pjbooks Chapter 126 Red Armband
Chapter 126 Red Armband
"Grandma, I want to eat rice too."
The two people on the upper bunk had already returned with their boxed lunches. Upon hearing what the child said, they immediately turned around to eat their own lunches, refusing to look at the grandmother and grandson even once more.
At this time, no one would be so kind as to give their food to others, and sensible people wouldn't visit other people's homes during mealtimes, so no one can say anything about what they do.
"Why would you eat rice? Aren't you afraid of choking?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Bao Ya and Liao Chunhua, then reached into his bundle and took out two cornbread cakes.
Bao Ya looked up and then turned to Liao Chunhua and said:
"Mom, let's not make pancakes anymore. They're easy to choke on."
"Okay, sure."
The two exchanged questions and answers, and there was a brief moment of silence around them.
The old lady across from them glared at them angrily for a couple more times before taking out a bowl and soaking the flatbread in it.
Bao Ya was also feeling hungry. Jiang Yuan hadn't returned from buying lunch yet, so she reached into her bag, took out an egg, cracked it open on the table, and peeled the shell bit by bit.
"Auntie, I want to eat eggs too."
Seeing that he couldn't reason with his grandmother, the child looked longingly at the egg in Bao Ya's hand and tried to persuade her.
The old woman across from him merely glanced at him without saying a word, letting the child ask her for eggs.
"Wait here, let me try it first to see if it tastes good."
"Bao Ya said casually. She separated the egg white from the peeled egg, stuffed it into her own mouth, and casually put the yolk into Ge Chunhua's mouth.
Chewing on the egg white, he opened his eyes wide and said earnestly to the child:
"It doesn't taste good."
Wow~~
Suddenly, a deafening cry erupted in the carriage, drawing everyone's attention.
"Hey, you jinx, why are you teasing my child?"
"Who teased your child? It's clearly you who's stingy and unwilling to feed the child. What does it have to do with me?"
Bao Ya absolutely refused to admit that it was her fault, even though she was very bored.
"You little slut, you're going too far! You..."
The old woman, her hand trembling, pointed at Bao Ya's nose and said...
Unable to bear it any longer, Ge Chunhua stood up abruptly, pointed her finger at the old woman's nose, and began to berate her:
"You old hag, are you ever going to stop? You haven't stopped since you got on the bus. If you cause any more trouble, believe me, I'll tear your mouth apart."
Bao Ya casually took out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her hands, and a red object in her pocket fell to the ground.
The old woman glanced at him, and suddenly shut her mouth, which was about to continue cursing. The two people eating on the upper bunk below also quickly took two steps back, shoveled the last two mouthfuls of rice into their mouths, grabbed their lunchboxes, and ran away.
Even those who had come to watch the spectacle quietly retreated to their own cubicles. The surroundings fell silent instantly.
Bao Ya was a little surprised by everyone's reaction. While she was still wondering, she looked down and saw that the red armband that had fallen to the ground clearly had the words "Committee" written on it.
What a coincidence! Only these two characters are visible; the character "居" (ju) is hidden underneath. Bao Ya almost burst out laughing.
These are red armbands issued by the neighborhood committee. Almost every household in the meat processing plant's residential compound has one. When there are activities that require their help, they wear these on their arms.
The neighborhood committee and the revolutionary committee differ by only one character, but the rights they possess are worlds apart.
Bao Ya picked up the red armband from the ground, patted off the non-existent dirt, glanced around dismissively, then folded it up and put it in her pocket.
Jiang Yuan bought three boxed lunches, one meat and two vegetable dishes, for only 50 cents a serving. Three yuan would be enough for two meals.
After they brought the lunchbox back, the child across from them stared at them longingly.
The old lady glanced at them secretly, said nothing more, covered the child's eyes with her hand, and whispered a few words in his ear.
The rest of the journey was much quieter. The grandfather and grandson across from each other spoke in hushed tones, and other passengers made way for them when they came out, even making way for them when they got off the bus.
The three of them arrived at the military region after 8 p.m. The person in charge of picking them up took them directly to the guesthouse. They stayed there until the next morning when they went to the hospital to see Jiang Tao, but his sister-in-law, Xu Wanyun, did not show up.
The three people were taken to the ward to see Jiang Tao, who was now out of danger and had been transferred to a regular ward.
The moment she pushed open the door, Bao Ya's lips twitched involuntarily.
There were six patients in the ward, three of whom were lying on one side, and they were all acquaintances.
On the hospital beds, in order, were Jiang Tao, Fang Mingda, and Wang Xiao. And what's more, one had an arm, one a leg, and the other both an arm and a leg. These three unfortunate brothers are kind of funny, aren't they?
Of the three, Jiang Tao was the most seriously injured; in addition to his arms and legs, he also appeared to have been shot in the chest.
The moment Wang Xiao saw Bao Ya, his pupils dilated instantly; he sensed that the days to come would not be peaceful.
Seeing her eldest son so badly injured, Ge Chunhua could only wipe away her tears. Jiang Tao and Jiang Yuan were busy comforting their grieving mother. Only Bao Ya was trying her best to suppress the upturned corners of her mouth.
"Mother, please stay home and rest assured. I'll take you to the city for a visit once I'm better."
Seeing his mother constantly crying, Jiang Tao felt a pang of sadness and tried to comfort her. However, he heard that Ge Chunhua cried even harder when she stayed at home, and Jiang Yuan's expression also turned grim.
Bao Ya glanced at the two of them, shook her head, and felt that these two were really useless. They had long mouths, so why didn't they just say something? They kept it all to themselves, so who would know?
"Brother, no need to trouble yourself. We can stay at the guesthouse. It's close by, so it'll be convenient for Mom to come see you."
Bao Ya was unaware of the feud between Ge Chunhua and her eldest daughter-in-law. It was Ge Chunhua who had telegraphed her family for help, but she hadn't shown up since yesterday, nor had she sent anyone to deliver a message. Not even a token gesture; their relationship couldn't possibly be good.
Since we don't like each other, let's keep our distance. Staying in a guesthouse is fine; it's Jiangcheng's money anyway.
Upon hearing Bao Ya's words, Jiang Tao's face stiffened, his breathing became heavy, and then he started coughing again. Jiang Yuan quickly went outside to call a doctor.
The series of reactions startled Bao Ya. She realized she needed to talk to the doctor to understand Jiang Tao's condition better so she could control her temper and avoid really angering him.
Fang Mingda looked at her with a hint of helplessness, thinking that he should find an opportunity to remind her that this girl was straightforward and that she shouldn't do something bad with good intentions.
Wang Xiao looked at Jiang Tao with pity, feeling that he might lose his family after he recovered from his injuries.
After the doctor's examination, Jiang Tao's injury was nothing serious. He had just choked on his saliva. The wound hadn't reopened, and he just needed to rest it.
After examining Jiang Tao, Bao Ya took Jiang Yuan to find a doctor to understand the situation, leaving Liao Chunhua behind to take care of Jiang Tao.
When they returned, a woman in her thirties with a prominent belly came in carrying a lunchbox. Bao Ya immediately went to take it, saying:
"Brother, this must be your sister-in-law. Look how heavy she is, yet she still came all the way to bring you food."
Jiang Tao felt a metallic taste in his throat and wanted to cough again.
Wang Xiao watched as Bao Ya clicked her tongue. They had been fighting the enemy for several hours before Jiang Tao was shot three times, but this girl had only been inside for half an hour and had already fired two sneak arrows.
Bao Ya really didn't do it on purpose this time. She's a woman in her late pregnancy, and she's even bringing food to this ward. Could it be that sister-in-law she's never met before?