"Old man, don't be afraid. We're just passing by and saw you collapsed on the ground, so we came to check!" Su Shouwen quickly explained upon seeing the elder's wary eyes.
The elder, however, seemed to not believe they were truly without ill intent, and continued to look at the group with suspicion.
Su Xiaotian immediately understood what the elder was worried about.
She smiled and said to the elder, "Old man, we are truly good people, not the kind you're thinking of!"
"You, you're not..."
The elder said, looking hard at Su Xiaotian and the others, as if by looking intently, he could discern their true identities.
Finally, the wariness in the elder's eyes lessened, but he did not fully relax.
They were all young men and women, but they didn't have red armbands on their arms.
They shouldn't be those people!
Even so, the elder still didn't feel completely at ease and moved his lips hesitantly.
"I really have nothing else left. Over the years, it's all been taken by..."
Taken by those people, and now you have nothing left that you want.
The elder dared not continue speaking but tried his best to explain.
"Old man, we're just helping you out of convenience; we never expected any repayment," Su Ciliang said carelessly, not understanding the elder's meaning.
The elder's lips moved, but he said nothing.
"Old man, I see your leg seems to be injured. Can you still walk?" Su Xiaotian asked.
This elder's leg seemed to have been hit by a strong impact. The specific situation was not clear, but there was definitely a problem!
The elder looked at Su Xiaotian, chewed on her words, and finally asked hesitantly, "Little girl, do you know medicine?"
Su Xiaotian honestly nodded, "I know a little!"
She truly only knew a little, not being very skilled.
This was what Su Xiaotian thought; she didn't know that her so-called "little bit" was already a height that many people couldn't reach.
"Little girl, can I ask for your help?"
Su Xiaotian looked at the elder, thinking he wanted her to look at his leg.
"I might not be able to help; your leg is very serious!" She cast her gaze towards the elder's leg.
The elder quickly shook his head and said, "No, it's not my leg. I want to ask you to look at my old wife. She, she..."
As the elder spoke, it seemed he was reminded of something sad, and he was already sobbing uncontrollably.
Hearing the elder say this, Su Xiaotian fell silent.
"No!" Su Shouwen immediately objected.
They didn't know this elder or his identity.
From the elder's words, it seemed he was being targeted.
People like that usually had problematic backgrounds.
If they were in the brigade, it would be fine to help.
But in the county town, not understanding the situation, rashly agreeing to help could lead to trouble.
Su Shouwen, having been an accountant in the brigade for two years, also knew that the outside world was much worse than the Hongxin Brigade.
The brigade leader was right; at times like these, self-preservation was most important.
"Xiaotian, let's discuss it with Uncle when we get home?"
Seeing that Su Xiaotian seemed to disagree, he quietly persuaded her.
Su Xiaotian's personality in this regard was similar to her grandfather's; she always wanted to help others!
When Su Shouwen said this, the sliver of hope that had just appeared in the elder's eyes instantly dimmed.
"Big brother, let's go and see. We have so many people, we're not afraid?" Su Xiaotian couldn't bear to disappoint the elder.
Su Shouwen, her elder brother, doted on his sister without any bottom line. Knowing there might be risks, he finally nodded with difficulty.
"Let's go and see. We'll come back immediately if the situation is not right," he emphasized in the end.
"Big brother is the best, I knew you loved me!" Su Xiaotian immediately flattered him with a fawning smile.
The elder tried to struggle to his feet to express his gratitude, but one leg couldn't bear his weight, and he fell heavily to the ground again.
"I'm sorry, I..." the elder said apologetically.
"Old man, you're injured. Can I check your injury first?" Su Xiaotian quickly squatted down, stopping the elder from struggling to prevent further harm.
After feeling the bone, Su Xiaotian confirmed that the elder's leg was likely injured in the bone. Although it wasn't broken, it was not far from it.
With such an injury, she wasn't confident she could handle it properly.
"Old man, you need to go to the hospital," Su Xiaotian offered her suggestion.
However, the elder shook his head and said, "I can't go, I can't go!"
The elder's attitude was very firm, and Su Xiaotian didn't know what else to say.
Su Ciliang, on the other hand, didn't understand why the elder hesitated.
"What's wrong with you? My little sister saying you should go to the hospital is for your own good. How can you be so ungrateful?"
Su Xiaotian tried to stop Su Ciliang, but it was too late.
"No, I don't mean that. It's not that I don't want to go to the hospital, but I don't have the qualifications to go," the elder said, lowering his gaze, almost afraid to look up.
He didn't dare to reveal his identity, fearing these young people wouldn't help him, but without saying it, there seemed to be no other way.
"If your leg doesn't go to the hospital, I'm afraid you won't be able to walk anymore," Su Xiaotian said with a frown.
As people age, injuries, especially bone injuries, are not easy to heal. If they don't go to the hospital, they might be paralyzed for life.
The elder didn't speak, but Su Xiaotian clearly saw his tears fall, moistening the rough skin of his hands.
Su Xiaotian sighed softly.
With the elder like this, even if they went to the hospital, they might not be accepted. Forget it!
She began to quickly think about how to prepare the simplest prescription to save the elder's leg.
Since the elder couldn't walk, Su Shouwen carried him home.
Following the elder's directions, the group wound their way through a small alley.
It could be seen that the living conditions of the people here were generally not good.
But what they didn't expect was that the elder's conditions were even worse.
It could be said that this place couldn't even be called a home. It was a small shack built with broken wooden planks next to a public toilet, barely enough to shelter them, but it was also drafty.
Su Xiaotian had expected the elder's life to be difficult, but she hadn't expected his conditions to be so poor.
The group of young men were clearly shocked by the scene.
Could people live in such a place? A strong gust of wind would blow the roof off!
"Old man, you live here?" Su Ciliang asked in surprise.
He used to think that people in the city lived well, but today he realized that it wasn't always the case.
The lives of some people in the city were even more pitiful than those living in their cattle sheds, like this elderly couple.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across the elder's face.
Su Xiaotian quickly said, "Old man, let's go in and take a look!"
The elder clearly remembered the main purpose of inviting Su Xiaotian today.
He quickly said, "My humble abode is poor, please don't mind."
After saying that, the elder seemed to remember that with so many people, his small shack wouldn't be able to accommodate them.
He became embarrassed again, not knowing what to say.
"Big brother, you guys wait outside. I'll go in and take a look!" Su Xiaotian naturally saw that this small shack couldn't possibly accommodate so many of them.
"You all stay outside, I'll accompany Xiaotian inside!"
Although this elder looked very pitiful, who knew if he still had other intentions?
One should not have the intention to harm others, but one should guard against them.
Su Xiaotian knew what Su Shouwen meant; he was afraid she, a girl, would be in danger.
"Big brother, carry the old grandpa in!" Su Xiaotian said in a low voice.
Su Shouwen carried the elder and, bowing his head, squeezed into the wooden shack.
The situation inside was even more unbearable than what they saw from the outside.
On a bed made of broken wooden planks lay an elder with white hair, covered with a tattered cotton quilt that was hardly better than scraps of cloth.
The cotton clumps were already hanging out of the quilt.
Besides that, there was only an earthen stove, possibly for cooking.
However, it was cold and empty, looking desolate.
The elder was placed on the bed made of broken wooden planks by Su Shouwen.
Despite the commotion, the person lying on the bed showed no reaction.
The elder wiped the tears from his face and said apologetically, "Thank you all. If I hadn't met you today, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it back!"
Su Xiaotian, however, cast her gaze towards the other elder lying on the bed.
This elder's face was abnormally red; he was clearly breathing more than he was exhaling, on the verge of death.
"How did she get so sick?" Su Xiaotian asked in a low voice.
"She was injured protecting me and then got caught in the rain, that's how she got like this!"
"It's my fault. I, a grown man, have to rely on a woman for protection. I'm useless!"
The elder cried and wailed, holding his head, making even Su Shouwen, a young man, feel unbearable.
Su Xiaotian also felt sad, but she knew that now was not the time to feel sad.
The most important thing now was to save the person; the rest could be dealt with later.
"My medical skills are limited, I can only try," Su Xiaotian stated the grim reality upfront.
The elder quickly nodded, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate. I understand, thank you, little girl!"
In reality, he had no other options.
If there was any other way, he wouldn't have unhesitatingly asked Su Xiaotian for help upon hearing that she knew medicine.
From the moment he asked Su Xiaotian to come, he knew the hope was slim.
Su Xiaotian sat at the head of the bed and felt the pulse of the person lying on it.
She rarely felt pulses, but it wasn't that she couldn't.
Soon, she determined the illness and knew it was severe and not easy to treat.
In such a serious condition, it would be best to go to the hospital for an IV drip.
But Su Xiaotian didn't say this.
"Old man, I can prepare some medicine. If the fever goes down, she might get better. If..." Su Xiaotian couldn't bear to finish.
The elder was already very touched to hear that Su Xiaotian could help prepare medicine, and he quickly turned to kneel and kowtow to Su Xiaotian.
But Su Xiaotian stopped him.
"Old man, your leg injury is serious, don't move. I'll fix it for you later."
Su Xiaotian planned to ask her aunt for help to see if they had any spare medicine at home.
This task was assigned to Su Ciliang and Su Xiao Ba by Su Xiaotian.
Su Xiaotian herself found two usable wooden boards and fixed the elder's leg.
"Old man, you must be careful with this leg. If it gets injured again, it will be difficult to handle. Also, try to eat more nourishing food to supplement your strength. Both of you are too weak!"
As Su Xiaotian spoke, she looked around. The only food she could see in this home was a few potatoes.
"Old man, do you have any millet at home?" Su Xiaotian asked tentatively.
The elder shook his head shyly.
He had never lived like this in his life. From childhood to youth, he had lived a glorious life.
He never expected that in his old age, he would be struggling for food and clothing.
"Big brother, I have a few grain coupons and some money here. Take them and see if you can buy some grain."
Su Xiaotian still had the grain coupons and money she had earned from reading books in the past few days, so she took them out and gave them to Su Shouwen.
Su Shouwen didn't want Su Xiaotian to leave his sight, so he hesitated and looked at the others outside.
"Xiaocao and I will go!" Su Xiaomei said with a smile.
Su Sangong, afraid that the two girls would not be safe, quickly added, "I'll go with you too. I'll definitely get it done!"
The elder did not expect that after helping with the medical treatment and finding medicine, this kind little girl would even plan to buy them rice.
"Little girl, you are truly a great person!" The elder looked at the old woman lying on the bed and murmured, "Old woman, you have been a good person all your life, but you have never met a good person. This time, you have truly met a great benefactor!"
Uh~~~~~~
Su Xiaotian found it strange. What did this mean?
Never met a good person in her life? What kind of bad luck was that?
Meanwhile, as Su Xiaomei and the others went to buy rice, Su Ciliang returned with Xiao Ba.
They went in as two, but returned with two more. It was none other than Su Manxiu carrying the child Chen Xiuyuan.
"Auntie, why are you here?" Su Shouwen was the first to see Su Manxiu and quickly went to meet her.
"You children, acting so rashly, I was worried and came to check!"
Su Manxiu glared at Su Shouwen, as if blaming him, the elder brother, for having no principles and taking his siblings to take risks.
But it was just a look, not a scolding.
Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.
Su Manxiu was a kind person and was willing to help others!
"Auntie, do we have any medicine at home?" Su Xiaotian also hurried over, but first asked about the medicine.
The elder lying on the bed was getting weaker, and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to save her.
"Here are the few medicines you asked for, and I also brought some other medicines from home!" Su Manxiu handed the medicine bag to Su Xiaotian.
Su Xiaotian didn't have time to say anything else and immediately gave the medicine to the unconscious elder on the bed.
However, the person on the bed was in a deep coma, and the medicine couldn't be administered. When it was put in her mouth, there was no swallowing action.
The old man became anxious and asked, "What should we do? What should we do?"
"Old woman, you can't leave me alone! You've been with me all these years, you can't leave me now!"
Su Xiaotian looked at the old man, frowned, pressed somewhere, and then poured a mouthful of water down, and the medicine in the old woman's mouth was swallowed.
"She swallowed it," Su Xiaotian said with relief.
The old man was surprised that Su Xiaotian had such a skill and was very grateful.
His old woman had been kind to others all her life, and heaven had sent her a lifesaver!
Otherwise, why would she have met such a good family?
"Little girl, thank you so much, thank you, thank you all!"
Su Xiaotian took out a few more pills and said, "Take this medicine, it's good for your injury and can prevent inflammation."
The elder took the medicine from Su Xiaotian's hand and swallowed it in one gulp.
"You are good people, and I, Tan Zishi, will remember your kindness! If there is a chance in the future, I will definitely repay your kindness by being your ox and horse!"
Tan Zishi?
Su Xiaotian felt the name was familiar, but she couldn't recall where she had heard it.
Su Manxiu, however, couldn't wait any longer and urged Su Xiaotian and the others to leave.
"Auntie, Xiaomei and Xiaocao, and third brother went to buy rice."
Su Manxiu didn't know what to say upon hearing this.
This child Xiaotian is too kind. Giving medicine is one thing, but why buy rice?
But since they had already gone to buy rice, there was nothing they could do. She urged Su Shouwen to take the others back first, and she and Xiaotian would stay and wait.
Su Shouwen refused, but Su Manxiu said that too many people would attract attention.
Although Su Manxiu stayed at home every day, she knew that the undercurrents in the county town were not as calm as they appeared on the surface.
This was saving someone, but in this era, if you saved the wrong person, you could also bring trouble upon yourself.
Soon, Su Xiaomei and the others returned with about two to three catties of millet.
"Old man, eat this rice first. I'll think of a way later," Su Xiaotian said, placing the rice on the earthen stove.
Su Manxiu anxiously urged the children to leave immediately.
Although Su Xiaotian was worried, she knew her aunt was concerned, so she gave a few instructions and left.
Watching the people leave, Tan Zishi couldn't help but shed tears.
On the way, Su Manxiu admonished Su Xiaotian, "You can't be so reckless in the future!"
Su Xiaotian, who was always sweet-mouthed, immediately apologized, her attitude being exceptionally good.
"Mom, Mom!" The child Chen Xiuyuan also hugged Su Manxiu's neck, seeming to speak up for his sister.
Su Manxiu couldn't help but smile. Why did it seem like she was the bad guy?
When everyone returned, they found that Su Laosan, who had driven the car, had returned.
"Dad!" Su Xiaotian excitedly stepped forward and grabbed Su Laosan's dusty sleeve, acting spoiled.
Su Laosan's face broke into a smile. He affectionately pinched Su Xiaotian's face, "You child, you're so big already, and you're still so pampered!"
Su Xiaotian didn't care, "Dad, you've been out for so long, was it smooth? I missed you!"
Su Laosan had been on a long trip this time, leaving for over a month, almost two months. Su Xiaotian had indeed not seen him for a long time.
When Liang Xiu entered the door, she saw the father and daughter being affectionate and immediately felt jealous.
"I see it now, you father and daughter are the real ones, and I, this mother, am fake!"
Although she knew Liang Xiu was saying this intentionally, Su Xiaotian immediately went forward and hugged Liang Xiu's arm.
"Mom, no, you're my real mom, the real one!"
Xiao Ba looked at his sister and parents being so affectionate and was actually a little envious. But he felt that he was a boy and couldn't act so pampered.
But what if he really wanted to act spoiled like his sister?