"Dad, who injured their foot?"

"It’s your sister Rongyu; she twisted her ankle and is having trouble walking. I’ve been going over to her house to help her these past couple of days."

It’s just Aunt’s sprained ankle. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, Grandpa Sun continued, "After twisting her ankle, Rongyu went to see the orthopedic doctor recommended by Ruomei."

That’s how it is for people in small towns. Those who don’t understand medicine get medical advice from relatives who are in the profession. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know which doctor is good. Small town medical facilities aren’t like those in big cities; most doctors aren’t very skilled, and the locals are well aware of that.

"When Ruomei answered her call, she didn’t properly comfort her. She was so upset that she cried and called me, saying her ankle was terribly swollen, and she was afraid it was something serious." Grandpa Sun sighed.

It’s understandable for the younger daughter to be anxious when she can’t find a doctor to see her. The poorer someone is, the less they can afford to get seriously ill; once they get sick or injured, they’re very afraid.

"How is Rongyu now?" Sun Rongfang was equally worried about her sister and asked.

"Later, I remembered you said the district hospital’s orthopedic department had a lot of patients, so the doctors there should be skilled. I took her to the district hospital for an x-ray; the doctor said it wasn’t a fracture. They did some massage and applied medication, and it’s much better. But she’s sulking over the situation, saying if Yingying were here, things would be different and she wouldn’t have ignored her aunt. I told her not to easily rely on Ruomei anymore." Grandpa Sun’s words were to remind his elder daughter; the old man could sense something off with Zhou Ruomei.

Sun Rongfang recalled that during that period, she had a huge argument with Zhou Ruomei over the matters of Xiao Shugang and her daughter, and they haven’t spoken since.

In her view, how could her cousin, who is a doctor, act like this? She couldn’t care less how others behaved as doctors, but Zhou Ruomei was her cousin, and she didn’t want her cousin bringing disgrace to her own face by lacking integrity as a doctor.

"How about Yingying?" Grandpa Sun asked.

Xie Wanying reached out, took her mother’s phone, and spoke to her grandpa.

"Yingying, take care of your health. Studying is important, but your health is the biggest asset."

"Yes, Grandpa."

"You don’t need to worry about your aunt’s leg; she’s much better now."

Trusting her, Xie Wanying decided to speak up: "Grandpa, take Aunt to the hospital for an MRI. Sometimes hidden injuries don’t show up on x-rays. Aunt’s ankle is too swollen; it can’t be nothing. She’s not young anymore, and if this injury isn’t properly addressed, the older she gets, the more obvious the aftereffects will be. It will often ache, making walking difficult."

"But the doctor said she had an x-ray and her bones are fine." Grandpa Sun questioned whether his granddaughter was overestimating the severity of the situation.

"How many x-rays did she have?"

"One," Grandpa Sun said.

That’s how it is. Small town hospitals know that locals don’t have much money, so doctors hesitate to order extensive tests, usually just taking one x-ray to see if any major bones are fractured. However, an ankle sprain requires attention not only to the bones but also to the ligaments. Proper x-ray examination should include stress views to check for ligament damage. Typically, doctors wouldn’t order such views, as if a patient truly wanted a thorough examination, an MRI is the safest option; it can reveal damage that x-rays may miss.

Ligament damage can be terribly serious. Many people experience long-term pain after a fracture, unable to detect any issues on bone x-rays, often because initial ligament injuries were unnoticed and untreated, failing to provide proper stabilization or repair, which affects the ankle’s long-term stability and can make walking painful.