NOVPUB
Chapter 253: Chapter 243 So That’s How It Is
The two policemen had a long conversation with Dashuan’s wife in the ward, and Shen Yunfang only occasionally contributed a sentence or two, until the policemen felt they had asked enough and then they stood up to leave.
Dashuan’s wife enthusiastically escorted them to the door and finally couldn’t resist asking what would become of the couple and their child in the end.
Officer Zhou spoke cautiously, saying that if it were confirmed that the couple indeed engaged in theft, they were likely to face imprisonment. As for the child, they would take action to find the couple’s relatives and hand the child over to them to look after until the couple was released.
After returning to the ward, Dashuan’s wife began to bustle about, tidying up the ward, and even insisted on taking down the urine-soaked diapers that were already drying to wash them again for Shen Yunfang.
Shen Yunfang grasped Dashuan’s wife’s hand and asked, "Sister-in-law, what’s wrong with you?"
Dashuan’s wife stopped what she was doing and managed to force a smile, "Nothing much, just feeling a bit anxious after hearing what Officer Zhou said earlier. It feels like I’d be restless if I don’t do something."
Although Dashuan’s wife was vague, Shen Yunfang understood how she felt at the moment; to be honest, she wasn’t feeling great either.
It wasn’t because of the troublesome couple, but because of that little girl. According to what Officer Zhou said, as soon as the couple were incarcerated, the little girl would have to be fostered with relatives. At a time when one’s own family could barely feed themselves, who would willingly take care of someone else’s child? Even if someone were willing to look after her for a day or two, it was unlikely under these circumstances, and the duration of the little girl’s fostering would not be short. One could only imagine how difficult her days would be.
"Hmm, Chunya would have nearly starved to death following her parents, maybe there is someone among her relatives who would be willing to genuinely take her in," Shen Yunfang said, without much confidence.
Dashuan’s wife didn’t say anything more; probably, she didn’t believe in Shen Yunfang’s feeble reassurance either.
When Dashuan’s wife brought dinner from the cafeteria that evening, she also brought some gossip about the couple who had been arrested the night before.
It turned out that there were indeed patients in the hospital who knew the couple, and everyone learned about the family’s situation through that patient.
The man’s name was Liu Dawei, and he had brought his wife to the city from the beginning, which was like a carp leaping through the dragon’s gate. However, this Liu Dawei had a big bunch of relatives back in his hometown, including a widowed mother, three younger brothers, and two younger sisters. He was the only one in the family who had made something of himself, and he was also someone who always listened to his mother. Therefore, although Liu Dawei had moved to the city, his life was actually not as good as it was back in the countryside. His salary was distributed by his mother’s side of the family even before it was paid out. All he had to do was to mail the amount of money his mother wanted when the wages were due. As a result, the amount of money actually reaching his wife’s hands each month was negligible, not even enough to cover the couple’s basic food and drink. Later, they had a daughter, whom his mother back home didn’t think much of; hence, she demanded even more money for various reasons, like the illness of the eldest grandson at home. Consequently, Liu Dawei’s family was even more strapped for cash, and his wife Chunya was also timid, always following Liu Dawei’s words, even if it meant seeing her own daughter starving to the point of skin and bones, she didn’t dare to ask for anything.
As for Liu Dawei, he did care for his daughter, but he had been thoroughly brainwashed by his mother into believing that he would never have a son in his life, and that he would have to rely on his nephews for support in his old age, and even for the final funeral rites. Therefore, he thought it appropriate that the money he earned should be used to support his second and third brothers’ families.
This time, Chunya fell ill from eating something bad and needed to be hospitalized, but there wasn’t a single penny at home. Without a choice, Chunya’s mother went back home to fetch Liu Dawei’s work permit to mortgage, thinking she could get the hospital to treat her child first and let the hospital directly seek payment from his workplace at the end of the month.
But when she got home, she just happened to run into Liu Dawei returning home. When he heard about the hospitalization and the need to mortgage his work permit, and eventually pay with his salary, he hesitated. His mother had just sent a letter saying that his younger brother’s son, Dawawa, needed to start school and the teacher had praised him for being smart. If Dawawa went to school, he would certainly make something of himself and bring glory to the Liu family, so she asked Liu Dawei to send more money back.
Torn between his own daughter and his nephew, Liu Dawei didn’t want anything to happen to his daughter, nor did he want to hold back his nephew. In the end, he came up with a bad idea, which was to leave the child at the hospital and let them treat Chunya for free.
In his mind, since Chunya was already admitted to the hospital, as long as he and his wife didn’t show up, the hospital wouldn’t be able to find the child’s relatives and would not just watch the child die under their watch. So, they would have to treat her. Once the child got somewhat better, the couple could quietly go to the hospital and take her home, and that would settle everything.
Things did develop as the couple thought, and they did not expect that there would be two kind women in the ward who fed their child for several days.
Yesterday, the couple gauged that their child’s illness should be almost over, so they planned to sneak into the hospital at night and steal their child back. Things started smoothly, but as soon as Liu Dawei entered the ward and saw only two women and a few large packages, he got greedy, which in the end not only prevented him from taking the child back but also led to his arrest for theft.
"How confused can a man get, not being able to tell what’s important and what’s not? If his own daughter doesn’t get treatment, she’ll die, and his nephew can’t go to school for a month or two, what’s the big deal? And if he doesn’t go to school, what’s the worst that could happen? He even neglected his own daughter in the hospital to send money for his nephew’s schooling, how heartlessly wolfish he is. Even beasts wouldn’t abandon their offspring; I reckon he’s worse than a beast. And Chunya’s mother, what a useless thing, just crying while her daughter suffers, what’s the use? If I were in her shoes, I’d fight him to the death; if my daughter couldn’t live, then none of his family would, including those back home—everyone would pay with their lives for my daughter," Dashuan’s wife said, her face flushed with anger.
Shen Yunfang nodded in agreement. Although she hadn’t been a mother for long, if Li Hongjun ever did something like what Liu Dawei did, she wouldn’t hesitate to divorce Li Hongjun.
She had always believed that people must be filial, but even filial piety must have its limits, and it can’t be blind obedience to whatever the elders say. Just like what happened with Liu Dawei, his nephew had his own parents who should take responsibility for his schooling. Before worrying about others, Liu Dawei should have first taken care of his own wife and child. Also, one should live within their means, doing as much as they can according to their ability. Liu Dawei himself couldn’t even support his family of three, yet he fancied supporting several households back home; how could that be possible?
"Sister-in-law, this incident is a lesson for both of us. If something like this ever happens in our family, we must stand firm and remember that no one is more important than our own children. It’s okay to help relatives when we can afford it, but if our own families are not doing well, then we should just take care of our own house. Another thing is that we must have our own money to control. Don’t you think so?"
