Reborn in 1985, starting from a machine factory

A three-wheeled vehicle with a blue tarpaulin and cotton curtains hanging on the door.

It creaked and groaned as it drove forward on the road.

The man pedaling the bicycle was elderly; he wore a Lei Feng hat and thick gloves.

"Auntie, let me help Uncle pedal." Sitting in the carriage, Chen Mo felt uncomfortable.

"You're still so young, what if you get too tired and stunted?" Auntie pulled Chen Mo back. "Honey, what's wrong? Can't you pedal anymore?"

"I can pedal, I can pedal!" Uncle said. "Xiao Mo, sit tight, we're almost there!"

As soon as the car came to a stop, Chen Mo heard Chen Fen's voice outside: "Mom, Auntie is here."

Chen Mo carefully crawled out of the carriage and hid behind his aunt.

Li Guihua sat by the door with a dark expression. Seeing her eldest sister, she bowed slightly and asked, "Elder sister, who's behind you?"

Chen Mo poked his head out: "Mom!"

"Hey, still looking sullen!" The auntie sat down unceremoniously to the side. "Little Mozi already told me, what, don't you want to go to the hospital?"

Upon hearing her elder sister speak, Li Guihua immediately became restless: "Sister, I'm fine, it's just an old ailment. I'll be fine after a few days of rest. Don't waste money!"

"Get up quickly, don't be stubborn with me, get ready, let's go now."

"What does 'wasting money' mean?"

"If you're not efficient, Xiao Mozi, Fenzi, and the others will all be worried about you."

"I'm really fine, sis!" Li Guihua stood up unconsciously.

"Fenzi, get your mom a warm coat, we're going to the hospital together."

"Your uncle is waiting outside," the aunt said firmly.

Chen Fen ran to pick up her coat, while Li Guihua, though reluctant, still headed for the door.

She secretly glared at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo shrank back.

The aunt spoke up: "Why are you scaring Xiao Mozi? He's still young, and you're doing this for his own good!"

Li Guihua was speechless; she sat in the car.

"Guihua, let me tell you, if you're sick, you need to get treatment."

Humans eat grains and cereals...

"Sister, I understand!" Li Guihua was a little overwhelmed.

"Alright, honey, let's go to the People's Hospital!" Auntie said as she got into the car.

Chen Mo and Chen Fen followed beside the car.

"Sit tight!" Uncle smiled, stepped on the pedal hard, and Chen Mo gave it a push, and the tricycle slowly started moving forward.

The tricycle was much faster than walking, and even though my uncle tried to slow down, the tricycle was soon out of sight.

Chen Fen and Chen Mo jogged along, but after a short while, they felt they couldn't run anymore and had to slow down.

After some time and more than an hour, the People's Hospital came into view.

The old-fashioned three-story brick building was packed with people inside and out. All the buildings were pretty much the same, with the lower half painted green and the upper half white.

My aunt had already taken Li Guihua inside, and my uncle was waiting outside.

Chen Fen was just someone who liked to have fun, which is why she came along.

Seeing so many people around, Chen Mo was worried about her running around, so he handed her over to his uncle.

Upon entering the consultation room, it was Li Guihua's turn.

The doctor, with a stethoscope attached, glanced at the patient and then lowered his gaze: "Is your stomach upset?"

Li Guihua carefully pinched her clothes: "Yes, my stomach is bloated, and sometimes it hurts a little, but I can bear it. It's an old problem."

The aunt leaned forward and grabbed Li Guihua's other hand, telling her not to be afraid.

"First, check your liver function, then get a liver ultrasound. I think it's cirrhosis, but we can't rule out the risk of a space-occupying lesion."

Li Guihua didn't understand: "Doctor, what does 'occupying space' mean?"

Chen Mo took two steps forward: "Mom, let's go check first, there are so many people in line."

The aunt looked up at Chen Mo, then helped Li Guihua up.

"Take the slip to the payment counter, pay the fee, and bring the results back after you get them."

The doctor tore a strip from the blue medical record and handed it to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo accepted it.

As soon as they stepped out of the consultation room, Li Guihua turned around and asked, "Second son, how much?"

"It's not much money!" Chen Mo stepped back a little: "Auntie, you take my mom to the ultrasound station to queue up first."

Auntie nodded: "Okay, Little Mozi."

Chen Mo turned around, his expression darkening.

Ultrasound scan: 12 images; Liver function scan: 8 images.

These two items will cost twenty yuan.

It's not that I'm stingy with money, it's just that the little money I have in my pocket simply can't last long.

Clutching the receipt, Chen Mo walked to the payment counter.

"Little Mozi?" His aunt's voice came, and Chen Mo looked up.

"What's wrong, Auntie?"

"Your mom is in line, I have something to ask you."

"Auntie, what do you want to say?"

"What is that liver mass? Little Mozi, you'd better tell me honestly."

"It shouldn't be that, Auntie. Let's check the results later."

The aunt frowned: "Is it cancer?"

"No, my mom definitely doesn't have it. We'll know once the test results come back."

The aunt gently shook her head, then took out a floral cotton bag from her bosom. She opened it layer by layer, revealing neatly folded change inside.

They have both five-dollar and one-dollar options.

"Little Mozi, take this, go see a doctor first."

"Auntie, no need, I have enough money on me," Chen Mo said.

"Take it if I tell you to. If you don't listen, I won't stop your uncle from spanking you."

"Don't think about anything else, getting medical treatment is the most important thing."

Chen Mo kept his mouth tightly shut: "Okay, Auntie."

"Hurry up and pay the bill. I'll go watch your mother. I told her I needed to use the restroom before I came over."

"She doesn't know, don't worry."

"She's just stingy with money," the aunt muttered.

Chen Mo nodded.

My aunt's life isn't easy either. My uncle is quite old and still pedals a tricycle to make a living.

But now she takes out thirty yuan at a time to pay for her sister's medical treatment, and she still needs Chen Mo to help her keep it a secret.

Chen Mo felt a lump in his throat.

...

"Li Guihua, your report is out!"

Around noon, a voice came from the ward.

Chen Mo immediately stood up, picked up the handwritten report, and the black and white ultrasound scan couldn't reveal anything.

Only the following few lines of small print: "Early stage of cirrhosis, mild ascites."

Auntie and Li Guihua also looked nervous: "How is it?"

"No!" Chen Mo said abruptly, then gently shook his head at his aunt.

Auntie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mom, let's go find the doctor we saw earlier," Chen Mo said.

Li Guihua was reluctant to go; the glass syringe with the metal needle that had just drawn her blood had hurt her a lot.

However, seeing her aunt get up, she had no choice but to obediently stand up as well.

"Comrade, you know how painful this disease is."

"Early-stage cirrhosis with mild ascites—if you're not careful, it can become much more serious than just an early-stage condition."

The doctor spoke with a serious expression.

"Doctor, how do we treat my mother's illness?" Chen Mo asked.

"It's incurable!"

"Huh?" Li Guihua's eyes widened.

"This disease can only be managed; it requires 30% treatment and 70% recuperation."

"Are you her son?"

"For your mother's illness, she needs to take her medication on time, get plenty of rest, eat a diet high in protein and vitamins, and keep her emotions stable."

"I understand, doctor!" Chen Mo said.

"Alright, comrade, pay the fee and pick up your medicine." The doctor tore off the slip of paper.

"Doctor, I still have a bottle of Hepatoprotective Agent at home. Do you think it's still safe to take?" Li Guihua asked.

"Then let's not buy this this time." The doctor crossed out a line on the medical record: "Make sure you get plenty of rest."

"Young man, keep an eye on your mother. She can't stop taking her medication, and she needs to pay close attention to her diet. Come back for a follow-up check-up in a month."

Chen Mo nodded silently: "Okay, I'll remember that, thank you, doctor."