Pushing open the door, the house felt icy cold, sending a chill down her spine.
"Sister Wang? Sister Wang, what's wrong?"
A lump under the blankets confirmed someone was there.
Yang Yufen reached out to touch—the skin was burning hot, but the bedding was freezing.
"Hang in there, Sister Wang! I'm taking you to the hospital!"
Without hesitation, Yang Yufen bundled both the blankets and the woman together, carried her out, and placed her in a tricycle before rushing off.
She pedaled furiously to the security office.
"Quick, help—ah, I forgot to ask for her son's name!"
Yang Yufen caught herself mid-shout, but the guards, sensing the urgency, were already running over.
"Call her son! She’s sick. I’m taking her to the hospital—Third People’s Hospital! Remember that!"
She pulled a familiar guard over to see Sister Wang’s face. Once he nodded, she sped off again on the tricycle.
The Third People’s Hospital was familiar to Yang Yufen and the closest option.
She pedaled straight to the outpatient building entrance, breathless.
"Doctor! Nurses! Emergency!"
After shouting inside, she dashed back out to carry the patient in.
The nurses sprang into action, wheeling over a bed just in time for Yang Yufen to lay Sister Wang down.
As the doctor examined her and admitted her, Yang Yufen explained:
"I went to check on her this morning and found her like this. She was barely conscious, so I brought her straight here. Her son’s a professor at the Agricultural Institute—they called him, but he might not get here fast."
"The patient is elderly and running a high fever. Admit her and pay the fees."
Amid the chaos, Yang Yufen was grateful her daughter-in-law had slipped money into her pocket earlier—otherwise, she wouldn’t have had any.
She didn’t understand the tests, but the doctor’s tense expression worried her. The 100 yuan from her daughter-in-law was handed over in full.
Wang Shuo, the professor, nearly panicked when he got the call. He abandoned his students, stumbled twice on his sprint to the bike shed, and raced to the hospital on his bicycle.
He didn’t even park properly—just tossed it in the snow and charged inside.
"An elderly woman named Wang was brought in this morning. I’m her son. Where is she?"
By the time he found her, she’d just returned from tests and was hooked to an IV.
"Nephew, over here! The doctor gave her a fever reducer and IV meds. Here’s the receipt—I paid 100 yuan. I need to go cook for my daughter-in-law now, but I’ll come back later. You stay with her."
Seeing Wang Shuo arrive, Yang Yufen finally relaxed.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Words failed him. Yang Yufen didn’t linger, and Wang Shuo hurried to his mother’s side.
Yang Yufen pedaled home, cooked, then returned to Sister Wang’s house. She took the key from the door, locked up, and headed back.
With plenty of lunchboxes at home, she packed meals for Qin Nian, Sister Wang, and Wang Shuo, ate quickly herself, and delivered the food.
By the time Yang Yufen returned to the hospital, Sister Wang was awake.
"Thank you, dear sister. If not for you, I might’ve…"
Sister Wang shuddered at the thought. A simple cold had spiraled into a fever, and the overnight snow left her too weak to call for help. She’d heard voices but couldn’t respond.
"You’re awake—that’s what matters. Eat something. Nephew, you too. I brought plenty."
"Alright."
Wang Shuo accepted the meal. After all she’d done, refusing felt pointless.
"What did the doctor say?"
Yang Yufen helped feed Sister Wang, who dozed off after eating.
"The fever just needs to break. You got her here in time—two days of IVs, and she can go home if stable."
"Good, good. This cold is brutal. I bought two electric blankets yesterday—I’ll give one to Sister Wang."
Yang Yufen remembered the spare she had.
"But what will you use?"
"It’s big enough to share with my daughter-in-law. You can’t leave to buy one now anyway. Health comes first."
Yang Yufen could help in emergencies but couldn’t stay indefinitely. Fevers often relapse, and care was round-the-clock.
Wang Shuo, a busy professor juggling labs and students, couldn’t manage it alone.
"I’ll pay for it—consider it a favor. And here’s the medical money you fronted."
"Fine. The blanket’s 25 yuan."
"Only 25? That’s cheap!"
"It’s warm. If the hospital allows it, you can fetch it now."
Wang Shuo asked the nurses, paid a small fee, and got approval.
When he saw the blanket, he was stunned. How could something so effective cost so little? Guilt gnawed at him—his mother’s suffering was his neglect.
After Yang Yufen showed the receipt, he believed her, regret deepening.
He rushed back to the hospital.
Sister Wang had woken again—shivering, as if dumped in an ice cellar.
Despite three layers of bedding, her teeth chattered.
Wang Shuo lifted her gently while nurses spread the electric blanket.
Tucking her in, he stayed by the bed, heart aching.
Other patients envied Sister Wang’s devoted son. The doctor, noting the blanket’s effect, had nurses wrap it snugly around her for better warmth.
At the department store, Li Xueguo had sold only two blankets all day. Ready to close early and plan tomorrow’s sales pitch, he was surprised by a supply cooperative director.
The man ordered 300 units—thin margins, but volume mattered. Future deals could follow.
With the store empty, Li Xueguo personally delivered the goods.
After the snow, he arrived at the textile factory gate, where a sweet potato vendor stood. He bought two, eating as he gathered intel.
Learning the workers’ shifts, he prepped his team.
Textile workers knew quality. At a glance, they’d see his blankets were worth the price.
