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Chapter 389: Chapter 379 Brother-in-law, Thank You
Jiajia had been responding well to the imported drug, and if she could go one night without a fever, it essentially meant that the drug was effective for her. But unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, there were sounds coming from Jiajia’s bed. Getting up to check, they found Jiajia convulsing in her hospital bed. The couple was terrified; one rushed out to find a doctor, while the other hurried to tend to the child.
When Li Xianglian touched her child’s body, she found that the fever had returned and the temperature was very high. The child was having a febrile seizure.
The doctor came and busied himself for a while, and the child finally stabilized, but the fever persisted, not coming down.
Seeing this, the doctor had basically given up; the imported medicine wasn’t working, and at the very least, their hospital could not treat her. Li Xianglian immediately collapsed to the floor, flung herself onto the bed, and started sobbing, holding her little girl tightly.
Jiajia was a strong child; she hadn’t cried despite the discomfort over the past several days. But now, seeing her mother crying so heartbreakingly, she couldn’t help but sob softly.
This was the scene Li Hongjun walked in on.
Liu Jianjun was also out of spirits, sitting heavily on the bed before burying his head deeply in his hands, wracked with guilt for his helplessness in saving his own child.
"Actually... there is another option..." The doctor felt uncomfortable seeing the parents’ tears. He thought that since the family could afford to pay for imported injections, they might also be able to try other methods.
Accustomed to responding, Li Hongjun heard the doctor’s mutter amidst the cries, "Doctor, what did you say? Is there another way?"
The doctor hesitated and didn’t speak.
"Doctor, just say it. We won’t hold you accountable, good or bad, don’t worry," Li Hongjun could tell from the doctor’s hesitation that he was worried about being responsible for any adverse outcomes.
The doctor gave a wry smile and then hesitantly said, "It’s not really a method per se, but I’ve heard that there’s a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital in the Capital’s navy district that can treat this illness and that the cure rate is quite high." He was only passing on hearsay and hadn’t seen it for himself, so he wasn’t very confident when he spoke.
You should understand that this was not the future; one couldn’t just hop on a plane to wherever they wished. This was the 1970s, a time of scarce medical resources. Ordinary people often endured illnesses on their own, reluctant to spend money on hospital visits unless absolutely necessary, like in Liu Jia’s case.
People were generally more cold-blooded... well, more inclined to make tough choices. If a family had a member with a serious illness that required a lot of money to cure, the family might very likely choose to stop treatment.
Families like Li Xianglian’s were really rare, especially since the sick child was a girl, and she also had brothers. The family appeared understanding so far, but there was no guarantee they wouldn’t come back to settle scores with him if they followed his suggestion, spent money to seek treatment in the Capital, and the child still didn’t recover.
"Doctor, can you tell me more specifically which hospital it is?" Li Hongjun pressed. 𝘯𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝘣.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"I really don’t know; it’s just something I heard about. I just know it’s in the Capital’s navy district, and the hospital primarily uses Traditional Chinese Medicine," the doctor shared all he knew. That was all the help he could offer; beyond that, he was powerless.
After thinking for a moment, Li Hongjun asked, "Doctor, considering our child’s condition, should we rush to the Capital tomorrow?"
This was something the doctor really couldn’t say; different people’s physical constitutions meant that even if the illness was the same, the manifestations could vary. This could not be generalized.
"It’s hard to say," the doctor said cautiously. "No one can be certain. The child already had seizures today, and we really should start treatment as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if cured later, there could be lingering effects."
Li Hongjun thought for a moment and immediately decided to take the child to the Capital for treatment. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he couldn’t give up.
He turned around and saw his brother-in-law staring straight at him, obviously having overheard his conversation with the doctor. Meanwhile, Li Xianglian was still holding the child, weeping.
Liu Jianjun indeed heard the conversation between his brother-in-law and the doctor. Knowing that there was a hospital in the Capital that could save the child, he wanted to sprout wings and fly there immediately. However, he was well aware of his family’s financial situation; he didn’t even have enough money for train tickets. He knew that his brother-in-law was his daughter’s only chance of going to the Capital. That’s why he was staring so intently at Li Hongjun, hoping he would save his daughter, yet he couldn’t bring himself to ask. If he went to the Capital with his daughter, the money spent by his brother-in-law might be an amount he could never repay in this lifetime. He didn’t have the face to ask.
"Brother-in-law, hurry up, tell my sister to stop crying. What good does crying do? You go ahead and pack up for the child, and I’ll find someone to book train tickets. Whenever we can get the tickets, we’ll head to the Capital," Li Hongjun said.
After hearing Li Hongjun’s words, Liu Jianjun was stunned for a moment before suddenly kneeling down with a thud.
"Brother-in-law, what are you doing?" Li Hongjun hadn’t expected this reaction and was momentarily taken aback before moving out of the way. As a result, his voice rose somewhat louder.
Li Xianglian lifted her head and watched her husband kneel before her brother in shock.
"Hongjun, thank you," Liu Jianjun began, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you for agreeing to help my child. No matter what happens to her in the future, I thank you. Rest assured, no matter how much it costs, I will repay you slowly over time. Thank you for agreeing to help my child." After finishing his words, Liu Jianjun started crying loudly like a child.
Li Hongjun found his own emotions difficult to control upon hearing this and quickly helped him up from the ground.
"Brother-in-law, there’s no need for this. Your wife is my own sister, your daughter is my niece. As long as there is a sliver of hope, as long as you don’t give up, I won’t give up. Let’s work together for the child. We’ll take it one step at a time."
Liu Jianjun, crying like a child unable to stop his tears, simply nodded repeatedly.
"Hongjun, what are you saying?" Li Xianglian asked slowly as she got up and walked over, her voice soft as if fearing her question might turn the truth into a lie.
"Sister, the doctor just said there’s a hospital in the Capital specializing in treating this condition. It’s very effective; many critically ill patients have been saved. I’m planning to take Jiajia to the Capital for treatment," Li Hongjun explained. Noticing that the doctor had slipped away at some point, he decided to slightly alter the truth. His sister had seemed completely hopeless before, and now was the time to give her hope to hold on.
"Really?" Li Xianglian asked softly, as if a louder question might make the words untrue.
"Really. I was just telling your husband to pack some things for the child while I go and buy the tickets. Once I have them, we’ll head to the Capital," Li Hongjun said, glancing at his watch and realizing it was already past two in the morning. "You and my brother-in-law should discuss who will go with me to the Capital. I might not be able to stay there for long, but don’t worry, Yunfang is studying in the Capital, and she can help too. Honglei and Hongtao also need someone to care for them back home," he continued.
He thought for a moment before adding, "And then there’s our father; aside from you, there’s no one else to take care of him."
The couple exchanged glances, and Liu Jianjun spoke, "Then I’ll stay. It’ll be more convenient for Xianghe to take care of Jiajia, and I’ll look after our father."
Li Hongjun nodded, content that this was probably the best arrangement.
