Chapter 125 The Story of the Battalion Commander's Family

Shen Zishan slowly put down his chopsticks and sighed deeply: "Ah! Child, you don't know, your brigade leader grandfather used to have three sons."

"One of his sons, full of passion, resolutely went to the battlefield to defend his country, but unfortunately sacrificed his life on the front line."

As he said this, a hint of sadness and regret appeared in his eyes.

She continued, "I also have a son. When he was 10 years old, he fell into the water in an accident. When he was pulled out, he still had a faint breath, but there was no barefoot doctor in our village at that time!"

"Everyone could only anxiously rush him to the town's hospital. However, due to the long distance and the delay, by the time they arrived in town, it was already too late..."

Shen Zishan shook his head helplessly and continued, "Situations like this are not uncommon in our village."

“Every year, all sorts of accidents happen, resulting in injuries or illnesses. But often, people don’t get to the hospital in time for timely treatment, or even if they do get to the hospital, the high medical costs make it prohibitive.”

"Therefore, many villagers could only watch helplessly as their condition worsened and they even lost their lives."

He paused, a look of relief appearing on his face: "But now it's all good, our village finally has a barefoot doctor like you."

"In the future, if villagers have minor ailments such as headaches, fevers, or sprains, they will no longer have to travel a long way to the town or city to see a doctor."

"Moreover, medical treatment in our village is much cheaper than in those big hospitals."

As Shen Xiaoxiao listened quietly to her father recount these past events, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

She secretly resolved to do her best to provide more and better medical services for her fellow villagers.

Thinking about this, she realized that relying solely on purchasing medicinal herbs from outside would not be enough, so she decided to go up the mountain to pick more common medicinal herbs for future use.

After all, if a disease can be cured with simple medicinal herbs, there is no need for villagers to waste money on expensive medicine.

After chatting for a while, the family members got up and went about their own business.

When the captain dragged his slightly tired body into the house, he immediately saw his wife sitting in a chair, her eyes red and with tear stains still clinging to the corners of her eyes.

He immediately realized that his wife must have been reminded of that painful past—the grief of losing their second son was something she couldn't let go of, and she would burst into tears every time she recalled it.

"Sigh! Let bygones be bygones, don't keep torturing yourself with it. No one expected what happened to the second son, but it's an unchangeable fact."

"Now our village has its own barefoot doctor. If we have any minor ailments like headaches, fevers, or sprains, we can get timely treatment."

"If a situation like the second son's were to occur again, we wouldn't be as helpless as before. This should be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."

The captain gently patted his wife's hand as he softly comforted her.

Hearing her husband's words, Lin Xier nodded slightly, indicating that she understood. However, her throat felt like it was blocked by something, and she could only let out a soft sob: "Um... I know..."

"Oh dear, I wonder what my precious grandson Tiedan is doing right now! Do those two even know how to take care of a child?!"

As the captain spoke, he gently shook his head. He held a pipe in his hand, occasionally taking a puff, the smoke slowly rising and blurring the expression on his face.

"That's right, what can a one-year-old baby do? He just eats, drinks, sleeps, and occasionally causes some mischief!" Lin Xi'er's face lit up with a warm smile when she mentioned her grandson Tie Dan.

She recalled Tie Dan's round face, chubby little hands and feet, and his big, dark eyes, as if Tie Dan were right in front of her.

"Sigh, these past few days, since my son took my grandson away, I've really felt a little out of sorts!" Lin Xi'er sighed softly, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

“In the past, there was always that naughty little guy in the family making a ruckus. He would climb onto the table one minute and crawl into the cupboard the next. Although he could be a real headache at times, at least it was lively.”

"Now it's so quiet all of a sudden, which makes me feel empty inside."

The captain nodded in deep agreement, recalling the scene of Tie Dan running around the house in the past, his small figure full of energy and vitality.

"Yes, that's how kids are. They bring not only noise, but also the warmth and vitality of home. Now that this liveliness is suddenly gone, it feels like something is missing," the team leader said with emotion.

Time slipped away quietly, second by second, and the night, like a huge black curtain, slowly descended, growing deeper and deeper.

Everything around was gradually swallowed by darkness, and the once clearly visible outlines of houses gradually became blurred.

Only the twinkling stars in the night sky seemed like countless eyes watching over this peaceful land.

After a day's work, people drifted off into sweet dreams.

At this time, apart from the occasional clucking of chickens and ducks, and the chirping of insects and birds, almost no other sounds could be heard in the village.

In this peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, two furtive figures suddenly approached Shen Xiaoxiao's home.

"Qiangzi, are you really sure this family is rich? We've come all this way, if we come up empty-handed, we'll be at a huge loss!"

One of the shorter men approached Qiangzi with a suspicious look on his face and deliberately lowered his voice to ask.

The man called Qiangzi nodded firmly with a determined look in his eyes and replied in a low voice, "Absolutely no mistake!"

"It was still dark when I happened to pass by his house and I caught a glimpse of him carrying a bulging bag and hurrying out."

"I followed him out of curiosity, and lo and behold, he went into the biggest pharmacy in town. There weren't many people in the store at the time, so I just peeked in from outside."

"The shopkeeper came out from behind the counter, took the bag from his hand, opened it and looked at it carefully, and then began to count the banknotes one by one."

Good heavens, I watched as the shopkeeper counted the money for ages before finally handing him a thick wad of bills.

"I've estimated it, it should be at least seventy or eighty yuan!"