Chapter 145 Beef with Scrambled Eggs, Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms
After Song Hui fell, she was taken to the hospital where doctors initially diagnosed her with a fracture.
"Let's go take the film first."
In this kind of weather, doctors are used to it.
Wen's mother put Song Hui in a wheelchair in the emergency room and went to pay the fees and get a number herself.
Song Hui's face was pale with pain: "Your shop is still busy..."
Wen's mother found her a blanket and covered her with it: "It's okay, how can you manage alone? Xiao Tao isn't home."
Song Hui also lamented, "Who could have imagined this? Xiao Tao called me yesterday and said he saw the weather forecast and told me to be careful... I just slipped and fell, who knew it would be this serious."
Unfortunately, everyone in her neighborhood was going to work, and the weather was bad at noon, so no one was around. After she fell, she looked for her phone but realized she hadn't brought it with her.
That's incredibly unfair.
The ground was slippery, and she stubbed her hands and legs. She could barely stand up by leaning against the wall and couldn't even walk. Luckily, her mother came to find her, otherwise she would not know what would have happened to her after being frozen for almost half an hour.
The examination was completed quickly, and the X-rays were available an hour later, revealing two fractures as expected.
The doctor frowned: "Surgery is needed."
Upon hearing about the surgery, Song Hui, who had previously hesitated about whether to tell her son, now had no choice but to ask Wen's mother to call her son.
The call was made to Yang Tao. Wen's mother went out to handle the hospital admission procedures and also asked a nurse about the cafeteria. After all, it had been so long since noon, and not only Song Hui, but she herself hadn't eaten much.
After clarifying the situation, Song Hui handed her phone to Wen's mother: "Yang Tao said he'll book the tickets now and they can be back tomorrow morning."
Song Hui felt somewhat uncomfortable, always feeling that her illness was shameful and only caused trouble for others.
Wen's mother comforted her for a few words, then went out to buy some food.
As soon as I arrived at the information desk, I saw my husband asking where the emergency room was.
"...Why are you here?"
Mr. Wen was carrying a large bag and an oversized insulated box in his other hand.
"I was just worried about whether you could manage on your own. Look, your daughter was thinking of you too, so she made you this meal."
Wen's mother felt a warmth in her heart and took the lunchbox from her husband's hand: "Why did you bring such a big bag?"
"I reckon Sister Hui will need to be hospitalized, and Xiao Tao probably won't be back until tomorrow. He'll have to stay with us for at least one night, right? So I've packed some of the things we already have... I'll see if there's anything missing later and buy it here."
The couple had been to the hospital many times in their early years because their daughter was always sick, so Mr. Wen was very familiar with the hospital system.
Upon arriving at the ward, he greeted Song Hui briefly, then urged the two of them to eat quickly, while he took everything out of his bag.
Song Hui was moved to tears, and holding Wen's mother's hand, she sighed, "People say that a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, and now I realize that this is really true."
Wen's mother unscrewed the lunchbox: "Stop talking, sis, eat something first. You've been freezing all day."
The lunchbox that Wen's father brought was a three-layer stainless steel lunchbox. After unscrewing it from the top, there were two layers of dishes, and at the bottom was a steaming soup.
Wen Fan was also pressed for time at noon, so he only managed to stir-fry two dishes and start simmering the soup. He then asked his father to watch the fire.
Perhaps due to a lack of understanding of the severity of Song Hui's condition, Wen Fan did not dare to cook spicy food, and simply made a dish of stir-fried beef with bell peppers and a dish of stir-fried chicken drumsticks with potatoes.
Before delivering the dishes, Mr. Wen had reheated both of them, so they were still piping hot.
Wen's father also packed several large steamed buns in an insulated bag, placed the bag on the radiator to warm it for a while, and then opened the bag to find they were just the right size to eat.
Song Hui was in so much pain that she had no appetite, but when the warm food was served, her stomach started to rumble.
Wen's mother gave her a disposable chopstick, and the two of them ate, one standing and one sitting.
The beef was tender, the chicken thigh meat was fresh and juicy, and the potatoes were crispy and fragrant. Since it was for patients, Wen Fan didn't add any chili. The salty and savory flavor alone was enough to make Song Hui exclaim, "Xiao Fan's cooking skills have improved!"
No one forgot the soup at the bottom either. Adhering to the principle of "you are what you eat," Wen Fan stewed a pot of pork rib soup with some yam and corn. It was a big, hot pot, and Wen's mother and Song Hui each drank a bowl and there was still some left.
"This lunchbox is huge."
The lunchbox was meant for two people, and they ate it all up, leaving Song Hui still wanting more.
The shop was still busy, so Mr. Wen packed up his things and went home first. Mrs. Wen also took Song Hui's keys and went back to help Song Hui get her phone and pack some of her necessities.
Song Hui knew how busy the Wen family was, so she quickly said that Wen's mother should finish her work at the shop first, and if it really didn't work out, she could find a caregiver.
"It's not the right time to hire a caregiver." The patient had just been admitted to the hospital and the tests weren't even finished yet, so Wen's mother was worried.
"It's okay, Sister Hui, I'll be there in a bit. You can get some rest first."
After hurriedly packing her things, Wen's mother went to the store to take a look. Yao Qingqin took the initiative to ask about Song Hui's injuries. After learning that she needed surgery, she hissed, "That was really scary. I haven't dared to let my parents take the child these past few days, for fear that something might happen."
Wen's mother sighed, "Who says it isn't true? There are so many people falling and getting hurt in the hospital, the emergency room is always packed."
This awful weather! It's almost March and it's still raining and snowing.
Yao Qingqin: "It's alright, boss lady. You can go and take care of Sister Hui. I'll close early tonight and help out at the shop. We can manage."
Although the store's food delivery platform is open, the daily supply is always limited due to the limited number of customers.
Yao Qingqin thought to herself that at worst she could just increase the online volume and sell out the snacks by the afternoon so she could take care of the shop in the evening.
Wen's mother: "Alright, thank you for your hard work."
Yao Qingqin: "It's too formal to say that. Sister Hui has given me plenty of toys before, so it's only right that I do it."
Wen Fan still didn't see her mother after school in the afternoon. When she called, her mother only said that she had to stay at the hospital overnight and told Wen Fan to do her homework and not to worry about her.
Wen Fan gripped the strap of his backpack and said "Oh".
He turned around and went into the kitchen to cook.
"Dad, I need to go to the hospital!"
What could Wen's father say? He knew his daughter was a bit clingy these days; she hadn't seen her mother for more than half a day and was already looking for her.
"...Take it easy, if you can't go on, take a taxi."
Wen Fan hailed a taxi and headed straight to the hospital.
As soon as I found the ward, I saw a person who looked travel-worn and rushed into the room without even looking where he was going.
Yang Tao's lips were dry and chapped. When he rushed into the ward and saw Song Hui on the hospital bed, his throat tightened. He called out "Mom" and quickly asked how she was.
Song Hui was stunned for a while, not expecting him to come back so quickly.
How did you get back?
Yang Tao forced a smile that didn't seem like a big deal: "I found a rideshare and booked a plane ticket."
He couldn't wait until tomorrow. As soon as he found out there was a flight in the next city that was taking off in two hours, he found the fastest ride-hailing service and got to the airport before the flight was over. After a few hours on the plane, he took a ride-hailing service right after getting off the plane to the hospital.
"Mom, are you in pain?"
Song Hui patted him: "It's not that serious, and it doesn't hurt much. The doctor has already treated it and said that surgery can't be done right away; we have to wait until the swelling goes down."
With her child by her side, Song Hui felt at ease.
She barely mentioned her own illness; instead, she held her son's hand and told him how her mother had saved her.
"...Thank goodness it's you, Aunt Xia, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do. After this, I'll definitely buy a phone lanyard so I won't forget it when I wear it around my neck."
Looking back now, it's not without its fears. After all, these days, the question of "to help or not to help" is an open choice. If she had fallen outside, who would have dared to help her if they weren't someone she knew?
If Yingzhi hadn't come to her, this matter would have been really difficult to handle.
Yang Tao was so grateful after hearing this that he didn't know what to say, and he choked up as he was about to bow to Wen's mother.
Startled, Wen's mother took a few steps back: "No, no, that's not true!"
Yang Tao: "Auntie, from now on you're my aunt. Just tell me what's wrong. I'll treat Xiao Fan like my own sister from now on!"
Wen Fan stood by the hospital bed, pouting, "...I don't want a brother."
When Wen's mother saw her daughter, she smiled and asked, "Why are you here?"
Wen Fan placed the lunchbox on the bedside table: "I came to bring you food and also to see Auntie. Are you feeling better, Auntie?"
Song Hui smiled and said, "Much better. Goodness, you're such a rare find. Yingzhi, I envy you the most in my life for having such a wonderful daughter."
Yang Tao eagerly pulled out a stool for Wen Fan: "Thank you for your hard work, little sister. Please sit down."
Wen Fan nestled close to her mother: "You two eat quickly, I specially made this meal for Auntie who is a patient."
With Yang Tao's arrival, Wen's mother no longer needed to stay by his bedside. The food she had carried all the way was not as good as freshly cooked food at home, so Wen's mother said she wouldn't eat and would eat it when she got home.
It was the same big lunchbox as before, containing scrambled eggs with beef, steamed chicken with fresh mushrooms, and at the bottom, winter melon and meatball soup.
The golden, smooth egg encases the beef; upon tasting it, the egg is as gentle as a warm cloud. The beef slices are very thin, tender and juicy, incredibly fresh and delicious. Wen Fan also packed two boxes of rice, placing the scrambled eggs and beef on top; the soft egg and beef were exceptionally tasty.
Steamed chicken with fresh mushrooms is also fresh and delicious. The chicken is tender and soft, and the steam makes it fall off the bone. The steam gathers the essence of the chicken and creates a golden broth. In this broth, the mushrooms become plump and soft. Soaking in the chicken soup, the umami of the mushrooms is brought out to the maximum extent. The whole dish is fresh, moist and tender.
Both dishes are great with rice, so it's time for a sip of soup.
The meatballs in the winter melon meatball soup were handmade by Wen Fan. While not as perfectly round as those in stores, the meat inside was surprisingly tender and bouncy, with a few gaps holding the broth. The delicious meatball soup wasn't greasy at all. The winter melon was so soft and translucent it practically melted in your mouth.
At this moment, Song Hui felt a strange sense of self-comfort.
Although she was in pain and cold when she fell, now that she was eating her hospital meal, she felt that this fall wasn't entirely unlucky.
Didn't we get to eat a special meal at Wen Ji?
Tell me, who in the whole city can enjoy this kind of treatment right now?
Yang Tao helped his mother eat, and after she finished, he quickly cleaned up the leftovers. He had been in a real rush today. He had been on a whirlwind trip after hearing the news in the afternoon, and only now did he realize how hungry he was. Wen Fan's excellent cooking greatly soothed Yang Tao's anxiety.
Wen Fan said goodbye to his mother and went home first.
Yang Tao saw the two off from the hospital, then returned to pack his things and went to ask the doctor about his mother's condition.
Not long after, he dropped a bombshell.
"Mom, how about we close the shop?"
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Author's Note: One chapter for now... more to come tomorrow.
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