535 Caregiving

"We're still investigating this matter. When Li Gui has some time, ask her to come and look for me. We need to question her," Chen Hu said.

"I also asked her about it today. At that time, she was working in the fields and there were only the four children at home. There was no one else around," Qiao Mei said.

Chen Hu hesitated for a while before he asked the question that he was thinking.

"How is Li Gui's relationship with these children? What is their father like?" Chen Hu asked.

"She loves these children very much and I usually help to take care of them too. Their father's name is Zhang Qian and he works in a factory in the county city. He doesn't usually care about the children and doesn't treat them very well," Qiao Mei said.

It was already good enough if Zhang Qian did not come to harm the children!

"Alright, I'll go and investigate Zhang Qian's background before contacting you again. Don't stand on ceremony with me. If you need anything, just let me know. If you can't find me, then look for Xiaobei. I've arranged for him to be with you in the next two days," Chen Hu said.

"Thank you, Uncle Hu. I'll make some delicious food for you next time!" Qiao Mei said with a smile.

Ever since the guys in the troop tasted the pickled vegetables and meat sauce made by Qiao Mei the last time, they had been clamoring for Qiao Mei to be their chef. They were even willing to pay for it themselves.

The food prepared by the cooks in the army was really quite inedible. It was already not bad if all the ingredients were cooked properly and not left raw!

"Sure, sure, sure. Those guys in our troop are counting on you to make some more meat sauce! The food you made for me the last time was all gone before I could bring some home to give your auntie a taste! Next time, you have to make more and prepare a separate jar for your auntie. Otherwise, your auntie will tell me off when I get home!" Chen Hu said.

"No problem! When I've settled this matter, I'll definitely make more!" Qiao Mei said.

"It's a deal! I've got to go get busy now. Contact me if you need anything!" Chen Hu hung up after saying that.

Qiao Mei sat along the quiet corridor of the hospital and watched the people coming and going. What Chen Hu said just now seemed to be his reminder to her to be wary of Zhang Qian.

It was already close to dawn by now. Qiao Mei had been on the go for an entire day and she was almost out of energy by now.

Staring at the red light outside the operating theater, she prayed that Zhang Miao would be safe and sound and that she could grow up healthy and happy.

"Do you want to rest for a while? You've been up all day," Xia Zhe said as he hugged Qiao Mei.

Qiao Mei shook her head. Her thoughts were all on Zhang Miao now and she would not be able to sleep well at the moment.

"I want to wait until Zhang Miao comes out and make sure she's fine before taking a rest. Don't worry, I'm fine," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at her own face.

The light outside the operating theater suddenly went out. Not long after, the doctor pushed Zhang Miao out on the bed.

Li Gui, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe gathered at the entrance of the operating theater and looked anxiously at Zhang Miao.

"Doctor, how's the child?" Li Gui asked.

"The child is fine now. She will need to recuperate for a long time. Her ribs show signs of cracks and there are also fractures in some parts. Fortunately, her organs are not affected. She's fine now and just needs to recuperate properly. You should hospitalize her for a period of time," the doctor said.

The moment they heard that Zhang Miao was fine, the three of them were finally able to relax.

Qiao Mei arranged for Zhang Miao to stay in the best ward in the county hospital. The setup and fittings here could not be compared to that in the capital, and the room was also very small and narrow.

Xia Zhe went downstairs and bought two caregiver beds. The guest house in the county was very far from the hospital. If they wanted to have a good rest, they would need to make do in the hospital for the night.

People who had no money chose to sleep on the floor along the long corridor of the hospital. There were people lying around on all the different types of seats. Some were sleeping on the chairs with their test results, while others stood around in the corridor and waited for their beds with their luggage.

"How did you manage to buy the caregiver beds? I don't see many people using this type of bed in the corridor," Qiao Mei asked curiously.

"There aren't many people in the county who are willing to see a doctor. After they use up all their money to treat their illnesses, they can't bear to spend money on caregivers at all. Moreover, I've asked around and found out that the guest house is 10 kilometers away from here! There are also some people whose workplace would reimburse them for their treatment, but not for caregivers, so they can't bear to spend the money too," Xia Zhe explained.

"You've never lived in the county city before, so how do you know about this?" Qiao Mei asked.

Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in embarrassment. If Qiao Mei knew how he found out about this, he might be the one sleeping in the corridor outside.