“Old… Huaiyuan, help me ask for leave from the school first, then come back and take me to the Hospital.”
Qiao Jiuru instructed her husband, who had brought breakfast to her bedside, no longer refusing to go to the Hospital as she had earlier.
“Okay, I need to ask for leave too.”
Su Huaiyuan looked at his wife, whose face was no longer as pale as it had been, and readily agreed.
However, he first put the freshly brewed brown sugar and egg drop water into his wife's hand, and only after watching her drink it did he turn and leave to find the school leaders to ask for leave.
As soon as he left, Qiao Jiuru quickly finished the millet porridge, steamed buns, and eggs on the cabinet, eating them in quick bites. Then, she braced her uncomfortable body and stumbled towards the desk in the room.
She skillfully found a passbook from the hidden compartment of the drawer. She opened it and saw that it still contained the five thousand-plus yuan in savings she remembered.
Five thousand-plus yuan was not a lot, but it was not a small amount either; in this era, who knew how many families didn't have that much in savings.
Immediately after, Qiao Jiuru also took out all the various tickets, loose change, and other items sealed in a kraft paper envelope from the drawer. These were the family's daily living expenses.
Besides these, there were also two fountain pens in the drawer that were very valuable in this era. One was a Parker and the other a Montblanc, among Su Huaiyuan's favorite and most cherished possessions, and also among the most valuable items in the house, besides the passbook and watch, that were openly displayed.
Qiao Jiuru unhesitatingly picked up these two fountain pens and the passbook and put them together into her inner pocket, close to her body. Then her gaze finally landed on the calendar on the desk.
Today was March 18, 1972, not March 17. The date their family was sent down was March 25, 1972, leaving only seven days until their family's relocation.
“March 25, 1972,” Qiao Jiuru murmured to herself, staring blankly at the calendar, a date she would never forget until her death.
“Aru, where are you?! Aru, we’ve both gotten our leave, let’s go to the Hospital now.”
Not long after, Su Huaiyuan hurried back, panting. Not seeing his wife at home, he was extremely anxious, only to find her in their room.
“Okay.”
This time, Qiao Jiuru not only didn't refuse but also actively picked up her bag and changed her shoes.
After locking the front door, the two rode their bicycles together out of the family compound towards the Hospital.
“Professor Su, Professor Qiao, where are you going?!”
“Sister Qiao, are you and Professor Su going to the Hospital?! Are Dabao and Xiaobao feeling better?!”
“Dabao and Xiaobao aren't better yet?!”
“Old Qiao, your complexion doesn't look too good either, are you also sick?!”
“Oh, yes, Old Qiao, what’s wrong with you?! I just saw Lao Su come back and then leave in a hurry, what happened?!”
“Huh, why does Teacher Qiao look so pale?!”
…
However, the couple hadn't ridden far before they encountered neighbors and family members sitting and chatting in the Jingda Family Compound. Everyone rushed to ask them with concern.
There were basically no secrets in the Jingda Family Compound. Who didn't know that Professor Su's two young grandsons had been sick and hospitalized these past few days, and the family was basically running between the school, home, and the Hospital.
“Thank you all for your concern. This morning I felt very uncomfortable. Lao Su rushed back after class, worried, and insisted on taking me to the Hospital to get checked.”
Qiao Jiuru, contrary to her usual quiet and private nature, actually took the initiative to respond to everyone's questions.
Moreover, she exaggerated the severity of her illness.
“Old Qiao, Lao Su did the right thing. If you're uncomfortable, you must go to the Hospital to get checked; you can't just tough it out.”
“That’s right, if you need to go to the Hospital, go to the Hospital. Don’t let it drag on and cause bigger problems.”
“What are you saying? Old Qiao, you two hurry up. If you need any help, be sure to say so.”
“Okay, thank you all.”
Su Huaiyuan continued riding his bicycle without stopping, and Qiao Jiuru, while agreeing, waved to everyone, gradually leaving the family compound and the school.
Actually, the Hospital was not far at all, less than ten minutes by bicycle from Jingda, and only about fifteen minutes on foot.
The two arrived at the Hospital, locked their bicycles, and then went straight in.
“Huaiyuan, let’s go find Zhang Dage to check on me.”
Su Huaiyuan was about to register when his wife pulled him back. He heard Qiao Jiuru’s voice, neither too loud nor too soft, sound in his ear.
“Okay, we can also ask him how the children are doing.”
Su Huaiyuan never argued with his wife's words; he did exactly as she said, and he was very obedient.
Zhang Dage's, or rather Zhang Hong's, director's office was on the third floor of the Hospital, a place the couple knew extremely well.
“Huaiyuan, Jiuru, why are you here?! I just went to see the two little ones; they’re almost fully recovered. They can be discharged after staying one or two more days to consolidate, you two don't need to worry so much.”
When Zhang Hong saw Su Huaiyuan and Qiao Jiuru come to his office together, he thought the couple were worried about their two young grandsons, and he reassured them with a smiling face.
“Zhang Dage, thank you. We’re relieved that the children are fine. Actually, I’m not feeling well, and Lao Su was worried and insisted on bringing me to the Hospital to get checked.”
“Yes, yes, yes. This morning, after I finished making breakfast, I found Aru’s face was pale, and it took a long time to wake her up. I was worried and insisted she come to get checked.”
Qiao Jiuru had already experienced this in her previous life, so she knew that the two young grandsons would be well enough to be discharged in these two days. Therefore, she directly stated their purpose.
Su Huaiyuan, beside her, also chimed in. His son had returned when he was making breakfast that morning and had also mentioned the children's condition. After breakfast, his son had gone to work.
Upon hearing that Qiao Jiuru was ill, Zhang Hong immediately became serious and quickly asked her to extend her hand so he could take her pulse.
After taking her left pulse, he switched to her right, then checked Qiao Jiuru's eyes and looked at her tongue… Zhang Hong's serious, tense face relaxed, and his brows no longer furrowed.
“It’s nothing, just exhaustion from these past few days, plus a cold due to the drop in temperature. I’ll prescribe some medicine for Jiuru. Make sure to stay warm and get plenty of rest, and you’ll be fine.”
Zhang Hong breathed a sigh of relief. While writing the prescription, he smiled and explained the condition to Su Huaiyuan and Qiao Jiuru, also giving them some instructions.
Actually, Qiao Jiuru already knew what was going on without needing to see Zhang Hong. Because in her previous life, she had also felt unwell today, but she insisted on not going to the Hospital. She took two days off to rest at home and drank brown sugar ginger water for two days, and then she was fine.
However…
“Zhang Dage, could you prescribe more cold medicine, fever reducers, cough medicine, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, stomach medicine, and diarrhea medicine, as well as cotton swabs and povidone-iodine for me?!”
Qiao Jiuru glanced at the door, clearly sensing that no one was outside, and then deliberately lowered her voice to seize the opportunity to make this request to Zhang Hong.
Yes, the main reason she was willing to proactively come to the Hospital today was to ask Zhang Hong for medicine. At this time and during this period, only Zhang Dage, as the Hospital director, had the ability to accomplish this.
“Jiuru, you don’t need to be like a startled bird. Is it because the children’s illness this time scared you?! Actually, if you get sick and come to the Hospital in time, generally there won’t be any major problems.”
Zhang Hong thought Qiao Jiuru was having an anxious reaction because of her grandchildren's illness, and he even smiled as he comforted her.
“That’s right, Aru, Zhang Dage is a doctor, and he’s right. If you ever feel unwell, we’ll come to the Hospital immediately; we can’t just take random medicine at home.”
Su Huaiyuan also didn't understand why his wife suddenly asked for so much medicine. Professional matters should be left to professionals, so he also quickly tried to persuade her.
How could Qiao Jiuru not understand something as simple as going to the Hospital to see a doctor when one is sick?!
But, after being sent down, not only could they not go to the Hospital at all, but they also lacked doctors and medicine. So, because she was feeling unwell, she immediately thought of this method.
“Zhang Dage, to be honest, I am indeed scared. Also, without some medicine at home, I don't feel at ease. Although we are not doctors, what if we don't have time to run to the Hospital one day? In an emergency, having medicine at home can temporarily control the illness. It can not only prevent the illness from worsening but also buy valuable treatment time, and don't these medicines have that kind of effect when they are developed?!”
Qiao Jiuru was determined to get the medicines she wanted today, but she also knew that even if Zhang Hong was the Hospital director, he wouldn't be able to openly prescribe too much medicine for her.
Sure enough, Zhang Hong listened to her words. Being prepared is also correct; better safe than sorry. Having medicine at home is like having grain in hand—it keeps one from panicking, and it doesn't cost much anyway.
“Alright, I’ll prescribe one bottle of each of the medicines you mentioned. Anyway, you two are getting older, so you’ll definitely have stomach problems, headaches, fevers, and such. If I prescribe these medicines for you, others won’t be able to say anything.”
So, Zhang Hong continued writing the prescription as he spoke, but he didn't prescribe medicine for diarrhea, povidone-iodine, or cotton swabs. After all, these were truly unrelated to Qiao Jiuru's current condition, and prescribing them would attract attention.
Zhang Hong finished writing the prescription and handed it over. Qiao Jiuru took it and scanned it; basically, all the medicines she wanted were prescribed. She was very satisfied and relaxed a little.
However…