643 Raising Money to Save Someone
Zhao Hong slapped herself a few times. She could still feel pain, which meant that she was still alive.
She started to feel dejected. How good would it be if she was dead…
When Qiao Mei and Li Gui heard the noise, they went into the house to Zhao Hong’s side.
“Eldest sister-in-law, you’re awake. Drink some warm water first.” Li Gui handed a glass of water to Zhao Hong.
“Thank you. What happened to me?” Zhao Hong asked.
“The doctor said that you’re malnourished. You were too tired from walking all the way here, so you fainted. You’ll be fine after a few days of rest,” Li Gui said.
Qiao Mei sat quietly at the side and did not say anything. She only looked at the bruises on Zhao Hong’s body. These injuries looked like they were caused by being beaten with a stick and many of them were old injuries.
In the Li family, if it was not her husband Li Dong who hit her, then it would be Old Madam Li. Qiao Mei did not expect such an old person to still have so much strength.
When Zhao Hong heard that she had been sent to the clinic, the expression on her face changed instantly. She said nervously, “How much money did I spend at the clinic… I don’t have any money to give you…”
“You don’t have money? Then you can return it to me when you have money in the future. Since we’re relatives, I’m not in any hurry. Just give me an IOU and a fingerprint,” Qiao Mei said to Zhao Hong with a grin.
“I might not be able to repay it in the future as well…” Zhao Hong said as she lowered her head.
“It’s probably just one or two dollars. Can’t you earn it by selling some vegetables on the black market over a day or two? There’s no hurry,” Qiao Mei said.
There was indeed a private plot of land at home and Zhao Hong had also planted vegetables a few times. However, there were three adults and four children at home and that bit of vegetables was not even enough for them to eat. How could there be any extra vegetables for her to sell on the black market? The embroidery items she did at night could indeed be sold for a few dollars, but all the money would be snatched away by Old Madam Li and the old woman would not leave a single cent for her.
“I… I’ll think of a way…” Zhao Hong said.
Li Gui asked tentatively, “Why are you here in our village?”
Zhao Hong looked at the sky outside and asked, “Oh yes! I have something to tell you! How long have I been asleep?”
“The villagers found you not long after you fainted and sent you to the clinic. You only slept for an hour or two before you woke up,” Li Gui said.
Fortunately, the day was not over yet. If she only woke up the next day and Old Madam Li did not see her, the old woman would think that she had run away on her own.
“I came to tell you… Mother is sick and needs money for treatment now. She wants you to go back and see her as soon as possible…” Zhao Hong said.
Qiao Mei sneered. What a coincidence. That woman just returned home the day before yesterday and had fallen ill today. From the looks of the injuries on Zhao Hong’s body, it did not seem as if all of them were from a long time ago. Her wrist was so red and swollen that it must be a new injury.
This must be a lie made up by Old Madam Li to cheat money. She did not even bother to look for any of her sons. Instead, she looked for her married daughter. Furthermore, this sickness came at a time after she failed to get any money from her daughter during her earlier visits.
“What illness? When I saw her the day before yesterday, she was still fine and energetic, kowtowing at the door of this courtyard. Everyone in the village saw it. Why did she fall sick after she returned? Could it be an infectious disease?” Qiao Mei said.
Zhao Hong avoided eye contact with Qiao Mei and Li Gui. She lowered her head and said, “No, it’s just an old issue.”
“Why don’t I know that my mother has an old issue? Hasn’t she always been in good health?” Although Li Gui had not taken the initiative to contact Old Madam Li all these years, Old Madam Li would basically look for Li Gui and ask her for money every month.
In the past, she used Qiao Mei as an excuse to cheat Li Gui of her money. Later on, she used Li Gui’s two brothers’ impending marriages as an excuse to ask for money for the betrothal gifts. Later on, she also asked for money on adhoc occasions.
Li Gui had never seen Old Madam Li sick before. Why did she suddenly fall ill?
“Maybe… maybe it’s because the Zhang family has been coming to cause trouble recently… In addition, Li Dong brought his sons to the county city and doesn’t want to come back. There’s nothing to eat at home, so she must be so hungry that her illness is acting up… Look at me, I’m also unwell!” Zhao Hong said nervously.
“Then how’s mother now?” Li Gui asked.
“Now… now she’s lying at home and can’t manage to eat anything. The doctor said that she might die if she doesn’t get treatment, so she asked me to come and look for you to quickly raise the money to go back and save her,” Zhao Hong said.
