Chapter 121: Chapter 120: Passing the Torch
Inside Hu Shang First People’s Hospital.
Under Xing Na’s arrangement, the elderly man was scheduled for the earliest consultation.
"Are you Qian Gen Sheng?"
The doctor in a white coat carefully examined the health examination report.
"According to your health report, you have many old injuries. The biggest issue is malnutrition. Just pay more attention to your diet, eat more nutritious foods, and you’ll gradually get better over time. As for the old injuries in your body, they’ve been dragged on for too long and there’s no hope for full recovery anymore."
"See, I said it’s nothing serious. They’re all old ailments, I’m well aware of it myself."
Qian Gen Sheng chuckled modestly.
Hearing the doctor’s assurance, Gu Bai felt relieved. As for the old injuries in the elderly man’s body, although he was quite curious, he didn’t ask further. After all, they were strangers, and asking too much might seem like he had ulterior motives.
"Alright, if there’s nothing else, you can go pay the bill with this prescription."
The doctor still paid considerable attention to this group, personally brought in by the director.
Gu Bai nodded, thanked the doctor, and then took the elderly man to the payment area.
At the payment counter, the nurse slowly said to Gu Bai, "A total of 4,050 yuan, some medications are covered by insurance. Do you have an insurance card?"
Gu Bai was just about to say it’s not necessary when the elderly man exclaimed, "It’s so expensive! I don’t have that much money."
"Grandpa Qian, you don’t need to pay this money, I’ll cover it for you."
"No way!"
Before the words were finished, Qian Gen Sheng firmly replied, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
All of Gu Bai’s prepared excuses were stuck in his throat.
Suddenly, the elderly man remembered something and took out a handkerchief-wrapped item from his pants pocket.
"I wonder if this document can be used as insurance?"
When the handkerchief was unwrapped, a dark red certificate weathered by time appeared in the elderly man’s hand.
The "Honored Veteran Certificate of Hua Country," several gilded characters appeared on the red certificate.
The elderly man laughed and said, "I’ve been childless all my life, so I’m afraid no one would know if I suddenly died one day. Keeping this document on me, if I suddenly passed, a kind person could find it and take me home, asking the neighbors to handle my affairs."
Seeing the certificate in the elderly man’s hand and his indifferent tone, Gu Bai felt a surge of mixed emotions.
He should have known that in times of peace, only veterans who have retired from the front line might have so many old injuries on their bodies.
This was a person who once fought bravely for the country and should have been honored by everyone, yet in this truly peaceful era, he was shamelessly humiliated by a beast-like person. The anger Gu Bai had suppressed surged back up.
Taking the elderly man’s document, Gu Bai handed it to the nurse.
"This is okay, please wait a moment."
Seeing the document, even the nurse’s initially impatient expression changed, and she unconsciously started using respectful language.
"A total of 1,670 yuan."
As soon as the nurse quoted the first price, the elderly man tugged on Gu Bai’s arm and said, "Young man, can we discuss with the nurse to get fewer medications? I still don’t have enough."
Seeing the adorably stubborn elderly man, Gu Bai softly said, "Grandpa Qian, how about this? I’ll pay for it first, and you can repay me next time."
Without waiting for the elderly man to refuse, he directly scanned and paid the money.
After seeing Gu Bai pay directly, the elderly man’s wrinkled hand held tightly onto Gu Bai: "Young man, come home with me, let me give you the money."
Gu Bai smiled without answering and just supported the elderly man as they walked out of the hospital entrance.
At the hospital entrance, seeing Xing Na and Qi Man waiting for him, Gu Bai instructed, "Don’t rush to go back yet, help me send Grandpa Qian home first."
For Gu Bai’s request, Xing Na would execute it unconditionally.
Qi Man sensibly stepped forward to help support Qian Gen Sheng, showing no disdain for the old man’s odor.
Gu Bai gave her a satisfied look. After a day, he found that this gold-digging girl didn’t seem that bad after all.
The place where the elderly lived was quite far, and it took Xing Na half an hour to get there.
After getting out of the car, Gu Bai carefully observed this area. It was an old neighborhood, the buildings covered in the marks of time, resembling dilapidated structures. It’s hard to imagine there’s such a place in a city like Shanghai.
By now, it was past seven in the evening, with elderly people strolling everywhere in the community. They all greeted Qian Gen Sheng with smiles, and he responded cheerfully to each of them.
As soon as they entered the stairway, a moldy smell from years without sunlight filled Gu Bai’s nose, making Qi Man instinctively cover her nose.
"Why don’t you wait downstairs, I’ll escort Grandpa Qian up."
Xing Na stayed in the car, while Qi Man stubbornly followed.
"I’m not that delicate, just not used to the smell suddenly," Qi Man rejected while shaking her head.
"It doesn’t smell great, but I’ve been living here for decades and I’m used to it," the elderly man added.
With no elevator in the old building, and the elderly man’s pace slow, it took a good five to six minutes to cover the four floors.
Upon finally reaching the elderly man’s home, pushing the door open revealed a surprisingly tidy little room.
"Come in for a drink of water."
The elderly man had the two sit at the small table and poured each a cup of plain water.
"Young man, you sit for a bit, I’ll go get the money for you."
With that, the elderly man slowly walked into the room.
Originally intending to leave shortly, Gu Bai stood up and carefully observed the small room.
The wall in the small room was covered with drawings, poorly made and clearly by children, with blessing words written in crooked handwriting under each one.
"Wish Grandpa Qian a long life."
"Hope Grandpa Qian stays healthy and happy every day."
Gu Bai quietly viewed each one, while Xing Youyou sat beside without speaking.
"Were you waiting impatiently?"
After an indeterminate amount of time, the elderly man emerged from the room, carrying a red plastic bag in hand.
"Young man, come count, it’s a total of 1,700 yuan."
When the plastic bag was opened, a pile of change slowly came into Gu Bai’s view.
One yuan, five yuan, ten yuan, none larger than ten yuan.
All the change was neatly bundled, presumably in hundred-yuan piles.
Gu Bai didn’t hastily accept the money but asked the elderly man: "Grandpa Qian, as a retired soldier, the state provides a subsidy to you every month, right?"
"Yes! How could they not! The state hasn’t forgotten about us; they provide a subsidy of over two thousand yuan every month."
But Gu Bai recalled clearly, the doctor said the major issue with the elderly man’s health was malnutrition. A monthly subsidy of over two thousand yuan, while it may not offer a luxurious life, should at least prevent malnutrition, right?
"Then why do you still go out to collect recyclables?"
"Old folks can’t stay idle, exercising a bit more regularly and collecting recyclables for some cash isn’t bad."
"But the doctor said you’re malnourished. Did you save all the money?"
Hearing Gu Bai’s question, the elderly man smiled and shook his head.
"What’s there to save? I have no children, save it to take it to the grave? No, I donated it all."
Listening to the elderly man’s straightforward sentence, Gu Bai’s heart felt like it was pricked a thousand times. Staring at the elderly man’s dark face, words failed him.
(For those interested, you can search for Liu Shenglan and Wang Kunsen.)