Chapter 318

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Returning to town, there was indeed no vehicle back to Shanggou Village.

But this was also within expectations; after all, today wasn't a market day.

The drivers don't come out to pick up passengers.

So you can't see the minivans going back to Shanggou Village.

Li Xiulan and Wang Zhanggen took a motorcycle together; the fare was fifteen yuan.

Liang Yuanchao said he still had to go into town to buy some things and would return a bit later.

Arriving home, the time was already nearly past seven in the evening; it had gotten dark long ago.

As soon as Wang Zhanggen returned, he sat on the living room sofa, smoking cigarettes, staring blankly at the Anti-Japanese Divine Drama playing on the TV, doing absolutely nothing.

Fortunately, Wang Xiaohua, who had stayed home, had already helped do some things before they returned.

Chickens, ducks, pigs, dogs — Wang Xiaohua had already gone to feed them all; only the rice and dishes weren't ready yet.

Zhang Zhongtian had reminded Li Xiulan last year to hurry up and slaughter those two pigs and stop raising them, because a policy had been issued from above prohibiting private pig slaughter.

But in the end, Li Xiulan and Wang Zhanggen discussed it and still felt they should continue raising them, precisely to wait until this winter to slaughter them for making cured meat and cured sausage.

Now those two pigs have both grown to over two hundred jin, and once National Day passes, the autumn wind arrives, the weather turns cool, and it's about time to make cured meat and cured sausage.

Now Dashan and Erhai are both working outside; once the cured sausage and cured meat are ready, when they return for Spring Festival, they can take some down to eat.

Li Xiulan came to the kitchen to help as an assistant; mother and son quickly finished cooking the rice and dishes.

At eight in the evening, the three people sat around the dining table eating dinner.

This dinner was very simple: one meat dish, two vegetable dishes, a pot of white rice.

"Why do you look so preoccupied?"

While eating, Wang Xiaohua suddenly asked Wang Zhanggen this one sentence.

He had long since noticed Wang Zhanggen's complexion wasn't right.

This old man simply cannot hide his emotions; whatever happens shows on his face.

"Nothing, I'm perfectly fine!"

Wang Zhanggen said coldly.

Wang Xiaohua's gaze turned to Li Xiulan.

Li Xiulan forced a smile and explained:

"Your eldest brother didn't return to the county town today; he said he'd only come back tomorrow."

Hearing this, Wang Xiaohua didn't pursue it further.

Because he knew, this old man indeed might get gloomy all day over such a small matter.

"How did the hospital visit go today? What did the doctor say?"

Wang Xiaohua asked another sentence.

Li Xiulan said:

"No major problem, still the cerebral infarction issue; the doctor said just take medicine on time and it'll be fine."

Wang Xiaohua nodded:

"That's good then."

He glanced at the slightly protruding thing below Wang Zhanggen's throat, wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

He just thought, the cerebral infarction alone nearly took half this old man's life; other illnesses had better not be let known to him for now.

He'd looked up information at an internet cafe and knew the majority of thyroid nodules are benign; for now, don't tell this old man, lest it scare him into an emotional collapse.

Wait until the cerebral infarction improves a bit, he finishes the college entrance exam, then discuss with the two elder brothers and send him to a third-class hospital in Guangzhou for surgery.

The three were eating dinner when, right then, dog barking came from outside.

Looking up, they saw a middle-aged woman had arrived.

It was none other than Liang Yuanchao's wife, Zhou Aidi.

"Zhanggen, Xiulan, did you two go to the county town today?"

Zhou Aidi's face was full of anxiety; she came in and asked immediately.

"Yes, we just got back not long ago. What's wrong?" Li Xiulan replied.

"Did you see my man? He took the bus to the county town hospital this morning for a check-up, and he still hasn't returned. I've called his phone but can't get through."

As soon as Zhou Aidi said this, Li Xiulan and Wang Zhanggen both looked completely surprised.

They never expected that Liang Yuanchao had also gone to the county town hospital.

Even more unexpected: they had taken the bus back to town together from the county town; now they've returned to Shanggou Village, yet Liang Yuanchao still hasn't come back.

"It shouldn't be. We took the bus back to town together. Once in town we took the motorcycle and left; he said he was going to buy some things and would come back later."

Wang Zhanggen said this.

But Zhou Aidi's face was full of anxiety:

"Then by rights he should be back by now. Why hasn't he returned, and his phone can't be reached either! He was just diagnosed with liver cancer recently; I'm afraid he might do something rash!"

Wang Zhanggen hurriedly put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up and said:

"Don't worry, I'll take you on the motorcycle to go find him right now!"

Zhou Aidi hurriedly thanked him:

"Changgen, thank you so much!"

Wang Changgen, however, said:

"Don't stand on ceremony, hurry up and get going!"

Wang Changgen pushed the motorcycle out of the courtyard, then immediately took Zhou Aidi along, searching all the way toward the town.

The motorcycle moved slowly along the night road.

They traveled roughly half the distance.

They actually managed to find Liang Yuanchao!

At this moment, Liang Yuanchao had fainted by the side of the highway.

Fortunately, very few vehicles passed along this township highway at night, and Liang Yuanchao hadn't collapsed in the center of the road but at the roadside, so he wasn't run over by a vehicle.

"Husband, husband, wake up!"

Seeing Liang Yuanchao, Zhou Aidi cried out, shouting and calling.

Heartbroken and anxious.

Wang Changgen hurriedly said:

"Let's hurry and get him to the hospital!"

The two of them together got Liang Yuanchao onto the motorcycle, having him sit in the middle position, Zhou Aidi supporting him from behind, Wang Changgen driving in front.

Very soon they arrived at the town's health center.

The health center gave Liang Yuanchao an IV drip, and only then did his mind clear slightly.

"Secretary Liang, how did you faint halfway along the road?"

Seeing Wang Changgen, Liang Yuanchao's face couldn't help but show a bitter smile:

"After I finished buying things, there was no motorcycle, so I planned to walk back. Walking along, my head suddenly spun, my vision went black, and then I lost consciousness."

Zhou Aidi cried and scolded:

"You're talking nonsense. I say you just didn't want to spend those ten-plus yuan for the motorcycle fare. Since you wanted to save money, why didn't you come back earlier? If you'd come back early, there would've been a direct bus to our Shanggou Village!"

Seeing his lie exposed, on his weak old face there was only a bitter smile; he said nothing more.

Although he had been a village cadre before, he had never used the village cadre's name to skim any benefits. Now he was old, hadn't saved much money, and had gotten liver cancer requiring treatment, so he thought to save where he could — that was why he chose to walk home.

He was too embarrassed to let others know he was this frugal, so when he returned to town together with Wang Changgen and Li Xiulan, he made an excuse about needing to buy some things, letting Wang Changgen and Li Xiulan go on ahead.

As for why he missed the last bus, the reason was the same as Wang Changgen's: the doctor had to check the examination report, the report came out, then he went for a re-examination, then queued to pay and get the medicine — by then it was already past five o'clock, so he missed the last bus.

After Liang Yuanchao finished the IV drip, Wang Changgen drove him and his wife back to Shanggou Village together.

Liang Yuanchao had originally wanted to conceal his condition, but after this ordeal, the whole village knew he had liver cancer.

As a result, early the next morning, quite a few villagers and relatives and friends took the initiative to visit him.

Not only did they bring gifts, they also proactively gave him red envelopes.

Kindly comforting him, urging him to take good care of his health.