"Oh dear! She just woke up and she's still injured! How can I let her come to see me! I should be the one going to see her!"
Lei Yuhua quickly held her mother down:
"Mom! Have you forgotten? You just had surgery on your knee, and the doctor said you absolutely cannot put weight on it or move around!"
Zhou Shuhua then realized what was happening, feeling both anxious and helpless:
"Oh right, look at my brain... Quick! Let Qiqi in! Yuhua! Quickly bring me my comb and mirror! My hair is a mess, and I haven't washed my face. How can I let Qiqi see me looking like this..."
Lei Yuhong responded and quickly went to look for her handbag.
Just then, Shen Huaichuan and Zhou Qiqi slowly entered the ward.
Under the soft light, Zhou Qiqi's face was pale, but her eyes were clear and bright as she quietly looked at Zhou Shuhua on the hospital bed.
The moment their eyes met, both of their eyes instantly reddened, filled with a torrent of complex emotions.
"aunt..."
Zhou Qiqi's lips moved slightly, her voice was very soft but very clear.
Upon hearing the call, Zhou Shuhua froze, then nodded emphatically and responded with a resounding "Yes!"
"Why!"
Shen Huaichuan pushed the hospital bed to the side so that Zhou Qiqi could see her aunt more clearly.
Zhou Qiqi's gaze fell on Zhou Shuhua's leg, which was covered in a thick cast. Her heart clenched, her nose stung, and her eyes instantly reddened. She choked out, "..."
"Auntie, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault... If I had been earlier... you wouldn't have..."
Zhou Shuhua quickly reached out and grasped her hand tightly, shaking her head forcefully to interrupt her. Her voice trembled slightly.
"Good child, don't say that! Auntie understands everything, she understands everything! Auntie has never blamed you, really! The fact that you came to see me and called me 'Auntie' makes me feel sweeter than honey! You just had major surgery, you can't cry, it'll take a toll on your health, please hold back!"
Zhou Qiqi felt a warm glow in her heart, and squeezed her hand back tightly, saying softly:
"Then Auntie, you mustn't cry either. Neither of us is allowed to cry."
The aunt and niece smiled at each other, their eyes brimming with tears, but they both held them back, their unspoken words conveying a thousand unspoken feelings.
Seeing this, Lei Yuhua and Shen Huaichuan exchanged a glance and tacitly offered their advice.
Both of them had just undergone surgery and needed rest, and their emotions should not fluctuate too much.
After much persuasion, they finally convinced the two to agree to rest first.
Just as Shen Huaichuan was pushing Zhou Qiqi, preparing to leave the ward, Zhou Qiqi's gaze inadvertently swept over the bedside table.
The small round mirror that Lei Yuhua had hurriedly put down.
Upon seeing herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but let out a soft scream.
The exclamation startled everyone!
"What's wrong, Qiqi?"
"What happened?"
"Auntie!"
Shen Huaichuan, Lei Yuhua, and Zhou Shuhua all looked over nervously.
Even the two elders of the Shen family and Zhouzhou were there.
They had just seen the others off, but they couldn't bear to go to the guesthouse right away. They were worried about it and wanted to stay outside the door a little longer, afraid that something might be needed inside.
Zhou Qiqi didn't bother to answer. She grabbed the mirror, brought it close to her eyes, and her face instantly fell. She said:
"My hair...how did my hair become like this?! It's so...so ugly!"
She was threatened with having her hair cut by Brother Long and his gang, and in that critical situation, she had no time to care about her appearance.
He was in a coma for three days afterward, and when he woke up, he was too excited and worried about others.
Only now did she truly see the terrible state of her hair.
This isn't a haircut, it's like a dog chewed it up!
The hair was short and clinging to the scalp, as if it had been haphazardly gnawed.
The parts that grow are crooked and twisted, with no discernible shape.
In some places, the bluish scalp was even showing, and it was even shorter and messier than a boy's buzz cut, making it almost unpresentable.
Qin Peilan, Zhou Shuhua, and Shen Huaichuan felt a pang of pain in their hearts upon seeing this, and quickly gathered around to offer gentle comfort.
"Sweetie Qiqi, your hair will grow back after a cut..."
"Yes, child, being safe and sound is the most important thing. We'll take our time to heal, and your hair will grow back soon."
"You're not ugly at all, not ugly at all. You're beautiful no matter what I do."
Zhou Qiqi knew everyone cared about her, so she suppressed her sadness, forced a smile, nodded, and said:
"Yes, I know, I'm fine..."
But the sadness and frustration that couldn't be hidden in her big eyes still betrayed her true feelings.
It's in a girl's nature to love beauty, and no matter how much others try to comfort her, it's still hard for her to get over this.
At this moment, Director Ding arrived with a nurse.
After a thorough examination, Zhou Qiqi's condition was found to be quite good.
Director Ding nodded: "Huaichuan's supervision of your training over the past six months has paid off. You've built a solid physical foundation, and the surgery went smoothly without damaging any vital organs. Your recovery is even better than expected."
But her expression immediately turned serious.
"The root of your 'heart wind syndrome' is still there. You have to be especially careful in the future. You must not have extreme emotional ups and downs or be subjected to great stimulation. Try to keep your mind at peace. This is better than taking any tonic."
Upon hearing this, Qin Peilan immediately took it as a royal decree and repeatedly assured them:
"Director Ding, please rest assured! Our whole family will definitely protect her and never let her suffer any more injustice or fright!"
After speaking, she turned to look at the Shen father and son beside her, her eyes filled with a warning.
"Listen up, all of you! From now on, no one is allowed to make Qiqi angry! And no one is allowed to bully her! Otherwise, I'll be the first to object!"
In her heart, this daughter-in-law was as precious as her own daughter, and her status was on par with her grandson Zhouzhou, ranking first.
Shen Zhenbang and his son Shen Huaichuan were used to being at the bottom of the food chain at home, so they dared not have any objections.
He nodded hurriedly in agreement, promising to protect Zhou Qiqi as if she were his own precious jewel.
Zhou Qiqi felt a warm feeling in her heart as she watched this scene, feeling both amused and touched.
Seeing that it was getting late, I quickly urged my parents-in-law to take Zhouzhou to the guesthouse to rest.
Qin Peilan repeatedly reminded her to come and keep her company the next morning before leaving, turning back to look at her every few steps.
After everyone left, the ward finally quieted down, leaving only the young couple.
As soon as she relaxed, Zhou Qiqi suddenly felt an emptiness in her stomach and was starting to feel hungry.
She gently tugged at Chen Huaichuan's sleeve and whispered, "Huaichuan, I'm hungry... I want to eat something."
Shen Huaichuan immediately got up to go and ask Director Ding for advice.
Director Ding said that she had just woken up and her gastrointestinal function had not fully recovered, so she could only drink some warm water to soothe her stomach for the time being.
If you really want something flavorful, you can drink a little bit of the clearest liquid on top of the very thin rice porridge, but don't eat the rice grains yet.
It was already late at night, and the canteen at the military hospital had long since shut down.
Without the slightest hesitation, Shen Huaichuan went directly to the small kitchen provided for family members at the hospital, personally washed the rice, started a fire, and carefully tended the pot, cooking a small pot of rice porridge.
Carefully skimming off the surface grains of rice, I scooped out only the top layer of clear broth and brought it to Zhou Qiqi's bedside.
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