C9 Mother Is Sick Again

"Second brother, where are you headed?" Yun Buhui quickly stepped aside, hiding behind some grass to clear the path as Xu Erleng approached with his donkey cart. After making way, he cheerfully called out a greeting.

Xu Erleng huffed as he reined in the donkey, then engaged the cart's brake. Smiling at Buhui, he said, "Back for more grass, I see. Load it up on the cart; I'll help you take it home. How many trips would you have to make with all this?"

Buhui, with a grateful smile, nodded in agreement. "Second brother, I'm in your debt once again." He proceeded to load the grass onto the cart and then took a seat on its edge. "By the way, where are you off to? How come you're coming from this direction?"

Xu Erleng chuckled at the question. "You'd never guess—there's jade in our back mountain. A few days ago, I stumbled upon a piece and sold it for a tidy sum. I went back today to look for more. I found some small pieces, but not a single large one. The small pieces are practically worthless. They say our jade is too impure; large pieces can be carved into handicrafts, but the small ones? They're not worth a dime."

"Here, take a look at this one—it seems decent," he continued, tossing a fist-sized piece of Yellow Jade to Buhui. Buhui examined the jade closely. It was indeed Yellow Jade, but as Xu Erleng mentioned, it was riddled with impurities and the natural patterns were irregular, resembling faults. Such jade was the least valuable; even polished into beads or strung into a bracelet, it wouldn't fetch much.

Despite this, Buhui's face lit up with joy. "Second brother, I really appreciate it."

"What's there to thank me for?" Xu Erleng replied with a simple smile. "The hill's full of these small pieces. If you put in the time, you could collect a whole bagful." With that, he steered the cart forward, continuing on his way.

While they were deep in conversation, they noticed someone on a bicycle speeding down the road toward them. Xu Erleng glanced ahead and asked with a hint of surprise, "Buhui, is that kid up ahead Tiehzhu?"

Yun Buhui took a quick look and nodded. "That's my neighbor Tiehzhu. The kid doesn't take his studies seriously, always flitting between tasks. He's a real headache for his parents," he said with a sigh, shaking his head in resignation. He felt powerless when it came to Tiehzhu. Not long ago, at the invitation of Second Uncle Wang, he had tutored Tiehzhu for a while. But the lessons seemed to go in one ear and out the other, frustrating Yun Buhui to the point of nearly losing his temper.

Despite his lackluster academic performance, Tiehzhu was a hard worker. He didn't just help out at home; he also contributed significantly to the Yun family's affairs. He frequently sought out Yun Buhui for a chat. Even though Yun Buhui was a few years his senior, they had formed a solid friendship.

Tiehzhu pedaled furiously, reaching them in the blink of an eye. He yanked on the brakes so hard that the bike screeched to a halt, nearly sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Tiehzhu, what's the rush? Slow down, or you'll hurt yourself," Yun Buhui chided him, concern lacing his voice.

"Mr. Buhui, you need to get home fast. Your aunt's taken ill again, and it's pretty bad this time. You've got to go now! Uncle said it looks serious," Tiehzhu blurted out. Yun Buhui's mind reeled at the news. He leaped from the donkey cart, commandeered Tiehzhu's bicycle, and sped off toward home, pedaling at a breakneck pace.

He arrived at his house in no time, ditching the bike outside before dashing in like a shot. Inside, he found his mother convulsing on the bed, frothing at the mouth, her eyes rolled back, showing only the whites.

Upon witnessing the distressing scene, Yun Buhui wasted no time in phoning Dr. Hu. Despite his aversion to the doctor, there was no other medical professional for miles around—Dr. Hu was the only choice.

"Mr. Hu, please come quickly. My mother's fallen ill again, and it seems particularly severe this time. She's foaming at the mouth, and her eyes keep rolling back—all I can see are the whites," Yun Buhui explained. He had expected Dr. Hu to make excuses to avoid the call, but to his surprise, the doctor was unexpectedly cooperative.

"Pinch her philtrum firmly with your finger. Then, press on the 'Tiger's Mouth' acupuncture point on her hand. I'm on my way," Dr. Hu instructed. Yun Buhui then overheard Dr. Hu apologizing to someone else on the line, "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait a bit longer. There's an emergency at the Yun family's home in Fallen Mountain Village. I must attend to it immediately—it's a matter of life and death. I'll return as soon as I've handled the situation there. I apologize for the delay in your injection."

Filled with gratitude, Yun Buhui's previous dislike for Dr. Hu dissipated. No matter his past grievances, he couldn't help but feel deeply thankful for the doctor's swift response. In no time at all, Dr. Hu arrived on his motorcycle, clearly having sped the entire way.

Dr. Hu got straight to work upon arrival, pulling out a box of silver needles from his medical kit and beginning the acupuncture treatment. As each needle punctured the skin, Xue Ruyin's pained expression eased significantly.

However, just as Yun Buhui thought the crisis was averted, Dr. Hu's expression grew tense. "I've managed to stabilize her for the moment, but the illness has progressed too far. I can't treat this. You must get her to a hospital now! There's a risk to her life if you delay. If money is an issue, consider selling the old sow."

"Why are you still standing there? Get moving, change her clothes, and let's get to the hospital," Dr. Hu barked, seeing the Yun family still in shock and not acting. Snapped back to reality by the urgency in Dr. Hu's voice, Yun Buhui quickly began searching for his mother's clothes.

"Dad, you stay and watch the house. I'll go," Buhui offered.

"We should go together. Once we get there, it's likely your mom will have to be admitted, and by the looks of it, this isn't something we can resolve in just a day or two. There's too much to do at home for you to handle alone. I'll take care of Mom in the hospital, which will lighten your load a bit. It's just that..." His father's voice trailed off, and a look of helplessness flickered in his eyes. Money was tight. Getting to the hospital was one thing, but affording treatment was another.

"Dad, I've got some money here. Take this for now. We'll get Mom admitted, and I'll figure out the rest later," Buhui said, pulling out the envelope that Hu Feiyan had given him that morning from his clothing. It contained two thousand yuan. Yun Jie opened the envelope, his eyes widening at the sight of the money. He was certain his son couldn't have had this sum. No one knew that better than he did.