"Uncle Bai, sit down and rest for a while! I'll get you some hot water!" Fortunately, Uncle Quanzi borrowed a large teapot and a pot of hot water.
It's thirty miles from Chaoyang Commune's Fifth Brigade to Pingyang Town. Even if one walks quickly, it takes over three hours. In this bitter winter, without warm clothes and on an empty stomach, it's very challenging.
Bai Xue followed the ox cart all the way, and now her feet still hurt. She vowed never to walk that route again.
"Alright!" Uncle Bai sat down on another hospital bed as advised. He took the hot water Bai Xue poured for him, warming his hands around the cup and quietly said to Bai Xue:
"Xiao Xue, is it not enough? Uncle Bai checked around and gathered some more, here for you! Here are five yuan!" He took out a handful of bills from his pocket inside his cotton coat and handed them to Bai Xue, "Uncle only has one yuan at home, borrowed two yuan from your Uncle Quanzi, and Xiao Chuan brought one yuan and eighty-five cents, saying your third aunt sent it over!"
"My third aunt sent it over? Does she still have a conscience?" Bai Xue asked incredulously.
"Xiao Xue, there are some things that Uncle Bai cannot say much about, but your third aunt is ultimately an elder. If you speak ill of her publicly, it will affect your reputation! A girl's reputation is very important!" Bai Dajiang whispered.
"Uncle Bai, we're about to starve, what use is reputation? If she dares to take our food again, we definitely won't be polite! The matter of my third uncle hitting my dad isn't over yet. Once my mom finishes her confinement, we'll settle the score with them!" Bai Xue said fiercely.
"The most important thing is that your dad is alright!" Bai Dajiang drank the entire cup of hot water, feeling a bit more comfortable.
"Uncle Bai, return this money to them later! And return what my third aunt sent! This matter cannot be solved with just this little money! The medical expenses are already covered! No need to borrow more from others! I'll repay your ten yuan soon!"
"Medical expenses are covered? That's great! Don't worry about that ten yuan, Uncle Bai converted it for work points! Now Uncle Bai will go back!"
"Uncle Bai, it's dangerous to travel at night, stay for the night! There's an empty bed here! Plus, I've already ordered food for you from the canteen, it'll be ready soon!" Bai Xue stood up too to stop him.
"You child, why order food for Uncle Bai? I can eat at home!"
"Uncle Bai, traveling at night can be dangerous, and it's so cold. It's better to travel when there's sunlight, it's safer and warmer! Sit and rest, I'll go check if the food is ready!"
Bai Xue said, pushing him back onto the bed and ran out, not giving Bai Dajiang a chance to refuse.
After hanging around a bit, she went to the canteen. The food indeed came out, with rice in lunchboxes and dishes in big bowls. Looking at the oil-less cabbage stewed with potatoes, Bai Xue complained, "Really? Just cabbage stewed with potatoes and nothing else!"
"You need to return the lunchboxes and bowls later, a deposit of ten cents is collected! Return them and get your money back!" The same young male waiter still spoke in the same calm tone and reached out his hand to Bai Xue.
"Alright, thank you!" Bai Xue handed over a yuan, got back ninety cents, stacked the three lunchboxes, and carried them away.
Made two trips to bring all the food upstairs.
"Xiao Xue, ask your dad to get up and eat too!" Bai Dajiang stared at the sorghum rice dry meal.
He couldn't remember how long it had been since he last ate dry rice.
Fear of not lasting until the autumn harvest to share food from watered-down meals every time.
Plus, his mother exploited them, leaving the kids hungry every day.
"My dad had a meal recently..."
"Is everyone eating? How about the injured comrade?" Bai Xue didn't finish speaking when Doctor Zhao walked in.
"Doctor Zhao! My dad ate and went to sleep, hasn't woken up yet!" Bai Xue quickly approached to respond.
"How long has he slept?" Doctor Zhao walked over to examine Bai Daliang.
"About two hours!" Bai Xue followed.
"Wake him up, let him sit up and see if he feels dizzy!"
Bai Xue followed the instructions to wake Bai Daliang.
"Dad, the doctor wants you to sit up and check! Sit up slowly, I'll help you!" Gently holding the dazed Bai Daliang, she helped him sit up.
"How is it? Any dizziness? Any discomfort?" Doctor Zhao lifted Bai Daliang's eyelids to check and asked.
"No dizziness, just the wound hurts a bit!" Bai Daliang answered honestly to Doctor Zhao.
"Alright, it's not that serious. Take some anti-inflammatory and pain medication after dinner! Let's see tomorrow, if all is well, you can go home and recover!" Doctor Zhao glanced at the meal but didn't mention the medical expenses, just instructed some precautions and left.
"Dad, you can sit up now. I brought food back from the canteen, hurry and eat while it's hot!" Bai Xue helped Bai Daliang.
"Dad is alright, going home tomorrow!" Bai Daliang felt much happier after hearing Doctor Zhao's words.
The meal ended with Bai Daliang and his brother wolfing down the food while Bai Xue struggled to swallow.
Bai Xue really couldn't stomach the coarse grains, especially with dishes lacking oil and salt.
"Dad, I'm going to the State-Owned Restaurant to return the lunchboxes!" Bai Xue cleaned up and told Bai Daliang after returning the canteen's lunchboxes. "With Uncle Bai staying with you, it should be fine!"
"Let your uncle accompany you to return them! Dad's alright here, how can you, a young girl, go out alone when it's dark?" Bai Daliang immediately stopped when he heard Bai Xue going to the State-Owned Restaurant.
"It's alright, Dad. The State-Owned Restaurant isn't far from here, I can manage alone! You can't be left without someone beside you, just in case you feel dizzy and fall! I'll be back soon!" Bai Xue dashed out before her dad could protest further.
Bai Dajiang reacted a bit late and rushed out, not seeing her.
Bai Xue ran quickly, slowed down a bit after leaving the clinic, afraid Uncle Bai might catch up.
Though she had been to the State-Owned Restaurant during the day, it was dark, and the road was slippery with snow. She still walked gingerly.
Close to the State-Owned Restaurant, she adeptly turned into an alley, entered a supermarket, and carried out fifty pounds of millet.
In this era, one good thing is once it gets dark, there's hardly anyone on the streets. Few households have lights on, and for those not sleeping, they sit in the dark either without oil lamps or to save them.
Carrying fifty pounds of grain, she struggled approaching the State-Owned Restaurant, barely seeing someone pacing anxiously; Bai Xue knew it must be Uncle Wang. She softly called out:
"Uncle Wang..."
"Yes!" Wang Cheng immediately looked over upon hearing her voice, saw her laboring under the grain, rushed over, and took it.
"Uncle Wang, the fifty pounds of millet is complete, you please check. And here are the three lunchboxes I'm returning!"
"Alright, alright!" Wang Cheng hurriedly opened to check the grain, reached his hand inside the bag, and marveled at the glistening millet.
"Girl, this grain is really good, no problem! Uncle will give you the money now!" With that, he took seventy-five yuan from his coat pocket and gave it to Bai Xue.
"Here, girl, seventy-five yuan! You count it!"
Bai Xue received the money, counted roughly. Since the largest bill then was ten yuan, Wang Cheng gave seven tens and a five, all pretty new bills.
"Uncle Wang, the money's fine! I'll be going now! Keep the lunchboxes!" Bai Xue placed the lunchboxes in Wang Cheng's hands, turned, and left.
Must leave. It's dangerous; she's selling grain, and at black-market prices. If caught, it'll be troublesome.