Bai Fumei in the ’70s Chapter 56
Translated by Serena Love
When He Songbai heard this, his worries about his eldest sister's widowhood diminished.
He said, "So what are you waiting for? Take him to the hospital quickly."
Grandma looked at her grandson who was anxious like a monkey strangely, before saying, "What are you anxious for? You don't need to worry of this matter."
"You go and call back Songye's mother-in-law. I have something to tell her."
He Songbai hummed and happily walked out.
His eldest sister's problem lingered in He Songbai's chest for a long time. His eldest sister was beautiful and worked carefully. Just because of her bad family background and that she is deaf and mute, her value was rejected.
A family, who had originally taken a fancy to his elder sister, disliked that she had nothing to say and could not communicate. He Songbai deliberately took his eldest sister to their door to visit, and also enthusiastically taught his "prospective brother-in-law" to learn sign language.
As a result, he saw that his eldest sister secretly wiped her tears when he got up at night. The young He Songbai was upset, and he pulled his eldest sister home with a dark face. Later, the words in the village became even more unpleasant, and his eldest sister also stayed at home year after year. He Songbai has always been unable to forget this incident.
He wanted to find a man who would be good to his eldest sister. Li Dali did not dismiss their landlord's background, or even his elder sister's character. Eldest sister is good at everything. He Songbai is confident that Li Dali will definitely like his eldest sister.
He Songbai felt that his steps were easier, and he ran to the Li family's house faster.
Li Cuihua happily signed the agreement, wiped away her tears and went to her son's bedside.
She said, "Son, mother has found you a wife.
You don't have to go alone. After a few days, the mother will give you a wedding banquet and let you get married. You won't come in this world in vain."
Li Dali was anxious when he heard it. His eyes widened, and his eyes twitched.
He wanted to tell his mother: Don't waste family money begging for a wife. Don't delay other people's girl. But he couldn't even speak, he was short of breath, and couldn't barely make some noise. His lungs were punctured, and every breath hurt like being pierced by a steel needle.
Li Cuihua seemed to know the thoughts hidden under her son's eyes, she hurriedly comforted him, "Don't worry! My son!
This woman didn't ask for money. She said that she fancies you and is willing to be your wife."
Li Dali's weak hands gradually grasped the sheet. His face is lifeless, blue veins faintly appeared on his forehead, and his head is sweating profusely.
Li Cuihua is so anxious that she says nothing at this time. When He Songbai came, he went straight to Li Dali's room.
"My grandma has something to say to her in-law. Let me talk to the captain."
Li Cuihua glanced at her son uncomfortably and glanced at He Songbai again. Her lips squirmed for a moment, and finally, she went to the He family without saying a word.
He Songbai said, "You probably know it too. My grandma wants to recruit you to be her grandson-in-law."
Li Dali reluctantly murmured, but his voice was exhausted.
"No marriage."
He Songbai said, "My grandma said that you still can be saved. This life can be taken from Lord Yama. But my family saved your life in a crisis. I hope you survived and moved to the He family's house and live together with my eldest sister."
"Do you want to?"
Li Dali is really unable to speak. He has already accepted his destiny that he would not living long.
"Die." (I will die.)
"No, delay." (Don't delay her.)
He Songbai admired the captain from the bottom of his heart. Even when he was lying on the bed dying, he still able to make people respect him.
He said earnestly, "You can't die. Granny said that you will be sent to the provincial hospital, where the doctors can save you."
"It depends on you if you want this life."
...
Li Cuihua arrived on the He family again, and she was quite disturbed. She thought that this old landlord might regret it?
This will not work!
The agreement were written in black and white, and witnessed by the elders in the village.
Unexpectedly, when she came to Grandma Li's room, the old woman said, "If you want to keep your son's life, you have to follow my command."
"Whatever I ask you do, you will do it."
Grandma Li's indifferent voice was arrogant. Then, she said one word after another clearly and domineeringly.
Li Cuihua only stare blankly as she listened, then nodded obediently.
At the end of Grandma's speech, her mouth opened wide enough to swallow eggs.
"Remember! I will remember. My son's life depends on grandmother! I will never say a word, not even to my man."
After the two elders reached an agreement, He Songbai took the captain to the provincial hospital overnight.
Li Cuihua and He Songbai ran around to find a car, then used a stretcher borrowed from the health clinic to carry the dying man together.
Late at night, they arrived to the hospital.
The nurse added an extra bed to Li Dali to sleep outside a ward. Li Cuihua squeezed her pocket on her waist carefully and paid for the hospitalization. The doctor came to see Li Dali as soon as he came to work the next day.
The doctors and sanitary conditions of the provincial hospital are not comparable to those in a run-down small county. The doctor gave Li Dali a full set of examinations and said, "Not very optimistic.
But if you don't give up and stick to the treatment, it will probably be better. Just... is the conditions in your family allowed it?"
Li Cuihua squeezed her hard pocket again, clenched her teeth, and a courage arises in her heart.
He Songbai said without hesitation, "Although our families are poor, big brother's life is important."
The doctor took care of Li Dali for a week. Only when his physical conditions allowed him to perform the operation, he operated on the congestion in Li Dali's brain.
During this time, Li Dali only felt dizzy and unconscious. After waking up one morning, he saw a young woman in front of his bed.
Her skin is not white because of the sun exposure, but her eyes are beautiful. Her ruddy lips are pursed shyly, and opened again, revealing her white teeth. It seemed like she was going to say something, but she can't.
She held Li Dali's rough hand, and he felt warmth.
Li Dali glanced at her, and his dull and spiritless face showed a trace of hope.
The woman smiled shyly, and quietly pointed at the medicine bottle hanging on the bed. From time to time, she wiped his dry and peeled lips with moist cotton, mashed a spoonful of rice porridge and fed him slowly.
...
He Songbai sent the captain to the hospital and came back the next day.
Zhao Lanxiang asked him, "It's expensive to treat the captain? How much did it cost?"
He Songbai said, "All drugs are expensive. We can't stand the toss.
But he is so sick that he needs these medicine. Otherwise, he will be useless in the future. We will buy more nutrients for him..."
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Speaking of this, He Songbai frowned. His family's wealth was emptied to treat Li Dali's illness. Where would they get money to buy nutrients for him.
He Songbai thought about going to the black market to make more money. Not long after he came back, he didn't even sleep, and he rode his bicycle to the county.
During this time, the village sent funeral after funeral, and mess after mess. The newly elected captain generously gave five days of funeral leave, and those who has difficulties at home did not have to go to work.
Zhao Lanxiang hasn't had time to take out the nutritional products such as malted milk extract and milk powder at the bottom of her box, but the man already disappeared.
She had no choice but to put away the nutrients, sat in the ox cart and drove to the county.
She took out the money she earned from the snacks sold by Tiezhu these days and gave it to Li Zhong.
Li Zhong nodded and installed the heavy sewing machine with a tricycle. He said, "You can check it out, and I will send it to you in the evening."
Zhao Lanxiang touched the brand-new machine, the sharp needle, the round and full body, and the glossy and smooth surface. She looked back with satisfaction and said, "Good product."
Li Zhong collected the money and said, "Big sister, what are you doing with this big, bulky guy?"
"What else can I do with it? To sew."
Li Zhong was choked. He thought that Zhao Lanxiang was going to change jobs, and do sewing works for others.
He said, "How can you make money as a tailor? Don't even think about it, big girl!"
Zhao Lanxiang smiled, "It's nothing like that, I still need to eat. I bought a sewing machine in advance to marry my brother Bai. It's cheaper."
Li Zhong likes to listen to these words. He asked for this sewing machine from his fourth uncle and made almost no profit. He hope that she will think about his favor and will often come to sell food to him in the future.
The planned economy in this era is not without any magical effect. Its advantage lies in the fact that prices are controlled by the state. The price of commodities is not affected by regions and the off-peak season. People does not dare to inflate prices. Everything you can buy is cheap. Coupled with the convenience of Li Zhong, Zhao Lanxiang can buy this machine at a fairly cheap price.
After the opening of the market economy, the price of a sewing machine is very high. It is only when the productivity finally meet the people's increasing demand for materials, the price will drop again.
For example, before the reform and opening up of the market, a pound of pork was seventy or eighty cents a pound. However, in the beginning of 1980, it reached more than five yuans per pound. Later, everyone rushed to raise pigs and the price dropped back to one yuan. The price of this kind of sophisticated machine will only be higher, and the enthusiasm will last longer. It will fatten up a bunch of bad guys who exchanged it from S City.
Now she bought the sewing machine in advance, she could use it herself, hoard it to preserve its value, and earning money in the meantime. That is if she didn't need to aim at the opportunity to resell it.
Cough, it is still too far ahead. For the time being, Zhao Lanxiang just wanted to use it to do other "bad things".
Zhao Lanxiang pretended that she didn't see the light in Li Zhong's eyes. She coughed a little and said, "When my business starts and I have more food, you can send someone to get the goods."
Li Zhong is very pleasantly surprised. He said, "Then I dare to have a good business relationship with you. You go set up your business quickly. Find this brother if you are short of anything."
Zhao Lanxiang said, "Then I won't be polite to you. I'm short of people delivering goods. I need a bike to pick up and drop off sooner or later, so there is no delay.
Listen clearly. This is for delivery, not just for you."
This sentence made Li Zhong couldn't help but laughing and scolding, "You dear girl, you are squeezing me here! If you don't tell me, it may not be easy to find people."
He put away the laughter on his face and became serious. "It's not easy to get a bike this year. You let me think about it."
Zhao Lanxiang smiled stubbornly. "Okay. You think about it."
She doesn't need to buy a bike. She wants to use someone else's bike and let others work for her.
After communicating with Li Zhong, she went to the black market on foot to find Liang Tiezhu.
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