As they were talking, a middle-aged woman wearing a dark blue woolen coat and a gray scarf hurried over from the other end of the garden path, carrying a net bag containing a lunchbox and fruit.
She spotted the old man in the wheelchair at a glance, and her face immediately lit up with a mixture of anxiety and joy:
"Dad! Why did you run out? The doctor told you to stay in bed and rest more!"
She was none other than Old Master Zhai's eldest daughter-in-law.
"It was stuffy inside, so Xiao Zhou pushed me out to get some fresh air."
When the old man saw his daughter-in-law, he explained with a smile.
The woman quickly walked over, first scolding the old man a few times, then turning to Zhou Qiqi with a grateful smile on her face:
"Comrade Zhou, you've really gone to so much trouble! My dad can't sit still, so I'm grateful for your help in taking care of him."
She naturally took the handle of the wheelchair.
"You're too kind, it's my pleasure."
Zhou Qiqi let go of her hand and gave her the seat.
"Then you can keep the old man company for a while, I'll be going now."
"Alright, go ahead!"
The woman readily agreed, pushing the old man towards a sunnier spot, all the while chattering about how wonderful the soup they had brought from home was.
Zhou Qiqi watched them walk away, then turned and headed towards the inpatient building.
She didn't go straight back to the ward on the third floor. Instead, she paused briefly at the top of the stairs leading from the second floor to the third floor and then headed towards the nurses' station on the third floor.
The nurse on duty was a square-faced young woman who looked unfamiliar. She was tidying up a stack of medical records.
Zhou Qiqi approached, a gentle smile on her face, and asked softly:
"Excuse me, sir, I'd like to ask you about someone. Do you know where Nurse Yuan Xiaoyuan, who used to work here, is? Isn't she on duty today?"
I met this girl when Shen Huaichuan was hospitalized last time. She's a cute and clever girl, and she always helps Zhu Yingying make appointments whenever she comes for a check-up. She's very helpful.
The square-faced nurse looked up: "Yuan Xiaoyuan? She was just transferred a few days ago."
Zhou Qiqi was somewhat taken aback: "Huh? She was transferred? That's so sudden. Do you know where she was transferred to?"
The nurse shook her head. "I'm not quite sure."
She looked a little apologetic, then gestured enthusiastically towards the other end of the corridor with her lips.
"Why don't you ask the head nurse over there? She might know."
Zhou Qiqi followed her gaze and saw the head nurse talking to someone at the corner of the corridor.
She thanked the nurse and walked over there.
As I was leaving, seven or eight family members came out of the ward and blocked my way.
When Zhou Qiqi reached the corner, the head nurse was already gone.
There's a large terrace just around the corner.
The autumn sun slanted across the wide cement platform, where several thick iron wires stretched out to dry, displaying faded hospital bed sheets that swayed gently in the breeze.
She vaguely saw a figure, followed it, and turned around, only to find her gaze meeting that of a man hanging up bed sheets.
When the man saw Zhou Qiqi, a surprised smile quickly spread across his face.
But in just a moment, that innocent smile was replaced by deep apology and a hint of unease.
"Comrade Zhou...?"
His voice was a little hoarse.
"Comrade Lei Ming?"
Zhou Qiqi was also a little surprised, then nodded politely, "What a coincidence, what brings you here...?"
"oh,"
Lei Ming quickly pointed to the bed sheet in the basin next to him:
“My aunt is in the hospital, and I’ve been taking care of her here for the past two days. I’m taking advantage of the sunshine to wash the sheets.”
He paused, his gaze falling on Zhou Qiqi's face. "And you? What brings you to the hospital?"
"I've come to visit an elder."
Zhou Qiqi's answer was concise.
Of course, this elder could not be Zhou Shuhua.
There was a moment of silence between the two.
The stairs are right next to the terrace, and people come and go at the entrance, with nurses or family members occasionally hurrying by.
Zhou Qiqi nodded, "Okay, you go ahead with your work, I..."
He turned and was about to leave.
"etc!"
Lei Ming suddenly called out to her, his voice urgent, as if he had made a great decision.
He rubbed his damp hands together and looked at Zhou Qiqi with earnest eyes:
"Comrade Zhou, we're always in such a rush when we meet... Could I take a few minutes of your time? I... I have something I'd like to tell you."
Zhou Qiqi hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Go ahead and say it."
She was standing at the entrance to the terrace, looking around, and pointed to a relatively secluded spot further inside the terrace, away from the entrance.
"Let's talk over there. People come and go at this entrance, don't block other people from hanging their clothes to dry."
"Okay, sure."
Lei Ming quickly agreed and followed Zhou Qiqi deeper into the terrace.
Meanwhile, at the corner of the corridor on the third floor of the inpatient department.
Shen Huaichuan was steadily pushing a wheelchair, in which sat Zhou Shuhua, whose face was still somewhat pale but whose spirits were still good.
The two of them had just gone for a simple check-up.
The wheelchair turned the corner and was directly facing the glass door leading to the large terrace.
Zhou Shuhua's gaze inadvertently swept across the doorway and then suddenly froze.
She happened to see Zhou Qiqi pointing into the depths, and then Lei Ming following her. The two stood facing each other, their postures clearly indicating that they were having a conversation.
Zhou Shuhua felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart tightly, making it hard to breathe.
She instinctively gripped the wheelchair armrests, her voice filled with barely suppressed resentment and old prejudice, as she blurted out the words.
"Huaichuan, did you see that? My previous false accusation was a mistake; I'm sorry to her. But look! Now that she's married to you, why does she keep provoking Leiming? How can I not misunderstand? No wonder I..."
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