Chapter 70 Things Did Not Go As Planned Now, there was no one behind him. ...
Supported by several younger relatives, the elderly woman with a full head of white hair walked up to the solemn-faced young man. She bent her already hunched back, took He Ming's hand with heartache, and said in a trembling voice, "Good child, you've worked so hard these past few days..."
He lowered his head, his gaze like that of an old, sluggish machine, slowly and weakly sweeping over every familiar or unfamiliar face.
"Auntie." He Ming's voice became hoarse.
"What's the situation inside now?" asked his cousin anxiously.
His throat felt like it was on fire, burning him with every word he spoke: "An hour ago, the second round of resuscitation began."
The group exchanged a somber glance and turned their eyes toward the cold door of the ICU.
Ye Xingzhi stood at the very back of the crowd. He had wanted to go up and tell He Ming that Zhu Liushuang was anxiously looking for him, and that it would be best to call her back to let her know he was safe. But given the situation, he found it difficult to speak.
[Liu Shuang, He Ming is in the hospital, and Old Xie is in critical condition.]
After silently sending the message to Zhu Liushuang, he turned off his phone.
At 2 a.m., the door to the intensive care unit suddenly opened. Two and a half hours had passed since Xie Jingzhi began resuscitation efforts.
"Family member of bed 11, come here for a moment." The nurse searched around and found He Ming, calling out softly.
He Ming jumped up from the ground and strode forward, followed by the others who rushed forward as well.
"How's bed 11?"
"Nurse, how is the situation?"
"Was he saved?"
...
The crowd asked questions all at once, their eyes still filled with unrealistic expectations.
Unfortunately, all they received in response was a helpless shake of the nurse's head.
The flames that had been lit were extinguished in an instant, and faces fell. The white-haired old man screamed, crying his heart out. Grief spread to the eyes of those around him; some began to sob softly, and then the cries of grief joined together.
The only one who had stood guard outside the ward day and night for over a month remained silent. His ashen face was lifeless, and his bloodshot eyes were as dry as a parched well.
The doctors in charge of the rescue had all worked with Xie Jingzhi before, and their faces showed their deep sorrow.
"I'm sorry, we've done our best. Elder Xie is very old, and it's truly remarkable that he's managed to hold on for so many days. Let's go in and see him one last time."
He Ming nodded mechanically and followed the medical staff into the ICU.
Xie Jingzhi was still clinging to life, his vital signs held together by machines. His lips were purple, and the sight of him covered in tubes pierced He Ming's eyes.
He walked with difficulty to the bedside, bent down, and stared intently at the old man's swollen face. He carefully reached out and touched his grandfather's tightly closed eyes, stroking his face covered with spots, trying to etch every detail of the old man into his mind.
In the ward, the sound of the ventilator going up and down filled the air, occasionally punctuated by the painful groans of other patients. He Ming remained in the same position, his head tilted to the side, his gaze fixed on his sleeping grandfather.
At first, he was numb and calm. Gradually, tears began to flow uncontrollably, dripping down his cheeks and onto the sheets. His shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and the corners of his eyes turned red.
But no one could hear his desperate cries in the ward; the nurse sitting behind the computer could only see his constantly shrugging shoulders and his unchanging posture.
After the electrocardiogram showed a straight line, the medical staff removed the ventilator and various tubes from Xie Jingzhi and performed a final cleaning.
"Do you have any clean and comfortable clothes? If so, you can bring them in for Mr. Xie to change into," a doctor reminded He Ming.
“Yes, I’ll go get it.” He Ming walked out silently, not even caring about the gazes and words of his relatives around him. He hurried past them and went straight downstairs.
He brought up a set of cotton and linen clothes that Xie Jingzhi loved most, and went back into the ICU to help the elderly woman change into them with the medical staff.
Especially in times like these, he mustn't panic, because there are still many things waiting for him to do: liaise with the funeral home, collect the death certificate, hold the memorial service, cremate and bury the deceased…
He Ming had never felt the cruelty of death so clearly.
Many years ago, when his mother passed away unexpectedly, even though he was heartbroken and filled with self-blame, he had his closest relatives by his side, helping him out of the darkness. A few years ago, when his grandmother passed away, although he was saddened, he kept comforting himself that at least he still had his grandfather to whom he could fulfill his filial duties.
Now, there is no one behind him.
Although those who stood outside the intensive care unit grieving were his relatives, they could not give him invincible strength.
————
At four o'clock in the morning, the hearse took Xie Jingzhi's body away. At the same time, the obstetrics and gynecology department on the ninth floor of the People's Hospital welcomed the first cry of the day.
This day happened to be the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival.
On the dimly lit street, early-rising sanitation workers had already begun their work. The brooms swept across the ground, the rhythmic "swish, swish" echoing through the air. The sound seeped through the glass window and quietly entered the pitch-black bedroom.
On a small single bed, the sleeping girl was wrapped tightly in the blanket, but even so, she was still trembling.
Terrifying dreams haunted her, and her breathing grew heavier and heavier.
Zhu Liushuang dreamed that she had become the same as she was when she was a child.
That day after school, a sudden, biting winter rain began. She walked home alone. As she entered the gate of the residential compound, two middle-aged men in raincoats, carrying heavy loads, asked her in gruff voices, "Little girl, do you know how to get to Building Six?"
Although the two people had half their faces covered, their tone was still quite friendly. She pointed ahead and said, "Twenty meters ahead, turn left and it's the first building."
"Thank you!" The middle-aged men exchanged a glance and quickly walked ahead.
Which unit was it again?
"Unit 2, 301".
Listening to the receding sound, Zhu Liushuang stood there in a daze. Unit 2, Building 6, Room 301—that was her apartment number.
She suddenly became alert, turned around, and ran frantically towards Building 9 across the street.
The umbrella tilted precariously in her hand, the biting rain lashing her cheeks, but she seemed oblivious, focused only on running forward. Panting, she reached the foot of Building Nine and found a secluded corner to hide in.
Her view was directed at the staircase of Building 6.
A moment later, the two middle-aged men who had asked her for directions came into view. They took off their raincoats and hoods, revealing two fierce-looking faces.
From a distance, Zhu Liushuang couldn't hear their voices clearly, but her intuition told her that they must be plotting something. She crouched quietly in the corner, her teeth chattering from the cold, but her eyes were fixed on the two figures rushing upstairs.
She looked up and saw the first floor, the second floor, and the third floor.
The middle-aged man indeed stopped on the third floor.
Soon, a huge commotion suddenly came from Building 6.
"Bang—bang—bang—" Someone was smashing the iron gate with a hammer.
"Ping-pong—ping-pong—" The sound of something breaking.
Zhu Liushuang squatted on the ground, desperately covering her mouth to stop herself from crying out loud. There was still an hour until her mother got off work. If they hadn't left by then, would her mother be in danger when she returned?
Who should she go to?
Security guard? Property management staff? Or police?
But her feet seemed rooted to the spot and she couldn't move them. Her ears were filled with loud bangs, as if the two men's hammers were smashing not the door, but her brain and heart.
"Who is it? If you keep making noise, I'll sue you for disturbing the peace!"
"What's all this banging and clanging about at this hour? The renovation period is over! And they're even telling me to call the property management!"
The iron gate upstairs opened and closed repeatedly, prompting the disturbed neighbors to loudly complain.
Perhaps the neighbor's warning had an effect, because the commotion on the third floor gradually subsided. A few minutes later, the two middle-aged men ran downstairs one after the other, put on their rain hats, and quickly left Building 6.
Zhu Liushuang crouched in the corner for a long time, and only after confirming that the two people would not return did she cautiously emerge. The night was dark, and she quietly disappeared into the rain, rushing back to the foot of Building Six.
She ran upstairs as fast as she could. She didn't know what the two men had done on the third floor, but a voice in her head warned her that they had definitely come to her house for revenge!
There was a long corridor on the third floor, with two families living at opposite ends; her family lived on the west side. Reaching the corner on the third floor, her steps faltered.
One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, turn...
The scene before me was utterly unbearable to look at.
Broken glass was scattered all over the ground, and the security door was dented from the impact. What frightened her the most was the glaring blood red stain on the door.
The four characters "A life for a life" were crookedly written on her front door. Zhu Liushuang opened her eyes wide in terror and screamed "Ah—!"
...
Sweat trickled down her back and into the bedding. With a suffocating scream, Zhu Liushuang suddenly opened her eyes.
With a splitting headache, she stared blankly at the mosquito searching for prey on the ceiling, her eyes still lingering with the horrifying bloodstains from her dream.
Her body felt like it was in an extreme environment, half encased in solid ice and half scorched by raging fire. The pain pierced her bones, rendering her unable to move.
Zhu Liushuang wanted to reach for her phone on the bedside table, but her arm ached so much she couldn't lift it. Her head was spinning, and she drifted off to sleep again.
When I woke up again, the sun was already high in the sky.
Her mother was sitting on the edge of the bed wiping her forehead.
"Mom, what's wrong with me?" she asked weakly, opening her mouth.
Gu Chunling said apologetically, "Your fever has reached 39.5 degrees Celsius! Oh, it must be because Mom gave you the flu." As she spoke, she picked up the medicine on the table and handed it to her daughter.
Zhu Liushuang's mouth tasted bitter. She swallowed the medicine hastily and asked, "What time is it?"
"12:30."
"Are you still burning up?"
"It's 38 degrees Celsius. I've already taken fever reducer."
Zhu Liushuang mumbled an "Mmm" in her sleep, her high fever making her reactions sluggish: "Mom, where's my phone? Can you get it for me?"
"You have such a high fever, don't worry about your phone! Be careful not to damage your eyes," Gu Chunling said, displeased, and made her lie back down in bed.
"But... I haven't asked for leave yet."
"Your colleague called this morning, and I've already asked for leave for you."
"Then I'll check if there's any important news," Zhu Liushuang insisted.
Gu Chunling sighed, handed the phone to her daughter, and stood up, saying, "Two minutes, just two minutes. After you finish replying to the message, lie down and rest. I'll go get you some fever reducer."
Zhu Liushuang remained silent, forcing herself to open her phone screen and tap on WeChat.
[Liu Shuang, what's going on? Why haven't you come to the company yet today?] Zhuang Xiaoqian's message was the first one.
[Why is no one answering the phone?] The second message is from Guo Yang.
The next message was from Ye Xingzhi: "Liu Shuang, He Ming is in the hospital, and Old Xie is in critical condition."
If you do the math, the message arrived around the time she had just fallen asleep.
Zhu Liushuang closed her eyes weakly. She recalled that last night, while she was busy taking care of her mother in the emergency room, he was in the ward next to hers.
Dr. Xie is being resuscitated! How is he now?
Suddenly jolted awake, Zhu Liushuang nervously dialed Ye Xingzhi's number.
"Beep—beep—" The phone connected. "Hey, Liu Shuang, why are you only doing this now..."
"Senior Ye, how is Dr. Xie?" she interrupted him, her voice weak.
Before Ye Xingzhi could speak, a mournful sob came from the other end of the phone. In an instant, Zhu Liushuang's face turned deathly pale.
After a long silence, she heard Ye Xingzhi speak sadly: "I'm at the funeral home now."
"Crash—" The phone rolled to the floor.
"Hey, Liu Shuang, are you coming over? The memorial service has just started..." Ye Xingzhi's voice came from below.
Gu Chunling took the fever reducer to the door and saw that her daughter's face was even paler than before. She asked worriedly, "Xiaoshuang, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Mom—I need to go out!" Zhu Liushuang said, her voice trembling with tears.
"You have a fever of 39.5 degrees Celsius, how can you go out?" Gu Chunling ran over and pressed her back onto the bed. "Listen to me, you have to wait until your fever breaks before you go out to do anything."
The phone screen was lit, and a mournful melody came from the other end. Then, someone read a eulogy in a somber voice: "Thank you, distinguished guests, for gathering here today to mourn the passing of our beloved Mr. Xie Jingzhi..."
Gu Chunling was stunned. She abruptly released her grip on her daughter's shoulder and asked incredulously, "Who? Mourns Dr. Xie?"
Zhu Liushuang used all her strength to struggle to sit up. She nodded silently, her eyes filled with sorrow.
"Liu Shuang, Liu Shuang?" Ye Xingzhi's voice gradually faded. "I have something to do here, I'll hang up now. If you want to come over, please do so as soon as possible."
-----------------------
Author's note: [Chin resting on hand] I'm having writer's block, but I'm forcing myself to write
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