country bumpkin

Life went on day after day, and a year later, Xiaoyunya was already one year old.

It's another snowy winter. Due to the flu virus, almost everyone in the village has caught a cold to varying degrees.

Yunya was premature and weak, and on top of that, she had a cold, fever, and diarrhea. She rolled her eyes and went into shock. Her grandmother was terrified.

They took Yunya to a small clinic in the village, and acupuncture woke her up, but it didn't stop her diarrhea. She was dehydrated, and her condition was getting worse. The doctor said, "You need to go to the big hospital in town right away for emergency treatment, otherwise... oh dear! Her life is hanging by a thread." Her grandparents anxiously found a donkey cart and took her to the big hospital in town.

Because the medical care in the town is much better than in the village, and the city is too far away and the weather is cold, they were afraid that Xiaoyunya's condition would worsen due to the bumpy ride.

My second uncle, Kong Xiangdong, went to the city after hearing my father's instructions. He told my eldest sister and brother-in-law that Yunya was seriously ill.

We waited for several hours before a bus finally arrived. We bought tickets and boarded. The bus slowly entered the city, and after getting off, we had to walk a bit further before reaching the street where my older sister lived.

My older sister's home is in a village on the outskirts of town, but it's located on a bustling street with vendors selling small goods. You can get there by walking straight down the street.

The eldest sister's house was a storefront. When Kong Xiangdong arrived at the door, he saw his sister's husband's mother selling food.

He said, "Auntie, is my sister home? I need to talk to her urgently."

Kong Xiujuan's mother-in-law looked up and said with a forced smile on her flat face, "Oh! Xiujuan, what brings you here? What's wrong? What's the matter?"

She had met Kong Xiangdong a few times and recognized him at a glance.

Kong Xiangdong said, "Is my sister home? There's something urgent."

Grandma Xiujuan called out, "Xiujuan, your younger brother from your family is here. Come out quickly, he has something urgent to tell you."

Just then, a person rushed out of the house in a hurry; it was Kong Xiujuan. She was holding her two-year-old daughter in her arms.

"Second brother, what happened?"

Kong Xiangdong said, "Big sister, Yun'er is sick and hospitalized. She has a fever, a cold, and diarrhea. She's even rolling her eyes. You should go see her right away! The doctor said her life is hanging by a thread and she needs emergency treatment. My parents have taken a bus to the town hospital. Please go there quickly."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kong Xiujuan staggered down and cried out in a trembling voice, "Mother, Erya is sick and hospitalized. They say it's very serious and her life is in danger. My husband and I need to go see her right away. Could you help take care of Daya for a few days?"

The old woman pursed her lips and said, "It's common for children to get sick. Which family's child doesn't get sick? Why go to the hospital? What's the point of spending that money on a little girl? She won't die. And you can take care of the older girl. I don't have time to look after her. Didn't you see I was going to sell food?"

Kong Xiujuan, her eyes red with anger, said, "This is your own granddaughter. You not only don't help take care of the child, but you also curse her."

Without looking back, she went back into the house to pack her things, took a small blanket and 20 yuan that she had secretly saved up for a year, and went out with her child to find her husband, Sun Zitao.

At this moment, Sun Zitao was waiting for work on the street corner. He had a donkey cart and made a living by loading, unloading, hauling goods, and renting out vehicles.

Seeing his wife running over, he said, "Xiujuan, why are you here? Why is my second brother here too? What happened?"

Kong Xiujuan quickly explained the situation to him, then picked up the child, got on the donkey cart, and wrapped the child in a small blanket. She then called her second brother to get on the donkey cart with her.

Then he urged, "Hurry up and go, don't wait for the bus. There's only one bus a day, and who knows when we'll get one. It's faster to take the donkey cart."

Sun Zitao turned the cart around, harnessed the donkey, and cracked the whip, and the donkey cart started to lurch along.

The snow on the ground hadn't melted and was slippery, so the donkey stopped running after a short while and began to walk slowly.

There were no other donkey carts along the way. It was freezing cold, and people rarely went out. If the snow was too thick, even the once-a-day car wouldn't go on the road.

Their donkey cart went directly to the town hospital. The road was a bit slippery, and they didn't travel very fast, taking nearly 5 hours to reach their destination.

Yunya was already on oxygen. An IV drip was still attached to her soft scalp. She didn't cry or fuss; her eyes were tightly closed, her face was pale and lifeless, and the flesh on her face had disappeared, making her look extremely thin.

When Mu Shuyun saw her daughter and son-in-law walking over, she choked up with tears in her eyes and said, "Xiujuan, it's all my fault for not taking good care of Eryatou... Waaaaah."

Looking at her mother, who was blaming herself, Kong Xiujuan said, "It's not your fault, Mother. The child was premature and weak. I'm already very grateful to you for feeding him until he was one year old." As she spoke, she hugged her mother and cried.

Grandpa came over and said, "Alright, stop crying. The doctor said the situation is stable now and there's no danger to his life. He can stay in the hospital for a few more days and get some IV drips to see how he recovers."

The son-in-law, holding the eldest daughter, also expressed his gratitude.

When Yun was born, she was brought directly to the countryside, and many villagers said they couldn't raise her. The child was too small, almost half the size of a normal baby.

Thankfully, the child survived, and thankfully, the mother-in-law did everything she could. Otherwise, I really don't know what would have happened.

Grandpa said, "Don't stand in the corridor, go to the ward and see if the girl has woken up."

Because it's a small town hospital with many patients and few beds, family members who come to visit patients usually stay in the corridor.

Several people entered the ward one after another. Kong Xiujuan, tears streaming down her face, looked at the bed and felt a pang of heartache for the thin, frail child. Her child's life had been so unfortunate.

Although she also wanted a son, she felt responsible for the child she had given birth to. Giving the child away was a last resort.

It's often said that children who don't grow up by your side aren't close to you, but they are still your own flesh and blood, and you still love them dearly.

Xiao Yunya hasn't woken up yet. Perhaps she's suffering from illness or she's exhausted; she's sleeping very soundly right now.

Kong Xiujuan quietly went out the door, beckoned to her mother, and gestured for her to come over.

Mu Shuyun followed behind her daughter and looked at her with a questioning gaze after they went out. Kong Xiujuan said, "Mother, have you paid the hospital fees? I brought some money with me."

As he spoke, he took out twenty yuan from his pocket and handed it to Mu Shuyun.