638 Helping Out of Kindness
Zhao Hong took advantage of the time when Old Madam Li was taking an afternoon nap to rush to the village clinic. However, she did not have a single cent on her. It was most likely that she would not be able to get rubbing alcohol or anything that could be used for disinfection.
She could not care less now and could only brace herself to go and ask. If she had to steal it, she would!
“Excuse me… is the doctor here?” Zhao Hong pushed open the door and asked cautiously.
“Ah, Sister Zhao. What’s the matter?” The person on duty today was Liu Xiao, the new young doctor from the county city. This village was her hometown. Back then, she went to the city alone to work and had a tough time as most people there did not like someone from the countryside. Therefore, she came home to work.
Zhao Hong clenched her fists tightly and said awkwardly, “My… my children have blisters on their feet and the wounds are bleeding… There’s pus coming out as well. I want to get some medicine for them.”
“Then what kind of medicine do you want? If you want the child to feel less pain, I will suggest that you use iodine as it’s painful to use rubbing alcohol. But iodine is more expensive than rubbing alcohol. They’ll be fine after taking some anti-inflammatory medicine as well,” Liu Xiao said with a smile.
Seeing that this doctor was easy to talk to, Zhao Hong became even more nervous and guilty. She whispered, “I… I don’t have money… Can I owe you first!”
The smile on Liu Xiao’s face suddenly became awkward. The clinic did not accept credit. This was a rule set by the higher-ups, so it was not appropriate for her to make an exception.
“I can’t, Sister Zhao. I’m just an employee at the clinic. Look, it’s not easy for me as well. If the superiors question me, I won’t be able to explain myself,” Liu Xiao said awkwardly.
When Zhao Hong heard this, she hurriedly knelt down in front of Liu Xiao and kowtowed. “Please! I beg you! If I can’t get the medicine! My two daughters will die! Please! Please save my daughters!”
Liu Xiao was so shocked that she quickly went forward to help Zhao Hong up and said, “Sister Zhao, what are you doing! Get up quickly! Even if you do this, I can’t give it to you!”
“But I really have no choice! My children’s feet won’t stop bleeding and they’re not getting better yet. I really have no choice. Please save my children!” Zhao Hong cried.
Liu Xiao really could not bear to see Zhao Hong like this because of her children. When Liu Xiao left the village, she was only 16 years old. At that time, Zhao Hong was still very young and beautiful. The person in front of her now looked like a completely different person from before. She was so thin that there was only skin and bones left!
She also did not want the two children to have any aftereffects. As a doctor, she could not leave them in the lurch.
Liu Xiao took a bottle of rubbing alcohol from the back of the shelf as well as some gauze and handed them to Zhao Hong. “Take this first. This is all I can do. Go back quickly to take care of the children.”
Zhao Hong looked at Liu Xiao in disbelief. She did not expect someone to really be willing to help her. After feeling agitated, she felt worried that she would not be able to pay Liu Xiao back. She looked at Liu Xiao nervously and said, “I… I don’t have money to give you…”
“It’s fine. I’ll pay for it. Saving someone is more important,” Liu Xiao said with a smile.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! When my children recover, I’ll definitely bring them here to thank you. No, no, no! To kowtow to you!” Zhao Hong said agitatedly.
“No need, no need! When you go back, use this to disinfect the wounds properly. Make sure that you clean up all the dirt first before wrapping it with gauze. Keep it dry and let it breathe. It’ll get well slowly if you take good care,” Liu Xiao said.
Zhao Hong wanted to kowtow to Liu Xiao a few more times to express her gratitude, but Liu Xiao stopped her and said, “Oh my! Sister Zhao, get up quickly. It’s more important to save the children. Go back quickly.”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Zhao Hong kept turning around to thank Liu Xiao even as she walked out. She accidentally bumped into the head of the clinic, Hai Hua.
“Why don’t you look where you’re going! Isn’t this the eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family? Why are you here today?” Hai Hua looked at Zhao Hong in confusion.
Zhao Hong nervously ran off with the rubbing alcohol and bandages in her arms and did not say a word.
Hai Hua looked at Zhao Hong in puzzlement as she left. The sun had really risen from the west. When did the Li family have the money to buy medicine? They were so poor that even rats would cry after entering their house.
“How strange. Why would she have money? Don’t tell me she stole money from her family,” Hai Hua asked Liu Xiao in confusion.
