Chapter 18 Departure from the Train Station
Chapter 18
The clinic was a low, flat building built against the hillside, much higher than the street level, with a long cement ramp in front of the gate.
The houses on the low-lying part of the street were flooded up to two stories high, but at the health clinic, the floodwaters had only reached halfway up the long slope.
Now, a water pipe runs down the middle of the slope, and a large iron plate is placed next to it. People who come to see the doctor must first wash off the mud stuck to the soles of their shoes, and then step on the disinfectant before they can enter the clinic.
Yu Pan sat on the bench with his head down, his fingers playing with the rope on Shen Yanzhou's waistband, wrapping it around and around. The ends of the knots were all frayed from playing with it. Shen Yanzhou didn't care, he just reached out and touched his forehead, which was still hot.
The doctor who examined them was a young man. "Where does it hurt?"
“He has a fever. He only developed a fever after waking up from his nap today.” Shen Yanzhou paused, then added, “He couldn’t speak before, but he suddenly started talking a couple of days ago. He called my name once, and when I woke up, I couldn’t hear him anymore.”
The doctor said "Oh," and looked at Yu Pan with a hint of surprise. He reached out to touch Yu Pan's ear, and Yu Pan subconsciously shrank back.
Shen Yanzhou cupped Yu Pan's chin in his palm and lifted it up slightly.
Yu Pan looked up following his movement, her eyes fixed on Chen Yanzhou.
Meeting Yu Pan's gaze, Shen Yanzhou gave him a reassuring look, patted him on the back with his other hand, and then turned to the doctor and said, "Please take a look."
The doctor nodded, took a flashlight and shone it into Yu Pan's earlobe, saying, "Make him open his mouth, I want to check his throat."
After examining her throat, the doctor looked at Yu Pan and said, "Say 'ah' and let me see."
Shen Yanzhou gestured to Yu Pan to show her what the doctor had said. Yu Pan frowned, took a deep breath, and tried her best to make a sound, but only a "hoarse" sound came from her throat.
He tried twice, his face turning red from straining, and finally, deflated, he lowered his head and started tugging at Chen Yanzhou's trouser drawstring again.
"Your ear is quite clean; there's no inflammation or fluid buildup." The doctor straightened up. "Did the hearing loss happen suddenly, or did it gradually decrease until you could no longer hear at all?"
Fearing they might not understand, the doctor explained further: "For example, did you wake up one morning and suddenly become deaf, or could you hear a little yesterday but can't hear anything at all today?"
“I suddenly lost my hearing after waking up,” Shen Yanzhou said. “It happened once before, two years ago. I saw a doctor but they couldn’t find the cause. It got better on its own after two months.”
"Does your ear hurt? And were there any unusual symptoms before you lost your hearing, such as ringing in your ears or headaches?" the doctor asked again.
After listening, Shen Yanzhou squatted down, looked into Yu Pan's eyes, and gestured to the doctor's question.
Yu Pan shook her head and waved her hands.
"He said it didn't hurt, there was no buzzing sound, and his head didn't hurt," Shen Yanzhou told the doctor.
"Was he unable to speak from a young age?"
“When I met him eleven years ago, he was already unable to speak,” Shen Yanzhou answered truthfully.
"What about when he was little? Did he speak at all?" the doctor pressed. "For example, when he was three or four years old, did he call out 'Mom' or 'Dad'?"
Shen Yanzhou gestured to Yu Pan to explain the doctor's question.
Yu Pan thought for a moment and shook his head. "I don't know." He couldn't remember anything from his childhood, only that he was walking on the road and rummaging through garbage heaps.
“He said he didn’t know,” Shen Yanzhou said. “He…was a beggar when he was a child.”
The doctor paused in writing on the medical record, then nodded and said, "There's a bit of inflammation in your throat. I'll prescribe some antipyretics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Come back for a follow-up appointment once the fever subsides."
Shen Yanzhou nodded, took the form, and went to pay for and collect the medicine.
The medicine prescribed by the clinic was very effective. Yu Pan took it once in the afternoon, and her fever subsided by dinner time, but her deafness did not disappear.
Before going to sleep, Shen Yanzhou gestured to him, asking him to try speaking again, but Yu Pan could only make a "ho ho" sound.
That "brother" was like a fleeting moment, existing only in the memories of the two of them.
Yu Pan lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and fiddling with the sheets. Shen Yanzhou knew he was sad, so he pulled him into his arms and gently patted his back until he fell asleep.
For the next two days, Shen Yanzhou went to work on time and returned early. Yu Pan was not fully recovered and was always listless, so Shen Yanzhou ate with him and sat with him by the window to read.
On the third day, after finishing the medicine, Shen Yanzhou took Yu Pan to the clinic for a follow-up visit. This time, there were far fewer people; there were only three people ahead of them, and they were seen in less than half an hour.
It was the same young doctor as last time.
After asking Yu Pan about her condition again, the doctor took out a copper bell from the drawer and shook it near Yu Pan's ears.
The ringing was shrill, and even Shen Yanzhou, who was standing next to her, felt a bit uncomfortable in his ears, but Yu Pan just blinked and didn't react at all.
The doctor frowned and put the bell back in the drawer. "It might be a problem with the nerves or the inner ear. We don't have the equipment here to check those things."
He picked up a pen and wrote an address and name on the manuscript paper. “I suggest you go to the First People’s Hospital of Lanzhou. The ENT department there is very professional and can do a detailed examination. Think about it. If you go, let me know and I will contact my teacher. He is very good at this.”
Shen Yanzhou took the manuscript paper. The handwriting on it was very neat: "No. 89 Heping Road, Lanzhou City, Zhang Jinglin".
"Okay, thank you, doctor." Shen Yanzhou thanked him and led Yu Pan out of the clinic.
Looking at Shen Yanzhou's expression, Yu Pan gestured to him as soon as she came out, "What did the doctor say?"
Shen Yanzhou patted his head and smiled, gesturing, "Panpan, the doctor said there's a place that's very good for treating ears. I'll take you there in a few days."
Yu Pan frowned: "No need, I used to be able to do it myself, it's a waste of money."
“This time is different.” Shen Yanzhou said seriously.
They used to be poor and couldn't travel far. Even if they found a good doctor, they didn't have the money to treat them. Now it's different. They have some savings, and... Yu Pan spoke.
This shows that he is not mute.
Even though he can't speak now, he's not mute.
"What's different?" Yu Pan didn't understand, but Shen Yanzhou led her forward.
The mud on the streets has been mostly cleared, and after two heavy rains, the streets are much cleaner.
Many shops were selling off their flooded goods, and shouts could be heard everywhere.
Rice was sold cheaply by the bag, and quite a few people bought it. Clothes and shoes were laid out on the ground, and many people gathered around to pick and choose.
The next morning, Shen Yanzhou went to the fireworks factory.
Li Baoshan was reading the newspaper in his office when he saw him come in. He said, "Perfect timing. Mr. Li from Seoul called yesterday and said he wants to order six more cases of Mantanghong. Go there tomorrow and settle the payment for the last order while you're at it."
Shen Yanzhou stood in front of the table without moving. "Brother Li, I would like to ask for a long leave."
Li Baoshan put down the newspaper, picked up his enamel mug, and took a sip of tea: "How long?"
"It's hard to say, it might take a month."
"A month?" Li Baoshan slammed his cup on the table, his voice deepening. "A month? It's the off-season now. Don't you know how difficult it is to get orders? What will happen to the clients you have if you leave? Tan Ming can't possibly manage everything by himself."
Li Baoshan paused, then softened his tone, "Xiao Shen, I know you've been working hard lately, but think about how much commission you've earned recently. Money isn't easy to earn. Think about it again."
Shen Yanzhou was silent for a while. Li Baoshan was telling the truth. Since he switched to sales, his clients accounted for 30% of the factory's orders. His salary and commission rates had also increased, and Li Baoshan had received a lot of bonuses as a result.
But when he thought of Yu Pan's recent emptiness and restless sleep, tossing and turning, her hands always clutching his clothes, wanting to be held tightly, and waking up if he loosened his grip even slightly, Shen Yanzhou made up his mind.
"I've made up my mind," Shen Yanzhou said. "If I can't get leave, I'll quit."
Li Baoshan was stunned, not expecting him to be so resolute. His face darkened. "You're being ridiculous! Don't you know how hard it is to find stable work these days? And you're being paid quite a bit, aren't you? Just for your brother's minor illness—"
“It’s not a minor illness,” Shen Yanzhou interrupted him, her voice low. “He can’t hear, I have to take him to see a doctor.”
The fact that Shen Yanzhou took Yu Pan to see an ear doctor was hardly a secret in town. Everyone had some free time, and if someone mentioned it in conversation, it would spread like wildfire in no time.
Li Baoshan stared at him for a long time, then laughed angrily: "Fine, you're something else. You want to quit, huh? Go find the accountant to handle the paperwork, settle your wages, and then leave!"
Shen Yanzhou didn't say anything more, turned around and left the office. As he passed the warehouse, Tan Ming was wiping down a truck. Seeing him come out, Tan Ming came over and asked, "Did you get the leave?"
Shen Yanzhou shook his head. "I've resigned."
Tan Ming dropped the rag in his hand to the ground. "Are you crazy?! Just for..."
“Tan Ming, you have a younger brother too.” Shen Yanzhou picked up a rag and handed it to him.
Tan Ming opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only sighed.
Yes, he also has a younger brother. He doesn't dare to think if he were Shen Yanzhou, facing Yu Pan's situation, whether he could handle it.
"Do you have enough money? If not, I have some here."
"That's enough." Shen Yanzhou patted his shoulder. "Thanks."
"What are you thanking me for? I'm already thanking you." Tan Ming was telling the truth. If it weren't for Shen Yanzhou taking him along, he might have ended up driving trucks for the rest of his life. Besides, on the night the mountain collapsed, if it weren't for Shen Yanzhou stopping him, he probably would have... sigh.
Shen Yanzhou went to the finance office to settle his salary. The accountant had already received a call from Li Baoshan and settled Shen Yanzhou's salary and commission for the month, totaling 587 yuan.
Shen Yanzhou counted out the money in front of everyone, then stuffed it into an envelope and kept it close to his body.
As he left the fireworks factory, he was facing the sun, which was a bit too bright. He stood there for a while, then unlocked his bicycle and slowly rode home.
After arriving home, Shen Yanzhou didn't tell Yu Pan about quitting her job, but only gestured: "The factory approved a two-month long leave."
Yu Pan was somewhat surprised, "You can approve such a long leave?"
"Hmm." Shen Yanzhou took out the wages and let Yu Pan count the money, while he looked at the place where he had lived for more than half a year and planned what to bring with him.
Chen Yanzhou didn't know how long the trip would take, and summer was different from winter, so he couldn't wear thick clothes. He thought he would have to buy a big duffel bag to pack this.
Having thought it through, Shen Yanzhou went to look at Yu Pan, who was sitting on the bed counting money. He saw that Yu Pan was frowning and seemed annoyed about something.
"What's wrong?" Shen Yanzhou asked, gesturing as he spoke.
Yu Pan pointed to the wooden box filled with money, then to the money next to it, "The box is full, it can't hold any more."
"Then put it in your purse," Shen Yanzhou gestured.
After hearing this, Yu Pan stuffed more money into her purse. The purse wasn't big; it was already bulging with fifty or sixty yuan before it couldn't fit any more in, leaving eighty yuan behind.
Yu Pan scratched his head as he looked at the eighty yuan, never expecting that they would be troubled by this one day.
"It's alright, I'll take these." Shen Yanzhou folded the remaining money and put it into his wallet. "I can use it to buy train tickets."
Yu Pan nodded in realization, "Oh right, we need to buy train tickets."
Shen Yanzhou planned to set off again in a week, as Yu Pan had just recovered from an illness and wanted him to rest.
After setting the date for his trip to Seoul, he bought two pounds of fruit and went to the clinic to say hello to the doctor, explaining that he planned to take Yu Pan to the Lanzhou First People's Hospital for a checkup.
As the doctor had said before, he would help them contact Zhang Jinglin.
After Shen Yanzhou finished thanking the doctor and was about to leave, the doctor instructed him again: "Lanzhou is far from here. If you want to go, you have to go to Hancheng Railway Station to buy tickets first. It takes seventeen or eighteen hours by train. There are only two trains a day, at nine o'clock in the morning and three o'clock in the afternoon. Don't make a wasted trip."
At the same time, Shen Yanzhou told the old lady his plan and asked her if the quilts and bedding could be left there for a while, and they would pay for it.
The old lady quickly refused, but she refused the offer to pay money. "It's just putting some things in, why should I pay? You don't need to tidy up the house, I'll wait for you to come back."
Yu Pan was such a good child, and it saddens her to see her like this now.
After saying that, the old lady handed them the money, saying, "I'll return your deposit for the house first. This trip must have cost a lot of money. I don't have much else, but I do have some cash. I'll add some more for you. Please take this first..."
Adding three hundred yuan at once is no small sum, so Shen Yanzhou naturally couldn't accept it.
"Consider it a loan from me. Take it and take Xiaopan to see a good doctor. You can return it to me when you come back!" The old lady said firmly.
This time, he really didn't know how much it would cost, and Shen Yanzhou couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to accept it.
During the week they waited to depart, Tan Mingtian would come to have dinner with them every day, saying, "I'll take you to Seoul and deliver some goods along the way, so you won't have to squeeze onto the bus."
After reading Shen Yanzhou's account, Yu Pan was a little confused, so she wrote on a piece of paper: "Is it a delivery that's being delivered to us on the way?"
Tan Ming chuckled and stood up, rolling up his sleeves. "So you think you can embarrass your brother Tan like this?"
Even though Yu Pan couldn't hear, she knew what Tan Ming was doing as soon as she saw him. She raised her hands in surrender and hid in Chen Yanzhou's arms, which made Tan Ming laugh out loud.
On the evening before their departure, they went to say goodbye to the old man who ran the bookstore.
The old man's bookstore is having a big clearance sale right now, selling old books and wet books by weight after they've been dried. He's almost sold out, and he's sitting on the steps in front of the shop fanning himself with a palm leaf fan.
Yu Pan sat down next to the old man and wrote on a piece of paper: "Grandpa, I'm going to Lanzhou to get my ears checked tomorrow."
After the old man finished reading, he glanced at him, got up, went back into the store, and brought out a few hardcover books, which he then handed to Yu Pan.
He took the notebook from Yu Pan and wrote in it: "Here you go. Take good care of yourself when you get to Lanzhou and listen to your brother."
After finishing writing, the old man looked at Shen Yanzhou and said in a serious tone, "There are many people in big cities, so you have to keep a close eye on Xiao Pan."
Shen Yanzhou chuckled, "Yes, I will."
The next morning, Tan Ming picked them up in a truck, the bed of which was loaded with goods to be delivered to Seoul.
Before getting on the bus, the old lady stuffed a bag of boiled eggs and a big bag of snacks specifically for Yu Pan to eat. She raised her hand and patted Yu Pan's forehead again and again, her tone filled with reluctance: "Come back soon, Xiao Pan, I'm waiting for you to make me some pickled vegetables."
Yu Pan blinked and looked at Shen Yanzhou.
Shen Yanzhou relayed the old lady's meaning to him.
Yu Pan's nose tingled, and tears almost fell. She gestured, "Grandma, you can't dislike my translation."
"I don't mind, I don't mind at all. Come back soon." The old lady wiped her eyes.
The old man also arrived. After the old lady finished speaking, she handed him a bag of manuscript paper and a pen, took out a notebook, wrote a sentence on it, tore it off, and gave it to Yu Pan.
"No matter what, remember what you love to do."
After reading it, Yu Pan nodded vigorously. He had indeed been slacking off lately.
When the car is moving, the wind from the driver's cab blows into the back seats.
Yu Pan peered out the window and saw the old lady and old man standing at the door waving at them. He quickly rolled down the window and leaned out to wave back.
They only sat back down when the figure shrank and disappeared from sight.
A note from the author:
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A new map has been unlocked!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
