Sure, here is the translated text:
"What did you say? Ten yuan for medicine? Are you kidding me? Just a light tap, and now stitches?" Grandma Bai flared up upon hearing the ten yuan.
She usually can't bear to spend even a few cents on cold medicine, let alone ten yuan for medical treatment.
"I say, Daliang! You've learned to be delicate now, haven't you? An injury that should get better with a little endurance, and you go to the hospital for it? Is money something you find on the ground? Not our problem! Whoever gets hospitalized, pays for it themselves. Our family has no money!" After finishing her porridge, Grandma Bai didn't bother picking a fight with Wang Cuihua anymore nor did she try scheming for millet porridge, hastily planning to leave.
"Grandma, what are you saying? My dad's injuries were caused by Third Uncle. The medical expenses, lost wages, nutrition costs, they should all be covered by him! My dad can't work for at least three months, with medical expenses and nutrition costs, Grandma, how about you go tell Third Uncle that fifty yuan will do! We won't ask for more!" Bai Xue blocked Grandma Bai's way and spoke.
"What? Fifty yuan? You're robbing us, aren't you? No, no! Not a penny! It serves him right being beaten!" Grandma Bai was thoroughly enraged, stamping her feet and shouting.
Bai Daliang lying on the kang closed his eyes, his expression full of disappointment and pain upon hearing his mother's heartless words.
"Dad's medical expenses are ten yuan, nine hundred work credits for three months, that's thirty-six yuan, and we're not even asking more for nutrition expenses, just four yuan because of you, Grandma! Doesn't that add up to fifty yuan?" Bai Xue was delaying time waiting for the team leader while carefully explaining to Grandma Bai.
"Bai Daliang, you animal, you just watch your daughter bully your own mother? You're really going to make your brother pay? That's your own brother!" Grandma Bai couldn't argue with Bai Xue, so she turned to scold Bai Daliang.
"My own brother... Ha, it's rare for one's own brother to beat the elder brother's head like this!" Bai Daliang hadn't found words yet when the door swung open from outside, and the Fifth Team's leader Wang Jianjun's voice reached before he did.
Grandma Bai recognized the voice immediately, she feared no one but this team leader.
Wang Jianjun was already fifty-one years old, of the same generation as Grandma Bai, yet his decisive means in resolving issues commanded respect throughout the Fifth Team.
Even someone as headstrong as Grandma Bai was deeply fearful.
"Good for you, you wretched girl, actually went and brought the team leader here..." Grandma Bai pointed at Bai Xue and began cursing.
It was evident who was responsible, this wretched girl had tricked her many times.
"Liu Lanxiang! If you keep swearing without restraint, I'll call people to send you to the rectification class!" Wang Jianjun stepped in, sharply reprimanding.
"Great-uncle, please take a seat on the kang!" Bai Xue quickly made way and said.
Speaking of which, this team leader Wang Jianjun was actually related to Wang Cuihua!
Wang Cuihua's family was also from Chaoyang Commune, but they were from the Second Team, Wang Cuihua should call the team leader uncle, they're kind of relatives.
"Leader, come sit on the kang!" Bai Daliang busily scooted inward.
The few little ones had finished their porridge, and Wang Cuihua quickly cleaned up hers, while Bai Ruyun and her sister cleared the table.
"Uncle..." Wang Cuihua greeted the team leader as well, just as the babies on the kang woke up simultaneously and began crying.
Bai Ruxia quickly fetched the warm rice soup from the pot and, together with Wang Cuihua, fed the children.
"Daliang! How's the wound?" Wang Jianjun didn't spare a glance at Grandma Bai, striding directly to the kang to sit down and ask.
Grandma Bai, meanwhile, was too distracted watching Xiao Feng and Xiao Cai drinking rice soup with brightened eyes.
Could it be rice? She thought.
She hadn't had rice since she was a girl; a few pounds were gifted when her little aunt visited them.
Chaoyang Commune doesn't grow rice, and neither does Pingyang Town. During this era, travel was slow, making long trips perilous, so nobody would go far to buy rice, also due to unfeasibility financially.
"The wound on the back of the head has seven stitches; the doctor said it's a concussion, can't get off the kang recklessly, or a dizzy fall might lead to big trouble!" Bai Daliang recounted as his eldest daughter taught him.
The wound was genuinely stitched seven times though.
"So serious? Why not stay a few more days in the hospital for observation? If money is an issue, use work credits first! Health shouldn't be taken lightly!" Wang Jianjun responded, realizing how severe the situation was.
Initially, he thought it was two brothers having a spat, just grudgingly visiting the clinic, not imagining it would be this serious.
"Leader, swapping work credits for money means less to eat when food is distributed! Such a big family to feed!" Bai Daliang, a simple rural man, stated truthfully.
"Xiao Shan, go call your Third Uncle!" Wang Jianjun's face changed on hearing Bai Daliang's words, instructing Bai Rushan to fetch Bai Dahe.
Hearing the leader call for her beloved youngest son, Grandma Bai Liu Lanxiang snapped out of her daze over rice soup, quickly interjected:
"What's the point in calling Dahe? Are you seriously going to make him pay? They're brothers, team leader, although you are the leader, don't meddle in family affairs! Two brothers arguing should be a mom's responsibility! I'm saying, now that Daliang's fine, let's drop this, don't drag it out!" She gestured grandly, playing pretend royalty.
"Grandma, this won't end, if you don't let us call Third Uncle, settling with you works too. If no compensation, I'll report it to the rectification class! Will have Third Uncle jailed!" Bai Xue seized the opportunity, smiling coldly at the alarmed Grandma.
Comical indeed, beat someone and claim it's resolved upon saying so?
"Useless girl, costly brat! He's your Third Uncle!" Grandma Bai shouted angrily, repeating insults, calling her useless brat, wretched girl, costly brat.
"Seems you don't want to settle this! Daliang, I won't say anything further, let's hand it to the rectification class at the commune!" Wang Jianjun got up intending to leave.
"Great-uncle, I'll go with you!" Bai Xue followed.
"Leader, leader don't go to the rectification class! This is family business, why involve public authorities?" Grandma Bai was thoroughly panicked.
"Liu Lanxiang, give a definite answer! Compensation or imprisonment, needs decision for work progress!" Wang Jianjun retorted coldly, seating back on the kang.
"But this... Fifty yuan is too much! We don't have money!" Grandma Bai moved as if to sit on the floor.
"If you act rowdy today, I'll have Bai Dahe sent to the rectification class, you along too!" With Wang Jianjun's warning, Grandma Bai straightened from half-squatting, daring not create a scene anymore.
"There's not enough money! At most... at most five yuan, beyond that there isn't! Might as well arrest me!"
"Daliang! Heed uncle's advice! Ten yuan for medicine to be covered, then I'll transfer Bai Dajiang's work credits to you for two months! We're all living in the same village, after all your own brothers! Don't let it get too tense!" Wang Jianjun mediated.
"Uncle, I'll obey you!" Bai Daliang lowered his head, dared not meet his mother's murderous glare.
"Alright, let's..."
"No, don't have ten yuan, taking two months of work credits, then how are we supposed to eat? Wait to starve? No way!" Grandma Bai shouted.