Xiao Hua’s small face looked quite thin, and she was wearing patched-up clothes, her face devoid of any color from the cold.
"My father didn’t come. It was my aunt who brought my brother to see the doctor."
This made Captain Zhao furrow his brow slightly. Da Zhu’s father was really irresponsible, allowing his own son, who had a fever, to just endure it at home rather than bringing him to see the village doctor?
If he were healthy, he might have withstood it, but Da Zhu, with his malnourished look, how could he endure? He could have become delirious from the fever.
Yun Xiaoxiao was holding some fever-reduction pills.
Actually, children’s fever medicine is mostly in powder form.
Yun Xiaoxiao didn’t know how her father-in-law had come, but she helped Da Zhu up and began to administer the medicine to him.
Da Zhu was unconscious but still knew how to swallow, which was a good sign. After pouring half a porcelain jar of the mixture, she grabbed a towel to fetch water for a physical fever reduction.
After changing the water several times, she finally felt Da Zhu’s fever subside—it wasn’t as hot as before.
"Dad, you go ahead with your tasks! I’ll keep watch here."
Captain Zhao frowned, his gaze resting on Da Zhu and Xiao Hua.
They could only help temporarily, not indefinitely.
Moreover, Da Zhu’s father was still alive, he wasn’t an orphan.
"Hmm," Captain Zhao thought there were some matters better handled by the wife.
Laosan’s Wife was thinking too simplistically.
Now they might have won momentarily, but how would Da Zhu and Xiao Hua manage their household?
Shortly after Captain Zhao left, Da Zhu woke up, groggy.
"Brother, brother....."
Da Zhu saw Xiao Hua, and also saw Da Bao and Xiao Bao, even his aunt.
"You finally woke up. Do you feel soreness in your throat now?"
Da Zhu felt previously as if he was in a hot oven, but now it wasn’t so hot.
"Yes." His voice came out hoarse.
"I have some food here." Da Bao had food in his pocket.
"I have some egg cakes here, eat one to fill your stomach first," Yun Xiaoxiao had remembered Da Zhu hadn’t eaten when she went back to get medicine, so she also brought some egg cakes.
"Xiao Hua, you eat one too."
Their own two little ones shouldn’t go without.
"Thank you, Aunt." Da Zhu indeed felt very hungry; now that winter had arrived, their family only ate two meals a day, having been hungry for almost a day yesterday.
The egg cakes really tasted good.
The village doctor came in with a bowl of medicine, saw the kids eating egg cakes, and noticed Da Zhu had woken up.
"Has the fever gone down?"
"Yes, Da Bao’s father bought some medicine from the town’s health clinic, planning ahead since I can’t handle the kids’ colds and fevers by myself."
The village doctor wasn’t surprised.
These days, who in the brigade didn’t know that Elder Zhao doted on his wife?
But they couldn’t stay here indefinitely.
After all, the doctor had examined Da Zhu and prepared the medicine, so they needed to pay the consultation and herbal fees.
After Yun Xiaoxiao paid, she looked at Da Zhu. "Can you walk?"
Da Zhu immediately nodded. Despite being eight, he was very thin.
He struggled to get up from the small bed, nearly falling, but Yun Xiaoxiao was quick to catch him.
"Let’s go, we’re heading home."
Yun Xiaoxiao thought about how weak Da Zhu still was; though his fever had gone down, his body was still frail.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Zhao, having learned of this from Captain Zhao, was deeply concerned.
"You should visit Da Zhu’s house....."
Mrs. Zhao had no good feelings for Da Zhu’s father and his stepmother.