Wen Songtao didn't want to explain anymore. The situation outside was really complicated. A single word could bring trouble. What was his granddaughter doing all this for? Wasn't it just to protect her relatives?
The son-in-law is not bad so far; overall, he is more reliable than the son.
Although Zhou Yaru disagreed with the old man's statement, she did not refute it verbally. After all, her granddaughter and son-in-law were outsiders. How could they be compared to her children and grandchildren?
But the old man seemed to be under a spell; he wouldn't listen to anything she said, so she simply stopped talking.
Jiang Qiao and Wen Songtao were perfect for this kind of thing. While the old lady was enjoying the cool air, these two, grandmother and grandson, went out and loaded their car with quite a lot of things. The people who sold them things kept thanking them.
As for why they thanked her, the grandmother and granddaughter understood in their hearts. Looking at the things in the car, Zhou Yaru was unusually frugal.
I've been muttering to the old man for a while now, "Why did you buy so much? We don't use it much. Won't it go bad if we leave it for too long?"
You mentioned mink fur and ginseng, and the old lady understands. But so much dried game can't be stored for long, and we can't possibly finish it all, especially goose eggs and duck eggs. These things will go bad if they're pickled for too long, and we can't possibly eat them all in time.
As for other herbs, the old lady doesn't understand them, but who needs those things if they're not sick? It's not like there's nowhere to buy them.
To his wife, Wen Songtao could only smile helplessly. "It's definitely not going to break. If the child wants it, then let the child have it. It won't cost much. To be honest, it's nothing compared to one of your pieces of jewelry from back then. Look at all the jewelry you have now, is it even worth anything?"
The old man knew perfectly well what the market was like outside. Food was practically as expensive as gold, with prices so high that there was no market for it. Only the old woman was used to a life of luxury, being waited on hand and foot every day, and didn't know the hardships outside.
There are some things the old man doesn't understand. He only knows that they are herbs, but in his opinion, they are no different from grass. If needed, his granddaughter can pick them from the mountain herself. Why should she buy them from these people?
Faced with the old man's doubts, Jiang Qiao could only sigh deeply. "Grandpa, don't underestimate these herbs. They're all quite old, so their medicinal effects are naturally much stronger than ordinary ones. Some herbs can't even be found at the edge of the forest; you have to go deep into the old forest and try your luck."
Moreover, these families are all relatives of martyrs—”
With just those two words, Wen Songtao understood everything. "It was the right purchase. We should buy more and pay more money."
Jiang Qiao smiled and shook her head. "Even if you give them more, they won't accept it. Although they are the families of martyrs, they are still proud and earn their living with their own hands. They don't want others to pity them."
Wen Songtao nodded knowingly, and his respect for those individuals grew even stronger.
Jiang Qiao finished packing her things and was about to call the old man and the old lady to get in the car when the aunt suddenly called out to Jiang Qiao.
With a troubled expression, she said, "Girl, can I talk to you about something? You see, a mute beggar has come to our village. We don't know what happened. It's okay in the summer, but what about in the winter? Is there any place outside where we can take him in?"
Look, in our village, every family has many children. We really have the will but not the means, and in these times, just being able to give him water is already a blessing. After all, he's a life, it's pitiful. If there's anywhere outside that can take him in, could you please find a way?"
The auntie was really kind-hearted. As mothers themselves, they couldn't bear to see the child like this, but they simply didn't have the means to raise another one.
Even her own children are barely surviving; she truly has the will but not the strength.
Judging from Jiang Qiao's clothes and their family background, and considering they are military dependents, their circumstances are definitely better than those of us from the countryside.
"Where is it? Please take me there quickly."
When the woman inquired, the children said, "It's still in that woodpile, but it seems it hasn't come out since this morning. I don't know what happened."
Jiang Qiao and Wen Songtao quickly followed the woman to the pile of firewood. When they saw the boy inside with his face flushed red from the fever, not only Jiang Qiao but even the aunt was startled.
"What should we do, daughter? You must take him to the military hospital quickly and see if they can help save him. The child is burning hot."
Jiang Qiao said nothing more and told the old man to pick up the person and run quickly to the parking lot.
Once everyone was in the car, Jiang Qiao quickly drove away, not forgetting to hand the water bottle she had brought to the old man, saying, "Grandpa, give him some water."
Zhou Yaru glanced at the little beggar lying in her husband's arms with a look of disgust.
She didn't even consider that a beggar child couldn't be clean. With nowhere to bathe and no clothes to change into, he was bound to smell bad.
The old man didn't mind; after giving the child water, he quickly used the water to cool the child down.
"Hey, this child is wearing a jade pendant—"
As soon as Wen Songtao said this, even Zhou Yaru couldn't help but turn her head to take a look.
"My goodness, the jade is of really good quality. Whose child is this? If someone can afford to wear something like this, they wouldn't have lost their child, especially a boy."
Jiang Qiao was in a hurry to drive and didn't have time to deal with the jade pendant; saving lives was the priority.
Jiang Qiao drove the truck at a speed comparable to that of a sedan, which Zhou Yaru found somewhat difficult to adapt to. After all, rural roads are not comparable to main roads, and they are full of potholes. Naturally, the old lady felt uncomfortable from the bumpy ride.
However, even though Zhou Yaru was in great pain, she wisely didn't say anything. It was a matter of life and death. Even if she didn't like the little beggar next to her, he was still a child, and his life was at stake.
Upon arrival, Jiang Qiao jumped out of the car first, and the old man carried the person out.
Everyone at the clinic recognized Jiang Qiao; she was the daughter of Wen Jingwan and Commander Gu.
"Jiang Qiao, what brings you here?"
"Quick, help save people! A child has a fever, please take a look."
In their haste to save the child, Jiang Qiao didn't have time to take the little guy's pulse. When the old man brought the child in, everyone was stunned. He looked like a beggar.
However, no one said anything. Regardless of what the child did, he was a patient, so they should take a look at him quickly.
"Quick, give him a fever-reducing injection; the child's temperature is too high."
Jiang Qiao sat down next to the little guy and took his pulse. Besides the cold, she could vaguely sense something abnormal in the child's body, as if he had been poisoned. But she didn't know what the child had done to deserve such a poisonous act.
Looking at the little guy, although his face was so dirty that you couldn't tell what he looked like, he was probably six or seven years old. She couldn't say for sure, though, because he was too thin to make a proper judgment.
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