Zhao Mingyue glanced at the cup on the bedside table; the water had gone cold. She took it and poured it out, then poured half a cup of hot water from the kettle: "Auntie, have some water."

Mother Shen frowned and didn't respond. Zhao Mingyue put down the cup and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Mother Shen let out a soft groan, seemingly in pain somewhere. Zhao Mingyue said, "Auntie, shall I go find a doctor to take a look?"

Mother Shen remained silent. Zhao Mingyue thought this old lady was really difficult to please. She was there to take care of her, but the old lady was acting so high and mighty, as if someone was begging to take care of her. She wouldn't answer her questions. Who knew what she wanted or what made her uncomfortable?

Zhao Mingyue went to see the doctor and inquired about Shen's mother's condition. It turned out that she had fallen and injured her lumbar vertebrae. Fortunately, it wasn't too serious, and she only needed to rest in bed. A severe lumbar vertebral fracture could lead to paralysis.

Zhao Mingyue secretly felt relieved after hearing this. If the old lady had fallen seriously and her health hadn't recovered, given her temperament, would everyone still have a good life? She took the doctor back to the ward. The doctor asked about Chen's mother's condition and said, "Auntie, this is normal pain. If you can bear it, I won't give you painkillers. Painkillers also have side effects."

Mother Shen nodded, indicating that she could handle it.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Doctor, is there anything we can do to relieve her pain?"

The doctor said, "She injured her lower back, and her condition is still unstable. She can only rest in bed. You'd better say something to distract her and relieve her pain; there's nothing else you can do."

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Thank you, doctor."

The doctor left, and Madam Shen closed her eyes, ceasing her groans and gritting her teeth in pain. She was someone who had suffered before, and her endurance was remarkably strong. Zhao Mingyue, seeing the bulging muscles in her jaw, knew she must be in considerable pain, and spoke to her, "Auntie, should we write a letter to ask Xuyue to come back?"

Mother Shen waved her hand, indicating that she didn't need it.

Zhao Mingyue added, "He has thirteen days left in his internship and will be back soon. You should be discharged from the hospital by then."

Mother Shen hummed in agreement.

Zhao Mingyue kept talking to herself without responding, which felt quite awkward. There were no vacancies in the VIP wards at the hospital, so Shen's mother was in a double room. The older woman in the same room was hospitalized alone; her children were all working, her husband had passed away, and she had to take care of herself or have nurses do her work. Seeing Shen's mother with someone to keep her company, she was incredibly envious and asked, "Young lady, who is this girl to you?"

Mother Shen said, "My niece."

Zhao Mingyue: "..."

The older woman remarked, "Your niece is such a good girl, so thoughtful."

Chen's mother remained silent.

After a while, Mother Shen stirred and reached to lift the blanket. Zhao Mingyue quickly stood up and asked, "Auntie, do you need to use the restroom?"

Mother Shen nodded. Zhao Mingyue said, "I'll carry you there." The ward was very old, and there was only one public toilet on each floor. If you needed to use the toilet, you had to go outside the ward. Mother Shen had hurt her back, and it hurt even when she was lying down, let alone walking more than ten meters to the toilet.

Mother Shen did not object. Zhao Mingyue helped her sit up and then pulled her onto her back: "Auntie, does it hurt your back if I carry you like this?"

Chen's mother, clinging to her back, uttered two words: "It's alright."

Zhao Mingyue carefully carried her to the toilet, then gently lowered her arm and half-supported, half-carried her to the toilet stall. Every step Chen's mother took felt like being pricked with needles. Zhao Mingyue helped her in, but Chen's mother couldn't squat down. Zhao Mingyue could only hold her under her armpits, supporting her as she completed this extremely ordinary task of using the toilet.

The incident had so horrifying that Chen's mother was speechless. She, usually so shrewd and capable, now felt utterly powerless in front of Zhao Mingyue, wishing she could disappear into the ground. She returned to her hospital room, lay down, turned her face to one side, and remained silent.

Zhao Mingyue understood her embarrassment and pain, and didn't ask anything. She just carefully tucked her in, then sat aside in a daze. She felt that she hadn't thought things through and should have brought a book.

The old lady in the next bed was lonely and bored, so she started chatting with Zhao Mingyue: "How old are you, young lady?" The old lady was from Shanghai and spoke Mandarin with a Wu accent.

Twenty-one years old.

The old lady exclaimed, "How young you are! That's wonderful. Young lady, have you started working yet? Where do you work?"

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Not yet, I'm still at school."

The old lady stared at her with wide eyes: "Going to university, huh?"

Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Mm."

"Oh my, going to university is wonderful! You become a pillar of the nation, truly remarkable!" the old lady exclaimed.

Zhao Mingyue smiled shyly: "Auntie, you flatter me."

The old woman lay on her side, facing Zhao Mingyue: "I'm telling the truth, there are too few college students in our country now. What school do you attend, young lady?"

Zhao Mingyue said, "Beijing Normal University."

The old lady nodded: "Great! You'll be a teacher in the future, educating and nurturing students, a diligent gardener, loved and respected by all." This old lady seemed to have some education.

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "I just hope I won't mislead any young people."

The old lady gave a thumbs up: "That's a responsible idea. Good job. Study hard. The country needs talents like you."

The old lady had a heart condition and was hospitalized for treatment. After lying on her side for a while, she turned over and lay flat. She reached out and patted her chest. Zhao Mingyue said, "Auntie, you can just lie here and talk to me. You don't need to turn to your side."

The old lady said, "Young lady, could you just rock the hospital bed up a little bit for me?"

Zhao Mingyue raised the hospital bed a little, and the old lady, leaning against the headboard, could see Zhao Mingyue by turning her head: "That's much better, thank you, young lady."

Zhao Mingyue waved her hand: "No need to be so polite. Auntie, you're from Shanghai, right?"

The old lady nodded: "Yes, but I've been in Beijing for many years, more than 30 years. I came here during the Liberation."

Mother Shen coughed lightly, and Zhao Mingyue quickly turned around: "Auntie, are you feeling unwell? Does it hurt?"

Mother Shen shook her head, reached for the bedside table as if to grab a towel, and Zhao Mingyue quickly said, "You need a towel, right?"

Mother Shen nodded, and Zhao Mingyue handed her a towel. She wiped her nose, and Zhao Mingyue took it, saying, "Auntie, please have some water. The water isn't cold yet; it's lukewarm, just right for you to drink."

Mother Shen shook her head: "I don't want to drink water."

Zhao Mingyue looked at her dry lips and said, "Auntie, please have some water. The weather is too dry. You are a patient, so you need to drink more water to recover faster." She guessed that Chen's mother was afraid that if she drank too much water, she would have to go to the toilet again.

The old lady in the next bed said, "Young lady, you need to drink more water. That's what the doctor said too. Don't be afraid to go to the toilet. Your niece is so filial and thoughtful, don't be afraid to trouble the young people."

Mother Shen took the cup from Zhao Mingyue's hand, and Zhao Mingyue lifted her head slightly so she could drink some water. Mother Shen sighed, "I wonder how Qixue is doing."

Zhao Mingyue sighed inwardly, but said aloud, "It's alright, Auntie. My brother is strong and healthy, and he recovers quickly. He'll be discharged from the hospital in a few days." At the same time, she prayed that her brother would be alright.

Mother Shen nodded: "Please sit down." Then she closed her eyes.

Zhao Mingyue finally breathed a sigh of relief. This was the first time that Chen's mother had spoken to her on her own initiative: "Okay." She then said to the old lady next door, "Auntie, let me pour you some water too."

"Oh, thank you so much, young lady," the old lady replied happily.

Zhao Mingyue poured her some water, and the old lady accepted it with a smile, repeatedly saying thank you.

The old lady noticed that Shen's mother was very cold towards Zhao Mingyue. She assumed that was just Shen's mother's personality, or perhaps she was in too much pain. The old lady, who loved to chat, asked, "Young lady, is your eldest brother also sick?"

"Yes, he was injured out of town." Zhao Mingyue turned her back to Shen's mother, put her hand to her mouth, and shushed the old lady, signaling her not to mention it. The old lady nodded understandingly.

The old lady changed the subject: "Young lady, have you found a boyfriend yet?"

Mother Shen lay on the sickbed with her eyes closed, listening intently to the gossip.

Zhao Mingyue smiled shyly: "I've looked for it."

The old lady laughed and said, "You're such a pretty girl. I was thinking that if you hadn't found a boyfriend, I could introduce you to my family. He's a diplomat who's been sent to Japan. He's not married yet, and he's not young anymore, he's thirty. He graduated from the Foreign Affairs College. As his mother, I'm worried about him."

Looking at the old lady, Zhao Mingyue estimated that she was nearly seventy years old, but the contours of her face showed that she had been a beauty in her youth. She had a very good temperament and was so kind and friendly, so her son must be quite good-looking as well. Zhao Mingyue smiled shyly and said, "Thank you, Auntie, but I already have a boyfriend."

The old lady sighed: "In principle, this is not something we elders should interfere with. Getting married is his own business, but when children are getting older and still not married, of course we elders are anxious, don't you think, little sister?"

Mother Shen hummed in agreement. The old lady then asked, "Young lady, how many children do you have?"

Mother Shen said, "Three."

The old woman lay in bed, saying contentedly, "I have four children, two sons and two daughters. My sons are both diplomats, and my daughters are married to diplomats. The whole family works abroad. So now that I'm sick, they can't take care of me anymore. If only my husband were still here. The policies are better now, and times have changed. Sigh!"

Zhao Mingyue looked at the old lady and asked, "Auntie, is your husband also a diplomat?"

The old lady waved her hand: "He was like that when he was young, and then he came back and worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"Did you also live abroad?" Zhao Mingyue felt that this family must be very legendary, as the whole family were diplomats, and the old lady's husband must be a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The old lady nodded: "Yes, I lived in Albania for three years and then in Moscow for four years."

Zhao Mingyue said with some admiration, "Auntie, you have such a rich life experience."

The old lady sighed: "If we're talking about life experiences, there really aren't many people who have experienced more than our generation. Young lady, right? From the War of Resistance Against Japan to the War of Liberation, the founding of New China, the Land Reform, the Cultural Revolution, and the Reform and Opening Up, we've experienced it all."

Mother Shen nodded with a sigh, "Yes."

The old lady smiled and said, "I don't know how many times I've died and come back to life. Those who survive are all lucky."

Zhao Mingyue felt that this old lady had truly reached a high level of life, and she was filled with admiration: "Madam, what is your surname?"

The old lady smiled and said, "My surname is Fu. And you, young lady?"

Zhao Mingyue quickly replied, "My name is Zhao Mingyue."

“Mingyue is a good name,” Grandma Fu nodded.

Zhao Mingyue said, "My father named me that. He was a private school teacher and had some education."

Grandma Fu nodded: "Young lady, judging from your accent, you're probably not from Beijing." Although Zhao Mingyue's Mandarin was standard, it didn't have any Beijing accent.

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Yes, I'm from X province."

“That’s close to my hometown, so we’re practically from the same hometown.” Grandma Fu suddenly felt that the distance between the two of them had narrowed, and she started talking to Zhao Mingyue about their hometown.

As Shen's mother listened to their conversation, she gradually forgot about her ailments. It wasn't until Zhao Mingyue saw someone outside carrying a kettle to fetch water that she stood up and said, "Auntie, Auntie, let me go get you some hot water. I'll bring some hot water over in a bit so you can all wipe yourselves down."

"Oh, okay, thank you, Miss Mingyue," said Mrs. Fu gratefully.

Zhao Mingyue went out with the kettle, and Grandma Fu said to Shen's mother, "Your niece is so filial and sensible, it's truly enviable."

Mother Shen smiled but remained silent.

At this moment, Shen Fuyu came over with her son, carrying a thermal lunchbox: "Mom, are you feeling better? Come and eat. Where's Mingyue?"

Mother Shen said, "She's gone to fetch water."

Shen Fuyu shook her mother up and helped her lean against the headboard, preparing to feed her. Shen's mother said, "Push the table up here, I'll eat by myself." Their ward has top-notch medical facilities nationwide, using the most advanced equipment, but the ward itself is a bit old and doesn't have a separate bathroom.

Zhao Mingyue returned carrying a water bottle: "Big sister, Jingjing, you're here?"

Jingjing sweetly called out, "Little Aunt!"

Because there were outsiders present, Zhao Mingyue's face immediately turned red. She didn't know whether to answer or not: "Jingjing is so good. Is school fun?"

"Yes, I won a shuttlecock kicking competition with my classmates today," Jingjing said proudly.

"Great job." Zhao Mingyue patted his head.

Shen Fuyu said, "Jingjing, let me carry you to sit on the bed. Your aunt is about to eat. You can play with your aunt later. Mingyue, you eat. This lunchbox is for you."

Zhao Mingyue asked, "Sister, have you eaten?"

"We've all eaten."

Zhao Mingyue looked at Old Mrs. Fu: "Auntie, how do you plan to eat?"

Grandma Fu smiled and said, "The nurse will bring it up to me in a little while."

Zhao Mingyue felt it wasn't right for the old lady to watch them eat alone: ​​"Should I go get you some food now?"

Shen Fuyu said, "Mingyue, you sit down, I'll go. Auntie, should we ask that nurse?"

Grandma Fu said, "No need to trouble yourself."

"It's alright, please go ahead."

Grandma Fu said, "Nurse Liu."

“Okay, I’ll go ask.” Shen Fuyu went out.

Zhao Mingyue poured water, wiped Chen's mother's hands, and then helped her open the lunchbox to let her eat.

Grandma Fu looked at Zhao Mingyue, who was both attentive and efficient. Jingjing sat obediently on the edge of the bed, looking at the adults. Grandma Fu asked, "Little girl, what's your name?"

Jingjing wasn't shy at all: "My name is Jingjing, the Jing from Beijing." He originally had a Northeastern accent, but after living in Beijing for more than a year, he completely adopted the Beijing accent and spoke it very fluently.

Grandma Fu teased him, "This is your maternal grandmother, right? And this is your aunt?"

Jingjing smiled and said, "Yes, that's right. My mom said she's my uncle's girlfriend."

Zhao Mingyue's face immediately turned red. Old Mrs. Fu realized that Zhao Mingyue was not Shen's mother's niece, but her future daughter-in-law. Just now, she was thinking of poaching her son's daughter-in-law. She couldn't help but laugh and say, "I'm sorry, I didn't know the situation. I'm so sorry."

Zhao Mingyue blushed: "It's alright, Auntie."

Grandma Fu said to Shen's mother with envy, "Young lady, you are so lucky to have found such a filial daughter-in-law." She had thought it was her niece at first, so she didn't think much of it since it was someone else's family anyway. But now she was genuinely envious of Shen's mother.

Mother Shen glanced at Zhao Mingyue, and after a while said, "Elder sister, you're too kind."

A little while later, Shen Fuyu brought up the food for Grandma Fu, and Zhao Mingyue then began to eat. Shen Fuyu said, "Mom, I received a call from Dad. Qixue is fine now. He just needs to rest and he'll be better in a while. They'll be back in a few days."

Zhao Mingyue looked at Shen Fuyu, whose complexion had indeed improved a lot, and the melancholy in her eyes had faded considerably. That meant that Shen Qixue was out of danger. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, everything was alright, otherwise what would have happened to Shen's mother and Shen Xuyue?

Hearing her daughter say this, Chen's mother stopped eating and asked, "Are you really alright?"

Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Auntie, you heard right, my brother is alright."

Mother Shen finally nodded, but tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She quickly reached out to wipe them away, and Zhao Mingyue hurriedly took a towel to wipe them away for her: "Auntie, my brother is a lucky man, he will definitely be alright. Now you should take good care of yourself, it's almost the end of the year, and my brother should be coming back soon."

Mother Shen covered her face with a towel and sobbed. Her eldest son was still angry with her when he left, and hadn't spoken to her since. He hadn't forgiven her, and she was still angry with him. Then, suddenly, the military called, telling the family to go to the hospital. Having worked in this system for many years, how could she not know that this was the most critical sign, and that the chances of survival were slim? She was afraid she would never see her son again. Now, hearing that he was out of danger, she was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn't help but cry.

Zhao Mingyue and Shen Fuyu gently patted her back to comfort her. Jingjing stared wide-eyed at her grandmother, who was crying, looking at her helplessly. Zhao Mingyue pointed to the lunchbox and then to Shen Fuyu's mother, making a eating gesture. Jingjing understood: "Grandma, don't cry, eat your food, it's getting cold."

Zhao Mingyue gave him a thumbs up.

Shen Fuyu said, "Yes, Mom, let's eat. Get well soon, and then we can go see Qixue."

Mother Shen took a breath, stopped crying, wiped away her tears, and nodded: "Okay, let's eat."

Zhao Mingyue finally breathed a sigh of relief. The meal had been quite eventful, but it was a reassuring one. After the meal, Shen Fuyu and Zhao Mingyue helped their mother take a bath and settled her down before leaving with the lunchbox.

There was a sofa in the double room, and Zhao Mingyue planned to sleep there that night. She went to the nurses' station to borrow a quilt. When her mother saw her curled up in the narrow sofa, she didn't say anything, just sighed and closed her eyes to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Zhao Mingyue carried Shen's mother to the toilet. The old lady next door also wanted to go to the toilet, and Zhao Mingyue helped her go with her. The old lady sighed and said, "Oh dear, it's so good to have your children around. When people get old, they are prone to illnesses and need someone to take care of them."

“Yes, ma’am, you must be lonely all by yourself,” Zhao Mingyue said softly.

Grandma Fu said, "Yes, there's nothing we can do. Everyone has important things to do. We had no choice back then; things were in such a mess back home, so it was better to stay abroad." The old lady lowered her voice as she spoke.

Zhao Mingyue thought to herself, if the children are all away from home, the elderly must be under immense pressure. It's really not easy for anyone.

The next morning, Zhao Mingyue helped Shen's mother get up and wash, bought her breakfast, and then rushed back to school for class. Her roommates were surprised and asked where she had gone. They explained that when Zhao Mingyue left the day before, no one was in the dorm; she had only left a note saying she had gone to the hospital. Zhao Mingyue said, "Shen Xuyue's mother is sick, and I'm going to the hospital to stay with her overnight."

Everyone was surprised that she was asked to stay with Shen Qixue. Zhao Mingyue gave a vague answer. She considered telling Mao Jianlan about Shen Qixue's injury, but then decided against it. The wound was almost healed, and bringing it up again would only create more trouble. Shen Qixue was out of danger, which meant he was fine. Telling Mao Jianlan would probably only add to her worries. Things had just calmed down with Shen's mother, and now this trouble was stirring up again, making everyone unhappy.

From that day on, Zhao Mingyue shuttled back and forth between the school and the hospital every day. Shen's mother did not have surgery and was discharged from the hospital after receiving injections for five days. After being discharged, she continued to rest in bed at home. Shen Fuyu took her son back to her parents' home to stay. During the day, when Zhao Mingyue did not have classes, she would still come over to take care of Shen's mother and assist her with rehabilitation exercises.

Two days after being discharged from the hospital, Shen Qixue's father and Yang Maolin rushed back from Guangzhou. Shen Qixue was out of danger and had been transferred to a regular ward. Zhao Mingyue then learned that Shen Qixue had participated in a military exercise when his comrade made a mistake while handling firearms. In trying to save his comrade, he almost lost his life. Fortunately, he had a strong will to live and pulled through; otherwise, he would probably have brought back a handful of ashes.

"Is Qixue still hospitalized? Why not bring him back to Beijing for treatment?" Shen's mother asked.

Mr. Shen said, “Why go back to Beijing? The medical standards at Southern Hospital are also very high. He was so badly injured, and all that moving around must have taken a toll on him, even if he didn’t die. Don’t worry, once he recovers and is discharged from the hospital, he should have a vacation and might come back to visit.”

Only then did Mother Shen feel relieved.

Zhao Mingyue said, "Auntie, Uncle is back, so I won't be coming over every day anymore."

Mother Shen nodded, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face: "Thank you for your hard work these past few days."

Zhao Mingyue finally heard a thank you from Chen's mother, and thought to herself, "It was worth it to be busy all this time."