I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

Zheng Fenglin rushed to the Yang family with two letters in his hand.

"Uncle, Grandpa, Qiaoqiao has written a letter."

Zheng Fenglin's loud voice was heard by the four elderly people of the Yang family who were eating on the kang (a heated brick bed). Qiaoqiao's grandfather said, "Quick, Wenjin, Qiaoqiao has written a letter."

Qiaoqiao's mother had already gotten out of bed and put on her shoes. Qiaoqiao's father looked out the window, his dark face beaming with joy.

Zheng Fenglin rushed into the house and handed Qiaoqiao's letter to Qiaoqiao's mother: "Qiaoqiao wrote one to me too. She sent eight stamps. Write your reply and I'll mail it for you."

"Okay, Fenglin, thank you."

Qiaoqiao's mother handed the letter to Yang Wenjin: "Quickly see what Qiaoqiao said."

After hurriedly opening the letter, Qiaoqiao's father said, "Qiaoqiao said in her letter that there is something called a thermos in the city. If you put boiling water in it in the morning, it will still be hot in the evening."

"I know, it's a thermos, you know. They sell them in town, they cost seven or eight yuan each," Zheng Fenglin interjected.

"Seven or eight yuan? That's so expensive! Wow, that's incredible!" Grandma Qiaoqiao said, smacking her lips.

"Qiaoqiao said that next time she'll bring one back, so Grandma won't have to drink cold water when taking her medicine," Qiaoqiao's father said with a big smile.

"My dear granddaughter, she's the most filial."

"Also, Mom and Dad, life in the city is great. We eat white flour steamed buns every day, and we can have braised pork every few days. I've even gained weight."

"Good, good, white steamed buns are good." Grandpa Qiao took a bite of cabbage, as if it were a bite of juicy braised pork.

"Mom and Dad, I saw the five hundred yuan you put in the bed. I have everything in the city. Are you trying to kill your daughter by bringing me this money? Grandpa and Grandma are old. You need to work in the fields. Go and get some meat for yourselves..."

Qiaoqiao's mother wiped away her tears, while her grandmother muttered, "We're so old, why are we eating meat? It's a waste."

Zheng Fenglin said sadly, "Grandma, you can't say that. Only when you are doing well can Qiaoqiao feel at ease."

Qiaoqiao's father nodded: "Qiaoqiao is right, honey, go to the supply and marketing cooperative tomorrow and buy a pound of meat."

"Okay, I'll go first thing tomorrow morning."

Qiaoqiao's father continued reading: "We live in the military compound, which has a canteen. My parents-in-law prepared a lot of meal tickets, so we just need to buy food. Zhou Wenhui is very nice, gentle and considerate. I had nothing to do at home, so I cultivated two plots of land in the yard and planted cabbages."

"You know, this kid can't seem to relax unless he's doing some work," Grandpa Qiaoqiao laughed.

"That's right, farmers work the land every day, it's hard to suddenly have nothing to do." The family discussed happily.

"Keep reading..."

Qiaoqiao's father frowned as he looked at the last line of text and said, "That's it. That's all. In short, the food is good, the accommodation is good, everything is good."

"That's it?" Qiaoqiao's mother looked at the letter in disbelief, though she couldn't read.

"If it's gone, it's gone. Why would I lie to you?" Qiaoqiao's father carefully folded the letter, while Qiaoqiao's mother was extremely disappointed.

"Oh, Fenglin, what did Qiaoqiao tell you?" Qiaoqiao's grandmother asked, still wanting to hear more.

"Grandma, what Qiaoqiao wrote to me is all about our private matters, so I can't tell you." Zheng Fenglin put the letter in his pocket and turned to leave.

They ran into Wu Xia, a former educated youth living in the Yang family's house.

"Hey, what are you guys doing? Why are you making such a fuss?"

Wu Xia originally lived in the brigade's educated youth department, but because she had a quarrel with the educated youth, the brigade's Party branch secretary arranged for her to live in the Yang family's house.

"Oh, it's a letter from my daughter," Qiaoqiao's mother said with a smile.

"Oh, Yang Qiao wrote a letter. No wonder you're all so happy. Hey, is her legless husband treating her well?" Wu Xia asked dismissively.

"Wu Xia, what are you saying? Qiaoqiao's husband is a hero." Zheng Fenglin was furious when he heard this.

"Why are you in such a hurry? He's not your husband. I know he's a hero, but even heroes don't have legs, do they?" Wu Xia retorted dismissively.

"You, you, Wu Xia, you're a grown woman too, how can you speak so harshly?" Qiaoqiao's mother said, pointing at Wu Xia, her chest aching with anger.

"Wu Xia, it's none of your business who my daughter marries. We don't welcome you here. Go back to the educated youth unit."

The family's happiness was ruined by Wu Xia, making everyone sad. Qiaoqiao's father directly told her to leave, saying that he shouldn't have pitied her and let her live in his house.

Wu Xia snorted coldly: "Uncle, I'm just telling the truth, look how angry you've become. I'm staying at your house because the Party Secretary arranged it. If you don't want me to stay, go talk to the Party Secretary. A rich peasant sold his daughter to get his son a city residency permit, and you're all proud of that? Bah..."

After saying that, he turned to go inside, but Zheng Fenglin grabbed Wu Xia's hair and threw her out the door: "Wu Xia, Qiaoqiao and her husband are legally married. How dare you insult a military marriage? I'll beat you to death."

"Zheng Fenglin, are you crazy? Did I say anything to you? Mind your own business! Are you a dog? Why do you like to meddle in other people's business?"

Wu Xia was not to be outdone. She got up from the ground and fought back against Zheng Fenglin.

"I, I, Feng Lin, stop hitting me, I'm going to find the captain..."

Qiaoqiao's father and mother were trying to break up the fight. Qiaoqiao's grandmother, who was on the kang (a heated brick bed), felt a tightness in her chest and was sweating profusely. Her grandfather cried out anxiously, "Wenjin, your mother, your mother is having an attack!"

Upon hearing this, Qiaoqiao's father rushed into the house, shouting, "Mother, what's wrong? My wife, bring me water, bring me water..."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Fenglin forgot about the fight and ran into the house. He saw Qiaoqiao's grandmother clutching her chest, looking very distressed.

Oh no! I called for help and ran away as fast as I could.

Zhao Jintao rushed over with three young men. Qiaoqiao's grandmother had a bluish tinge at the corner of her mouth and was breathing heavily. Oh no, this was a heart attack.

"Get her to the hospital, right now!" The young men borrowed a handcart, and Zhao Jintao carried his grandmother onto it, shouting, "Let's go, hurry up!"

The young men dragged the carts and ran wildly, with Zheng Fenglin and Yang Wenjin following behind.

Qiaoqiao's mother chased after him all the way, but she couldn't run anymore, so she turned back. There was an old man at home.

Grandma Qiaoqiao was in great pain, gasping for breath. Zhao Jintao saw this and realized the situation was critical. What should he do?

Emergency! Emergency! He jumped onto the cart, knelt beside Grandma Qiaoqiao, and pressed on her chest, once, twice.

The young man pulling the cart worked desperately and finally arrived at the town hospital.

"Doctor, doctor, the old lady has a heart attack..." Zhao Jintao was too weak to continue, so the young man who came with him picked up Grandma Qiaoqiao and ran to the emergency room.

Soon, Grandma Qiaoqiao was taken into the emergency room, and the young men sat on the chairs in the corridor, catching their breath.

Qiaoqiao's father squatted at the doorway, his hands and feet trembling, his lips pale.

"Uncle, it's alright, don't worry." Zhao Jintao helped Qiaoqiao's father to a chair and said to Fenglin, "Go to the infirmary and ask the doctor for a glass of water."

"Okay, okay..." Zheng Fenglin turned around and went to the doctor's office to ask for water.

A moment later, Zheng Fenglin came over with a jar of water: "Uncle, have some water."

Qiaoqiao's father took two sips, Zhao Jintao took a sip, and after going around in circles, the whole tank of water was finished.

"Uncle, Grandma has always been in good health, why did she suddenly fall ill?" Zhao Jintao asked.

"Wu Xia, it was Wu Xia who spoke so harshly that Grandma had a heart attack," Zheng Fenglin said indignantly.

"What did she say?"

"She said...she said...Qiaoqiao's husband has no legs...I was so angry that I fought with her, and Grandma had a seizure inside the house," Zheng Fenglin stammered.

"This is outrageous! A sent-down youth is bullying our Dashui Village. I'll hold a big meeting when I get back." Zhao Jintao was furious when he heard this.

"That's enough, that's enough. Let's not cause any more trouble. She can't live in my house anymore. Make her move out," Qiaoqiao's father sighed.

"Uncle, with the captain standing up for you, what are you afraid of?" Zheng Fenglin said anxiously.

Qiaoqiao's father waved his hand and said, "Jintao is a good boy, don't make things difficult for him. There's still the brigade secretary."

Zheng Fenglin was deflated. Yes, Zhao Jintao was just the team leader; there was still the brigade secretary above him.

Wu Xia was assigned to the Yang family by the Party Secretary, and Zhao Jintao had no right to interfere.

"Uncle, I'll go back and find the brigade secretary. She made Grandma sick with anger, so she absolutely can't stay at your house anymore."

The emergency room doors opened, and a crowd rushed in, asking, "How is Grandma?"

"You've taken immediate first aid measures, which bought you time; the elderly person is out of immediate danger. Who are the family members?"

"Me," Qiaoqiao's father stepped forward and said.

"The emergency treatment will cost 123 yuan, and you'll need to stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation. Please pay 200 yuan for medical expenses first."

Two hundred? Who has that much money?

Qiaoqiao's father took the medical bill and said, "Doctor, I'll pay it later."

The doctor went into the emergency room. Qiaoqiao's father said to Zheng Fenglin, "Fenglin, you all go back and tell Qiaoqiao's mother to bring two hundred yuan."

"So much money..."

"It's alright, we have money at home, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, my mother would probably be..." Qiaoqiao's father said, wiping away his tears and bowing.

"Uncle, you're too kind. Let's go back first. I'll bring people to pick up Grandma when she's discharged."

"Okay, okay, thank you."

Thankfully, everything turned out alright. If it weren't for Zhao Jintao's efforts to save her, Grandma probably wouldn't have survived until today.