid would have emptied the family's savings! How could she not like such a kind and righteous child?
Cheng Ruzhu secretly planned to ask her colleagues who were going to the Canton Fair in the south to bring back more local specialties. If she had the chance, she would go there herself.
After visiting the doctor, Cheng Ruzhu asked if her child needed imported medicine. Despite the attending doctor's objection, she returned to the ward with a smile on her face.
"mom?"
Cheng Ruzhu learned along the way that her son's condition was not serious, which made her feel relieved. At this moment, she smiled and took out the grape powder that had been wrapped in newspaper, soaked it in a cup of warm water and handed it to him.
"Just get through the night and we'll go home tomorrow morning."
Xiaoyu said unhappily, "I told you I'm fine. I can be discharged now and catch up with my sister and the others." After saying that, he took a sip and his eyes lit up immediately, "Mom?"
Cheng Ruzhu winked at him, and seeing his silly smile, she also smiled. Now the children finally didn't have to make a fuss about going to the Northeast. Good, three sons were finally settled!
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