Xi Tian stood at the backyard entrance and glanced around, asking curiously, "Huh? Why didn't Uncle Sun close the courtyard gate..."
How could someone as meticulous as Old Man Sun not close his courtyard gate?
Jin Xiaolou was also surprised, blinking as he peered into the courtyard.
The last time he came with Sister Xi Tian, smoke billowed from the chimney of the back courtyard's flat, and the occasional scent of stir-fried dishes could be smelled.
But now, apart from the thick snow, there was no sign of life in the courtyard...
"Daughter, what's wrong?" Old Man Yun asked.
Little Xi Tian frowned, "Something seems not right!~"
Normally, with so many people arriving, Old Man Sun would have already grabbed a broom and chased away any loiterers, but why was it so quiet today...
Yun Daman said, "Dad, Mom, Sister, you all stay here and don't move. I'll go take a look inside!~"
After speaking, Yun Daman stepped on the snow, ran to the front of the house in a few strides, lifted the door curtain, and walked in...
Before Little Xi Tian could react, she heard a loud shout from inside, "Oh dear, what's wrong with this old man? Hey, wake up, can you hear me? The ground is freezing cold, why don't you lie down on the kang!~"
Little Xi Tian: "???"
Hearing her elder brother's tone, Uncle Sun must have had an accident.
Little Xi Tian didn't dare to think further, and with her short legs, she rushed into the house. Old Man Yun and Madam Gu also hurried to follow...
Upon entering the house, they saw Old Man Sun lying stiffly on the ground with his eyes closed. Yun Daman was squatting beside him, looking extremely anxious.
"Wow, this old man looks to be sixty or seventy years old!" Old Man Yun's eyes widened. "If he had a serious fall, it would be terrible!~"
As people age, the most feared thing is falling...
In the countryside, it was common to see elderly people who were still strong suddenly fall, and their health would begin to decline.
Either a bone was broken, or internal organs were injured by the impact. Therefore, families with elderly members must pay attention to this.
"Old man, don't just stand there, hurry and help Daman carry him onto the kang!~" Madam Gu reminded him.
Since they encountered this situation, they couldn't just ignore it...
What was infuriating was that this old man, at his age, had no children to care for him, not even enough to hire a servant or maid.
"Oh, oh, alright, come on, Daman, give me a hand!~"
As Old Man Yun spoke, he and Yun Daman worked together to lift Old Man Sun onto the kang.
The heated kang was ice-cold, as if no fire had been lit for days. The half-bucket of water by the stove had also frozen into ice, indicating that Old Man Sun had suffered a sudden illness, rendering him incapable of self-care...
Little Xi Tian leaned closer, took Old Man Sun's pulse, and examined him carefully for a moment. "His heart rate is too low, and his breathing is heavy. Uncle Sun might be suffering from hypoxia!~"
For someone of Old Man Sun's age, it was highly likely he had cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Once cerebral blood vessels narrow or become blocked, coupled with viscous blood, it can lead to brain hypoxia and slowed blood circulation, resulting in dizziness or even fainting...
"Xiaolou, Xiaolou!~" Little Xi Tian called back.
Jin Xiaolou hurried in upon hearing her, "What is it, Sister Xi Tian?"
"Hurry and get the stove going, and boil some hot water!~" Little Xi Tian said.
The room was too cold, and Old Man Sun was shivering all over...
If they had arrived half an hour later, a life would have been lost here.
"Okay, I'll go chop some firewood!~" Jin Xiaolou responded and turned to run out.
Zhao Guihua and Du Tieshan were also not idle. The sisters-in-law shoveled all the ash from the stove into a basket, cleaned the grate, and went out to fetch a bucket of water.
Little Xi Tian opened her small satchel, took out two pills, and after the water boiled, she crushed the pills and dissolved them in the water. Once the boiling water cooled down, she gave it to Old Man Sun to drink...
These were medications to unblock cerebral blood vessels, which could speed up blood circulation in his brain. While not a hundred percent effective, they could pull Old Man Sun back from the brink of death.
The whole family gathered around the warm kang, holding their breath and observing Old Man Sun's reaction.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Old Man Sun coughed twice and finally opened his eyes...
Seeing four or five heads above him, he was stunned for a moment, thinking his son had returned to see him.
"Uncle Sun, you're awake, how do you feel?" Little Xi Tian asked with great concern.
The kang was now warm, and the temperature in the room was gradually rising. The cold little house finally had a bit of human warmth...
Old Man Sun came back to his senses and sighed, "Little girl, it's you!~"
"Yes, Uncle Sun, you fainted. Are you still feeling unwell?" Little Xi Tian asked tenderly.
"I, I'm fine, cough cough!" Old Man Sun forced a smile at the corner of his mouth, then looked at Old Man Yun and Madam Gu beside him, "Who are they?"
"Uncle Sun, they are my parents. We came specifically to see the house today..." Little Xi Tian explained their purpose.
Old Man Yun sat on the edge of the kang, patted Old Man Sun's hand, and sighed, "Brother, at your age, why are you still living alone? It's so dangerous! If something happens, there won't be time to get medical help!~"
It was fortunate that the Yun family was kind-hearted. If they had encountered someone who didn't like to meddle, they would have turned and left upon seeing Old Man Sun lying there half-dead...
With the New Year approaching, no one wanted to invite trouble for themselves. What if this old man tried to extort them?
Old Man Sun lowered his gaze, a hint of bitterness flashing in his eyes.
If his son had cared about him, would he have been living here alone and miserably?
Every family has its own difficult problems; his helplessness and suffering could not be fully told even in three days and three nights...
"Thank you for saving me. You want to see the house, right? I'll take you there now!~" Saying this, Old Man Sun reached for his cane.
Madam Gu saw this and quickly stopped him, "Brother, you should lie down and rest. Later, I'll ask Daman to go buy some eggs and steamed buns. You can drink some egg soup to warm your body!~"
If Old Man Sun sincerely wanted to rent the house to them, no one else would be able to snatch it away. There was no rush for this moment.
Old Man Sun looked intently at Madam Gu, then turned to look at Little Xi Tian, murmuring, "I've met good people, alas!~"
After all the commotion, it was soon dusk.
The sky gradually darkened, and the white wind began to blow again outside.
Old Man Sun had rested enough and had also taken the medicine Little Xi Tian gave him. He then took a set of keys and led the Yun family into the small loft...