C10 Licking It Clean

Upon accidentally noticing another letter, he didn't read its contents but caught sight of the signature at the bottom—'Feiyan.' Instinctively, his eyes flicked to Dr. Hu before quickly looking away, unaware that Dr. Hu's eyelids were twitching uncontrollably.

The envelope was all too familiar to him—it was the very same one he had used to send money to his daughter. How had it ended up with Yun Buhui? He was acutely aware of the implications. He opened his mouth to speak but ultimately held his tongue.

Right after Yun Buhui finished helping his mother dress, Xu Erleng and Tiehzhu returned. Tiehzhu hopped down from the donkey cart and hurried inside, while Xu Erleng swiftly unloaded the hay before joining them.

Upon seeing Xu Erleng, Yun Buhui blurted out, "Second brother, I need you to take us to the station with your donkey cart. Mom needs to go to the hospital."

"Why wait? Let's go, now!" In the midst of speaking, he placed a blanket on the cart. Yun Jie got on first, followed by Xue Ruyin, who rested her head on his lap. Xu Erleng then drove the donkey cart off at a brisk pace.

Watching the cart pull away, Yun Buhui shouted, "Second brother, wait for me! I'm not on yet!"

If it weren't the rainy season, the roads would be passable. Over the hill and past the Huang Family Shop, they reached the highway's edge in under half an hour to wait for a ride. The buses to the county were frequent, arriving every half hour. The passengers, seeing Yun Buhui and his father with an ailing family member, graciously offered their seats.

Yun Buhui repeatedly thanked those who gave up their seats, settled his father, and then cradled his mother in his arms. The compassionate bus driver stopped right at the county hospital's entrance, watched as they disembarked, and reminded them to take their time and not rush.

Upon arriving at the county hospital, the outpatient department was bypassed, and they were immediately directed to the inpatient ward. There, they happened to meet the Deputy Director of the hospital, Mr. Hee Gaang.

"The patient's condition is quite serious and requires immediate hospitalization. Please proceed with the admission process, then head left from here to the third floor," he instructed. Yun Buhui's father, upon hearing this, hobbled towards the third floor. Yun Buhui was ready to follow, but he was still carrying his mother and needed to settle her into a ward first.

Deputy Director Hee Gaang didn't wait for the admission paperwork; he proactively found a room for Yun Buhui and his family. "I am the Deputy Director of this hospital and will be overseeing your care. We need to run some tests on the patient, so I'll need all her information. Here are some orders for tests; please have these done for your mother. I'll be back in two hours to check on her."

"Thank you, thank you so much," Yun Buhui expressed his gratitude, feeling fortunate to have encountered such kindness. He had braced himself for difficulties at the hospital, but to his surprise, he found the staff, especially the doctor, to be incredibly responsible. It was a profound moment of experiencing the true virtue of a medical professional.

In the ward, there was a gurney for transporting patients. After placing his mother on it, Yun Buhui promptly went to the lab with the orders Mr. Hee Gaang had provided. The inpatient lab was far more convenient than the outpatient one, as there was no need to take a number. Once all six or seven tests were completed, he wheeled his mother back to the room.

However, he noticed that his father had not yet returned after such a long time, which caused him some concern. His mother required constant attention, adding to Yun Buhui's growing anxiety. It was at this moment that Mr. Hee Gaang entered, holding all the lab reports and carefully reviewing each one.

"The patient has significant inflammation. We'll start with antibiotics to reduce it. As for the exact diagnosis, we can't confirm it just yet. It looks like a hospital stay is necessary. By the way, where do you live?"

"Chaos River Town, Fallen Mountain Village."

"The distance is quite far, and it's not easy to make the trip, so let's aim to completely heal your mother's ailments in one go. Oh, and remember to get a certificate from the village when you head back. Our hospital has special considerations for rural residents."

"Thank you, thank you so much." Yun Buhui was profoundly grateful. The doctor had consistently put his needs first, which was truly exceptional.

Shortly after Dr. Hee Gaang departed, a nurse entered and began to set up an IV drip for Yun Buhui's mother. However, Yun Buhui noticed that nearly three hours had passed and his father still hadn't returned, which made him increasingly worried.

"Excuse me, nurse, could I ask you for a favor?"

"If it's about treating me to a meal, don't bother." Yun Buhui was taken aback by her response, wondering where that came from.

"I'll definitely show my appreciation when my mother is discharged. Right now, I need someone to watch over her for a bit. My father, who has difficulty walking, went to pay the hospital deposit and hasn't come back yet. I need to go look for him, but I can't leave my mother unattended. Could you please help me out?"

"Go ahead, I've got this. Taking care of the patients here is part of my job. There's no need for thanks."

After expressing his gratitude profusely, Yun Buhui quickly made his way to the deposit payment area. Upon arrival, he encountered a crowd of people gossiping: "In this day and age, lacking anything else is better than lacking decency or money. See that? That's what happens when you have no money. It's tragic!"

A sense of foreboding washed over Yun Buhui, and he pushed his way through the crowd. Once he saw what was happening, he was filled with righteous anger.

"Old man, lick my shoes clean right now, or pay me for them. How dare you step on them! Do you have any idea how much these shoes cost? They're worth more than your life. Get to it, lick them clean!"

Yun Buhui's father was squatting on the ground, his expression blank. He berated himself for being so useless. It was just a matter of paying a hospital deposit, yet he had managed to accidentally step on someone's shoes. If he had encountered a reasonable person, a simple apology would have sufficed. But luck was not on his side; he had to deal with a jerk who was relentless and even demanded that he lick the shoes clean!

"Young man, you can't treat me this way. Besides, stepping on your shoes was an accident. If that girl hadn't pushed me, I never would have trodden on them," Yun Jie said, glancing at the young girl standing behind the man, his face showing nothing but helplessness.