The next morning, just as Jiang Ling had feared, the village chief hurriedly pushed open the door of Jiang Ling's house.
Just then, Jiang Ling was preparing breakfast and calling the children and Jiang Zhishan to eat. Seeing the village chief's hurried expression, Jiang Ling put down the last plate of stir-fried bean sprouts and asked, "What's wrong, village chief, so early in the morning?"
"Jiang, something happened to Granny Cao!" the village chief said, pointing in the direction of Granny Cao's house.
Jiang Ling wiped her hands on her apron and asked, "What? What happened?"
Without offering any explanation, the village chief hurriedly walked towards the door, with Jiang Ling following closely behind.
On the way to Granny Cao's house, Jiang Ling understood the gist of the story. Granny Cao's house was located in the north of the village, not in a particularly remote location, and there were several other families living around it.
Early this morning, Cao Pozi's neighbor, Xiao Dao Niang, got up to cook breakfast when she suddenly heard a loud noise coming from Cao Pozi's house next door.
Granny Cao was an elderly woman living alone. The kind-hearted Lu family members always paid special attention to elderly people living alone. When Xiao Dao's mother heard this sound, she immediately called Xiao Dao's father and Lu Xiao Dao over and told them to go and see what was wrong with Granny Cao next door.
The two men rushed back less than a minute after they left, saying that Granny Cao had fallen and was currently unconscious.
So the family of three rushed to the village chief's house to report the matter, and the village chief hurriedly found Jiang Ling.
After hearing the village chief's words, Jiang Ling sighed slightly. She wondered when it had started, but whenever there was a big or small matter in the village, the village chief would always come back to discuss it with her.
After saying this, the two arrived at Granny Cao's place.
The courtyard was small, with muddy paths, and the thatched house looked particularly flimsy. Inside, there was very little: a simple stove, some cooking utensils, a four-cornered table, and finally, a bed.
The house wasn't very big, and since the sun hadn't fully risen yet, the light inside was rather dim.
At this moment, Granny Cao was lying on the bed with her forehead bandaged. Doctor Zhu had also been invited by Little Knife's mother and was taking Granny Cao's pulse.
"Fortunately, her head wasn't injured. Her forehead was just a superficial wound. My mother-in-law is old, so it's best to be careful!" said Doctor Zhu.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that there was nothing serious. However, Granny Cao, who was lying on the bed, suddenly started sobbing. She first recounted how difficult it was for an old woman like herself, and then kept thanking Little Knife Mother and Doctor Zhu.
Hearing Granny Cao's cries, Jiang Ling's heart ached.
Although most people in Lujia Village share the surname Lu, the villagers are not prejudiced against outsiders. As long as they stay and do not cause trouble or commit wrongdoing, the people of Lujia Village actually welcome them very much.
"Respect the elderly as you would your own parents; care for the young as you would your own children." This sentence suddenly appeared in Jiang Ling's mind, and at the same time, an idea slowly emerged in her mind along with this sentence.
Jiang Ling stood aside and carefully sorted out her thoughts. She walked to the village chief and whispered to him, "Village chief, can you come out for a moment? I have something to discuss with you."
The village chief nodded repeatedly, comforted Granny Cao for a few words, and then walked out one after the other with Jiang Ling.
"Village chief, how many elderly people living alone are there in our village now?" Jiang Ling asked.
The village chief stroked his beard, his eyes darting around as he pondered for a moment before saying, "There are probably only four left alive. These old people are almost all refugees from other places, either separated from their families or abandoned by them. In short, their lives are truly tragic!"
At this point, the village chief sighed heavily, his eyes even turning slightly red.
“Village Chief, I have an idea, what do you think?” Jiang Ling’s eyes lit up as she continued to the village chief, “Could we gather these elderly people together and then assign someone to take care of them? That way, if something happens, we’ll be prepared in advance. Otherwise, like today, if Little Knife Mother hadn’t noticed that Granny Cao had fallen, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”
"And..." At this point, Jiang Ling bit her lip hard and continued to the village chief, "Village chief, do you still remember Uncle Zhao who hanged himself during the famine?"
Jiang Ling was extremely reluctant to say such things. As a modern person who had never gone hungry, the memory of Uncle Zhao hanging himself still had a great psychological impact on her.
"Ah, well, that brother is a pitiful man too. Never mind, Jiang, just say what you have to say!" The village chief sighed deeply again and waved his hand, as if he didn't want to recall such cruel things from before.
"Village chief, I was wondering if we could gather all these elderly people together in one courtyard, build many small houses, and have a communal kitchen, with someone responsible for cooking every day and checking on the elderly people's condition regularly in the evenings, just like our security team! That way, if any problems arise, they can be detected immediately." Jiang Ling shared her idea for a nursing home.
The village chief looked surprised after hearing this. He seemed to have never heard of this kind of model before, but he had a feeling that listening to Jiang Ling would definitely not be wrong. He stroked his chin and asked, "Jiang, please explain this matter in detail!"
"It's about taking care of these elderly people together. As for the rooms, we can decide according to their preferences, whether they want to live with others or live alone. If they like a lively atmosphere, we can put two beds in one room, and if they prefer to live alone, we can put one bed in one room."
“Then we’ll arrange for someone to prepare three meals a day, and to check on the elderly’s health for one hour during the day and two hours at night. If there are any problems, they should notify us immediately! What do you think of this suggestion, Village Chief?” Jiang Ling explained her ideas in detail.
"That's good, but how will we cover the costs?" the village chief asked hesitantly.
Jiang Ling glanced at the wheat field behind Granny Cao's house. After the autumn harvest, Granny Cao's land looked somewhat desolate. Jiang Ling thought for a moment and said, "Village Chief, how is the harvest of these elderly people living alone in the fields every year?"
The village chief hadn't expected Jiang Ling to ask that question. He paused for a moment, then replied, "It's not particularly good, especially Granny Li's land. Granny Li's right eye condition is getting worse, and everyone helped with the planting this year! Wait, Jiang, you mean..."
The village chief didn't say what he was going to say, but simply mouthed "sell the land." Then he shook his head repeatedly and said to Jiang Ling, "Jiang, I'm afraid your method won't work. This land is their lifeline. How can you sell it? That would be no different from taking their lives."
Seeing the village chief's somewhat flustered expression, Jiang Ling explained, "Village chief, you've misunderstood. I don't want these elderly people to sell their land, but rather to rent it out or have it managed by other villagers. This would increase the overall yield per acre, and the elderly wouldn't have to worry about their harvest. This would also cover the cost of caring for and providing accommodation for the elderly, and the village would also have extra income, wouldn't that be great?"
The village chief was shocked to hear Jiang Ling's words. He was about to nod in agreement, but another question popped into his mind. He quickly asked, "What if they don't agree to move in? Also, how much should we pay the person taking care of the elderly?"
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