Chapter 7 The Poor Female Supporting Character in the Mountains
The next morning, before the dew had dried and the dawn was breaking, Feng, Zhang, Luo Shu, and Uncle Luo set off together.
They needed to go to town to take a bus. Since there were no cars in the village, the production team kindly provided two motorcycles. Both Feng and Zhang could ride motorcycles, so they agreed that each of them would take one person. Feng Yixuan took Uncle Luo, and Zhang Tingxuan took Luo Shu.
The motorcycle sped along at breakneck speed, and the viewers outside the live stream cheered, saying how cool the older brother and sister were.
After parking the motorcycle in town, we had to transfer to a bus, which was quite troublesome. Moreover, these rural buses don't have a fixed timetable, so we could only wait. Although Feng and Zhang are celebrities, everyone was wearing masks during the pandemic, so they didn't attract much attention. At most, someone might say, "They have great figures."
Luo Shu wore a long-sleeved jacket, and her face was mostly covered by a large mask, revealing only a pair of large, clear black and white eyes that were so captivating they could melt anyone's heart.
The group finally boarded the bus, which was packed with people. The seats were almost all taken, with only two seats left. Uncle Luo and Luo Shu sat down, while Feng and Zhang stood guard beside them.
The bus swayed and bumped, stopping to pick up and drop off passengers in batches, finally arriving in the county town. Zhang Tingxuan led the child off the bus, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The air on the bus was stuffy and noisy, making it quite uncomfortable.
"Jinbao'er, would you like something to eat?"
Zhang Tingxuan gently straightened Luo Shu's clothes. They hadn't eaten much that morning, and Luo Shu had barely touched her food. They would probably have a lot of time to linger before going to the hospital.
"Sister Tingxuan, no need, I want to go to the hospital and go home as soon as possible."
Luo Shu's voice was a little low. Her health was not good, and this morning's journey was a bit tiring for her.
Besides, there are probably other things to do today.
Luo Shu blinked, her eyes revealing a hidden depth of her thoughts.
When the group arrived at the hospital, the hospital in the small county town was even more crowded due to the shortage of medical resources.
Registering, queuing—the line was very long, with five or six people ahead of me. The distinctive smell of disinfectant in the hospital permeated the quiet space, making me even more anxious.
Finally, it was Luo Shu's turn. The doctor who examined Luo Shu was an older man, around fifty years old, with gray hair and a kind face. There were two younger doctors beside him, who were probably resident doctors.
Luo Shu consciously took off her mask, revealing a fair face and exquisite features, truly bringing a sense of radiance to the entire room.
The two young doctors next to them stared blankly at the child, their expressions shocked. They had never seen such a beautiful child in their lives.
The old doctor, ever the composed one, praised her gently, saying, "The child is so beautiful. I've never seen such a pretty little girl before. Come on, tell Grandpa, is there anything that's bothering you?"
Luo Shu said she fainted from heatstroke yesterday, and when she woke up this morning, her chest hurt a little and her face was a little itchy.
The old doctor examined Luo Shu's face carefully for a while, only saying that her face was sunburned, and that she needed a CT scan of her chest to see the specific situation. He then gave her a prescription and asked her parents to accompany her to the CT scan. Since they had arrived early, they could come out in the afternoon. He told them to come back in the afternoon with the CT scan results. Feng Yixuan took the prescription and went to queue up, while Zhang Tingxuan took the prescription for sunburn treatment to get the medication. Luo's uncle and Luo Shu sat outside the clinic waiting for them.
Even after the group went to the CT room, the two resident trainees were still a little dazed. The girl was so beautiful, more beautiful than they had ever seen in their lives. The two exclaimed that at such a young age, she already had a beauty that could topple kingdoms, and she was unforgettable.
Luo Shu and the other three had their CT scans done, and it was still early. Around 10 a.m., the production team issued a task: Feng Yixuan and Zhang Tingxuan would take Luo Shu shopping and find an item hidden by the production team to complete the task.
So, the group decided to go shopping at a mall first and then have lunch.
The shopping mall in the county is not big, with only three floors. It may not seem big to the two celebrities, but for Uncle Luo, who lives in the countryside all year round, it is an extremely bustling place.
Luo Shu held Zhang Tingxuan's hand as they walked ahead, while Feng Yixuan and Uncle Luo followed behind. Feng Yixuan occasionally explained something to Uncle Luo. Uncle Luo had brought 500 yuan with him, which was a lot—enough for the Luo family's expenses for almost half a year. However, when he went to the mall today, he realized that this amount of money wouldn't buy much, and Jinbao'er needed to see a doctor, which would cost a lot. So, Uncle Luo just smiled awkwardly and didn't say anything.
Destiny arrives as promised, and even if the predetermined course is altered, it does not affect His arrival.
Just like in the book, Uncle Luo saw the contractor again at the supermarket.
His face was swollen and red with anger, and he dragged his lame leg toward the man, his figure like a leaf in the autumn wind.
Feng Yixuan followed behind him, while Luo Shu was led by Zhang Tingxuan. The four of them stood in a row. The small contractor looked at the four people in front of him with some panic, and there was still some confusion on his face. He didn't seem to understand what was going on.
When he saw Uncle Luo's limp leg, his pupils contracted for a moment, but the next moment, he looked at them nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.
Uncle Luo's Mandarin had a heavy accent, and anyone could tell that he was a countryman. His voice was urgent and sharp.
"You, you, give me back my money! Give me back my money!"
One was a smart and well-dressed middle-aged man, while the other was a poor farmer in simple clothes with withered and yellow fingers. To anyone, it would seem that the contractor owed Uncle Luo money.
"Brother, when did I ask you for money? Even if you're short of money, you can't just come up to a stranger and ask for money."
A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd. Uncle Luo's eyes reddened, and his hunched back slumped even lower. He looked at his lame leg, and tears welled up in his eyes.
The live stream was also very lively at this time, with many different opinions in the comments, most of them guessing why Uncle Luo was asking this person for money.
Some say it was someone who bought a chair but didn't pay, some say it was a case of mistaken identity, and some say it was someone who borrowed money and didn't pay it back. The discussion was quite heated.
The man was unaware that a live broadcast was taking place, and that his every move was being watched by tens of millions of people. He still wore a somewhat contemptuous smile, seemingly looking down on the country bumpkin in front of him.
Luo Shu stepped forward and grabbed Uncle Luo's hand. Only then did Uncle Luo come to his senses. His eyes were still fierce as he stared at the man in front of him. He whispered to Feng Yixuan, "He didn't pay for my leg. He didn't give me any money."
Feng Yixuan's face was solemn and his expression was somewhat cold. He asked the man in front of him, "Sir, you haven't forgotten about the workers' compensation for my elders' work-related injuries, have you?"
The man opposite him seemed very confident, and scoffed, "You think you can just offer compensation like that? Do you have any proof? Is there any evidence that his leg injury happened at my construction site?"
Feng Yixuan has been in and out of the entertainment industry for many years and has experienced countless things. This is just a small scene in front of him.
"Sir, I have already called the police. They will be here soon. Let's talk at the police station. As for the evidence, you don't need to worry about that."
He smiled, his eyes deep and confident.
The police arrived quickly as expected. Because live streaming is not permitted at the police station, the little bee had to stop filming. However, Weibo was far from calm; tens of millions of fans were tagging the county public security bureau, demanding strict enforcement of the law and the release of the trial results.
When the five arrived at the police station, the contractor was not intimidated and clearly had something to rely on. Uncle Luo was a little anxious, and Luo Shu held his hand the whole time to calm him down.
The police interrogated both parties, but the small contractor was clearly unimpressed and spoke arrogantly. Uncle Luo recounted the whole story in detail, tears streaming down his face, looking quite pitiful.
Just as the police were about to arrange a private settlement as usual, a call came from the police station. After answering the call, the police officer in charge of the case immediately became serious. After questioning the contractor again, he detained him and asked Uncle Luo to bring over the injury diagnosis report and contract from back then as soon as possible before proceeding with the next step.
Uncle Luo was visibly excited. After all these years, he was finally able to get his money back. He shook the police officer's hand, thanking him profusely and unable to contain his excitement. Only after he calmed down did the group leave the police station.
"Boss, isn't this a seasoned veteran? Why are you treating him so seriously today?"
A young police officer standing nearby asked curiously.
"The higher-ups have given the order: don't ask any more questions, just follow the procedures."
The veteran officer replied, his expression somewhat serious.
The young man shut his mouth sheepishly, wondering if those four people had some powerful background.
The group found a noodle shop. Uncle Luo insisted on treating them, so they didn't go to a fancy restaurant. Feng and Zhang both knew about the Luo family's situation, so they simply ordered a few bowls of noodles. The snow-white noodles floated in the rich broth, and a few tender green scallions made the noodles even more tempting.
The group was indeed quite hungry, so they focused on eating. Even Luo Shu finished her small bowl of noodles. A bowl of noodles cost twelve yuan. Uncle Luo felt a little pained when he paid, but then he thought that his compensation was in the works, so he became happy and paid the money readily.
Feeling a bit full, Feng and Zhang took the two to stroll around the nearby commercial street. Because of the bug that occurred in the morning, the mall task was not completed, and the production team did not dare to force them. Even if they passed, mainly because they had too many fans online, it was not appropriate to force them to do the task.
Feng Yixuan told them to wait for him in the hospital lobby while he went to get the films. The group was a little tired, so they nodded and thanked him for his hard work.
After picking up the films, Feng Yixuan was supposed to meet up with Luo Shu and the others, but he had a better idea and went to see the old doctor from that morning first to show him the films.
The doctor looked serious, his brows furrowed. Feng Yixuan's heart skipped a beat; he feared something was wrong.
The two resident trainees next to them still remembered the little girl from that morning. Seeing their teacher's expression, they wondered if something was wrong with the little girl's health.
"This is the CT report of that young girl from this morning, right? It's not good. She has valvular heart disease and her heart is failing. If possible, it's best to go to a large hospital for a checkup. Our diagnosis here may not be accurate."
The old doctor was still talking, but Feng Yixuan couldn't hear a word. His head felt like it had been hit hard, buzzing, and his fingers were clenched so tightly they made a cracking sound. After the old doctor finished speaking, he politely thanked the doctor, left the consultation room, sat on the bench by the door, and remained silent in the shadows for five minutes before getting up and walking towards the hospital lobby.
"Xiao Feng, have you got the film yet? Are we in the morning now?"
Feng Yixuan's face was a little pale. He smiled at his uncle from the Luo family and said, "Uncle, I just took it to the doctor. The doctor said he couldn't be sure and that I should go to a big hospital to get a proper check-up and see what the specific situation is."
After that, the atmosphere became somewhat quiet. All three knew what was going on. As for Luo Shu, she was fully aware of her body's condition, but at this moment she was just a child, and could only blink her big eyes and ask:
"Brother, am I very sick? If it's too serious, then we won't get treatment. I don't want to stay in the hospital; I prefer to stay at home."
Feng Yixuan crouched down, looked directly into Luo Shu's eyes, and spoke very gently:
"Brother will find a way to help Luo Shu get better."
Luo Shu remained calm. She wore a mask, and her eyes, which were visible, were like clear autumn water, brimming with unspoken emotions.
“But we don’t have any money. My parents work very hard to earn money and have already spent a lot of money on me. I don’t want them to waste any more money on me.”
Luo Shu took off her mask and squatted down. Her voice was somewhat faint when she spoke. People came and went in the hospital, and life and death were just commonplace.
“My parents work so hard to earn money, my younger brother will need money for school in the future, and my grandmother and uncle also work hard to earn money, so please don’t waste money on me.”
Luo Shu's voice lowered even further.
"Moreover, we children from the mountains are born and raised by nature. If I come here and then leave, it is my deserved fate."
Her small body trembled slightly. The child, who had been looking down, raised her face and smiled at everyone, but a crystal-clear tear rolled down her cheek and hit everyone's heart with a soft thud.
At this moment, the viewers in front of the camera were also shocked. They had just searched on Baidu for information about this illness, and there were indeed cases of successful cures. However, a divine punishment stood in the way of the Luo family, and that divine punishment was poverty.
They were out of touch with the world and didn't know about projects like Water Source Fundraising, nor did they understand how to get a loan. They were just trying their best to live, but their lives were filled with hardship and misfortune. The sudden accident easily crushed the Luo family's spirit.
Countless comments on the screen were asking for donations. They were willing to donate because they didn't want the little fairy to leave indifferently with disappointment in the human world. They wanted to keep her in the human world and see her happy and joyful.
"Luo Shu, you have to trust your older brother and sister. Things are different now. There are many government programs that you can apply for medical subsidies for, as well as many public welfare projects. Don't worry about money. Let's focus on getting better."
Feng Yixuan patted the child's head, his heart aching. Poverty was appalling. He thought he had to do something for these children in the mountains.
Luo Shu responded softly and stood up from the ground. She felt a little dizzy from squatting for too long, and swayed slightly. Zhang Tingxuan hugged her tightly, and Luo Shu smiled at her warm embrace.
Zhang Tingxuan has a straightforward personality and a bright voice. She ruffled the child's hair and said, "Jinbao, don't worry about the money. The adults will take care of it. You need to eat well so we can get you better. You still need to go to university."
Uncle Luo wiped his eyes. He had received tens of thousands of yuan in compensation, which he would use to treat his Jinbao'er's illness. He was sure Jinbao'er would be fine.
As dusk settled, the four figures disappeared into the twilight, leaving only a faint warmth.
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