Chapter 15 Manman, you have grown up... my proudest child...
The next day, it was still dark.
Gu Manman was awakened from her sleep by the urgent ringing of her cell phone.
Snowball was so frightened that he jumped out of her arms and fell to the ground with a slight "thump".
She groped for her phone dazedly, her eyes still a little swollen from last night's tears.
"Manman, something's happened to Director Wu, please come to the hospital quickly." The voice on the other end of the line was the anxious voice of Aunt Li from the orphanage, mixed with obvious crying.
Gu Manman suddenly woke up, jumped out of bed, and put on yesterday's clothes without even bothering to wash up.
"What happened? When did it happen? Which hospital is he in now?" A series of questions popped out of her mouth, and her voice trembled with nervousness.
"Central Hospital, Emergency Department." Aunt Li's voice was choked with sobs. "They were demolishing the orphanage by force. Director Wu tried to stop them and they pushed it down...his head hit a rock..."
Gu Manman's hands were shaking so much that she could hardly hold the phone.
She almost stumbled out the door.
In the taxi, Gu Manman clenched her fists, her nails digging deeply into her palms, but the pain was far less than the fear in her heart.
Dean Wu is the closest person to her in this world. He was the one who took her in when she was six years old, taught her to read and write, and gave her warmth and support.
Those calloused but always warm hands and that face that always has a kind smile are the most solid harbor in her heart.
The sky gradually brightens and the city slowly wakes up.
Hospital.
Outside the emergency room, Aunt Li and several children sat in a circle, their eyes were red and swollen, and they were sobbing quietly.
"Aunt Li, what's going on?"
Gu Manman grabbed Aunt Li's hand, her voice low and urgent.
Aunt Li wiped her tears and said, "Yesterday afternoon, someone from the Lin Group came and said they wanted to expropriate the orphanage's land to build a shopping mall."
"President Wu explicitly refused, but they sent people to demolish it this morning, saying that all the formalities had been completed."
"President Wu tried to stop him, but was pushed and fell to the ground, hitting his head."
A chill spread down Gu Manman's spine. Lin Group, Lin Jinyun's family business.
The doctor came out of the emergency room with a serious expression on his face: "The patient has suffered a severe brain injury and is old. The situation is not optimistic."
"Immediate surgery is required, but the cost..." Before the doctor could finish his words, Gu Manman interrupted him: "I'll pay for it!"
Her voice was so firm that even she was surprised.
Gu Manman turned around and walked towards the payment counter, with Dean Wu's smile and teachings constantly flashing through her mind.
The person who always said "Life will never be cruel to anyone" every time she encountered setbacks is now lying on the cold operating table, his life or death unknown.
In front of the payment counter, she opened her mobile banking app with trembling fingers, only to find that the balance was less than half of the surgery fee.
She almost instinctively flipped through Feng Mingzhou's number, her finger hovering over the dial key, then slowly put it down.
Tears blurred her vision. She bit her lower lip and dialed Su Yu's number.
"Su Yu, I need to borrow money from you, right now."
"Manman? What's wrong?" Su Yu noticed something unusual.
"The director's mother had an accident and needs money for surgery." Gu Manman said briefly.
"I'll transfer the money right away. How much do you need?" Su Yu didn't ask any more questions. This trust seemed particularly precious at this moment.
After paying the money, Gu Manman returned to the outside of the operating room and stared at the tightly closed door.
The red light on the door was on coldly.
Gu Manman looked at the crowd anxiously waiting outside the operating room and said, "Aunt Li, you can take the children back first. I'll stay here."
"But Manman, you're alone..." Aunt Li hesitated, worry in her eyes.
Gu Manman shook her head and forced a smile: "The children are all frightened and need someone to take care of them. And the things in the yard need to be dealt with, we can't just leave them there."
Aunt Li sighed and finally nodded in agreement. Before she left with the children, she looked back at the cold door of the operating room and tears welled up in her eyes again.
Gu Manman sat on a bench. All she could think about was Dean Wu’s shadow—the proud smile of the Dean’s mother when she won the literature award for the first time; the noodles that the Dean’s mother made for her on her birthday; and every time she returned to the orphanage, the Dean’s mother would always wait for her at the gate…
Now, the man who always put others first is lying on the cold operating table, his life or death uncertain.
The hands of the clock on the wall moved slowly.
She hugged her knees and prayed silently, praying that the person who gave selfless love to all orphans would be safe.
Six hours later, the lights in the operating room finally went out and the door slowly opened.
The doctor took off his mask and walked out tiredly.
Gu Manman stood up immediately. Her legs were numb from waiting for so long, but she didn't care about that. "Doctor, how is the patient?"
The doctor shook his head, his eyes full of helplessness: "The patient is out of danger for the time being, but..."
"But what?" Gu Manman's heart was suddenly in suspense.
The doctor sighed and said, "The patient is out of danger for now. However, we performed a full-body examination on the patient before the operation. The patient's liver was abnormal. Further examination showed that it was liver cancer, which was already in the late stage. Judging from the extent of the spread of the lesion, the disease has lasted for at least three years."
Gu Manman was struck by lightning and stood there unable to move.
"How...how is it possible..." she murmured, her voice as thin as a thread.
"The patient's condition is not optimistic," the doctor said in a heavy tone, "even if the operation is successful, the follow-up treatment will be..."
In the ward, Director Wu lay pale, his breathing weak and even.
Gu Manman gently held the calloused hand, the hand that had wiped away her tears countless times, but now it was so thin that only bones and skin were left.
"Manman..." A weak voice came from the hospital bed.
Gu Manman immediately turned around and saw Dean Wu looking at her with his eyes slightly opened.
"Dean Mom, are you awake?" Gu Manman hurriedly poured some water and carefully fed her a sip.
Gu Manman could no longer hold back her tears: "Why did you hide your illness from me? If you had received treatment earlier..."
Dean Wu shook his head and said softly: "No ifs... I am already very satisfied..."
"The children in the orphanage still need you," Gu Manman said while choking up, "I still need you."
Dean Wu closed his eyes slightly, as if gathering his strength: "Manman, you have grown up... my proudest child..."
Gu Manman leaned down and put her face on the back of Dean Wu's skinny hand, feeling the faint warmth.
The rain outside the window was getting heavier and heavier. Occasionally, a flash of lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating the pale walls of the ward.
Gu Manman held Dean Wu's hand tightly, as if she wanted to pass her vitality to her.
"Don't cry, you are the strongest child..." Dean Wu's voice became softer and softer, but still firm.
Gu Manman nodded, her vision blurred by tears.
She didn't know what the future would be like, but at this moment, she just wanted to protect the person who once protected her, even if it was only for one more day, one more hour, or one more minute.
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