C18 Chapter 18

The next morning, before dawn, Liu Wenmei had just finished her early training when Huang Guihua knocked on the door outside. “Mei, get up. Hurry.”

Wenmei quickly got herself together. The moment she opened the door, Huang Guihua squeezed in. She shut the door, pulled out an old handkerchief, and pressed it into Wenmei’s hand. “Mei, take this money. Your grandpa’s taking you into town today. If you want something to eat, go ahead and buy it.”

Wenmei felt the warmth still clinging to the worn cloth, and her chest tightened with a feeling she couldn’t quite put into words. Her grandma really did want to put every good thing the family had right in front of her.

Seeing the hopeful, slightly nervous look in Huang Guihua’s eyes, Wenmei slipped the handkerchief into an inside pocket. “Grandma, you’re so good to me.”

“Of course I am. Who else am I supposed to be good to?” Huang Guihua said, relieved Wenmei didn’t turn up her nose at how little it was. “Go on now. Your grandpa’s got the cart hitched up out front, waiting.”

They walked out together. Before Wenmei climbed on, Huang Guihua shoved a basket into her hands. “Mei, there’s food in here. You and your grandpa eat on the way.”

The two of them ate breakfast as the ox cart rolled along at an easy pace into town. Liu Mingde left the cart with someone he knew, then took Wenmei and headed toward the county hospital.

They’d already talked it over on the road: selling their things to a buying station wouldn’t get them much, so they planned to look around the hospital and see if they could run into someone who actually wanted them.

Before they even made it inside, someone stopped them. “What are you here for? Let me see your referral.”

“Officer, we’re from Big Willow Village,” Liu Mingde said, recognizing him as hospital security. “I brought my granddaughter in to see a doctor today. Here’s my referral.” He quickly pulled out the paper and handed it over.

The guard looked them over, took the document, and frowned. “You don’t look sick to me. Go on in.” After checking the referral, he finally waved them through.

Liu Wenmei couldn’t help feeling a little wistful—things were really locked down now. No matter where you went, someone wanted to see a letter of introduction.

The hospital wasn’t big. It was basically two small courtyards, front and back, and there weren’t many patients. These days, people were pretty civic-minded—if they could still move around, they didn’t want to take up public resources.

Wenmei took a look around and spotted a room in the back courtyard. Inside, people were talking about how they needed strong medicine to save a life.

Up front, Wenmei found a doctor and got a form for Liu Mingde to have a physical. Then she brought Liu Mingde over near that room. “Grandpa, didn’t you say my great-uncle was waiting here to pick up our ginseng? How come nobody’s here?”

“Don’t rush. Let’s wait a little longer,” Liu Mingde replied on purpose, keeping his voice low.

“My grandma’s still at home waiting for the grain we’re supposed to bring back. How am I not supposed to be in a hurry?” Wenmei said, deliberately pacing a few steps back and forth.

“Oh! Sir, it’s you! Come in, come in.” The door to the room next to them suddenly swung open, and someone grabbed Liu Mingde, trying to pull him inside.

“Hey—what are you doing? I’m waiting for someone!” Liu Mingde tensed up when he saw there were two grown men in the room.

“Sir, we’re the ones you’re waiting for. The kid’s great-uncle is inside waiting for you!” Seeing people nearby starting to look over, the man panicked.

“Grandpa, let’s go in and take a look,” Wenmei said, going along with it as she tugged Liu Mingde into the room.

As soon as they stepped inside, the man introduced himself. His name was Lee Aidang, an employee at the county mining plant. The one beside him was his younger brother, Lee Aimin, who was also a doctor at the hospital.

The one who needed ginseng to stay alive was their father—the deputy director of the mining plant.