Yun Qiao felt a bit out of place after suddenly returning from the azure seas and skies of the island to the concrete city. Life on the island had been so leisurely and comfortable that it made the city seem a bit noisy.
Through Ye Yuzhang's connections, the dyeing and weaving factory's storefront was rented to a calligraphy and painting society for sixty yuan a month. The lease was for three years, and it lasted until the summer after Yunqiao graduated from university.
The calligraphy and painting society paid a year's rent in one lump sum, so when Yun Qiao returned to Beijing, not only did he not spend all the money he brought with him, he also had a savings book with a huge amount of 720 yuan.
The weather was bad on the day I returned to the capital. It was overcast and rainy, the air was filled with a damp smell, and everywhere I looked was foggy.
Feng Juan's expression wasn't right either. Although she had a smile on her face and tried her best to appear happy when she greeted Yun Qiao, Yun Qiao could still tell that she was forcing a smile.
At just one glance, Yun Qiao realized that something must have happened at home.
So on the way home, Yun Qiao specifically asked He Yan to sit in the passenger seat, and he sat in the back seat of the car next to Feng Juan.
Yun Qiao held Feng Juan's hand and asked her softly, "Mom, what happened at home? You look a little unhappy."
Feng Juan subconsciously raised her hand to touch her face and asked dumbly, "Am I being so obvious?"
Yun Qiao shook his head: "No, you're trying very hard to hide it, but I know you. You don't look like this when you're truly happy."
Feng Juan sighed, her eyes slightly reddened. "It's Aunt Feng. Aunt Feng is sick, and the doctor said she may not live long."
Yun Qiao was shocked when he heard the news and asked quickly, "Why is it so sudden? Wasn't grandma still well when we left last month?"
Aunt Feng has been helping Feng Juan take care of the family over the years. She came from Huxi to Beijing and has been with Feng Juan for more than 20 years.
After so many years of living together day and night, they have become closer than family. Yun Qiao couldn't imagine how sad Feng Juan would be if Aunt Feng passed away.
Feng Juan wiped away her tears, her voice choking. "She's been ill for a long time, but she felt like an outsider and didn't want to cause me any trouble, so she kept it to herself. It wasn't until a few days ago when the pain became unbearable that she asked me to take her to the hospital, but it was too late."
Yun Qiao's heart skipped a beat when he heard this. Afraid of upsetting Feng Juan, he whispered in an almost inaudible voice, "Grandma...what's wrong with her?"
"It's lung cancer."
Having said this, Feng Juan could no longer hold back her tears, which burst out like a flood.
She lowered her head, wiping her tears, and cried, "It was too late when we found out. The doctor said the lesions had already metastasized to all parts of her body, so there was no need for surgery. I was afraid your grandma wouldn't be able to accept the reality and would become seriously ill again, so I didn't dare tell her the cause of the illness. I lied to her and said it was severe pneumonia, temporarily giving her painkillers to alleviate her pain. But I can't keep it a secret for long. After a long time, she'll definitely feel it herself. I'm really afraid... that day, she won't be able to accept it..."
Feng Juan burst into tears. Yun Qiao took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears, held her hand, and comforted her softly, "Mom, let's find some experts to take a look. Maybe there is still hope."
Feng Juan shook her head. "Your father has used his connections to find many doctors, and they all said there's little hope. Even if we force him into surgery, he won't last long. They advised us not to be too persistent, otherwise we'll end up losing both our money and our lives."
Yun Qiao was silent for a long time before she spoke softly, "Mom, if that's the case, then we shouldn't be too persistent. The doctor said that surgery will only make Grandma's death more painful."
"Let's make her live comfortably in her final days. Instead of her dying in despair confined to a hospital bed, why not give her something delicious to eat and drink and walk around with her?"
"That's what I said, but...but giving up treatment..." Feng Juan covered her face and cried, "I can't do it. I really can't do it."
Yun Qiao hugged Feng Juan's shoulders and felt very sad, but she knew that she had to stay calm at this time. Only by staying calm could she persuade Feng Juan to make the most appropriate choice.
She said to Feng Juan, "Mom, don't let the phrase 'give up treatment' weigh on your mind. Is it really necessary to operate on Grandma's body and let her spend her final days groaning in agony in a hospital bed? You know that advanced cancer is incurable, and surgery will only increase Grandma's pain, right?"
Feng Juan cried and said, "Yes, I just can't get over it. I feel like giving up treatment would be unfair to you, Grandma Feng."
"She's had a very hard life, never enjoyed any happiness, and has no results in her old age. And now she has to suffer like this."
"The doctor said that people with advanced cancer die in extreme pain because the cancer cells spread all over their body, causing pain wherever they are. In the end, even painkillers may not be effective."
Feng Juan became sadder and sadder as she spoke, and finally cried a few words on Yun Qiao's body.
Yun Qiao was also very sad when she heard this. Although her feelings for Aunt Feng were not as deep as Feng Juan's, they had been together day and night for several years. Listening to Feng Juan's crying, Yun Qiao's eyes gradually became moist.
"Mom, please cheer up and stay with grandma through her final moments." Yun Qiao said, "Don't let her see it. People live on a breath of air, and many seriously ill patients can't hold on because their last breath has dissipated. Try to hide it as much as possible. Maybe if grandma's mood improves, she can hold on a little longer."
Feng Juan nodded: "Tang, I understand. I will only cry in front of you and won't show it in front of your Grandma Feng."
Yun Qiao hummed and asked, "Which hospital is grandma in now?"
Feng Juan said, "In Union Hospital."
"Are you staying in the hospital with the patient?" Yun Qiao asked.
Feng Juan nodded. "I can't handle it alone, so I've been taking turns with your sister-in-law these days. One person per day."
"Why didn't you hire a nurse?" Yun Qiao said.
"I didn't dare hire a nurse, for fear that your Grandma Feng would guess." Feng Juan smiled bitterly. "She's been asking me every day these days why a person with pneumonia had to be hospitalized for so long. I told her that she's old and has bacteria in her lungs, so she had to be hospitalized to be treated. She already felt something was wrong, and if I hired a nurse, she wouldn't be able to hide it anymore."
Yun Qiao nodded in understanding. "It's too late today. I've been on the train all day and need a good rest. I'll go to the hospital with you tomorrow and you can swap shifts with your sister-in-law."
Feng Juan hummed, "Your sister-in-law has been very busy these past few days, taking care of the hospital and the two children at home. She's been working non-stop for several days and she's become quite haggard."
"Then you should have called me a few days in advance." Yun Qiao said, "I don't have much work in Shanghai. Coming back early can also help you share some of your worries."
"It's not easy for you to take the kids out for a couple of days. Why bother you?" Feng Juan sniffed and said, "Your Grandma Feng won't be old for a while. Why bother dragging you all the way here and making you suffer along with her?"
Yun Qiao sighed and said, "I'll go to the hospital to accompany you every day, so you can go home and rest for a while."
Feng Juan nodded: "Tuo."
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