sbdcsierra Chapter 11 Seeing a Doctor
Chapter 11 Seeing a Doctor
When Zhang Cuihua got home, she had already prepared breakfast.
Cornmeal porridge, cornbread, pickled vegetable shreds, and a bowl of steamed egg custard, golden yellow in color, sprinkled with chopped green onions.
"Mom, where did these eggs come from?" Chen Zheng asked.
The old hens at home haven't laid eggs for quite some time.
"They were given to me by your neighbor, Aunt Wang. She has a lot of chickens, so she gave me a few to help Fengzi grow stronger."
Zhang Cuihua brought the steamed egg custard to Chen Feng.
"Eat it while it's hot."
Chen Feng glanced at the steamed egg custard, then at Chen Zheng, and pushed the bowl towards him:
"Brother, you eat. You still have to go to the county; you need to have the strength."
Chen Zheng paused for a moment, then pushed the bowl back: "You eat it. I don't like this."
"You're lying! You used to love it! You always snatched it whenever Mom made steamed egg custard!"
Chen Feng pouted and pushed the bowl over again.
"Alright, alright, one bite each."
Chen Zheng scooped up a spoonful, put it in his mouth, and then handed the spoon to Chen Feng.
Chen Feng also scooped up a spoonful and handed it to Chen Rong.
Chen Rong scooped up a spoonful and handed it to Zhang Cuihua.
Zhang Cuihua looked at the spoon, her eyes reddening. She turned her head away and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
"You eat, Mother doesn't like it."
"Mom, if you don't eat, I won't eat either!" Chen Feng held the spoon up high in front of her.
Zhang Cuihua took it, scooped up a small spoonful, put it in her mouth, chewed it, and smiled.
"Alright, I'll eat. You're all so filial, I'm happy."
After finishing his meal, Chen Zheng put the crabs into a bamboo basket and covered them with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
I also picked out a few big ones from yesterday's catch and brought them along.
"Mother, let's go."
The three of them went out and headed towards the town.
Zhang Cuihua wore a blue shirt today, her hair was neatly combed and held in place with a silver hairpin.
That hairpin was the one she wore when she married into the family. It's been many years, and the silver has turned black, but she's kept it all this time.
Upon arriving in town, Chen Zheng first went to the seafood company's purchasing station.
The purchasing station is located at the west end of the street, in a row of single-story houses.
The wall was painted with the words "Qingshui County Aquatic Products Company Baiyang Town Purchasing Station" in large characters.
The paint has faded a bit, but it's still visible.
There were several people lined up at the entrance, all there to sell fish, carrying baskets and buckets.
An old man was squatting on the ground with two buckets of fish in front of him: crucian carp, common carp, and whitebait, all lively and jumping around.
Chen Zheng joined the queue and placed the basket at his feet.
It was his turn. The person at the purchasing station was a middle-aged man in his forties, who was chubby.
He was wearing a gray cloth jacket with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing two plump, white arms.
What are you selling?
"Crabs, and fish."
The fat man glanced at the crabs in the basket, reached out and pinched them, then turned the fish over and nodded.
"Crabs are 80 cents a pound, carp are 80 cents a pound, and crucian carp are 60 cents a pound. Weigh them."
He poured the crabs into the scale pan, tilted the scale, and looked at the scale marks:
"Crabs, 22 catties, 17.6 yuan."
Carp, 4.2 jin, 3.36 yuan.
Crucian carp, 3.8 jin, 2.28 yuan.
That adds up to twenty-one yuan and twenty-four cents.
"That'll be twenty-three yuan and thirty cents for you."
He took out a wad of cash from the drawer, counted it, and handed it to Chen Zheng.
The banknotes varied in condition; some were one-yuan notes, some two-yuan notes, and some were small change, all crumpled and wrinkled.
Chen Zheng took the money, counted it, and stuffed it into his pocket.
His pockets were bulging, and he pressed them with his hand, feeling reassured.
Zhang Cuihua watched from the side, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back.
"Mom, let's go to the county hospital."
It is more than 30 li (about 15 kilometers) from Baiyang Town to Qingshui County.
If you want to take a bus, you have to walk to the town's bus station first, and then take the bus, which costs 50 cents per person.
Chen Zheng bought three tickets and boarded the train.
The bus was one of those old-fashioned green shuttle buses.
The seats were hard wooden boards with a thin layer of sponge padding them, and they were uncomfortable to sit on.
There weren't many people on the bus, just a few scattered ones, most of them going to the county town for business.
A middle-aged woman was holding a child who was asleep, and the child was drooling all over her shoulder.
An old man was carrying two chickens, which were clucking in the basket, and the carriage smelled strongly of chicken droppings.
It was Chen Feng's first time riding in a car, and he was so excited that he pressed his face against the window to look out.
"Brother! Look at that mountain! It's so high!"
"That tractor! It's so fast!"
Chen Zheng's ears hurt from his noise, but seeing how excited he was, he couldn't bear to say anything to him.
Zhang Cuihua sat by the window, staring out the window without saying a word.
Her hands were on her knees, clutching the cloth bag containing the family's savings, thirty yuan.
Some were whole, some were small, and they were wrapped in a handkerchief, several layers deep.
"Mom, don't worry. It's just a checkup, it'll be fine." Chen Zheng held her hand.
Zhang Cuihua's hands were rough, with large knuckles and calluses on her palms, the result of years of hard work.
Her hand trembled slightly in Chen Zheng's palm.
"Zhengwa, what if they find out...?"
No, it won't.
Chen Zheng interrupted her, "Even if they find something wrong, we'll treat it. Medicine is so advanced now, we can cure any disease."
Zhang Cuihua didn't speak, turned her face away, and looked out the window.
The fields outside the window rushed past, one after another.
Upon arriving in the county town, Chen Zheng first asked someone for directions, and then led Zhang Cuihua and Chen Feng toward the hospital.
The Qingshui County People's Hospital is located on the east side of the county seat, in a four-story building.
The People's Hospital stands on the rooftop with four large red characters that can be seen from afar.
People were coming and going at the hospital entrance.
An old man with a cane, a woman holding a child, and a patient lying on a stretcher.
There were also doctors and nurses in white coats, hurrying along.
Chen Zheng registered, found the internal medicine department, and waited in the corridor.
The benches in the corridor were full of people.
Some were coughing, some were clutching their stomachs, and some were resting with their eyes closed.
The air was filled with the slightly pungent smell of disinfectant.
Zhang Cuihua sat in a chair, her hands on her knees, clutching a cloth bag.
Chen Feng sat next to her, unusually quiet, his two feet dangling in the air, swinging back and forth.
After waiting for almost half an hour, Zhang Cuihua's name was finally called.
Chen Zheng accompanied her into the consultation room.
It wasn't a big room; there was a table, two chairs, and an examination bed.
There were anatomical diagrams and several posters hanging on the wall.
On the table were a blood pressure monitor, a stethoscope, and a pile of medical records.
Director Li is an elderly doctor in his fifties with gray hair and wearing reading glasses.
When looking at someone, you should look at them from above their glasses.
He was wearing a white lab coat, with two pens clipped to his breast pocket, one red and one blue.
"Zhang Cuihua? Are you feeling unwell?"
Zhang Cuihua sat down and explained her condition.
Director Li asked a few questions, then had her lie down and pressed her stomach with his hand.
It's similar to Dr. Wang's technique, but the massage is more thorough.
"Let's get a gastroscopy done. Only by finding out the problem can we treat it properly."
Director Li wrote out the form and handed it to Chen Zheng, "Go pay the fee first, then go to the endoscopy room on the third floor. Wait for the results after the procedure."
Chen Zheng took the order and looked at the number on it: twelve yuan.
The money from selling the crabs and fish came to a total of twenty-odd yuan. That's enough.
After paying the fee, I went to the endoscopy room on the third floor.
Zhang Cuihua went in for a checkup, while Chen Zheng and Chen Feng waited outside.
Chen Feng sat obediently in the chair, his feet together and his hands on his knees.
"Brother, will Mother be alright?"
"Won't."
"Then why do we need to do the test?"
"Now that everything is clear, I feel relieved."
Chen Feng nodded and didn't ask any more questions, but his hands were clenched tightly.
After waiting for a long time, the door to the endoscopy room finally opened.
Zhang Cuihua came out, her face was a little pale, there was still some oil on the corner of her mouth, and she walked a little unsteadily.
"Mother!" Chen Zheng quickly went up to support her.
"It's nothing, I just feel a little nauseous."
Zhang Cuihua waved her hand, sat down in a chair, closed her eyes, and rested for a while.
After waiting for another half hour, the results came out.
Director Li looked at the film, then at the report, frowned slightly, then relaxed.
"Chronic atrophic gastritis with mild intestinal metaplasia. It's not too serious, but it shouldn't be taken lightly."
It needs to be treated properly, otherwise it will cause problems if left untreated.
"Director Li, can it be cured?"
"Yes. Take your medicine on time, pay attention to your diet, avoid hard, spicy, and cold foods, and don't drink alcohol or smoke."
Come back for a follow-up check-up in a month to see how the recovery is going.
Director Li wrote out a prescription and handed it to Chen Zheng.
"Go downstairs to the pharmacy to get your medicine. Take one course of treatment first, then come back when you're done."
Chen Zheng took the prescription and looked at it. It contained a string of medicine names, written in illegible handwriting.
"How much?"
"Prescribe one course of treatment first, it'll cost a little over five yuan. Come back for a check-up after you finish it."
Chen Zheng nodded and went to the pharmacy to get the medicine.
There were several bottles of pills and several packets of traditional Chinese medicine, wrapped in paper with instructions on usage and dosage written on them.
It was noon when the three of them left the hospital.
The sun was shining brightly, making my forehead feel hot.
"Mom, are you hungry? Let's find a place to eat something," Chen Zheng said.
Zhang Cuihua shook her head: "I'm not hungry. Let's eat at home and save some money."
"Mom, you just finished your checkup, you need to eat something to tide you over. There's a wonton stand near the hospital, let's go get a bowl."
Chen Zheng pulled Zhang Cuihua to sit down at a small stall near the hospital entrance.
The stall owner was a middle-aged woman wearing a blue apron, bending over to put wontons into the pot.
The pot lid was lifted, and a plume of white steam billowed up, completely obscuring her face.
There was a wooden shelf next to it, with a row of rough porcelain bowls on it.
The bottom of the bowl was pre-placed with lard, dried shrimp, and seaweed, ready for the boiling soup to be poured over it.
"Three bowls of wontons," Chen Zheng said.
"Okay!"
The woman responded and grabbed a handful of wrapped wontons from the wooden board, throwing them into the pot.
Stir the long bamboo chopsticks in boiling water a couple of times, and they will swell up in no time.
The skin is translucent, and you can vaguely see the pink meat filling inside.
She deftly scooped them out with a strainer and poured soup over them one bowl at a time.
The soup noodles, topped with chopped scallions, were served with an enticing aroma.
Chen Feng was already starving, so he picked up the bowl and started eating, scalding himself with the hot food.
Zhang Cuihua picked up a spoon, scooped up a wonton, put it in her mouth, chewed it, and nodded: "Delicious."
Chen Zheng also took a bite.
The wontons have thin wrappers and generous fillings, and the soup is fresh and delicious; they are the old-fashioned kind of wontons.
It's different from what's sold in the city later; it has a home-style flavor.
After finishing his meal, Chen Zheng took out his money to pay the bill.
"Three bowls, nine mao (0.9 yuan)."
Chen Zheng put the money away. Zhang Cuihua glanced at it from the side, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.
In my mind, I was probably calculating that ninety cents was enough to buy more than a pound of fish for the family.
The three then walked towards the bus station.
Halfway there, Chen Zheng saw a supply and marketing cooperative on the side of the street.
There was a counter by the door, with shoes inside.
Liberation shoes, cloth shoes, sandals, row upon row.
"Mother, wait for me a moment."
Chen Zheng went inside and looked at the price of the shoes.
Liberation shoes cost 2.5 yuan a pair, cloth shoes cost 1.8 yuan, and sandals cost 1.5 yuan.
He took out 1.8 yuan and bought a pair of cloth shoes, with black cloth uppers, layered soles, and dense stitches.
"For Chen Feng."
Zhang Cuihua took the shoes and looked at them: "Zhengwa, you..."
"Mom, the shoes have been bought, and the doctor has been seen; neither has been neglected. You don't need to worry about it."
Zhang Cuihua held the shoes in her arms, lowered her head, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
Chen Feng saw this from the side, ran over, and hugged Zhang Cuihua around the waist:
"Mom! I have new shoes! I won't be laughed at anymore!"
Zhang Cuihua was amused by him, wiped away her tears, squatted down, and put his shoes on.
The size was just right, and Chen Feng refused to take it off after putting it on. He took a couple of steps on the ground and then jumped around a couple of times.
"Perfect! Not too big at all! Thank you, bro!"
He jumped up, wrapped his arms around Chen Zheng's neck, and clung to him like a monkey.
Chen Zheng was choked and couldn't breathe, so he patted his back:
"Alright, alright, get off and take the car home."
The three of them boarded the bus and headed towards town.
Chen Feng sat by the window, took off his new shoes, and held them in his arms.
He would occasionally look down and touch it.
Zhang Cuihua leaned back in her chair, her eyes closed. Her complexion was much better than in the morning, with a bit more color in it.
Her hands were on her knees, no longer clutching the cloth bag, but draped loosely over her shoulders.
Chen Zheng sat down next to her, feeling much more at ease.
When he got home, Chen Laosan was squatting in the yard mending a net.
Seeing them return, he stood up, still clutching the net needles in his hand, and asked, "How did it go?"
"Chronic gastritis. I need to take medication and pay attention to my diet. The doctor said it can be cured." Chen Zheng explained the medication and the results.
After hearing this, Chen Laosan relaxed his shoulders.
He squatted back down and continued mending the net, stitch by stitch, much more steadily than before.
"Dad, the crabs and fish sold for over twenty yuan. That's enough for the medicine."
Chen Laosan nodded: "Okay. Good that you understand."
Zhang Cuihua went into the kitchen and began preparing dinner.
Chen Feng followed him in to help start the fire, sitting in front of the stove and adding firewood.
"Mom, I'll help you start the fire, what delicious food will you cook for me?"
What would you like to eat?
"I want to eat fish! Kota Kinabalu fish! Braised fish!"
"Okay, I'll make you braised fish. I'll also stir-fry some greens and steam some egg custard."
"Mom, give the steamed egg custard to my brother. He's been running around all day and he's tired."
Zhang Cuihua smiled: "Okay, give some to your brother. You get some too."
Chen Feng chuckled and added another piece of firewood to the stove.
Flames leaped up, crackling and popping.
Chen Zheng sat in the courtyard and went through today's accounts.
There were only a few cents left in my pocket.
We still need to keep catching crabs.
After all, Mom will have to have a follow-up check-up in a month, and she might need to take a few more courses of treatment.
"elder brother."
Chen Rong sat down next to him without him noticing.
"Will you put the cages down again tomorrow?"
"Go ahead. Catch more these next few days, while the crabs are plump, and sell them for more money."
"I'll go with you."
"Okay. Go to bed early and get up early tomorrow."
Chen Rong nodded.
Just then, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate; someone was coming.
"Brother Zheng! Is Brother Zheng home?"
It was a child's voice, with a hint of crying.