Chapter 2975: 2775 Pork Prices Have Risen

"Boss, you wouldn't have encountered this kind of airway foreign body patient in Hai Cheng, would you?" As they walked out, Su Yun said the words that Zheng Ren usually says.

"Um... where I saw it isn't important; solving the problem is. Rich clinical experience, you know." Zheng Ren said.

After changing clothes and leaving the ICU, the BBQ shop boss stood outside. He clenched his fists, forehead pressed against the glass. With his breathing, white mist spread across the glass, making his shadow mottled.

"Xu Shuzhen's family." The inpatient chief called out loudly.

"Doctor!" The BBQ shop boss, upon hearing someone call the old lady's name, immediately came over with a tense expression.

"The patient's condition looks fairly good now; diagnosis is airway foreign body. Here, this is the medicine in the airway." The inpatient chief placed the small box from his hand in front of the BBQ shop boss.

"Um..." He froze for a moment.

The patient swallowed Bai Xintong, which went into the trachea. Other medicines likely also went in, but dissolved in the phlegm.

What about this one?

"This is a skeleton-type drug; the residue is the skeleton, which partially blocks the airway, causing increased airway pressure." The inpatient chief explained.

Saying that, Zheng Ren and Su Yun changed clothes and walked out. The BBQ shop boss felt somewhat dazed; he didn't know what a skeleton-type drug was, only that the doctor told him there was an airway foreign body.

"The situation looks fairly stable now; if all goes well, they could be transferred out the day after tomorrow." The inpatient chief said, "Be careful when giving the patient medicine in the future."

"Mm-hmm!" The BBQ shop boss nodded repeatedly.

"I'm heading back; can the phone left at home reach someone? If anything comes up, give us a call, keep the line open." After saying that, the inpatient chief greeted Zheng Ren and Su Yun, then turned and went back.

The BBQ shop boss hadn't fully come to his senses, staring blankly as the inpatient chief left, forgetting to express thanks. For him, this was good news—nothing serious.

"Did you send a message to Yi Ren?" Su Yun asked Zheng Ren.

"They've finished eating; Yi Ren is out walking with Heizi." Zheng Ren said.

"Public security is much better now; even if it were twenty years ago, in the middle of the night… actually, no, with Heizi around, there's nothing to fear." Su Yun said with a chuckle.

"You two… did you just eat at my shop?" The BBQ shop boss looked at Zheng Ren and Su Yun, asking in surprise.

The old lady was fine; he also had a bit of other thoughts, noticing the presence of Zheng Ren and Su Yun.

"Um, when you were in the shop I called you but you didn't hear." Su Yun said, "The old lady is fine; it's just that she was careless when taking the medicine."

The BBQ shop boss stared blankly for a moment, somewhat angry, clenched his fist and said, "Damn it, I've told the caregiver countless times to be careful, be careful!"

"Don't get angry." Su Yun sensed something was off, quickly pulled the BBQ shop boss and said, "Long-term bedridden patients are like this; swallowing function is impaired. It's not necessarily the caregiver's fault; stay calm, don't bring trouble upon yourself."

"But..." The BBQ shop boss still wanted to object, but Su Yun walked over and bumped his right shoulder with her right arm, saying, "Take a break, don't rush. Want a cigarette?"

"Smoke." The BBQ shop boss said blankly, "All day long I'm exposed to smoke and fire; the toxicity is much greater than tobacco, I'm not afraid."

"Ha, you're still paying attention to health." Su Yun patted the BBQ shop boss on the shoulder and said, "Go downstairs and have a cigarette; the foreign body in the old lady's trachea has already been removed, and for now she seems fine, so you don't need to stay here. Keep the phone line open; if anything happens, they'll call you first."

Oh.

The three went downstairs, and Su Yun asked, "How many years has the old lady been bedridden?"

"Five years." The BBQ shop boss sighed and said.

That earlier vigor had passed; now he felt more dejection and helplessness, lacking the drive to seek someone to settle scores.

"Not easy." Su Yun comforted him kindly, "I've encountered quite a few patients; very few can stay at home bedridden for over three years."

"No way." The BBQ shop boss sighed, "I've come to Di Du to work for about ten years; I wasn't home when my grandfather passed away. Later the old lady also fell ill, and the household had to be maintained……"

Talking about these family trivialities and the cycles of birth, aging, sickness, and death, the BBQ shop boss's tone sank further. Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea—plus birth, aging, sickness, death—everyone revolves around these, rich or poor.

Zheng Ren and Su Yun remained silent; at times like this, comforting him feels like talking while standing with no back pain—completely meaningless.

They reached the downstairs smoking room; Su Yun took out a cigarette and handed one to the BBQ shop boss.

"Then you brought the old lady over from your hometown? The pressure must be considerable."

"Mm." The BBQ shop boss took a puff, nodded, and said, "Expenses are high in Di Du, but earnings are also high. Calculating it, after a year's rent, shop, employees, and taxes, there's not much left, but it's still better than going back home to farm."

"Besides, the hometown is too poor; having seen the outside world, returning is really hard to accept."

"That's right." Su Yun laughed, "You certainly earn a fair amount in Di Du each year; why do I hear you saying your finances are still tight?"

"Earnings are not small, but expenses are huge." The BBQ shop boss sighed, "Especially since we still have to care for the old lady—just the medicine costs dozens of yuan a day. We two also run the stall, so we can only hire help. Finding a caregiver willing to do regular turning, back patting, and phlegm clearance for a month is hard even at 6000 yuan."

That's true, and there's also the child.

"The little rascal is actually quite promising, has a scholarship." The BBQ shop boss's face finally showed a hint of relieved smile, "Otherwise the household would have collapsed long ago."

But the smile vanished instantly, and gloomy clouds of worry gathered again.

"Don't be like that; life still has to go on." Su Yun said.

"Sigh, don't mention it." The BBQ shop boss said, "Isn't it because pork prices have risen recently? I estimate our shop won't stay open much longer."

"You're also raising prices, huh—you're all longtime customers, I can understand."

"Raising prices… raising prices means death, not raising prices also means death; I worry every day until my hair is almost turning white."

Su Yun glanced at Zheng Ren; his hair was half-white, looking somewhat like an old doctor.

Just that he and Zheng Ren belong to the type who don't understand the value of firewood and rice until they manage a household; seeing pork price hikes only in the news, they completely don't know what it means.

"Big stores have more room to maneuver; our kind of small shop… you say, a meat skewer for one yuan, raised to two yuan—what can everyone do?" The BBQ shop boss said, "If we don't raise prices, we can only tweak meat quality, size, and portions. I've been doing business here for about ten years; these old customers I've painstakingly accumulated—I really can't bring myself to do that."