It takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone. There is no room for idle people in the military camp.
Get that idiot out.
Fortunately, his eldest brother found out about it, and scraped together some money to pay for Er Laizi's medical treatment, but his plan was accidentally discovered by their captain.
The eldest brother was put in solitary confinement, and Er Laizi didn't know about it, so he could only wait for him outside the military camp.
People in the same camp felt sorry for him and brought him some food from time to time. However, Er Laizi just lived like a beggar at the gate of the military camp, with occasional meals.
He thought that his father would come looking for him one day and take him away, and he also thought that his eldest brother would come out of the confinement room, give him some food and bring it to the barracks.
But there was no response from either side, so he kept waiting.
The army broke camp, and the eldest brother went with them, leaving the second brother behind.
Just as Cui Boxiao was wandering at the gate of the military camp, pulling people aside and asking if they had seen Damao and Erlaizi, Erlaizi hugged his legs and fainted.
Liu Qiaoer looked at Cui Boxiao: "The army has broken camp and left? Are these the soldiers of the King of Xiang?"
Cui Boxiao nodded: "The flag in the barracks is the flag of the King of Xiang."
Liu Qiaoer calculated the time and said, "The war should be about to start. Let's go back first."
Liu Qiaoer asked Cui Boyao to find two sticks. She took a look at Erlaizi's legs, first fixed his legs with the sticks, and then lifted him onto the flatbed truck.
"Go back first, and give him proper treatment when you get back. He is too weak, and his leg bones are a little crooked."
Er Laizi is only fourteen years old today. If his leg bones are not repaired, he will be a cripple for the rest of his life.
The group walked back non-stop, and when the sun set, they finally arrived at the Taoist temple.
After unloading the grain, Er Laizi was helped back to the main hall. Everyone was very happy to see Liu Qiaoer bringing back a cow.
This is the time when cows are needed for spring plowing.
After the flatbed was carried into the main hall, it temporarily became Er Laizi's bed.
The others started to knead the dough and make dumplings, while Liu Qiaoer and Cui Boxiao were in the main hall, treating Er Laizi's leg.
Liu Qiaoer pinched Er Laizi's leg bones and said, "The leg bones are crooked. We need to break the leg so that it can grow back."
Before Er Laizi could speak, Uncle Pei Qi spoke up: "Okay, you can treat him. Er Laizi is still young and hasn't married yet. If he becomes lame, what will he do in his next life?"
Liu Qiaoer took out some anesthetic powder and handed it to Uncle Pei Qi: "Boil this medicine, I will treat him now."
After drinking the anesthetic powder, Er Laizi fell asleep. Uncle Pei watched Liu Qiaoer run away with a hammer and a knife.
The sound of Er Laizi howling could be heard in the main hall.
Pei Qiqi had just stuffed the dumplings into her mouth when she was almost choked by her second uncle's howl.
"Grandma, what happened to my second uncle?"
Aunt Pei was also startled. The dumplings fell to the ground, but she didn't mind. She picked them up, brushed off the dirt and put them back into her mouth to eat.
"Your second uncle's leg is broken, and Sister Qiao'er is treating his leg."
Pei Qiqi nodded: "When I grow up, I will also study medicine and treat patients."
Aunt Pei touched her head and said, "Eat it quickly, it will get cold soon. This is white flour."
Dumplings were cooked pot after pot. On New Year's Eve, everyone sat in several circles around the bonfire in the yard. Some squatted at the door, some sat on the kang with their children, and some just squatted on the ground.
Everyone had dumplings in their bowls and they ate one bite at a time, enjoying them so much.
There were two rabbits and a deer leg roasting on the campfire, but no one was eating them.
Yes, after eating barbecue for a month, dumplings still taste better.
Uncle Pei Qi's dumplings were not put down. Uncle Pei comforted him: "Don't be sad. One person coming back is better than no one. Besides, with Miss Liu here, there is no disease that can't be cured. Have you forgotten that she is the one who treats the empress in the palace?"
Aunt Wu also said excitedly, "Yes, if Miss Qiao'er hadn't taken care of us, she might have made money in the city. Did you see that cow? It is said that she bought the cow and the flatbed cart with the medical fee for a wealthy man."
Everyone praised: "Miss Liu is a good person. Both of them are capable and good people. For our sake, they can't go back. We should be grateful and treat them well."
Xiao Shuang held the child Liu Qiao'er had picked up, treating him as her own child: "Miss Qiao'er is a good person, and her child is also well-behaved. Look at him, he eats and sleeps every day, and eats and sleeps every day, it's really good."
The child is now five months old. He just eats and sleeps, and eats after sleeping. The village elders take turns taking care of him all day long, so Liu Qiaoer really doesn't have to worry about anything.
An hour later, Liu Qiaoer came out of the hall, and Er Laizi fainted from the pain and fell asleep.
Uncle Pei hurried over and asked, "What's going on?"
Liu Qiaoer nodded: "The bones have been straightened, take good care of them, they will be fine. It's cold, we have built two or three houses, you can live in one."
The houses were built slowly, but three or four were completed. Each one was not very big, enough to sleep two or three people.
Er Laizi was a patient and so thin. Uncle Pei brought his grandson, and the three of them squeezed into one room, and no one had any objections.
There was another room for the oldest Mr. Pei and Mrs. Pei, and their grandson. Mrs. Pei agreed, but insisted on moving in with the child that Liu Qiaoer picked up.
Liu Qiaoer really had no experience in taking care of children, so she gave the child to her.
In addition to the room occupied by Cui Boxiao and Liu Qiaoer, there was another room left.
On New Year's Eve, everyone ate dumplings while discussing who should live there.
Logically speaking, with four children, the elderly and children should live together first, but two of the children are in an awkward situation.
One is Pei Erzhu's child, and the other one in his family is a little girl named Chou Ya. The little girl is eight years old now, and Pei Erzhu is not even thirty yet.
It's inconvenient for two people to live together.
Pei Erzhu and his elder brother Dazhu both lost their parents when they were young and grew up eating at other people's homes. When they grew up, Dazhu went to the city to do odd jobs and brought home a wife who was also an orphan, who had fled from famine. They had a daughter, Chouya.
As a result, after giving birth, her health was not good. Dazhu went to the city to do odd jobs but was taken away to serve in the army. Chou Yaniang died without catching her breath.
Pei Erzhu escaped capture by soldiers when he went to the mountain to dig a grave for her. That was why he did not join the army. He was also one of the four strong men in the village.
Chouya is eight years old. She can do all kinds of work. She is also very clever and doesn't look ugly at all.
Although they are relatives, it is not convenient for them to live together.
Another one is Pei Lanhua’s nephew. The nephew is eleven years old, and Pei Lanhua is only in her early twenties. It is not convenient for them to live together.
Pei Lanhua's husband and son were taken away, and she escaped the disaster by hiding her nephew. Her mother-in-law went to the city to ask for the person back, but was beaten. She fell ill when she came back and died.
When they fled with the villagers, they were the only two left.
It's not convenient to live together.
It seems that the quota was given to someone else. The final decision was to let Aunt Five and Chou Ya live there, and the last one would be given to the only couple here.
Pei Gousheng and his newly married wife Liu Zhier were returning home after three days of marriage when they ran into officers who were coming to arrest them for military service and they hid away.
Pei Gousheng also has an old mother, Pei Liu. She was anxious to have a grandson, so she took the initiative to suggest that her son and daughter-in-law live with her.
Everyone agreed.