“Me? Your son, Angang.”
"Ang Ang?"
Mrs. Gao frowned and closed the door a little closer. "My son has eyebrows..."
After muttering a couple of words, Gao's mother probably felt that the voice was indeed familiar, so she moved a little closer and took a closer look, and immediately recognized it:
"It really is you! You little brat, have you been in jail for the past few years? And you're only being released today?"
"No, please let me in first."
Gao Ang tried to pry open the door, but he didn't dare to use too much force. However, he couldn't get in without using force.
"Don't be hasty, tell me the truth. Have you really committed a crime while you haven't been home for the past few years? Or did you escape from prison?"
After saying this, Gao's mother looked Gao up and down suspiciously.
"What did you do? If you did something wrong, can I video chat with you?"
"Not necessarily. They say on TV that the treatment in prisons is really good these days..."
"Mom, please scold me a little, I'm hungry." She pouted and started to whine.
Upon hearing that her son was hungry, Gao's mother panicked immediately. "Why didn't you say you were hungry earlier? What are you standing at the door for?"
"...Didn't you block the door from letting me in...?"
Gao Ang muttered but didn't dare to speak too loudly. Under his mother's angry glare, he carried Xiao Hua into his own courtyard.
"Why did you bring back a cat? It's like a woman. Perfect timing, we've had some mice in the house lately, let it catch a few for me."
Wearing slippers, Gao's mother went into the kitchen and started preparing food for Gao.
Where is my dad?
He scattered small flowers on the ground and sent him to catch mice, while Gao Ang leaned against the kitchen doorway, watching his mother busy inside.
“He’s taking care of your grandpa at the hospital. We’ll go together tomorrow. The old man has been talking about you a lot these past few years. You’re such a stubborn child. It’s just about going to college, why hasn’t he come home for years? If you don’t come back soon, you might never see him again…”
As she spoke, Gao's mother almost burst into tears, and she could barely hold the kitchen knife in her hand.
"I'll do it, you take a break," Gao Ang said, taking the cleaver and starting to chop vegetables without a word.
"Smack!"
"Ouch, why did you hit me? How old am I?"
Gao Ang covered his forehead, but actually felt much better.
Gao's mother glared at him fiercely, flicked her apron, and stormed into the inner room.
Throughout the evening, from the time Gao Gao started eating until he returned to his bedroom to rest, it was all his mother's nagging.
They started talking about his open-crotch pants and went on for half the night until he was in the third grade of elementary school.
"Mom, get some rest. We have to go to the hospital tomorrow."
Gao's mother was very unhappy that he had interrupted her scolding. She glanced at the time and realized it was indeed late. She tapped her proud forehead hard and said, "Let's see how your grandfather deals with you tomorrow."
I've gotten past my mom, but getting past my grandpa is another challenge.
The only good thing is that he doesn't have to worry about getting his hair cut anymore.
The next morning, Gao's mother prepared the meal and called Gao Gao to go to the hospital.
Gao Ang originally wanted to make breakfast, but then he thought it wasn't appropriate. The hospital must have given instructions on what the elderly can and should eat. His own mother has been making it for so long, so it's more reliable to let her do it.
It would be more appropriate for him to help his mother with housework once he has a better understanding of the details.
Upon arriving at the hospital's intensive care unit, Gao Ang greeted his father with a simple nod.
There were no hugs, no small talk.
Only one sentence: "You're back?"
"I'm back."
That's it. The bond between father and son is that simple, yet so heartwarming.
"He just had his painkillers taken and is asleep." Mr. Gao was referring to the old man.
Looking at his grandfather sleeping peacefully, Gao Ang felt a pang of sadness.
The father and son arrived at the attending physician's office, where Gao Ang saw his maternal grandfather's medical records for the first time.
He had always wondered why the old man was admitted to a VIP ward, with all medical expenses covered and even a chief physician from the Health Bureau on duty year-round.
It's all because of those shrapnel fragments inside my body!
He knew that his maternal grandfather was a retired soldier, but that was all he knew.
I've never seen his medals, nor have I heard him talk about his past; he's just like any other ordinary old man from the countryside.
They farm a little land, sell small items by riding a tricycle, raise bees, sell vinegar, and when the weather is nice, they can also fish or catch birds with nets.
The only downside is that they are a bit too strict, especially with family members. They will punish anyone who does something slightly out of line.
"Dr. Wang, I heard from my family that to cure my father's illness, we need to use foam metal?"
“Theoretically, that’s how it is. Young man, come and take a look,” Dr. Wang pointed to the X-ray. “Mr. Li has a total of five shrapnel wounds all over his body. The others are easy to deal with, but this one is very difficult to treat.”
Ang Gao examined it carefully and gasped, "Dr. Wang, how could there be shrapnel in this location?"
The place Dr. Wang was pointing to was the thoracic spine.
"That can't be right. My grandpa has been perfectly fine all these years. Although he doesn't go out much in winter, he's always walking around and hunting rabbits, and he seems to be doing just fine."
“Young man, don’t worry, let me explain,” Dr. Wang pressed Gao Ang into a chair and continued, “Theoretically speaking, many people would be bedridden after a thoracic spine injury, but Mr. Li’s case is an exception. The shrapnel is cleverly positioned, right in the middle of the vertebral body, and it’s embedded. So, it has virtually no impact on Mr. Li’s daily activities.”
After listening to the doctor's explanation, Gao Ang understood a little better. "You mean, the shrapnel didn't cause much damage to the old man's body?"
“There was definitely damage, and after so many years, the old man’s physical functions have declined, the strength of the shrapnel has also decreased, and the fit between the vertebra and the shrapnel is no longer so tight, which is why Mr. Li fell ill.”
Gao Ang nodded as if he understood, "In other words, it's like a water pipe with a sharp piece of iron stuck in it. The two fit together perfectly and it doesn't affect the water pipe from continuing to deliver water. But as time goes by, the material of the water pipe will gradually age, and the iron piece will rust. The two won't fit together as tightly anymore, and then problems will arise."
Dr. Wang paused for a moment, "This analogy isn't quite right, but the principle is similar."
"The foam metal you mentioned earlier, is it meant to replace this shrapnel?"
"That's right. Current medical techniques can remove that shrapnel using minimally invasive methods, but the problem is, what kind of replacement should be used? Too hard won't work, as it will affect the flexibility of the spine and may even put pressure on it; too soft won't work either, as it won't provide support."
Dr. Wang spread his hands and continued, "The problem is that current technology cannot produce foam metal that fully matches the properties of human bone. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has similar products, but the completion rate of those finished products is at most close to 40%, which is completely unsuitable for the medical field."
Only 40% of the Chinese Academy of Sciences' data comes from the Academy, and at most 10% from Hanwei New Materials...
"Is it possible to relax the old man's spine and prevent it from being compressed when removing the shrapnel?"
"Sure, this technology is definitely feasible."
Dr. Wang didn't know what Gao Ang was trying to say, but achieving this wasn't difficult. "The problem is what's next. We can't just let Mr. Li lie on the machine forever, can we?"
At this point, Gao Ang decided not to keep them in suspense any longer. "I have a medicine here that has a very good effect on bone regeneration."
Gao Ang emphasized the words "very good therapeutic effect" and then took out a small bottle from his pocket, which contained the authentic ROG that he and Qian Sui had mixed.
Dr. Wang did not immediately take the bottle; he had seen this situation many times before.
Many family members of patients cannot bear to see their loved ones suffer, and they will try every means to find many folk remedies...
“Mr. Gao, there’s something you might not know: Mr. Li’s medication is not up to you or me. It requires a written notice from the higher-ups.”
Dr. Wang pointed to the top of his head and emphasized it.
It makes sense. Many family members don't know anything and are easily misled by some rural doctors into using medications indiscriminately. If nothing goes wrong, that's fine, but if something does go wrong, it's a big deal.
At this moment, Gao's mother came over and said, "Your grandfather has woken up and wants to see you."
The grandfather and grandson chatted for a while. Gao Ang talked a lot about his experiences over the years, including interesting stories from his live broadcasts and his experiences solving cases. The old man listened and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good, the little kid has grown up and can solve cases now. Of all you brothers, you're the only one who can do something worthwhile."
The old man was quite old, over ninety years old, and he was already a little out of breath after saying just a few words.
Ang Gao quickly went over and patted him a few times, saying, "Grandpa, you need to get rid of this illness completely; you can't just let it drag on like this."
The old man waved his hand dismissively, "Why bother eradicating the root of the problem? I've lived long enough. Ninety-three, and if you count the leap months, I'm almost a hundred. It's worth it!"
After saying so much, the old man rested for a while and then said, "Compared to my old friends, I've lived long enough, and it's time for me to go down and join them."
Gao Ang's nose tingled with emotion as he tightly grasped the old man's hand. "Not enough, not enough. You have to live to be a hundred. You haven't even held my son yet."
"Okay, I'll hold on for a few more years and wait to hold my great-grandson, hahaha."
The old man smiled happily, and Gao's mother and the others laughed and cried at the same time.
"Grandpa, I have a medicine that can cure your illness, but the doctor said I can't use it."
Then, Gao Feng gave the old man a brief explanation of the function of ROG.
The part about how to obtain ROG was naturally omitted, and the old man didn't ask much about it. However, he did ask another question:
"Does this stuff really work?"
“Yes, it’s true,” Gao Ang nodded quickly. “I’ve done experiments on mice, but I haven’t had time to do clinical trials yet. I heard your condition has worsened, so I rushed back.”
Gao's parents behind him exchanged a glance. It seemed that their son hadn't been idle these past few years; he had been working on this matter.
"This is a real gem! If we'd had this back in the day, all my old buddies would have..."
The old man was lost in memories of the past again. After a while, he turned to Gao's father and said, "I want to see Deputy Director Zhang of the Health Bureau."
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