CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60: EMERGENCY AID, NOT POVERTY RELIEF

"Then forget it!"

Lin Xin gave up, the child refused to learn no matter what, and he couldn’t just tie her up and take her away.

The captain and the others were disappointed, unable to understand why she couldn’t seize such a golden opportunity.

But they couldn’t really say anything.

They didn’t even have the standing to persuade her.

The atmosphere fell into silence.

Luckily, the silence didn’t last long, because Lin Xin started to give the pig an injection and feed it medicine.

By the time everything was done, it was already past five in the afternoon.

By then, the sky had already darkened, and snow began to fall.

Lin Xin couldn’t leave and had to stay; moreover, he couldn’t go away just yet, even though the pig seemed to have temporarily recovered, tonight was a crucial period.

He had to stay with Ma Yong and the others overnight, waiting for the two big pigs to safely get through the night.

The captain and the others didn’t hurry to leave, pulling Ma Yong aside to ask about the moldy corn and sprouted potatoes.

This matter had nothing to do with Yi Chichi and the others, besides, seeing Ma Yong’s troubled and hesitant expression, she knew there must be more to it.

And this wasn’t a matter suitable for these youth corps members to know.

Thus, she took Wang Nan and the others and bid farewell.

Uncle Yaozi lived in the team doctor’s office for a long term, Yi Chichi had to return to the Youth Corps Courtyard, so after locking the door of the team doctor’s office, she and Wang Nan headed back to the Youth Corps Courtyard.

"Hey, where do you think that moldy corn came from?"

Wu Yongfei couldn’t keep a secret and started a conversation out of curiosity.

Yi Chichi rolled her eyes, "Why do you care about that? It’s good enough that the pigs survive and we get a share of the year pigs, you don’t need to worry about anything else."

Bai Chen nodded in agreement, "Xiao Yi is right, just remember not to talk carelessly when you’re outside."

"Got it!"

He touched the needle pinned on his lapel and, remembering the painful experience of getting poked, he couldn’t help but shiver, deciding to keep his mouth shut, because getting poked really hurt.

However—

"Old Yi, why didn’t you go learn veterinary medicine?"

"I have to take responsibility for the livestock."

She could even do stuff like taking a man’s pulse for pregnancy, if she really went to study veterinary medicine and ended up mistakenly treating healthy pigs as if they had swine fever, it would really be a disaster.

"Also afraid that if the livestock died, I’d get beaten up by a mob."

Everyone, "..."

That was indeed a bit outrageous.

But from her response, everyone could tell she wasn’t interested in the topic, and naturally couldn’t share her true thoughts.

Thinking of this, Wang Nan sighed, "It’s better to be cautious."

She said this rather pensively.

Yi Chichi glanced at her, just caught the flash of worry in her eyes, and understood that Wang Nan was likely facing some problems.

And she was completely correct.

Around nine that night, just as Yi Chichi was about to turn off the light and sleep in her warm bed, there was a knock on the door.

Wang Nan had come.

"Chichi, are you still awake?"

"I’m not asleep, wait a minute, I’ll open the door for you."

Saying this, she got up, put on her clothes, and went to the door to let Wang Nan in.

As soon as the door opened, a bone-chilling wind hit her in the face, she quickly closed the door and, shivering, returned to the kang, patting the edge, "Come sit here."

"No need, I’ll just sit on the stool."

Wang Nan hadn’t washed up, and she knew Yi Chichi liked cleanliness, plus she needed a favor, so naturally wouldn’t do anything annoying.

So, she pulled over a small stool and sat on it, her posture as upright as a primary school student’s.

Only her hands weren’t folded behind her back.

Yi Chichi couldn’t help but laugh, "You can relax a bit."

Wang Nan’s shoulders dropped, and Yi Chichi felt as if her spirit had instantly dispersed, her entire demeanor filled with a sense of defeat.

She seemed a bit hesitant to speak, and Yi Chichi asked, "Are you facing some trouble?"

"Yes."

She nodded slightly, fidgeted for a while before saying, "I want, I want to ask..." She wiped her face and, raising her head again, her eyes glistened with tears, her voice had a sobbing tone.

"Chichi, I won’t hide it from you, something happened to my sister, she’s in the hospital now and urgently needs surgery on her head, we need money urgently."

Before Yi Chichi could ask for specifics, she spilled everything.

The matter wasn’t actually complicated, simply put, Wang Nan’s sister, Wang Mei, has a tumor in her brain.

Wang Nan didn’t know whether it was benign or malignant, but the tumor was already pressing on the nerves, causing headaches, dizziness, unsteady walking, and fainting symptoms.

The doctor’s diagnosis was to operate as soon as possible before the tumor grew too big, otherwise it would continue growing, and if problems occurred next time, it might be too late to save her.

But brain surgery is a major operation, Wang Nan’s hometown hospital couldn’t handle it, they could only go to the city or provincial hospital.

The Wang Family was poor, their parents hadn’t achieved much, Mrs. Wang for many years remained a temporary worker.

Mr. Wang was a formal worker at the dye factory, in a technical role, but unfortunately disabled in a work accident.

As a result, Mr. Wang’s job was taken over by Wang Nan’s elder brother.

However, her brother lacked experience, though he inherited Mr. Wang’s job, he didn’t inherit Mr. Wang’s rank and salary.

His monthly salary was just over thirty yuan, of which ten had to be used to support the parents, he also had to feed his wife and children, care for his in-laws, thus couldn’t save any money.

The third child, Wang Mei, worked as a temporary worker at a recycle station, earning similarly little, with an eight-year-old pair of twin sisters below her.

The incident with Wang Mei almost drove the family to despair.

They had no choice but to send a telegram to Wang Nan to find a solution.

Wang Nan was truly at her wits’ end before she came to Yi Chichi for help.

Afraid Yi Chichi wouldn’t lend her the money, she choked up as she said, "Chichi, I can write you an IOU, I’ll help you wash your clothes and cook your meals in the future, I can also..."

"Stop there."

Yi Chichi, half-amused and half-annoyed, interrupted her. What kind of person did they take her for?

Was she Zhou Bapi?

Washing her clothes, cooking for her, fortunately, Wu Yongfei wasn’t here, otherwise, he might fight with Wang Nan.

The reason for the fight was simple, Wang Nan was taking his job, leaving him no advantage to gain.

"How much do you need?"

As the saying goes, help in emergencies, not poverty. If Wang Nan came to borrow money for herself, she definitely wouldn’t lend it.

But since it was for her sister’s treatment, she could lend the money.

She wasn’t worried about Wang Nan not repaying.

"Lend me thirty yuan, and ten pounds of national grain coupons, would that be okay?"

Wang Nan didn’t dare ask too much, knowing thirty was just a drop in the bucket for her family’s current situation, but it was also all she could manage to repay.

More than that, she couldn’t handle.

Yi Chichi took out paper and pen, handing them to her, "Write an IOU, do you have anything valuable?"

Wang Nan immediately understood, she was being asked for collateral.

She thought for a moment, "Just wait a moment."

Before Yi Chichi could react, she stood up and left the room.

About five minutes later, she returned in a secretive manner, closed the door.

Then, coming over to Yi Chichi, she opened her palm, "Can I use this as collateral?"

In her palm was a jadeite melon amulet, entirely bright green, finely crafted.

Yi Chichi picked it up, studied it carefully, and felt a jolt in her heart, pure green, an imperial green of the highest jadeite quality, this was not something Wang Nan could possess.

"Where did you get this?"

She asked in a low, restrained voice.