"How much did they spend in total?"
Tang Cuihua's sudden words made the village chief immediately bend down and fumble through the payment slip he had just received from the hospital. After a long struggle, he finally came up with a number: "Thirty-eight."
Upon hearing this, the villagers gasped in shock.
"It was delivered before dawn on the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, and it's only the morning of the 26th, yet it's already the 38th? How can they be so wasteful?"
A nurse nearby explained, "When the three of them were brought in, they were all unconscious. We spent a lot of time trying to resuscitate them. The other two are still in critical condition. They've cost the most. The young girl is doing better; she hasn't needed much medication, just a small fraction of the expenses."
Cuihua quickly did some mental calculations, then pulled the village chief outside.
"Village chief, look at my face, don't I look a bit like Da Ya?"
The village chief wasn't so blind as to be senile. She noticed something was off about the three girls in the hospital room, and the little girl the couple was with looked even more like Daya when she was little.
"You're the one who came into the village looking for his sister, right?"
“Village Chief, you have a good memory. That’s right, it’s me. I’ve finally found my sister. She was sold by her maternal grandmother and mother. You probably know how much money they got for her. They raised her all these years, but look at the kind of life she’s lived! Now my father has remarried, and my mother has remarried. I’m the head of my family now. I want to transfer my sister’s household registration to our Taoyuan Village. I wonder if the village chief would be willing?”
Tang Cuihua glanced indifferently at the ward behind the village chief.
“Why are you even trying to save these two scoundrels? Even if you save them, will they be able to work or support their children? They've lost their home and burned everything. What will they do in the future, with all their medical expenses and medicine? You might be able to chip in from here and there during the rescue, but what about afterwards? Who will take over this huge burden? My sister has been disfigured by them and will never be able to get married. She's been treated like a slave in their house all these years, and we've already paid back what we owed them. Here's ten yuan. If you agree, consider this money as payment for my sister's medical expenses, and also as repayment for what they paid for her back then.”
“Girl, you can’t calculate this like that. It’s two lives at stake. You’re making it sound so easy for you to say! I’m the village chief, not a murderer.”
“Village chief, I don’t care who you are. All I want now is to transfer my sister’s household registration. If you agree, I’ll give you the money.”
"I disagree. If Daya leaves, who will pay off the debts these two owe? With that idiot in their family?"
"Is the village chief trying to force her to her death? How old is she? She's disfigured, can't she support two useless people, and she also wants to support a mentally challenged person?"
The village chief opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words to refute it. Cuihua gave a cold laugh.
"If the village chief isn't happy, we'll go to the police. Surely the police won't let my sister be worn down to death by these scoundrels. They'll find a solution eventually, and maybe we won't even have to spend a single yuan."
The village chief gritted his teeth and said, "Then you pay these thirty-eight yuan, and I will personally process your household registration transfer."
Cuihua was amused by the village chief's words: "Do I look like a sucker? Ten yuan is the most. Didn't you hear the nurse say that my sister only spent a fraction of the money? It's only right and proper for me to pay for my sister's medical expenses. What right do those two scumbags have?"
"Just because they raised your sister, the debt of raising her is greater than the debt of giving birth to her. Don't be so quick to deny it. No matter how badly they treated her, they still raised her. Compared to your mother who sold her, they are a hundred times better!"
"Such abuse happened right under the village chief's nose, and you can still say such things? So, according to you, my sister deserved to end up like this?"
The village chief argued vehemently, grinding his teeth, displaying a shameless and unyielding attitude.
"Don't try to argue with me. Fifteen yuan, fixed price. If you agree, I'll go back now and get the transfer paperwork done for you. If you don't agree, then go find the police."
"Say yes," Grandpa Tao suddenly interjected, then looked intently at the village chief.
"We've given you the money. Cuihua, pack your things and go back to your village to tell your village chief. Also, ask him if you need anything prepared."
Then he looked at the village chief and said, "You keep your word. Go back and get the certificate now, and my eldest granddaughter will come to see you in a little while."
"Your second and third brothers are looking after your sister here, so don't worry. Go back and complete the formalities. Once her condition improves, you can take her home."
Cuihua looked at Grandpa Tao with gratitude. "Thank you, Grandpa Tao. I'll head back to the village now."
Cuihua returned to the ward, gave some instructions, and glanced at Daya with reluctance in her eyes.
"Fifth sister, be good. I'll go and get your household registration transferred right away. Once you're discharged from the hospital in a few days, you can come home with your sisters."
Before leaving, he patted Xiaojiu's head, then turned and ran home with big strides.
When the village chief saw this, he sighed. Although he had only managed to salvage fifteen yuan, at least it had patched up part of the hole.
After Cuihua left, he went to the doctor's office. When he came out of the doctor's office, he seemed to have made a major decision.
Not only did they call the villagers away from the ward, but they also wanted to go back and hold a meeting at the Niu Family Ancestral Hall.
Xiao Jiu knew that this would likely determine Niu Dabao's future and the couple's treatment plan.
“Cuilian, you stay here to take care of your sister. Cuiju, you come with me. You need ration coupons for everything in the city, and we don’t have any. But I brought some food with me. Go to the hospital and pay for a small kitchen to supplement your sister’s nutrition. I also brought food for you two sisters. Just hold on for a few days, and we’ll come to see you after she’s discharged.”
The old lady gave Cuiju twenty yuan, but Cuiju refused. The old lady insisted on giving it to her.
"Alright, don't be so polite with us. Let her recover from her injuries first. Things will get better. Look, we found Lao Wu, didn't we? This is much better than we expected. At least she's on the right track now and has a registered residence. It's a good thing, don't cry!"
Cuiju was so grateful that she wanted to kneel down to the old lady, but she was helped up.
“My old lady believes in good deeds being rewarded. From now on, you should treat me like your own grandmother and be filial to me. I firmly believe that no child is raised in vain, don’t you think?”
Grandma Tao pulled Xiao Jiu away, and Xiao Jiu kept turning back to point at the things at the door of the ward.
With tears in her eyes, Cuiju nodded.
Upon opening the cloth bag and seeing the refined grains like rice and flour, as well as nutritious products such as eggs, malted milk, and powdered milk, she couldn't stop her tears from falling.
What merit do they have to have met such a kind family?
There was also a small cloth bag. I opened it and took a look, and I immediately gasped.
There were about a dozen salted duck eggs and four large, red apples; no wonder they were so heavy.
The debt of gratitude owed to the Tao family is something I can probably never repay in this lifetime...
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