Shen Tingzhou strode to the bedside, grasped Old Madam Shen's left hand, and said in a choked voice, "Mother, your son is back. How are you feeling?"
When Old Mrs. Shen saw Shen Tingzhou, tears welled up in her cloudy eyes. She blinked hard, her lips moved again, but she still couldn't utter a complete sentence. She tried to raise her right hand, but found that her arm wouldn't obey her commands, and a look of pain and despair appeared on her face.
Lin Wanqiu stood to the side, watching Old Madam Shen's disheveled appearance, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Memories from her past and present lives intertwined, and scenes of being tormented and harassed flooded back like a tide. But seeing the once arrogant old woman now weak and helpless, all the resentment seemed to have been diluted. She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said softly, "Mother, don't worry, just focus on getting better. Everything will be alright."
At this moment, an elderly doctor in a white coat and reading glasses walked in. He was the former director of the commune's health center and the best doctor there. Looking at Shen Tingzhou and Lin Wanqiu, the old director slowly said, "Comrade Shen, Madam Shen, it's good that you've arrived. Old Madam Shen's condition is quite serious; an acute cerebral infarction has caused right-sided hemiplegia, and her speech function has also been affected. The most important thing now is for her to rest well, maintain emotional stability, and then cooperate with medication and rehabilitation training. As for whether she can recover, it depends on her willpower and subsequent care."
"Old Dean, please, you must treat my mother well. We are willing to pay any price," Shen Tingzhou said hurriedly, his tone full of pleading.
"Don't worry, we will do our best." The old director nodded. "However, given Grandma Shen's current condition, she needs someone to take care of her day and night. Feeding her, wiping her body, and turning her over cannot be done carelessly, otherwise it can easily cause pressure sores and other complications."
"Dean, thank you for your hard work. Please leave the care of my mother to me," Lin Wanqiu said without hesitation. Although she knew how hard it was to take care of a stroke patient, especially one like Old Mrs. Shen who had been so harsh to her, she understood that Shen Tingzhou was the pillar of the family and had many other things to take care of. Nian'an and Xixi were still too young to shoulder such a responsibility. Therefore, the burden of caring for Old Mrs. Shen naturally fell on her shoulders.
Shen Tingzhou looked at Lin Wanqiu, his eyes filled with emotion and guilt: "Wanqiu, you've worked so hard. These past years, your mother hasn't been good to you, I never expected you would still be willing..."
"Tingzhou, stop talking." Lin Wanqiu interrupted Shen Tingzhou. "No matter what, she is your mother and the children's grandmother. Now that she is sick, it is only right for me to take care of her."
Shen Nian'an also said, "Dad, Mom, I can also help take care of Grandma. I'm all grown up now and can do some things within my ability."
Shen Nianxi nodded in agreement: "I can help too. I can wipe Grandma's hands and tell her stories."
Seeing how sensible the children were, Lin Wanqiu felt a sense of relief. She patted the two children's heads and said, "Good children, it's good that you have this thought. Nian'an still has to go to school, and Xixi still has to practice dance. I can take care of Grandma all by myself. Just come and visit Grandma when you have time."
Over the next few days, Lin Wanqiu devoted herself entirely to taking care of Old Lady Shen. She first called the family workshop and plantation to arrange various tasks, leaving the managers to handle everything temporarily. Then, she rented a small house near the health center to make it easier to care for Old Lady Shen.
Every day before dawn, Lin Wanqiu would get up, first going to the market to buy the freshest vegetables and fruits, then returning to her rented room to carefully prepare nutritious porridge and soup. Considering that Old Mrs. Shen had difficulty swallowing after her stroke, she always cooked the food until it was soft and palatable, then fed it to her little by little with a spoon. At first, Old Mrs. Shen was very uncooperative, always turning her head to one side, mumbling something indistinctly, her eyes filled with resistance and shame.
Lin Wanqiu knew that Old Madam Shen was a strong-willed person, and that she must be very distressed now that she was in this state. She did not force Old Madam Shen, but patiently comforted her, "Mother, you need to eat well so that you have the strength to fight the illness and recover as soon as possible. Think about it, when you get better, you can go to the yard to bask in the sun and tend the vegetable garden like before, wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Looking into Lin Wanqiu's sincere eyes, Old Mrs. Shen's lips moved, but in the end, she did not resist. Lin Wanqiu fed her spoonful by spoonful, her movements gentle and patient, occasionally wiping the corners of Old Mrs. Shen's mouth with a tissue. A meal often took more than an hour, and Lin Wanqiu was often exhausted with a sore back, but she never complained.
After feeding her, Lin Wanqiu would wipe and turn Old Mrs. Shen over. She would bring warm water and gently wipe Old Mrs. Shen's body with a towel, cleaning every part from her face to her feet. Because Old Mrs. Shen's right side was immobile, Lin Wanqiu needed to exert a lot of effort each time she turned her over, and often her forehead would be covered with fine beads of sweat after wiping and turning her over. But she persisted, turning Old Mrs. Shen over at least four times a day to prevent pressure sores caused by prolonged pressure.
To help Grandma Shen regain her speech, Lin Wanqiu would spend her free time talking to her every day, telling her about the latest happenings in the village and about Nian'an and Xixi's recent situation. She spoke slowly and gently, patiently guiding Grandma Shen to start speaking. At first, Grandma Shen could only utter some indistinct syllables, but Lin Wanqiu did not give up and continued to persist every day.
Once, when Lin Wanqiu told Grandma Shen about Xixi winning a gold medal in a dance competition, Grandma Shen's eyes suddenly lit up, her lips moved, and she clearly uttered two words: "Xixi...good..."
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