How to Get Medical Treatment Without Money

Guan Shu cried so hard that snot streamed down his face, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.

It dangled across Liu Guimei's face, looking like it was about to fall off.

"He's nothing but a damn bastard, all he does is cry all day."

If I weren't your mother, I wouldn't even bother with you.

Zhang Shuhua went up and slapped Guan Shu hard across the face, making him spit snot onto his ear.

"Mother, Guimei really isn't going to make it. Don't you believe me? Take a look!"

Guan Shu's already slanted eyes became even more slanted.

His crooked mouth twitched involuntarily a few times as he used one of his free sleeves to wipe the snotty nose off his ear.

He picked up Liu Guimei's body and showed it to Zhang Shuhua, who was kneeling at Liu Guimei's feet.

"I told you to wake her up, why are you showing her to me?"

Zhang Shuhua went up and slapped Guan Shu hard across the face again, making Guan Shu's crooked mouth twitch once more.

"Guimei, Guimei, wake up! If you leave, I won't live either."

Guan Shu finally reacted to Zhang Shuhua's slap and patted Liu Guimei's face and head to wake her up.

"Mother, I can't muster any strength, please help me!"

Liu Guimei woke up, but she had no strength left.

She looked up at Zhang Shuhua, then collapsed heavily into Guan Shu's arms and fainted again.

"Wu Ni, go check if the eggs are cooked. It's okay if they're not."

Zhang Shuhua reached into Liu Guimei's lower body, but had to give up because she had no experience.

"Auntie, the eggs are hot, they'll burn your sister-in-law!"

Yang Wuni held the peeled egg, unsure of what to do with it.

"Wu Ni, put the eggs in a bowl, mash them, stir them with cold water, and feed them to your sister-in-law."

Zhang Shuhua stopped thinking about delivering the baby and crawled over to pry open Liu Guimei's mouth.

Her only thought now is to save her eldest daughter-in-law Liu Guimei's life.

Liu Guimei wasn't completely unconscious; she still knew to swallow egg water.

After drinking two bowls of egg water, Liu Guimei was finally able to breathe evenly.

"Mother, is the child dead or alive?"

The first thing Liu Guimei did after waking up was to check on her child's life.

"Guimei, it doesn't matter whether he lives or dies, as long as you live, that's all that matters to your mother."

Zhang Shuhua's face turned fierce; she had already come up with a seemingly cruel plan.

She grabbed a pair of scissors, ready to dismember the child still in Liu Guimei's womb.

Without Liu Guimei, the little boy underground would be without his mother. If we don't act now, it might be too late.

Just as Zhang Shuhua was about to make her move, Zhang Changyao's shout came from outside the courtyard.

"Auntie, Changyao has brought the midwife. Let's go take a look quickly."

For the first time, Yang Wuni's deaf ears worked perfectly.

She dropped the basin of water she was holding and ran out to greet Doctor Wang.

Doctor Wang followed Yang Wuni into the house and coiled the few strands of long hair that had fallen down back onto his bald head.

"Why is it a man? How can a man deliver your woman's baby?"

Mom, my wife can't let any man see her giving birth.

If word gets out, how can I, Guan Shu, ever face anyone in this village again?

Guan Shu squinted, his face full of disdain for Doctor Wang.

"Get the hell out of here! You're utterly useless and yet you still have the nerve to talk back."

If your wife dies, you'll be a bachelor for life.

Do you want your wife to live, or your worthless, pathetic face?

"Mother, I...I still think..."

Zhang Shuhua slapped Guan Shu hard across the face again, silencing him before he could finish his sentence.

"Get out of here and stay away from me. I get annoyed just looking at you."

If your wife gets fed up with your nagging, I'll kick you out immediately.

"If I let you live in the open, I'd like to see if you have any shame left!"

Zhang Shuhua went up and kicked Guan Shu to the ground.

Guan Shu fell to the ground, letting out a muffled groan, and dared not utter another word.

After getting up, he squatted on the stool by the door, angry.

"Doctor, don't listen to what my good-for-nothing son is saying."

I just gave my daughter-in-law some egg water, and she has some energy now.

"Come up to the kang (heated brick bed) and let me take a look. If we don't have a baby soon, the baby really won't survive."

Zhang Shuhua kicked Guan Shu away and immediately looked at Doctor Wang with a kind smile.

"I'm a surgeon, not a midwife, so I don't need to look down there."

"Please expose the new mother's belly so I can see it."

Dr. Wang covered Liu Guimei's lower body and then took the surgical instruments he was carrying and placed them beside him.

"You can deliver a baby without looking down there? You're not a fraud, are you?"

Guan Shu, as if he had finally caught Dr. Wang making a mistake, jumped off the stool and came over to argue with him.

"Guan Shu, you fucking get out of here with me. Whatever the doctor says, we'll do."

"If you're so capable, why don't you get the baby out yourself?"

Zhang Shuhua took off her shoe and threw it, which hit Guan Shu on the shoulder.

"Big brother, you go out first, or your aunt will get angry and slap you."

Yang Wuni was also anxious, so she helped push Guan Shu out.

As long as he doesn't get involved, Liu Guimei can receive treatment more quickly.

"I'm starting the surgery now to take the baby out."

I don't know if the child is alive or dead; the adults need to take him to the health center immediately.

"If your family agrees, I'll have the surgery now; if not, I'll leave now."

Dr. Wang explained in great detail, as he was afraid of causing unnecessary trouble.

"Agreed, agreed, please do it quickly, the child will be fine whether he lives or dies."

As long as the adults are alive, having more children is a matter for later.

Zhang Shuhua was a little anxious and knelt down to bow to Doctor Wang.

Without further hesitation, Dr. Wang began the surgery, and after about half an hour, the child, who had stopped breathing, was delivered.

"Guan Shu, get in here! Throw this debt collector, Wen Dazai, on Nanshan Mountain to feed the wild dogs."

I knew he was here to take my life; I should have cut him to pieces and taken him out long ago.

"It saved my Guimei from almost losing her life because of this debt collector."

When Zhang Shuhua saw that the child had stopped breathing and his face was purple and blue, she grabbed his little feet and was about to throw him to the ground.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't throw it away yet, let me take a look first."

Dr. Wang put down his scalpel and took the child from Zhang Shuhua's hands.

After fussing over them a few times, I gave their soles and backs a few hard pats.

"Ah...ah...ah..." The purplish-blue child suddenly opened his mouth wide and howled.

"That debt collector hasn't had enough yet; God doesn't want him to die."

Although Zhang Shuhua said this, she was very careful with her hands.

She slowly took the child from Dr. Wang's hands, wrapped him up, and held him in her arms.

The doting affection for the grandchildren is evident in their eyes.

"Mother, the child isn't dead. How is Guimei?"

Guan Shu stood on tiptoe, craning his neck to try and catch a glimpse of Liu Guimei on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"What are you looking at? You're not a doctor. Hurry up and hitch up the donkey cart."

"Put the bedding in the car and we'll go to the clinic right away."

Zhang Shuhua remembered what Dr. Wang had just told her.

If a child has a wound that has been stitched up, they must be taken to the health center immediately for anti-inflammatory treatment.

"Mom, where are we going to get money to go to the clinic? If we go empty-handed, do you think they'll treat us?"