Seeing the group of people catching up and getting very close, a man dressed in the same pine-green military uniform got out of the driver’s seat of the jeep and shouted angrily, “What are you doing? Stop!”
Although the men’s Type 58 military uniforms had no rank insignia, their rank was clearly not low, judging from the way they got out of the jeep.
Shen Lichuan and the others did not dare to offend her. They glanced at Lin Yuqiu reluctantly and then quickly left the place.
Lin Yuqiu watched the group leave before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
A comrade in military uniform walked over, his smile warm and concerned: “Comrade, are you alright?”
Looking at the military uniform on the other person, Lin Yuqiu’s image of her older brother came to mind.
These days, while taking care of her mother, she dared not think about the pain of losing her eldest brother, pressing all that pain deep in her heart, a heavy burden that made it hard for her to breathe.
Seeing that familiar pine green with his own eyes now, all his pent-up emotions crumbled, a metallic taste rose in his throat, and his voice instantly became hoarse, unable to utter a sound: “Thank you, I’m fine.”
After saying this, Lin Yuqiu turned and left.
She went back along the way to pick up her fallen shoes and put them on. She was in a hurry to get back to the hospital, but then regretted not accepting the hundred yuan from the Xie family.
What does her pride matter? Her mother’s safety is the most important thing.
Just as she was determined to return to the Xie family, the jeep pulled up behind her again. The comrade in military uniform in the passenger seat leaned out and said with a smile, “Comrade, where are you going? Our regimental commander wants you to get in the car and will give you a ride.”
Lin Yuqiu subconsciously glanced at the man in the car window and saw a handsome, sharp profile hidden under a military cap, as cold as a deep ravine.
The man seemed to sense something, frowned and turned his head. Just as his cold gaze was about to fall on her, Lin Yuqiu quickly lowered her head, opened the car door and got in: “Thank you, please take me to the hospital.”
The carriage was quiet; no one spoke, and even the air felt heavy.
The soldier in the driver’s seat broke the silence first, glancing at the back seat through the rearview mirror, and said with concern, “Comrade, is someone at home sick? You don’t look too well.”
Lin Yuqiu glanced at the back of the man’s head in the passenger seat, then quickly looked away, and said softly, “My mother is sick.”
The soldier in the driver’s seat apologized and then remained silent the rest of the way.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Lin Yuqiu thanked them and then got out of the car and left.
Inside the jeep, the man in the passenger seat watched her retreating figure with deep eyes and instructed, “Xiao Liu, go follow her and take a look.”
“Yes, Commander.”
After the storm, the scene was devastated. The ward was filled with people who had suffered, and the pungent smell of disinfectant was so strong that it was hard to breathe.
Lin Yuqiu walked into the ward, looked at her mother who was still unconscious, and sat down helplessly beside her.
She stayed by her mother’s bedside day and night, watching her mother’s face grow so thin in just a few days that she was unrecognizable, and she didn’t even have the strength to cry.
A few days ago, the Lin family was reported to the authorities, and their home was raided. The father and second brother were arrested on the spot and have not been heard from since.
Her family property was confiscated, and she and her mother were driven out by that group of people. Before the mother and daughter could recover, they received the devastating news that her eldest brother had died on the battlefield. Her mother was so heartbroken that she became paralyzed and has been bedridden ever since.
Lin Yuqiu stroked her mother’s withered hand, which was covered with bluish-purple IV needle marks, and her eyes gradually reddened.
She was afraid that the Lin family would tarnish her elder brother’s reputation, so when she met those two soldiers earlier, she didn’t even dare to mention her brother’s identity.
My elder brother sacrificed himself for the country; he must not be labeled a capitalist, or he will die in peace.
Suddenly, the ward door behind her was pushed open, and the nurse on duty walked straight over with a payment slip: “Lin Yuqiu, your mother’s medical bills are already three days overdue. If you don’t pay soon, we’ll stop the medication and injections, and process her discharge immediately.”
After saying that, the nurse added sarcastically, “This is the organization’s hospital, not a place for capitalists like you to hoard beds.”
The nurse’s attitude was cold and hard, but Lin Yuqiu had long been used to it after taking care of her mother in the hospital these days.
She took the payment slip, her heart numb, and said calmly, “Thank you, nurse, I understand.”
Xiao Liu saw this scene in the corridor, and after making some inquiries privately, he returned to his car.
“Commander, guess who we ran into? It was Battalion Commander Lin’s sister. I just found out that Battalion Commander Lin’s family suffered a disaster. His mother is paralyzed in bed and still owes medical bills at the hospital. Could it be that the local government withheld his compensation?”
After he finished speaking, Xiao Liu noticed that the man showed no surprise at all, and asked curiously, “Commander, why aren’t you surprised at all that you ran into Battalion Commander Lin’s sister?”
The man said seriously, “Go and find out what happened.”
“Yes, Commander.”
As the nurse turned to leave, Lin Yuqiu looked at the amount on the payment slip, seemingly breathless, and then, gazing at her mother who was still unconscious, left the ward.
Those people drove her and her mother out of the Lin family mansion, and now she has nothing but a few crumpled coins on her.
Since the Lin family’s incident, their relatives have either suffered persecution in the same way or, fearing being implicated, have refused to see them.
Lin Yuqiu walked down the busy corridor, but felt that there was no one behind her. A sense of helplessness and panic overwhelmed her.
The bitter taste of the medicine seeped into her throat, leaving her with a bellyful of bitterness she could not express.
Now her mother is all alone, her father and brothers are missing and may be suffering somewhere. She must save her mother.
To make it easier to take care of her mother at night, Lin Yuqiu inquired with the hospital’s logistics department and found a temporary job unloading coal in the boiler room.
Because she was from a capitalist family, the hospital was only willing to assign her physically demanding jobs or cleaning toilets.
In order to earn more money, Lin Yuqiu decided to unload coal during the day and work as a caregiver at night, earning a dollar or two a day.
She went to the hospital boiler room that day, and the logistics officer led her to Master Wang, who was in charge of the shift. They agreed not to sign a contract, but to pay her on a daily basis.
Master Wang explained to her in general terms that once the coal trucks arrived, they would have to unload the coal one shovel at a time, then break up the large chunks of raw coal, sift out the coal dust, and wait until there was enough coal dust for a day’s use.
After finishing her work, she still needed to add coal to the boiler. Wherever there was a shortage of manpower, it was her job. There was no fixed division of labor; she was only required to finish the work and could earn 1.5 yuan a day.
This physical labor is exhausting, but if I work for ten days or half a month, I can pay off my mother’s medical expenses.
Lin Yuqiu changed into a worn-out blue men’s overalls that no one knew who had worn, picked up a shovel from the ground, rolled up her sleeves, and started working.
It was more difficult than she had imagined. In no time, her hands were covered in red, swollen, and shiny blisters, which were so painful to the touch that she dared not stop, for fear of missing out on her wages.
The foreman, Master Wang, sat in front of the coal cart, watching her intently like an eagle eyeing a rabbit, not allowing her to slow down even a fraction.
Lin Yuqiu gritted her teeth and continued shoveling coal with the shovel, letting the blisters be repeatedly squeezed and burst. The blood that was squeezed out soaked through her burlap gloves, mixed with coal dust, and stuck stickily to her palms.
With each swing of the shovel, it felt as if a thousand needles were simultaneously pricking the nerve endings in her palms. The sharp pain spread from her palms to her entire arm, making her tremble all over.
The woman unloading coal with her was also a temporary worker named Wang Guihua.
The man was sturdy with large, heavy hands, yet he wielded the shovel with remarkable ease, clearly someone who frequently did such physically demanding work.
“Young lady, are you new here? I’ve never seen you before.”
Lin Yuqiu looked up and saw the kindness in the other person’s eyes, but she had no intention of talking. The truckload of coal seemed to shroud her like a dark cloud. She responded with a smile.
Wang Guihua was very enthusiastic, her round, fleshy face beaming with smiles, as if doing these tasks was neither hard nor tiring: “My name is Wang Guihua. I’ve been working here for more than half a year. From now on, we’ll work together. What’s your name?”
“Lin Yuqiu.”
Wang Guihua frowned, feeling sorry for her. “This name sounds like the daughter of a wealthy family. Look at your delicate skin, how can you endure this kind of suffering?”
“Don’t leave right after you finish work tonight. Go to the boiler and get some hot water. I have some lard in my bag. I’ll put some on you so you won’t suffer so much. Otherwise, your hand won’t be better tomorrow, and you won’t be able to do this job.”
Looking at the other person’s simple face with its warm smile, Lin Yuqiu felt a warmth in her heart: “Thank you, Sister Wang.”
Wang Guihua sighed: “No need to thank me. If it weren’t for the poverty at home, which girl would be willing to do this kind of hard labor?”
This scene was witnessed by Xiao Liu, a guard who rushed to the hospital. Before leaving, he glanced at the thin figure unloading coal.
“Commander, this is Battalion Commander Lin’s pension.” He handed over a brown paper bag, indignantly saying, “Sure enough, the people from the neighborhood had withheld this pension. Taking advantage of the Lin family’s property being confiscated, they pocketed the money.
I revealed my identity and forcibly took it back. Then, as you instructed, I went to the hospital to settle Battalion Commander Lin’s mother’s medical expenses.”
“However, when I went there, I saw Comrade Lin unloading coal in the boiler room. She was such a pretty young girl, but she was exhausted.”
Upon hearing this, the man frowned slightly, then stood up and casually said, “Come out with me.”
Xiao Liu had barely caught his breath after returning when he asked, “Where did you go?”
The man said solemnly, “Send this compensation to the families of the fallen heroes.”