Chapter 9
Uncle Zhang quickly drove over, and it was the closest car to the house. The three of them couldn't lift an adult, so they had to wait for Uncle Zhang to get out of the car and carry the person into it.
After realizing what had happened, Wang Yidong filled a stainless steel kettle with hot water and took it with him.
She warmed her mother-in-law's feet with hot water in the car. This was a folk remedy from her hometown. She didn't know if it would work, but since it was a matter of life and death, she decided to try it anyway.
Xiang Wan glanced back, knowing that Wang Yidong was wasting his time, but she said nothing.
He simply asked, "Is there any cash in the car?"
"Yes," Wang Yidong responded quickly, "it's in the storage compartment in front of the passenger seat."
"Take this with you to complete the hospital admission procedures later."
"Aren't you supposed to go to the emergency room?"
Xiang Wan glanced at the wound on Chen Yan's mother-in-law's leg, said nothing, but instructed Wang Yidong to take all the cash from the car.
"Understood, Miss."
After arranging everything, she glanced at the little boy beside her. His eyes were lifeless, clearly unaware of their conversation, and he was only holding his mother's hand tightly.
She knew he wouldn't listen to anything she said at that moment, so she didn't comfort him, but simply looked straight out the car window.
The land in sight was all farmland, with no tall buildings, much like a place of human suffering.
Fortunately, there is no speed limit here. Although the county hospital is a bit far from here, it only takes half an hour to get there if you drive fast. Although it is called a county hospital, it is actually just a small hospital in a township, and it is not very large.
Wang Yidong went to handle the formalities, while Uncle Zhang carried his mother-in-law to the emergency room for a consultation. By the time they entered the emergency room, his mother-in-law had just woken up.
The doctor checked the vital signs with instruments and found them to be relatively stable, which relieved everyone. However, the doctor said that the patient still needed to be hospitalized for observation.
Uncle Zhang went to rent a wheelchair. Besides the doctor, only Xiang Wan, Chen Yan, and the old woman remained in the ward. The doctor was still examining the old woman when a nurse came over to ask for her name.
The nurses in the township hospital only spoke the local dialect, which Xiang Wan couldn't understand. So she looked at Chen Yan, who was standing next to her, but Chen Yan looked at her blankly.
"What's wrong?"
She asked her mother-in-law's name.
"Don't you know your mother-in-law's name?"
“No…” Chen Yan hesitated for a moment, “It’s that my mother-in-law doesn’t have a name.”
A modern person without a name? Even in the 1980s, this was rare, wasn't it?
Xiang Wan was only momentarily stunned before quickly processing the news. She had seen similar situations in some extremely impoverished areas abroad, and instead of mocking them, she began to think of solutions.
"Would you mind if I gave your mother-in-law a name now?" she asked seriously, worried that the little devil might find it offensive.
Fortunately, Chen Yan was visibly relieved when he heard that she wanted to name her mother-in-law: "No, I know you're helping me and my mother-in-law."
Xiang Wan nodded and looked directly at the nurse waiting beside her: "The patient's name is Chen Man, and she is this child's mother-in-law." As she spoke, she pointed to Chen Yan beside her.
Chen Man is as resilient as a vine, and Chen Yan is the continuation of her vine-like life.
The nurse nodded and asked her to sign the paper before leaving.
In the ward, the doctor glanced at the mother-in-law, then at the two children beside her, his expression suggesting hesitant to speak.
Xiang Wan guessed something, took out two brand-new banknotes from the pocket of her woolen skirt behind her, and handed them to Chen Yan beside her: "Kid, go to the area next to the hospital and buy five meals."
Chen Yan's face was a little pale, but he still obediently took the money from her hand, hesitated for a moment and said, "I'm not hungry, four servings are enough."
"..."
Xiang Wan was speechless for a moment, especially after hearing a loud cry from his stomach the next second, her brow twitched involuntarily.
As if sensing her impatience, Chen Yan quickly replied, "Then I'll go."
"Um."
After getting rid of the little devil, the doctor looked at Granny Chen Yan and glanced at Xiang Wan beside her with a subtle look.
He also found it strange that the little girl in front of him, who was only about twelve years old, made him feel somewhat oppressed.
It was as if the dean invited him for tea.
Before her mother-in-law could say anything, Xiang Wan understood the doctor's concerns. She said calmly, "Don't worry about me, just say it."
"..." Dr. Zhao was a little embarrassed. He looked at the diagnosis report in his hand and handed it to Grandma Chen Yan.
The old woman took the book from the doctor, her wrinkles deepening at the corners of her eyes, and her smile carried a hint of apology: "I can't read."
The hospital here is located in a rural town, and occasionally many illiterate farmers come to see a doctor. So Dr. Zhao is used to it, puts away the diagnosis and gives a simpler explanation.
"The wound on your leg isn't a normal wound; it's worsened. Even if you go to a big hospital in the city, the chances of recovery might not be very high..."
The doctor also felt this was too cruel, so he didn't want to speak too confidently, but was interrupted by Grandma Chen Yan: "Doctor, then... how many more years can I live?"
It is said that long illness makes one a doctor. Having been plagued by illness for decades, how could Grandma Chen Yan not know her own condition? But what she cared about most was how many years she had left to live.
This is what she cares about most right now. She still has Xiao Yan. She hasn't saved enough money for him to go to school yet. If she passes away like this, what will happen to Xiao Yan?
Everyone in Lijia Village is looking out for themselves. Even the village children ostracize him. Without her, will Xiao Yan be able to get enough to eat?
The mother-in-law was overwhelmed with mixed feelings and couldn't even think about what she would do in the future.
She looked at the doctor, her eyes dry, as if she wasn't surprised at all by her illness: "Doctor, how many more years can I live?"
"It's a pity, he probably won't live for more than a few years."
"Is that so?" she asked casually, with a hint of despair that the matter was already settled.
I'm sorry.
"..."
Upon receiving the emergency call, the doctors and nurses rushed out, leaving only the mother-in-law and Xiang Wan in the ward for a moment.
Xiang Wan wasn't good at comforting others, so she remained silent. She had experienced life and death herself, and before the age of ten, she had also suffered from congenital heart disease. She could understand Grandma Chen Yan's pain and was somewhat moved by their suffering.
For a long time, the entire department was eerily quiet.
She was still preparing her words in her mind when Grandma Chen Yan suddenly knelt down in her direction: "Ni'er, I know you are different from the people of Lijia Village. You are a good person who is educated."
Xiang Wan was startled by her kneeling and subconsciously got up to help her, but she stopped her: "You won't laugh at this old woman for being uneducated, so can you take Xiao Yan away from Lijia Village?"
She didn't speak, and only the old woman's humble pleading voice could be heard in the not-so-small space.
"He's tough and resilient, he can do odd jobs for you. He's been able to endure hardship since he was a child, he can serve you tea and water and run errands."
Seemingly afraid that the other party would disagree, Grandma Chen Yan even wanted to kowtow to her.
Her thinking was simple: rather than letting Xiao Yan be bullied in Lijia Village for the rest of her life, it would be better for her to go out and work. She had never left the village in her entire life, and that was how it was, but Xiao Yan couldn't be trapped here.
The moment Granny Chen saw Xiang Wan, she knew that this girl was no ordinary person. Although she was uneducated and ignorant, she could sense the aura emanating from Xiang Wan, just like the young lady of a wealthy family in ancient times in a TV series.
Xiao Yan can definitely make a living by following her. As for anything else, she doesn't care. She's not a greedy person and knows that one should be honest and upright. She understands the principle of reaping what you sow.
The mother-in-law knew that her request was a bit too much, so she didn't dare to look up at her. She just kept her head down and prayed in her heart that the woman would have a change of heart.
She could count the number of people from other villages she had met on her fingers, but she never dared to gamble Xiao Yan's fate on someone else. She was afraid that Xiao Yan would be bullied, but she inexplicably felt that this girl in front of her, who didn't seem very easy to talk to, was the benefactor of her grandson Chen Yan.
Just like the day she found Xiao Yan, it was destined.
She was determined to help Xiang Wan, but she couldn't lift her up. She knew that Xiang Wan was desperate and had entrusted her with this child. Last night, she also learned from Uncle Zhang that Chen Yan was just a child that the old man had picked up in his old age.
Seeing that she was willing to kneel for someone with whom she had no blood relation, Xiang Wan was also somewhat moved. Her knuckles tapped on the table, one tap after another, and the kneeling Granny Chen Yan's heart clenched with each tap.
This is a small gesture that Xiang Wan makes when she encounters a difficult situation and is deep in thought to make a decision. It is a gesture that she developed after taking over the Xiang Group, but after her rebirth, it followed her back to the year she was 12 years old.
Ultimately, sponsoring a child is a simple matter. Leaving the kid with Li Xia is perfectly fine; she won't need to worry about it, he'll definitely handle it well. Besides, with Li Xia and the kid abroad, those people from Li Family Village won't bother her.
Therefore, Xiang Wan thought about it and agreed to the old lady's request for help: "I promise you." After saying that, she pulled her up from the cold ground.
Seemingly unable to believe that the other party had agreed so easily, Grandma Chen Yan couldn't say a word. She just hugged her waist and cried with tears in her eyes. She was still able to remain calm when she learned that she didn't have much time left to live, but she burst into tears after learning that her little Yan had someone to rely on for the rest of his life.
Looking at Granny Chen Yan, whose tears were still flowing, Xiang Wan suddenly felt a little dazed. In her previous life, after her death, did her father and mother also cry so sadly?
She thought about it for a moment, then dismissed the idea. Her parents were both rational people; they would probably be sad for a while, but then they would get back to their strength.
After Grandma Chen Yan calmed down, she looked at Xiang Wan with some embarrassment and said, "I'm sorry, my dear, I made you laugh."
Xiang Wan shook her head, still thinking about her parents' reactions in her previous life.
Inside the ward, the two remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts, but no one noticed that outside the ward, a child carrying a large bag of lunchboxes was leaning against the wall, weeping with his face hidden.
No one knew that Chen Yan had been standing outside the department ever since he said, "It's a pity, I probably don't have many years left to live..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
