60s: I have a store

Chapter 538: Illness and Hard Times
However, the peaceful times did not last long.

Not far away, an elderly man with gray hair and dressed in a well-made Zhongshan suit was sitting in a chair and fishing leisurely.

Suddenly, the old man's body stiffened violently, an extremely painful expression appeared on his face, and his facial features were slightly distorted by pain.

He covered his chest tightly with both hands, as if trying to suppress the severe pain that was surging like a tide. His breathing became rapid and heavy, and every gasp seemed to be tearing the air with difficulty, making a heavy "wheezing" sound.

Next to the old man, a burly, serious-looking middle-aged guard immediately noticed something was wrong.

He rushed to the old man at a very fast speed, his movements were agile and capable, his face was full of anxiety and worry, and he asked loudly: "Chief, what's wrong with you?"

The old man opened his mouth with difficulty, and a faint "uh...uh..." sound came out of his throat, but he was unable to utter complete words. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, slid down his cheeks, and dripped onto the ground.

Seeing this, the guard prepared to carry the old man into the car and send him to the hospital for treatment without hesitation.

Just as he was about to reach out and pick up the old man, a voice came from behind him: "Comrade, if you move the old man like this, it may aggravate his condition!"

The guard was stunned when he heard this, and turned around to see Zhou Yimin walking towards them quickly. A trace of vigilance flashed in the guard's eyes, as he knew that the leader's safety was of vital importance, and any slight movement could affect the leader's life.

At this moment, facing Zhou Yimin who suddenly appeared, his heart was full of doubts, and his eyes revealed a look of scrutiny.

Zhou Yimin saw the guard's expression and understood his concerns, so he slowed down his pace and tried to make his tone sound calm and professional: "Comrade, I have no ill intentions, I am just telling the truth!"

After hearing this, the guard frowned and fell into a dilemma.

If I carry the elderly into the car, I am worried that their condition will worsen; if I don’t carry them, I am afraid that it will delay the time for treatment.

His hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles turned slightly white from the force, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his eyes were full of confusion and anxiety. In these few short seconds, his heart seemed to have gone through a fierce struggle.

Seeing this, Zhou Yimin quickly asked, "Comrade, does the old man have a history of heart disease?"

The guard hesitated for a moment. He knew the seriousness of the matter. The young man seemed to know something about his condition. After a moment's hesitation, he told the truth: "Yes, the commander has heart disease. He has had several attacks before, but none as serious as this one."

After hearing this, Zhou Yimin felt a little relieved. At least he had a rough idea of ​​the patient's condition. He reached into his pocket and fumbled around, and soon he pulled out a small medicine bottle.

When the guard saw Zhou Yimin's actions, his nerves instantly tensed up and out of professional instinct, he quickly put his hand on the grip of the pistol at his waist.

He stared closely at Zhou Yimin's every move, his eyes revealing determination and vigilance. As long as Zhou Yimin made any malicious move, he would take action without hesitation to ensure the leader's safety.

At this moment, his body leaned forward slightly, like a cheetah ready to pounce, ready to deal with possible danger at any time.

Zhou Yimin noticed the guard's alertness, he stopped what he was doing, slowly raised the medicine bottle in his hand, and explained: "Comrade, don't be nervous, this is a newly developed quick-acting heart-saving pill, specifically for the symptoms of sudden heart attack. It can quickly dilate the coronary artery, increase blood supply to the heart, and relieve myocardial ischemia. Moreover, if the medicine is not given quickly, the old man's life will really be in danger."

After hearing this, the guard had some doubts about the medicine of unknown origin, but he was also worried about missing the best time for treatment. He was in a dilemma for a moment, with a serious expression on his face and struggle and entanglement in his eyes.

Zhou Yimin was extremely anxious when he saw that the guard was unmoved, as he knew very well that every second at this moment depended on the old man's life.

As he spoke, he quickly took out his work ID and handed it to the guard: "Comrade, I am Zhou Yimin, the head of the purchasing department of the steel plant. Don't worry, I'm not a bad person! This medicine can really save the leader. I have encountered similar situations before and successfully saved people with this medicine."

His eyes were full of sincerity and eagerness. He hoped that the guard would believe him. As he spoke, his speech speed unconsciously quickened and his voice trembled slightly.

The guard saw Zhou Yimin's work ID, then carefully looked at Zhou Yimin's face, comparing it one by one with the photo on the ID.

He thought for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, and finally nodded and agreed to Zhou Yimin's proposal.

After all, at this critical moment, Zhou Yimin has proven his identity, and the medication suggestions he proposed may be the only hope at present.

At this time, although he was still worried, he had no choice but to trust Zhou Yimin.

After getting permission, Zhou Yimin immediately walked to the old man and half squatted down.

He opened the medicine bottle carefully, and there was a slight "click" sound when the bottle mouth touched his fingers.

He poured out a few quick-acting heart pills, which gleamed faintly in his palm.

Then, he gently lifted the old man's head, moving gently and carefully, for fear of hurting the old man. He fed the medicine into the old man's mouth and helped him swallow it with a small amount of warm water.

When feeding the water, his hands trembled slightly and his eyes were fixed on the old man's mouth to ensure that the medicine entered the old man's throat smoothly.

Then, he and the guards waited nervously for the medicine to take effect.

Time seemed to have stopped, and every second seemed so long.

Zhou Yimin and the guards stared at the old man, not daring to breathe.

Zhou Yimin's hands clenched unconsciously, his nails dug into his palms, and a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Finally, not long after, the old man's frown gradually relaxed, his breathing gradually became steady, and he slowly woke up from his coma.

When the guard saw this, his eyes instantly moistened. He hurried forward and asked with a choked voice, "Chief, are you okay?"

The old man opened his eyes slightly, with a hint of weakness in his eyes, but he still managed to say, "It's okay!"

Then, the old man's eyes fell on Zhou Yimin who was half squatting beside him, and asked gratefully: "Little comrade, are you the one who saved me?"

Zhou Yimin quickly stood up and said respectfully: "Commander, I don't have this ability. It was this bottle of medicine that saved you!"

As he spoke, he took out the medicine bottle again and shook it gently in his hand.

The old man looked at the medicine bottle, a trace of emotion flashed in his eyes. He sat up straight, stretched his stiff body, and said, "Little comrade, thanks to you, otherwise it would be dangerous today."

As time went by, the old man's complexion gradually recovered.

Seeing that the old man was out of danger, the guard stepped forward and said softly, "Commander, you have just recovered. Let's go back and rest."

After hearing this, the old man waved his hands and said firmly: "Look, I'm fine now, right? It's rare for me to come out for some fresh air, so don't spoil everyone's fun."

The guard had no choice but to step aside, but his eyes were always focused on the old man's every move.

The old man turned his head and looked at Zhou Yimin, with a kind smile on his face, and asked: "Little comrade, are you here to fish too?"

Zhou Yimin nodded quickly and answered truthfully: "Yes, Chief." Then he repeated his introduction: "My name is Zhou Yimin, and I work in the purchasing department of the steel plant."

After hearing this, the old man's eyes flashed with a strange light. In fact, he had heard of Zhou Yimin's deeds a long time ago. This young man had made many achievements in the steel plant. Just those inventions alone earned a lot of foreign exchange for the country.

The country’s foreign exchange is not so scarce now, and this young man in front of us can be said to have made a great contribution.

I also heard that an air fryer was recently invented and has been put into production. It will soon be exported and help the country earn foreign exchange.

But the old man didn't intend to say it at this moment. He smiled and said, "Okay, then I will call you Yimin!"

Zhou Yimin nodded quickly without objecting. He knew in his heart that it would be a good thing for him to have a relationship with such an old man who seemed to have an extraordinary status.

The old man said excitedly at this time: "Yimin, did you catch any fish?"

After saying that, he seemed to remember something and took Zhou Yimin to the place where he was fishing.

I saw two crucian carps swimming happily in his bucket. Although the fish were not big, the two together were not even the size of a palm, and probably weighed less than half a pound, but the old man's face was filled with a proud smile, as if these were his most precious trophies.

The old man pointed at the bucket and said with a hint of boasting: "Look, this is what I got today."

He was very proud of it! Normally, he would not have dared to show off, because fishing in the moat is not an easy thing.

At this time, many people want to use their spare time to go fishing and improve the meals at home, but how many people can do it?

Due to the large number of people and long periods of fishing, the number of fish in the moat has decreased dramatically. Many people may not catch a single fish in a whole day.

Zhou Yimin found the old man's childlike behavior very interesting. He smiled. He didn't expect that fishermen from any period seemed to have the habit of showing off their catches.

He answered truthfully, “I caught one, too.”

Then he took the old man to the place where he fished. In Zhou Yimin's bucket, he saw a carp and a crucian carp jumping around, each weighing about one pound, which was obviously much larger than the old man's catch.

After seeing this, the old man's smile froze for a moment, and then he showed a helpless and funny expression, and said: "Oh, I wanted to show off, but I didn't expect to be taught a lesson by you."

He also didn't expect that there were such big fish in the moat. Why didn't he catch it?

Zhou Yimin said quickly: "Commander, you are too polite. Fishing is mainly for fun. It doesn't matter whether the fish is big or small."

The old man laughed out loud after hearing this. He patted Zhou Yimin on the shoulder and said, "You are a kind-hearted young man, and you are also good at talking. Well, it is my blessing to meet you today."

He didn't expect Zhou Yimin's ideological awareness to be so high. No wonder Zhou Yimin could catch such a big fish.

The two returned to their respective fishing spots and sat down again.

The old man looked at the sparkling river, his thoughts drifting back to the past, his tone became deep and emotional: "Yimin, you are in a good time now, but don't forget how hard it was to get this peaceful life. Our country has gone through too many hardships and obstacles along the way."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in memories, and then slowly spoke: "Take the Anti-Japanese War as an example. Those days were simply unbearable to look back on. There were flames of war everywhere, and the people were displaced and hungry.

My old friends, with full of enthusiasm, threw themselves into the battle to defend our country without hesitation."

The old man's voice was a little choked, and he paused for a moment, took a deep breath and continued: "In a fierce battle, our unit encountered a fierce attack from the enemy.

A young comrade was responsible for covering the retreat of his comrades. He raised his gun and fired wildly at the enemy like an angry lion, buying precious time for everyone.

However, the enemy’s firepower was too strong, and a shell exploded next to him…”

The old man's eyes were red, and his voice became deeper and deeper. "After the battle, when we went to clean up the battlefield, the young comrade had already...

He was only in his early twenties, and such a vibrant life was gone just like that."

Zhou Yimin listened quietly, his heart full of admiration for the old man and his brave comrades.

He frowned slightly, his eyes showing sympathy and emotion, and said softly: "Commander, it is not easy for you and your comrades. It is because of your sacrifice and dedication that we have the life we ​​have today."

He also learned from many short videos in later generations that the war of resistance was not easy at that time. Since their weapons were not as advanced as those of the invaders, they could only rely on numbers.

Often, the number of casualties is greater than that of the enemy.

The old man nodded and said firmly, "Yes, so we should cherish the present and build our country better and better.

The country is facing some difficulties in its development, but as long as we work together, there will be no obstacles that we cannot overcome. Just like fishing, you need patience and persistence, and you will always get something in return.”

The conversation between the two continued, and the topic gradually shifted from the glorious past to the current construction and development of the country.

The old man often asked Zhou Yimin about his work in the steel plant, showed great interest in some of his innovative ideas, and gave some pertinent suggestions from time to time.

Zhou Yimin listened carefully to every word of the old man and felt like he had opened a new door of knowledge and gained a lot.

As time passed, the sun gradually set, and a gorgeous sunset glow appeared on the horizon.

In the afterglow, the river water looks like a golden ribbon.

In the old man's and Zhou Yimin's buckets, the fish would occasionally flutter.

The guard standing by remained alert, but when he saw the leader and Zhou Yimin having a good chat, a smile of relief appeared on his face.

Finally, the old man stood up, patted Zhou Yimin on the shoulder, and said, "Yimin, I am very happy to chat with you today. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to me."

Zhou Yimin said gratefully: "Thank you, Chief! It is my honor to meet you today."

The old man smiled and nodded, and with the help of the guard, he slowly walked towards the car.

Zhou Yimin looked at the old man's departing back and secretly made up his mind to work hard in his position and live up to the peace and tranquility that the older generation of revolutionaries had paid for with their blood.

He packed up his fishing gear, got on his motorcycle, and started on his way home.

(End of this chapter)