Chapter 291 - 292: Liu Haihua Should Be Dragged Out and Shot
So Liu Haiguo didn’t stop Hong Xing. Towards Hong Xing, Liu Haiguo was also helpless; they had grown up together since childhood and had always had a good relationship.
However, ever since Ge Lai’s tragedy, Hong Xing had been avoiding him, but it wasn’t possible for Liu Haiguo to harm Hong Xing over this. The current Liu Haiguo, while looking out for his own interests, hadn’t become completely despicable, nor did he want to alienate everyone.
Hong Xing carried Ge Liang all the way to the clinic, feeling a deep sadness as he looked at Liangzi in this state.
Ge Lai was such a good person, such a loyal brother, yet he met with the wolf-hearted siblings from the Lius family.
It was just that it was the New Year today, and the clinic was temporarily closed, so Hong Xing could only carry Ge Liang to the Guangming Production Team.
At the Guangming Production Team, Gao Jiaxing and the others were jubilantly bringing the fish back to the team, and everyone had run over to watch.
Gao Jiaxing and Xia Xiao brought back more than a dozen fish home. On the way, Gao Jiaxing said to Xia Xiao, "Save two for your sister and Yang Xuehua. Give two to my oldest sister on the second day of the New Year, two to my second sister, the rest for New Year’s feasting. If we can’t finish them, dry them to make salted fish for congee."
Xia Xiao nodded, and Gao Jiaxing added, "For that big fish, we’ll cut it later; we take some salt to cure it and bring it with us on the second day of the New Year."
Xia Xiao shook her head, "No need, we can just eat it at home."
"Bring it, that big fish, if we split it in the production team, we can surely get two pounds of fish meat. If that’s not enough, we can take a few from these," Gao Jiaxing was already thinking about new year’s gifts, feeling that fish meat from this big fish would be the best present for his mother-in-law’s family.
Xia Xiao laughed, "Today is New Year’s Eve, we’re leaving early on the second day of the New Year, and we might not even get home by then; who knows if the fish will spoil in a few days."
If it were in her space, it definitely wouldn’t, but the problem was that she was going back to her mother’s home with Gao Jiaxing, and the fish definitely couldn’t be put into her space.
"Cured with salt, it shouldn’t, right?" Gao Jiaxing said.
"Still, let’s not. We can buy more when we get back to the city. It’s so inconvenient to take them on the train," said Xia Xiao.
Gao Jiaxing shook his head, "It’s even more inconvenient to buy in the city. Your big brother will definitely come to pick us up at the station, and it won’t be nice to show up empty-handed."
Xia Xiao followed Gao Jiaxing’s thinking, wondering if sprinkling spring water on them would keep them from going bad.
As the two were talking and arrived at the doorstep, they bumped into Hong Xing, who was carrying a child over.
As soon as Hong Xing saw Gao Jiaxing, he approached like someone grasping at a lifeline, "Brother Gao, where is Auntie? Please save Ge Liang."
Gao Jiaxing, seeing Ge Liang in Hong Xing’s arms, loudly said, "This is Ge Liang?"
Xia Xiao was also shocked. She hadn’t expected Ge Lai’s son to have become like this, worse off than a little beggar. And what about all these injuries, how could such a small child endure this—it was utterly heart-wrenching.
"Quick, come inside," Xia Xiao hurriedly said.
Hong Xing followed inside, cursing, "It’s all because of that ruthless woman, Liu Haihua. She did this with her own hands. If I hadn’t arrived in time to save Ge Liang, he would have been beaten to death by her."
Ge Liang often looked for food when hungry, and people in the production team who saw Ge Liang as pitiful would give him a bite to eat, while others shooed him away like chasing flies, and some children also bullied Ge Liang.
Hong Xing, a bachelor with parents and brothers at home, everyone had to work to earn work points and couldn’t always watch over Ge Liang, so Ge Liang was like a feral child, even worse off than Ge Lai used to be.
Gao Jiaxing listened with anger on his face, and Xia Xiao was no less appalled. Liu Haihua was too cruel, and so inhumane.
At this time, there was no one in the Gao family. Xia Xiao said to Gao Jiaxing, "Brother Gao, go to the canteen and hurry back with mom."
Gao Jiaxing went out to the canteen to find Zheng Xianghong, while Xia Xiao was about to take Ge Liang from Hong Xing when he shook his head, "He’s too dirty, and there are lice on his head."
"It’s okay, give him to me. I want to check him." Xia Xiao then said to Hong Xing, "Can you boil water? If so, go to the kitchen and boil a pot of hot water. We’ll wash Ge Liang in a bit."
Upon hearing this, Hong Xing immediately went to the Gao kitchen. Xia Xiao looked at Ge Liang, her heart aching for the poor child.
Taking advantage of no one noticing, Xia Xiao gave Ge Liang a drink of spring water. Observing that the child’s injuries seemed severe, she fed him another mouthful of spring water before taking scissors to Ge Liang’s hair.
The child’s hair was very long, having not been cut for a long time, and indeed, there were many lice. Xia Xiao, suppressing her disgust, managed to cut Ge Liang’s hair short.
"Hong Xing, take these hairs and burn them in the fire," Xia Xiao called out to Hong Xing in the kitchen.
Hong Xing came out to burn Ge Liang’s hair and the lice, and only then did Xia Xiao place Ge Liang on the cooling bench outside the house. Ge Liang’s clothes were filthy and stinking, obviously unwashed, and tattered. As Xia Xiao lifted Ge Liang’s clothes, she covered her mouth and began crying aloud.
The child’s body was covered in bruises, a patchwork of blue, red, and purple, involving both new and old injuries. How cruel must someone be to treat a four-year-old child this way?
At that moment, Ge Liang opened his eyes and saw a beautiful woman crying over him, his face filled with confusion.
"What’s wrong?" Gao Jiaxing and Zheng Xianghong rushed back just then and saw Xia Xiao crying, so they asked.
Tearfully, Xia Xiao gritted her teeth and said angrily, "Liu Haihua should be dragged out and shot."
Before, Xia Xiao was disgusted with Liu Haihua, but now she hated her.
If you don’t like the child, why give birth to him, and even if you don’t like him, you shouldn’t abuse him, let alone let the child suffer like this.
How could a mother be so heartless? It was simply inhumane.
Gao Jiaxing and Zheng Xianghong came over to look, and Zheng Xianghong exclaimed, "Oh my God, how can someone treat a child like this? What grudge could they possibly hold against him?"
Gao Jiaxing clenched his fists. Although he didn’t speak, his rage was no small matter.
Xia Xiao said to Gao Jiaxing, "Hong Xing is boiling water in the kitchen. Brother Gao, go and help him."
After handing Ge Liang over to Zheng Xianghong, Xia Xiao watched as Zheng Xianghong took Ge Liang’s pulse and then sighed in relief, "This child is truly fortunate to have such a strong will to live. Thankfully, nothing vital was hit. Xia Xiao, keep watch, I’ll go make some medicine for him and also prepare some food; this child is starved."