Chapter 71 - 23: Cannon Fodder Sister of the Female Lead (23)

"Is there gold in that village? Why do you keep running over there all day? The old house has been demolished."

Ever since Cheng Lie went back to look at his family’s old house last time, he had been returning every week for the following months. He didn’t drive or ride his motorcycle; instead, he pedaled a tricycle over there.

It just so happened that another brother mentioned recently seeing Brother Lie with a young girl headed to the countryside, giving Zhang Qiang reason to suspect that Cheng Lie was dating someone.

"Are you seeing someone recently?"

Cheng Lie shook his head while walking with the motorcycle keys in hand.

"If you are, just admit it. No need to be shy, we’re brothers for so many years. Besides, whose daughter is lucky enough to catch your eye?"

"She’s still young, still in school. I’ll talk about it in the future."

"Oh, come on! So there really is someone! Take me to meet her someday. Is she pretty? How young is ’young’?"

"Sixteen."

Zhang Qiang burst into laughter upon hearing that.

"Sixteen isn’t young at all. My sister had a child at eighteen."

"Get lost. Not everyone is as sturdy as your sister, like a bull."

Having said that, Cheng Lie turned and walked away, unwilling to waste any more words with Zhang Qiang.

——

This winter was exceptionally cold, and quite a few elderly in the village succumbed to the cold. When Jiang Lai returned home, Liu Shuping had just come back from a funeral reception.

"Why are you back so early today? Where’s your sister?"

"Don’t know. Mom, where are the dumplings?"

"Dumplings, dumplings, all you think about is food. They’ve been ready for a while, waiting for your brother to return from the memorial service to cook and eat."

Jiang Qiuhe soon returned as well, carrying a bowl wrapped in a white cloth.

"Mom, have you heard? He Xing’s grandma fell into the ditch, and I heard it’s quite serious. Should we go check on her?"

After all, the two families were engaged, and it was truly hard for He Xing to care for her alone in the hospital in such cold weather.

Liu Shuping looked at the hard and cold weather outside and nodded.

"Yes, we should visit. When Erya gets back, take her to the health center to have a look."

"What health center? He Xing just borrowed a cart to take his grandma to the county hospital."

"Is it very serious?"

"I heard it’s quite serious. Mainly, after falling, she was frozen outside all night before being found. It’s bad."

Liu Shuping became a bit anxious upon hearing this.

"What should we do..."

"What’s wrong, Mom? What are you worried about? He Xing doesn’t lack the money."

"It’s not that. If his grandma passes, He Xing and Erya’s wedding will have to be either within the hundred days or three years later. What are we going to do?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qiuhe frowned as well.

Getting married within a hundred days means the wedding has to be held within a hundred days after the funeral to bring good fortune. Erya has her college entrance exams in a few months and can’t spare the time to get married.

Getting married three years later would mean Erya would be in her twenties, which is a bit old.

"Erya’s back. I’ll take her to check on the situation first."

As soon as Jiang Qu returned home, Jiang Qiuhe took her back out.

This time, she came back in He Xing’s friend’s car, a very expensive Santana. You could hardly feel any bumps driving on the rugged country roads.

In the car, the friend and Jiang Qu talked a lot about the opportunities and challenges of this era. It made Jiang Qu’s eyes light up and her blood boil, eager to graduate and throw herself into this wave of reform immediately.

Just when she was planning to share her thoughts with He Xing, all she got was Jiang Qiuhe’s voice saying He Xing’s grandma had fallen and was now at the county hospital.

On the way back, she got on that bicycle again, with the cold, hard metal bar under her, the bone-chilling wind, and her nose and tears running as they bumped along, the key point being it was very, very slow.

Jiang Qu had never felt the bicycle was so slow before, nor had she realized that what she remembered as the endlessly long rural road could be so short.

"Brother, do you know how much a Santana costs?"

"That’s expensive, ten grand or more, I guess."

"Over ten thousand?! That expensive?"

"Yeah, those are imported cars, even if you have the money, you might not be able to buy one. Why? Why ask?"

Jiang Qu shook her head.

"Nothing, just curious."

"In the future, if you and He Xing work hard, maybe you’ll be able to afford a car. Then I can ride with you to the county or the city."

Jiang Qu couldn’t help but look at the endless fields in front of her, thinking of He Xing’s future achievements, and she said in a light tone.

"We will, definitely."

Thinking of that time warmed her heart.

Upon arriving at the hospital, they found the ward, where Jiang Qu immediately spotted He Xing sitting at the bedside, head lowered.

She approached and gently patted his shoulder.

"It’s going to be okay. Grandma will definitely be okay."

He Xing looked exhausted, his eyes full of bloodshot, and a layer of stubble had appeared on his chin.

Jiang Qu knew that this was when He Xing needed her the most, so she stayed to help him care for his grandma without saying much.

Unfortunately, the old lady’s condition continued to deteriorate. For ordinary families, they might have already taken her home, waiting to prepare for the final arrangements. But He Xing persisted, paying the expensive hospital fees daily and providing the best medication, just hoping for an improvement in his grandma’s condition.

Soon, the money He Xing had saved to buy a house in the county was all spent.

He contacted people to sell his motorcycle and immediately borrowed over a thousand from friends to continue enduring.

New Year’s was approaching, and the old lady’s condition was just hanging in there, neither improving nor deteriorating. He Xing was deep in debt, and Jiang Qu finally couldn’t hold it in any longer.

"He Xing, grandma told me she wants to go home. Let’s take her back."

"No, I discussed it with the doctor yesterday. He said the city hospital just introduced a new technique called heart bypass, which hasn’t yet been widely adopted in the country. He said grandma’s heart has issues, and if she wants a chance to live, she has to try this surgery. I’ve decided we will head to the city hospital in a couple of days."

Jiang Qu’s breath caught upon hearing that, seeing the hopeful and joyous spark in He Xing’s eyes, she knew he had made up his mind.

He Xing was a man of action; he always did what he said, and Jiang Qu had always supported his decisions.

But this time, Jiang Qu remained silent.

Because He Xing was already deeply in debt.

"Going to the city isn’t a small matter, and besides, we don’t have any more money to continue treatment in the city."

"It’s okay. I previously took out a loan of over ten thousand from the bank that we can use for emergencies."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qu instinctively responded with a sharp tone.

"That’s your money for buying equipment! If you spend it on grandma, what about your equipment? Without equipment, where will your profits come from? Without profits, how will you repay the bank loan?"