Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 346 The Patient in the Next Bed
When Liu Chunhua asked him a question, a familiar figure flashed through Wang Chengpeng's mind, and he smiled and said:
"Who else could I give it to? Of course, it's for my beloved mother."

"Thank you for bringing me into this world, and thank you for your meticulous care."

A hint of moisture flashed in her eyes, but Liu Chunhua waved her hand dismissively, saying:

"Who wants this creepy thing you sent? You should keep it and give it to the girl you love most."

“I just went to the state-run restaurant and bought you dinner. It’s all your favorite food, and there’s plenty of it.”

"Sit still, I'll feed you."

Shaking his head awkwardly, Wang Chengpeng said:

"Mom, I'm not a child anymore, why do I need you to feed me?"

"You leave it there, I'll eat it myself."

"If the bandage hadn't been so tight, I would have been able to get out of bed long ago."

Hearing this, Liu Chunhua said with a bit of a laugh:

"He's still a child. Before, he acted like a child, even more childish than a child."

“I knew you would try to be brave, so I made sure the doctor bandaged it up a bit more.”

"Don't even think about going anywhere until your injuries have healed and the bandages are removed."

"Alright, you can eat by yourself then. I'll go back and cook. Xiao Zhu will come over to keep watch later."

He said he was falling behind in his studies and planned to ask you to help him catch up.

"Hey, you know what, Xiao Zhu is a really good kid. He's down-to-earth, hardworking, and loves to learn. I really don't know where you found him."

"I don't know what kind of bewitching drug you gave him. Last time I secretly let him go back, he said he was fine staying here and didn't want to go back."

"In the end, I could only give Xiaoyan a good scolding and tell her to stop bullying Xiaozhu all the time."

"With Xiao Zhu's build, if we didn't give in to her, would we be able to let her bully us? She just knows how to make a mess all day long."

Listening to his mother's nagging, Wang Chengpeng felt like his head was about to explode.

He felt like he had gotten himself into a huge mess. Even though he was injured like this, he still couldn't have a moment of peace and had to find time to tutor Zhu Hong.

However, since I lured someone away in the first place, I have to take responsibility for him. I can only continue to be a good person to the end.

If Zhu Hongzhen really makes a name for himself in the army, this stubborn guy will definitely remember his kindness, so it's not a loss either way.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng smiled and said:
"Alright, Mother, you go back and rest first, and let Zhu Hong take over."

"That makes sense. He loves learning so much, so he should read more books."

"Don't worry, I will definitely not delay his study progress."

"Anyway, I've already slept all day, so I'll tutor him all night."

Hearing Wang Chengpeng's words through gritted teeth, Liu Chunhua teased:
"He keeps saying he's not a child, yet he keeps saying childish things."

"Studying is important, but health is also important."

"With the college entrance exam just around the corner, don't study too late."

As she was talking, Liu Chunhua picked up her lunchbox and left the ward.

When packing food for Wang Chengpeng, he also specially bought a braised pork dish for Wang Tieshan to take back early as a surprise.

With Liu Chunhua's departure, the ward fell silent once again.

Wang Chengpeng was not staying in a single room, but sharing a room with another patient he didn't know, separated by a large curtain.

The injured person next to him seemed very quiet; at least while Wang Chengpeng was conscious, he didn't hear a single sound from the side.

Just as Wang Chengpeng was thinking that, he heard a painful groan from the other side.

Some things really can't be ignored; just thinking about them will cause problems.

Out of kindness, Wang Chengpeng asked out of curiosity:

"Hey, buddy in the next bed, do you need any help?"

"If you need help, I'll call a nurse for you."

Although Wang Chengpeng doesn't like to get too involved in other people's fates, he is willing to help the injured person next door who shares his suffering.

Upon Wang Chengpeng's inquiry, a hoarse voice soon came from the next bed:

"There's no need to trouble the nurse. If you could, could you please get me a glass of water?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other person realized that his words had been somewhat rash and added:

"Could you please call a nurse for me? My throat is injured, and I can't speak forcefully."

The reason the other party changed their tune was clearly because they realized that it was obviously very inconvenient for Wang Chengpeng to share a hospital room with them.

Although he didn't want to cause trouble for the nurses, he had no choice but to accept it.

"No problem at all!" Wang Chengpeng immediately agreed, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Nurse, there is someone here who needs help. Could you please come over here?"

Wang Chengpeng's voice was full of energy and had a great penetrating power, so it quickly traveled a long distance.

Such a loud voice made it hard to believe he was a seriously injured patient. Sure enough, a nurse rushed in immediately.

Considering the other person's throat injury, Wang Chengpeng immediately explained the situation to the nurse:
"The comrade inside is a little thirsty, but it's not convenient. Could you please bring him a glass of water?"

After hurriedly pouring two glasses of warm water for the patient in the next bed, the nurse quickly left the ward to take care of other patients.

Just as the nurse left, the person in the next bed spoke up, expressing their gratitude to Wang Chengpeng, saying:

"Comrade, thank you so much."

"If it weren't for your help, I don't know how much worse I would be right now."

Faced with the other party's gratitude, Wang Chengpeng said indifferently:
"It takes a little effort, but it doesn't matter."

"If you need help calling a nurse, just let me know, I'm happy to help you."

Faced with Wang Chengpeng's kindness, the other party did not refuse and uttered two words, "Thank you!" The ward fell silent again.

After sleeping for about two hours, the door opened again, and along with a gust of cold wind came Zhu Hong's boisterous voice:

"Brother Wang, I've come to see you."

"How did you end up wrapped up like a rice dumpling? How are you supposed to move?"

Wang Chengpeng: ...? ? ?
He felt that Zhu Hong's study tasks were too easy, and immediately put on a stern face, saying:

"Zongzi? I'll make you zongzi next year for the Dragon Boat Festival, but let's get on with today's work first."

"How's your homework going?" Upon hearing Wang Chengpeng mention homework, Zhu Hong's smile vanished instantly, replaced by an awkward chuckle.
"Brother Wang, how could I dare not do the homework you assigned?"

"Not only did I finish yesterday's homework, but I also previewed today's homework in advance."

At this point, Zhu Hong's expression grew even more distressed, and he said:
"But the content for the senior year is still a bit too difficult, and I really can't understand it."

The smile won't disappear, it will only shift; at least Wang Chengpeng is smiling very happily right now.
"Don't understand? If you don't understand, how do you have time to think about eating zongzi?"

"Put the question in front of me, and I'll explain it to you now."

"If you don't finish today's study schedule, you can forget about sleeping."

Although he felt a little wronged, since he had never said he wanted to eat zongzi, Zhu Hong still obediently opened a physics book and placed it in front of Wang Chengpeng, saying:

"I really don't understand the question in the top left corner."

With just a quick glance, Wang Chengpeng had already grasped the solution to the problem and quickly explained the solution process.

Along the way, Zhu Hong nodded frequently, and his eyes gradually became clearer, clearly indicating that he had gained something.

Following the same method, Wang Chengpeng quickly finished explaining several questions, and then gave Zhu Hong some more questions to write to reinforce his knowledge. Only then did he lie down on the bed and close his eyes to rest.

He had slept too long during the day and was not sleepy at all.

It was precisely while Wang Chengpeng was resting behind closed doors that he heard a familiar, hoarse voice:

"Comrade, could you please call the nurse again?"

This person had clearly been enduring for a long time; even their voice sounded somewhat distorted.

That's one of the downsides of having a patient with limited mobility hospitalized alone, especially with a throat injury; this person must have felt quite helpless.

At Wang Chengpeng's call, the nurse came in shortly afterward.

A moment later, she emerged from the other side of the curtain, looking somewhat embarrassed at Zhu Hong, and said apologetically:
"Comrade, could you please do me a favor?"

"This patient here needs to use the restroom, but there are no male nurses around, I really..."

As she spoke, the nurse's face visibly turned red.

Although taking care of patients is a nurse's duty, accompanying a male colleague to the restroom is still somewhat of a breach of her boundaries.

Seeing that Zhu Hong was also strong and healthy, she decided to ask for help.

Faced with Zhu Hong's questioning gaze, Wang Chengpeng nodded slightly, indicating that he could help. Only then did Zhu Hong stand up and run over to help.

Although Wang Chengpeng doesn't like to meddle in other people's business, it's not a big problem for him to be kind to others within his capabilities when he's out and about.

With Zhu Hong's help, the man was finally able to move and walked out from behind the curtain.

It was precisely because of this that Wang Chengpeng finally saw what his fellow patients looked like.

The man was in his early thirties, with a buzz cut, a common feature in the military. He had a square face with sharp features and his eyes were full of determination.

He was wearing a faded Type 65 military uniform with several dark brown bloodstains faintly visible on it, clearly indicating that he hadn't had time to change out after being wounded.

The most noticeable injury was to his right leg, which was in a thick cast, and his left arm, which was wrapped in bandages, indicating that the injury was quite serious.

A hint of surprise flashed in Wang Chengpeng's eyes; he hadn't expected his fellow patient to be a soldier.

There shouldn't be any troops stationed near Hetian Town, so we don't know what the other side's background is.

Out of curiosity, Wang Chengpeng asked the nurse who was waiting nearby:
"Nurse, could you tell me about this soldier?"

The nurse was resting on a bench in the ward. She was in a good mood, finally having a moment to catch her breath, and since Zhu Hong had helped her, she was happy to share some of what she knew.

"You mean Comrade Zheng Zhiqiang? He's truly a good comrade!"

"He rarely takes leave to come back from the army to visit his family, but he never expected that when he passed through a remote alley in Hetian Town, he would happen to see a kidnapper snatching a child."

“Those were three strong human traffickers. Even if the child’s parents were standing by, they couldn’t snatch him back. Comrade Zheng rushed forward without thinking.”

"Unfortunately, the slave traders were numerous and armed. Although Comrade Zheng helped to snatch the child back, he was seriously injured and collapsed in a pool of blood."

At this point, the nurse's expression clearly became indignant, and she continued:
"The child's parents were utterly despicable. Comrade Zheng risked his life to help them get the child back, but instead of being grateful, they ignored Comrade Zheng's injuries."

"Fortunately, a passerby called the police and Zheng was taken to the hospital in time."

"Otherwise, given the injuries Comrade Zheng sustained, he might have died from excessive blood loss."

"They were clearly doing a good deed, so how did it end up like this?"

"Fortunately, the dean is very understanding and directly waived Comrade Zheng's medical expenses, so it didn't really hurt his feelings."

"We haven't been able to contact Comrade Zheng's family yet, so he has to stay in the ward alone, which is really inconvenient."

"Fortunately, Comrade Wang's friend helped, otherwise Comrade Zheng might not have been able to make things so convenient."

At this point, the nurse lowered her head and murmured:

"Comrade Zheng is clearly a hero. How could those child's parents do such a thing? It's just so unreasonable."

"His voice was hoarse from shouting to help people. He should at least have helped call the police."

Upon hearing the nurse's explanation, Wang Chengpeng also felt a deep respect for Zheng Zhiqiang.

Although he did not approve of such a risky behavior, he admired Zheng Zhiqiang's selfless spirit.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng took the initiative to speak:

"Nurse, I never expected that I would end up sharing a hospital room with a hero who did a good deed."

"Don't worry, as long as I'm still in the ward, I will definitely help Comrade Zheng if there's anything I can do to help."

Seeing that Wang Chengpeng had taken the initiative to take on this task, the nurse couldn't stop smiling and said:
"Then thank you, Comrade Wang. I heard you are also a hero in the village. You are indeed a righteous person."

"However, you don't need to take on everything. Just help Comrade Zheng with small favors occasionally. If something really happens, you should call on us nurses."

At this point, the nurse stood up and walked out of the ward.

She was just taking a short break during her work when she heard other patients calling for help, so she rushed over without stopping.

After some time, Zhu Hong helped Zheng Zhiqiang back.

It's unclear what Zhu Hong and Zheng Zhiqiang said, but as Zheng Zhiqiang passed by Wang Chengpeng, he solemnly said "thank you" to Wang Chengpeng.

Wang Chengpeng thought to himself that Zheng Zhiqiang was indeed a person worth befriending; at least as a friend, he was someone you could trust completely.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng nodded slightly to Zheng Zhiqiang and said:
"Comrade Zheng, please don't be so polite."

"We're all straightforward people, so please feel free to ask if you need any help."

(End of this chapter)