"The IV has been administered and the fever has subsided. It's just a common cold. Just be careful not to let the child catch a chill when you get home."
"Go to the counter to pick up the medicine later. Remember to give the child the cold medicine at home. If the fever doesn't return tomorrow, you don't need to come back."
The doctor on duty found Chen Yang, who was constantly hovering around him, a bit of a headache. If it weren't for the fact that he saw how worried the man was about his child, he would have already asked him to leave.
"Thank you, doctor. Thank you, doctor."
Shen Xue, on the other hand, noticed the doctor's impatience and quickly pulled Chen Yang back. She also felt that Chen Yang was being overly cautious.
"You should rest too. Yan Yan's fever is gone, and she's sleeping soundly."
After the doctor left, Shen Xue finally breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the sleeping little one. Chen Yang's earlier words about it potentially leading to pneumonia had also scared her.
"I'll go buy something to eat. We haven't had dinner, and I'll be hungry later."
Chen Yang also realized that he had been too anxious. Children have weak constitutions, and it's normal for them to catch a cold from exposure to wind. All they need is careful attention.
"Okay, I'll take care of Yan Yan here. You can just grab something to eat outside the hospital and bring it back."
Reminded by Chen Yang, Shen Xue also felt her stomach growl. They had cooked red date porridge at home but hadn't had a chance to eat it. As soon as they noticed the baby had a fever, Chen Yang had rushed them to the hospital.
Outside the hospital, Chen Yang walked on the somewhat empty street, his heart filled with emotion.
He had been truly panicked when the baby had a fever just now.
He was terrified that everything he had finally regained would slip away again, which was why he had been so agitated.
"Yan Yan's constitution is still too weak. I need to find a way to buy some milk powder to supplement her nutrition."
If her constitution were stronger, her resistance would also be better, and she wouldn't get sick so easily.
Chen Yang could only comfort himself this way. In this era of scarcity, this was all he could do.
There were no restaurants along the way. Chen Yang searched several streets before finding a small, nameless eatery tucked away in a corner.
He paid a dollar for a bowl of shredded meat noodles and got another bowl for Shen Xue. Since he couldn't pack it, he ended up buying the owner's bowls as well.
By the time Chen Yang returned to the hospital, the baby was almost finished with the IV drip. He had Shen Xue eat the noodles, and then the couple urgently went to collect the medicine prescribed by the doctor before wrapping the baby in a blanket and heading home.
"You take care of Yan Yan at home for a while. I'll take the fish and go into town alone."
Chen Yang rubbed his reddened eyes. After a night of tossing and turning, it was almost dawn.
Someone was already waiting outside their yard, ready to weigh the fish.
"Sister, brother-in-law, my fish, are you buying?"
Shen Mei, squatting in the corner, held her bamboo basket and looked at Chen Yang and Shen Xue, who had just returned. She felt a bit nervous.
"Bring it over, I'll weigh it for you."
Chen Yang wasn't in the mood to bicker with Cui Xiufang. He didn't like this stingy second aunt and preferred not to deal with her, but he wasn't petty enough to deliberately target her.
Shen Mei, this little girl, was actually not bad. At least, when his daughter grew up in his previous life, they still had contact with Shen Mei's family. He heard that when his daughter and her husband bought a house in his previous life, Shen Mei's family had also helped out.
"Twenty-one jin. Brother-in-law will count them as large fish for you. That's four yuan and two mao. I'll settle the bill when you come back this afternoon."
"Come to the house during the day if you have nothing to do. Your sister didn't sleep all night. Help her watch Yan Yan."
Chen Yang glanced at the young girl. Shen Mei was only a few years younger than Shen Rong. At fifteen, she was old enough to work and earn work points in the countryside. Helping to look after the child was no problem.
"Okay, brother-in-law. I'll come as soon as it's light."
Seeing that Chen Yang wasn't holding a grudge at all, Shen Mei was overjoyed. It seemed her brother-in-law wasn't stingy at all. Four yuan and two mao could buy several jin of meat!
After sending Shen Mei away, Chen Yang continued to collect fish one after another. As the sky began to lighten, the six large plastic barrels were all filled.
"Looks like I'll have to buy a few more barrels today."
Looking at the large plastic barrels, which were filled even more than yesterday, Chen Yang's mood finally improved a little.
This was all money!
With a few more such hauls, he would have the confidence to approach that influential person later. He figured that person should still be under thirty years old.
He wondered if he had started construction yet. Once his business got going, it would truly be a goldmine.
"Buying so many fish, is it really okay with the collective?"
Just as Chen Yang was struggling to figure out who could help him drive the donkey cart into town, Shen Futang had, at some point, arrived in his yard.
"Dad, I'm buying these on behalf of the collective. The county's aquatic products station has a task to procure aquatic products. I'm already working for the collective, so there's no reason for me to be criticized again."
Looking at Shen Futang, Chen Yang knew that his father-in-law was likely worried, especially after he had given him roasted chicken and money yesterday.
"I don't care who you work for, as long as you know what you're doing. Xue'er and the child are both counting on you. You're a man, you need to be responsible."
"I'll drive the donkey cart for you later. It's our own business, so it's not good to let outsiders handle it."
Before Chen Yang could say anything, Shen Futang had already fetched a feed bucket from the corner and mixed some vegetable scraps and bran to feed the donkey.
Although the old man had a stubborn temper and had even quarreled with Chen Yang before, that was because Chen Yang had been too much of a scoundrel in the past. He only had two daughters, so of course, he wanted to help his son-in-law.
"Dad, why are you here? Haven't you had breakfast? Hurry up and wash your hands and eat."
Shen Xue happened to come out and saw Shen Futang. She quickly went over to take the feed bucket from his hand.
"I've already eaten. You and this kid should eat quickly and then head into town. If the weather gets hot, these fish won't last long."
The old man didn't let go of the bucket and continued feeding the donkey.
Chen Yang didn't dare to say anything more. Both in his previous life and in this one, he felt a bit intimidated by his father-in-law.
He slurped down a bowl of porridge, and Shen Xue also served Shen Futang a bowl. People ate a lot back then; there was never enough to feel full.
Shen Futang didn't want to eat another bowl. His eldest daughter's family had only started to have a better life recently, and they had just received twenty yuan. He didn't have the face to come and freeload.
But he couldn't resist the tempting aroma of the red date porridge and grapes. He finished the entire bowl of porridge in one go, and at the end, he even licked the bottom of the bowl until it was spotless.
"This kelp is useful. Add some more bran, and the large and small fish will also bubble, making them less likely to die."
Before they left, Shen Futang threw a handful of bran into each water bucket. Chen Yang didn't say anything, but he secretly took note.
He had lived one more lifetime, but when it came to farming skills and life experience, he couldn't compare to his father-in-law.
On the way, Shen Futang drove the donkey cart steadily, hardly splashing any water. Chen Yang followed behind, marveling at his skill.
"You have to go with the donkey's temper, otherwise, it's just a stubborn animal that won't listen."
"Back when my family had a winery, we had over a dozen donkeys for hauling goods..."
Shen Futang taught Chen Yang how to drive the cart along the way and reminisced about his younger days at home. It had been many years since he had driven a donkey cart.
For the first time, Chen Yang felt that his father-in-law, whom he had always been intimidated by, was just a stubborn old man. In a way, he was even a little bit endearing.