Shi Yangyang looked puzzled when he heard his great-aunt's words. He was unaware of the intricacies between the adults, and naturally, he was also unaware that his father was a son-in-law who had married into the family.
"No, you misunderstood. We just came to see the child and ask the doctor about his condition."
Jiang Yu waved her hand to explain, understanding her nervousness. The aunt turned to look at Shen Ying with some skepticism, waiting for the man's answer. She knew the child was Shen Ci's and had no blood relation to the woman, so the most important thing was to see what the Shen family had to say.
"That's true."
Shen Ying nodded, answering very seriously.
The aunt breathed a sigh of relief, pulled out a chair for the two of them to sit down, and began to talk, explaining the child's general condition. Finally, she asked, still concerned, if Shen Ci and Shi Shumei knew about their visit to the hospital.
Jiang Yu recounted what had happened at the Shi family's house. Her aunt sighed helplessly, saying there was really nothing she could do about having such a family of parasites.
Then, the conversation returned to Shi Yangyang. Looking at the two children with the same illness in the next bed, she said with concern:
“Now, my thoughts are extremely selfish. As long as the child can be cured, I don’t care whether he will be successful in the future or whose surname he will take.”
Perhaps people who have lived most of their lives are more open-minded, which coincides with Zhao Meiyun's thoughts.
"Thank God, once all the family members are here, we'll find a doctor to do a bone marrow match. With so many people here, surely one of them will be a match."
Jiang Yu's words made the aunt feel the sincerity. She looked at the two of them, and her gratitude was beyond words.
On the hospital bed, only Shi Yangyang was sitting there at first, but now Shen Niannian also took off her shoes, jumped onto the bed, and sat cross-legged beside him. The two little ones chatted about everything and quickly became familiar with each other.
Shi Yangyang ate the candy his younger brother handed him; it was sweet and had a milky aroma. His taste buds were soothed that he forgot the pain in his body.
And with his friends by his side, the previous feeling of depression disappeared. Shen Niannian is good at sharing; he shared the candy he brought with the other two children in the ward. Coupled with his incessant chatter, the ward was soon filled with laughter and joy.
The parents who were accompanying their children were very grateful to Shen Ying and his wife, as they hadn't seen their children so happy in a long time. They even shared their apples, bananas, and other fruits with the two children.
"Brother, does it hurt?"
Shen Niannian gently touched the tubes on the boy in the middle, feeling extremely depressed. He lay there quietly, needing to be fed; how painful that must be.
The boy shook his head and instead comforted him, saying he was used to it and was already content to be alive and see his beloved family.
During the conversation, he suddenly developed a high fever. His parents, who were accompanying him, noticed something was wrong. After pressing the call button by the bedside, they ran out of the ward to call the doctor.
The situation was critical. A group of doctors in white coats rushed into the ward, bringing in various medical equipment. Shen Niannian fearfully hugged Jiang Yu's neck, buried her head in her arms, and sobbed softly.
After the emergency treatment, the boy was moved to a sterile ward. According to the doctor, his condition was critical; his organs were failing, and if a suitable bone marrow donor couldn't be found, he would likely die.
The once warm and cozy hospital room suddenly became incredibly oppressive. Jiang Yu gently patted Chen Niannian's back and also fell silent.
"Great-aunt, am I going to die?"
Before the doctor entered the ward to begin treatment, the aunt blocked his view as much as possible, trying to prevent him from seeing what was happening. But through the gaps, he could still catch a glimpse of some scenes.
Shi Yangyang looked up at his pale face, appearing remarkably calm at that moment. His aunt, upon hearing this, hurriedly turned her face away, tears streaming down her face, unable to meet his eyes.
"No, if there's any problem, Uncle will figure something out."
Perhaps his words touched a nerve with Shen Ying, for he changed his usual unapproachable demeanor and made a solemn promise.
"If I die, my parents will be sad, so my uncle is lying to me, trying to give the people who love Yangyang a glimmer of hope, right?"
As soon as Shi Yangyang finished speaking, the adults present were shocked. They couldn't believe that such words would come from a child, and they were even more incredulous that he had such a profound understanding of the topic of death.
“Yangyang, your uncle didn’t lie to you. He’s a soldier and a very capable officer. Grandma and your aunt will be here soon. They are your family. Once the match is found, they will immediately ask the doctor to perform the surgery.”
Jiang Yu was adamant. Although she had never encountered a child with this condition before, she had donated to crowdfunding campaigns on WeChat Moments. There were many successful cases, and she firmly believed that Shi Yangyang would be one of the lucky ones.
The little girl at the door seemed to know little about the fear of death; she was currently nestled in her mother's arms, fast asleep while receiving an IV drip.
After a while, Zhao Meiyun appeared outside. Closely following her was Shen Wan, carrying a bunch of snacks and small toys.
The two went straight to Shi Yangyang's bedside as soon as they entered. Zhao Meiyun was the first to go. Because she had met the aunt once before, and because Shen Ying and Jiang Yu had laid the groundwork, there was no unfriendly talk between them. Everything was for the child's sake.
"Yangyang, this is Grandma."
Aunt Zhao Meiyun took Zhao Meiyun's hand and introduced her to Shi Yangyang. After the arrival of his uncle and aunt, Shi Yangyang was no longer surprised by the strangers who came here.
But the doubts in my heart still need to be addressed:
"Didn't Grandma pass away? Why are you still calling for someone else?"
He remembered that the "grandmother" he had called since childhood was his great-aunt's older sister, not the old woman in front of him. Faced with his question, the adults in the room exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how to explain to him that his father was a son-in-law who had married into the family, and that the "grandmother" he had always called was actually his maternal grandmother.
But not explaining doesn't mean not answering. His aunt spoke first, saying that he has two grandmothers, both of whom are not far away and both love him very much.
Shi Yangyang didn't quite understand, but he didn't argue. He obediently called out to his grandma and aunt, his eyes never leaving the doorway.
It's as if they're anticipating their parents' arrival, or perhaps wondering if a new child will move in the next second.
He didn't want the latter to happen. After all, people with this disease are teetering on the edge of life and death, and it's enough that they are the ones who have to bear it.
Zhao Meiyun looked him over from left to right; the resemblance between him and Shen Ci was like seeing her son as a child. They say grandparents are especially fond of their grandchildren, and this grandson she'd never met before was becoming more and more endearing to her.
Shen Wan even brought out toys for the children to play with, and washed some grapes for everyone to eat. Time passed by, and the nurse opened the door as she changed the IV drip for the little girl next to her.
"Family of Shi Yangyang, the child's medical report is out."
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