Chapter 10 Chapter 10 A sudden turn of events
Qi Yu'an got on the bike first and then held on to it. Wu Youli and Jiang Xi struggled to help Niu'er onto the bike, but Niu'er was in a semi-comatose state and couldn't sit still at all.
The bicycle was wobbling, and Qi Yuan said, "Comrade Jiang, please get on too, otherwise the girl won't be able to sit steadily."
Jiang Xi jumped onto the bicycle nimbly and got into position. Wu Youli put Niu'er on her legs and Jiang Xi held Niu'er in her arms. Niu'er was very weak, short and thin, so Jiang Xi could barely support her, but it was still a bit difficult.
Qi Yu'an turned around and saw Jiang Xi struggling to hold on. He frowned and made another suggestion: "Do you have a rope? Or something that can be fixed to tie Niu'er to Comrade Jiang. This will make it easier for Comrade Jiang and prevent Niu'er from falling off the bicycle later."
Wu Youli took off his coat swiftly: "Now that there is no rope, can I take off my coat?"
Qi Yuan said: "You can try."
Wu Youli used clothes as a rope to tie Niu'er and Jiang Xi together. Jiang Xi said, "Uncle, please help me hold Niu'er while I tie the clothes tighter."
Wu Youli quickly agreed, and Jiang Xi tightened the clothes that were a little loose just now. He felt a little short of breathing for a moment, but in order to prevent the girl from falling down later, Jiang Xi gritted his teeth and tied it tighter.
Qi Yu'an looked at it and couldn't help but say, "Don't tie it too tight. It will be uncomfortable if you tie it too tight."
Jiang Xi shook his head indifferently: "It's okay, Comrade Qi, let's go quickly."
Qi Yu'an was silent for a moment, but didn't say anything. He just rode his bike forward.
Wu Youli and Wu Yaqin followed behind. Because Chen Xiulian was old, they were worried about letting her follow them. It would be even more troublesome if something happened to her, so Chen Xiulian could only wait for news at home for the time being.
The bicycle was going very fast, but the mountain road was still bumpy. It was very difficult for Jiang Xi to hold the girl and maintain balance at the same time.
Qi Yuan said, "Comrade Jiang, don't hold on to the chair with your other hand. You won't be able to hold on steadily. In this emergency, you should just hold my waist. Otherwise, if we run into a small mound later, you and Niuniu will both fall off."
Jiang Xi was already frightened along the way, and after hearing what Qi Yu'an said, he didn't care about anything else. He reached out his free hand from under Qi Yu'an's clothes and simply wrapped his arms around Qi Yu'an's waist to prevent himself and the girl from falling.
For the first time, Qi Yu'an's thin waist was wrapped around by an arm. Although there was a layer of clothes between them, he could still feel the warmth of the hand. The muscles around Qi Yu'an's waist suddenly tightened, and the burning sensation became more intense.
Qi Yu'an didn't let himself think too much and rushed to the hospital as quickly as possible. He also helped Jiang Xi to register. When Niu'er was given the IV drip, Wu Youli and Wu Yaqin also rushed over.
Jiang Xizheng asked the doctor about Niu'er's condition: "Doctor, what is my sister's condition now? Can she be discharged after the IV drip?"
The doctor flipped through a few pages of the medical record and asked, "Does this patient come to the hospital frequently?"
Wu Youli said, "Yes, my child has been weak and sickly since he was young. He would catch a cold as soon as the weather got cold, and he would have a fever all the time."
The doctor's expression was serious: "If possible, you'd better send her to a large hospital for a checkup."
Wu Youli became anxious when he heard this: "Comrade, what happened to my girl? Can you explain it more clearly? Is her illness serious?"
The doctor shook his head. "The specific situation is still unclear. I'm just offering a suggestion. If the patient develops a fever in the future, you must send her to the hospital immediately. Today's situation is quite critical. If you delay sending her any further, she might become insane."
Wu Youli was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground. "It's all my fault. I'm too poor, I don't have the skills, I can't make money, so I delayed Niu'er's treatment. It's all my fault."
Wu Yaqin was also very scared. Looking at the girl with a high fever, she thought of her own daughter. If they continued to be so poor, and if she got sick, they would have no money for treatment. Then Jiang Xi would have to wait for death in vain.
Wu Yaqin's head buzzed and a picture appeared before her eyes.
She saw Jiang Xi lying on the cold ground, without a sound. She cried at the top of her lungs, begging others to help her, but everyone was just watching and was completely unmoved by her pleading.
She wanted to send Jiang Xi to the hospital, but she didn't have a penny in her pocket, so she could only hug Jiang Xi and cry heart-wrenchingly.
Wu Yaqin suddenly opened her eyes. When she saw Jiang Xi in front of her, she couldn't help but hug her tightly in her arms.
Wu Yaqin made up her mind that she could live in poverty all her life, but her daughter could not live in poverty like this all her life. Her daughter must live a good life and must not die in obscurity at a young age like what she just saw, without even enjoying any happiness.
"Xixi, I'll listen to you. Let's do business, set up a stall, sell braised pork, and make good money. I'll support you in whatever you want to do."
Jiang Xi didn't expect Wu Yaqin to agree so readily. She hugged Wu Yaqin back and said, "Mom, don't worry. I'm good at talking and I can read people's faces. If I meet someone bad, I will stay away from them."
Jiang Xi made a solemn promise, she wanted to reassure Wu Yaqin, but Wu Yaqin felt sad that such a little girl had to learn to read people's faces.
Wu Yaqin looked at Jiang Xi lovingly: "You have to promise me that you will come back before dark, and don't talk to those questionable people."
Jiang Xi nodded: "Don't worry, Mom."
Qi Yu'an stood silently by and watched the family interact.
He was touched by Wu Youli's self-blame. He never knew that a few dollars of hospital fees could be a sky-high price for some people.
Looking at Jiang Xi hugging his mother and making repeated assurances, Qi Yu'an seemed to get to know Jiang Xi all over again.
Jiang Xi is not like a thorny cactus that treats others. Instead, she exposes her soft belly and protects her family from wind and rain even though she is small. Jiang Xi is very cute.
Jiang Xi got Wu Yaqin's consent and was very happy. But then he saw Qi Yu'an standing beside him and remembered that Qi Yu'an had not left yet.
Jiang Xi turned to Qi Yu'an and said, "Comrade Qi, thank you for coming today. It's getting late. You should go back quickly, otherwise it will be dark and difficult to ride your bike."
Qi Yu'an originally wanted to say that he could stay here with them, but then he thought it was not appropriate, and there were already enough people here.
Qi Yu'an then asked, "Comrade Jiang, are you going back today? If you are, I can give you a ride."
Jiang Xi shook his head: "No."
Wu Youli will definitely not go back today, and neither will Wu Yaqin. After all, Niu'er is a girl, so a woman should stay here to take care of her.
As for Jiang Xi, Wu Yaqin had already agreed to do business in the future. Jiang Xi's heart was burning with excitement, and she had no time to go back. She couldn't wait for dawn and was ready to go to the street to buy business supplies early the next morning.
Wu Yaqin disagreed: "Xixi, just let Comrade Qi take you back. Otherwise, you won't have a place to stay here at night. Your uncle and I are enough here."
Jiang Xi didn't care: "It's okay, Mom, I can just find a stool to sleep on. If worst comes to worst, I can share a bed with Nuoer, or sleep on my stomach." It doesn't matter if she doesn't sleep, but Jiang Xi didn't say this out loud. If she said it out loud, Wu Yaqin would definitely send her back.
Jiang Xi already had a plan in mind. Wu Yaqin suddenly realized that her daughter had grown up and had her own ideas, so she stopped trying to persuade her.
Jiang Xi sent Qi Yu'an to the hospital entrance and said, "Comrade Qi, thank you very much for today. I will treat you to a meal when I have the chance."
Qi Yu'an waved his hand: "It's okay. As the old saying goes, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Although it's not to that extent today, I'm very happy to be able to help you."
Jiang Xi smiled and said sincerely, "Comrade Qi, you are such a good person."
Qi Yu'an...always felt something was strange, but he couldn't tell what was strange. With such doubts, he rode his bicycle back to the village.
Jiang Xi returned to the ward, and Wu Yaqin asked, "Has Comrade Qi returned?"
Jiang Xi nodded, and Wu Yaqin couldn't help but sigh: "Comrade Qi is such a nice friend."
Jiang Xi tucked the corner of the quilt for Niu'er and hummed. Qi Yu'an was indeed a good man. It was a pity that he was not from the same world as her.
The next morning, although she had stayed up all night, Jiang Xi was still refreshed. She had already figured out what materials to buy yesterday.
Making braised pork was put on the agenda. Before that, Jiang Xi specially inspected the market. There were many snack stalls outside, most of which were breakfast stalls, bun shops, and fried pancake shops. There were relatively few meat stalls, but there were also some braised ones.
However, even if the steps for making the braised pork are the same, the taste is different in every restaurant.
Wu Yaqin is an expert in this area. She is very good at making wine lees, and no matter what ingredients are fermented with them, they are delicious.
Braised pork can be used as a snack or as a side dish with wine. It is very low-cost and easy to adjust the strategy according to the situation.
Jiang Xi didn't plan to cook so many meat dishes at first, but chose to buy some edamame and peanuts to make some snacks, and then add a small amount of duck gizzards and chicken feet. Nowadays, everyone generally likes fat meat more than lean meat, and those with bones are very cheap.
Once the stall business gets on track, Jiang Xi will adjust the quantity and types of products produced based on market feedback.
Jiang Xi asked Jiang Haibo for more than a thousand yuan. Although it was not a small amount, Jiang Xi did not dare to spend it carelessly.
The house she and Wu Yaqin lived in was a small one with only two or three rooms. It was drafty in the winter and stuffy in the summer. Moreover, the door was not strong and was broken everywhere.
Jiang Xi wants to build a house by himself, which requires a lot of money, and many things in the house need to be replaced.
She and Wu Yaqin also needed to make some new clothes. Their cotton-padded jackets were very old, and the cotton inside had turned yellow and clumped, making them not warm at all.
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