My little sister has a problem; she can't speak. Judging from her crying, she can vocalize normally. She gets easily frightened by the slightest noise, like a little rabbit, so it's not an ear problem. She should be taken to the hospital to get checked out.
Qin Xiaoyu was incredibly efficient; half an hour later, she was already in the long queue at the hospital. She remarked that hospitals have always been this popular, no matter the era.
She went to a military hospital near her home. Perhaps because the public has a high level of trust in the military, military hospitals are more popular than local hospitals.
When it was finally her turn, she walked in carrying her little sister and was stunned.
Having been reborn for so long, everyone I've met bears the marks of their era—outdated hairstyles, honest and simple eyes—all irreplaceable by the times. But why does this male doctor in front of me also seem like he's from another time?
He wore a white coat with a green collar turned up, clean and neat. Even if you deducted 50 points for his side-parted hair, he'd still get a 99—any more points would be too much for fear of making him arrogant. Seeing that the patient didn't come over, he raised his head. His clear eyes held a hint of coldness, his high, straight nose was almost too austere, and the sharply defined features of his mouth accentuated these qualities. This was a difficult person to get along with; indeed, arrogance was ingrained in his bones.
But when he smiled at his younger sister, his demeanor instantly softened; his deep dimples could intoxicate anyone with their tenderness.
Qin Xiaoyu glanced at the tag on his lapel: Zhou Xing.
"What's wrong with the child?" Zhou Xing was getting a little impatient. The woman in front of him had a bitter look on her face and a lot of anger. It was already a miracle that someone like her would bring her child out to see a doctor.
“She doesn’t speak.” Qin Xiaoyu’s answer was abrupt. Zhou Xing frowned for a moment, but quickly understood, clearly forgiving her ignorance and dullness. After realizing this, Qin Xiaoyu felt a strange tightness in her chest.
"It doesn't seem to be an organic problem, meaning the child's organs are fine." Zhou Xing held his younger sister in his arms and carefully examined her, reaching the same conclusion as Qin Xiaoyu.
"Then why isn't she saying anything?" Qin Xiaoyu was getting a little anxious. It would be better to find out what was wrong so that it could be treated more effectively.
"Well, that's a question for you. Some problems are psychological, not as simple as they seem on the surface." Zhou Xing gave her a cold look.
Hanhan had been standing obediently beside Qin Xiaoyu, listening to their conversation. Hearing this, she grew anxious, wanting to ask something but hesitant, and timidly took half a step forward. Qin Xiaoyu was in a state of panic. She turned to Hanhan for help, reaching out to hug her, but as soon as she raised her hand, Hanhan instinctively flinched away.
This wasn't the first time; whenever Qin Xiaoyu reached out, Hanhan always thought she was going to get a beating.
Seeing this, Zhou Xing became even more certain of his thoughts. The younger sister's muteness was a stress reaction caused by the domestic violence. Poor child. He wasn't sure if the woman in front of him could understand if he talked to her like this. He had seen too many women who took their frustrations out on their children, and he deeply despised them. But he was powerless and couldn't save these two poor children.
"Can it be cured?" Qin Xiaoyu read everything in Zhou Xing's eyes. This man despised her, but for his little sister's sake, he could only patiently ask.
"It's up to you. You've locked her heart, and you have the key. Unlock it yourself." Zhou Xing believed in the saying that a person's nature is unchangeable. The woman in front of him wouldn't change, and the child was just a victim of an unhappy marriage.
"Doctor, please answer me directly. This isn't some poetic or romantic matter. I don't want to hear your useless words!" Qin Xiaoyu could hear Zhou Xing's sarcasm, and suppressing her anger, she pressed him for an answer.
"In other words, only your change can bring about change in your child. I hope you can be self-disciplined and fulfill your responsibilities as a mother." Zhou Xing was a little surprised. Qin Xiaoyu's words implied that she was not completely uneducated. If this still resulted in the serious consequence of her child becoming mute, she would be even more unforgivable. Zhou Xing's eyes narrowed, already carrying a stern warning.
"What do you mean? Where have I been undisciplined!" Qin Xiaoyu never expected that taking her child to the doctor would result in such sarcastic remarks from the doctor. Finally, she couldn't hold back her anger any longer, slammed her hand on the table, and stood up. Hanhan was startled and quickly stepped forward to snatch her little sister back from Zhou Xing's arms, holding her tightly in her embrace.
"Then I'll say something useful: your current state is frightening the child. If you want to cure the child, you'd better change your shrewish ways first." Zhou Xing looked at Hanhan's sensible appearance, and his anger was instantly ignited. He shouted back without any politeness.
"Who are you calling a shrew? Who are you calling a shrew?" Qin Xiaoyu was trembling with anger. She glanced at the table, looking for a weapon, when the nurse outside, hearing the commotion, rushed in and quickly pulled her out.
Nurses quickly arrived to assist, making it impossible for Qin Xiaoyu to barge back in. She spotted the suggestion box hanging on the wall, ripped it down, and wrote: "Outrageous medical ethics, appalling attitude! Zhou Xing!"
The nurse wanted to snatch it but didn't dare, staring at her dumbfounded. After finishing writing, her anger subsided a bit. She grabbed Hanhan and rushed out through the crowd, bumping into things until a gust of wind blew her through the doorway, which calmed her down. How could she have lost her composure like that?
Normally, neither her mother-in-law nor her sister-in-law's provocations have made her lose her temper, so what happened just now?
The mother and her two sisters sat by the roadside for a long time before Qin Xiaoyu finally pieced together the whole story. Her overreaction stemmed from the fact that Zhou Xing was the one who provoked her. Subconsciously, she categorized her mother-in-law and sister-in-law as the same kind of uneducated, twisted housewives, so any attacks from them were physical, seemingly fierce but easily neutralized. Zhou Xing, however, was different. He didn't say much, but his words were incisive, not only hitting the host's sore spot but also giving her a jolt to her past life.
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