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“Is it a serious illness, does it require surgery?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not serious, just minor surgery.”

The doctor reassured Tang Zhijun, “We only need to make a small incision. The recovery will be quick. Fortunately, you brought her in early. If you had waited until tomorrow, there might have been a perforation, which would indeed be serious.”

Tang Zhijun wiped his face again, sitting on the bench outside with Tang Zhinian, both silent, yet both worried.

“Brother, I’m scared.”

Tang Zhijun had never been so afraid before. He placed his hands on his knees, his body shuddering from the cold.

“Don’t worry,” Tang Zhinian patted his brother’s shoulder, “The doctor said it’s fine. It’s just minor surgery. They do plenty of them here all year round. And it’s just a small incision, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Tang Zhijun understood, but the person inside wasn’t just anyone, but his wife, the woman he would spend the rest of his life with, his family.

The operating room door remained closed, and Tang Zhijun, trembling with anxiety, waited on edge.

An hour later, the operating room door finally opened. The doctor came out and told them that the surgery was successful. After a few days of hospital observation, if there were no major complications, she could be discharged. The doctor also said that the condition was more serious than initially thought, there was already slight congestion, but luckily, by bringing her in on time they had averted serious danger.

Tang Zhijun finally exhaled. His entire body went limp, as if he had been released from a death sentence, and he fell back into his chair, unable to stand.

Zhang Xiangcao was moved to a ward. The ward was a large, open room, housing more than a dozen patients suffering from various ailments. At present, there was only a child, an elderly person, and a woman in her middle years. Including Zhang Xiangcao, there were only four patients, leaving several beds vacant. Some family members slept in chairs outside the room.

Tang Zhinian brought a bag full of items: a washbasin, an electric kettle, towels, soap, and a change of clothes.

“Is there anything else you need? I can go home and get it,” With the electric tricycle at home, commuting was very convenient.

Tang Zhijun’s mind was still in turmoil. He really had no idea what else they might need.

“Never mind, we’ll figure it out later,” Tang Zhinian put all the items in the bedside cabinet, then went back and forth, handling all the paperwork. However, he didn’t bring much money, and even after spending all the cash he had on hand, the hospital fees were still not fully paid.

Money wasn’t really a concern for the family at this point. The vegetables they sold after the New Year brought in more than ten thousand yuan. Currently, the two brothers had over thirty thousand yuan combined. A single operation would at most cost a few hundred yuan, which they could afford.

Tang Zhinian turned out all his pockets, put together some money, and handed it to Tang Zhijun, “This is for you to use. It’s inconvenient for our family to send food from so far away. If you can’t wait, just buy some food here.”

“Thank you, big brother,” Tang Zhijun tightly grasped Tang Zhinian’s hand. The money in his hand was somewhat damp from his sweat.

Why say such formalities between brothers? Tang Zhinian patted his brother’s shoulder, “I’ll go home and get some more money to cover the hospital fees. Don’t worry about things at home. I’ll have Xinxin stay home from school for a few days to look after Sisi. Just focus on taking care of your wife and getting her healthy.”

Tang Zhinian gave a few more instructions, meaning that if good medicine was available, use it. Never be stingy when it comes to health and don’t hesitate to spend money. Good food promotes faster recovery.

You can always earn money back, but if something happens to a person, what use is all the money in the world?

Tang Zhijun sat down and adjusted Zhang Xiangcao’s blanket. Her appearance wasn’t good, but the pain was gone, and the tension in her face had eased.

By the time Tang Zhinian got back, it was already broad daylight.

He opened the door to see Sisi sipping sheep milk from a bowl. She immediately put the bowl down and ran over to him, hugging his leg.

“Uncle, did Mom go to buy pretty clothes for Sisi?”

She blinked her eyes. Her small face was a bit plumper, white, and tender. She was truly beautiful.

“Yes,” Tang Zhinian picked up Sisi, “Mom went to buy pretty clothes for our Sisi, so Sisi has to be good and listen to her sister, okay?”

“Yes, I know,” Sisi nodded vigorously, “Sisi will be very, very good.”

Tang Zhinian put Sisi down and patted the top of her little head. He then went into the house, fetched some money, and prepared for another trip to the hospital.

“Xinxin, take a few days off from school and take good care of your little sister.”

If he had a choice, he wouldn’t want his daughter to miss school, but with Tang Zhijun caring for Zhang Xiangcao and him busy with the farm, no one could look after Sisi. If the crops were left untended for a few days, they would rot. However, as troublesome as it was, their reputation was more important. They had commitments to fulfill with the vendors, he understood the importance of keeping his word.

“Dad, I understand.” Tang Yuxin clenched Sisi’s little hand. She didn’t ask about Zhang Xiangcao’s condition, but based on Tang Zhinian’s demeanor, she gathered that everything was fine. Considering how quickly Zhang Xiangcao’s symptoms appeared and how painful they were, surgery was the best option. Otherwise, any delay would lead to complications.

After Tang Zhinian left, Tang Yuxin held Sisi’s hand, teaching her to write. Now, Sisi already knowns some words, which were all taught by her big sister.

Zhang Xiangcao had planned to send Sisi to the village nursery, but she was too young to be accepted there. They suggested waiting until she was a bit older and she could attend the next year.

So during this time, Tang Yuxin has to nurture Sisi.

Sisi is quick at recognizing characters and numbers. She’s a smart little girl.

By noon, Tang Zhinian returned. He made lunch for the children before rushing off to the farm again. The vegetables still needed to be harvested as soon as possible.