The Little Life of a Big Landlord

Chapter 135 Hospital

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"Are you Zhao Xiaolei's parents?" The voice on the other end sounded urgent.

"Yes, I am..." Zhang Caixia frowned.

"I'm Xiaolei's homeroom teacher. We had a quiz today, and Xiaolei suddenly fainted. He's been taken to the hospital now. Please come quickly; he's at the Second People's Hospital of the city..."

"Bang..." Zhang Caixia felt as if the sky had collapsed. Her vision went black, the phone fell to the ground, and she collapsed.

Fortunately, Zhang Caixia knew she shouldn't faint at this moment. She wanted to call her husband, Zhao Tongsuo, but then she remembered that he had just left and was probably driving around now. If this news hit her hard and something else happened, the family would be completely ruined. So, she quickly ran out of the house, hailed a taxi on the street, and rushed to the Second People's Hospital of the city.

Zhang Caixia entered the outpatient building of the Second Hospital, where Qi Dong, Zhao Xiaolei's homeroom teacher, was already waiting for her. The two actually knew each other.

"Teacher Qi, how is Xiao Lei? Why did he faint?" Zhang Caixia anxiously grabbed Teacher Qi Dong's hand.

"It's alright, it's alright. The doctor said that Xiao Lei was just too tired, and his brain couldn't handle it, which is why he fainted. He's awake now and resting in his ward. Let's go upstairs quickly..." Qi Dong quickly reassured Zhang Caixia.

"Phew..." Zhang Caixia breathed a sigh of relief and followed Teacher Qi Dong to the ward.

Zhao Xiaolei was lying on the hospital bed, fast asleep, with an IV drip in his arm. When Zhang Caixia saw her son, she burst into tears. Just to see her son sleeping so soundly, one could only imagine how sleepy he must have been...

"Big sister, Xiaolei is still a child. Our school has a review plan, and we schedule their time very tightly, urging and pushing them to study. This is already pushing them to their limits. After the children go home, you parents shouldn't be so close. They must be asleep before 1 a.m. every day. Otherwise, they won't be able to concentrate in class and will easily fall asleep, greatly reducing their learning efficiency. Is it more efficient for children to study on their own than for us teachers to provide systematic instruction?" After Zhao Xiaolei was revived, Qi Dong had already questioned him about his schedule and was quite surprised. Although high school seniors have a tight schedule, shouldn't they be sleeping only four hours a day? They might be able to endure it for a day or two, but what about in the long run? Wouldn't that ruin their health? At this point, it's necessary to communicate with Zhang Caixia.

"We know, we know... we know we were wrong..." Zhang Caixia's tears fell in torrents as she desperately tried to suppress her voice, afraid of waking the child.

"The children are already tired from school every day, so you parents shouldn't add to their burden. You just need to make sure they get proper nutrition, and leave the rest to us teachers. Trust us, okay?" Qi Dong added.

"Yes, yes, we understand..." Zhang Caixia quickly replied.

"Hey, Xiao Qi, how's the baby?" At that moment, the ward door was pushed open, and Wei Jianguo walked in, speaking softly.

"It's Brother Wei! What brings you here?" Qi Dong greeted him.

"Hey, my son-in-law had someone bring us some things, I'm going back to pick them up now," Wei Jianguo said, carrying a black plastic bag.

"The child is fine, just too tired. The doctor said he'll be fine after a couple of days of rest..." Qi Dong said with a smile, then pointed to Zhang Caixia, who was wiping away tears, "This is Xiao Lei's mother..."

"Oh! Hello, hello..." Wei Jianguo nodded to Zhang Caixia and smiled.

"Hello..." Zhang Caixia was quite surprised. She didn't understand. If this young man in his twenties had a daughter, she would be at most five years old. Even if he married young, his daughter should definitely not be older than ten. How could he have a son-in-law? Who is such a beast to marry a child?

"Big sister, this is our school teacher, Wei Jianguo. You can just call him Teacher Wei. Don't let his young age fool you, he's actually over fifty. His daughter got married in October..." Qi Dong noticed the surprise in Zhang Caixia's eyes and quickly said.

"Big brother really knows how to take care of himself..." Zhang Caixia exclaimed in surprise, her mouth agape.

"Oh, not at all, it's just that I took some nourishing Chinese medicine, that's why I look young..." Wei Jianguo smiled rather sheepishly, handing the plastic bag to Zhang Caixia, "This is fresh milk our son-in-law brought us. It tastes alright, keep it for the kids..."

"This, this is too much trouble!" Zhang Caixia certainly wouldn't just accept it like that, and quickly declined.

"What's there to be embarrassed about? It's only right for us teachers to care about our students... My son-in-law's fresh milk is the most authentic..." Wei Jianguo said, placing the fresh milk on the bedside table in front of Zhao Xiaolei's hospital bed.

Zhang Caixia couldn't refuse, so she could only thank her repeatedly.

Just then, the door opened again, and a nurse in a white coat walked in: "Who is the family member of bed 201?"

Bed number 201 is Zhao Xiaolei's hospital bed.

"Oh, I am..." Zhang Caixia quickly replied.

"According to the doctor's advice, the patient needs to be observed in the hospital for two days. What are your family's plans? Do you want the patient to stay in the hospital for observation, or go home for treatment?" the nurse asked politely.

"We'll observe him in the hospital for two days to make sure my son is alright..." Zhang Caixia has never lacked money, and she has never been stingy with her son.

"In that case, please go to the front desk to pay your medical bills and hospital deposit..." the nurse said.

"Okay..." Zhang Caixia took out all the money from her pocket, counted it, and found she only had 100 yuan. This was enough for her to buy groceries, but not enough for medical expenses and hospital deposit.

"I'm going to make a call and ask the child's father to bring the money..." Zhang Caixia said, leaving the ward and making a phone call in the hallway.

After finishing the call, Zhang Caixia came in to talk to the two teachers. Wei Jianguo said a few words and then left. It was only about nine o'clock in the morning, and there was still a long time before school ended at noon. He still had to go back to school to teach the students.

Qi Dong also had classes, and now that the child's parents had arrived, he couldn't delay any longer, so he left with Wei Jianguo.

Zhang Caixia escorted the two teachers all the way to the hospital entrance. She respected her son's homeroom teacher, but she felt a deep sense of awe towards the seemingly young "old" teacher, as if she were seeing a legendary "fairy," who always gave off a mysterious feeling.

It's unreasonable and abnormal for someone in their fifties to look like they're only in their twenties.

Not long after Zhang Caixia returned to the ward, the door was flung open, and Zhao Tongsuo rushed in, shouting, "What happened? What happened to my son?"

"Keep your voice down!" Zhang Caixia growled, pushing Zhao Tongsuo, this grown man, out of the ward. She looked at her son on the bed and saw that he was still asleep. She breathed a sigh of relief, tiptoed out of the ward, and settled accounts with Zhao Tongsuo in the corridor.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you shouting like that? Don't you know my son is sleeping? Didn't you see the 'No Noise' sign at the door?" Zhang Caixia was not polite to Zhao Tongsuo at all, taking back all the caution she had shown to the teacher.

"How is Xiao Lei?" Zhao Tongsuo asked anxiously, but he kept his voice down.

"It's nothing, I'm just tired. Hurry up and pay the hospital deposit, it's bed number 201." Zhang Caixia's tone softened as she looked at her husband's anxious expression; after all, he loved their son too.

"Yes, yes, yes..." Zhao Tongsuo quickly responded and ran to the front desk to pay.

Zhang Caixia entered the ward, pulled up a chair, and sat down beside her son's bed. Looking at his thin face, she felt a pang of heartache. Her son used to be chubby when he was little, but since starting high school, he had become increasingly thin. The pressure of studying not only took a toll on his brain but also on his body. Before, her son was always in front of her, and she had never noticed. But today, seeing him lying in a hospital bed, this was the first time she had realized it…

The door opened, and Zhao Tongsuo, having paid, tiptoed in. He went to Zhang Caixia's side and whispered, "What do you want to eat? I'll go buy it for you..."

"I'm not hungry. Go buy some food for Xiaolei, just buy what he usually likes to eat..." Zhang Caixia had no appetite at all.

"Did you buy this?" Zhao Tongsuo opened the plastic bag on the bedside table and took out a carton of milk.

"No, it was brought by a teacher..." Zhang Caixia felt heartbroken looking at her son's thin appearance, and had no mind to explain to her husband.

"Smart Baby? What brand is this?" Zhao Tongsuo asked, looking at the four large cartoon characters on the packaging box.

"How should I know? The teacher said it was his son-in-law who brought it to him... Stop bothering me here, hurry up and go buy some food, our son will be hungry when he wakes up..." Zhang Caixia frowned and waved her hand impatiently at Zhao Tongsuo.

"Okay, okay..." Zhao Tongsuo quickly agreed, took a carton of fresh milk and went outside to buy food. Without any hesitation, he removed the straw, inserted it into the carton, and started drinking.

Since this fresh milk isn't from a well-known brand, I can't just give it to my son. What if something goes wrong? That's where being a parent comes in – let him try it out…

Of course, there is another solution, which is to throw it away. However, the packaging looks so nice, it would be a waste to throw it away. Otherwise, for someone who has worked their way up from the bottom, it would be a criminal act.

Zhao Tongsuo took the first sip and felt refreshed. It is said that no matter what it is, the first time you try it, the feeling is the most obvious.

The refreshing feeling was intoxicating, and I couldn't help but take another sip. The smooth milk rolled around in my mouth a few times before I swallowed it down in several portions. I exhaled a satisfied breath, the milky aroma was wonderful, and the taste lingered on my lips and teeth.

Zhao Xiaolei's favorite food is xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), a hobby he's had since childhood and has never changed. Speaking of which, when he was a child, he looked just like a steamed bun, chubby and fair-skinned. When you pinched his cheeks, they were fluffy and soft, just like meat buns.

Zhao Tongsuo bought three baskets of steamed buns from a shop outside the hospital and carried them back to the ward. When he returned, Zhao Xiaolei had already woken up and seemed to be in good spirits. Whether it was from rest or the IV drip, he didn't know, but she was currently sucking on a carton of milk…

"Xiao Lei is awake... Dad bought you your favorite xiaolongbao..." Zhao Tongsuo chuckled and handed the xiaolongbao to his son.

"Thank you, Dad..." Zhao Xiaolei put down the milk, took the steamed bun and started eating. To be honest, this guy was really hungry.

"Tell me, I told him not to drink, but he insisted on drinking anyway. Isn't that infuriating? If it weren't for the fact that he was lying in a hospital bed, I would have beaten him up..." Zhang Caixia sat to the side, sulking.

"Teacher Wei is the best to us students, he takes the best care of us..." Zhao Xiaolei said unconvinced.

"Teacher Wei, Teacher Wei, Teacher Wei and your mother are good to you?" Zhao Tongsuo said angrily, looking at his son who was talking back.

Zhao Xiaolei stopped talking and started eating the steamed buns.

"You mean that fresh milk? I drank it, and it tastes really good..." Zhao Tongsuo pulled a chair from beside the empty hospital bed and sat down next to his wife. "And after drinking it, I feel incredibly energetic..."

"I'm rich... I'm rich..." Zhao Tongsuo hadn't finished speaking when his cell phone rang in his pocket.

"Vulgar..." Zhang Caixia rolled her eyes, turned her head away as if she didn't know you, and pouted.

If it were something that happened at the company, Zhang Caixia wouldn't be able to stop it, but she would have already started yelling. However, since the phone rang, it meant that it was a call from a family member complaining. She didn't dare to do that. What if it was her mother-in-law calling? If she stopped her, wouldn't that trigger a conflict between her and her mother-in-law?

"Hehe, Uncle is here..." Zhao Suozhu chuckled, got up and left the ward to answer the phone in the hallway.

"Hey? Uncle?" Zhao Tongsuo pressed the answer button.

"Suozi... I've made a sworn brother, and I'm planning to introduce him to everyone. Come to my house the day after tomorrow, I'll host a feast, and remember to bring your parents too..."

"Sure..." Zhao Tongsuo readily agreed.

"Okay, you go ahead with your work, I'll call your third cousin again..."

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Tongsuo returned to the ward, where Zhang Caixia immediately asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just that my uncle has made a sworn brother and wants to introduce him to everyone. He's having a banquet the day after tomorrow and wants us to bring my parents along..." Zhao Tongsuo said casually.

"You agreed?" Zhang Caixia asked.

"Do you think I could refuse? Do I need to tell you what kind of temper my uncle has? If you dare to refuse, he'll make you lose face." Zhao Tongsuo had a very deep impression of his uncle.

Zhang Caixia fell silent at that moment.

"Dad, did your son-in-law make a sworn brother?" Zhao Xiaolei lay on the hospital bed, drinking milk and eating steamed buns, his spirits recovering quickly.

"Hmm!" Zhao Tongsuo nodded. "This has nothing to do with you. Your most important thing right now is to study. Don't think about anything else..."

"Oh..." Zhao Xiaolei quickly replied. He dared not argue with his father. His father was a real man, unlike his mother, who made a lot of noise but did little, raising her hand high and then lowering it gently.

"Xiao Lei, tell Mom, who exactly is that Teacher Wei?" Zhang Caixia asked.

"Mom, you mean Teacher Wei? Our Teacher Wei is a celebrity at our school. He and Teacher Xue are a couple. A few days ago, we used the second-grade classroom for our exams, so the second-grade teachers and students had a holiday. When Teacher Wei and Teacher Xue returned to school after our exams, the whole school was shocked. In just two days, they looked completely different, so much younger! Our principal thought they were substitute teachers, and even thought Teacher Wei and Teacher Xue were gone. He was even planning to hold a memorial service for them..." Zhao Xiaolei was so excited when he mentioned Wei Jianguo and Xue Hua that he was almost incoherent.

"Huh? What do you mean? I don't understand at all!" Zhang Caixia blinked, looking completely confused.

"I'm even more confused. What's going on?" Zhao Tongsuo was also baffled, but his gaze turned to his wife, Zhang Caixia.

"That's how it is. This Teacher Wei who brought milk to Xiaolei looks like a young man in his early twenties. Teacher Qi told me that Teacher Wei is over fifty years old and his daughter is already married..." Zhang Caixia quickly explained.

"Fifty-something, but looks like he's in his early twenties?" Zhao Tongsuo's eyebrows twitched violently. He was only forty-five this year, but wrinkles and gray hair were growing rapidly. It was hard to imagine that a man in his fifties could look as young as a young man in his early twenties. "Are you sure your mind is still normal?"

"Of course I'm sure, I'm not that confused..." Zhang Caixia rolled her eyes.

"This is..." Zhao Tongsuo's eyes widened. "This Teacher Wei is definitely not an ordinary person..."

"Teacher Wei is no ordinary person, of course. It's all over the school. On the day of our exam, he and Teacher Xue went to Sister Qingqing's house, and as a result, Sister Qingqing's husband gave them some He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum), which is why they became younger..." Zhao Xiaolei said, his tone full of pride.

"Polygonum multiflorum, it has such great effects?" Zhao Tongsuo's eyelids twitched wildly, while Zhang Caixia was itching to try it. If Polygonum multiflorum could really make people young again, she would definitely buy ten or twenty catties from the pharmacy and eat it as food in the future.

"Of course it's not ordinary He Shou Wu. I heard it's wild, thousand-year-old He Shou Wu, which my brother-in-law Qingqing picked from the mountains there. It's especially effective..." Zhao Xiaolei said.

"In the mountains? So, your brother-in-law, Qingqing, lives in the mountains?" Zhang Caixia said.

"Yes, Sister Qingqing and Brother-in-law Qingqing live in a small village in the mountains, I think it's called Zhengjia Village..." Zhao Xiaolei said.

"This Teacher Wei has such unique ideas, actually marrying his daughter off to someone from a remote mountain village..." Zhao Tongsuo admired Teacher Wei, whom he had never met before, thinking how kind-hearted this person was.

In modern society, when people marry off their daughters, they require the groom to have a house and a car. Of course, a car is not necessary, but a house is essential. Wei Jianguo's ability to marry his daughter to someone in the mountains is truly admirable.

"It's not that she married into the mountains; it's that Sister Qingqing and her husband moved there. They bought two apartments in the Sunshine Community, each 300 square meters," Zhao Xiaolei said.

"300 square meters? How much would that cost? Two units would be over five million..." Zhao Tongsuo works in real estate, so of course he knows how much the prices are in Sunshine Community. He recently heard that the prices in Sunshine Community are going to rise again.

"Of course, Teacher Wei and Teacher Xue live in the Sunshine Community now, in the big house their son-in-law bought..." Zhao Xiaolei said proudly.

"It seems that this girl has married into a good family..." Zhang Caixia said.

"Of course! Qingqing is so beautiful, of course she should marry into a good family..." Zhao Xiaolei pulled out his phone from under his pillow. "Look, here are some photos I took of Teacher Wei and Teacher Xue. Qingqing looks exactly like Teacher Xue. Just look at Teacher Xue, and you'll know how beautiful Qingqing is..."

Zhao Xiaolei pulled out Xue Hua's photos, which he had secretly taken. The angle wasn't great, but you could still see Xue Hua's beauty in the photos.

Zhao Tongsuo and Zhang Caixia came over and looked at the photos on their son's phone. They couldn't help but hold their breath. Could there really be such angelic people in the world?

"Xiao Lei, is Teacher Xue wearing makeup?" Zhang Caixia asked.

"Teacher Xue never wears makeup..." Zhao Xiaolei said with certainty.

"She really is quite pretty. If her daughter were this pretty, it would be so pitiful if she married a poor man and suffered along with him... By the way, could it be that your Qingqing sister is dating a rich man again?" Zhao Tongsuo's thoughts were complicated, and it was easy for him to think the wrong way.

"Sister Qingqing is not that kind of person... I won't allow you to insult Sister Qingqing. Sister Qingqing is our idol. If you say such things again, I will disown you as my son..." Zhao Xiaolei pointed at his father's nose, his face red and his neck thick with accusation.

"Is this how you talk to your father?" Zhao Tongsuo roared at his son, his brows furrowed.

"Xiao Lei, you're not allowed to talk to your father like that..." Zhang Caixia glared at her son and said.

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(End of this chapter)