Chapter 42 Jinbao, I owe you all too much, I can't pay you back!
The farce at the stairwell corner didn't last long.
The chubby boy's pig-like wailing and his parents' relentless scolding attracted the attention of the on-duty nurse and Liu Weidong, the head of the hematology department, who happened to be passing by. Dr. Liu was about forty years old. He wore a white coat, had a thin face, and wore black-rimmed glasses. His calm demeanor exuded the authority unique to professionals.
"What's going on? Loud noises are prohibited in the hospital!" Dr. Liu frowned, his attitude serious. His gaze swept across the scene, first landing on Lin Rong, who was pale and trembling, and then on the aggressive couple and the baby crying in their arms.
The fat woman, as if she had found someone to back her up, immediately pointed at Lin Rong and complained, "Dr. Liu, you've come at the right time. This crazy woman bumped into my Jinbao, look what happened to him, he's crying like this, he must have broken a bone, he needs to be hospitalized for a checkup!"
The man chimed in, "Yes! We need a full check-up, and we want to stay in the best single room."
Dr. Liu ignored them, first squatting down to gently examine the chubby boy's legs and feet, massaging his joints: "Does it hurt here? And here?"
The chubby boy initially cried out in pain, but under the doctor's professional and calm questioning, his crying subsided, and he shook his head with a flickering gaze: "It seems, it seems to hurt less..."
Dr. Liu already had a good idea of what was going on. She stood up and said to the couple, "The child seems to be fine; he was probably just startled. Hospital wards are in short supply, so there's no need to take up medical resources."
The woman exclaimed shrilly, "How can that be! What if he has internal injuries? Look at how he's crying. When has my Jinbao ever suffered such an injustice!" As she spoke, she tenderly stroked her son Jinbao's arm.
Just then, Dr. Liu's gaze was drawn to a small, barely noticeable bruise on Jinbao's outer arm. His expression hardened, and he squatted down again, gently pressing on the bruise: "How did this happen? When did it appear?"
Jinbao was taken aback by the question and mumbled, "I don't know, I don't know."
Jinbao's father, Wang Fugui, owns a large restaurant in Jiangcheng and is also involved in the real estate industry; his family is very wealthy. Jinbao's mother, Li Chunjuan, was originally a hotel receptionist. Later, Wang Fugui took a liking to her, ousted his ex-wife and daughter, and became his mistress, giving birth to a son in one fell swoop, making her very proud.
Li Chunjuan frowned and said, "Could it be from just now? Ah, yes, yes, it was that woman who hit me! Make her pay, she absolutely has to pay!"
Dr. Liu, a hematologist, recognized Lin Rong and immediately shook his head, saying, "No, this is not a new one, but an old injury."
Li Chunjuan still had some respect for the chief physician at the hospital. Her face stiffened: "Then, you must have bumped or bruised yourself somewhere a few days ago."
Wang Fugui didn't take it seriously: "It's normal for kids to bump and bruise themselves, it's nothing."
Li Chunjuan rolled her eyes at her husband: "How can nothing be wrong? Jinbao said he's been complaining of being tired lately and isn't eating well. Something's definitely wrong. Doctor, you should take a good look at him."
Dr. Liu's expression turned serious. He examined the bruise closely; it was a dark color and, although small, it appeared on a seven or eight-year-old child who seemed to be overnourished. Combined with the child's complaints of being tired and having a poor appetite, a bad guess came to his mind.
Unexplained bruising on a child's body can sometimes be a sign of a blood disorder.
Dr. Liu stood up and said seriously, "I suggest you have your child undergo a complete blood count immediately to rule out any blood-related possibilities."
"Regarding blood?" Wang Fugui didn't react for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"It's just checking platelet and white blood cell counts," Dr. Liu explained in simple terms, but the seriousness on his face was undeniable. "Some blood diseases can manifest in their early stages as easy bruising and difficulty stopping bleeding. This bruise on Jinbao needs to be taken seriously."
These words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instantly throwing the previously arrogant Wang Fugui and Li Chunjuan into a panic. They might be domineering, but they cared 100% about their son's health.
"Blood...blood disease?" Li Chunjuan's voice trembled as she hugged her son tightly. "Doctor, don't scare me! What blood disease? Is it serious?"
Dr. Liu calmly said, "Don't scare yourself. We need to do some tests to be sure. Let's go get our blood drawn now; the results will be back quickly. Now, come to my office."
After saying that, he nodded to Lin Rong, which temporarily resolved the conflict, and then led the flustered family of three hurriedly to the doctor's office.
Before leaving, Wang Fugui turned back and glared fiercely at Lin Rong, saying, "If anything happens to my son, I'll never forgive you!"
The noisy stairwell fell silent instantly, leaving Lin Rong standing there all alone, like a fallen leaf in the autumn wind.
Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe stepped forward.
Lin Rong's face was as pale as paper, her eyes staring blankly in the direction where the family of three had disappeared. Her lips trembled as she murmured to herself, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, yet it struck Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe's hearts like a heavy hammer:
“My poor Xiaobin, you were born into the wrong family! Other children get a minor bump or bruise, and their parents are on high alert, wanting to turn the hospital upside down for a thorough checkup. But my Xiaobin has such a serious illness, suffering so much from injections and medication, and we can't even afford the medicine. Xiaobin, you were born into the wrong family, you were born into the wrong family…”
Chu Yanxi opened her mouth, only to find that any words of comfort seemed so pale and powerless at this moment. The injustice of this world, like the smell of disinfectant permeating this hospital, is omnipresent, pungent, and real.
She can do her best to help Lin Rong overcome her current difficulties, but can she eliminate the heavy medical burden commonly faced by people at the bottom of society? Can she change the drastically different circumstances caused by their different economic status?
A profound sense of powerlessness gripped her.
Lu Zhe gently patted Chu Yanxi's shoulder and said in a low voice, "Don't overthink it. We'll do our best. For Sister Lin, the practical help we're providing now is more important than any empty rhetoric."
Although he offered these words of comfort, seeing Lin Rong's distraught expression, almost numb from the repeated blows of fate, he too felt a sense of defeat. Preventing tragedy from happening was important, but how to truly give hope and strength to those struggling in adversity was a longer and more difficult task.
Now is not the time to be pessimistic; Lin Rong still needs help. Suppressing her inner turmoil, Chu Yanxi said softly to Lin Rong, "Sister Lin, don't worry about them. Xiao Bin is still waiting for you. The cost issue is temporarily resolved; at least for now, we don't have to worry about stopping the medication. We'll discuss the subsequent treatment together; we'll always find a solution."
Lin Rong nodded mechanically and followed Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe, her steps unsteady as she walked back to the ward.
After paying the fee, she seemed to have used up her last bit of strength, and was in a dazed state.
After settling Lin Rong in, Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe walked to the end of the corridor outside the ward and discussed in hushed tones.
Chu Yanxi frowned: "The 26,000 yuan only solved the immediate problem; the subsequent treatment costs are still astronomical. The two of us alone are not enough."
Lu Zhe pondered for a moment: "I've checked. Back in 2005, although some charitable foundations were emerging, the application process was complicated and the approval cycle was long. For someone like Xiao Bin who urgently needed money, it was too late. I was thinking, perhaps we could replicate our experience from the last time we traveled through time. We could first attract public attention through news reports to obtain some donations to solve our immediate problem, and then we could start a business to make money..."
Chu Yanxi considered the feasibility of the plan: "We can give it a try. The amount of money raised is uncertain, and starting a business doesn't guarantee immediate profits. Do you remember the 'Breaking the Cocoon' training company we started in '98? If this world is a continuation of the last one, we can look for Ruan Xiaofen..."
Lu Zhe's eyes lit up: "Yes, that's a good idea."
The thought of seeing their relatives from the previous world soon filled Lu Zhe and Chu Yanxi with excitement.
Unbeknownst to them, the chubby boy named Jinbao, after a series of urgent examinations, was highly suspected of having leukemia based on his symptoms and abnormal blood test results, and an emergency bone marrow biopsy was arranged. Thanks to Wang Fugui's insistence and the power of money, Jinbao was admitted to a special care ward, diagonally opposite Xiaobin's ward.
Thus, in this hematology ward filled with the smell of disinfectant, where pain and hope coexisted, two children with vastly different fates became neighbors.
After Jinbao was hospitalized, he became a little tyrant. He was already a spoiled child, and now that he was sick, his parents gave him everything he wanted, piling toys and snacks all over the hospital room. In contrast, Xiaobin's three-person ward seemed particularly quiet and simple.
Xiao Bin was especially endearing because he was well-behaved, sensible, and had delicate features, coupled with the fragility brought on by chemotherapy. The nurses all liked him very much, and would always linger a little longer during their rounds, patting his head, praising his bravery, and sometimes bringing him small candies or picture books.
This aroused Jinbao's jealousy. He felt that he was the one who should be the center of attention, so why was that skinny little patient who was almost bald more popular?
Therefore, Jinbao began to oppose Xiaobin in every way.
Sometimes, when the adults weren't looking, Jinbao would sneak to Xiaobin's ward door, deliberately showing off his new toys and snacks, and making faces at Xiaobin to annoy him. Xiaobin would just watch silently, then lower his head and continue reading his comic book.
Once, when they met in the corridor, Jinbao deliberately bumped into Xiaobin, almost knocking him over. Xiaobin staggered, grabbed the wall to steady himself, but didn't say a word, only pursing his lips.
On another occasion, Jinbao even secretly took an apple that Xiaobin's mother had placed on the bedside table, took a bite, found it didn't taste good, and threw it back onto Xiaobin's bed.
Xiao Bin silently swallowed all his grievances. When Lin Rong noticed that the apple had been bitten and asked him about it in confusion, Xiao Bin just shook his head and said softly, "I probably got it dirty by accident, Mom. It's okay, I won't eat it."
Xiao Bin was so sensible, so sensible it was heartbreaking. He knew his mother had already endured so much and didn't want to add even the slightest trouble or burden to her because of anything he did. He chose to remain silent to protect his already overburdened mother.
A few days later, Dr. Liu had an in-depth discussion about Lin Rong's condition. In his office, Dr. Liu presented a new treatment plan suggestion.
“Ms. Lin, Xiao Bin is currently undergoing a standard induction remission chemotherapy regimen, which is effective. However, considering the child’s specific condition and long-term prognosis, I would like to discuss with you the possibility of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, also known as bone marrow transplantation,” Dr. Liu said directly.
Upon hearing the word "transplant," Lin Rong's eyes instantly lit up with hope: "Doctor, transplant... does that mean Xiao Bin's illness can be cured if he has a transplant?"
Dr. Liu cautiously replied, "Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is currently a method that can potentially cure certain types of leukemia, but it is not 100% successful. It is inherently very risky, including pre-transplant myeloablative chemotherapy, post-transplant rejection, and infection, all of which can be fatal hurdles. Moreover, it is all predicated on finding a suitable match."
"Match? What match? Use mine! Use mine!" Lin Rong blurted out almost without thinking, as if grasping at a lifeline. "I'm his mother, mine will definitely work!"
Dr. Liu nodded: "Matching between immediate family members is the first choice, as the probability of a match is relatively high. We need to perform HLA typing tests on you and your son first. If the match is successful, we can consider transplantation between related relatives."
A glimmer of hope shone in Lin Rong's eyes. She immediately signed the consent form and eagerly underwent blood matching.
The two days of waiting for the results were an agonizing mix of hope and anxiety for Lin Rong. She prayed countless times that her bone marrow could save her son.
However, fate played another cruel joke on her.
The matching results are in—no match.
Dr. Liu tactfully informed her of the result: "Ms. Lin, I regret to inform you that your HLA typing results do not meet the requirements for transplantation. Mismatches between relatives are also possible."
At that moment, Lin Rong felt like her whole world had collapsed. The flame of hope that had just been ignited was completely extinguished by a bucket of ice water. She stood there, stunned, her ears ringing, barely able to hear what the doctor said next.
"Right now, we can only pin our hopes on the China Marrow Donor Program to find a matching donor who is not a close relative. But this takes time, and there is a great deal of uncertainty about whether a perfect match can be found. Furthermore..."
At this point, Dr. Liu, who knew Lin Rong's family situation, paused, his tone somewhat heavy: "The cost of transplantation is extremely high. It mainly includes the cost of finding a match, the transplant surgery itself, and long-term anti-rejection and anti-infection treatment after the surgery. According to current estimates, the entire process will require at least 300,000 to 500,000 RMB. This is just a basic estimate; if serious complications occur, the cost will be even higher."
Three hundred thousand to five hundred thousand...
This number felt like an even heavier mountain, crushing Lin Rong's last nerves. The original debt of over 20,000 yuan had already driven her to desperation; if it weren't for Lu Zhe and Chu Yanxi's help, she would have even contemplated suicide. Now, the enormous expense of several hundred thousand yuan, coupled with the blow of a failed bone marrow match, left her breathless.
She didn't know how she got out of the doctor's office.
The words "mismatch" and "300,000 to 500,000" kept echoing in my mind...
She stumbled into the corridor outside the ward, which was deserted. The last rays of the setting sun cast a long shadow through the window, making her appear even more lonely.
Suddenly, she stopped, leaned against the cold wall, and then raised her hand and slapped herself hard across the face!
"Snap!" A crisp sound echoed in the quiet corridor.
"Useless thing! I can't even save my own child!" she muttered to herself, her eyes filled with tears of despair and self-reproach.
Then came an even harder slap!
"Why is it my body that's useless! Why can't I save Xiaobin! What kind of mother am I!"
She slapped herself repeatedly, as if trying to numb the immense pain and helplessness in her heart with the throbbing pain. Her face quickly became red and swollen, but she was oblivious, immersed only in the overwhelming grief of being unable to save her son and in self-loathing.
Unbeknownst to her, the door to the single room diagonally opposite hers had been quietly opened a crack.
Jinbao, who had just been scolded by his parents for insisting on being discharged from the hospital and was still sulking, happened to see Lin Rong slapping herself frantically through the crack in the door. His eyes widened in shock, and he quickly pulled back, his heart pounding. This crazy act by the poor aunt he usually looked down on brought an unprecedented shock to his spoiled heart.
At the same time, Chu Yanxi and Lu Zhe were walking up the stairs when they witnessed Lin Rong's out-of-control self-harm. Shocked, they immediately rushed over.
"Sister Lin! Don't do this!" Chu Yanxi grabbed Lin Rong's wrist, which she had raised again, her voice filled with urgency and heartache.
Lu Zhe also blocked her way and said in a deep voice, "Sister Lin, things haven't reached a dead end yet, there will be a way!"
Lin Rong raised her tear-streaked, swollen face, looked at the two young people before her, shook her head in despair, and said in a hoarse voice, "There's no way. Even my bone marrow couldn't be used. So much money... What am I going to do with my Xiao Bin?!"
Lu Zhe said gently, "I contacted reporters from the provincial newspaper. They are very sympathetic to what you and Xiao Bin have gone through and plan to write a report to call on the public to pay attention."
Chu Yanxi held Lin Rong's cold, trembling hands tightly: "I am in contact with charitable organizations and caring enterprises, and I am sure I can secure more donations."
Lin Rong stared at the two young people in front of her, who were clearly strangers but incredibly kind, and a wave of sorrow washed over her: "I... I owe you so much, I can't repay you, I can't repay you..."
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