Chapter 79: Disputes Between Floors
Lu Qiaoge didn’t know that Old Hu had applied for the reward. She held a meeting with the volunteers, telling them to continue repairing the broken tables and chairs at the night school. In their spare time, they could weave baskets or form teams to dig Chinese herbal medicine outside the city, without going to the herb factory. The supply and marketing cooperatives and purchasing stations everywhere would acquire them.
This was one of them, and it was also a way to generate revenue openly and aboveboard.
Lu Qiaoge said: “I won’t pay attention to weaving baskets. Currently, the night school is temporarily under our service station’s use. Once they’re woven, just leave them at the night school. However, you can learn weaving straw hats from Chang An. The weather will soon get hot, so you can make a batch of straw hats to try. As for Chinese herbal medicine…”
At this point, Lu Qiaoge paused: “I know of a place with a large patch of honeysuckle. This Sunday, we’ll go into the mountains to pick it.”
Meng Qingshan hurriedly asked: “Which mountain? If it’s the local commune’s, can we go?”
Lu Qiaoge: “I’ve asked. It belongs to our military factory. We just need to report to Director Hu.”
Before they could report to Director Hu, Director Hu came to find Lu Qiaoge and happily told her to gather all the service station personnel right away. Today, they would hold a commendation meeting. He had secured the bonus and would distribute it to everyone.
This news came quite suddenly, but everyone was excited.
This time, the bonus Director Hu secured was a total of one hundred and twenty yuan. The factory comprehensive office was quite generous. Lu Qiaoge decided to give ten yuan to each of the twelve people.
The people Lu Qiaoge selected all had good qualities.
No one cared about how much they had done compared to others.
Besides, that was ten yuan.
Meng Qingshan’s eyes were red. He was the oldest and vaguely guessed Lu Qiaoge’s intention.
Nothing else to say—just work hard!
When it was Lu Qiaoge’s turn to speak, the twelve volunteers were all looking at her eagerly.
Unexpectedly, Sister Hua shouted from the meeting room doorway: “Qiao Ge, come out for a moment. There’s something over here.”
This was her main job, so Lu Qiaoge hurried out.
This time, Lu Qiaoge went to Building 12 in District One by herself.
She stood downstairs and sure enough saw a mop head sticking out from a second-floor window, dripping water down right now.
The apartment building in District One had no balcony, so the mop water flowed directly down along the first-floor glass windows.
The dripping water looked quite dirty.
Fat Aunt, who lived on the first floor, was furious and pulled Lu Qiaoge: “Comrade Lu, look, look. Not only can’t I hang anything out to dry outside, I have to wipe the windows too. We’re all from the same work unit. I didn’t think this small matter would trouble the neighborhood committee comrades. But I’ve told her family several times, my husband even went upstairs specifically to talk. They promised it would be fine, but when washing the mop, they still do this. Isn’t this too much bullying?”
Lu Qiaoge looked up. No one was visible in the open window, so Lu Qiaoge asked: “How long has this situation been going on?”
Fat Aunt said huffily: “Almost half a month.”
“Fat Aunt, calm down first.” Lu Qiaoge took out her notebook: “Let’s clarify the situation first. The second floor is Wei Qiang’s family, right?”
“That’s right, it’s his family!” Fat Aunt pointed at the dirty water stains on the glass window, suppressing her anger and lowering her voice: “Last month, his wife had a work injury and was paralyzed in bed. Everyone took turns helping deliver meals to the hospital. And now they bully people like this!”
Lu Qiaoge’s pen tip paused, and a general picture of the District One residents flashed in her mind.
The head of household at 207, Wei Qiang, was a transport worker in the materials department. His wife had indeed suffered a work injury and was now paralyzed in bed.
“On which day did your husband go up, and who was home at Wei’s?” Lu Qiaoge also asked in a low voice.
Fat Aunt said: “Three days ago. Old Man Wei and Old Woman Liu were both home. Wei Qiang apparently went to the mine side. I haven’t seen him for several days either.”
Just as Lu Qiaoge was about to speak, a small head poked out from the second floor, followed by small hands pulling the mop downward. Lu Qiaoge frowned tightly. Suddenly the small head disappeared, a muffled thud of a heavy object falling came from the room, followed by the child’s sharp crying.
Lu Qiaoge rushed up to the second floor in two strides at a time. The narrow apartment building corridor was piled with honeycomb briquettes and clutter. She nimbly avoided the obstacles and ran to the end of the corridor. The innermost room was She pushed open the room door and saw the room in chaos as if it had been robbed. The paralyzed Zhang Quan was slumped on the edge of the bed, the bedding soaked in the overturned urine basin. There were puddles of water stains on the cement floor.
A child sat on the ground crying, with an overturned chair beside him. Zhang Quan’s eyes were tightly closed, her face flushed, her hand weakly draped over the edge of the bed.
Lu Qiaoge didn’t have time to look at the howling child first and went to check Zhang Quan. She was breathing, but her forehead was scorching hot. She was sick.
Fat Aunt, who followed closely, was startled: “Oh my, how did it become like this?” Then she shouted: “Old Man Wei, Old Man Wei, Old Woman Liu, Old Woman Liu…”
But no one responded. Lu Qiaoge hurriedly said: “Fat Aunt, go check on the child. I’ll take Zhang Quan to the hospital.”
Right after, Lu Qiaoge picked up the unconscious Zhang Quan and rushed downstairs.
At this time, someone else was also running out, and someone hurriedly asked: “What happened at Old Wei’s? An accident or a robbery?”
“Not sure. I saw the neighborhood committee’s Comrade Lu carrying Zhang Quan out.”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Old Woman Liu for several days.”
“Now that you mention it, I suddenly remember. The day before yesterday, I saw Old Woman Liu carrying a big bundle out, and it was already dark. She saw me but didn’t speak, so I didn’t ask.”
“These days production tasks are tight, we’re always doing overtime, too busy to notice her family. Could it be that Old Man Wei and Old Woman Liu abandoned their daughter-in-law and grandson and ran off?”
Neighbor Elder Sister Zhu regretted slapping her thigh: “If only I had gone in to check.”
Lu Qiaoge swept her eyes around left and right and called out: “Quick, someone come help me hold her. I’ll take her to the hospital.”
Several people who weren’t at work all rushed over and helped secure Zhang Quan on the back seat of Lu Qiaoge’s bicycle.
She pushed the bicycle running toward the hospital.
Several helpers followed behind.
Lu Qiaoge arrived at the hospital drenched in sweat, sent the person into the emergency room, then called the neighborhood committee and reported the situation here to Huang Juan.
Huang Juan said: “I’ll call Wei Qiang’s work unit right away.”
Zhang Quan was out of danger. She had caught a cold, and because her constitution was already weak, the fever wouldn’t go down.
She had passed out around midnight last night. It was discovered quite timely; a bit later and she would have been gone.
After Zhang Quan woke up, Lu Qiaoge helped her change into patient clothes and, with the nurse, cleaned her up before hanging the IV drip.
Wei Qiang arrived quite quickly, his face sullen, clearly in a bad mood.
Before figuring things out, Lu Qiaoge didn’t say much.
She just told him the sequence of events.
She told Wei Qiang that only his son Xiao Bao was home, and she hadn’t seen the child’s grandparents.
Wei Qiang gratefully thanked Lu Qiaoge.
Lu Qiaoge waved her hand: “This is what I should do. But I need to get back to the work unit first and report your family’s situation to our director.
