Chapter 59: Since I Have No Way to Live, None of You Shall Fare Well Either

No sooner had she entered the ward than she saw her father struggling to shift onto the hospital bed; she quickly set down the buns in her hand, stepped forward to lend a hand, and said, "Mom, I bought buns. Help Dad wipe his hands, and you two eat first."

Hearing that buns had been bought, her mother frowned, tugged her daughter's sleeve, and said, "Xue, just give Dad the buns to nourish his body; I'll go to the cafeteria later and buy a few steamed corn buns to eat."

How could Seeing Liu Chuxue agree? She deliberately said, "We've already bought them; it would be a shame to spend money again. Besides, at home in ordinary times, even when big meat buns were bought, they never came our way. Let's try them and see what they taste like."

Hearing these words, her father felt a sharp pang of sorrow: "Child's mother, this is our daughter's heartfelt gesture. Let us indulge just once today. Later, I'll eat steamed corn buns like you two. If we share good fortune together, I won't be able to eat otherwise."

Her mother had originally planned to set the buns aside, heat them up for the next meal for Seeing Liu Chuxue's father, and go to the cafeteria to buy a few steamed corn buns for herself.

But with this father and daughter so perfectly in sync, if she voiced further opposition, it would seem ungrateful: "Xue, given our situation, in the future..."

Seeing Liu Chuxue quickly spoke to cut her off: "Mom, I know what you're worried about."

As she spoke, she turned to cover for them and brought out the ration tickets she had exchanged for fish the day before: "Look, these are all from yesterday's exchange."

She had only heard her daughter recount it once yesterday; now, seeing the items with her own eyes, she was still stunned: "So many?"

How many fish had her daughter caught to exchange for so many tickets?

Seeing Liu Chuxue casually shared her plan: "If nothing unusual happens with Dad this morning, I'll go to the moat again this afternoon. Now that we have proper fishing gear, the haul might be even more substantial than yesterday."

Her mother's expression was very complex: "How could such good luck happen every day?"

Seeing Liu Chuxue offered no explanation; after all, without an external aid, her mother's words were indeed correct: "I know, but given our family's current situation, we can't just sit and wait, can we?"

These words made the couple feel guilty once again, and they silently accepted Seeing Liu Chuxue's words.

As expected, when Seeing Liu Chuxue took her own coarse porcelain bowl to the first-floor boiler room to fetch water, her mother soon found an opportunity to share with Seeing Liu Chuxue's father what Seeing Liu Chuxue had said the night before.

After hearing it, Seeing Liu Chuxue's father's face was filled with disbelief: "Our second daughter has truly struck great fortune."

Just as her mother was about to say something more, she heard children crying in the corridor outside, followed by a man's voice: "Don't act rashly. Whatever the matter, we can discuss it."

Immediately after came a woman's tearful cry: "Please, don't hurt my son."

Seeing her daughter had not yet returned, her mother grew anxious, handed a bun to Seeing Liu Chuxue's father, and said, "You eat first. I'll step to the door to take a look and see why our daughter hasn't come back yet."

Seeing Liu Chuxue's father had naturally heard the commotion outside as well; his gaze flicked toward the door. Even with the fragrant bun in his hand, he had no appetite now: "Don't go out rashly. Check the situation outside first."

Unfortunately, by the time the two had spoken, the doorway was already completely blocked.

At that moment, Miss Ruyan was carrying two bowls of water up the stairs. The first thing she saw was many heads sticking out from the doors of various wards, while in the middle of the corridor, a man was holding a little boy hostage.

Perhaps driven by some shock, he kept backing away while pointing a knife at the people chasing him: "Since I have no way to live, none of you shall fare well either."

Miss Ruyan recognized the man chasing him as Deputy Factory Director Gu from last night. She heard him say, "Cao Xiangguang, you must think of your family. How did you end up in this situation? You cannot remain obstinate."

(End of this chapter)