The mother of the era is reborn to support her cannon fodder children!

Chapter 172 "A New Hope"

Seeing the doctor's reaction, Lin Zhao's eyes lit up, and she hurried into the ward.

Li Song sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, a long-lost sense of ease coming from his injured foot, leaving him somewhat dazed.

He... he's all better now?!
Could it be... a dream?! He subconsciously raised his hand and pinched his thigh hard, the stinging sensation feeling incredibly real.

Li Song's dazed look stunned Lin Zhao.

She couldn't help but ask, "...How are you feeling?"

But I was really worried: Why are all the doctors so distracted, and this guy just sitting there silently? Did it work out or not? I'm so anxious!

Lin Zhao's voice instantly jolted Li Song awake from his reverie. Li Song jolted awake and snapped back to reality.

He suddenly stood up, as if to confirm something, and absentmindedly lifted his foot, taking the first step cautiously.

The sensation coming from my feet was no longer soreness or the familiar numbness and weakness, but a long-lost, crystal-clear feeling of support!
My heart, which had been pounding in my throat, suddenly skipped a beat.

He unconsciously quickened his pace...

There was no more obstruction or sluggishness at the injured area; a smooth and steady power rose from the soles of my feet!
Li Song's steps went from tentative to smooth, each step was exceptionally firm and powerful!
At the door, Yuan Xiang, who was anxiously looking around, caught sight of the young man striding into the ward. Her eyes widened instantly, and her mouth opened slightly.

"Comrade Li?" Her voice trembled with extreme shock. "You, your leg... is healed?!"

How long has it been?!

This morning, he was walking faster and limping, and now, only two or three hours later, he's striding so fast?!

Li Song smiled, a smile that Yuan Xiang had never seen before, radiant and exuding confidence!

His eyes shone brightly, and his mouth stretched into a wide grin, revealing a mouthful of neat, white teeth.

This taciturn young man was now burning with ecstatic joy!

He strode forward to Yuan Xiang, stopping in front of her, his eyes slightly red, and repeatedly, excitedly and incoherently, said, "It's healed! It's completely healed! Comrade Yuan Xiang! My leg... it's healed!!"

The sound was as loud as a bell, making her eardrums buzz, and it also penetrated the small ward and went straight into the corridor.

Who would willingly be a cripple for life if they could walk with their back straight and stride confidently?!
Li Song was so excited that his chest heaved violently, and he wished he could roar to the sky.

Only those who have experienced the pain of limping know how exhilarating and damn liberating it is to be able to walk steadily like a normal person!

Yuan Xiang was also overwhelmed by this immense joy, and it took her a long time to find her voice, "...That's great, congratulations!"

While everyone else in the ward was overjoyed, they were also ignited by this near-miraculous reality!
Some people couldn't contain their excitement and shouted on the spot.

Someone hugged the arm that had been weak for years and wept with joy.

Even more remarkable is the case of someone who has had difficulty walking for many years. Stumbling and staggering, they rushed out of the ward and downstairs, cupping their hands to their mouths and shouting at the sky, "I can run again—! My damn legs, they can run again!!!"

Looking at these excited faces, Lin Zhao felt her eyes welling up with tears.

She gripped Gu Chenghuai's hand tightly and said repeatedly, "It works! The medicine really works! Third Brother doesn't need to transfer to civilian work; he can stay in the army!"

Gu Chenghuai's heart was also stirred, and his turbulent emotions were difficult to calm down for a long time.

His eyes suddenly darkened, and his mind was racing with a thousand thoughts.

...This medicine is too strong; such a great achievement is enough to exonerate the Meng family.

Several significant names flashed through my mind.

His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and he was already quickly sifting through the options in his mind to find the most efficient and reliable relationship.

We must seize this opportunity!
Lin Zhao was overwhelmed with emotion. She grabbed her husband's sleeve and urged him urgently, "Gu Chenghuai, hurry, let's go back to the Dongfeng Brigade. I want to tell Third Brother this good news so he can take the medicine as soon as possible!"

"Then... we're not going to the supply and marketing cooperative?" Gu Chenghuai raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile in his eyes as he looked at her anxious expression.

Lin Zhao paused for a moment when asked, "Uh..."

The excitement on his face hadn't faded yet, but reason slowly returned.

She paused for a moment, then said, "Let's go anyway."

Come here.

After saying goodbye to Yuan Xiang, the couple went to the supply and marketing cooperative.

The supply and marketing cooperative is quiet right now, with few customers.

The sales clerks at the counter were each busy with their abacuses, organizing the goods, and those who were on good terms would exchange a few words from time to time.

Only Li Fen's heart had already flown to the county hospital.

She was worried about her younger brother, Li Song. She crocheted absentmindedly, her mind wandering, and the needle kept poking her fingertips. She finally put down her work, her eyebrows furrowed tightly, and she kept sighing.

Lin Zhao quietly strolled to her counter, put her hands behind her back, and deliberately dragged out her tone: "Hmm..."

Gu Chan noticed her younger brother and sister-in-law first: "Zhao Zhao? Why did you go out today?"

"I came out to take care of some business." Replying to her sister-in-law's question, Lin Zhao looked at Li Fen and said with a smile, "Sister Fen, Comrade Gu and I just came from the county hospital. We heard some great news, and Sister Fen is thinking..."

Before I could even utter the words, "Do you know what it is?"...

Li Fen sprang up as if she were on a spring, her abdomen slamming against the hardwood counter with a loud thud, causing her to wince in pain.

She ignored him and grasped Lin Zhao's hand, "...Zhao Zhao, what do you mean...?"

Li Fen stared at her with burning eyes and a hopeful expression, "My brother... is alright?! Right?"

"You mean good news? Good news is... he's perfectly fine and safe, isn't he?"

Lin Zhao nodded solemnly.

The laughter was clear and bright.

"Comrade Li is doing very well! Not only is he alright, he can run and jump around like a normal person again!"

Upon receiving confirmation, Li Fen felt as if all her strength had been drained, and she slumped back onto the bench.

She was a strong-willed person and was afraid of being seen crying, so she turned her back and tears streamed down her face, large drops falling onto the cement floor and leaving dark marks.

Less than half a minute later.

Li Fen wiped her face hard, turned around abruptly, her eyes slightly red, but they seemed to be lit up like two lamps, and the corners of her mouth couldn't be suppressed from turning up.

"Good! Good! It's good that you're alright! That brat kept me up all night, and I was so distracted this morning. If it weren't for your sister-in-law's help, I would have made a fool of myself." She complained.

Gu Chan gently comforted her, "Everyone gets anxious and stressed sometimes."

After speaking, she looked at Lin Zhao and Gu Chenghuai one by one and asked her sister-in-law, "Zhao Zhao, what are you two doing at the hospital? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Everything's fine," Lin Zhao said. "I heard the county hospital is conducting a drug trial today, so I'm going to check it out."

They never mentioned that the medicine was thanks to Fourth Brother.

"It's good that you're not feeling unwell." Gu Chan had just thought that Zhao Zhao was pregnant again.

She didn't want her younger siblings to have any more children. Cheng Huai's family already had four children, both sons and daughters, which was more than enough! It was fine if they had more children, as she and her mother could help take care of them. But even if they didn't let her younger siblings do anything, she would still be exhausted. The pain of ten months of pregnancy and the near-death experience of childbirth was something only those who had gone through it knew!
Gu Chan secretly made up her mind to find an opportunity to give her younger brother a good talking-to.

At this moment, Li Fen pulled out a package from under the counter and slammed it down in front of Lin Zhao.

"Zhaozhao, your Dragon Boat Festival gift, issued by the supply and marketing cooperative, you haven't come yet." The booming voice was completely different from before.

Lin Zhao was slightly surprised and took it, weighing it in her hand.

Upon opening it, one finds a jar of oil, weighing about two pounds, two bars of printed soap, a tightly tied bundle of raw rice dumplings (six in total), and five salted duck eggs.

What a generous gift!
"Such a big deal?!"

Li Fen raised her eyebrows high, her face full of undisguised smugness.

"That's right! Our supply and marketing cooperative is doing well, and the benefits are the best in the whole county!" She proudly gave a thumbs up. "There are quite a few factories and mines around, but we're the only one that can supply them! The rare items that our purchasing agents run themselves ragged to bring back are snapped up by those in the know before the shelves are even full! With such good profits, the prices of gifts for holidays naturally go up too!"

Lin Zhao took out two zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and two salted duck eggs, and placed them on Gu Chan's counter with a "thud." Before Gu Chan could refuse, Lin Zhao grabbed Gu Chenghuai's arm and said, "Let's go, big sister. See you later."

The woman pulled her husband and slipped out.

"Hey! Zhao Zhao! You..." Gu Chan grabbed her things and hurriedly chased after him, wanting to return them.

Just as I reached the door, I saw a bicycle whiz away and disappear into the distance.

From the back seat of the car, Lin Zhao waved to her sister-in-law.

A clear, crisp voice echoed through the street.

"Big sister, this is the holiday gift our family gave to the two stones to eat."

Gu Chan hugged the things tightly, her chest burning hot.

She returned to the counter with a heavy heart.

Li Fen and the others were not surprised at all to see that Gu Chan had not returned her things.

"Hahaha, I knew you weren't going back." Li Fen laughed heartily. "I knew it! What Zhao Zhao gave you... you think you could give it back? That girl... I haven't had much contact with her, but I can tell that if she sets her mind to something, she'll get it done!"

After laughing, she comforted Gu Chan, "You're family, it's only natural to help each other out, so don't be too formal. The fact that she's willing to give it to you shows that she's close to you, her sister-in-law."

Li Fen had seen all sorts of people at the supply and marketing cooperative. It was common for sisters-in-law to quarrel and for sisters-in-law to bicker. But the genuine warmth between the two of them was something else entirely.

Wow, how rare! Truly rare!
Gu Chan savored Li Fen's words, "I'm close to you, my sister-in-law," and a smile crept onto her lips.

Are Zhaozhao and her close?

That's so great!

In the afternoon, Big Stone and Little Stone saw what their mother had brought home and guessed it was delicious food; their eyes lit up.

"Mom, is it for eating?" The zongzi was wrapped in bamboo leaves and was still quite hard, so Little Stone couldn't tell that it was for eating. But he recognized the eggs and touched the salted duck eggs with an expectant look on his face.

“Yes, it was a gift from your third aunt,” Gu Chan said with a smile.

She waved the raw rice dumpling in her hand, "This is also edible, it's a rice dumpling."

Big Stone asked, "The zongzi we eat on Dragon Boat Festival?"

Glutinous rice is hard to prepare, and the two boys haven't eaten zongzi much.

“Yes. These zongzi are a Dragon Boat Festival benefit from the supply and marketing cooperative. There are only a few in total. Your third aunt is willing to give them to you. Remember her kindness and be filial to her when you grow up, understand?” Gu Chan herself is grateful and teaches her son the same way.

The two stones nodded solemnly.

Little Stone, curious about the taste of zongzi, asked, "Mom, can we eat zongzi today?"

Gu Chan said, "Sure, I'll wash my face and cook for you."

"No need, I'll cook it myself. Mother, go and rest." Big Stone felt sorry for his mother's hard work, so he picked up the raw rice dumplings and headed into the kitchen.

As she approached the kitchen door, she stopped, turned to Gu Chan, and asked, "Mother, should we peel off the outer shell?"

"No need, just cook it like that," Gu Chan said. "Cook it for two hours, then let it simmer for a while. It'll taste better that way."

"Wow, that took so long!" Big Stone exclaimed, impressed.

Then, grabbing his younger brother by the back of the neck, he led him to the kitchen, saying, "You start the fire..."

……

When Gu Chan brought the things back, Wei's sister-in-law saw her.

Knowing that Wei Xiangdong was not someone to be trifled with, she didn't dare to go directly to his door, but instead went to provoke Old Lady Wei.

I originally wanted to get something nice for my son, but I ended up getting a thorough dressing-down instead.

"You've already separated the family, and you're still eyeing the little bits of oil on their stove! Have some shame! No matter what the second wife has, it's all theirs. If you keep peeking around like this, you'll be ashamed to be called my daughter-in-law, let alone a daughter-in-law..."

The old lady knew exactly what was going on.

Even after the family separated, the second son and his wife never forgot to show their respect to her, no matter what good food they ate. But the eldest son's family, let alone meat, they were afraid that their mother-in-law would take advantage of them even if they ate an egg.

The old lady is practically buried in the ground, how could she be used as a tool by you?
Sister-in-law Wei looked distressed.
-
Lin Zhao and her son-in-law arrived at the Lin family home in Dongfeng Brigade.

Lin Shifan was confined by his parents and couldn't do anything but sit like a wooden stake, with his "foreman," Xibao, glaring at him menacingly. He was truly...

"Auntie!" Xi Bao's sharp eyes were like radar; she spotted her auntie first.

She jumped up happily like a little sparrow and dashed over.

He buried his face in Lin Zhao's arms.

"Auntie, you're here! I've missed you so much! Why haven't you come for so long?"

Lin Zhao caught the little cannonball and ruffled the girl's hair. "I was busy before, but I came as soon as I was free."

He half-embraced the clingy Xibao as they entered the courtyard.

He plopped down, snatched the fan from Lin Shifan's hand, and started fanning himself vigorously.

Da Dan and Er Dan poured water and received a compliment from Lin Zhao, making the two brothers extremely happy.

They were already related by blood, but after his aunt got his father a job, their relationship became even closer!
"Third brother, your brother-in-law and I just came back from the county hospital with some good news. Can you guess what it is?" Lin Zhao had suppressed his excitement all the way here and was now acting very calmly.

Lin Shifan's eyes suddenly narrowed.

He subconsciously pursed his thin lips, and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarse and tinged with a barely perceptible expectation, "...Xiangxiang's boyfriend's leg is healed?!"

"Yes!" Lin Zhao said firmly.

She took a tube of ointment out of her bag. "Here! Third Brother, I specially saved this medicine for you. Want to try it? If you're not sure, we can go to Fourth Brother's place tonight and try it in front of him."

Lin Shifan only asked, "...Are any of the people who participated in the drug trials at the county hospital not cured...but instead became more seriously ill?"

"No." Lin Zhao shook his head, his tone resolute.

Everyone, every single one of them, has recovered!!
This is a living miracle!
Without saying a word, Lin Shifan grabbed the ointment and went back into the house.

The scars on his legs were hideous and terrifying. He was afraid of frightening his nephews and nieces, and even more so, he didn't want to make Zhaozhao cry.

Lin Zhao called out from behind, "Third Brother, apply the ointment to the wound. The ointment will dry into a shell and fall off on its own. Don't be so greedy as to pick at it."

Lin Shifan didn't turn around, but casually waved his hand behind him before closing the door.

He pulled up his trousers, revealing shocking injuries.

Open the ointment box and apply the ointment to the scar.

cold!
It was bone-chillingly cold!
In an instant, a burning pain shot through the scar.

The pain was no less than having your skin and flesh cut open with a knife.

Even a man of iron like him was in so much pain that he was sweating profusely, his teeth were clenched so tightly that they were grinding, and his lips were turning white.

Lin Shifan held back his groan.

This is... a new hope.

He can bear it.

My legs are burning more and more.

Lin Shifan: ...Damn, what a powerful drug!
(End of this chapter)