Zhou Bingxing felt both regret and bitterness.
Why did he listen to Xiao Cui and steal his father's gold bars at night?
Now look what's happened! A whole jar of gold bars is gone. Dad's definitely going to be furious tomorrow. And Xiao Cui, if she hadn't gone to the backyard to steal the gold bars tonight, she probably wouldn't have been poisoned.
Why was Ding Xiaocui poisoned? Was there a snake in the backyard?
Impossible. How could Xiao Cui not know she was bitten by a snake?
Zhou Bingxing was completely baffled.
Zhou Bingxing ran forward with his head covered, while Ding Ermei and the two children from the second wife chased after him.
Upon seeing the hospital gate, Zhou Bingxing's legs went weak and he almost fell.
Just now, all Zhou Bingxing was thinking about was getting there quickly so that Xiao Cui could be saved at the hospital. He hadn't felt tired at all. Now, as he finally relaxed, he felt weak all over and had no strength left.
"What are you doing?" The gatekeeper couldn't help but peek out and ask when he saw Zhou Bingxing standing at the hospital entrance, panting heavily with someone on his back.
"Sir, my wife... she's been poisoned! I've come to find a doctor... to save her life!" Zhou Bingxing replied, panting heavily.
"Poisoning can't be delayed. Young man, come with me quickly." The gatekeeper was startled and quickly came out to lead Zhou Bingxing to the emergency room.
Dr. Wang is on night shift tonight.
After quickly examining Ding Xiaocui's hands and lips, Dr. Wang frowned deeply.
Judging from Ding Xiaocui's appearance, she has indeed been poisoned.
However, Dr. Wang had never seen such a potent poison before.
"How long has she been like this?" Dr. Wang asked, pointing to Ding Xiaocui's palm.
"About fifteen minutes ago, as soon as I noticed something was wrong, I came to the hospital immediately," Zhou Bingxing said.
Dr. Wang was startled.
Ding Xiaocui's left hand was already necrotic. Dr. Wang thought that Ding Xiaocui had been poisoned for more than half a day!
"You're the patient's husband, right? Your wife needs surgery immediately. Go to the cashier and pay the bill, and I'll have someone arrange the surgery right away," Dr. Wang said sternly.
"Surgery? What kind of surgery?" Zhou Bingxing was a little confused.
"Amputation! Look, her entire palm is necrotic, and the toxins are spreading to her arm. If we don't amputate it quickly, she'll die once the toxins reach her heart." Dr. Wang said anxiously, "Right now, time is of the essence. Go pay the bill quickly, and I'll make a small incision in her hand to drain some of the toxic blood."
Dr. Wang got busy.
Zhou Bingxing stood there, dumbfounded.
Pay the money? Ding Ermei hasn't arrived yet! Zhou Bingxing didn't have any money in his pocket.
Besides, wouldn't Ding Xiaocui become disabled after cutting her hand?
"Hurry up! What's wrong with you?" Dr. Wang picked up the cotton ball stained with poisonous blood with pliers, smelled it, and was met with a stench of dead fish and rotten shrimp, which made Dr. Wang's face change drastically.
Oh no, this poison is too potent. Without an antidote, even amputation might not save the patient's life.
Thinking of this, Dr. Wang quickly picked up the phone and frantically called for help.
"Bingxing, how is it? Is Xiaocui saved?" At this moment, Ding Ermei arrived, panting, supported by her two children.
"Mom, sob sob sob..." Zhou Bingxing cried.
"Don't cry, tell me quickly!" Ding Ermei was very anxious.
"The doctor said I need to have my leg amputated, Mom, what should I do?" Zhou Bingxing wiped away his tears and asked.
"Amputation? Doctor, how much will the medical expenses cost?" Ding Ermei, true to her name, didn't ask about the treatment's effectiveness, but rather how much it would cost.
"The surgery fee is 120 yuan for now. The remaining amount will be settled by the inpatient department later," Dr. Wang replied, having just finished his call.
"I have to pay 120 more? Is your hospital robbing people?" Ding Ermei jumped up.
Ding Ermei now only has 130 yuan left to keep as a pittance.
Ding Xiaocui's medical expenses this time will cost several hundred and twenty yuan. In other words, Ding Ermei will become penniless, or rather, she might be in deep debt.
"Auntie, our hospital's fees are all open and transparent. You can call the health bureau to ask. If you don't want treatment, you can leave. You can't accuse us of overcharging." Dr. Wang was angered by Ding Ermei.
"Bingxing, let's go," Ding Ermei said through gritted teeth.
“Madam, I feel obligated to remind you that without treatment, the patient might not even survive two hours.” Dr. Wang glanced at Ding Xiaocui with pity in his eyes.
Not saving them is tantamount to waiting for them to die.
It's only been a few minutes since I entered.
The bluish-gray color on Ding Xiaocui's palms had already reached her wrists.
At this rate, the toxins will definitely spread to the heart within two hours at most.
"Mom, please save Xiaocui! On the way to the hospital, Xiaocui was still saying she didn't want to die." Zhou Bingxing's eyes reddened.
“Bingxing! Didn’t you hear what the doctor said? One hundred and twenty is the cost of tonight’s surgery, and who knows how many more one hundred and twenty will be needed after that! Our family doesn’t have that much money! Xiaocui’s illness is a bottomless pit!” Ding Ermei said with a bitter face.
"Mom, don't worry about the money. Just lend it to me, and I promise I'll pay you back in a few days," Zhou Bingxing said through gritted teeth.
Zhou Bingxing remembered those gold bars.
A few days later, he went to the county town and sold the gold bars. Xiao Cui was truly devoted to him, had stayed with him for so many years, and even bore him two children.
Four gold bars should be enough to pay Xiao Cui's medical expenses... right?
"Oh my god, are you stupid? Do you understand that Xiao Cui needs to have her leg amputated? Even if she's saved, she'll be crippled! With this money, you might as well get a new wife!" Ding Ermei said the last sentence from the bottom of her throat.
However, Zhou Bingxing understood.
Zhou Jiaxiang, standing next to Ding Ermei, also understood.
Zhou Jiaxiang was very angry.
How could Grandma do this?
Isn't Mom Grandma's niece? Why did Grandma prefer to save the money for Dad to marry a stepmother instead of letting him save Mom, even though Dad said he was willing to spend money to save her?
No, stepmothers are all bad people. He doesn't want a stepmother.
Thinking of this, Zhou Jiaxiang glanced at Zhou Bingxing and Ding Ermei.
Zhou Bingxing and Ding Ermei were arguing. Zhou Bingxing insisted on saving her, while Ding Ermei tried to persuade him to stop.
Zhou Jiaxiang secretly walked to the bedside and whispered in Ding Xiaocui's ear, "Mom, did you hear that? Dad wants to save you, but Grandma says she doesn't have the money and won't save you."
Perhaps driven by a strong will to survive, Ding Xiaocui suddenly opened her eyes after hearing Zhou Jiaxiang's words and slurred, "Gold bars, in the box. Sell them, we'll have money for treatment."
Zhou Jiaxiang was overjoyed and rushed to Zhou Bingxing, saying, "Dad, Mom said there are gold bars in her box. If we sell them, we'll have money to treat her illness."
"Jiaxiang, what nonsense are you talking about? How could your mother possibly have gold bars?" Ding Ermei asked in astonishment.
Zhou Fugui never told Ding Ermei about the gold bars.
For three generations, the Ding family had been dirt poor. Ding Ermei didn't believe that Ding Xiaocui had gold bars as part of her dowry when she got married.
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