Chapter 8 Discharge
Jiang Yining suddenly opened her eyes, the glaring white light making her squint uncomfortably. The smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils.
"She's awake! She's awake!" a young nurse exclaimed in surprise, turning and running out.
The doctor came in quickly and, after a thorough examination, confirmed that she was physically fine; the fainting was simply due to excessive emotional fluctuations and low blood sugar. Aunt Chen nodded repeatedly, her eyes red, clearly quite frightened.
With Aunt Chen's help, Jiang Yining was discharged from the hospital. Stepping out of the hospital gate, the afternoon sun brought warmth. Aunt Chen held her arm tightly, nagging with concern, "You must have been eating too little; you fainted. Young people these days, they like to starve themselves to lose weight, ruining their health without even knowing how to take care of themselves. When we get back, Aunt Chen will make you some old hen soup to help you recover and get your weight back."
This nagging concern, warm and down-to-earth, reminded her so much of her mother's tender voice when she remembered her. Jiang Yining's nose tingled, and her eyes instantly reddened. She said softly, "Thank you, Aunt Chen."
"Oh, don't be so polite with Aunt Chen." Aunt Chen waved her hand cheerfully and helped her slowly walk back to the flower shop.
Back in her small attic room on the second floor of "Lemon Flower Shop," Jiang Yining hung a wooden sign on the door that read "Closed for three days." She was in a state of utter confusion and had no interest in running the flower shop.
After drinking the chicken soup that Aunt Chen had carefully stewed, glistening with oil and exuding a rich aroma, her stomach felt much warmer. Jiang Yining insisted that Aunt Chen go back and rest first: "Aunt Chen, I feel much better, really. You must be tired too, go back and rest. I'll definitely call you as soon as I need anything, anyway, you live nearby, it's just a short walk away."
Aunt Chen was relieved to see that she did have a bit more color in her skin than before. She cleaned up the dishes, gave her a few more instructions, and then left.
As Aunt Chen's footsteps faded away, Jiang Yining felt as if all her strength had been drained away. She slumped onto the soft old carpet by the bed, overwhelmed by a wave of confusion and helplessness.
"What should I do? What should I do next?" She hugged her knees and buried her face in them. She needed information, she needed to understand the eight years that had passed, and she needed to contact her family.
She jerked her head up, quickly rummaging through her canvas bag and pulling out a white, generic phone. It belonged to "Flower Shop Jiang Yining."
She awkwardly turned on the screen; eight years had passed, and technology had undergone a complete transformation. The touchscreen was smooth and its powerful functions were a novelty to this "old soul."
Guided by her lingering instincts, she opened one app after another: her contacts, WeChat, short video apps… She opened an app called “Douyin,” and its bizarre and dazzling world dazzled her, yet she also felt a sense of alienation and estrangement.
Finally, her finger hovered over the contacts icon. She tapped it, and there was only one name saved: Aunt Chen. This discovery stung her; this "self" lived a life far more lonely than she had imagined.
She opened the call interface, her fingertips hovering over the virtual buttons, trembling slightly. Taking a deep breath, relying on her ingrained memory, she entered the number she knew by heart, digit by digit—her mother's phone number: 135435××××.
The green dial button was right in front of her. Jiang Yining's finger hovered over it, but she couldn't bring herself to press it.
Countless worries and fears surged into my mind: Would Mom think she was crazy? Would she think it was a nuisance call? Would she... never want to hear anything related to "Ningning" again? Eight years have passed, is this wound still bleeding?
Or...call Brother Shi Yan? The thought had barely crossed her mind when she ruthlessly suppressed it. Eight years had passed; if he were already married with children, this call would only be an awkward interruption, or even an offense to his new life.
Xiao Xiao? Shen Nian'an? Neither seems quite right. How are they supposed to accept this unbelievable rebirth?
After much thought, only her mother remained. Only her mother was her deepest attachment, and also the source of her deepest fear of disturbing her painful past. Jiang Yining closed her eyes, steeled her resolve, and forcefully pressed the dial button.
"Beep...beep...beep..." The monotonous waiting tone echoed in the silent room, each sound like a hammer blow to her taut nerves. She gripped her phone tightly, her palms sweating profusely, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, as if it would burst out of her chest.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly. Just when she thought the call was about to hang up automatically, it was finally answered.
"Hello, who is this?" A familiar voice, so familiar it sent shivers down her spine, came through the phone, carrying a hint of weariness and detachment typical of middle-aged women who felt disturbed.
It was Mom, it really was Mom's voice. Mom hadn't changed her number in eight years. All the tension, fear, and pretense crumbled at that moment. The pent-up resentment and the bittersweet joy of regaining what she had lost overwhelmed her reason, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
She opened her mouth, but could only let out suppressed sobs.
"Hello...hello...who is this?" On the other end of the phone, Jiang's mother's voice was filled with doubt, and she seemed to be getting more impatient because of the silence on this end, and was about to hang up.
Jiang Yining snapped back to reality, panic making her cry out, her voice broken and urgent, thick with sobs: "Mommy... Mommy. It's me, it's Ningning, waaaaaaah..."
On the other end of the phone, Jiang's mother was clearly stunned. She had thought it was a telemarketing call or a wrong number, and her finger, which was about to hang up, froze in mid-air. The tearful "Mom" and that taboo name struck her instantly.
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