Chapter 23: Spring Rain Mixed with Snow

The spring rain in the north fell in a fine mist, mixed with grains of snow that looked like tiny pearls of rice. They splashed against the top of umbrellas, forming glistening droplets before vanishing into the rain-drenched ground.

The air was crisp, carrying the fresh scent of budding trees. Li Tian'er stood beneath the old willow tree in the courtyard, her vision blurring slightly. When the figures of Fan Lihua and Chen Haichao finally disappeared from sight, her hair and clothes were already soaked through.

Chen Haichao was set on leaving for the provincial capital to work as a temporary laborer alongside An Changlin. Fan Lihua had initially been against it, but she couldn't withstand her son's persistent pleading and his promise to return in a year with enough money to marry as she wished. Moved by his resolve, she had even gone to An Changlin’s house to verify that Chen Haichao wasn't lying.

Fan Lihua trusted An Changlin’s reliability, but Li Tian'er felt uneasy. She couldn't shake the feeling that An Changlin’s departure was linked to her attitude toward him the previous day. Yet, speculation was all it was; she couldn't confront him, and even if she were right, what could she do?

Lying awake in the middle of the night as the sleet turned into a steady rain, Li Tian'er eventually rose and stood by the window, peering into the pitch-black night. She found herself worrying about An Changlin.

After a few rumbles of thunder, the night grew even darker, the sky looking like spilled ink. When the clock struck five in the morning, the lights in the main house flickered on; Fan Lihua was up, preparing steamed buns for her youngest son’s journey.

Li Tian'er didn't turn on her lights, remaining in the darkness until dawn. She had expected to see An Changlin come by to collect Chen Haichao, but Chen told her they were meeting at the bus station.

"Oh, my! Taotao, why didn't you go inside? Look at you, soaked to the bone!"

Fan Lihua returned, clutching a black umbrella with a broken rib, and immediately spotted Li Tian'er standing under the old willow. She hurried over to pull her into the house.

"Don't you worry about Haichao. He’s got his own ideas now; he knows how to go out and earn money. After a year, he’ll have brought back a thousand or so, which should be plenty for his wedding. By the way, how much did you charge that girl in the red wool coat yesterday? What was wrong with her?"

Fan Lihua suddenly remembered the rule her daughter-in-law had set: no inquiring about patients, and certainly no gossiping. She quickly changed the subject, stating that they had agreed on a price for the consultation and medicine.

"I collected it."

"Good. Your medicine doesn't just fall from the sky. Whether you buy it wholesale in the county or dig it up yourself in the mountains, it takes time, effort, and care. Don't go soft and charge too little; ask for what it's worth."

"I know what I'm doing."

Li Tian'er remained indifferent. Fan Lihua felt a pang of awkwardness; she did want to squeeze some money out of her daughter-in-law, but she wasn't bold enough to ask directly.

To ease the tension, Fan Lihua rambled on, "I heard An Changlin's mother saying a couple of days ago that her son was getting married on the second day of the second lunar month. Why has he gone off to work now? Did the bride's family raise the dowry and they couldn't afford it? I fear his marriage is in trouble. He’s twenty-seven or twenty-eight, never climbed the ranks in the army, and spent the last year drifting at home. It’s hard enough for his mother to worry about him; children are a debt parents carry their whole lives. It seems no family ever truly gets exactly what they want."

After chattering a bit more, Fan Lihua dropped Li Tian'er off at her clinic and headed back out into the rain with her broken umbrella to find someone to talk to.

In the village, there was no concept of weekends, except for the primary schoolers who only had half-days. When Chen Jiangchao returned from school at noon, Fan Lihua hadn't yet come home to cook. He lifted the lid of the pot, grabbed two cold steamed buns, and sat on a stool to eat. Perhaps he ate too quickly, but once the buns were down, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach.

A neighbor was currently in Li Tian'er's clinic for a gynecological exam. Chen Jiangchao, clutching his stomach, didn't bother knocking and pushed the door open.

The woman let out a startled cry, quickly pulling up her trousers, her round face flushing bright red. "Why didn't you knock before coming in!" she complained. Chen Jiangchao didn't even look at her; cold sweat was already beading on his forehead.

"Taotao, I think I'm dying."

He slumped against the edge of the kang. Li Tian'er gestured for the woman to wait a moment and hurried over to examine Chen Jiangchao. After pressing on his abdomen, she immediately diagnosed acute appendicitis. He had to be taken to the county hospital for surgery at once.

Calling an ambulance in Xiao Wu Village was impossible. Managing to flag down a Liberation truck headed to the county, Li Tian'er and the neighbor helped load Chen Jiangchao into the back. The neighbor went to fetch Fan Lihua while the driver, impatient, waited for no one.

Arriving at the county hospital, Li Tian'er slipped the driver ten yuan to buy a couple of packs of cigarettes as a thank you. He hesitated but accepted. Seeing that she, a slender woman, would struggle to get the sturdy Chen Jiangchao into the hospital, the driver helped carry him into the emergency room before finally leaving.

Li Tian'er sat on a bench outside the operating room, drenched in both rain and sweat. Having already changed once that morning, she now sat in her thin spring clothes, shivering as the cold sweat clung to her skin.

When Fan Lihua finally arrived in a panic, Chen Jiangchao was already out of surgery and moved to a general ward. A nurse entered with the surgical bill, telling them to settle the payment at the counter.

Fan Lihua looked distraught, admitting she had no money on her. She had rushed over the moment she heard the news, never thinking about the cost of treatment.

Li Tian'er had even less. This was the most miserable life she had ever lived; she possessed a wealth system but couldn't exchange it for actual currency. Beyond the cabinet of herbs in the storage room, she didn't even own a decent set of clothes. She had felt so embarrassed returning home for the New Year with nothing but two boxes of oily, stale pastries and two bottles of fruit wine that Fan Lihua had provided.

"If you don't pay, we'll have to stop the medication. Go borrow some money from your relatives or friends; it’s not a huge amount. This surgery wasn't even that expensive." The nurse gave Li Tian'er a cold look before walking out.

The nurse clearly assumed she was Chen Jiangchao's wife. Li Tian'er felt a profound sense of discomfort and moved further down the hallway.

Fan Lihua wrung her hands, anxious, muttering, "We don't have any relatives or friends in the county to borrow from!"

"Chen Yunchao," Li Tian'er and Fan Lihua said almost simultaneously.

"Quickly, go call his workplace. Don't let him head home—I've locked both the outer and inner gates, and he doesn't have a key."

Li Tian'er wanted to call, but she didn't know the number or the full name of his department. Fan Lihua couldn't explain it clearly either, only knowing he worked at the County Agricultural Technology Station.

With no other choice, she began calling directory assistance. It wasn't until the fourth call that she finally heard Chen Yunchao’s voice on the other end.