Chapter 282: The Pitiful Zhao Lan
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After being mocked by Shao Dong, the sad Shao Xi went to look for Mu Jingzhe. He told her that he wanted to write a story but he was uncertain and afraid that he wouldn’t be able to write it well, so he was too embarrassed to show it to her.
“You can write if you want. It’s fine, I have faith in you.” Mu Jingzhe only encouraged him.
“Alright.” Shao Xi nodded. Later on, even though he was busy during the summer break, he kept writing intermittently. He didn’t forget the second travelogue that was about to be published.
He didn’t stop contacting Fang Yu either. In order to make it easier to contact him, he told Fang Yu his home address. Fang Yu didn’t have to send the letters to the publishing house anymore, which made it easier for her to reach him.
Later on, when the travelogue sample was sent over, he sent it to Fang Yu. Fang Yu liked it very much and said that she actually wanted to visit many places, but she hadn’t been given the chance. However, after reading the travelogue, it was as if she had gone there to play with Shao Xi.
However, this would all happen in the future. Right now, Mu Jingzhe was preparing to take Little Bei to film. Although Little Bei had gone out to film before, those had been only guest roles or supporting roles. This was Little Bei’s second movie in the true sense of the word. They couldn’t be careless.
Mu Jingzhe would definitely join the production team with her. Coincidentally, she had also agreed to collaborate with the production team on the costumes. In addition, she had accepted some orders for customized gowns that she could make anywhere. She could work and take care of Little Bei by being on the production team at the same time.
Because Shao Qihai was around, Mu Jingzhe could follow Little Bei without worrying. However, according to her previous plan, she would probably frequently go out during the summer vacation.
Mu Jingzhe was very busy preparing for the production team. Eldest Brother Shao and the others next door had been quiet for a few days, but there was suddenly a commotion again.
In the end, Zhao Lan hadn’t been taken to the hospital because Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao hadn’t said anything, and no one had made the decision. Eldest Brother Shao, that cowardly turtle, hadn’t made the decision to take her there. Hence, Zhao Lan’s recovery was delayed, and she relied on the village doctor to treat her.
The village doctor was really rendered helpless when it came to serious illnesses. Zhao Lan had lost too much blood and her waist injury was severe, but she still managed to survive.
After a scar formed on her head, Zhao Lan slowly woke up. However, her mental state was particularly bad. Perhaps because she had lost too much blood and had suffered a fright, she was in a daze all day long.
That wasn’t all. She also couldn’t move anymore.
The wound on her head would heal, but perhaps the wound on her waist was too severe. She could move her hands, but she couldn’t move her lower limbs. She couldn’t even function independently. As a result, she had to rely on someone to wait on her and help her eat and relieve herself.
These days, Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao took care of her alone. At first, it was fine, but after a few days, the latter had had enough.
It wasn’t like she was her biological mother. This kind of job was tiring and dirty, so Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao naturally wasn’t willing to keep taking care of her. Zhao Lan had given birth to three sons and one daughter, and now she had two daughters-in-law and one biological daughter. In the end, she was still the only one taking care of her.
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao was very dissatisfied, but she didn’t dare ask Mu Jingzhe to do it. She was very afraid that she would end up like Zhao Lan, unable to take care of herself.
Shao Qiyang didn’t care about Zhao Lan and wasn’t married. Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao couldn’t endure this by herself even for a few days. She was forced to ask Shao Qiyun to come back and serve Zhao Lan with her.
She was a daughter-in-law, so it was only right for her to take care of her in-laws. However, her daughter should also come back to take care of her. Unfortunately, Shao Qiyun couldn’t even fend for herself. Nobody knew if it was because she was hiding from debt collectors, but she had lost contact with them, and Eldest Brother Shao couldn’t contact her either.
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao saw that Zhao Lan’s condition hadn’t improved at all, and everyone in the village said that Zhao Lan would probably be like this for the rest of her life. The more Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao heard such things, the more flustered she became. If Zhao Lan remained like this for the rest of her life, then if she didn’t die, would she have to continue taking care of her?
The more Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao listened to this, the more uncomfortable she felt. She asked Eldest Brother Shao to help, but Eldest Brother Shao insisted that he was a son and couldn’t get close to her. Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao was so angry that she kept scolding him.
Mu Jingzhe could hear Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao’s scolding next door. “You’re indeed a coward, just like they say you are. I asked you to make the decision to send her to the hospital, but you refused. She’s your biological mother, not mine. Your biological mother gave birth to you. What’s so inconvenient about getting close to her? You wash your hands off of everything. Do you expect me to take care of her forever?”
Eldest Brother Shao probably replied that it was only right since she was the daughter-in-law, which caused Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao to scold him again.
“I’m the daughter-in-law, so I should take care of her? Then what about you, her biological son? You’re not filial to your own mother and want to push all the responsibility on me. How can there be such a thing? Listen to me, if you don’t help me take care of her, I won’t do it either!”
Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao had really had enough of this sh*t. She made a fuss about going back to her parents’ house. “What kind of life am I living? It’s already this bad, yet you’re still talking about gender differences. Let me tell you something. If you don’t handle this soon, I’ll go back to my parents’ house. You can think of a way yourself.”
In the past, Zhao Lan had been able to help with the chores, but now, she no longer did anything. How could Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao take it?
If Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao returned to her maternal family, the Shao Family wouldn’t be able to live for another day. Eldest Brother Shao was forced to say that if there was no other way, they could drag her to the hospital for a checkup. It was unknown if he was deliberately saying this for Shao Qihai to hear it from next door, but for the first time, his voice was a little loud, so he had to be hoping that Shao Qihai would react.
However, he was destined to be disappointed. Shao Qihai didn’t seem to hear him.
After being injured for so long, Zhao Lan was finally sent to the hospital. Eldest Brother Shao begged someone to carry Zhao Lan there.
After Zhao Lan was taken to the hospital, Mu Jingzhe joined the production team with Little Bei. Later on, Mu Jingzhe slowly found out about Zhao Lan’s condition. It was said that Zhao Lan had injured her lumbar spine. If she had been sent over earlier for treatment, she might have recovered without any problems. However, Zhao Lan had been sent over too late and could only be treated slowly. It was uncertain if she could be cured.
In any case, she would need to be bedridden for a period of time, and this treatment would cost a lot.
When Eldest Brother Shao heard that he would have to spend time, energy, and money, his expression darkened. He didn’t say a word but had no intention of letting her undergo treatment. He only told the doctor that he didn’t have money. He didn’t say anything else.
The doctor had seen such situations many times and couldn’t say anything. Even if they wanted to carry Zhao Lan back, they wouldn’t stop them.
However, he didn’t expect Eldest Brother Shao to go even further. He didn’t want to treat Zhao Lan, nor did he want to bring her home. In fact, he didn’t want to pay the fees for this hospital treatment, causing Zhao Lan to almost be abandoned in the hospital.
In the end, it was actually Eldest Sister-In-Law Shao who handed over the money and asked the villagers to help carry her back.
When the villagers came, Eldest Brother Shao said that Zhao Lan had disappeared. When the villagers heard that, they quickly helped look for her. In the end, they found Zhao Lan abandoned by the roadside outside the county city.
The villagers knew very well that it was impossible for the immobile Zhao Lan to go outside the county city by herself. It was obvious at a glance that Eldest Brother Shao despised her and had abandoned her.
Zhao Lan looked like she had died once. She didn’t say anything and didn’t even look at Eldest Brother Shao.
Since Zhao Lan didn’t say anything, no one in the village said anything either. They only said that it was a good thing that she had been found and carried her back.
That night, basically everyone in the village knew what had happened between Zhao Lan and Eldest Brother Shao. It was unavoidable that they would gossip privately. They even brought up those who were filial and those who weren’t in the village.
They also teased Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ and asked them where they planned to carry Eldest Brother Shao to abandon him when he got old.
Fu, Lu, Shou, and Xǐ still didn’t know why everyone was saying that.. They went back and repeated those words to Eldest Brother Shao.