Chapter 209: Adopting a Godson
The people in the house remained silent.
"Zhao Shu, if you don't open the door, I'm going to kick it!" Xu Hexiao said again, his voice a little louder.
He waited for another two minutes, but there was still no movement in the house.
Xu Hexiao took two steps back, raised his foot, and kicked the closed door hard. There was a bang and the door fell down.
Dust was flying. Xu Hexiao looked into the room and saw Zhao Shu lying unconscious on the bed.
Ten minutes later, Xu Hexiao carried Zhao Shu to a nearby clinic. As soon as they entered the clinic, the doctor waved at them and asked them to send him to the hospital. Xu Hexiao had no choice but to carry him on his back and walk quickly to the hospital.
Zhao Shu was 1.8 meters tall and he worked out a lot on weekdays, so he weighed about 130 kilograms. With such a weight and height, only someone like Xu Hexiao could carry him on his back and walk briskly in the snow.
The hospital was overcrowded. Xu Hexiao took some effort to squeeze in with Zhao Shu on his back. "Doctor, someone is unconscious here!"
Xu Hexiao's voice is powerful and has great penetrating power in the noisy crowd.
"Is someone fainted? Hurry and carry them to the bed."
By the time Xu Hexiao had finished arranging hospitalization for Zhao Shu, it was already four in the afternoon. Zhao Shu was receiving an IV drip, so Xu Hexiao asked the person in the next bed to keep an eye on him, and then he left the hospital.
He went home first, told Lin Qi about Zhao Shu, and changed into clean clothes and pants. The rabbit fur in his plastic waders was wet, so Lin Qi helped him change into dry ones.
The snow outside was deep and I didn't have waders, so my shoes, socks and trouser legs were all wet after just a few steps.
"I don't know when I will be back tonight. You can eat by yourself and don't have to wait for me." Xu Hexiao said.
Lin Qi agreed and watched him leave.
Xu Hexiao went to the machinery factory, told them about Zhao Shu's situation, and then went to the hospital.
When he arrived at the hospital, Zhao Shu had already woken up.
"Look, your son is here." The person in the next bed pointed at Xu Hexiao at the door.
"I'm not his son, I'm his colleague." Xu Hexiao said.
"If it's not his son, then where is his son?" The old man in the next bed was very straightforward. "The son didn't come, but you, a colleague, are busy running around?"
"I don't have a son." Zhao Shu said in a hoarse voice.
Xu Hexiao put down the basket in his hand. In the basket were the lunch box and bowls and chopsticks he brought from home, as well as a thermos from the machinery factory, which was still filled with ginger sugar water that he had not finished drinking.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go get some water." Xu Hexiao said.
"I have some here, drink mine first." The old man in the next bed looked guilty, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you didn't have a son. But if you don't have a son, you must have a daughter, right? Where's your daughter?"
"No." Zhao Shu had a blank expression, with a hint of impatience on his face. "I was injured on the battlefield. I have health problems and can't have children."
The old man who pokes someone's scar and feels guilty: "............I'll give you the water to drink."
Zhao Shu has pneumonia and needs to be hospitalized for five days.
Xu Hexiao bought him some porridge in the hospital cafeteria, watched him finish eating, and washed the bowl, "I'll come again tomorrow morning."
"No need, I'm not missing any limbs, I can take care of myself." Zhao Shu said.
Xu Hexiao nodded, "Okay, I understand."
When Xu Hexiao left the ward, the old man in the next bed couldn't help but ask, "He owes you money, why are you so rude to him?"
"No debt." Zhao Shu turned sideways, looking like he didn't want to pay attention to the old man.
But the old man didn't let him go, and continued, "Are you sad? It's really pitiful to be childless. I see that your colleague treats you well, and he's also very handsome, so why don't you adopt him as your godson."
Zhao Shu didn't say anything. When he was about to die of fever on his bed, he did regret not taking an apprentice. If he had an apprentice, he wouldn't have to worry about no one finding out when he died. But when he thought of the qualifications and conduct of those apprentices in the past, and their eyes full of shrewdness and calculation, he felt displeased at a glance.
He didn't want to compromise.
Until he saw Xu Hexiao, he wanted to accept him as a disciple, but he seemed reluctant. Now after hearing what the old man said, he felt that being a disciple was nothing, and it would be better to have a godson, so that someone would worship him when he died.
Although feudal superstitions are being eradicated now, he still believes in ghosts and gods in his heart. He is afraid that after he dies, there will be no one to burn paper money for him in the underworld.
But is Xu Hexiao willing to recognize him?
Why could he make Xu Hexiao willing to be his godson?
Zhao Shu calculated his savings in his mind. He had lived frugally over the years, and the number on his passbook had been increasing. Now it was a very large sum. Xu Hexiao had to support his wife and four children, and he had a heavy burden. If he gave the money to him, would he be willing?
When Xu Hexiao returned home, Lin Qi had already finished dinner and was humming a song for the four children on the bed. She sang a song that Xu Hexiao didn't know, but when Xu Hexiao heard it, he felt inexplicably calm.
"The food is still hot in the pot." Lin Qi said.
She was worried that the chickens and rabbits would freeze to death at night, so the fire in the kitchen would burn almost all night. It was burning wood, and Lin Qi didn't feel bad. She put wood thicker than a bucket into the fire, and she didn't have to get up to add firewood all night.
Xu Hexiao ate dinner by the fire, took a hot bath, and then returned to the bedroom.
"How is your colleague?" Lin Qi asked.
"Pneumonia. He will probably have to stay in the hospital for five or six days." Xu Hexiao replied, "He can take care of himself. I don't need to go there tomorrow."
"Take care of himself? What about his family?"
"No children? No other family members either." At this point, Xu Hexiao pondered for a moment, "He wants to take me in as his apprentice and teach me how to repair cars."
"You didn't agree?" Lin Qi was a little surprised. Xu Hexiao already had three teachers. What would it matter if he had one more?
As if he knew what Lin Qi was thinking, Xu Hexiao explained, "Teacher Yi and the other three have other students besides me. Unlike Zhao Shu, he has no relatives and no other disciples. Once I become his disciple, no matter what happens in the future, he can only rely on me."
He was not afraid of being dragged down or getting into trouble, but he was worried that Qiqi would be dragged down and bring trouble to Qiqi.
"It's not just you, there's me and our children too. We can all share the burden for you." Lin Qi didn't think this was a problem. "Even if we can't take care of it, we can still pay someone else to do it."
"Yes, we can still hire someone." Xu Hexiao's eyes lit up and he laughed, "I am narrow-minded."
The next morning, Lin Qi cooked some porridge and gave birth to a lot of pears, and asked Xu Hexiao to send them to the hospital.
"Brother Guoan and that Uncle Zhao are in the same hospital?"
"Yes. That hospital is the closest to the machinery factory. So when people get sick, they will choose that hospital first."
"Then send some snow pears to Guoan brother as well."
Lin Qi filled a basket with pears and asked Xu Hexiao to divide them when they arrived at the hospital.
Xu Hexiao set off carrying a basket and a thermos. The thermos was still filled with the ginger and sugar water cooked by Lin Qi.
After learning that the hospital was overcrowded, she became even more cautious and asked Xu Hexiao to drink a few sips if he was fine.
In the hospital, the son of the uncle in the next bed brought breakfast over early in the morning.
"I have porridge and steamed buns here. Bring your bowl here and I'll share some with you." The old man felt sorry for Zhao Shu, who had no children.
"No need." Zhao Shu said coldly.
"Dad, food is in short supply. We don't even have enough to eat. How can you share it with others?" The uncle's son looked disapproving.
"I feel sorry for him because he has no children." The old man felt a little guilty.
"There are so many beggars on the street. If you pity him, why don't you pity the beggars on the street?"
The old man looked sullen and stopped talking.
At this time, Xu Hexiao just walked in carrying a basket and a thermos.
"Oh, colleague, you are here again." The old man felt relieved when he saw Xu Hexiao. It was good that someone was here to take care of him.
Xu Hexiao greeted the old man, and then said to Zhao Shu, "Get up and have some porridge. Qiqi got up early in the morning and cooked it for you."
Zhao Shu sat up straight and asked curiously, "Qiqi is your wife?"
"Yes." Xu Hexiao untied the cotton cloth on the lunch box. "In addition to the porridge, there are also buns. Just eat until you are 70% full. Don't overeat."
Xu Hexiao placed the porridge and buns on the small dining table, and then began to pick up the pears in the basket. "I'll leave some for you and send some to Guoan, he's also in the hospital here."
Snow pears are very big, weighing almost one pound each, and a basket can only hold a dozen or so.
Xu Hexiao left six for Zhao Shu, gave one to the uncle in the next bed, and gave the remaining ten to Chu Guoan.
"Chu Guoan and Lao Guan are in the same ward. You can give some to Lao Guan. We are in the same department and we will see each other every day. Don't make it too awkward." Zhao Shu said.
Xu Hexiao paused, "Do you know?"
“After you left last night, Chu Guoan came to sit with me for a while.”
Xu Hexiao went to the ward where Chu Guoan was and met Lao Guan. Compared with Chu Guoan's ruddy complexion, Lao Guan had a sallow complexion and was skinny.
Is it because of the injury?
Or is it because the other person is so thin?
Because he was in a hurry to go to work, Xu Hexiao gave ten snow pears, five each to Chu Guoan and Lao Guan, and left in a hurry without having time to talk to them.
"Is this the new driver?" asked Lao Guan.
"Well, his name is Xu Hexiao. The oranges, buns, and sweet potatoes you ate before were all from his family." Chu Guoan grabbed a snow pear in one hand, put it to the tip of his nose and sniffed it, revealing an intoxicated expression, "It's a pity that the weather is too cold, otherwise I would have been unable to resist biting it."
"Nowadays, many people suffer from coughing. You can use it to stew snow pear syrup or cook snow pear and pig lung soup. It can clear away heat and fire, and moisten the lungs. It's very good." Lao Guan said.
"That's a good idea." Chu Guoan said with a smile, "He Xiao is a very good person. You will know after you get to know him for a long time."
Lao Guan smiled and thought that Xu Hexiao was certainly a good person. He carried Zhao Shu to the hospital yesterday and paid for the medical expenses. He was a warm-hearted and generous person. Even his colleague, whom he had just met, gave him five pears. You know, many people have colds and coughs now, and pears are sold out outside.
Being able to give away so many pears is not only generous, but also extremely kind-hearted.
On the other side, Zhao Shu was drinking porridge, and the old man's son stared at the pears in Zhao Shu's basket. Zhao Shu pretended not to notice the other's gaze and kept his head down.
He ignored the other person, hoping that he would be more tactful. Unexpectedly, he didn't realize what he meant, and smiled flatteringly, "Uncle, can you give me three pears? I won't take them for free. I'll buy them from you with money."
"Not for sale." Zhao Shu refused coldly.
"Uncle, I have no other choice. My youngest son and his two daughters have been coughing badly these days, and the medicine hasn't helped. I wanted to make pear soup for them, but after running around most of the city, all the pears were sold out. You have six now, and three are not enough. Then give me two, and I'll give them the money and the tickets." The uncle's son pleaded.
The old man on the hospital bed seemed to want to say something, but finally he closed his mouth and said nothing.
Zhao Shu frowned, grabbed a snow pear from the basket, and threw it to the old man's son, "I don't want money or tickets, I can only give you one."
"Thank you, thank you." The old man's son grabbed the pear and smiled happily. White things always make people feel good.
The old man gave his own to his son as well, "Take it home and make some sweet soup."
"Thank you too, Dad."
Xu Hexiao went to the machinery factory and found that there were coughing sounds one after another in the factory. It was only one night, why did everyone get sick?
"Can you make reports?" the director found him.
Xu Hexiao shook his head, "I haven't done that."
The director frowned and asked, "How is your handwriting?"
"Are you asking about calligraphy or pen writing?" Xu Hexiao asked.
"Both pen and brush are acceptable."
"I can do anything. Do you want me to write a few words for you?"
"Write. The penmen need to copy things, and the brushmen need to write announcements. There are also various meetings at the end of the year, and someone needs to write the minutes. Many people have been sick recently, so if you write well, you can write them all."
Xu Hexiao instinctively felt that this was an opportunity and his expression became serious.
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