CHAPTER 27
After dinner, the children went to school and the husband went to work. Li Xia and Xiao Liu set up a stall together. They did both retail and wholesale. As long as they could make money, she didn’t care what form it took.
Time ticked to eleven o’clock. It was time to prepare lunch, but the flow of people on the street did not decrease at all. People going to and from work, people going out to buy things. The flow of people remained the same, and her plan to go home to cook was ruined again.
”Xiao Liu, what time is it?”
After seeing off a customer, she asked, and Xiao Liu said 12:10. She looked in the direction of the elementary school, wondering why the two children hadn’t come back yet. Just as she was getting anxious, the two came running over.
”Mom, I forgot to tell you this morning that we’re going to the cafeteria at Dad’s workplace for lunch. I’ll bring you a portion when I come back, so you can just focus on selling the goods.”
”Okay, Mom got it.” She took out two dimes from her pocket and gave them to them, “Buy some ice cream.”
”thanks Mom.”
The two children took the money and ran away quickly. Li Xia finally understood what Shen Haiyang meant by “there is a way to solve it”. On weekdays, he would take the children to the canteen for meals, there was a washing machine for laundry, and the father and son could clean the house over the weekends. She actually had time when she got home in the evening, and she could also do less work, so that the things at home could be sorted out.
About half an hour later, Shen Haiyang rode his bike to bring her lunch. “Sliced noodles with meatballs for you. I rode pretty fast, so there shouldn’t be any lumps.”
When she opened the lunch box, I saw that the noodles were still smooth and crisp. “You haven’t eaten yet?”
”Well, I’ll bring it to you first. I’ll eat it when I get back.”
”You can’t go hungry.” Li Xia handed him her lunch box and said, “Eat this first.”
Shen Haiyang chuckled. “I eat yours and then come back to deliver yours? I have nothing to do all day just delivering meals.”
”Then leave quickly, leave quickly. You can’t starve. Eat it yourself and send it to me later. Or let the two children bring me some after they finish eating.”
”I’m leaving now, eat quickly.”
With the food problem solved, Li Xia set up her stall with peace of mind. During this period, she met several wholesalers from small cities, and her goods were sold smoothly. At night, she went home happily humming songs, boiling water on the fire, and cleaning the house.
When there were few people in the afternoon, she would go home to do laundry and housework. During that period, the food in the canteen was very affordable, so the whole family ate in the canteen every meal.
”I forgot. I promised to buy instant noodles for the kids.”
Suddenly remembering this, she rode her bike to the largest department store in the provincial capital. Coincidentally, this thing was actually available today, so she bought a box and took it home.
The egg and tomato flavor is the only one they have right now. You can also make egg and tomato noodles at home, so this flavor is the slowest to sell.
At night, each of them cooked a pack of noodles for midnight snack, and they were all very satisfied. The two adults silently calculated in their minds that it would be better to buy noodles. Eggs and tomatoes are the easiest and fastest stew. If you have noodles, stir-frying the stew is more economical than cooking noodles, and the taste is not bad.
“This noodle is delicious.”
Well, Li Xia said this unconsciously, and was immediately refuted by the little guy. Yi Yi is a little foodie who likes to eat instant noodles very much. He was very greedy for this in his previous life.
The little guy was so anxious that he was afraid that his mother would not buy him more in the future. Li Xia looked at her son and suddenly remembered that he had the habit of hiding instant noodle seasoning in his previous life. Once, he put the instant noodle seasoning that others did not want into his pocket on the road. As a result, the neighbor’s children saw it and spread it everywhere, saying that he could not afford instant noodles so he picked up the seasoning that others did not want.
The child was so embarrassed that he would fight with anyone who mentioned this matter. He had always been at the top of the class in school, and the jealous people would use this as an excuse to make fun of him for not being able to afford instant noodles.
A pack of instant noodles cost 25 cents and had to be supplemented with stamps, which was a luxury item in an era when grain and oil were not completely liberalized. But she was already at the forefront of the times in her life, so could she let her child be so greedy for instant noodles that she would collect seasonings? Of course not.
”Buy it. If you like it, mom will buy it for you. It’s just instant noodles, not like a lot of people. Eat it if you like it.”
”Oh yeah,”
This time the three children cheered together. It seems that they really like this thing. She now runs a steamed bun shop. This kind of business was already collecting food coupons, and by accumulating them little by little in a month, she could collect a lot. The flour for the bun shop could be bought from farmers, but the price was a little higher. The money she could get was definitely enough to buy instant noodles for the children.
They could eat as much as they wanted from this box. Before they finished, she bought them another box, this time with braised flavor. She also bought a few pounds of fine flour noodles, half a pound of pork, and a pound of chili peppers. At night, she went home and made chili meat sauce for them, so that when they were hungry, they could cook meat sauce noodles or eat meat sauce with steamed buns.
A wholesaler came in this morning and quickly made a deal of 30 pieces. Just as she happily put the money in her wallet, Han Jun rode his bike quickly and stopped in front of her.
Li Xia couldn’t help but feel nervous when she saw him. Sure enough, the man started talking about the accident. “Brother Shen was chasing a suspect and suddenly got sick. He has been sent to the hospital. I came here specially to inform you.”
Li Xia zipped up her wallet, turned around and went to ride her bike. “Xiao Liu, I’ll leave the stall to you.”
”Don’t worry, I’m watching.”
Putting down the business in her hands, she quickly followed Han Jun to the hospital, and when she saw the doctor, she quickly told him the situation. “He has a heart problem, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, doctor, you must save him.”
”Got it. Don’t panic. The patient took the medicine himself and was brought in on time. He is basically fine and will be out soon.”
Oh, it’s all right now. It was just a false alarm, and Li Xia sat down on the bench in the corridor. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
”When was this problem discovered? Didn’t he say everything was normal at the hospital when he first woke up?”
”I went to Beijing during the summer vacation. He sometimes felt chest tightness and shortness of breath. The provincial capital couldn’t find anything wrong, so I took him to a big hospital in Beijing for a check-up. The doctor said there is no effective treatment for this disease at present, and we can only wait and see. He said that research is being conducted abroad.”
As they were talking, the door to the emergency room opened. They hurried forward and the doctor took off his mask to explain the situation.
”He was brought in on time and had taken medication, so he survived. The patient has heart problems, so you as his family members must be very careful in the future. He cannot do strenuous exercise or be exposed to too much stimulation. He absolutely cannot run after someone like he did today. It’s very dangerous.”
Li Xia nodded obediently. “Got it. Thank you, doctor.”
After a narrow escape, the doctor recommended that he be hospitalized for two days of observation. Li Xia went to complete the hospitalization procedures, and when she returned to the ward, Han Jun was talking to Shen Haiyang who had just woken up.
”Brother, you scared me to death, don’t you know that you are in poor health? Are you willing to work hard to waste your life?”
Shen Haiyang was helpless with himself and felt that he had caused trouble to the people around him. “I’m sorry. I forgot about it in a hurry. I didn’t expect that this disease would flare up so suddenly when it was fine normally. I took medicine as soon as I felt uncomfortable in my heart, but I didn’t expect that I would still end up in the hospital.”
After the man finished speaking, he looked up and saw his wife, and smiled apologetically at Li Xia. Li Xia said nothing, and made him his favorite rice noodles with shredded pork for lunch. After settling him down, she went home to look for the two children.
Shen Hui and HuiHua didn’t see their father after school, so they came to ask Aunt Liu. After learning that their father was hospitalized, they went to the hospital and met Li Xia on the way.
”Mom, is Dad okay?” Shen Hui was more worried and scared. Having a dad or not having a dad is completely different for a child.
”It’s okay.” She held the two children’s hands and went to the ward to see Shen Haiyang first, then she took them to the hospital cafeteria for lunch. The little ones were very sensible. When their father was sick, they chose the cheapest clear soup noodles for lunch.
”Three bowls of noodles, with eggs.”
”Mom, just some clear soup noodles. Save the money for Dad’s medical treatment.”
Huihua said so, and Shen Hui nodded. Dad’s illness is very serious, and I heard that he may need to go abroad to be cured. Going abroad will definitely cost a lot of money, so I have to be frugal in the future.
Shen Haiyang suddenly fell ill, which made the children realize that their father was really ill. The one who was most worried was Shen Hui. The worry that his father had put at ease after waking up was lifted up again.
”Adults are responsible for these matters, so don’t think too much, kid. You have to eat nutritious food, otherwise your father will be heartbroken when he sees you grow up to be a dwarf with a pale face and skinny body.”
There were a few greens in the noodles, and the soup was clear and oily without a speck of oil.
Li Xia added eggs to supplement protein and amino acids.
The children ate their meal and went to school by themself. Li Xia repeatedly reminded them not to talk to strangers on the way. “Just say you don’t know anything they ask, take the main road and not the small road. Remember that, right?”
Huihua asked, “Mom, what if someone really needs help?”
”Let him find someone else, an adult. You are children, safety comes first.”
”Okay, got it.”
Her home is close to the school, so she is not too worried. However, the hospital is quite far from the school, so she wishes she could go there in person. However, she also has to keep an eye on Shen Haiyang.
”How about mommy send you off?”
”No need.” Shen Hui answered firmly. “Mom, you take care of Dad in the hospital, and we will go to school by ourselves. Don’t worry, we will be obedient and will definitely not talk to strangers.” After a pause, the child continued, “I won’t go with the Murong family, don’t worry. If they want to use force, I will shout, they won’t dare to do that on the main road.”
”Okay, be careful on the road.”
She gave the child some change to take the bus. She returned to the ward to take care of the patient, and Shen Haiyang felt a little sorry for this, thinking that he had troubled her again. She wanted to make more money to develop her career, and now he was holding her back.
”Wife, I will apply to retire to the second line after I am discharged from the hospital. This kind of thing will not happen again in the future.”
”That’s great.” Li Xia took an orange and peeled it. “I know career is important for men, but life is the most important thing, right? Good health is the key to a future. If your illness doesn’t cause any trouble, it’s fine. But if it does, it could be a big deal. If you’re gone, everything else is meaningless.”
”Yeah, you’re right.”
Li Xia was thinking about how to persuade him, but before she could speak, he took the initiative to say that he would retreat to the second line in the future. She pursed her lips and was secretly happy, because she was really scared by his body.
”You can go home tonight. I can stay in the hospital by myself.”
Li Xia looked back at the family next the ward, thinking of sending some fruit to the family and asking them to look after him. But she thought about it carefully in the afternoon and still felt uneasy. He had a heart attack, and it would only take a few minutes. If he suddenly got sick and didn’t have time to shout, people would definitely not watch him and it would be too late to regret it.
What about the children?
The first person she thought of was Fang Zhongcheng. In fact, she didn’t want to find him, but the two children were in the middle, and they both lived in the provincial capital. It was impossible to completely cut off the relationship. The law stipulates that the father has visitation rights, and the children have the obligation to support him in the future.
If she didn’t find him when the child needed to be taken care of, he would start to say nice things again. She had to find him, shut his mouth, tear off the mask he was maintaining, and slap him in the face so that he couldn’t say nice things again.
In the afternoon, Shen Haiyang fell asleep, so she asked the older sister in the next bed to help look after him, and she went out to look for Fang Zhongcheng. She rode her bike to the man’s workplace very quickly, and Fang Zhongcheng was very surprised to see her.
”How did you find yourself here?”
”Shen Haiyang is sick and in the hospital. I have to stay with him at night. Please take care of the children for a few days. Pick up the three children in the evening. Shen Hui will also be troubling you.”
”No, Shen Haiyang is sick. What’s wrong with him? Is it serious? Do you have to stay with him at night?”
Li Xia had expected his attitude, but she still got angry after hearing it. What do you care what happened to me? Even if I didn’t have any problem, it’s not wrong for you, as a father, to take care of the child for a few days. It’s nice to say nice things, but when something really happened, I immediately had diarrhea.
”Yiyi and Huihua are your own flesh and blood. You wouldn’t be unwilling to take care of them temporarily, would you? As for Shen Hui, if you are so stingy and unwilling to help, I will find another way.”
”No, I’m not unhappy.”
” Then what is that?”
”My place is small, and I really can’t take care of three children.”
”Then take two?”
“…There is no room for us.”
” You just want to give birth and don’t want to raise them. Fang Zhongcheng, I sincerely suggest that you get sterilized, lest someone blind enough to be reborn as your child would be unlucky for the rest of your life.”
The sarcasm and her disdainful look instantly made Fang Zhongcheng’s face burn. He was furious and wanted to confront her but didn’t dare to. He watched her turn around and ride away. This is his unit, what’s the problem?
He had to swallow your anger.
Li Xia scolded him and lost her temper, but she was not angry. She knew the result and came here just to ridicule him. Hypocrite, let’s see how you can be hypocritical to me in the future.
She returned home and found her helper who worked at the steamed bun shop. “I have to stay with Shen Haiyang in the hospital. Can you bring your children to my house to rest at night and help take care of the three of my children at home?”
After explaining the situation, the other party nodded without hesitation. “Sure, why not? I’ll pick up your kid in the evening and let the three of them have dinner at my house.”
”Thanks.”
”We are all neighbors, no need to be so polite.”
A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. This is a case where even the child’s biological father cannot compare to her neighbor. After arranging the three children, she rode her bike to the hospital. At night, Shen Haiyang moved aside so that she could share a bed with him.
She subconsciously looked towards the door, then waved at him. “No, the nurse will scold me if she sees me.”
”Why?”
”You are disturbing the patient’s rest. Are you here to accompany the patient or to enjoy yourself?”
Shen Haiyang was amused by her lifelike imitation of the tone, “When were you scolded?”
”When my second brother was in the hospital, I once heard the nurse talking about the caregiver of the bed next to theirs.”
”It’s okay. My illness is not serious. It’s okay to sleep together.”
The couple was talking here, and the old lady next door cheerfully interrupted. “It is absolutely not allowed to lie in bed during the day, but the nurses usually don’t care at night.”
”Yeah?”
”Yes. Otherwise, the beds are so tight, and the bed attendants are also very tired. It is not okay to not rest at all.”
That was fine. Li Xia waited for the nurse on duty to check the room and then went to bed. They were both not fat, so it was no problem for them to squeeze together on the one-meter-wide bed.
