Chapter Fifty-Three: Life and Death

  The old people in the village get up early, Zudi is to hear the chicken wake up and dance, and the old men and women in the mountain village are woken up by the crowing rooster every day. This is because the elderly sleep less, and rural areas are used to resting with the sunset, and when it's hot, many old people start strolling around the village at 3 or 4 o'clock.

  This young whippersnapper Zhou Yi's plan to sit for the imperial examination today has already spread among the old folks.

  "Is that Doctor Zhou? Isn't he that young whippersnapper who can reap an entire mu of wheat in one hour? And he's also good at treating illnesses?"

  "Old Guo, what they're doing isn't just looking at your illness, it's a physical examination; they'll just use a stethoscope to tap on your chest, don't forget to bring your wife along."

  "Phooey, you're the one who's going to take your old companion... A young whippersnapper like him, and the nursing home doesn't even have any decent equipment. What can he possibly do? Either he's just putting on a show or he's just babbling nonsense. I'm not going, and if I were, I'd be taking my daughter-in-law..."

  These old guys are getting older but their minds are still young, and as they talk, they suddenly turn to the topic of Cang Lao Shifu.

  "Uncles and aunts, today our Uncle Zhou is holding a clinic at the nursing home, come get your bodies checked, everyone go, everyone go..."

  Two foolish men beat a big copper gong from the head of the village to the end, but these old men and women had no reaction at all. They were either playing chess in the sun or listening to the radio, and there was also a discussion about the old widower Dage Root who knocked on Widow Zhang's door again last night. Anyway, everyone has their own fun, and nobody pays attention to him.

  The old men in the mountain village are most afraid of seeing a doctor. Who hasn't had the experience of being ripped off at a city hospital after living for half their lives? Last year, Zhang Lao Liu, the village's sickly person, didn't he have some kind of imaging examination done at a certain city hospital? Zhang Lao Liu, a 70-year-old man, was actually diagnosed with 'menstrual irregularities' and that examination was even taken at the cervical spine position...

  This thing was made into the biggest joke in the four villages and eight towns, Yunshui Village, Shangxiazhai Village, Liulouzi Village... Hundreds of old people pointed at this joke and lived a happy year.

  After this incident, the elderly in the village were even less willing to go to the nursing home for physical examinations. Especially the old men, they were afraid of being diagnosed with some female-specific diseases, and their old face would be put where? Even the former resident doctor of the nursing home couldn't stand the old people pointing fingers behind his back, and he had nothing to do, so he finally quit this job with good treatment and a very leisurely work.

  The two lazy men saw that these old goods didn't pay attention to themselves at all, and suddenly became a bit anxious: "What's wrong with you guys? Checking the body doesn't cost money...... I can tell you, my uncle is a divine doctor, yesterday he said he wanted to treat my headache, in a few days, I'll have hair......"

  Boom!

  It's better if he doesn't say this, once he says it, those old guys laugh even harder.

  "Never mind, Lai Zi. When your father was still alive, he took you to the provincial hospital and they couldn't even cure your illness. And that Dr. Zhou, what a young whippersnapper! I think he's more suited to harvesting wheat than treating illnesses. Is he treating animals or humans?"

  "We're all old and frail, can't take the turmoil. It's better to bask in the sun and play chess, that's the best... Hey, old brother, what did you say earlier? Did Dagua open the widow Zhang's door? Why didn't you sneak a listen by the window?"

  Don't look at Er Lang's copper gong, but in the village, he has no prestige to speak of, and is also a junior. These old men don't pay attention to him, and he really can't do anything about it.

  Just as he was thinking about whether or not to go find Uncle Yuanfang, the Li family under the big pagoda tree suddenly started making a ruckus.

  "Save me! Save me! Erhei, hurry up and fill your tractor with oil, Dazhuang's wife is having a premature birth!"

  Then, seven or eight colorful women rushed out of Li Dazhuang's house, shouting in unison: "It's a difficult birth! Someone's life is at stake! We must send her to the hospital quickly! Tractor!"

  "What? A difficult birth!"

  The old men who were playing chess and farting in the sun suddenly jumped up one by one. The mountain people living in the mountains encountered a difficult birth, which could be a tragic event of one death and two lives! At the end of last year, Zhang Tiejiang's daughter-in-law had a sudden premature birth, and the child was not born yet. Before being sent to the hospital in the town outside the mountain, she had a severe hemorrhage, and as a result, neither the adult nor the child could be saved. Since then, Zhang Tiejiang's clever second son became an idiot, calling anyone his daughter-in-law, picking up any child and taking him home, insisting that it was his own kind!

  Li Dazhuang's life is not easy... Because of poverty at home, he didn't get married until the age of 23, and for some reason, his wife couldn't get pregnant. It wasn't until this year when she was 28 that they finally had their first child. Just two days ago, I saw him smiling and saying that his wife's due date was approaching and they were preparing to go to the hospital in town to wait for delivery. How could he have expected that his wife would encounter premature labor?!

  Dazhuang is a good person, kind and strong, often helping the elderly with farm work. As soon as he encountered difficulties, dozens of old men and women rushed over, chattering and shouting.

  "Is Dazhuang okay? Not seriously injured, right? Why didn't you get Yan Wenpo to come?"

  "They've tried, but even Old Lady Yan can't do anything. She says the baby's position is wrong, both feet are stuck in the birth canal and can't come out, they have to be sent to the county hospital, otherwise neither the mother nor the child will survive..."

  "This is going to be a problem, with tens of miles of mountain roads ahead, and the tractor shaking all the way. How can the pregnant woman possibly endure it?"

  "Alas, good people don't get good rewards... My several children are all working in the city, usually they help me a lot, how did this thing happen to him? Guanyin Bodhisattva, please open your eyes and bless Da Zhuang, he's a good person..."

  "Cuihua, Cuihua... Wuuu..."

  Dozens of old men, plus the few women who had rushed out of Li Dazhuang's house earlier, suddenly became a mess, with all sorts of things being said. Liu Erhei was also slowly filling up the tractor with oil, and just as it was about to start, a loud cry was heard from the courtyard, and a sturdy man rushed out, squatting at the door, not looking at anyone, hugging his knees and bursting into tears.

  "Da Zhuang, what's going on? I've brought the tractor over, hurry up and get your wife on it, let's rush to the town hospital!"

  This wailing man was actually Li Dazhuang, and Liu Erhei became anxious at a glance.

  "It's too late, they've started bleeding... Old Lady Yan said the adults and children are probably... probably can't be saved... Heaven, I, Li Dazhuang, have never done anything wrong, why do you want to cut off my family line? What's going on? What's going on...... Waaahhh..."

  Looking at Li Dazhuang, a man as tough as iron, curled up in the corner of the wall like a child, wailing loudly, the villagers were all stunned.

  Massive bleeding!

  In this remote mountain village, premature birth and severe bleeding meant only one outcome...

  "Don't cry! Li Dazhuang, you quickly go with me to find my Uncle Zhou! He's a doctor at the nursing home and graduated from some university, he'll definitely be able to save your wife! Even if he can't do anything, he has a car, I've sat in it before, it's really comfortable, taking your wife to the hospital in town will definitely make it on time!"

  The villagers were at a loss for words to comfort Li Dazhuang, when they heard Er Kuaizi's loud roar: "When it's time to take action, just take action!"

  Dr. Zhou! A car!

  Yes! Li Da sprang up with a loud crash and grabbed Er Lai Zi: "Quick, quick, take me to find Zhou Shu!"

  He hastily called out for Uncle Zhang as well...

  PS: Thank you for the rewards from book friends 'tianyan00001', '苏醒中い', '断剑生' and '天天的蓝'.

  I didn't know if everyone had thought of it, but Zhou Yi's first job was as an obstetrician-gynecologist? Haha...

  Please click on collect and recommend, the number of clicks is still small, can't rush up, I'm very depressed...

  ;