Chapter 29 You Owe Me This
Jiang Zhi returned to the room and grabbed a black hooded jacket and baseball cap and put them on.
He pulled his hat down expertly.
The wide brim of the hat just covered the overly beautiful face.
Walking out of the dark and damp basement, the neon lights on the street illuminate the night.
He blended into the flow of people without attracting any attention.
After walking a few steps, Jiang Zhi suddenly turned around and went back.
The doorbell jingled, and the shop owner glanced up, then continued to look at the computer screen.
Jiang Zhi walked straight to the cashier and took out two lychee-flavored lollipops.
"How much?"
His low, hoarse voice brought the boss back to his senses, "One dollar."
Jiang Zhi took out a crumpled banknote from his pocket and placed it on the counter.
When they reached the hospital entrance, there was still half a piece of candy left in Jiang Zhi's mouth.
The sweet syrup melts in the mouth, coating the tip of the tongue stickily.
To be honest, he couldn't remember the last time he had candy.
Tasting it now, the sweetness was still too deliberate, making him feel sick and uneasy.
It turns out that sweets can not make people feel better as the books say.
Jiang Zhi used his back teeth to crush the last bit of candy on the paper stick, and the crisp sound was very clear to him.
Jiang Li lived in the most ordinary three-person ward.
There are three beds in the small space.
Accompanying family members and medical staff came and went, making it noisy and crowded.
Whenever something happens, everyone in the ward can hear it. There is no privacy at all.
Because Jiang Li needed long-term hospitalization, his bed was placed on the innermost side near the window.
There was a small window there that let in sunlight.
When Jiang Zhi passed the outer bed, the old man by the door immediately sat up and said, "Young man, you've come at the perfect time! Your brother has been making a fuss all day. I'm about to have a heart attack!"
The middle-aged woman in the next bed also chimed in, "That's right. He started throwing things around every time the nurse came to give him an injection. It made my blood pressure so high."
She pointed to the numbers ticking on the bedside monitor.
Jiang Zhi whispered, "Sorry."
"What's the point of just apologizing?" The old man patted the edge of the bed. "This hospital isn't owned by your family. You should at least have some sense of public morality, right?"
At this moment, a loud noise of something heavy falling to the ground was heard from behind the innermost curtain.
Then came Jiang Li's hysterical scream.
"Jiang Zhi! Why don't you just die!"
"How dare you come here!"
"I hate you! I hate you so much!"
A glass suddenly flew out from the gap in the curtain.
It flew past Jiang Zhi's side, then fell to the ground and shattered.
The ward suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of the monitor making the noise.
"Look, it's started again..." The middle-aged woman muttered softly and shrank into the quilt.
The nurse rushed out of the bathroom in a panic, holding his untied belt in his hand.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I just need to go to the bathroom..."
Jiang Zhi nodded expressionlessly. He had become accustomed to it over the years.
The nurse frantically found a broom and apologized while sweeping up the glass fragments on the ground.
"I'm so sorry, everyone..."
The old man waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it, it's not easy..."
The patients living in this ward are all suffering from chronic diseases.
I left after a while, otherwise I couldn't stand Jiang Li's daily disturbance.
"He looks like a gentle young man, why does he have such a bad temper..." the old man said curiously.
"That's right. Seeing his brother is like seeing an enemy." The middle-aged woman continued, secretly glancing at Jiang Zhi who was standing at the end of the bed. "I don't know what deep hatred these two brothers have..."
After sweeping up the last piece of broken glass, the nurse wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Jiang Zhi opened the curtain and saw a young man in a loose hospital gown lying on the bed, struggling to raise his upper body.
Jiang Li's thin cheeks were frighteningly sunken.
The pale fingers were still groping for a glass a little further away on the bedside table.
"Stop it."
Jiang Zhi spoke calmly, squatted down and began to change the urine bag skillfully.
The caregiver is a temporary worker hired at a low price, and he only comes to help deliver meals every day.
If Jiang Zhi didn't come, Jiang Li would have to endure his own excrement all the time.
"Who asked you to be so hypocritical?"
Jiang Li picked up the pillow and threw it at Jiang Zhi, his voice hoarse and broken.
Jiang Zhi didn't dodge or evade. He picked up the pillow, dusted it off, and put it back on the bed.
Then he squatted down and continued his movements, the plastic tube making a slight friction sound between his fingers.
"The doctor said your cervical spine injury... may still be recoverable."
"Bullshit!" Jiang Li grabbed the medicine box beside him and threw it at him, "Get lost! I'd rather die here than have you bother me!"
The nurse came over after hearing the noise and saw the mess on the ground and said quickly: "Xiao Jiang, let me do it..."
She took the catheter from Jiang Zhi's hand and whispered, "Don't take it too seriously. Your brother is feeling miserable..."
Sixteen years old is the most lively, active and energetic age.
But Jiang Li could only lie on a hospital bed less than 1.5 meters long day after day.
Even the simplest thing of turning over requires help from others.
He is incontinent and needs someone to wipe and wash him all the time.
At the age when shame is most prevalent, self-esteem is shattered.
Even an adult would find it hard to bear, let alone he is just a child.
Jiang Zhi knew better than anyone that it was indeed his fault.
Jiang Li was only ten years old that year. His parents worked overtime and were still not home late, so he cried and wanted to go find them.
Thirteen-year-old Jiang Zhi only wanted to ride his electric bike to get Jiang Li over there quickly.
The glaring headlights, the sharp sound of brakes, and the scream of Jiang Li when he was thrown out.
These scenes still replay in Jiang Zhi's nightmares.
The driver was driving under the influence of alcohol, but he kept harping on the issue of underage people riding electric scooters on the road.
In the end, I just paid compensation and settled the matter hastily.
Jiang Zhi's injuries were not serious, but Jiang Li, who was sitting in the back seat, was paralyzed in his lower limbs.
The doctor said it was a vertebral burst fracture and it was a blessing in disguise that he was able to survive.
Later, the parents received a call and rushed to the hospital.
Because they were too anxious, they encountered a car accident on the road and both died on the spot.
From that day on, Jiang Zhi's life changed completely.
He became his brother's only support and an eternal sinner.
Jiang Li suddenly quieted down, his voice filled with tears, "I would rather have died with my parents..."
Jiang Zhi's movements froze, and he tightened his grip on the chair.
Jiang Zhi's eyes were dead silent as he gently lifted the sheets.
Start massaging Jiang Li's legs.
Due to long-term bed rest, Jiang Li's leg muscles have shown slight atrophy.
But with Jiang Zhi's careful daily massage, the situation was much better than the doctor expected.
The massage movements are precise and skillful, taking care of every acupoint from ankles to knees.
Just as the two-hour massage was about to end.
Jiang Zhi suddenly said, "I applied to Shanghai University."
With his grades, he could have gone to the top university in the country, Peking University, but he chose to stay in Shanghai.
Jiang Li sneered when he heard this: "You owe me this."
A twisted look of satisfaction appeared on the boy's pale face. "You should be trapped here for the rest of your life to atone for your sins."
Jiang Zhi stopped massaging, covered Jiang Li with the quilt, and nodded gently.
Yes, he owed him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
