บท 20: Compensation
บรรณาธิการ: Henyee Translations
"Huh? Was the treatment $10? Who are you lying to? It's just a light bump on the head. Why do you need a few stitches?" Old Madam Bai immediately exploded when she heard how much it cost.
Usually, Old Madam Bai could not even bear to spend a few cents to buy a bottle of cold medicine, but now, they had actually spent $10 to see a doctor.
"Daliang, why are you so fussy? The pain will just pass. Did you really have to go to the hospital? Do you think money grows on trees? I don't care! Since you insisted on going to the hospital, you have to pay. Our family doesn't have money!" Old Madam Bai finished the porridge in a few mouthfuls and stopped making things hard for Cuihua. She did not want to continue eating millet porridge anymore and quickly wanted to leave.
"Grandma, what do you mean? Third Uncle was the culprit, so he has to pay for the treatment, and recuperation needs and compensate for my father's loss of wages! My father won't be able to work for at least three months. Grandma, go back and tell Third Uncle that we won't ask for much, just $50 will do!" said Bai Xue as she stopped Old Madam Bai who was about to walk out.
"What? $50? This is daylight robbery! No, no! Not a single cent! He deserved to be beaten up!" Old Madam Bai was completely furious. She jumped and shouted.
Bai Daliang closed his eyes as he listened to his mother's heartless words. His eyes were filled with disappointment and pain.
"Dad's medical fees are $10 and three months' work is worth over 900 work credits. That's roughly $46. Since the things he needs to use during his recuperation period are only $4 and we're relatives, you don't have to pay! Isn't it $50 in total?" Bai Xue stalled for time by explaining in detail waiting for the captain to arrive.
"Bai Daliang, you animal. Are you just going to watch your daughter bully your mother? Are you really going to ask your brother to compensate you? He's your biological brother!" Old Madam Bai could not outtalk Bai Xue, so she turned around to scold Bai Daliang.
"Humph! Some kind of biological brother he is… How could a biological brother do this?" Before Bai Daliang could retort, the door opened from the outside and a voice could be heard. It was the captain of the Fifth Battalion, Wang Jian.
Old Madam Bai recognized the voice immediately. She was not afraid of anyone except the captain.
Wang Jianjun was already 51 years old and he was the same generation as Old Madam Bai. He was not afraid to use his power and everyone in the Fifth Battalion trusted him.
Even the likes of Old Madam Bai were terrified of him.
"Alright, you stupid girl. How could you call the captain over?" Old Madam Bai pointed at Bai Xue and scolded.
It was obvious that this stupid girl had done it. Bai Ruxue had a long history of getting Old Madam Bai in trouble.
"Liu Lanxiang, if you continue to spout nonsense like this, I'll get someone to send you to the Disciplinary Department!" Wang Jianjun walked in and scolded sternly.
"Granduncle, please sit on the brick platform bed!" Bai Xue immediately made way for him.
Speaking of which, Captain Wang Jianjun and Wang Cuihua were related by blood!
Wang Cuihua's family was also from the Chaoyang Commune, but it was the Second Battalion. Wang Jianjun was Wang Cuihua's uncle.
"Captain, come sit on the brick platform bed!" Bai Daliang quickly moved into the brick platform bed.
The little ones had already finished the porridge in their bowls. Wang Cuihua also disregarded Old Madam Bai's presence and finished her porridge. The two girls, Bai Ruyun, were clearing the table.
"Hi, Uncle…" Wang Cuihua also greeted the captain. At this moment, the two babies on the bed woke up at the same time and cried loudly.
Bai Ruxia quickly took some rice soup from the pot and helped Wang Cuihua to feed the babies.
"Daliang, how's the wound?" Wang Jianjun did not even look at Old Madam Bai. He walked straight to the bed and sat down.
Old Madam Bai did not care about him. Her eyes glinted as she looked at the rice soup that the babies were having for breakfast.
If she was not wrong, they were feeding them rice.
She had eaten rice at her parents' home once when she was a girl. It was her aunt who gave her a few catties when she visited.
The Chaoyang Commune did not grow rice, not even in Pingyang Town. In this era, carriages and horses were slow, and it was very likely that people would not be able to return after a long trip. Therefore, no one would walk a long distance to buy rice. Secondly, the economy did not allow it.
"I had to get seven stitches for the wound on the back of my head. The doctor said I had a concussion and needed to be confined to the bed. I'm prone to dizziness and falling!" Bai Daliang said as he followed his eldest daughter's instructions.
However, the seven stitches on the wound were real.
"Is it that serious? Then why didn't you stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation? If you didn't have enough money, you could have exchanged your work credits for cash! You can't joke about your health!" Wang Jianjun heard that it was quite serious.
At first, he thought that it was just the two brothers quarreling, and Bai Dailiang went to the hospital in a fit of pique. He did not expect the fight to be so serious.
"Captain, if we exchange the work credits for money, we won't have enough food to eat! What about this family!" The honest villager, Bai Daliang, spoke the truth.
"Shan, go and call your Third Uncle over!" Wang Jianjun's expression changed when he heard Bai Daliang's words. He asked Bai Rushan to call Bai Dahe over.
When she heard that the captain was going to call her precious youngest son, Old Madam Bai, Liu Lanxiang, stopped looking at the rice soup in a daze and quickly said,
"Why are you calling Dahe? Do you really want him to compensate them? They're biological brothers. Captain, although you're the captain, you can't interfere in our family matters, right? This is my business! Let me make this clear. Since Daliang is fine, let's just let this matter go and stop harping on it!" With a wave of her hand, she spoke like a supreme ruler making decisions for her country. She was extremely arrogant.
"Grandmother, nothing is going to make us drop the matter. If you don't let me call Third Uncle over, you will have to settle it for him. If you don't compensate me, I'll report this to the Disciplinary Department! I'll make sure Third Uncle goes to jail!" Bai Xue struck while the iron was hot. She sneered in her heart as she looked at the nervous Old Madam Bai.
How hilarious. Bai Dahe had caused grievous bodily harm, but here she was insisting Bai Daliang was fine!
"Wretched girl! That's your third uncle you're talking about!" Old Madam Bai glared and shouted. She kept cursing Bai Xue with all manner of profanity.
"Looks like you have no intention of settling this! Daliang, there's nothing for me to say now. Let's just go to the commune and hand it over to the Disciplinary Department!" Wang Jianjun stood up and was about to walk out.
"Granduncle, I'll go with you!" Bai Xue followed.
"Captain, Captain, please don't go to the Disciplinary Department! This is a family matter. Why do we need to alarm the public?" Old Madam Bai was completely flustered.
"Liu Lanxiang, give me a straight answer! Tell me if you are going to compensate them or go to jail for this so that I can proceed with my work!" Wang Jianjun snorted and sat back on the brick bed.
"But this… $50 is too much! How can we have money?" Old Madam Bai said as she sat on the ground.
"If you dare to be unreasonable today, I'll immediately get someone to send Bai Dahe to the Disciplinary Department, including you!" Wang Jianjun's words stunned Old Madam Bai. She stood up straight and did not dare to make a fuss anymore.
"I don't have that much money! At most… at most, I can pay $5 and nothing more! If you insist, why don't you just arrest me?"
"Daliang! Listen to me! Make them pay $10 for the medicine. Then, I'll transfer Bai Dajiang's work credits to you for two months! We're all living in the same village. No matter what, you're brothers, so we shouldn't make things overly difficult for them!" Wang Jianjun mediated.
"Uncle, as you say!" Bai Daliang lowered his head, not daring to look at his mother's murderous gaze.
"Then it's settled…"
"No, we can't pay him $10. How can you deduct two months' worth of work credits from us? Are you trying to starve us to death? No way!" Old Madam Bai shouted.
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