Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 361 Cutting a Finger and the Past is in the Past

Health center, corridor.

Xu Ning, Li Fuqiang, Da Laba and others leaned against the wall opposite the bandaging room, while Lao Hu and Hu Zhibin glanced at the situation inside the bandaging room through the diamond-shaped windows.

I saw a group of doctors and nurses in white coats. They first took off Hu Zhiyong's shoes and socks and checked whether his toes were frostbitten. He had slept in the mountains for a night and could easily get frostbite if he was not taken care of properly. Once frostbitten, he would face the risk of amputation.

Hu Zhibin turned around and asked with a smile: "Erning, I see you are quite familiar with Director Zhou? When did you meet?"

Xu Ning said, "We have known each other for several years. We used to hang out on the street together. When a friend got injured, he would ask Director Zhou to treat him. We became familiar with each other after a few visits."

"Ah, you know the old dean too?"

"Well, his grandson and I got along pretty well, but he joined the army two years ago, and we lost contact."

Old Hu turned around and said, "Erning is doing well in the streets. He can talk to any kind of people."

"Uncle Hu, our Qing'an Street is not very big. It only takes half an hour to walk from south to north. We young people, apart from stealing and robbing, we also fight. We often go to the health center and the supply and marketing cooperative. If you want me to go to a big restaurant, I definitely wouldn't dare. What kind of people are there?"

Hu Zhibin smiled and said, "Erning is quite cunning. You can't go to a big restaurant. If you get caught causing trouble, you'll easily be made an example of."

"No, I'm not stupid!"

Li Fuqiang, Da Laba and others smiled at each other. They knew Xu Ning's wit and intentions, so they were not surprised.

Lao Hu asked, "Qiangzi has to go to work tomorrow, right?"

Li Fuqiang glanced at Xu Ning and said, "I'm not in a hurry to go to work, but I have to return the car to Lao Lin tomorrow morning. Lao Lin himself doesn't dare to delay work even though he is sick..."

Old Hu nodded: "Guoxing, did you tell your wife when you came to the street?"

Dababa looked up and said, "When my brother comes back in the morning, I can tell her on the way. Anyway, I have been running in the mountains for several days in a row, so it's a good opportunity for me to take a break here."

"Okay, I won't be polite with you. Zhibin has to go to work tomorrow, and I have to go back to the village. Li Ye's arm is injured. Fang can take care of Zhiyong, but there is no one to help run errands. Then you can stay and help."

The loud speaker nodded: "Yes, of course!"

He said this to Lao Hu in the car, but Lao Hu had to say it again in front of Xu Ning. Sometimes words are not spoken to the person involved, but to the bystanders.

Zhao Yuefang stood outside the bandaging room, tiptoed to peek inside, and became more and more anxious, but there was nothing she could do now but wait for news.

At this time, Xu Ning called out, "I'm going to the toilet."

Li Fuqiang glanced at the loud speaker calmly and said, "Brother Huang, aren't you going to have a cigarette?"

"Hey, have a smoke, cheer up." Da Laba grinned and nodded to Hu Zhibin, then left with Xu Ning and Li Fuqiang.

Hu Zhibin did not follow because he could probably guess what the three of them were going out for.

In the toilet outside the clinic, Xu Ning stood at the foot of the wall and untied his trouser string. After he was done, he tied his trouser string while looking at Da Laba and Li Fuqiang who were smoking.

"Brother, do you have money in your pocket?"

The loud speaker was stunned, "No!"

Xu Ning smiled and took out a wad of change from his pocket. Excluding the twelve yuan he returned to Zhou He, there were still seven yuan and eighty cents left. This was the pocket money Yang Shuhua gave to Li Fuqiang.

"Take all of these. Use them to buy food and other things. Return them to me when you get home."

At first, the loud speaker didn't understand what he meant, but after standing there and thinking for a while, he immediately smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll give it to you when we get home."

The two men threw away the cigarettes in their hands, and after entering the clinic, they saw Zhou He talking with Lao Hu and others.

"The index finger on my left hand can't be sewn up, the little finger is necrotic and needs to be amputated, the calf is an external injury and can be healed with care, the wound on my face is not deep, but it will leave a scar..."

Old Hu was silent, and Hu Zhibin asked, "Director Zhou, does the little finger have to be cut off now? Can it be saved?"

"It can't be saved. The little finger has been frozen black. If it's not cut off, the infection will spread to healthy flesh. After cutting it off, you will still have three fingers on your left hand, and it won't affect your work. You are lucky that not a single toe was frozen."

Old Hu gritted his teeth and said, "Then cut it off. It will just be a piece of rotten meat if it's left. How will he wake up then?"

"We're going to have a minor operation later. We need to give him anesthesia. He'll wake up after the anesthetic wears off."

Xu Ning walked over and nodded to Zhou He, then stood aside without saying a word.

"Row!"

Zhou He nodded: "You can wait until tomorrow morning before I change shifts to pay the fee."

"Okay, how much is it?"

"I don't know the exact amount, but it should be no more than 50 yuan. It's mainly because of the expensive things, such as disposable scalpels, gloves, and anesthesia. This also includes the cost of the hospital bed and the cost of injections for the next two days."

Hu Zhibin nodded: "Then thank you for your help, Director Zhou."

"It's okay, it's my job..."

Zhou He turned to the doctor in the dressing room and said, "Please transfer the patient to the operating room. Zhao, you will write the record later."

"Eh."

Lao Deng, Li Ye, and Lao Deng's apprentice came back. Lao Deng's apprentice, wearing a white coat, said, "Director Zhou, this patient's wound is not deep. It's mainly because of excessive bleeding and blood deficiency. I cleaned the wound again."

"Well, go make a bed."

"Ok."

Old Deng asked, "How is Zhiyong?"

After Hu Zhibin finished explaining the situation, Lao Deng said, "I'll pay for the surgery."

Lao Hu waved his hand: "Come on, big brother, you are slandering me."

"No, you said these two children..."

"Don't be so stubborn about this. Let Director Zhou go over there quickly. Zhiyong is waiting for surgery."

Zhou He nodded, took two steps, turned around and said to Xu Ning, "Don't go! Xiao Wu, take him to my office."

After Zhou He left, Xiao Wu said to the others, "Shall we go to the ward first? I'll get you an unoccupied room."

"Thank you very much." said Lao Hu.

"Uncle, please don't be polite with me. We are all family, and this is my master."

Old Deng nodded: "Well, let's go."

Xiao Wu found an empty room in the ward record book. Da Laba, Li Fuqiang, Xu Ning and Hu Zhibin went to the carriage outside and took down bedding, washbasin, thermos, lunch box and other things.

Then I followed Xiao Wu into a room on the left side of the second floor. There were five beds in the room, three vertically and two horizontally. The temperature in the room was not very cold, but it was still a bit cold when I entered the room so suddenly.

Lao Hu and Lao Deng got three sets of bedding in total, which Zhao Yuefang spread on the two horizontal beds and the bed by the window. Da Laba was not idle either. He took a thermos and went to the boiler room to get two pots of water. After coming back, Lao Hu took out a box of tea leaves and asked Zhao Yuefang to make a pot of tea.

A moment later, Xiao Wu came into the room carrying a quilt from the clinic and said, "Uncle, these are Hu Zhiyong's quilt and clothes."

"Hey, Xiao Wu, please sit down and have some tea. It's not easy for you guys..."

Xiao Wu said with a smile: "It's like this when working in a health center. We don't want any patients to come here either." "That's for sure."

Everyone chatted quietly in the ward for a while. Xiao Wu originally wanted to take Xu Ning to Zhou He's office, but Xu Ning waved his hand to indicate that it was not necessary. Zhou He was currently undergoing surgery, and Lao Hu and others were in the room. How could he leave at this time?

After Zhou He finishes the operation, he must follow Hu Zhiyong to the ward, and leave at that time to complete the whole process.

No one smokes in the room, and even if someone feels the urge to smoke, they have to endure it. After all, this is a health center and there are clear regulations.

At around two o'clock, the doctor and the nurse pushed a stretcher and brought Hu Zhiyong into the ward. Old Hu looked down and saw that Hu Zhiyong's face was wrapped in gauze and two of his fingers were missing. He felt a little uncomfortable for a moment.

At this time, Zhou He came in late and said, "The broken part of his index finger has been treated. When he wakes up, we need to help him mentally. Some people cannot accept a broken finger."

These words were rather blunt, not like what a doctor would say, but Zhou He spoke frankly because it was mainly up to Hu Zhibin. He couldn't be too tactful, for fear that Hu and the others wouldn't understand.

Hu Zhibin and Zhou He chatted for a while, and then Zhou He patted Xu Ning on the shoulder and said, "It's been a long time since we last met. Want to chat?"

"Okay." Xu Ning nodded, and then greeted Lao Hu, Lao Deng and others.

Old Hu stood up and said, "Erning, you and Qiangzi should just go home, don't waste time here."

"Hey, uncle, if you need anything, just let my brother do it."

"OK."

After Zhou He, Xu Ning and Li Fuqiang walked out of the door, the house became quiet at first. Then Hu Zhibin arranged for Li Ye, Lao Deng and Lao Hu to go to bed first. He put his arm around Da Laba's shoulder and made an excuse to go smoke a cigarette. The two of them came to the outside of the clinic. Hu Zhibin handed Da Laba a jasmine flower, struck a match to light it for him first, and then lit his own cigarette.

"Brother Guoxing, oh, I don't want to call you Brother Guoxing anymore, it seems too foreign, I will just call you Big Brother, how about that?"

The loud speaker bared his teeth and said, "Okay, you can call me whatever you want, it's just the same name."

"Brother, I won't be polite to you. Here's a hundred yuan. I have to go to the compound tomorrow to meet with the leader. I definitely won't have time to pay the bills or buy food. Please help me out when the time comes."

The loud speaker was stunned and said bluntly: "If I had known that you had money in your pocket, I would not have taken money from my brother."

"Ah, Erning gave you money?"

"Yeah, they asked me to buy some food or something, but I went out into the mountains at noon without any money, and I didn't come home at night..."

"I know. You take it first. We can just deal with it tonight. We'll be able to relax tomorrow after Uncle Deng and Li Ye leave."

"Row!"

Hu Zhibin asked with a smile: "How is Huang Lin doing in school? Can he get into high school?"

"Why would he want to go to high school? I was thinking of letting him do odd jobs at the forest farm after he graduates from junior high school."

"Forget it, he's only a little kid, just let him go to the forest farm to do the heavy work, you and my sister-in-law don't have to worry, save some money quickly and find a wife for Huang Lin."

Loudspeaker smiled and said, "Of course I have to. I've already started saving. As parents, we have to think about our children."

"..."

There was only the sound of footsteps in the corridor. Zhou He pushed open the office door and pulled the light cord, and the room became bright.

He sat at his desk and handed Xu Ning a pack of cigarettes, saying with a smile, "Try my Hardman. You two can sit down."

Xu Ning took the Hardman, turned around and handed it to Li Fuqiang, and said, "Lao Zhou, I'm quitting smoking and drinking."

Zhou He was stunned. "You quit smoking and drinking? Stop fooling me. Can you still quit smoking and drinking?"

"I really quit. I haven't smoked or drunk for half a year."

Li Fuqiang smiled and tore open the old Hardman door, saying, "Director Zhou, my brother has really quit smoking and drinking. We both started to quit in October last year..."

"Ah, is this you...?" Zhou He asked doubtfully.

"This is my brother, Li Fuqiang. We are from the same village. I came home from the street and then went to his house to drink. We became familiar with each other. Later, I had a dream and stopped at the brink of disaster."

Zhou He looked at his serious expression and nodded: "So what are you doing now?"

"I don't usually do much, except working at home and going hunting in the mountains."

"Going hunting in the mountains? What did you catch?"

“That’s a lot…”

Zhou He was shocked when he heard him talk about hunting. He shouted, "Strangled a leopard? Damn, you are quite capable... Yes, when you were hanging around on the streets, I saw that you were smart. I said at that time that if you walked on the right path, you would definitely have a bright future. So are you married now?"

"Soon, we'll be getting married this fall, and the couple will also be from our village."

"Oh my god, I'm surprised you can calm down and get married. So you're not going to be with the old dean's granddaughter?"

Xu Ning waved his hand: "We have never been together. We just played mahjong together a few times. I have never even touched her hand."

"...I believe it. Anyway, she has gone to the provincial capital now. I heard from the old dean that she seems to have been admitted to the normal school."

Xu Ning said with a smile: "It's good to be admitted to a normal school. I can become a teacher in the future and educate people."

Seeing that Xu Ning had no intention of continuing the topic, Zhou He nodded and said, "I'll tell the old dean tomorrow. Do you really owe him twenty dollars?"

"I'm just kidding. How could I owe him money?"

"I thought you were just holding it in. Last year, when the dog days were about to begin, two of your friends came to the health center and asked me about you."

"Who?"

Zhou He frowned and said, "There's a mole on his eyelid, a tall boy, and another one with a scar on his face. I remember the scar on his face seemed to be the injury you got from fighting with someone in the city two years ago. I changed the medicine for him after you returned to the street."

"Ah, Dazhi and Hualian, how are they now?"

"Last year, Lixia had just come out of the fence. They said they had been locked up there for two months. They wanted to admit it, but then they didn't know how they got released. They thought you had done something to them outside."

Xu Ning shook his head: "How could I have that ability? This case was handled by people from the province."

"They should have gone back to their hometown. When they left, they paid back the twelve dollars you owed me. So, I have to pay you back. Take it now."

Xu Ning was stunned when he saw the money Zhou He handed over. "Where did they get the money when they just got out?"

"How would I know? You guys are all very particular..."

Xu Ning took the money and handed it to Li Fuqiang, saying, "Of course it's fine, but before, you were just fooling around and didn't make any achievements. If you put this energy in the right place, you can live a good life now."

"Not bad, it's a good idea that you have this idea. How are you doing at home now?"

Xu Ning said with a smile: "It can be said that I eat meat every day."

"Oh my god, that was a pretty good life."

"It's OK. How's your child? Did he get into high school?"

"What the hell! I sent him to a technical school in the city. Learning some skills is better than working hard in society."

"Of course. Learning a skill can support your family and ensure that you won't starve to death."

(End of this chapter)