Zheng Datong entered the room with a wooden medical box on his back.
"Doctor Zheng, please look at the child, please look at the child."
Cui Guiying took out cigarettes, unwrapped them, and handed one over.
Zheng Datong took the cigarette, placed it on his ear, squatted down, and looked at Li Zhiyuan, asking: "What happened to the child?"
"He fell into the water and hasn't woken up since."
"Fell into the water?" Zheng Datong first pried open Li Zhiyuan's mouth and nose, then lifted his eyelids to look, and then took a stethoscope out of his box and carefully listened.
When he put away the stethoscope, Cui Guiying leaned in and asked: "Doctor Zheng, how is it?"
Zheng Datong frowned, helped Li Zhiyuan up with Cui Guiying quickly lending a hand.
After patting the child on the back and observing for a bit, Zheng Datong laid the child back down, took the cigarette from his ear, and put it in his mouth.
Cui Guiying quickly got up to fetch matches from the stove area, but saw that Zheng Datong had already lit the cigarette himself and took several puffs.
Zheng Datong looked at Cui Guiying: "How long has the child been in the water?"
Cui Guiying looked towards Panzi.
Panzi: "Just a moment, Yuanzi was pulled out by his grandpa right after he fell in."
Zheng Datong frowned again, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and after blowing out a smoke ring, said: "Auntie, the child didn't drown or choke on water, there's nothing wrong with him."
"Then why hasn't he woken up?" Cui Guiying asked.
"Take the child to the town's clinic for another examination, there might be other issues." Zheng Datong packed up his things, stood up, he was out of options.
Cui Guiying took out another cigarette and handed it to him.
"No more smoking for me," he said while taking the cigarette and placing it on his ear.
Then, he smoked the one in his mouth down to the filter, Zheng Datong threw the butt on the ground and stamped on it, then whispered: "Did you consult Liu Xiazi?"
"Ah, we did." Cui Guiying seemed a bit embarrassed.
Zheng Datong nodded, en route Panzi had mentioned some things, at this moment, he could only give advice: "If he doesn't wake by tonight, send him to the town in the morning."
"Okay, okay, thank you for the trouble."
At that moment, Leizi rushed in, wiping sweat off his face, and told Cui Guiying: "Liu Xiazi has arrived."
Cui Guiying scolded: "Mind your manners, it's Grandma Liu."
Zheng Datong knew it was time to step aside, he walked out of the house door and saw an old lady seated on a tricycle being pedaled over in the distance.
Zheng Datong suddenly remembered the various new drugs that had been sensationalized in recent newspapers – wasn't he involved in that now? Ah, what's it called?
Integration of Chinese and Western medicine.
Leizi had run back home to inform, and Li Juxiang pedaling the tricycle behind was a bit resentful: "Mom, you shouldn't have been so slow, we should have come earlier."
Previously, a neighbor from Shigang Town had come to discuss arrangements for her late mother's service; they could have had him wait at home and come here first, but her mother insisted on finishing the visitor's business and then leisurely using the bathroom before coming over.
Sitting on the rear small stool, Liu Jinxia blew out a smoke ring and said irritably: "What's the rush, we won't get any money from them anyway."
"Mom, are you really okay with taking it?"
"Tsk, I'll take it if he gives it to me."
"I remember when I was young, Uncle Han helped us a lot."
"Then he has four sons, why didn't he send one over to me?" Liu Jinxia flicked her cigarette ash, "All uninvited, I don't even want their dowry, I'd give him a daughter-in-law for free and he still wouldn't take it, huh!"
"How can you blame Uncle Han for that."
"I'm saying, Juxiang, no matter what others gossip about us, at least their mouths are on their faces, why do you degrade yourself ?"
Li Juxiang pursed her lips.
"Juxiang, Xiao Cuihuo is still young, I, Liu Jinxia, won't have many good years left, Xiao Cuihuo will have to rely on you, so what if we don't have a man, I want to prove that we mother and daughter can live luxuriously and better than others!"
The tricycle rode up to the dam and arrived at Li's house.
Cui Guiying proactively went forward to help Liu Jinxia off the vehicle, Liu Jinxia patted her on the back of her hand and said: "Oh my, how can I let you help me, your husband is my benefactor."
"The child's grandma, please come look at the child, he hasn't woken up until now."
Liu Jinxia: "I heard from Leizi that it was something in the water?"
Cui Guiying: "The child's grandpa has already gone to fetch Uncle Sanjiang."
Hearing this, Liu Jinxia's heart tightened, she grabbed Cui Guiying's hand urgently and urged: "Quick, take me to see the child."
Previously, when Leizi came and called for people, she thought the child might just be exaggerating, but now that Li Weihan had gone to find that Li Sanjiang, the situation must be serious!
She, Liu Jinxia, still had fond memories of the good old Li Weihan.
Upon entering the house, she heard a bunch of children chattering, Liu Jinxia's vision was poor, it felt like entering a duck's nest, she waved her hand and scolded:
"Move aside, you kids, stop the noise, it's disturbing the Stove God!"
Cui Guiying quickly had the older children take the younger ones out and shut the door.
"Where is he?" asked Liu Jinxia.
"In the inner room." Cui Guiying was ready to lead her in.
"Bring him out to the kitchen, there's a stove here."
"Alright, I'll go get the child."
With Li Juxiang's help, Li Zhiyuan was placed on the kitchen dining table.
Liu Jinxia's old hands first touched Li Zhiyuan's legs, then moved up from the legs to the face, after touching his face, she stopped at his shoulders and gently pressed down.