Chapter 159: Stomachache, fundraising

The troops also ate dumplings today. Jiang Xingyan ate a few and thought they were delicious, so he brought them back to share with the little girl.

I didn’t expect the one at home to be even better. I ate two bowls straight away.

Just when everyone was having lunch, a small figure suddenly appeared upstairs and ran towards the first floor. Xu Nier hurriedly knocked on Chu Sangning's door.

"Sister, my mother had a stomachache and fell to the ground in pain. I am too weak to help her up."

Chu Sangning and Jiang Xingyan looked at each other and immediately ran up. The military wife rolled her eyes in pain, but when she saw Chu Sangning and Jiang Xingyan, she endured the pain and smiled.

"It's nothing serious, the child was just frightened and my stomach hurts a little."

"Nier, come here and don't cause trouble for everyone. I just need to rest for a while." The military wife's lips turned pale, but she still insisted on not going to the hospital.

No matter how much Chu Sangning tried to persuade him, it was useless. After all, the patient himself refused to go. It was useless even if Chu Sangning talked until his mouth was hoarse.

You can't tie someone up and take him to the hospital, right?

Just when the two were about to give up, the military wife groaned. Xu Nier became even more frightened and trembled, "Mom, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm scared. Go to the hospital."

The military wife thought that going to the hospital would cost a lot of money. Her husband's allowance for next month has not been paid yet, and all the money for this month is almost gone. She only has a few cents in her hand, which is enough to buy half a pound of meat. There is no point in going to the hospital.

"What happened? Let's go to the hospital first." Chu Sangning and Jiang Xingyan each held an arm and sent the man to the hospital.

He Shulan Shanshan arrived late. She was in a hurry and her forehead was covered with sweat. She asked anxiously, "What happened? How did you get into the hospital?"

Chu Sangning and Jiang Xingyan didn't know the reason either, so they asked Xu Ni'er. Xu Ni'er shook her head, pinched her fingers and whispered, "I don't know why either. My mom suddenly had a stomachache while eating."

"Eat?" He Shulan's heart skipped a beat. Everyone in the building should be eating the same thing today. Could there be something wrong with the dumplings?

Chu Sangning naturally understood what her aunt meant. She had eaten today's dumplings, and Jiang Xingyan had also eaten them. Both of them were fine. It couldn't be that Mrs. Xu just had bad luck, right?

Jiang Xingyan asked: "Do you remember what your mother ate just now?"

Xu Nier tilted her head and thought for a while, then said decisively: "My mother and I eat bean paste and wo wo tou."

Chu Sangning realized something was wrong and asked softly, "Where are the dumplings your mother brought home today?"

"My mom said we can only eat dumplings when dad comes back." Xu Nier repeated everything her mom said, "We can eat dumplings when dad comes back."

He Shulan sighed, "What kind of thing is this on New Year's Eve? She sent herself to the hospital for a meal of dumplings. Sigh - military wives are too frugal."

The three of them waited in the hospital with Xu Nier for more than half an hour before the doctor came out and looked at Jiang Xingyan, "Are you a relative of the patient?"

"No, we sent her here."

Chu Sangning explained, and the doctor's expression eased, but he didn't say anything. "The patient has food poisoning. Be careful next time. She's lucky to have saved the baby this time. Go back and tell her husband to eat more nutritious food to replenish her body."

Several people stood there in a daze, even Xu Nier looked as if she hadn't recovered from her shock. He Shulan asked, "You, you mean that the military wife is pregnant?"

"Yes, if the child hadn't been sent to the hospital, he might not have been able to be saved. Be careful next time."

Dajun's wife was in a coma due to food poisoning and was receiving intravenous fluids. He Shulan and Xu Nier stayed here to accompany her. As for Chu Sangning and Jiang Xingyan, they took the key to the Xu family to get the bean paste and wowotou.

The Xu family's house was not big and was kept in perfect order. Chu Sangning saw a small brown jar on the table. He opened it and almost vomited when he got to it.

There was moldy bean paste inside. Mrs. Xu was still eating it. She had eaten half of the steamed bun on the table. Jiang Xingyan picked it up and found it was still cold.

Chu Sangning couldn't understand why Mrs. Xu was reluctant to even eat a hot dumpling when her husband was not at home, and continued to be frugal. Why?

If she hadn't eaten soybean paste today, she wouldn't have gone to the hospital.

Jiang Xingyan patted the girl's shoulder and said, "A blessing in disguise. If I hadn't gone to the hospital, I wouldn't have discovered that I was pregnant."

Several people were busy helping, and the people in the building where Xu Dajun's wife lived also learned that she had been hospitalized after eating something wrong, and they all went to express their condolences.

Chu Sangning followed behind them. When they arrived, they saw He Shulan and Dajun's wife in a stalemate, and both of them looked unhappy.

"What's wrong with my aunt?" Chu Sangning asked.

"She insisted on being discharged. Food poisoning is no small matter. I wanted her to stay in the hospital for observation for a long time, but she refused."

The wife of the military officer also cheered up and explained: "I just heard everything. Chu Zhiqing, thank you for saving me, but I know my own body and I can still hold on. Don't waste this money."

In the hospital, even if they are military wives, they still have to pay to see a doctor, and the price is only partially cheaper than outside.

Chu Sangning had just been to her house and knew the situation of the Xu family. There was a big box at the door of the kitchen, and inside it was a cloth bag full of patches. The grain bag was empty. When it was opened, there were only a few handfuls of coarse grain mixed with black flour.

It was the first time that Chu Sangning had seen youths living a worse life than the educated youths in Changxing Village. He couldn't help but wonder whether the army's allowances were enough.

Jiang Xingyan also found it unbelievable. Xu Dajun's allowance was enough for their family of four to live on. Now his youngest son had returned to his hometown with his grandmother. How could three people live like this?

In addition to Xu Dajun's allowance, his wife also received an allowance as a troop attendant, and the army also gave them two or three kilograms of food every month. Even if they had to pay for food, a few cents in cash would have been enough to last them for dozens of days.

Seeing that Dajun's wife was stubborn and insisted on being discharged from the hospital, Chu Sangning winked at her aunt, and He Shulan took a group of people out first.

Outside the door, Chu Sangning told He Shulan about the Xu family. Although He Shulan didn't understand where they spent the money, human life was at stake and she had another child in her stomach, so she thought for a moment.

"How about this, let's pool some money together first and let her stay in the hospital with peace of mind. As for the money, Lao Xu will give it to us when he gets his allowance next month. We can't delay the treatment of a military wife just because of money."

He Shulan was the first to suggest it, and she was also the first to pay. She took out fifty cents, and Chu Sangning followed suit. Everyone contributed a dime or two, and they actually raised three dollars.

Chu Sangning and Jiang Xingyan went downstairs to pay the bill, while He Shulan advised Dajun's wife to lie down in bed.

"Even if not for yourself, think about the baby in your belly."