"Yes, I promise I won't ask where it came from, and I won't tell anyone that it's related to you, anyone, including your uncle if you need to."
The resolute answer rang out almost immediately after she finished speaking, and Dan Jian's nose instantly welled up with tears.
See, this is what family is like. Their first reaction is to protect themselves and not reveal their information. They understand their thoughts and worries, and they put their own mind at ease first.
"OK,"
Cheng Chao was also puzzled as to why his younger sister suddenly seemed much more relaxed. He looked at the basket being handed to him and asked her in confusion.
The items inside were smuggled in by Jian Dan just before she got off the bus: anti-inflammatory medicine, dried meat, jerky, dried apricots—all snacks. After spending more time with him, she had to confirm that Cheng Chao was indeed a big boy who loved snacks.
However, this era was inherently impoverished, and Cheng Chao also had to support his comrades. Although his family was well-off, he dared not be too obvious about the current situation. Furthermore, the supply of many things was limited. This was not the bustling capital city; the supply and marketing cooperative was only a tiny place, and he really didn't have many choices.
Now that he's her own brother, and he only has one hobby—a desire for food—that she can afford to satisfy, she'll try her best to fulfill it.
"Except for the water cup and such for the child at the bottom, everything else is prepared for you. The top one is what you want."
Cheng Chao's surprise was almost overflowing.
"You...you brought me something?"
"Shouldn't that be right? You're my brother."
Carrying his basket, Cheng Chao didn't even go inside. Leaning against the wall, he took out the urgently needed medicine, checked it, and confirmed it was indeed the correct medicine. He simply praised it.
"Sis, you're amazing, you even have oral options. Wait here, I'll take you out for something delicious later."
With the medicine in hand, there was nothing to worry about regarding Jian Wenxiu. Upon entering the room, he overheard the doctor say something like, "Hurry, the medicine...is very important...infection...fever...amputation..." He simply shoved the medicine into Cheng Jin's hand.
"Here's the medicine, give it to him. I'm taking my sister out to eat, you keep an eye on things, I'll bring it back for you when I get back."
"Xin Xin, come on, let's go out to eat with your brother."
"ah?"
Jian Xin looked back at her uncle on the hospital bed.
"Aren't we going to wait for Uncle to wake up?"
"There's a doctor here. Uncle will wake up. Let's go eat first and not disturb the doctor as he examines his wound."
Cheng Jin didn't say a word, but his nephew arranged everything perfectly for him. He watched them walk out the door, and then watched helplessly as the medicine he had held in his hand for less than two seconds was snatched away by the doctor. He sighed deeply.
He led Jian Dan and the other two out of the hospital and into a nearby courtyard. The people inside were startled when they saw him come in, and then their eyes widened.
"Why are you back? Old Jian, Old Jian, is something wrong?"
Cheng Chao didn't mince words either.
"You're the one who's failing! The political commissar's here, there's medicine now!"
"Is there really a cure?"
Cheng Chao shook off the person who lunged at him with a look of disgust.
"Really, really, don't worry, he won't die. He's not missing any limbs."
"Get up quickly, my sister's here. Make a few of your signature dishes, and make a big portion. Give some to the political commissar after we finish eating."
"Okay, sure."
Having finally felt relieved, he glanced at Jian Dan and Jian Xin before darting into the adjacent kitchen.
Cheng Chao led them into the room.
"All the ingredients are here. This kid—no, you can just call him Fifth Brother—is a good cook. He'll be able to make a whole table of delicious food in no time."
I quickly glanced around the room; it was very basic, just a kang (a heated brick bed) and nothing else.
"You've been staying here?"
Cheng Chao took off the basket and rummaged through it.
"Yes, this place is next to the hospital, which is convenient. We stayed in that room. This room has never been lived in, so we haven't furnished it."
Besides, I don't live there often, and there's not much in that room, just two changes of clothes.
What did you bring me? This is meat, dried meat? If you have meat, keep it for yourself. Bringing it to me is a waste!
He kept saying it was a waste, but he didn't hesitate to stuff it into his mouth, then handed one to Jian Xin, mumbling indistinctly as he spoke.
"Delicious, really delicious."
After downing two pieces of dried meat, and ignoring everything else, Cheng Chao took a breath and collapsed onto the kang (heated brick bed).
"Oh dear, sister, these past few days have been torture for us. We've been running around trying to find medicine, and we haven't been able to eat or sleep properly. I tremble whenever I see a doctor, afraid that after he examines me, he'll say, 'Oh dear, it's inflamed again.'"
Xiao Wu, cook some good dishes, let's have a nice meal today!
The other side answered readily.
"Okay, Brother Chao."
"Oh dear, so many days have passed, I've been on my mind every single day. I've been thinking, what am I going to tell Xiaoxin if something really happens?"
The little girl swallowed the jerky in her mouth and moved closer to Cheng Chao.
Will my uncle be alright?
Cheng Chao got up and carried the child to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).
"Yes, yes, my sister got the medicine, and my uncle will get better soon."
Simply take the contents of the basket out, find the water cup at the bottom, and pour water for the child.
"You didn't tell us sooner. We were wondering yesterday on the mountain why you hadn't contacted us for so long. Xin Xin even said she wanted to eat your roast chicken."
"If I hadn't suddenly decided to come to you, were you just going to keep putting up with this?"
Cheng Chao ruffled his hair, feeling extremely irritated.
"Don't even mention it. The hospital ran out of anti-inflammatory drugs on the day we were admitted. That very night, we started contacting people everywhere. Anti-inflammatory drugs are indeed in short supply these days, but we never expected that we wouldn't be able to gather any at all."
Local hospitals might not have any, but the provincial hospitals, and especially the military hospitals, have all sorts of excuses. One minute they don't have any, the next they have to save them for the wounded, then they have to ask so-and-so for help. My uncle has been calling every day to urge them, but they still haven't sent any over the past few days.
Sigh, you have no idea. My uncle had already thought about what to do with the things he brought back last time. He said if he could really get some in return, he'd give them some too. He even hinted to them that even if it was a loan, he definitely wouldn't let them help for nothing. But even so, the provincial hospital just wouldn't budge.
We suspect there might be someone above keeping things under control.
"Oh, you have political disagreements? Are they deliberately trying to suppress you?"
Cheng Chao waved his hand.
"That's not the case. The highest-ranking officer stationed here is only a regimental commander. It's not necessary to suppress him; that rank isn't high enough."
However, they might be looking for something wrong. Normally, the garrison here does not violate national policy and is considered to be policy-independent. Unless there are special circumstances, the higher authorities should not interfere.
In the past two years, not only has the outside world been chaotic, but factional infighting at the top has also been ongoing. Perhaps some people are unhappy about this, and since last year, some have been trying to insert their own people, but they haven't found a legitimate reason.
"But these are your comrades-in-arms! How can they just stand by and watch them die?"
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