Rebirth of Bloody Romance

"Then Comrade Zhong and Director Song, please come in." Liu Shengli said as he pushed open the door and led Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun into the ward.

The light in the ward was a little dim. Six beds were arranged compactly, with a patient lying on each bed. Family members were sitting or standing beside them. Occasionally, coughs could be heard amidst the low conversations. The whole room was filled with a depressing and heavy atmosphere.

Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun looked at each other and unconsciously slowed down their pace. They carried carefully selected nutritional supplements and fruits in their hands, hoping to bring a little warmth to this family in need.

Liu Shengli's daughter-in-law was on the innermost bed, which seemed to be deliberately placed in the corner of the ward, keeping a certain distance from other beds.

A white curtain hung from the head to the foot of the bed, isolating her from the outside world, leaving only a narrow gap through which a faint light came in. The curtain swayed gently, as if telling of the loneliness and helplessness of the owner.

"Oh, how can I do this? I have to make you spend money." Liu Shengli's daughter-in-law heard the noise and struggled to sit up, but she seemed unable to do so because of the pain from the illness.

Liu Shengli's daughter-in-law looked pale, but her features were still neat and delicate, and her eyes were full of gratitude. Although the disease had eroded her body, it could not take away her gentleness and tenacity.

Song Xiangjun quickly stepped forward, placed the gift in her hand on the bedside table, and said softly, "Sister-in-law, don't be polite. We are friends with Liu Shengli, and this is what we should do."

Song Xiangjun's tone was full of sincerity and concern, as if she was telling the other person that the friendship between them was far more precious than these material things.

Zhong Yuemin followed closely behind, handed over the fruit in his hand, and said with a smile, "Yes, sister-in-law, just rest assured and recuperate. If you need anything, just tell us."

Zhong Yuemin's smile was warm and kind, like a ray of sunshine penetrating the gloom in the ward, bringing a glimmer of hope to the family.

Liu Shengli's wife's eyes were slightly red. She forced a smile and said, "Since you are friends with our old Liu, there is no need to be so polite. In fact, I am grateful in my heart. My relatives and friends all dislike my disease. Few people come to see me. Even if they come, they stand far away for fear of being infected immediately. I am very satisfied that you can stand at the bedside and talk so freely."

Song Xiangjun couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness when he heard this. He looked deeply at Liu Shengli's wife and said, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, we will always be with Liu Shengli and will do our best to help you."

Zhong Yuemin also echoed. "Yes, sister-in-law, we will definitely get through this difficult time together."

The atmosphere in the ward became warm and touching at this moment. The arrival of Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun not only brought material help to Liu Shengli's family, but more importantly, they brought spiritual comfort and strength.

Zhong Yuemin saw that although Liu Shengli's wife looked pale, she spoke with full energy, so he thought her condition was not serious, and he felt relieved. "Master Liu, did the doctor say when my sister-in-law will be discharged from the hospital?"

Liu Shengli gently pulled the pillow for his wife to make her lie more comfortably, and then replied, "It will be soon. The doctor said the situation is improving." There was a hint of uncertainty in his tone, as if he was also looking forward to the definite good news.

Liu Shengli's wife shook her head. "How can it be fast? We've been living here for half a month, and there's still no definite answer. I'm really nervous." There was a hint of helplessness and anxiety in her voice, but more of it was her dependence on her family and her expectations for the future.

Zhong Yuemin saw that the conversation was going nowhere, so he quickly tried to smooth things over, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, it's not a serious illness, you will get better."

Then, they chatted for a while, and the topics involved included illness, treatment, daily life, etc. Although Liu Shengli's wife was not feeling well, she was in good spirits and could occasionally interject a few words, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

However, Liu Shengli's wife was a discerning person after all, and she realized that Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun's visit was not just to visit her.

So, after chatting for a while, she took the initiative to say, "If you have anything to say, go out and talk. I'll lie down for a while because I'm a little sleepy."

Liu Shengli carefully tucked the quilt back into place for her on the bed, then gently left the ward with Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun.

Just as they stepped out of the room, a nurse hurried over and called out to Liu Shengli.

"Family members of the patient, it's time to pay the bill!" the nurse shouted.

Hearing this, Liu Shengli's face instantly became a little embarrassed. He lowered his head slightly and responded in a low voice, "I know, I know, wait a minute... I'll go over and hand it in later."

After saying that, Liu Shengli hurriedly walked to the leeward end of the corridor downstairs with Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun.

After several people stood still, Zhong Yuemin looked at Liu Shengli's slightly tired face and asked with concern, "Master Liu, you look so tired, you must be under a lot of pressure. If there is anything we can help you with, please don't hesitate to tell us."

Liu Shengli looked at Zhong Yuemin gratefully, sighed deeply, and said slowly, "I really don't need to trouble you. Thank you so much. Actually, everything is fine. It's just that I really need someone to take care of me here now, so I'm afraid I can't go to help with the work in your factory anymore. I can only send the child to my sister's house and ask her to help take care of him."

Zhong Yuemin was very surprised after hearing this, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Doesn't your sister-in-law have a job?"

Liu Shengli nodded helplessly and answered, "Yes, but she hasn't been back to work since she got sick."

"Isn't there a bill? Why is there a nurse urging you to pay the relevant fees?" Zhong Yuemin became more and more curious. He couldn't suppress his doubts and asked quickly.

Normally, those who have a fixed job, if they unfortunately fall ill, only need to go to their unit to get a triplicate form or check, and then take it to the hospital.

In this way, all expenses, whether it is hospitalization fees or medical expenses, will be paid to the hospital through the unit's billing statement, and individuals do not need to pay a penny.

Of course, if a non-working family member falls ill, the company will reimburse half of the medical expenses.

Situations like this, where individuals are required to pay for hospitalization fees, often only occur among people who come from other places for medical treatment.

Because of this, a phenomenon has emerged in society: some people are born lazy and unwilling to work seriously.

So, they rack their brains to find all kinds of excuses to pretend to be sick. Even if it is just some minor ailments such as headaches and fevers that are difficult to diagnose the cause, they will make a fuss about it and have to go to the hospital for hospitalization, taking this opportunity to have a good rest and relax. This behavior is vividly called "pretending to be a patient."

However, whether medical expenses can be reimbursed smoothly and in a timely manner depends on the specific economic situation of the unit to which you belong.

Some units have poor economic performance and tight funds, and may not be able to reimburse employees' corresponding medical expenses for several years. This situation is not uncommon.

In addition, it must be said that the overall medical level of hospitals at that time was relatively limited, and the range of diseases that most hospitals could diagnose and treat was relatively narrow, basically equivalent to the level of community hospitals in later generations.

"Antibiotics and other drugs are necessary!" Liu Shengli replied helplessly, with a hint of anxiety in his eyes. He knew that such drugs were crucial to his wife's condition, but they were also a considerable expense.

Song Xiangjun asked with concern, "How much will it cost? Let's see if we can help."

Zhong Yuemin now fully understood Liu Shengli's situation. He knew that in this era, scarce drugs such as antibiotics were not only expensive, but also often difficult to obtain. Even if they could be reimbursed, doctors would usually choose to use cheaper drugs. If you want to use good drugs, you need connections or money.

Liu Shengli sighed, shook his head and replied, "Why am I telling you all this? We will find a way to get through it. Is there something you need today?" He tried to change the subject and didn't want to say anything more on this topic.

Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun looked at each other, as if they were silently communicating their thoughts. Then, Zhong Yuemin broke the silence. "Master Liu, I want to discuss something with you. Do you think it's okay?"

"You said."

"Here's what I think. My sister-in-law is sick now, and you've been delayed from work. You're not financially well off, but the less well-off you are, the more it will delay my sister-in-law's treatment, right? I still want to invite you back to the printing factory and be the director of the printing factory. I'll pay you 500 yuan a month. I can advance you half a year's salary."

Zhong Yuemin didn't think he was taking advantage of someone's misfortune. If he had just lent him money, it would have been a bit of a mercy. The friendship between the two of them wasn't so bad as to require such a formality. After all, it was their first meeting.

"I appreciate your kindness, but it's just a little difficult right now." Liu Shengli thought about it and still couldn't let go of his iron rice bowl. The research unit paid more than 500 yuan a month. He could just borrow some from relatives and friends now and pay it back slowly in the future. It was not a wise move to throw away the iron rice bowl for the sake of yuan in front of him.

Zhong Yuemin saw Liu Shengli's hesitation and concerns, and also understood the importance people attached to job stability and "iron rice bowl" in the 80s.

So, Zhong Yuemin smiled and explained, "Master Liu, you misunderstood. I didn't mean to ask you to resign. I am planning to transfer you out of the unit. As long as you agree, I will handle all the formalities. In this way, you can take care of your family and have a good income. Why not do it?"

Hearing that it was a secondment instead of resignation, Liu Shengli couldn't help but feel relieved. He knew that secondment meant that he could still keep the establishment and benefits of his original unit, but just temporarily work in another unit for a period of time. Such an arrangement would not make him lose his stable job, and could solve the current financial difficulties.

To be honest, Liu Shengli was tempted. However, Liu Shengli still had some doubts. "You are from a private unit, right? This secondment is not easy to handle."

You have to know that in this era, the barriers between private and state-owned units are still quite obvious, and the secondment procedures are often cumbersome and difficult to handle.

At this time, Song Xiangjun on the side laughed, she seemed to see through Liu Shengli's worries. "Master Liu, you don't have to worry about this problem. Our comrade Zhong Yuemin is not an ordinary person. Liu Lianxiang from your new computer company has to call him Teacher Zhong when he sees him. To put it bluntly, no matter who it is in this city, they have to give our teacher Zhong some face when they see him. To be honest, for such a small matter as secondment, there is no need for our comrade Zhong Yuemin to come forward. As long as..."

After hearing this, Zhong Yuemin quickly waved his hands and said, "Hey, hey, Teacher Song has passed! We need to be low-key, low-key."

Liu Shengli looked at Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun in front of him, his heart full of gratitude and doubt. He didn't know whether Song Xiangjun's words were true or false, but he really needed this job, to be precise, he needed money to treat his wife's illness.

Liu Shengli hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "You trust me so much, aren't you afraid of losing money?"

After hearing this, Zhong Yuemin laughed heartily. He patted Liu Shengli on the shoulder and said, "Losing money? Do you believe that?"

Liu Shengli was amused by Zhong Yuemin's words, and he knew in his heart that Zhong Yuemin was telling the truth.

In this era, many units that want to cooperate with state-owned printing factories have to rely on connections and go through the back door. As soon as the printing factory starts working, units and individuals who want to contact him for business will definitely line up. Therefore, he is still confident in his ability and the prospects of the printing factory.

Liu Shengli nodded and said solemnly, "Okay, I'll do it. Boss Zhong, Teacher Song, thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will definitely work hard and contribute my own strength to the development of the printing factory."

Zhong Yuemin reached into his pocket, fumbled for a while, and pulled out a thick stack of banknotes. He counted them, then handed 3000 yuan to Liu Shengli. "Here, this is the half-year salary I promised you, take it!"

As Zhong Yuemin spoke, he handed the money to Liu Shengli. Then, after a brief pause, he continued thoughtfully, "To be honest, I think you should consider hiring a professional caregiver for your sister-in-law. After all, people who do this job must be more careful and thoughtful than us old men. This way, you can free up more time and energy to deal with other things."

Hearing this, Liu Shengli suddenly seemed a little at a loss. "This...this...how can this be done? This is not against the rules!" As he said this, he hurriedly reached out to push the money back.

However, Zhong Yuemin did not let him succeed. He just stuffed the 3000 yuan into the other person's palm. At the same time, he patted Liu Shengli on the shoulder and comforted him. "Don't be polite with me. The sooner you use the medicine, the sooner your sister-in-law will recover! It's settled. The money is now given to you. Even if I tie you up, you can't run away!"

In fact, Zhong Yuemin has always been quite satisfied with Liu Shengli's character. However, in his opinion, Liu Shengli sometimes still has a bit of the fussiness that is unique to intellectuals.