0163 Scolding
The surgery ended at noon the next day.
The operating room door opened, and six or seven doctors came out together, all of them looking exhausted.
Upon hearing the commotion, Tantai Qing immediately went to greet them.
"Uncle Lin, how is it?"
Lin Qing took off his mask and nodded to him. "Tai Qing, the surgery was successful. She is out of danger for now."
All of Tantai Qing's fear and anticipation transformed into gratitude at that moment. A long-lost smile appeared on his face as he grasped his hands and thanked him with tears in his eyes, "Thank you, Uncle Lin."
Lin Qing shook his head and said it was alright.
"However, her injuries are quite serious, and she will be transferred to the ICU later. You need to be mentally prepared."
"You've waited for over ten hours, you must be tired. If you need anything else, just ask Uncle Lin." He patted him on the shoulder like an ordinary elder, then left with weary steps.
Tantai Qing's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled down, but when she recalled what Lin Qing had just said, her heart couldn't help but jump again.
Jiang Jifan was immediately transferred to the ICU after the surgery. After the admission procedures were completed, Tantai Qing asked to visit him.
In principle, visits to the ICU are not allowed, but due to the connection with the dean and his strong request, he was later allowed to enter.
Regular clothes are not allowed inside the ICU, so Tantai Qing followed the nurse to change into a new set of equipment. When she came out, she was wearing a sterile gown, shoe covers, and even her tired face was completely covered by a mask.
As soon as you enter, you are greeted by the loud and jarring sounds of various instruments at work.
When Tantai Qing saw the figure lying on the hospital bed with tubes inserted all over his body, and who needed a machine to keep him breathing, his eyes suddenly stung with tears.
He followed the nurse a few steps closer and stopped in front of the bed.
Her beautiful face was wrapped in layers of gauze, and her mouth and nose, the only part of her face visible, were covered by a ventilator. If it weren't for the name written on the headboard, Tantai Qingzhen wouldn't have believed that the person lying in the hospital bed was Jiang Jifan, who just days before had been so sharp-tongued that she hadn't dared to utter a single word in reply.
He instinctively reached out to touch her, but then the nurse's repeated instructions before he came in suddenly popped into his mind, and he could only slowly withdraw his hand.
The nurse informed Jiang Jifan of his current condition: "The patient's vital signs are currently stable..."
She was seriously injured and might not wake up. Tantai Qing caught this key point in the nurse's words, and her heart felt like it was being stabbed. Tears instantly rolled down her cheeks from the pain.
Another nurse, who had only recently started working and was quite young, felt sorry for him when she saw him crying, so she offered him a few words of comfort.
His heart had long been set on Jiang Jifan, and after hearing their words of comfort, he nodded numbly after a long while.
Visiting hours were limited, and Tantai Qing was politely asked to leave by the nurses after only a short time inside.
Knowing that they were conscientiously fulfilling their duties, he did not make things difficult for them. He took a few last lingering glances at Jiang Jifan before leaving.
As soon as they went outside, they saw Cheng Jing and the others at the entrance of the ICU.
They were talking, but stopped when they saw him come out.
"Brother Taiqing..."
Xiang Nannan stood beside Song Yuchang, looking at him timidly, hesitant to speak.
Tantai Qing knew without asking that she must have been frightened by his emotional outburst last night. Seeing this, he said, "Nannan, things have come to this point, and I don't want to blame anyone anymore. I was in a bad mood last night, and I apologize if it made you uncomfortable."
His directness left Xiang Nannan at a loss for words, and she could only hurriedly wave her hand and say, "It's okay, Brother Taiqing, even if you're angry with me, it's... understandable."
If she hadn't asked Jiang Jifan out yesterday, that kind of thing wouldn't have happened.
After learning that Jiang Jifan had miscarried because of this, she cried several times last night. In the end, Song Yuchang couldn't bear to see her like this and asked the doctor to prescribe some sleeping pills for her, which finally calmed her down for a while.
From last night until now, Tantai Qing has been on edge the whole time, without closing her eyes for a single minute, and is exhausted both physically and mentally.
He was exhausted. As long as Jiang Jifan was safe, nothing else mattered to him, so he didn't want to waste any more time worrying about these trivial matters.
Upon hearing this, he remained silent.
Seeing this, Cheng Jing stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Tai Qing is tired, let him go and rest first."
He then mentioned that he would communicate with the doctors in the ICU about Jiang Jifan's condition again later.
Everyone has their own expertise, and Tantai Qing nodded in agreement. "Then I'll leave it to you."
The news of Xiang Nannan and Jiang Jifan's car accident spread throughout the industry in less than two days.
In their circle, even the smallest gossip can have many versions. Eventually, it evolved into the claim that "it was Tan Taiqing's parents who pressured him, which led Jiang Jifan to break up with him even while pregnant."
Nowadays, people outside say that the Tan family is unethical. Even Grandpa Tan, who usually doesn't care about what's going on, was furious when he found out and called Tan Jiming and his wife over to give them a good scolding.
"We must give them an explanation!" Dan Yingqiang slammed his cane on the floor, his anger barely contained.
"Our Tan family cannot behave like this!"
Dong Lijun felt that the couple had been wronged. She had no idea that Jiang Jifan was pregnant, and she also heard that it was Jiang Jifan who proposed the breakup. Her son had been trying to persuade her to stay and was still at the hospital.
A mother can't stand hearing anyone scold her innocent son, so she straightened her back and retorted defiantly, "Grandpa, Taiqing didn't do anything wrong!"
Dan Yingqiang became even angrier upon hearing this, pointed at her and cursed, "I don't know if Taiqing did anything wrong, but you definitely did!"
"If it weren't for you constantly stirring up trouble and getting that daughter of the Qiao family to interfere in their affairs, would things have turned out this way?!"
Tan Jiming quickly pulled his wife away and whispered to his father to calm down.
Dan Yingqiang glared at him with exasperation, then warned Dong Lijun, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. I'll just say one thing: that daughter of the Qiao family is not suitable to enter our Dan family!"
He initially thought the Qiao family's daughter was alright, but now it seems she's not someone to be trifled with.
"Tai Ching-hsin is kind and filial, so he won't hold it against you. But I'm different!"
"I told you years ago not to interfere in Tai Ching's life, but now you're ignoring my words. You think I'm too old to make decisions, right?"
Knowing that his father was always a domineering man who never had a word, Dan Jiming broke out in a cold sweat as he heard the thud of his cane on the ground, while Dong Lijun was both angry and afraid.
The couple were both prominent figures in the outside world, but now they were being scolded in front of him like cowards, not daring to raise their heads or even breathe loudly.
"So, Dad, what do you mean?" Tan Jiming asked cautiously.
Dan Yingqiang revealed his long-considered plan: "Once the person wakes up, you parents should pick an auspicious day and get the wedding done as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Dong Lijun was startled and immediately looked up to retort, "Grandpa, how can this be! That child surnamed Jiang..."
Before she could finish speaking, Dan Yingqiang's sharp, hawk-like eyes swept over her, and he said in a deep voice, "What's wrong with that child? Someone who can keep Tai Qing in the fold for so long must have something admirable about them."
Tantai Qing was raised and nurtured by Tan Yingqiang from a young age. He was truly outstanding in terms of character and vision. Because he was very similar to his deceased wife in temperament, Tan Yingqiang always loved this child dearly. When he was very young, he set rules for Tan Jiming and his wife—they were not allowed to spoil the child, nor were they allowed to interfere in Tantai Qing's life at will.
Years ago, when he heard that the daughter of the Qiao family was dating Tai Qing, he was somewhat dissatisfied. Qiao Xianzhi was a girl with a decent family background and character, but she was too shrewd, which could lead to trouble.
Sure enough, trouble ensued because of her.
Dong Lijun was so anxious that blisters formed in her mouth. "Even so, her family background is still not a good match for our Dan family! Besides, she has a brother who is a drug dealer. If word gets out, wouldn't that be..."
"According to you, I was just an unknown soldier in the army back then, so why should I have won your mother-in-law's favor?" Dan Yingqiang tapped his cane and said sternly, "Who are you trying to insult with those words!"
Upon hearing his father mention his deceased mother, Dan Jiming realized the seriousness of the situation and immediately pulled Dong Lijun to kneel down, repeatedly saying that he dared not.
"Foolish woman! I didn't want to embarrass you before because you're Tai Ching's mother, but now it seems you're truly incredibly stupid!"
"You pride yourself on being smart, but little do you know that Qiao Jiaxian has been completely fooled by you, and you've even harmed your own son for a little bit of profit! I think your own father and brother are both very capable people, how come they ended up with such a simple-minded girl like you!"
Although she knew her father-in-law was domineering before she even entered the house, Dong Lijun had never been so insulted in the decades since she married into the Dan family. She was both angry and ashamed, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she dared not cry out loud.
After scolding her, Dan Yingqiang turned his anger towards Dan Jiming: "You too! Don't just let your wife do whatever she wants! Watch your own mess!"
Upon hearing this, Dan Jiming's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly admitted his mistake, saying, "Dad, please don't be angry. It's all our fault. Taiqing has grown up, and we shouldn't have interfered in his life. Li Jun was just being overly concerned for her mother and spoke without thinking. I hope you can forgive her..."
Seeing that his attitude was somewhat sincere, Dan Yingqiang snorted coldly, looked at Dong Lijun who was bowing her head and shedding tears, and thought that she was, after all, the mother of his grandson. He softened his voice and said quietly, "I never bother to argue with women. I've scolded you today. Go back and think carefully about whether it was right or wrong."
After saying this, he was helped away by a servant.
After he left, Dong Lijun dared to cover her face and cry out loud.
Looking at his wife crying beside him, Dan Jiming was at his wits' end. He could only comfort her gently and leave the rest of the matter aside for the time being.
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