Chapter 35 A Touch of Warmth: "If you can't find it in China, find it abroad!"...

Yu Lingling rushed over, but... while she said she was taking care of her, she was having a lot of fun playing the game, so it wouldn't be fair to say she was ignoring her.

but……

Cheng Sijie picked a fight: "Hey, woman, you were crying when you first arrived at the ward, how come you're so relaxed now?"

Yu Lingling didn't even look up. "Big sister, you're not really going to die. You're lively and energetic, so of course I'm not that worried. True feelings only last for a moment. A real woman doesn't bow her head and wipe away tears, don't you understand?"

Cheng Sijie was delighted.

However, despite saying that, Yu Lingling was just venting her frustration. She quickly pressed the call button to ask the nurse to change the IV drip, carefully adjusted the bed to the right height, and after seeing that Cheng Sijie had finished changing the IV, she told her to wait patiently and then ran to a small shop outside the hospital to buy some rice porridge—although the doctor had instructed her to only eat liquid food, it was still better than the bland hospital meals.

Cheng Sijie said, "I have food to eat, so what will you eat, baby?"

Yu Lingling said, "Me? I eat coarse grains and wild vegetables..."

Cheng Sijie said ingratiatingly, "You've worked hard, you've worked hard."

Yu Lingling was amused, "What's so hard about me? You're the one who's having a hard time."

She's very generous. Yesterday, she instructed Gu Mo to pack some stir-fried shrimp and vegetable porridge from their favorite restaurant that Cheng Sijie could eat. Gu Mo did exactly as she asked, and it was delivered this morning. The two of them enjoyed a delicious meal.

They have a good relationship now. Gu Mo and Yu Lingling's parents knew that the two of them were dating before, although they didn't know who it was, only that they were high school classmates.

Gu Mo remained as dazed as ever, wearing glasses and with his shirt buttoned up perfectly. He greeted Cheng Sijie politely.

Every time Cheng Sijie greeted him, she felt awkward, as if she were discussing a paper with a scholar from the 1980s.

This situation has become increasingly serious since Gu Mo went to university.

She didn't believe she was afraid of Gu Mo, nor did she feel guilty towards him. If she had to explain why, she might quote Wang He: "Some people are just naturally frightening to those of us who don't like to study."

Therefore, Cheng Sijie tentatively categorized it as incompatibility.

Gu Mo was very polite to her. When he learned that Cheng Sijie needed to continue to be hospitalized, he expressed his sympathy and said that if needed, Yu Lingling should contact him.

It's clear that he cares a lot about Yu Lingling, a care that started back in high school. When Cheng Sijie ran into him and Yu Lingling studying together in their senior year of high school, Gu Mo even politely asked her if she wanted to go for milk tea with them.

Cheng Sijie, sweating profusely, refused.

Even with a lantern, she couldn't see how Gu Mo's calm eyes and tightly pursed lips could conceal the "fiery" qualities that Yu Lingling described.

Seeing Cheng Sijie's disapproving expression, Yu Lingling didn't say anything in front of Gu Mo. Only after Gu Mo said goodbye to her did he ask Cheng Sijie, "Why are your eyes like searchlights, scanning back and forth?"

Cheng Sijie drank the porridge that Gu Mo brought her, pondered for a long time, and said carefully, "I don't know. Every time I see him, I have an urge to find fault with him."

Yu Lingling said, "It's because you love me so much, baby."

Indeed, she always wanted Yu Lingling to find a perfect person, even though Yu Lingling herself had a lot of flaws.

Cheng Sijie shuddered. "How cheesy!"

As she spoke, she called Yu Lingling to take a selfie together, which she wanted to post in their group chat of close friends. The group included Yu Lingling, Cheng Sijie, Sleepyhead, Sunglasses King, Professor Zeng Wangshu, and Cheng Jiayu, a student from another class who had infiltrated the group thanks to his gossip and good relationships with the others.

[Wong Kar-wai]: What's going on? Are you guys playing a murder mystery game?

Cheng Sijie: "..."

[One-liter bottle of orange juice]: "No, I'm hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis caused by a bacterial infection."

[doctor Zeng Daxian]: Really? ? ?

[00 Sister]: It's true, Cheng Sijie almost died. Luckily, her roommate frantically called 120 in the middle of the night. I rushed from our school to the hospital and begged the King of Hell to spare her life!

[Wong Kar-wai]: ...I was already convinced, but now that you've said it, it seems so absurd.

As she spoke, a WeChat video call request popped up on Yu Lingling's phone. It was from Wang He. Yu Lingling answered, and Wang He was getting his hair and makeup done.

After the college entrance examination, Wang He became a part-time model. She was well-off and unlike her mother, she did not have any lofty ambitions to conquer the runway. Even though she was qualified to walk the catwalk, she still developed her career in China in a very laid-back way. Her school was in the Yangtze River Delta region, which is the most suitable place to shoot e-commerce advertisements. According to Wang He, "If you study math, physics and chemistry well, you will not be afraid of the catwalk." She said that she wanted to be a woman who could easily win in both her studies and career.

She appears to be on a photoshoot set, sporting a very distinctive Asian makeup look, posing for a photoshoot for a well-known sportswear brand. Yu Lingling and this trendy person are staring at each other, and Yu Lingling points the camera at Cheng Sijie. Cheng Sijie raises his hand and says hi, prompting Wang He to exclaim:

"Holy crap, Cheng Sijie, you almost lost your life?"

Cheng Sijie: "...How could this be fake? Oh, it's just a minor issue."

Just then, Cheng Sijie's phone rang. After she answered, Cheng Jiayu said, "Sis, what are you doing at the hospital?"

The four chatted freely across the screen. It would be a lie to say Cheng Sijie wasn't moved. Professor Zeng also called, but unfortunately, he was too late; the line was busy. So, they simply started a group video call.

Cheng Sijie felt that looking at such a group of lively characters had made her feel much better, after all, even the God of Sleep had "condescended" to care for her.

This cheerful and joyful atmosphere made Cheng Sijie feel especially happy.

If we're going to be grateful, let's not be grateful for the hardships in life, but rather for the friends who offered love and comfort.

It's a pity, but...

Cheng Sijie thought: Jiang Hui, you're doomed. At this time, you're abroad, so I'll have to postpone our official relationship indefinitely.

Seeing that she was in a much better mood, Yu Lingling felt much lighter herself.

However, a very urgent matter immediately followed—

"You said your parents are coming in the next few days?" Yu Lingling asked while feeding her porridge. "Should we tell them?"

"We'll see," Cheng Sijie said. "They haven't set a time yet. I don't want them to worry, but I guess I can't keep it a secret forever."

Thinking about this, Cheng Sijie looked a little worried.

She had a very good relationship with He Hongmei and Cheng Jianjun. Ever since she was admitted to a prestigious university, her grandmother shed tears at the celebration banquet. After drinking a glass of wine, the old lady couldn't resist the influence of the alcohol and kept holding He Hongmei's hand, asking, "Isn't this that famous university?"

“In ancient times, this would be considered the top scholar in the imperial examination. Hongmei is a PhD, and my granddaughter can also get a PhD.”

"Hongmei is amazing, she has a doctorate, and Sijie is just as amazing."

She kept repeating those words, unusually eager to curry favor with He Hongmei and Cheng Sijie.

Rather than saying the old lady was snobbish, it would be more accurate to say she was completely defeated by reality. Living in this era, she finally realized, belatedly, that her granddaughter was no less capable than her other grandchildren.

Touched by her emotional words that day, He Hongmei suddenly said on the way home with Cheng Jianjun, "The old lady is a blessed person."

Cheng Jianjun understood what she meant. "What, are you saying you don't want to hold those past things against her anymore?"

He Hongmei said, "One thing at a time. The grievances I suffered as a daughter-in-law are different from what happened today. I think she is very fortunate. She is getting old, but she is not completely confused. Now she has come to terms with it and knows that it is not only grandsons who can be successful. Girls can also become top scholars now. Otherwise, I really don't know how painful it would be for her to see my Sijie becoming more and more successful."

Cheng Jianjun laughed: "You're just all talk and no action."

He Hongmei glanced at Cheng Jianjun. Cheng Jianjun was a dutiful son and a responsible husband. Many times, she would be willing to overlook the fact that he was her husband, especially since she had given birth to her beloved daughter with him. This little girl had grown from a tiny baby to be going to university.

Where has the time gone?

How time flies!

Seeing that her mother's eyes were red, Cheng Sijie tactfully handed her a tissue.

He Hongmei took a tissue and said, "Sijie, considering that your grandma complimented me on being a PhD today, I can't hold a grudge against her for what happened before. If I do, I'll be making things difficult for an old lady like her."

She said this with a mix of melancholy and感慨, "In the blink of an eye, it's been over twenty years since I married your dad. How fast time flies."

Cheng Jianjun, gripping the steering wheel, laughed upon hearing this, "Then you'd better treat me well. We'll have to rely on each other in the future. Sijie, even after you go to university, you can't slack off on your studies. But, you could also think about which handsome young man seems to have the same good character as your dad. You could consider developing a relationship with him."

Cheng Sijie: "Yeah, but it's hard to find someone like my dad who has both good character and good looks."

He Hongmei suddenly said, "If we can't find it in China, we'll find it abroad!"

Cheng Jianjun laughed heartily: "Find a mixed-race woman!"

Cheng Sijie broke out in a cold sweat, almost thinking that the two were implying something.

She glanced at them, and seeing that the couple were just talking nonsense, she breathed a sigh of relief and laughed awkwardly.

But since that incident, He Hongmei's relationship with Grandma Cheng Sijie has improved considerably. It doesn't matter what grudges or resentments there are. Times change, and as long as there's a way out, they can make do. It's better not to spend her whole life with her. Life is so long, and it's rare to have someone you need to argue with or take things too seriously. It's better not to leave that person to her mother-in-law.

In this way, Cheng Sijie's grandmother had a legitimate reason to care more about Cheng Sijie. After hearing about this, Cheng Sijie's maternal grandmother pondered for a long time. As someone of the same age, she naturally knew that the old lady was getting old and her husband was no longer alive. Her frail health and belated awareness finally made her realize her current weakness and backwardness. She had to muster up the courage to break the ice with her daughter-in-law.

She just sighed and didn't say anything.

However, Cheng Sijie became the most watched person at her grandmother's and maternal grandmother's houses. Not only did He Hongmei and Cheng Jianjun think about coming to C City to see her, but her maternal grandmother and paternal grandmother's houses were also concerned about her. Her paternal grandmother kept saying, "Sijie is just a little girl, going so far away, it must be so scary. Hongmei, go see her and cheer her on!"

He Hongmei said on the phone that the old lady had secretly slipped her five thousand yuan and asked He Hongmei to give it to her.

Cheng Sijie was shocked.

During his freshman year, he couldn't come due to various reasons, but Cheng Jiayu's parents still went to visit him. After this happened, everyone was outraged.

They have a grown man in their family, and they're going to visit him. How can we not go?

Therefore, this year, it has become a major event for both families. He Hongmei and Cheng Jianjun are fighters carrying the expectations of their fellow villagers, and they simply cannot leave without bringing their luggage to visit Cheng Sijie.

Cheng Sijie felt helpless about this.

She knew in her heart that He Hongmei and Cheng Jianjun would definitely come this time, but she didn't know if they could come after she was discharged from the hospital.