Chapter 76 The stall owner isn't pregnant with Nezha.
"It's collapsed, has it collapsed?" Qin Zihang asked.
“Yes, it collapsed. The mountain collapsed, and the road ahead is buried, so we can’t go any further,” Song Fenglan said. “We have to wait until the road is cleared before we can go back.”
"Ah." Qin Zihang had thought he would see his mother soon, but he didn't expect he wouldn't be able to see her again. "Then I have to wait, right? How long will I have to wait?"
"It might take about a week." Song Fenglan wondered how her child was doing. She wanted to gently rub the child's head, but the child wasn't beside her.
"So much time has passed..." Qin Zihang felt like he had drawn many little red flowers, but his mother still hadn't come back.
“It’s not a very long time,” Song Fenglan said. “When the time comes, Mom will go back and stay with you.”
"Okay, I'll wait for Mom," Qin Zihang said. "Mom, please be careful and don't let anything happen to you. I can wait, Mom, please be safe and sound. Mom, Brother Xiaohu doesn't need his crutches anymore, he can walk by himself now."
"That's good," Song Fenglan said. "We also need to be careful with our Hangbao so it doesn't fall over."
"I didn't fall, and I even ran with my dad," Qin Zihang said. "I'm very healthy."
“You were sick before…” Song Fenglan sighed. When her child was sick, she wasn’t there for her, she couldn’t be there for her, and she couldn’t make her child feel more comfortable.
"Everything's fine now, no problem. Mom, I'll wait for you." Qin Zihang emphasized that he would definitely wait; his mother couldn't possibly not come back. His aunt and father had both said that his mother would definitely return.
The mother and son chatted for a few minutes, and then Qin Yizhou spoke to Song Fenglan, saying, "We're all waiting for you."
After hanging up the phone, Qin Zihang stared at his father.
"What's wrong?" Qin Yizhou noticed Qin Zihang's actions. His son had been staring at him for a while, and he couldn't pretend he didn't know.
"Dad, will Mom really come back?" Qin Zihang asked.
“Of course, neither you nor I have made your mother angry. Your mother will come back,” Qin Yizhou said. “Have you forgotten how good your mother is to you? She would rather abandon others than abandon you.”
"I'm just... just a little scared." Qin Zihang hadn't seen his mother for many days, and even though he had called her, he was still afraid.
The sound coming through the phone was somewhat different from the real sound; it was distorted. Qin Zihang felt that his mother's voice was not quite real, as if she were floating in the air.
"Don't be afraid," Qin Yizhou said. "Mom will come back."
"Yes." Qin Zihang nodded vigorously. "Mom won't abandon me."
"Your mother won't abandon your father either," Qin Yizhou added, indicating that he was not entirely useless.
"I don't know," Qin Zihang said.
"You really don't know?" Qin Yizhou tickled Qin Zihang, who laughed.
A week later, Song Fenglan returned home, picked up and dropped off by a car, so the delay was not long.
When Song Fenglan returned home, she didn't cook anything; her cooking skills were terrible. She put her things down, tidied herself up a bit, and went to the school gate to wait for Qin Zihang.
When Qin Zihang saw Song Fenglan come to pick him up, his eyes lit up. You see, he had been in a terrible mood when he learned his mother would be a week late; he was worried people would say she really wasn't coming back. Thankfully, his mother was back, and she even came to pick him up.
"Mom, Mom!" Qin Zihang rushed over and hugged Song Fenglan's leg.
"Here I am, here I am, Mommy's here." Song Fenglan squatted down and hugged Qin Zihang. She was about to bend down and hug her son, but he grabbed her leg first, showing that he really missed her. "Mommy's back from her business trip."
"That's so nice, Mom." Qin Zihang wanted to call his mother a few more times; he really missed her so much.
"I'm home," Song Fenglan said.
“Auntie.” Zhang Xiaohu was also very happy to see Song Fenglan.
"Come on, let's all go home together," Song Fenglan said with a smile.
Song Fenglan held Qin Zihang's hand. Qin Zihang held his head high and straightened his back. His mother was back. His mother didn't abandon him. What those people were saying was all nonsense. Just because Mom went out didn't mean she didn't want her baby. She might just be on a business trip, and a business trip meant she would come back.
The child who previously mentioned Qin Zihang's parents' divorce saw Zihang's mother arrive and hoped his mother would come back. However, his parents are indeed divorced, not in a fake way, so his mother cannot return. Others will try to introduce him to a new mother.
Qin Zihang didn't care what the other children thought; all he knew was that his mother had returned.
Zhang Xiaohu no longer needs crutches and can walk faster now. Zhang Xiaohu still stays by Song Fenglan's side, and the fat woman doesn't stop her, since the two families are neighbors.
"Your business trip this time has been quite long," the plump woman remarked. "It's been over a month."
"We were supposed to come back earlier, but the landslide happened, so we were late," Song Fenglan said.
"How was your business trip?" the plump woman asked.
"It's alright, I'm working all day long. After eating, I work and sleep. I don't do anything else," Song Fenglan said. "I only buy some things for the children when I'm about to come back."
"That must have been really tough, very tiring," the plump woman said. "You've lost some weight, is the food there not good?"
"It's not that it's bad; the food they give us is quite good," Song Fenglan said. "It's just that we're not used to the taste there. Some of the dishes are quite delicious."
When Song Fenglan went to the cafeteria, she only took the dishes she could eat; she wouldn't take the ones she couldn't. She even saw someone eating raw yak meat, frozen and sliced. Anyway, Song Fenglan couldn't eat those things, and whenever someone offered her a taste, she would shake her head.
Forcing yourself to eat things you shouldn't will only lead to ending up in the hospital.
The male assistant who went with Song Fenglan ended up in the hospital, which left Song Fenglan speechless. But it was understandable that he wanted to try, and besides, he was being treated so warmly and being invited so earnestly. Women could easily refuse, but men probably weren't so easy to refuse.
The male assistant stayed in the hospital for several days before being discharged, and he was very weak.
Fortunately, whether the male assistant was working or not didn't make much of a difference, and Song Fenglan was still able to resolve those issues quickly.
When Song Fenglan was about to return, Director Zhang brought her a lot of dried fruit and other gifts. Director Zhang was particularly happy; Song Fenglan had solved a problem that had been troubling them for a long time. Besides the equipment inspection, there were other matters to consider.
Director Zhang realized it was no wonder the relevant personnel recommended Song Fenglan; she was capable and could indeed accomplish a lot. Without ability, it would be very difficult to achieve anything significant. They had invited other people before, but none had been of much use.
Song Fenglan kept all those things at home, and Director Zhang also gave some things to Cao Fang, Liu Xueer, and others. In this way, Song Fenglan didn't have to distribute the things to others.
Song Fenglan initially didn't want them, but Director Zhang said they were local specialties and not worth much, insisting that Song Fenglan accept them. So, Song Fenglan accepted them. If they were anything too valuable, Song Fenglan definitely wouldn't have accepted them.
Raisins and similar items are quite good.
Song Fenglan had eaten them when she was in Northwest China. The raisins tasted particularly good, as did other nuts. The wind and sand in Northwest China are strong, and the temperature difference between day and night is significant, but the intensity and duration of sunlight there are also quite good, making the fruits grown there sweeter.
A little while later, Song Fenglan led Qin Zihang back home. She talked to her sister-in-law about these things, saying that it was okay to stay in the Northwest occasionally, but not for a long time.
"I brought some food. I'll have Xiaohu and his brother try it later," Song Fenglan said.
"I can't accept this," said the plump woman.
"Don't be embarrassed, it was a gift from someone else," Song Fenglan said. "It's just so everyone can have a taste."
Song Fenglan needs to take a long train ride, which is good.
With someone seeing them off at the train station, their belongings were relatively easy to carry. If no one had seen them off, Song Fenglan would have had to carry them herself, and she would have had to consider whether she could even manage them.
"Okay, later. After dinner, let the two brothers go over." The fat sister-in-law looked at Zhang Xiaohu, "Xiaohu, did you hear that? Your aunt hasn't forgotten you."
"I heard it! I heard it!" Zhang Xiaohu was overjoyed.
Tian Junhua, who was walking behind, also wanted to follow, but his mother stopped him. Tian Junhua's house was some distance from Song Fenglan's house, and Tian's mother was embarrassed to let her son go with her. If others saw this, they would think that the Tian family was short of food and that they were forcing their child to go to someone else's house to eat.
"Oh, by the way, Yani's mother went back," said the plump woman.
"She went back?" Song Fenglan really didn't know about this, but she had been away on a business trip for more than a month, so it was perfectly normal for Guo's mother to go back.
"Yes, she went back," said the plump woman. "Fan Yani and the others took her to the station, and Li Hui went too."
“It’s good to go back. After all, it’s more comfortable to live at home. There are also many things to do at home,” Song Fenglan said. “Especially for their generation, they are not used to staying at other people’s homes.”
"That's right," said the plump woman. An adopted daughter is still an adopted daughter, not a biological one. Her own son and daughter-in-law live next door, and if Guo's mother is always with Fan Yani, her daughter-in-law will have complaints. It's better to go back when it's time to avoid trouble.
If Guo's mother didn't go back soon, Li Hui's expression would probably change drastically.
Song Fenglan brought Qin Zihang back home, and Madam Su had already made arrangements.
After a while, Qin Yizhou also returned.
Qin Yizhou had originally intended to pick up Song Fenglan, but Song Fenglan said the research institute had a shuttle service and Qin Yizhou didn't need to go. So Qin Yizhou went to the military base instead and would return after work.
When Qin Yizhou and Song Fenglan looked at each other, Qin Yizhou stepped forward and hugged Song Fenglan tightly.
He hadn't been this anxious before, even when he hadn't seen his wife for much longer periods. This time, however, it felt like an incredibly long time had passed. Perhaps it was because they had been together for so long that Qin Yizhou missed Song Fenglan even more.
"Dad, Mom is hungry, she needs to eat!" Qin Zihang knew exactly when to bother his father.
Time flew by, and it was 1979. With the reform and opening up, some regions issued policies allowing individual businesses to operate. However, many people were afraid to sell their goods, fearing they would be arrested. When someone brought goods to the residential compound to sell, they would shout and make a racket, and people would look around to see if anyone else was going to buy from them.
Ideally, everyone should buy it, or at least you should buy it without letting others see it.
When Song Fenglan saw someone setting up a stall, she went over to buy a pot. Seeing Song Fenglan's actions, the plump woman also walked over openly, without hiding. If others dared to sell in the family compound, then the military families could certainly buy too.
"This bowl is not bad," said the plump woman. "A couple of days ago, they were selling bowls, and I secretly bought a few without daring to let anyone see."
“The policy has changed; now individuals are allowed to sell these things,” Song Fenglan said. “In the future, there will only be more people selling these things.”
"That's true, the policies have been relaxed," said the plump woman. "From now on, we won't need coupons to buy things, we'll just use money, which will be much more convenient."
"Gradually loosen restrictions. If those tickets are still usable, use them as soon as possible," Song Fenglan said. "With market regulation, prices will also change."
Song Fenglan planned to use up the available tickets. Their location in Nancheng was closer to Nancheng and would develop rapidly. Song Fenglan thought she had finally waited for this moment; now that the policies were relaxed, they could do more.
Back in the capital, Brother Song is planning to start a business. His family has some connections, so they need to find out if it's possible to get a business license. Only after obtaining the necessary permits can they open a factory or company.
“That’s right. If you could buy it just by having money, everyone would be willing to pay,” said the plump woman. “Then it really would be whoever offers the highest price.”
"It depends on the items," Song Fenglan said. "Some items are scarce, so their prices are naturally higher. As overall prices go up, those low-priced items will eventually have to go up as well. It's been a bit better in the past few years, but in the future, the increase might be faster."
Song Fenglan thought that nowadays everyone's monthly salary is only a few dozen yuan, and they are very happy to have a salary of a few dozen yuan. In the early 1990s, everyone's salary will be over a hundred yuan, and later it will be over a thousand yuan. The rate of increase is very fast. If it increases little by little, people will not feel it. But later, there will be a period when prices will increase very quickly all at once.
Song Fenglan wasn't worried about prices; such things weren't something she could control by worrying about them.
"I don't know much about these things, so I'll just go with the flow," said the plump woman. "Those things that won't break are things we can buy more of."
The fat woman thought to herself that Song Fenglan was smart, and that she would definitely be right to listen to Song Fenglan.
At this point, Fan Yani planned to set up a biscuit stall first. They didn't have enough money to open a shop directly. It would be best to wait until next year; right now, even getting a permit would be difficult, but next year registration for individual businesses would be significantly liberalized.
"Set up a stall?" Yue Hongwei was quite shocked when he heard Fan Yani's words.
“Yes, I can set up a stall. I know baking, so I can sell cookies and other snacks,” Fan Yani said. “After having a baby, I didn’t work in the cafeteria, so I didn’t have any income. With just your salary, we won’t have enough money if something happens in the future. It’s better if I do something too.”
"Should we wait a little longer?" Yue Hongwei asked, a little worried.
"Hasn't the policy been relaxed?" Fan Yani said. "There are already people selling things outside. Are you worried... worried that my selling things will affect you?"
"No," Yue Hongwei said, "I just don't know if this policy will change again."
In the past, being caught buying and selling things was considered speculation and profiteering, which would result in being arrested and imprisoned—a very serious matter.
Yue Hongwei was worried that Fan Yani would get caught or hurt. As for himself, he was fine; since he wasn't the one who went, he would at most receive a reprimand from his superiors.
“Don’t worry,” Fan Yani said. “The policy has been implemented. If even I, a military wife, don’t dare to do it, how can others dare to do it? Just consider it me setting an example so that others don’t have to be afraid.”
"Okay, you go do it!" What could Yue Hongwei say after hearing his wife's words? If he continued, it would seem like he lacked awareness. "Do you need a cart?"
“If we’re going to do it, we’ll set up a stall in our residential compound and sell it on the nearby streets,” Fan Yani said. “We’ll sell as much as we can. Cookies and the like can last a while longer and won’t spoil. They can be sold for a few days without any problems. Cakes and the like, however, don’t have such a long shelf life and can’t be kept for too long.”
"Look," Yue Hongwei said, "You go set up your stall, but what about the kids?"
“I have an idea, but I’m afraid you won’t agree,” Fan Yani said.
"What are you thinking?" Yue Hongwei asked, puzzled.
“Let my mom come over,” Fan Yani said. “Even if we can make money selling things, it won’t work if there’s no one at home to take care of the children. You’re going to the army, and I’m going to bake. It’s always good to have someone at home. I told my mom that we’ll give her some money every month, with room and board included. It’s better than her working in the countryside. She can’t earn much working in the countryside. There’s Dad and other people at home who can do the work.”
Mr. and Mrs. Guo are an old married couple, and Mrs. Guo has to do a lot of things at home, so she can't rest much. If Mrs. Guo comes to Fan Yani's place, she can at least take some money back with her.
"You're already talking about giving money before we've even made any money?" Yue Hongwei said.
“If it doesn’t make money, let Mom go back. It’s not a big deal,” Fan Yani said.
“Your older brother has been transferred to the Grain Bureau,” Yue Hongwei said.
“He…it’s up to him,” Fan Yani said. “It doesn’t matter where he goes. Does he still live here?”
“I guess they’ll continue living here,” Yue Hongwei said. “Your sister-in-law was originally in the cultural troupe, and your brother was originally in the army. They’ll subsidize the house, and it’ll be theirs. That’s military policy. Some of the houses here are from a long time ago. Now they’ve built houses elsewhere, which is enough for them. Besides, after being demobilized, few people stay here.”
“Shouldn’t my older brother go back to his hometown?” Fan Yani asked.
“He… well, he’s staying here anyway,” Yue Hongwei said. “It’s all up to us.”
Fan Yani's elder brother, Guo Peng, has indeed made meritorious contributions. If they can find a way, they can still manage to stay in Nancheng.
"Why did he go to the grain bureau? Wouldn't it have been better to go somewhere else?" Fan Yani frowned.
"The grain bureau is lucrative," Yue Hongwei said. "So many people want to get in, and you think it's a bad idea?"
"It's good now, but it might not be in the future." Fan Yani wondered why Guo Peng wanted to work at the grain bureau. Working at the police station would have been better. Gao Xiuxiu's man knew how to make a better choice. If he went to the police station, he could slowly get promoted. Even if he didn't become a high-ranking official, it would be relatively easy for him to become the deputy director or director.
If Guo Peng had joined the grain bureau as an ordinary employee, or even just a minor leader, not a high-ranking official, things might not have been so easy for him in the future.
Those people all think the grain bureau is good now, but they haven't seen the future.
"Nobody knows what the future holds, so let's just look at what's in front of us," Yue Hongwei said.
“That’s true. There are other options in the future. It’s not that we can’t do other things,” Fan Yani said. “It’s just that how many people have the ability to do other things?”
In the room, Song Fenglan had just applied skincare products when she heard Qin Yizhou talking about the Qin family.
"My second sister has moved out of the house," Qin Yizhou said.
"When did this happen?" Song Fenglan asked.
"It happened just a couple of days ago," Qin Yizhou replied. "My second brother-in-law earned some money from his job, not much, but enough for their rent. They've always lived with my parents, so it's inevitable that they'll have conflicts."
Qin Da Sao You Yun is not in a hurry now.
Qin Erjie's family moved out, but Qin's mother hoped they would move out as soon as possible. Qin's mother said many hurtful things to Qin Erjie, and even though You Yun didn't mind, Qin Erjie didn't want to keep hearing those things from her mother.
Sister Qin was worried that her mother's way of thinking would affect her children, so she thought it would be better to move out sooner rather than later. Life was a little harder without living in the Qin family home, but at least no one was constantly saying those hurtful things in her ear.
“You know how sharp-tongued Mom is. She doesn’t just give you attitude and treat Zihang badly; she gives Second Sister attitude and treats Second Sister’s children badly too,” Qin Yizhou said. “Mom is only feeling sorry for her eldest grandson and granddaughter now.”
These two children were burdened by their biological mother, but they still grew up under Qin's mother's care, and Qin's mother felt sorry for them. Whenever the children in the family had a slight conflict, Qin's mother would take the side of her own grandchildren without distinguishing right from wrong, ignoring her grandchildren from her maternal grandchildren.
Over time, problems are bound to arise; there's no way there won't be some issues.
“That’s true, with your mother’s personality…” Song Fenglan didn’t want to say more about Qin’s mother, “Your mother is an elder, and she likes to act like one. Anyway, I can’t get along with her.”
Song Fenglan had never met Qin Erjie and didn't know what she was like; she had only spoken to her on the phone. Song Fenglan thought that if she couldn't stand Qin's mother, Qin Erjie might not be able to either.
So what if she's my biological daughter? Some people prefer sons to daughters, regardless of whether the daughter is their biological child or not.
When talking about children, Song Fenglan thought of Gao Xiuxiu.
"Gao Xiuxiu's belly is so big, why hasn't she given birth yet?" Song Fenglan asked.
"I haven't heard that she's given birth," Qin Yizhou said. "I guess it'll be soon."
“I saw her a couple of days ago, and she looked much more haggard than a pregnant woman,” Song Fenglan said. “Her face was much smaller, and her belly was very big.”
Seeing Gao Xiuxiu's demeanor, Song Fenglan sensed something was amiss. However, her relationship with Gao Xiuxiu wasn't good, and if she spoke up, Grandma Fang would likely be very unhappy, leading to further arguments.
Therefore, Song Fenglan did not tell Gao Xiuxiu to go to the hospital for a checkup.
“She’s been pregnant for so long and hasn’t gone to the hospital. She just takes the medicine her mother-in-law makes to prevent miscarriage,” Song Fenglan said. “The sex of the child is determined at the moment of conception. Taking medicine can’t change the sex of the child. At most, it will make the child neither male nor female. This is a harmful act to the child.”
“We don’t need to worry about that; they know what they’re doing,” Qin Yizhou said.
Actually, Gao Xiuxiu went to the hospital today, and the doctor said she wasn't pregnant. She had a lot of ascites in her abdomen; there was something growing there. Because her belly was too big, it wasn't feasible to operate directly; the ascites had to be drained first.
Gao Xiuxiu was stunned by the doctor's words. How could she not be pregnant? Her belly was growing bigger and bigger, so she should be pregnant.
Nezha was born after three years, and Gao Xiuxiu felt that it was nothing to worry about not giving birth after a year of pregnancy. It was only when Gao Xiuxiu saw that there was still no sign of labor that she became afraid and went to the hospital for a checkup.
Upon examination, the doctor immediately noticed the problem.
At that time, Fang Xudong accompanied Gao Xiuxiu to the hospital. The doctor suggested that Gao Xiuxiu stay in the hospital, but she did not stay and returned with Fang Xudong.
"What? Not pregnant?" Grandma Fang had just heard her son and daughter-in-law say that, and she still couldn't believe it. "How could that be? Such a big belly, it's not just one child, it's two! Don't they have equipment that can check how many babies are in a pregnancy?"
"They checked and said I'm not pregnant," Fang Xudong said. "I need surgery."
"Surgery? How will the surgery be done?" Grandma Fang asked. "After the surgery, will I still be able to have children?"
Grandma Fang was concerned about whether Gao Xiuxiu could still have children. She thought that Gao Xiuxiu should continue to have children, since Gao Xiuxiu had only given birth to two daughters and had not yet given birth to a son.
"It depends on the situation," Fang Xudong said. "Mom, don't let Xiuxiu take those medicines anymore. The doctor said it's very likely that the medicine is the problem that made Xiuxiu like this."
"Everyone else took it and had no problems, but Xiuxiu had a problem?" Grandma Fang was unwilling to believe that the problem was with the medicine.
“Everyone’s situation is different,” Fang Xudong said. He had no intention of abandoning Gao Xiuxiu. He and Gao Xiuxiu had been husband and wife for many years, and Gao Xiuxiu had become like this because she drank Grandma Fang’s medicine. This made it impossible for Fang Xudong to blame Gao Xiuxiu.
Fang Xudong knew that Grandma Fang was brewing medicine for Gao Xiuxiu. However, Fang Xudong did not stop Grandma Fang. He felt that his mother was doing it for Gao Xiuxiu's own good, so he let her drink it. If Fang Xudong stopped Grandma Fang, there would be conflicts in the family, so it was better to let Gao Xiuxiu drink it.
Fang Xudong never expected Gao Xiuxiu to have such a serious problem. He had previously thought Gao Xiuxiu was pregnant, but he didn't expect that she wasn't.
"Let Xiuxiu go to the hospital tomorrow," Fang Xudong said. "The doctor said it's best to go as soon as possible, that we went to the hospital too late."
Previously, Fang Xudong hadn't considered having Gao Xiuxiu go to the hospital. He felt that childbirth was a simple matter. Many women don't go to the hospital for prenatal checkups before giving birth; they only go when it's time to deliver.
Now, Fang Xudong deeply regrets his actions. The doctor said that even pregnant women should have prenatal checkups during pregnancy for safety and for the benefit of both the child and the mother.
"How much would that cost?" Grandma Fang thought about money again. "Can we use abortion pills to remove the growth inside?"
"No." Gao Xiuxiu understood that her mother-in-law wanted her to take the medicine again.
This time, Gao Xiuxiu could no longer take those medicines; she felt her body was clearly very weak. Previously, Gao Xiuxiu could think it was the baby in her womb absorbing the nutrients, but now that it wasn't a baby, Gao Xiuxiu naturally couldn't tolerate it any longer. She now felt uncomfortable all over her body.
"Mom, I can't take my medicine anymore," Gao Xiuxiu said. "Those medicines have made me like this."
"How could it be harming you? It's your own body that's letting you down, it's your..."
"Alright, Mom, Xiuxiu is already in this state. Her life might be in danger." Fang Xudong couldn't stop his mother from saying these things.
Fang Xudong initially thought his mother could help take care of the child, but now he wondered if he was wrong from the start. If his mother hadn't come, would none of this have happened?
However, Gao Xiuxiu needs to have surgery now, so she can't stay at home all the time. Someone still needs to take care of the children, so Grandma Fang is still needed.
Gao Xiuxiu looked at Fang Xudong. She wanted her mother-in-law to go back to her hometown and not stay here any longer. Gao Xiuxiu had thought that after such a big incident, Fang Xudong would kick her grandmother out, but he didn't.
“I want my mom to go back to her hometown,” Gao Xiuxiu said frankly.
“You…” Grandma Fang stared at Gao Xiuxiu with wide eyes.
“When you came, Da Niu almost drowned, and then you fed her honey and she was hospitalized. As for me, I’ve become like this too,” Gao Xiuxiu said.
"You're in this state, how can you still take care of the child?" Grandma Fang said. "You're telling me to leave? You're in the hospital, Xudong has to work, are you going to leave the child on the roadside?"
Grandma Fang has no intention of going back to her hometown. She never thought about it before, and she doesn't think about it now.
"Can your illness be cured?" Grandma Fang was worried that they would lose both their money and their husbands. If they were left with a mountain of debt, it would be difficult for Fang Xudong to find a wife again.
"You mean we shouldn't get treatment anymore?" Gao Xiuxiu immediately understood what Grandma Fang meant.
"It's not that we shouldn't treat it, it's just a matter of how much it will cost," Grandma Fang said. "Don't forget, you have two daughters. If you spend all the money, what will happen to your daughters?"
"Didn't you used to think about sending them to be someone else's child brides?" Gao Xiuxiu said. "Then go ahead and send them!"
"That's a very meaningless thing to say..." Grandma Fang said.
Fang Xudong was afraid the two of them would start arguing, so he had to say a few words, "Mom, please don't let Xiuxiu take any more medicine. I don't know what those medicines of yours are, they've all made people sick. Xiuxiu, you need someone to take care of you now. I can't go to the hospital and take care of the child by myself, so Mom has to take care of the child. Tomorrow, we'll go to the hospital first and do as the doctor says."
"I became like this because of your mother." Gao Xiuxiu had thought that this pregnancy would definitely be a son, but she never expected that this pregnancy would not be a child at all.
Gao Xiuxiu's eyes were red. How had her body become like this? Gao Xiuxiu desperately wanted the lump of flesh inside her belly to be a child, and not something else. Gao Xiuxiu even asked the doctor if a cesarean section was necessary.
Just give birth, and the doctor can see if the lump of flesh in her belly is actually a baby.
The doctor said her belly was too big and too dangerous, so they had to drain some of the ascites first. This was the best option; if they operated directly, the doctor was afraid Gao Xiuxiu wouldn't be able to hold on.
The next day, Fang Xudong took Gao Xiuxiu to the hospital. News of the serious incident involving Gao Xiuxiu spread quickly.
When Li Hui learned that Gao Xiuxiu's health had deteriorated due to indiscriminate use of medication, she was so frightened that she dared not drink those folk remedies anymore. Those remedies were found for her by her mother, who sent the medicine to her, telling her to take care of her body and that she might get pregnant soon. Her mother also told her not to always listen to what those doctors said, praising the profoundness of traditional Chinese medicine and the effectiveness of those medicines.
Traditional Chinese medicine is indeed very good, but the problem is that some people don't understand medicine at all, yet they pretend to.
"I won't drink it, I can't drink it anymore." Li Hui threw all the medicine into the trash can, afraid that she would become the second Gao Xiuxiu.
Li Hui wanted to have her own child and didn't want to adopt someone else's. After learning about Gao Xiuxiu's situation, Li Hui thought that adopting someone else's child would be a good thing, as it would also help her own health and prevent her from going astray.
Yes, they adopt a child born to someone else and don't have children of their own, so they don't need to continue conditioning their bodies.
Li Hui was genuinely terrified, and not only her, but others in the residential compound who had also been using folk remedies were also frightened. Those who went to regular hospitals for prescriptions weren't the problem; the real fear was the self-inflicted folk remedies. They only used them because others said they were effective, without knowing if they actually worked.
In the evening, Song Fenglan returned from work and had dinner when her chubby sister-in-law came looking for her.
The plump woman told Song Fenglan about Gao Xiuxiu's health, "She drank too many folk remedies, remedies for conceiving a son, and medicine to prevent miscarriage. Her mother-in-law brewed the medicine for her, and she drank it all. Her mother-in-law told her to drink it, and she drank it without even thinking about throwing it away. She can really drink so much medicine; she just really wants a son. Last year, she went for a checkup, and the doctor said she wasn't pregnant, but her mother-in-law and she herself thought she was. If she hadn't continued drinking those medicines and had gone to see a doctor earlier, everything would have been fine."
“It’s not a child.” Song Fenglan found the thought terrifying.
"No," said the plump woman. "She has to have surgery now, and we don't know what will happen after that. We don't even know if she'll be able to have children after the surgery."
"Whether she can have children or not is fine; preserving her life is the most important thing," Song Fenglan said. "Besides, she already has two children. Even if she can't have any more, it's not a big deal."
“She thinks about having a son every day. What will happen if she can’t have one in the future?” the fat woman said. “I’m afraid the relationship between the couple will be in trouble, and her mother-in-law will definitely say something.”
"She's already like this, and her mother-in-law still says something?" Song Fenglan asked.
"That's not necessarily true," said the plump woman. "I was wondering if she was carrying twins, but if it were twins, the labor should have started earlier, not been delayed. Gao Xiuxiu is really good at dragging things out, she's been dragging it out until now."
“Many people are like this; they are reluctant to spend money at the hospital because they feel that hospitals are too greedy,” Song Fenglan said.
"That's how it is." The plump woman sighed. "If Gao Xiuxiu goes to the hospital for treatment sooner, her condition might improve. As it is now, we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully, nothing serious will happen."
“This is not something we can decide,” Song Fenglan said.
"Hmm." The plump woman nodded. "Today, when I went outside to take out the trash, there were quite a few herbs in the trash cans, some in packets and some loose. It seems that quite a few people are taking folk remedies."
"You were all scared?" Song Fenglan thought that she would be scared too if she were in that situation. "Every medicine has some side effects. If you are in good health, you shouldn't take any medicine."
"After what happened, everyone has to think this way," said the plump woman. "Everyone's afraid."
When Song Fenglan and Fatty were talking, they did so in a corner of the yard, not daring to let Qin Zihang and Zhang Xiaohu hear them. They were afraid of scaring the children and also afraid that the children would gossip.
After Gao Xiuxiu was hospitalized, Fang Xudong had to take care of her while also going to work, so his schedule was very tight. There were also two children at home, so Grandma Fang could only bring Gao Xiuxiu meals at the hospital; she also had to stay home and take care of the children.
Fang Xudong couldn't stay at the hospital with Gao Xiuxiu indefinitely, so Gao Xiuxiu had to stay there alone. The doctor brought several people to check on Gao Xiuxiu's condition, and the nurses also checked on her during their rounds.
Gao Xiuxiu was heartbroken. Other women were hospitalized with such large pregnancies to give birth, but she wasn't. The doctor said her uterus might not be salvageable, but they would do their best; if it couldn't be saved, it would have to be removed.
If a woman doesn't have a uterus, is she still a woman?
Gao Xiuxiu never imagined she would fall to this state. Her eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face. She was all alone, with no one to keep her company… Gao Xiuxiu understood that Fang Xudong couldn't keep taking leave. If Fang Xudong didn't work, he wouldn't receive a salary, and therefore Gao Xiuxiu wouldn't have the money to be hospitalized.
When Madam Zhao brought fruit to visit Gao Xiuxiu, Gao Xiuxiu was crying silently. Commissar Zhao's wife worked for the Women's Federation, and upon learning of Gao Xiuxiu's situation, Madam Zhao came to see her. This was Gao Xiuxiu's second day in the hospital.
"How are you feeling? Are you alright?" Madam Zhao looked at Gao Xiuxiu, who looked haggard and was still receiving an IV drip.
Like many others, Madam Zhao assumed Gao Xiuxiu was about to give birth, or perhaps wanted her to postpone it—which was understandable. None of them suspected Gao Xiuxiu was ill; they wondered if it was a misunderstanding. But the doctor had already examined her; there was no way she could be wrong.
"It's alright. They drained the ascites yesterday, and they'll have to do it again," Gao Xiuxiu said. She didn't dare open her eyes to look at the drained fluid. After looking at it, she felt that there was something of that color inside her body. The color was a bit dark, and Gao Xiuxiu didn't know what else was inside.
"Take it slow. Eat more so you can hold on," Madam Zhao said. "Surgery requires strength, so you need to get your body back in better shape."
"Director," Gao Xiuxiu's eyes were still red, "Could you please persuade my husband to let my mother-in-law go back? As for the child, I can take care of him once I'm better. If that's not possible, I'll have my family come and take care of the child, so my mother-in-law won't have to take care of him anymore. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be in this state."
Several years ago, Gao Xiuxiu wanted her mother-in-law to go back home, but her mother-in-law threw a tantrum in the yard and refused to go back. Madam Zhao and others tried to persuade her, and then Grandma Fang stayed. Gao Xiuxiu wondered if she would have been alright if her mother-in-law had gone back earlier, since she was really going to have a third child and wasn't sick.
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