As soon as this was said, the previously one-sided crowd began to show doubt. Those who had been speaking indifferently imdiately asked, "Hey, that girl, what illness exactly did your father catch that he has to go to the capital for treatnt? Hope you weren’t cheated by so quack doctor."
There are quite a few barefoot doctors in each village, so of whom are hereditary Chinese dicine practitioners and truly not bad, while others are those who learned a few things at the local health clinic and then ca back—they would prescribe painkillers for a stomachache or apply red dicine for an injury. The barefoot doctor from the Jishui Team next door is like that; when the pig of the production team had a difficult labor, they called him to have a look, and he ended up saring the pig’s rear with red dicine, earning him a good scolding when the vet finally arrived.
Qin Miao had not anticipated that soone would actually ask about the specifics of her father’s illness. Her heart skipped a beat, but she put on a tragic face and said, "It’s tuberculosis!"
The crowd erupted in an instant. Tuberculosis, that’s a deadly disease! Coughing up blood, commonly called consumption.
Seeing the crowd’s faces turn pale with fear, Qin Zhen, for so reason, jumped out with a look of contempt and said, "Cousin, tuberculosis is contagious, you know. I heard you visited our uncle last New Year; hope you didn’t catch it too!" With that, she covered her mouth and stepped back.
The crowd shouted and started retreating even farther back, so even screaming out, and suddenly, the scene beca chaotic.
Qin Miao knew it was bad news when she saw the people’s attitudes change, and while wearing a sorrowful look she shouted, "Uncle, how could you slander your own niece? I haven’t been infected, my father was fine when I visited last year."
Qin Zhen quickly added fuel to the fire and said, "Ah, but doesn’t tuberculosis have an incubation period? Even spitting can spread it, how co you aren’t infected? Don’t be fooling people." With that, she covered her mouth with a look of horror.
The crowd retreated even farther, not believing her; so even shouted, "Get her out of here, make her go away!" Families in the countryside have no money; the last thing they want is illness. The whole family depends on the physical labor of the household to earn work points in exchange for food; they cannot afford to fall ill.
A few won who arrived later, upon hearing half of the conversation, were even more terrified as they pulled their children and ran back, forbidding them to get anywhere near the Qin Family’s yard, fearing that their whole family could have tuberculosis.
Seeing the crowd disperse, Qin Miao stood up, dusted off her clothes, and glared viciously at Qin Xi. She knew it was this older male cousin of hers who was behind this, Fatty Qin was nowhere near this clever.
Qin Xi stood there with a carefree look on his face and a sly smile: "Cousin, did you go to the county on April 15th?" He continued without waiting for Qin Miao to speak, "On the way back that day, I saw a girl riding a bike who looked quite like you."
Qin Miao’s eyes widened in shock, and she hurriedly shook her head to deny it.
With a lazy voice, Qin Xi said, "Not you, huh? I was wondering how she looked so much like you."
Qin Miao bit her lower lip hard to control her panic and said with forced calm, "It wasn’t , Cousin. You must’ve mistaken soone else. I’ve got nothing else to do, so I’ll head back first." Without looking back, she walked away, bumping into Li Xianglu who was standing at the doorway.
Li Xianglu, seeing soone bumping into her, quickly stepped aside, while Qin Miao, who was looking down, was knocked off balance. Irritated, she glared at Li Xianglu and then turned to leave.
Li Xianglu watched the departing figure with a furrowed brow, then Qin Xi approached and asked, "Did she bump into you anywhere?"
Li Xianglu shook her head, absent-mindedly asking, "Is it possible to give up your spot to return to the city?"
Qin Xi, puzzled but still nodding his head.
Li Xianglu’s brow knitted even tighter, "Then is it possible for soone to take your place?"
Qin Xi’s eyes widened and he waved his hands before heading inside.
Li Xianglu pouted and shook her head as she followed Grandpa Li back to prepare dinner.
At noon, Qin Xi said his goodbyes to Qin Shouren and the team leader, obtained a proof, and left first.
And Qin Zhen handed over his duties to Grandpa Li.
Qin Zhen, who was always active and loved to play, didn’t rest after lunch. Instead, he dug up a basket of earthworms and dragged Li Xianglu out to go fishing.
Li Xianglu sighed; this wasn’t him fishing, it was her fishing for everyone to eat. It had been over a month since they had last eaten at; having fish would not be bad, either.
By the afternoon, when the two brought back a bucket full of fish, Qin Xi was already sitting in the courtyard chewing on waterlon.
Qin Zhen dropped the bucket and ran over, and clinging to Qin Xi’s legs, he burst into ’wah wah’ sobs.
Qin Xi pushed his snotty younger brother away with clear disgust, "Stop crying. You sound like a girl, it’s ugly!"
Qin Zhen, whose sadness of being abandoned by his father vanished in a flash, annoyed, wiped his tears and grabbed a nearby waterlon to eat voraciously, as though he had a grudge against the lons.
Qin Xi, sowhat helpless, shook his head and patted his brother’s shoulder, "Dad went back to reserve a place for us; what are you making a fuss about? We’re going back eventually, aren’t we?"
Qin Zhen, whose eyes brightened halfway through eating the waterlon, asked excitedly, "Then, brother, when are we going back?"
Qin Xi looked at his brother’s dirty face with distaste, "In seven or eight years, maybe."
Qin Zhen imdiately ’wah’ sobbed again.
Li Xianglu watched the scene with amazent; the two brothers were truly sothing else—one was dark and loved to bully, the other a simpleton easily deceived.
The old man laughed as he helped his granddaughter keep the fish in a basin and then said, "Okay now, no more crying, co over for fish tonight."
Qin Zhen wiped his tears and looked sowhat satisfied, imdiately amusing everyone.
Author’s note: Thank you to the lovely 13880039395 for her monthly ticket, the second one already, right?
Thank you to Feng Ye W Feiwu for her monthly ticket.
Thank you to Yulan Huakai for the monthly ticket.
Thank you to Piaomiao Yunjing for the monthly ticket.
Thank you to i Xiaoshen for the reward.
Thank you to Gun Without God for the reward.
Thank you to Miracle Life 123 for the generous donation!
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