But when she heard the complete and cruel truth with her own ears, she realized how pale and powerless her imagination was!
The horror and sacrifice involved far exceeded her psychological limits!
She didn't even need to close her eyes; the hellish scene was vividly clear before her.
She felt an indescribable admiration and respect for her second brother, Shen Huaiyue, whom she had never met, her second sister-in-law, Lin Wei, and all the heroes who sacrificed or were seriously injured in that operation!
At the same time, she also completely and utterly understood why Xiao Zhouzhou chose to completely close herself off and isolate herself from the world.
Such a bloody, cruel, and inhuman scene!
Watching helplessly as loved ones are tortured, burned, and shot...
Those were human lives!
They are my own flesh and blood relatives!
Such shock and trauma would likely cause any mentally mature adult to suffer a mental breakdown, leaving behind a psychological shadow that is difficult to heal for life.
Zhou Qiqi asked herself honestly, if she were in her shoes, she probably wouldn't have been able to bear it either.
Moreover, at that time, Zhouzhou was just over three years old, an innocent and ignorant child!
She may not fully understand the meaning of death, but the visual and psychological horror was enough to destroy her young world.
It's a miracle that she survived.
Developing severe post-traumatic stress disorder, becoming taciturn, or even completely mute, is almost an inevitable result, and it is also the only way for her subconscious to protect herself from further harm.
Thinking of all this, Zhou Qiqi felt an unbearable heartache, almost unable to breathe, and tears kept falling.
Seeing her crying so hard, Shen Zhenbang couldn't bear it and silently wrung out a warm towel, handing it to her and comforting her:
"Alright, Qiqi, stop crying. I know you're heartbroken for Zhouzhou. But all these terrible things are in the past now, don't think about them anymore. The most important thing right now is to find a way to cure Zhouzhou's illness..."
These words made Zhou Qiqi feel a little embarrassed.
She was the one who took the initiative to ask her father-in-law about the past, and she was the one who reopened the wounds, but it was her father-in-law who suffered the most pain.
Now, it's the elderly man who lost his son who has to comfort his daughter-in-law.
She quickly took the towel, hastily wiped away the tears streaming down her face, and said in a choked but sincere voice, her voice still thick with emotion:
"Dad, actually, it's not just Zhouzhou I feel sorry for, but I feel even more sorry for my second brother and sister-in-law, for Huaichuan, and most of all, for you and Mom! You...you've endured far more than I can imagine..."
She now truly understood why her mother-in-law, Qin Peilan, an old revolutionary who had experienced the baptism of war, had such poor health.
She might have been a little confused before, thinking that the elderly shouldn't be so fragile.
But now she understands!
Even the strongest revolutionary fighter is first and foremost a mother!
What mother could bear to learn that her child had suffered such horrific torment?
That kind of excruciating pain is enough to destroy anyone's body and mind!
Although she has never had a child, she now cherishes Zhouzhou as her own precious child and can deeply empathize with her mother-in-law's profound maternal love.
Seeing Zhou Qiqi cry so sincerely, and hearing every word she uttered resonate with him, Shen Zhenbang was deeply moved.
He reached out his rough, calloused hand and gently patted Zhou Qiqi's shoulder, his eyes welling up with tears as he sighed repeatedly:
"Good boy...what a good boy! It's such a blessing for the Shen family that Huaichuan can marry you!"
This simple comfort warmed Zhou Qiqi's heart, who had never experienced fatherly love before, and a surge of warmth flowed through her entire body.
She became even more determined to do everything in her power to cure Zhouzhou!
Please take good care of this child for my second brother and sister-in-law! And share the burdens and difficulties with my parents-in-law!
She suppressed her surging emotions, took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, organized her thoughts, and steered the conversation back to the most practical issue:
"Dad, according to what you just said, when you were in the hospital, did you not realize that Zhouzhou couldn't speak? Did you just think she was frightened and needed time to recover?"
Shen Zhenbang also pulled himself out of his painful memories and nodded:
"Yes, we didn't know any of that back then. The army doctor just said the child had suffered a huge shock, and we couldn't rush things; we had to take it slowly..."
So the elderly couple stayed at that military hospital in Y province for more than a month.
They dared not get too close, dared not speak much, but silently watched over Zhouzhou day and night, taking care of her daily life.
A month later, Zhouzhou finally stopped hiding from them like a frightened little rabbit, but her attitude remained indifferent, neither affectionate nor open.
It was only then, after a long period of observation and a series of examinations, that the military doctor and the elderly couple made a horrifying discovery.
This child really couldn't say a word!
This result was like a bolt from the blue.
The elderly couple couldn't accept it at all and began a long journey seeking medical treatment for Zhouzhou.
Three years ago, the concept of mental illness didn't exist, let alone the professional materials Zhou Qiqi brought back now.
They took Zhouzhou to famous hospitals all over the country, where they saw doctors in neurology, traditional Chinese medicine, and even otolaryngology.
I've taken countless calming and brain-boosting pills and herbal decoctions, tried acupuncture, various folk remedies, and even had someone perform a "soul-calling" ritual...
We've tried almost every method we could think of.
"As for the effect, it's not that it has absolutely no effect..."
Shen Zhenbang sighed, gave a bitter smile, and said weakly,
"At least, Zhouzhou isn't like she was at the beginning, hiding from strangers and not crying so easily anymore, but..."
But then he changed the subject, his tone filled with regret:
"She was like a completely different person. She lost interest in everything. She wouldn't even glance at the new toys we bought her. When other children played in the yard, she would just stand there watching blankly, never joining in. She was always alone, quietly sitting in a corner, staring blankly into space..."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qiqi's heart sank.
This is exactly how Zhouzhou looked when she first arrived!
She couldn't help but sigh:
“Dad, I think... this is probably not the effect of the medication. It's more about your and Mom’s daily companionship, which makes her feel safe and less afraid of the outside world. But this is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause. The knot in her heart is still stuck there!”
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