108 The operation was successful
◎But she is no longer the little girl who was powerless to fight back.◎
Before Zhu Qi returned to Jianghuai, the news had already reached him.
The 21-year-old "Grand Slam" champion of the Moscow Table Tennis Tournament, a former Jianghuai provincial team player, has returned to the provincial team due to injury. Thousands of fans nationwide are deeply concerned about the athlete's health. It is reported that Zhu Qi strained her foot ligament during the competition and returned to Jianghuai Province for medical treatment and to visit family.
The news on Jianghuai Channel simultaneously broadcast the scene of Zhu Qi getting off the train, leaving the train station with his family, and greeting the Jiangdong fans.
Because of the presence of fellow villagers, quite a few people came to pick up the car. There were even some people who happened to be at the train station who heard that it was an athlete who had just won the World Games championship, and ran over to join in the fun and watch.
In a simple tube-shaped building left over from the 1960s, a family of three sat at a folding mahjong table and ate. After three dishes were placed on the small table, there was no room for anything else.
The three of them could only hold their own bowls and chopsticks, with the bowls of porridge placed at their feet. While eating, none of them dared to make any big movements, for fear that they would accidentally hit the shaky table.
"His father, look!" the woman bit into a hard steamed bun, her eyes filled with envy and excitement. "I heard the World Games champion gets over 200,000 yuan in prize money alone! She even won three! I heard from Xiao Liu that the government even allocates housing to World Games champions, within the Chaoyang-Beijing ring road! And it's a single-family house in an upscale residential complex. These days, a house in Chaoyang-Beijing costs over 200,000 yuan, and you get a Chaoyang-Beijing hukou right after you land there!"
The man swallowed a mouthful of porridge without saying a word, his eyes fixed on the young female athlete surrounded by thousands of bouquets of flowers on the screen.
She looks so full of energy, eats well and lives well in the national team, and has a round face, like a porcelain doll.
The few people following behind her were called Zhu Qi's family by the Jianghuai reporter. They were also the man's former brother-in-law and sister-in-law who were very familiar to him.
Four adults surrounded Zhu Qi, each with a bright, blissful smile. The clothes they wore were clearly imported, brand names purchased in Beijing.
It’s only been a while since autumn even passed, and these four grown-ups are already wearing leather jackets, blazers, and fur collars?
His ex-brother-in-law, who works odd jobs driving cars everywhere, could afford to wear such clothes?!
Although the square black and white TV has no color, you can still tell that everyone in the picture is so happy.
And they are the ones who are frozen in the black and white world.
——[We hope that the surgery for our Jianghuai female athlete will go smoothly. Let us look forward to her more wonderful performances on the court in the future.]
Then, a commercial breaks.
The image of Zhu Qi instantly disappeared from the screen.
The woman looked at the two female parents following behind Zhu Qi on the screen. They were holding Zhu Qi's hands, one on the left and one on the right. They looked so intimate that if you didn't know them, you would think they were his biological mothers.
What she coveted most was the dress her husband's ex-sister-in-law was wearing. She'd only seen it worn by wealthy ladies in the hotel where she worked as a cleaner. The material was clearly high-end. What was it called... a houndstooth coat? The stylish tweed coats were even in red and blue, making it clear they'd bought them at the same store. The pure wool scarf they wore was also the same; it looked exactly like the one worn by the wealthy ladies who frequently traveled abroad in the hotel!
The son was already old enough to know how important money was. When he heard his mother say this, he was so excited that he almost shouted, "If I can go to Chaojing, will I be able to go to school?"
He is already seventeen years old this year, no longer the little junior high school kid he was two years ago. Because his parents sold their house to support him in high school, he now has to squeeze into the tube-shaped building left by his grandfather.
Not only was the living space uncomfortable, but the windows also leaked when it was cloudy and rainy.
However, because he beat his classmates many times at school and the circumstances were serious, he was suspended from school and sent back home. Until now, there has been no announcement as to when he can return to school.
The college entrance examination is coming soon, and changing schools will be a huge expense.
But the teachers at school refused to give in, and it was obvious that they also wanted money.
Because he had to pay compensation for injuring someone, almost all of the family savings had been used up. How could the family have any extra money to find a school for him?
If there is no way to go back to class, let alone taking the college entrance exam, you may not even get a high school diploma.
By then, my precious son will only have a junior high school diploma.
This won’t do!
Thinking of this, the woman couldn't eat any more and reached out to pull the man: "She finally came back this time, you have to think of a way! We sold our old house to save enough money for Xiaojun to go to high school! If he can't even graduate from high school, then we sold the house for nothing, right?"
It would have been fine if the woman hadn't mentioned this, but once she did, the man got angry and kicked the boy, cursing, "It's all your fault, you useless bastard! Why didn't you beat him to death? If you did, you could go to jail and I wouldn't have to support you anymore! I wouldn't have to worry about your food, drink, and toilet. Go back and enjoy life with your sister!"
The boy yelled back at the top of his lungs, "You're so incompetent that you don't even have a proper job. Did I spend your money? The house your ex-wife left behind for me to go to high school, and my mom is the one earning the money to support this family!"
The man, whose foot was poked, overturned the table, dropping dishes and chopsticks to the ground, and pointed at the boy's nose and cursed: "You son of a bitch, say another word!"
Seeing that two men, one big and one small, were about to start fighting, the woman quickly stepped in between them and pulled the angry man back into the room.
The small tube-shaped building is crumbling.
Everything was in disarray and looked like it would collapse at any moment.
The man sat on the edge of the narrow bed, touching the towel blanket that had become shapeless, and smoked one cigarette after another.
The woman persuaded him gently, "Xiaojun is young, and you are his father. Why are you arguing with him? He is also anxious and wants to go back to school."
The man raised his head and glared at the woman, who felt a tingling sensation on her back, but she mustered up the courage to persuade him, "Now that your daughter is back, if we can establish a good relationship with her, even a few grains of rice she drops from her hands will be enough for us to eat for a while. Besides, Xiaojun will be 18 soon, and it's time for him to find a wife. My cousin's wife said that her niece is very beautiful, and her family doesn't want any dowry. As long as we buy a house, she's willing to wait until she comes of age to get married with our son. I don't have a dime in my pocket, so how can I afford a house? You can't just watch your son be single for the rest of his life. Just think of it as our son and me. We really have to think of a way this time. Didn't you see what they said on TV? She's going to die again after the operation..."
After saying that, the woman covered her face and began to cry softly.
The man threw away the cigarette butt in his hand and cursed, "I don't care if she's a champion or not. I'm her father, she should support me!"
/
After returning home, my aunt and my aunt stood in front of the mirror, looking at their clothes that were all brand new from head to toe, and they were overjoyed.
"Oh my, these imported things look so different! Sister-in-law, what's it called? Oh, right, Lao Qianfeng. Last time I saw a female teacher at Lao Qin's school wearing a red woolen coat. I heard it cost 900 yuan! I'm so envious that I even dream that my son bought me one."
As a result, the one I am wearing now is not only better-looking, but also softer. This thin layer not only blocks the wind but also keeps me warm. I would sweat if I wore a shirt underneath. If it were winter, I could wear this as a cotton coat, and it would be more fashionable than a cotton coat.
My uncle-in-law and my uncle had just brought in Zhu Qi's luggage. Seeing my aunt spinning in circles in front of the mirror, my uncle teased her, "You look so happy, you can't even close your mouth. Aren't you still not happy from the trip to the capital? Are you going to wear this when you go to the banquet later?"
"I'm happy! I'm happy! My daughter bought it for me, and I wear it from morning to night, and you have no right to stop me!" The aunt sat next to Zhu Qi, hugged Zhu Qi, and couldn't get enough of kissing her. "My eldest daughter is a lucky star, she brings blessings to others wherever she goes."
Zhu Qi bought a complete set of clothes for the two female parents in the family, and Qin Xiaoba ordered a set of suits for his uncle and uncle-in-law, aiming to be fair.
Our dog stayed at our neighbor's house for a month. When we brought it back, it jumped around happily on the ground.
Dahuang was about to turn into Laohuang, and his fur began to turn white, but when he saw Zhu Qi, he recognized him at once and kept circling around Zhu Qi.
The hospital the team doctor had contacted was in the city center, the only Grade A tertiary hospital in the entire Jianghuai region. The appointment was scheduled for two days later, allowing Zhu Qi to rest at home.
The adults at home didn't allow Zhu Qi to move around, so Zhu Qi could only sit on the sofa and watch TV.
My aunt went to cook, my uncle and my uncle-in-law helped to clean up the bedroom, and my aunt packed Zhu Qi's clothes and supplies for the hospital.
Everyone was busy and having fun, even the dog was running around, looking very busy.
"Officer's ID! Hey, hey, hey, look! It says he's a second lieutenant. He's a real officer, not a bald soldier like our son... There's also an athlete's ID, a medical insurance card, a monthly pass, a reimbursement form, a bankbook... What's this? Oh, the old film," the aunt said to Zhu Qi after she finished packing. "How much does this surgery cost? I'll see if I have enough cash at home..."
"No need. Just take out your athlete ID and military officer ID and show them to the hospital. They will issue a bill and I can join the national team later." Zhu Qi held the remote control and switched the TV screen to the sports channel. He lay on the sofa like a wealthy landlord, with a pile of dried fruits and meat in front of him within reach.
"Is this true? The national team will reimburse everything?" my aunt asked in surprise.
"Not really. I'll reimburse 85 percent. I'll give the rest to the national team, and they'll pay the hospital together."
Nowadays, ligament surgery costs only about 800 yuan.
Zhu Qi's surgery was performed by an experienced director, and the cost was just over a thousand yuan. The materials used were imported surgical sutures and screws that the body can absorb. Furthermore, the medications athletes use are relatively expensive, and regular medications can be detected as doping, which accounts for the relatively high price.
The painkillers alone are twice as expensive as those for ordinary people.
Fortunately, the national team had made arrangements, and Zhu Qi was fully covered from hospitalization to surgery and post-operative rehabilitation. She only needed to bring her injured foot with her, and she didn't have to worry about anything else.
The hospitalization process went smoothly.
Although it was a three-person ward, the other two patients had already been discharged when Zhu Qi arrived.
This resulted in Zhu Qi living alone in a triple room, which was just convenient for his aunt and younger sister to stay with him.
Actually, Qin Xiaoba is right.
Zhu Qi is indeed a bit PTSD about the ward.
After all, he died in a hospital ward in his previous life. When he opened his eyes and saw the familiar white color everywhere, he felt restless and irritable.
But my aunt and cousin don't have to work, so they can take turns staying in the ward to make Zhu Qi feel more comfortable.
Playing in competitions all over the place these years can be considered a disguised way of spending time with my family.
Dr. Liu, who performed the surgery on Zhu Qi, looked to be in his 40s or 50s and had a great sense of humor. He would chat with Zhu Qi every day while examining her.
"Oh, your foot bones are so sensible. If they were to bend even a little bit while you were running, your entire ligament would be broken."
My aunt was a little worried: "Doctor, is this surgery easy for her?"
"I'll do it well, don't worry. The patients who come to me for surgery are all athletes. This ligament is a high-incidence trauma area. I have treated at least 7,000 to 8,000 feet." After reviewing all the X-rays, Doctor Liu wrote and drew on paper, determining the operation time and various precautions and dietary taboos after the operation.
The next day, Zhu Qi was pushed into the operating room.
The operation was quick.
When Zhu Qi was pushed out, the anesthetic had not yet worn off. He had no feeling in his right leg and could not stand up, but his upper body was clear and he could hear his uncle and others talking to him.
Outside the ward, flower baskets sent by fans filled the air, a pleasant botanical fragrance adorned with Zhu Qi's name inscribed on red ribbons. Although mixed with the hallway's hint of disinfectant and alcohol, it felt more humane.
Many nurses and patients would curiously peek inside when passing by to see who lives there.
VIP wards aren't popular these days, and people are close but not offensive. Many kind-hearted grandpa and grandma would come over to see what was going on and chat with the talkative aunt.
"Yeah, athletes have a hard life. They can't go home many times a year. If she hadn't come for the surgery, she probably wouldn't have stayed in Jianghuai for long. I even had a fight with my brother when I sent her to practice sports. Why should a girl go through so much hardship when she could just attend cultural classes and see people every day? But then my husband told me that this child has talent and can't be wasted. I thought I'd just treat it as a way to keep fit. Who knew she could play so well? Now that the surgery is done, I have to go back quickly... Hey, who said it wasn't true? There's nothing I can do about it. It's called the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. After all, my daughter is the absolute main force in the national team. We are all counting on her to win the gold medal, hahahaha——"
The more my aunt spoke, the happier she became. She chatted excitedly with the people at the door. The aunts outside were quite cooperative and joined in the praise.
The effect of the anesthetic had almost worn off on Zhu Qi, and when he heard his aunt bragging outside, he was so embarrassed that he didn't even dare to look up.
Qin Xiaoba and my aunt are both talkative and can talk a lot.
My aunt was standing in the bathroom washing fruit for Zhu Qi, shouting, "Call your brother quickly. It's already late, and he hasn't brought food over yet."
"...But she is now a student at Beijing Sport University. I heard that her teacher is going to recommend her for admission to graduate school, which means she will be a postgraduate student! Hey! I'll call her right away!" The aunt responded and started dialing with her mobile phone.
Zhu Qi sat on the hospital bed, his right foot bandaged, and began to worry: "How long will it take before I can get out of bed?"
As the anesthetic wore off, the pain started to come.
Painkillers should not be taken until almost evening.
"The doctor said your cartilage is fine. The emergency period was passed during the surgery, and they used a minimally invasive arthroscopic technique from abroad. If there's no inflammation in three days, you can be discharged, but you won't be able to walk for at least three weeks. The sutures are absorbable, so you don't need to remove them. Just wait for them to fall off naturally. You'll just have to wear an ankle brace every day. If you recover well, you'll be able to move around normally in two months..." My aunt brought over a bowl of lush green grapes and said to Zhu Qi. "These are green grapes imported from the United States. The skins are so thin you can eat them without spitting them out."
In the 1990s, there were only a few hospitals nationwide that offered minimally invasive technology. Zhu Qi had just glanced at the medication list and realized it was a bit more expensive than he'd imagined. Including the artificial ligament filling, it cost over two thousand... Actually, artificial ligaments are cheaper after twenty years, but in the 1990s, they were a rare product, and scarcity makes things more expensive.
Forget it, being expensive has its advantages. If I can recover sooner, this little money is nothing.
Zhu Qi grabbed a handful and stuffed it into his mouth. His aunt was about to ask if his aunt had called, but when she looked up, she heard his aunt suddenly yelling through the door.
"Who asked you to come here? Get out!"
There was a hustle and bustle outside, with the voices of men and women talking, but neither of them could drown out my aunt's voice.
"Don't talk nonsense to me. How dare you come here? And you brought this old woman with you. You are so shameless. What are you standing here for? Are you waiting for me to slap you? Get out of here! You shameless bastard!"
When my aunt heard the noise, her heart sank suddenly. She seemed to have thought of something and walked out with a fruit knife in hand.
He had only taken two steps when he ran back to Zhu Qi and said, "No matter what happens, don't come out. Just stay in bed. Even if you hear any noise outside, don't come out!"
The moment his aunt opened the door, Zhu Qi heard the voice of a man who was very familiar to him.
"Why are you stopping me? Why won't you let me see my child? You snatched my daughter away and haven't let me see her for so many years. You..."
The sound was blocked by the door again, and the noisy noise outside became louder and more frequent.
More and more people joined in the quarrel. It seemed that my uncle and my sister-in-law happened to meet the people at the door when they were delivering food.
Several voices mixed together, becoming louder and angrier.
This reminded Zhu Qi of ten years ago, when he had lived in his uncle's house for five years. A year after joining the provincial team at the age of eleven, the man got the news from somewhere that he could start making money, so he suddenly ran to the village gate to ask his uncle for Zhu Qi to take him back.
At that time, Zhu Qi was still in the provincial team and didn't know what had happened, but later Qin Xiaoba let it slip and Zhu Qi learned that the whole family had gone out, and even several good neighbors nearby came to help, as if they were going to have a big fight with the family across the street.
I don’t know what happened later, but that family disappeared and never showed up again. I don’t know if they were scared by my uncle and his family.
The same thing happened during the last Jianghuai Chinese Games, and this family came over again.
So when Zhu Qi returned to Jianghuai this time, he was already prepared.
After all, this time is different from the last World Games. The end of this World Games was reported nationwide and provincially. When she came, there was a reporter from Jianghuai Channel reporting live on the entire process. She also gave a brief one-minute interview at the train station entrance before being allowed to leave.
Zhu Qi pulled back the quilt and took a crutch prepared for her by Doctor Liu. She put her left foot on the ground and supported the crutch with her right hand. She felt the wall and moved towards the door with her left foot little by little.
She knew that this family would pounce on her like leeches.
Just like in his previous life, he would not stop until he had sucked all her blood dry.
But she is no longer the little girl who was powerless to fight back.
The closer we got to the door, the clearer the noise outside became.
My uncle's voice was very rough. Maybe because he had been a physical education teacher for a long time, his voice was particularly mellow and penetrating: "Are you going to get out of here? If not, I will hit you!"
My aunt followed up with a curse: "Why are you wasting your time talking to this bastard?! You guys can't even think about getting in while I'm standing here! If anyone dares to take a step forward, I'll stab him to death!"
"How dare you! I, I, I will die right here, believe it or not! Oh my god—this is outrageous! This child was taken away by her uncle and not allowed to see her biological father. For so many years, the father and daughter have not been reunited. Now we heard that the child is sick and hospitalized, so we took an eight-hour bus ride from the city to visit her, but they won't even let us in. What a heartless family—"
The other woman's voice was sharper.
Zhu Qi was even more familiar with this voice.
In her previous life, the person who bombarded her with money at a fixed time every week.
Zhu Qi couldn't help it any longer, she grabbed the door handle, turned it hard and pulled it open.
The door opened a crack.
What Zhu Qi is about to face is his past.
The original noise outside seemed to be paused at this moment. All the sounds disappeared instantly, and everyone looked at Zhu Qi standing inside the door quietly.
The young girl's face was calm, and she still felt a little weak and tired from the surgery, but her eyes were calm as she swept over everyone calmly, finally stopping on the man who was pushing and shoving his uncle.
He seemed to have changed a lot, completely different from what I remembered... oh no, from the impression I had from my previous life.
Now he looks skinny and dry, with sunken cheeks and eyes that look scary when they are wide open. Bloodshot is all over his eyeballs, and his skin looks yellow as if he has liver disease.
He was wearing a blue construction site uniform that had been washed so much that it looked pale, with mud still on the corners.
But it seems that this is the most impressive piece of clothing he has.
The moment he saw Zhu Qi, the man's eyes turned red, he cried loudly, and rushed towards Zhu Qi with a "wow".
"Qiqi! My daughter——"
He grabbed Zhu Qi's hand. His palm was rough and dry, scratching the back of Zhu Qi's hand like a branch, causing pain.
The crowd watching from the sidelines, having just heard the noise, saw the sudden appearance of the family of three, who looked "sick with longing for their daughter," and thought the uncle's family was being too much. How could they not even let the child's biological father see his daughter? Even if the mother had passed away, the father was still a close relative by blood, wasn't he? Even if he could come in and see her once, it would be fine.
Now seeing the man looking like a heartbroken father, the onlookers were also looking forward to Zhu Qi's reaction.
To say they weren't worried would be a lie. All these years, his uncle and aunt hadn't told Zhu Qi where his biological father was. Partly because they were afraid Zhu Qi would recall his past suffering, and partly because they were afraid Zhu Qi would be swayed by that family's sweet talk and follow his biological father no matter what. If that family were any good, they wouldn't have stopped the child from following his biological father. But the problem was that each member of that family was a beast, and Zhu Qi was so soft-hearted. What if...
Everyone saw that Zhu Qi's eyes suddenly turned red, and there seemed to be tears glistening in them.
Is this really the "happy" ending of father and daughter recognizing each other?
However, Zhu Qi quickly pulled back her hand that was held by the man, and then took out the wet tissue from her pocket and wiped it back and forth.
It was so disgusting that it felt like I had touched a piece of dog shit.
The moment the man pounced on her, Zhu Qi smelled a very strong rotten smell, like the sour smell of salted hairtail fish and fermented tofu smeared all over the body and then fermented.
Finally, Zhu Qi puffed out his mouth and began to retch.
"vomit--"
【Author’s words】
The recovery period for a typical ligament repair surgery is 3-6 months, while more complex ligament reconstructions can take 5-10 months. However, an athlete's physical fitness can't be judged by ordinary people. Furthermore, coaches often look at a person's overall physical fitness when selecting athletes, such as injury susceptibility and recovery speed after injury. I don't know how these coaches determine this, but they're always spot on. Those who are prone to injury or don't recover easily from injuries might not even make the provincial team and be cut. Athletes are also very patient and able to endure hardships. A family member suffered a dislocated kneecap and ran straight out of their original position. Four days after surgery, she was walking normally at home. I asked her if it hurt, and she said it did, but it didn't affect her. I was completely stunned.
My understanding of being unable to walk: I felt obvious pain and started lying in bed like a corpse.
What athletes understand as being unable to walk is: high paraplegia, broken limbs.
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