Chapter 58: Joy leads to sorrow

  Time went back ten days later, Xue's big yard.

  After a busy period, the dishes were served and the wine was full. Everyone sat around in a circle, enjoying the delicious food under the clear wind and bright moonlight. The little guy, as usual, sat next to Xue, holding a roasted golden chicken leg with his left hand and a soda with his right hand, taking a bite of the chicken and then drinking some soda. Perhaps because too much chili pepper was added, while drinking the soda, the little guy's mouth was still gasping for air.

  Xue Xiang and several others drank large mouthfuls of wine, ate big chunks of meat, and enjoyed themselves immensely. The ingredients used today were all top-notch: the chicken was free-range, with tight and firm skin and meat; the pigs were fed non-polluted coarse grains, making their meat tender and smooth; the vegetables had no trace of pesticides, and were fragrant and delicious. Chen Fosheng also had a huge appetite today, and almost single-handedly finished off a large plate of roasted pork ribs, eating until his sleeves were rolled up, revealing his entire arm with its prominent bones.

  "Third Brother, this kid has sent another letter today." Lei Xiaotian said while tearing a piece of five-flavor meat.

  Xue put down his wine cup and laughed, "Oh, what's that kid saying? Won't be complaining again, will he?" Sun Qianjin had been writing letters almost every week since he entered the army camp, mostly talking about how hard it was, how tired he was, getting up earlier than chickens, exhausted like a dog, really regretting becoming this most beloved person.

  Zhu Shijun burst out laughing and said, "That's not all, this kid Ma Lei Zi specially sent a letter to Qian Jin to provoke him, reporting on the sunny days we've been having recently. Qian Jin was so tempted by his words that he wanted to desert and come back. As soon as the new recruits were disbanded, they were assigned to different troops, and this kid felt even more lonely. A few days ago, he got into a fight with their squad leader and was put in solitary confinement. As soon as he came out, he wrote a letter saying he wanted to escape."

  Lei Xiaotian was delighted and said, "It's still better for us to be clear-headed and steadfast, following San Ge. Isn't that stronger than being a big soldier? In his letter, Qianjin complained that he knew we had become people's police with Kangtong, and he regretted it so much that his intestines turned green."

  "By the way, Third Brother, I have something to tell you. Zhang Baozi came to see me today and said that someone named Li Deli had approached him and asked him to put in a good word for him with you. Zhang Baozi was too embarrassed to come himself, so he asked me to give you a heads up and ask if you could help out, of course, he said it's mainly up to you, no need to worry about his face." Chen Fosheng downed a large cup of wine and changed the subject.

  "The person you're talking about, I know him. He's the former captain of Tianqiao Police Station. He actually dared to bring people to arrest San Ge, without even asking who's in charge of the Dongcheng District police force? His cousin Qian Dabiao is also a scoundrel, following some third-rate official named Wang Xi and doing all sorts of bad things. This time they're out of luck, they got caught by San Ge. With one order from the military representative, they were immediately arrested and sentenced to five years, now they're locked up in the Beiyuan Labor Reform Camp. Wang Xi's father, who works at the Planning Commission, must have pulled a lot of strings, but even he couldn't get them off the hook.

  Lei Xiaotian and Kang Tong were detained at Chengguan Police Station, which is under the jurisdiction of Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau, just like Tianqiao Police Station. After Li Deli's reckless actions, Li Tianming gave one order, and the entire public security system in Dongcheng launched a massive rectification campaign. The instructor from Chengguan Police Station was transferred to Tianqiao Police Station as the new captain, and Kang Tong and Lei Xiaotian were of course familiar with the inside story."

  Chen Fosheng slammed his wine cup on the table and cursed, "Zhang Pangzi is really blind, what kind of people does he hang out with. This rotten person dares to let San Ge let him off, it's really not a joke."

  Xue Xiang finished drinking and stood up, saying: "Nothing's wrong, you go back and tell Zhang Chu Zhang that the one surnamed Li should directly go to the Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau's military representative and report my name." Zhang Pangzi had helped him a few times, so he owed him this favor.

  Xue Xiang's mood suddenly turned bad, not because he let Li DeLi go, but because he thought of that afternoon again, and thought of that poor child, thought of the lone figure walking slowly in the rain under the vast sky. At this moment, although the two were in the same city, they were separated by the farthest distance in the world.

  Xue Xiang patted the little fellow who was eating happily, nodded to Chen Fosheng and others, indicating that they should slow down, turned around and walked towards the corridor behind the white birch forest on the left.

  The courtyard was deep, winding past two rows of white birch trees, and then entering the corridor, leaning against the slanting screen. Xue Xiang raised his head to gaze at the sky, feeling melancholy under the moonlight, as if this life was just a temporary abode, with no interest in living. Seeing that the girl he loved was about to become someone else's wife, even with his unparalleled bravery and boundless power, what could he do? If the beauty had already belonged to another man, he could have used force or cunning to take her back, but now that the engagement was settled, it must be that she had already given her heart to someone else.

  The tender-hearted one is just the moon in front of the courtyard, still shining down on the fallen flowers for the departed.

  Hehe, it's just self-inflicted sentimentalism.

  Xue Xiangzheng was secretly heartbroken, unaware of when the little guy would come looking for him, until he was hugged by her small hands around his thigh.

  "Big brother, I've brought you the biggest one!" The little guy probably knew that big brother was in a bad mood now, so he specially chose his favorite food to bring over and comfort him.

  Xue Xiang bent down and picked up the little guy, shaking his head and saying: "Big brother isn't hungry, let the little treasure eat." The little guy always knew how to soothe his emotions. He had three lovely younger siblings and a group of sworn brothers who were as close as flesh and blood - what more could he ask for? Xue Xiang came to a realization: all good things couldn't be his alone. Forget it, the world is full of sentimental fools, this sorrow has nothing to do with the wind or the moon. Liuying'er, I wish you happiness.

  "It's for big brother to eat." The little guy shook his head and handed the chicken leg to Xue's mouth.

  Xue Xiang could only bite into it and said, "Little treasure is eating too, let's eat together."

  The little guy nodded happily and took a small bite, then handed it back. Like this, one person took one bite at a time, and soon, a large chicken leg was devoured by the two of them.

  …………

  "Big brother, Little Yi's stomach hurts so much that she can't bear it anymore and is rolling around on the ground." Xiaowan rushed over in a flurry, shouting loudly.

  Xue Xiang was shocked and rushed to the dining area with Xiao Shi in his arms, "What's going on? What happened to Little Yi?"

  Xiao Yi clutched her stomach and rolled around on the ground, her face deathly pale, drenched in sweat. Kang Tong and several others squatted down to examine her, at a loss for what to do.

  Xue Xiang hurriedly ran to the garage, started the three-wheeled vehicle, and soon drove it to the entrance. He called out to Kang Tong to carry Xiao Yi into the car, and also reminded Lei Xiaotian and others to take good care of Xiao Wan and Xiao Shi at home.

  Xiao Ai saw the third brother's painful appearance and was scared to cry loudly, hugging Xue Xiang tightly and refusing to let go. Xue Xiang had no choice but to hold him in front of his chest, stepped on the accelerator, and sped away.

  …………

  "Let's go, let's go, follow me," said Xue Xiang, carrying Xiao Shi in front, pushing through the crowd in the corridor to make way for Kang Tong, who was carrying Xiao Yi. Xue Xiang found the emergency room with a bright red light and pushed the door hard, but it was locked. Kang Tong was also anxious and sweating profusely, and before he could wait any longer, he kicked the door open.

  Inside the emergency room, the windows were bright and clean, fresh and elegant, a space of about 10 square meters in size. Even the smell of medicine was faintly perceptible. When Kang Tong kicked open the door, a man and woman inside were frantically adjusting their clothes with panicked expressions. The man was around 27 or 28 years old, with regular features and a straight figure. The woman was about 24 or 25 years old, with a pretty face and a flushed complexion, her head lowered, not daring to look directly at the newcomer. This scene, at a glance, made it clear that the two were in the midst of an illicit affair.

  "Damn it, the doctor won't even knock on the door!" The man cursed as soon as he opened his mouth, clearly having been ruined by someone else's meddling. This gentleman's name was Bai Keshu, and he was the son of Hospital Director Bai Shuseng. Relying on his father's connections, he had managed to become an attending physician, spending his days in the hospital flirting with nurses and causing trouble. Today, after much difficulty, he had finally gotten his hands on a married woman, and they were having a secret affair in a hidden room, feeling fresh and exciting. Just as things were about to get hot and heavy, someone knocked on the door. Bai Keshu initially wanted to ignore it, but the beautiful woman beneath him was terrified, refusing to budge, so he had no choice but to retreat and adjust his clothes. Unexpectedly, just as the two of them had barely covered themselves up, the door was kicked open by someone.

  "Knock on the door? We've all knocked, can't you hear? Don't waste words, hurry up and take a look at my brother." Xue Xiang squeezed open the two people, pulled over the action bed by the left wall, and beckoned Kang Tong to put the pale-faced Xiao Yi on it.

  Bai Keshu calmly adjusted his clothes, standing still on the spot, and glanced at Xue Xiang with great interest, implying "I won't arrange a doctor for you, let's see what you can do to me."

  Xue Xiang didn't move, but Kang Tong was already furious. He grabbed his slicked-back hair and slammed him against the wall: "Get a doctor for me!"

  Bai Keshu, relying on his father's power, bullied the weak woman in this small place. Where had he seen such a fierce guy? At odds with each other, they started fighting. Bai Keshu was hit and felt dizzy, the sudden attack made him terrified, and he quickly said: "Easy does it, easy does it, I'll call the doctor, the best doctor." After that, he turned his head to scold the young woman who was scared out of her wits: "Don't you go call Old Ma, do you want me dead?"

  The female nurse rushed in through the broken door, scaring several people out of their wits, thinking it was a raid. At this moment, hearing Bai Keshu's roar, as if he had been greatly pardoned, he threw off his shoes and ran out.

  Xue Xiang held Xiao Yi's hand, comforting him that everything would be alright. Xiao Di's big eyes dropped tears, his small hands grasped Xiao Yi's other hand, massaging and blowing air on it. The little guy really couldn't understand how the third brother who was competing with him for food just a moment ago had suddenly become like this.

  Before long, an old doctor with a head of white hair led a group of people in white coats rushing in. Kang Tong let go of Bai Keshu, who had been pinned against the wall and couldn't move, and the latter rushed out immediately. Seeing the doctor arrive, Xue Xiang hurriedly hugged Xiao Shi and made way, pointing at Xiao Yi: "Doctor, this is my brother, he was fine when we were eating dinner, but suddenly his stomach started hurting so badly that he rolled around on the ground, and now he's like this. Please take a look quickly."

  The old doctor pressed on Xiao Yi's belly and asked about several painful places, gave his back a massage, and ordered the nurse to give him an injection of anesthetic. Xiao Yi stopped groaning and fell asleep.

  The old doctor straightened up and asked Xue Xiangdao, "The initial diagnosis is that the food stimulation caused gastric spasm, which in turn induced appendicitis. What did you eat tonight?"

  Xue Xiangda was curious, this doctor's medical skills were too high, no examination or X-ray, and he could diagnose? Fortunately, it was just a common illness. Xue Xiangda let out a sigh of relief, what he feared most was food allergy poisoning, after all, everyone had eaten and there was no problem, so it must be his own minor issue. Xue Xiang thanked him repeatedly and told him about the food they ate that night.

  The old doctor stroked his beard and said, "Your family's standard of living is really high, you have chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and even cold drinks to help. This is both hot and cold, the sudden change in temperature, can a child's stomach take it? The appendicitis has been confirmed without a doubt, how come, looking at your expression, you don't believe me, an old man?"

  Xue Xiang didn't even have a chance to speak, when the little guy jumped in and shook his small fist: "Old grandpa is cheating, San Ge eats more than anyone at home, how come he's fine? He's three years younger than San Ge!"

  The old doctor was speechless, being asked to death by the little doll, and had to explain to her that individual differences in susceptibility can lead to different morbidity rates and other professional terms, or else he would be laughed at.

  Seeing the old doctor embarrassed, Xue Xiang spoke up to help him out of the awkward situation and patted the little guy's head, saying: "You're lucky this time, but don't eat too much ice cream in the future, or you'll end up like Third Brother, with a lot of pain."

  The little guy saw the miserable state of Xiao Yi rolling on the ground in pain, and nodded with a lingering fear. In his heart, he silently bid farewell to his beloved ice cream. The little guy was wearing the latest fashion trend - a white flower-patterned dress, with pigtails, chubby arms and legs, and a pink face that had turned into a small red apple, looking pitifully cute.

  The old doctor waved his hand and said, "Push the child to the operating room. This time I will personally take charge of the operation. Everyone should observe carefully and must not be negligent." It turned out that the old doctor was teaching students while seeing patients.

  The operating room door closed, Xue Xiang held Xiao Di and Kang Tong sat on the long bench anxiously waiting. The operation had just begun when Lei Xiaotian and others brought Xiao Wan over in a hurry.

  "Big brother, what's wrong with Lao San? Is it serious?" Xiao Wan took a look at the surgical words on the door sign in front and guessed that something was wrong, crying and shaking Xian Wei's arm to ask.

  Xue reached out to wipe away her tears, smiling: "It's okay, it's just appendicitis, she ate something bad and got a stomachache, a small surgery to remove the inflamed part will be fine, don't worry."

  Appendicitis is a common disease, Xiao Wan naturally knows it, and feels much more at ease at once.

  "Third Brother, how can we send him here? The Central Hospital is no match for the Long March and Red Flag Hospitals. The doctors there are much more skilled than those here, and the conditions are better too. All the leaders go there for medical treatment. Otherwise, shall we transfer Xiaoyi to another hospital?"

  Zhu Shijun slapped him on the shoulder and scolded, "You're not selling your skills to death, do you know how far the Long March and Liberation are from San Ge's house? Your brain must have been kicked by a donkey!"

  Chen Fosheng was speechless and touched his head with a silly smile.

  …………

  "Big Tooth Brother, it's them. Hmm, how come there are a few more people? No matter, you all help me collect the debt and I'll double the original price." Bai Keshu, with a visible bruise at the corner of his left eye, led a large group of young men dressed in flashy clothes, charging towards Xue with an intimidating air, their loud voices audible from afar.