Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 147 Eager to Return Home

Xu Bei successfully bought the fabric he wanted and was in a very good mood.

He estimated that after returning home, he would find someone to process the fabricated clothing and then sell it in his store, taking advantage of the popularity of Xiaoqing's shirt to make a fortune.

Even though Zhao Fengying was still somewhat uncertain, she now had complete faith in her son's judgment and business acumen, so she decided to go all in.

Mr. Zhang was especially happy that people would come to his door to buy goods while he was at home.

Afterwards, Xu Bei and his group ordered some small general merchandise items, and he even gave them a discount.

Chen Jianguo originally planned that since they couldn't choose that many items here, he would take Xu Bei and her son to look at other places. However, they ended up spending most of their purchase money before even leaving the store.

Therefore, after Xu Bei and Boss Zhang agreed that the latter would help send them to the train station, he simply led them straight to the hospital where he knew someone.

As soon as Xu Bei entered the hospital, he felt the unique atmosphere of that era wash over him.

As expected of a hospital in the provincial capital, it's much more upscale than the one they have in the forest area.

The hospital building, several stories high, looks impressive from a distance.

Upon entering, one finds a spacious but slightly dimly lit outpatient hall filled with medical staff in white coats, as well as numerous patients and their families.

The green walls were somewhat mottled, the marble floor looked like it had just been mopped, and the air was filled with the strong smell unique to hospitals.

Chen Jianguo led the mother and son through a winding corridor and pushed open the door of a clinic with a wooden sign that read "Cardiology".

A middle-aged male doctor wearing black-rimmed glasses and a faded white coat was looking down at a patient's medical record.

Hearing the noise, she looked up and saw Chen Jianguo. She immediately smiled and said, "Jianguo, what brings you here? Is this you—"

As the middle-aged doctor spoke, he also curiously looked at Xu Bei and his group.

Chen Jianguo quickly explained with a smile, "Brother Wu, this is my buddy from out of town and his mother. They said they're having some heart problems and want to get checked out. I immediately thought of you, could you please take a look?"

"Sure," Doctor Wu said, pointing to the stool next to him. "Come sit here."

Zhao Fengying glanced at Xu Bei subconsciously before walking over and carefully sitting down.

Dr. Wu asked gently, "What's wrong with your heart?"

Zhao Fengying answered somewhat hesitantly, "It's just that my chest sometimes hurts."

Dr. Wu nodded and continued, "How long has this pain lasted? Does it feel stuffy?"

Because the doctor was kind and knew her son through a friend, Zhao Fengying felt much more relaxed. "I've been in pain for several years. In winter, or when I do heavy work or get angry, I feel like there's a stone pressing on my chest, and I can't breathe. But after resting for a while, I feel better."

Dr. Wu picked up the stethoscope hanging around his neck. "You'd better stay away."

Xu Bei guessed that the examination would involve something like a patch on his chest, so he told his mother to wait in the corridor outside before following Chen Jianguo out of the office.

After closing the consultation room door, Xu Bei immediately said softly, "Brother Chen, thank you so much. If you hadn't brought us here to find someone, we definitely wouldn't have been able to see a doctor smoothly and quickly."

Chen Jianguo waved his hand with a smile, "Aren't we friends? Why be so polite? If you know we have this relationship and don't use it, wouldn't that be too unbrotherly?"

While the two were talking quietly outside, the inspection inside continued.

After listening to her heartbeat, Dr. Wu took out an old blood pressure monitor and measured Zhao Fengying's blood pressure.

Then he turned around and began writing rapidly on a stack of yellowed prescription slips.

The pen scratches across the paper, producing a soft, sharp sound, and the characters are strong and powerful.

The ticking of the clock on the wall made Zhao Fengying both nervous and filled with immense admiration for these doctors.

"This is a typical case of myocardial ischemia, which is what we commonly call a precursor to coronary heart disease. Avoid heavy physical labor and emotional excitement. I'll prescribe some compound Danshen tablets and quick-acting heart-saving pills for you. Take them as prescribed."

Xu Bei and Chen Jianguo were soon called in as well. Doctor Wu briefly explained the situation to them and concluded by saying, "—Also, it would be best to get an electrocardiogram to see the specific situation."

Although the doctor thought it wasn't a big problem, Xu Bei still insisted that his mother have an electrocardiogram.

Moreover, the cost at this time is not high for him, probably between one or two yuan.

After the electrocardiogram came back, Dr. Wu took another look and maintained the previous diagnosis.

After hearing this, Xu Bei felt a little relieved.

If I don't come for a check-up, I'll always feel uneasy and have all sorts of wild thoughts, as if a huge stone is hanging over my head.

From getting off the bus in the morning to finding the Chen family, then going to buy goods, and then coming to see a doctor, all this trouble meant it was already noon.

Xu Bei directly offered to treat everyone to dinner.

However, Dr. Wu declined, citing other commitments.

Finally, Chen Jianguo went to a famous state-run restaurant with Xu Bei and Zhao Fengying for a meal.

After ordering several good dishes, it's only natural to have some drinks.

The two drank heartily, and their relationship seemed to grow closer.

After a satisfying meal, most of the necessary tasks were completed.

Xu Bei and his mother were both worried about their shop at home and didn't want to waste the night there, so they boarded the train back smoothly around four or five in the afternoon.

As for the goods purchased from Boss Zhang, all of them have been processed through shipping procedures.

When the two arrived, Zhao Fengying was nervous and afraid of being robbed or stolen from. When they returned, she had little money left, so she felt relieved.

Just looking at the scenery rushing past the car window, everyone felt an overwhelming longing to return home.

Therefore, Xu Bei hurriedly used chatting to distract his mother and also to pass the time during the boring journey.

The two leaned closer and spoke in hushed tones.

"Mom, you're really bold. I said I'd take all that fabric, and you didn't even object."

"What's there to object to? It's definitely your decision in our family matters, and besides, all the big money is with you. But son, what I'm saying is, do you really think it'll be easy to sell all that material? If you still don't approve, then we're done."

"Don't worry, Mom, I've thought it all out. First, I'll find someone to cut and process it, and then—"

Xu Bei briefly explained his plans, which made Zhao Fengying nod frequently and boosted her confidence.

The next day.

The ninth day of the first lunar month.

The green train finally arrived at Lindu Station in the morning.

After the mother and son got off the bus, they waited for a long time at the shipping company before they were able to successfully pick up their goods.

Then, people and goods boarded the forest railway train back to the forestry bureau.

By the time they hired a horse-drawn carriage near the station and returned to the shop, it was already past ten in the morning.

Xu Li and Xu Juan were extremely excited and happy to come out and greet them.

"You came back pretty quickly; I thought it would be tomorrow."

"Yeah, I was just chatting with Xiaojuan about it—"

Seeing that her older and younger sisters looked well, Xu Bei breathed a sigh of relief. "If things go smoothly, then we can go and come back as soon as possible."

Xu Li hurriedly asked, "By the way, what did you say at the hospital?"

Zhao Fengying smiled, her eyes brightening. "The doctor said it's nothing serious and prescribed some medicine. Now you can all relax."

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The two sisters laughed heartily upon hearing this, saying in unison, "It's good that nothing serious happened."

"Yes, it'll put our minds at ease if we get it checked."

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