Update

Mr. Zhang's father in law is still in the hospital. He was scheduled for an operation on his neck this afternoon. The operation will cost a lot. That was the point that the doctors seem to drive home more than the benefit of the surgery. The driver who struck him, it turns out, was driving a private vehicle, a mian bao chi (literally translated... a loaf of bread vehicle... because these little micro vans look a lot like a loaf of bread.) He paid them some money, but apparently not enough to cover the required surgery.

The Chinese are fabulous savers. They put us to shame really. Unfortunately, they have to be. Because if someday you get hit by a bread shaped van the decision of whether or not you have surgery on your neck depends on just how much money you've tucked under your hard mattress over the years.