Sweet Nostalgia of the 80s

Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Broke the Leg

”An Hao, where have you been? Why are you only getting back now?”

”Me? I went to the city to buy some Snowflake Cream to sell! If Big Sister or Auntie needs any, just come to me. They sell it for two yuan at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, but I’ll sell it for one yuan. We’re all fellow villagers here, so the price is negotiable!” An Hao quickly mentioned this to everyone while there was a crowd, which was also a way of indirectly advertising for herself.

”Really? That’s great! My no-good husband complains it’s too expensive. He says he won’t let me buy it if it’s more than one yuan. Now I can go ahead and buy it!” Auntie Lin, who loved to look beautiful and dress up, lit up at the news.

”Alright, Auntie, I’ll get it out for you to take a look...”

Just as An Hao was about to unload her goods for Auntie Lin to see, she was stopped by a crowd of people, ”Don’t look at it today! An Hao, you must hurry home, something has happened to your dad!”

”Something happened?” An Hao’s heart skipped a beat and her legs went weak, ”What happened to my dad?”

”Your dad got kicked by a plow ox while farming! You should hurry back home...” Before Auntie Li could finish speaking, An Hao had already started running home with her belongings on her back.

Upon reaching home, An Hao didn’t even bother to put down her things but ran straight to the north room.

The room was dark and packed with villagers.

An Shuchao was lying on the kang, covered in dirt, his face contorted in pain, while Bai Xue sat by his side, sobbing as she watched the village doctor treat her husband.

”Dad, what happened to you!” Seeing this scene, An Hao dropped her things on the floor of the room and squeezed through the crowd to get to the kang.

Seeing An Shuchao’s lower leg turned a large shade of purple and swollen as thick as his thigh, her eyes instantly reddened, ”How did it get so serious? Dad, what on earth happened?”

An Shuchao was sweating profusely from the pain, biting the corner of his mouth to endure it and couldn’t afford to speak to An Hao.

”When your dad was farming, the ox suddenly got spooked and chased after him. He fell from the edge of the field while trying to avoid it and landed right on a rock, breaking his leg! The villagers carried him back.” Bai Xue spoke through tears.

This was a mountainous area; the fields here were terraced fields carved out on the mountainsides. A fall from a high place could be serious.

After hearing this, An Hao couldn’t hold back her tears any longer; they started streaming down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes with her hand and asked Bai Xue, ”Just by looking at him, it’s obvious that he’s broken a bone. Why didn’t you take him to the hospital in town?”

”We will go; who said we wouldn’t? Doctor Wang just now said we should head to town. An Ping went to get an ox cart with the village chief. He’ll be back soon.” As Bai Xue finished speaking, An Ping’s voice resounded from the courtyard, ”The ox cart is here. Let’s help dad onto it.”

An Hao threw several thick quilts onto the cart. The villagers scrambled to lift An Shuchao onto it, and once Bai Xue got on, the ox cart was full.

The village chief took a look at An Shuchao’s condition and worried that Bai Xue might not be able to take care of him on her own, so he asked An Ping and some other villagers to hitch up another ox from the production team and bring it to the cart.

”This kind of thing has happened to the An Family; we can’t just stand by and watch. We’re all fellow villagers, so let’s lend a hand. Who can afford to accompany them to the hospital in town?” the village chief asked, looking at the crowd filling the courtyard.

”I’ll go with them.”

”And me!”

The two men who spoke were Song Yueqin’s father—Song Jincai—and Shen Zhihua’s father—Shen Shuchun. Their kids were classmates and friends, and they all worked in the same production team, so they were willing to help out.

”Alright, let’s go then. An Hao, you and your younger brother and sister stay home and wait for news,” the village chief decided with a wave of his hand, ready to leave.

”Village chief, let me go with them. An Ping and Yanjiao can stay home to keep an eye on things,” An Hao said, wanting to follow.

Seeing that An Hao wanted to come along, the village chief agreed, ”Alright then, it’s settled. Let’s set off.”

As soon as he had finished speaking, Bai Xue called out in a hurry, ”Wait! Wait for Yanjiao...”

”Wait for what?” the village chief asked in confusion, ”Aren’t the kids supposed to stay and watch the house?”

”She... she’s going to...” Bai Xue faltered, unable to spit it out.