Sweet Nostalgia of the 80s

Chapter 94: Chapter 94 Spreading Fire

”What is she doing? Why do you always speak in such an urgent tone?” the village chief was also a hot-headed man, slapping his thigh in frustration, ”Your husband is still in so much pain! Can’t you speak more clearly?”

”She’s gone to borrow money.” Bai Xue’s face showed signs of not being able to hold up, with no money left at home, and a need to seek medical treatment in town, how could they manage without money? That’s why she had sent Bai Yanjiao out to borrow money quickly.

With her words, the whole village began to talk, all sympathizing with the An Family, thinking how much more difficult their life had just become.

Bai Yanjiao came back panting, clutching a handful of money and shoved it into Bai Xue’s hands, ”I borrowed ten yuan... plus what we have at home, it should be enough now.”

”Alright, let’s all disperse. Let’s hurry up and go! An Shuchao can hardly bear the pain any longer!” the village chief declared.

The ox cart reached the town’s hospital, and the fellow villagers rushed An Shuchao into the emergency room.

After the doctor’s diagnosis, his leg fracture was so severe that he needed to have steel nails inserted to heal properly, but the town’s hospital was too outdated and its technology insufficient. He needed to be sent to the city hospital.

Seeing how much pain An Shuchao was in, the doctors first gave him a pain-relieving injection and let them discuss it, suggesting that if the family agreed, arrangements could be made for a transfer to a hospital in the city.

Alternatively, they could go to a city hospital themselves.

At the mention of going to a city hospital, Bai Xue quickly grabbed the doctor and asked, ”How much would that cost?”

The doctor estimated roughly, ”His injury is quite serious. He will need to be hospitalized for at least two days. Including the initial surgery fees and the cost of medication, it will amount to two or three hundred yuan at least.”

”What? Two or three hundred!” Bai Xue was startled by the number. She only had a little more than forty yuan in her hand, and even if she borrowed more, it would still be over two hundred.

For her family, this number was astronomical!

”Doctor, is there any way to not use the steel nails you mentioned? Maybe just use a cast to heal?” Bai Xue asked the doctor urgently.

The doctor frowned and glared at her, ”Without steel nails, the leg won’t heal properly. Even resting it for half a year will be useless, and over time, he’ll become a cripple. Do you want to see that happen?”

”I... don’t want that.”

”Well, if that’s the case, we should do as you say, doctor. Let’s send him to the city hospital,” An Hao interjected from the side. His dad was still young; he couldn’t just become crippled.

”Easy for you to say. Where will we get the money to go to the city hospital?” Bai Xue winced at the thought of money.

”If we don’t have the money, we’ll borrow!” An Hao said.

”Borrow? How much? When can we pay it back?”

”We can’t just ignore my dad, can we?” An Hao got a bit angry, ”Which is more important, money or my dad’s leg?”

”Exactly! You’re an adult now, how come you can’t think as clearly as your daughter!” the doctor chided Bai Xue, before turning away to treat another patient.

”An Hao and the doctor are right,” the village chief intervened, ”If you don’t have money, you can borrow. Get An Shuchao’s leg treated first. We’ll find a way to repay the money later; you can’t be scared of debt.”

”That makes sense.”

”I think so too. Xue, we’re just advising you. But in the end, you and An Shuchao have to make the decision.”

Bai Xue, feeling criticized by everyone’s words, was extremely displeased and took out her frustration on An Hao, ”Did I say I wouldn’t treat your dad? Why are you getting upset, An Hao? Saying this in front of the village chief and the onlookers, what do you mean by that? Have I said I’m not going to treat him just because we don’t have the money right now?”

An Hao, anxious about An Shuchao’s leg and not wanting to argue, coldly retorted, ”It’s best if you don’t mean that. Now’s not the time to argue about this. What’s important is to find a place to stay first, so we can leave for the city hospital early tomorrow morning from town.”