Struggle Life in the 1970s

After Chu Ye came in, he lowered his head even more unnaturally. Chu Ye pretended not to see it and spoke to Uncle Li with a smile.

After a while, the medicine in the infusion bottle was almost finished. Han Zhao got up and went out, then followed the nurse in again. After checking his identity information, the nurse hung up the new medicine bottle, turned around and took away the old one.

Uncle Li gradually looked tired, and Chu Ye tucked in the quilt for him tactfully and suggested going back.

"...Okay, you little bastard...see Xiao Chu off." Uncle Li patted the back of Chu Ye's hand, his eyes filled with guilt for not being able to stand up and see him off.

She placed the pear paste on the small table and said goodbye reluctantly, "Uncle Li, I will come to see you in a few days."

"No need...work is more important." After saying that, he looked at Han Zhao tiredly and said, "...send the people...to the factory and the fish pond, and sell them..."

"Okay, okay, I got it." Han Zhao stood up. He was wearing green clothes and stood there like a big tree. He couldn't bear to listen to Uncle Li talking so uncomfortably, so he covered Uncle Li's eyes with his big hands, "Don't worry about it. Go to sleep! If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, press the bell to call the nurse. I'll be back soon."

Uncle Li was so angry that he wanted to curse again. Han Zhao took two steps forward, opened the door and dodged. His footsteps gradually faded away in the corridor. Uncle Li waved his hand hurriedly and asked Chu Ye to follow him back.

Downstairs, Han Zhao was already waiting at the door on his bicycle. After Chu Ye got on, the bicycle drove along the street along the same route they came.

At the entrance of the Wucai Flower Factory, Chu Ye thanked him and turned to leave, but Han Zhao stopped her and said, "The fish pond and the house are worth a thousand yuan. Do you want to buy them?"

Chu Ye stopped and turned around. Han Zhao had no expression on his face. He didn't seem to care about Chu Ye's answer. He looked as if he didn't care whether to buy it or not.

Chu Ye thought about it and realized that the price was a bit beyond her budget. She moved closer and asked tentatively, "Can you give me a discount of fifty dollars?"

Han Zhao looked down for a long time. Just when Chu Ye thought he disagreed, he said, "Okay, then you ask someone to write a contract and come to the hospital to find me when the time comes."

Chu Ye:......
Damn it, I should have lowered the price. Who knew he would be so easy to talk to?

However, seeing that Han Zhao had already mounted his bicycle and was about to leave, she finally nodded with a wooden face and watched Han Zhao leave.

However, buying the fish pond also meant that her work in the factory was coming to an end. She calculated the time and planned to work until the end of the month and then resign.

Turning around, she told Pan'er and Xiaoya the news that she was leaving. They were both in tears and were extremely reluctant to let her go.

"Sister Chu, you're doing fine here, why do you want to leave?" Pan'er pouted, wrapped her arms around Chu Ye's arm, and shook her head. "If you leave, our three-person dining team will become a two-person team."

"Yes, I don't want you to leave." The other arm was held by Xiaoya, and the two of them were almost burying their heads in Chu Ye's arms.

During the time in the factory, Pan'er was lively and talkative, Xiaoya was shy and timid, and Chuye was calm and smart. The three of them always had endless things to talk about. The two of them had long regarded Chuye as their own sister. Although they had guessed that Chuye had other plans when she diligently ran to the town to inquire, no one expected that day to come so soon.

Chu Ye smiled, patted the two furry heads on both sides, and comforted them, "It's okay, the place I'm going is not far from our factory, just come find me when you miss me. I will buy some kitchen utensils and a small dining table, and we can eat together when you two come."

"Really?" Pan'er suddenly perked up, the light in her eyes lit up for a moment and then quickly faded away, "Sister Chu, are you really going to sell fish? Let me tell you, when I was at home, what I hated most was killing fish. They were slimy, slippery, and alive and kicking."

Pan'er pouted, her face full of worry. Although Xiaoya didn't say anything, she nodded in agreement.

Chu Ye smiled when he heard this, and patiently responded to their concerns. "I also grew up in the countryside. I was exposed to farm work before I could even speak. This little bit of hard work is nothing. Besides, I made this decision after careful investigation. I can't just not try it out of fear, right?"

Seeing that the two were listening attentively, she couldn't help but open up. "When I first came to Shenzhen, I was very scared. I was afraid of being bullied, afraid of language barriers, and afraid of not being able to get used to things here alone. I bought the ticket anxiously, but strangely, the closer I got to Shenzhen, the less anxious I became. At the time, I thought, at worst I can learn. As long as I'm diligent, I won't starve to death. If I can't make it, I'll buy a ticket and continue home."

"But later I found that life here is not as unacceptable as I imagined. There are people from all over the world here, all gathered here to make a living. And I met you. You accompany me when I am happy or sad, so I am not alone."

After these words were spoken, the two were so moved that tears started falling. Chu Ye shook his head in amusement and quickly tried to coax the two crying babies.

Two days later, the sales contract was drawn up. At the same time, she submitted her resignation application to the factory. Because of this matter, Sister Zhao came to her specifically to ask questions. After knowing that Chu Ye was determined to leave, she shook her head with regret.

That day, Chu Ye went to the hospital with the contract. As soon as he came out of the stairs, he saw several doctors in white coats standing at the door of a house at the end of the corridor.

The uneasiness in her heart that she had deliberately suppressed rose up again. She clenched her fists, and the paper in her hands wrinkled defenselessly. She didn't care about anything else in her mind, and walked forward quickly. On both sides of her sight were doors that were either closed or open.

……311……309……307……305……
...303
It was not until I got closer that I realized that the door of Room 303 was closed. Han Zhao, who was rarely wearing a pure black shirt, stood in front of the door with his arms around his chest in a protective posture. In front of him were four or five doctors, all wearing masks. The one in front had sparse hair and seemed to be explaining something. Chu Ye approached silently, and Han Zhao just raised his eyelids, as if he was not surprised at her arrival.

"...You understand the situation. Even if you transfer him to Hong Kong or even the United States, it won't prolong his life. It may even make him suffer more."
"When we first found out he had this disease, we estimated that he had three to six months left. It's not easy for him to hold on until now. We still hope that his family can stay with him more during this last period of time."

After saying that, the doctor patted Han Zhao on the shoulder and led the people in white coats behind him to the next ward.

The door of Room 303 returned to deathly silence. Han Zhao stood there with his head lowered, making it impossible to tell his emotions, but one could tell that he must be feeling bad.

Chu Ye didn't know how to comfort the doctor for a moment. She leaned against the wall quietly, thinking about what the doctor had just said.

Although Han Zhao often called Uncle Li an old man, without showing any respect, she could tell that this was the way they got along. Uncle Li had said before that he worked with Boss Han when he was young, and later witnessed Han Zhao's birth, growth, and his stubbornness in staying in China.

It is estimated that Uncle Li chose to stay near the fish pond because he was worried about Han Zhao. The relationship between the two of them may have already surpassed that between biological father and son.

While Chu Ye was thinking, there was a crisp sound in the room. Han Zhao at the side suddenly opened the door as if he had lost his soul. After seeing that it was Uncle Li who woke up and accidentally knocked over the water cup, he breathed a sigh of relief. Chu Ye stood behind him and went into the room.

"...Xiao Chu, you...are here." Li Boqiang held on and said a few words. Then, the transparent mask was filled with mist, and his cheeks became even thinner. The monitoring equipment beside him made noises from time to time. Han Zhao seemed to be accustomed to it. He pressed a button on the equipment first, and the machine stopped making noises. Then he walked to the other side silently and began to pick up the broken glass on the ground.

Chu Ye had already rushed over to Uncle Li, holding back her tears, when he started talking. She forced a smile and said in a nonchalant manner, "We agreed that you would be my second in command."

"...Hi," Uncle Li smiled weakly, his eyes sparkling, with liquid sliding down and disappearing into his hair. He wanted to raise his hand, but his movements were extremely slow. Chu Ye reached over in time, and when he lowered his head, he saw the pair of dry fingers that looked like a layer of yellow skin wrapped around bones, and the dark blue needle holes on the back of his hand.

"...Old man, the leader...can't do it...any more." He still wanted to touch Chu Ye's head, but his hand didn't have the strength to stretch it up again. Chu Ye understood what he meant, and lowered his head on his own initiative, holding his hand and gently patting his head.

"...Good girl," Li Bo said with a smile on his face. He turned his head slightly and looked at Han Zhao, who was sitting at the other side of the bed without saying a word after cleaning up the glass.

"... From now on, eat less... sugar. Sell the fish pond, and you... go to Hong Kong, go to America... to find your father... he is a relative." His eyes were kind and full of reluctance. He raised his hand, and Han Zhao moved his face closer first.

Chu Ye cried quietly again, and she saw that Han Zhao's eyes were also red.

The dry hand stroked Han Zhao's cheek like a feather falling in the wind. Uncle Li couldn't help but touch it again and again, as if it was not enough. After a while, he lost his strength and dropped his hand.

His eyes fell on Han Zhao's face reluctantly, and the past events came to his mind again. He spoke softly, bringing Han Zhao back to his childhood.

Han Zhao had just celebrated his sixth birthday that year. His mother was bedridden due to a serious illness and passed away not long after. Before she left, she called Han Zhao to her bedside, touched his face and chattered on about many things, just like she is doing now.

But he was too young at that time, and he couldn't remember many of the things he said. The only thing he remembered was that at the end, his mother took out a handful of candies from a drawer nearby, put them in his little hand, and said, "From now on, when you miss me, eat a piece of candy, and I in heaven will know that it was you who was thinking about me."

Later, his father kept bringing home concubines, sometimes changing two or three a year, but he didn't care about Han Zhao. At that time, it was Uncle Li who often accompanied him, bought him toys, told him stories, and patiently coaxed him to sleep when he cried for his mother.

Later, when he grew up, Boss Han's business grew bigger and bigger. The factory didn't need him to look after it all the time, so he started to do other things. Boss Han spent a lot of money to build a fish pond and gathered with friends there. At that time, he was often taken around by Boss Han like a toy. At that time, it was also Uncle Li who kept him company when he was lonely and bored.

Gradually, Boss Han made more and more money and began to feel dissatisfied with his development in China. He also heard about the policy of reform and opening up, so he slammed the table and immigrated to the United States, intending to build his grand ambitions there.

Han Zhao was not willing to go. At that time, he had just become an adult and felt that he could live a better life away from Boss Han, so he insisted on staying in the country. Li Bo originally planned to follow Boss Han, but changed his mind at the last minute and resolutely stayed.

Then, he and Uncle Li lived a life of "dependence on each other", but slowly, he found his life becoming more and more empty. He became addicted to those exciting games and often went to Hong Kong and only came back for several months at a time.

And from some day on, he got into the habit of buying candies. When he arrived at a place, he would buy every kind of candy in the store, then taste them slowly, trying to find the taste he remembered.

These memories were too heavy for Uncle Li to bear. He ran out of energy and fell asleep while Han Zhao lowered his head beside him, with a lingering atmosphere of sadness.

Chu Ye looked at the contract in her hand and knew that it was inappropriate to disturb Han Zhao at this time. She gently stood up, took the contract and left the hospital.

(End of this chapter)