1952: Walking through Nantongluo Alley

"Don't worry, uncle! I'll go find a cart right away!" As soon as Liu Haizhong finished speaking, he turned around like an arrow and ran away. He was seen frantically shuttling around in every corner, searching for the cart that could save his life.

However, to his disappointment, there wasn't even a single cart in sight in the vast workshop. After searching tirelessly and finding nothing, Liu Haizhong couldn't help but grow anxious. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the coal cart in the corner.

Compared to a flatbed truck, the cart was indeed quite small and cramped. Even so, it should have been able to accommodate Yi Zhonghai cradling the injured Jia Dongxu. Time was running out, leaving Liu Hai no room for hesitation or decision. So, he made a quick decision, sprinting forward in two steps, pushing the cart hard and dashing towards the workshop.

Yi Zhonghai stood there, stunned for a moment, his face filled with disbelief as he watched Liu Haizhong hurriedly push the cart towards him. After a while, he finally came to his senses, frowning and complaining, "Haizhong, why can't you find a bigger cart? Like, something more spacious like a flatbed truck!"

Hearing this, a trace of embarrassment and timidity suddenly appeared on Liu Haizhong's face. Scratching his head, he stammered, "Uncle, I've looked everywhere, but I really can't find a cart!" Then, he quickly added, "The situation is urgent. If we delay any longer, I'm afraid Brother Dongxu's life will be in danger! So we can only make do with this cart for now!"

After hearing Liu Haizhong's words, Yi Zhonghai's expression grew increasingly serious. He knew that every second was crucial for Jia Dongxu; every moment of delay would diminish his chances of survival. After a difficult weighing of the pros and cons, despite still harboring many complaints and concerns, Yi Zhonghai finally nodded reluctantly, accepting the use of the cart. After all, compared to saving Jia Dongxu's life, all other factors pale into insignificance.

He held Jia Dongxu tightly, as if afraid that he would disappear if he let go. Then, he suddenly exerted force and jumped with Jia Dongxu, landing steadily on the cart. After standing firmly, he didn't bother to adjust his posture, and anxiously yelled at Liu Haizhong who was not far away:

"Old Liu! I'm really sorry to bother you today! Please take Dongxu and me to the hospital right away!"

Hearing this, Liu Haizhong secretly encouraged himself, then gripped the handles of the cart with both hands, took a deep breath, and drove the cart towards the hospital.

Along the way, Yi Zhonghai kept anxiously urging Liu Haizhong to speed up. However, Liu Haizhong was already exhausted, panting, and sweating profusely. He simply didn't have the energy to respond to Yi Zhonghai's calls. Every step he took seemed to exhaust all his strength, and his legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

At this moment, Liu Haizhong's heart was filled with regret. He couldn't help but think to himself, if he had foreseen this situation earlier, he should have held Jia Dongxu and sat him safely on the cart, leaving that old man Yi Zhonghai to do the hard work of pushing the cart. Unfortunately, it was too late to say anything now, and he could only grit his teeth and persevere...

After a long and arduous journey, Liu Haizhong was exhausted and sweating, but he never gave up and kept on pushing forward. Finally, when he was almost exhausted, he successfully pulled the heavy cart to the hospital entrance.

As soon as they arrived at the hospital gate, the anxious Yi Zhonghai jumped off the cart without even waiting for the car to stop. He hugged Jia Dongxu's scarred body tightly and ran towards the hospital at the fastest speed like an arrow from a bow.

At the same time, he kept shouting loudly: "Doctor! Come and save my apprentice!" The voice echoed throughout the hospital lobby, attracting the attention of people around.

The doctor who rushed over gasped when he saw Jia Dongxu's condition, and his expression instantly turned serious. Half of Jia Dongxu's body was covered in blood and flesh, and it was difficult to tell what he looked like before. It was a shocking sight.

Furthermore, he had already lost consciousness and fallen into a deep coma. Faced with such severe injuries, the experienced doctor sighed inwardly, knowing that even if he immediately launched a full-scale rescue, there was probably less than a one-in-ten chance of saving this young life.

However, out of professional ethics and responsibility to every patient, he still made the decision without hesitation, using up his last bit of conscience and sense of responsibility as a doctor.

So the doctor quickly instructed the nurses to act together, and everyone worked together to carefully send Jia Dongxu to the emergency room.

What is surprising is that the emergency room of this hospital seems to be particularly familiar with Jia Dongxu - in just this one year, Jia Dongxu has visited here many times, and each time he was sent to the same ward for treatment.

In the spacious yet slightly depressing ward, Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai sat side by side on a bench against the wall. Their eyes would occasionally glance towards the tightly closed door of the emergency room, their hearts filled with anxiety and worry.

Yi Zhonghai kept scratching his head, his once neatly combed hair now a mess. His brows furrowed, his face clearly distraught. With his mouth slightly open, he muttered, "My sister-in-law only has Dongxu as her son... If something happens to Dongxu and he can't be saved, how will I bear it? How will I live in the future?" He sighed heavily as he spoke, as if letting out all the anxiety in his heart.

Liu Haizhong, who was sitting next to him, also had a solemn expression on his face. He sighed deeply and said, "Oh, who said it wasn't true! Jia Zhang's daughter-in-law just gave birth to three lovely grandchildren for her. This should be a time to enjoy family happiness and joy. Who would have thought that such a thing would happen suddenly. It's really unpredictable!" At this point, he shook his head helplessly.

Indeed, situations like this present a difficult dilemma. On the one hand, no one had the heart to break the bad news to Jia Zhang prematurely, fearing she would be overwhelmed by the devastation. On the other hand, as Jia Dongxu's mother, she had a right to know about her son's condition. Even if she wanted to keep it a secret, she probably couldn't conceal it for long.

Time ticked by, the ward silent except for the occasional sighs of the two men and Yi Zhonghai's barely audible mutterings. Outside the window, the sun set, and the sky gradually darkened. However, even until the bell rang for the end of the steel mill shift, the door to the emergency room, a symbol of hope and life, remained firmly shut, showing no sign of opening.

In that quaint courtyard, Jia Zhang stood restlessly in front of the slightly worn gate, like an ant on a hot pan. Her eyes kept darting out the door, eager and filled with anxiety.

"This is so strange! Usually at this time of day, Dongxu is always the first one home, rushing home from get off work like a gust of wind. But it's so late today, and there's no sign of him at all?" Jia Zhang muttered to herself, her brow furrowed, and a strange feeling of irritation rose in her heart. It felt like countless little bugs were crawling around in her chest, making her feel extremely uncomfortable all over.

At this moment, Sha Zhu came back jogging with a lunch box in his hand. Seeing this, Jia Zhang waved her arms and shouted, "Sha Zhu, come here quickly! Auntie has something to ask you!"

Hearing the shout, Sha Zhu hurriedly stopped and walked quickly to Jia Zhangshi. Before he could stand firmly on his feet, Jia Zhangshi couldn't wait to ask, "Sha Zhu, tell me, why hasn't Dong Xu come back yet? Is he working overtime at the steel mill?"

By this time, news of Jia Dongxu's work-related injury had spread like wildfire throughout the mill, naturally reaching Sha Zhu, who was busy in the kitchen. Facing Jia Zhang's anxious inquiries, Sha Zhu took a deep breath and slowly said, "Auntie, Jia Dongxu...he was injured today. I heard he was seriously injured, covered in blood, and he's in the hospital right now!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Jia Zhang was struck by a bolt of lightning. Instantly, she felt her vision go black, the world spun, and her entire world seemed to collapse. Her head swayed violently, and her body lost its balance, teetering on the verge of collapsing. Fortunately, Sha Zhu, who was quick-witted and quick-handed, reached out and supported her, thus preventing an accident.

Jia Zhang's already pale face was now as pale as a sheet of white paper. Her lips trembled violently, like a candle in the wind, about to fall. Every wrinkle on her face was deeply etched with disbelief.

"Shazhu, what did you say just now? You actually told me that my Dongxu...he was injured at work?" Jia Zhang widened her eyes and stared at Shazhu in front of her, her voice becoming sharp and piercing because of extreme fear.

"That's right, Aunt Jia, what I said is absolutely true! Your Dongxu is covered in blood and is in critical condition. He has been sent to the hospital for emergency treatment!" Sha Zhu nodded heavily with a very solemn expression.

"I absolutely did not lie to you. It was the first uncle and the second uncle who sent Jia Dongxu to the hospital together. Oh, by the way, have these two uncles come back?" Sha Zhu said as he looked around anxiously.

However, Jia Zhang just shook her head slowly and mechanically, muttering to herself: "Not yet... Not yet..."

At this moment, the last glimmer of hope in Jia Zhang's heart was completely shattered, and she had to accept this cruel reality - her son Jia Dongxu was indeed seriously injured and was receiving emergency treatment in the hospital with his life hanging in the balance.

The next second, tears welled up in Jia Zhang's eyes, and tears rushed out like a flood. Her miserable cries echoed in the air, and people couldn't help but feel pity when they heard it.

"My son, why do you have such a miserable life? Why do all these hardships have to find us? Before, I listened to those unreliable folk remedies and ate ants, which resulted in me being hospitalized and I almost lost my life. Later, I was riding a bicycle and broke that part of my leg. I barely managed to save my life. Now, you are covered in blood and have suffered such a serious work-related injury! God, do you have any eyes? Is this what people often say, 'The hemp rope breaks at the thinnest part, and misfortune only finds the unfortunate people'? Woo woo woo..." Jia Zhang cried heart-wrenchingly, and she collapsed to the ground, as if she had lost all her strength and support.

I saw that Jia Zhang collapsed on the ground, hugged Sha Zhu's thick and strong thighs tightly, and cried out in pain. The cry was so loud that it was enough to shake the world and make ghosts cry!

Meanwhile, Sha Zhu was completely stumped. He looked down at Jia Zhang, who was clinging to his thighs tightly, and felt incredibly depressed. With her clinging to his legs, he couldn't even move, let alone go home.

Sha Zhu was really at his wit's end and could only sigh deeply, then said to Jia Zhang with a helpless look on his face: "Aunt, it's not a solution for you to keep crying like this! How about I take you to the hospital to find Jia Dongxu? Maybe we can get some definite news there." After saying this, Sha Zhu shook his head, indicating that he was also helpless.

Hearing Sha Zhu say this, Jia Zhang raised her head and wiped the snot off her face with her hand, looking extremely embarrassed. Then, she sobbed and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Sha Zhu..."

It happened in a flash. Without saying a word, Sha Zhu didn't even bother to take the full lunch box back home. He anxiously grabbed Jia Zhang's hands, which were covered with calluses and loose skin, and ran towards the hospital at full speed.

Along the way, Sha Zhu and Jia Zhang were both out of breath, but neither of them dared to stop for a moment. They had only one thought in their minds - get to the hospital as soon as possible! Finally, the two of them stumbled to the hospital entrance.

As soon as they entered the hospital, Sha Zhu looked around like a headless fly, searching for Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai. Fortunately, it didn't take long for them to see Liu Haizhong and Yi Zhonghai waiting anxiously at the emergency room's large entrance.

At that moment, the ward door was tightly shut, a ruthless barrier separating the outside world from the intense rescue efforts underway within. From time to time, the hurried footsteps of medical staff and the clatter of equipment could be heard from the room, each sound tugging at the hearts of those outside. Jia Dongxu's life and death depended entirely on the success of this race against death.