121: 121 Life, Aging, Sickness, Death (Thanks for the tips!
Seeking monthly votes!) 121: 121 Life, Aging, Sickness, Death (Thanks for the tips!
Seeking monthly votes!) “Mom, the person who could provide us with a heart was arrested yesterday.”
You can keep a secret for a while, but not forever.
Li Shuru lacked the energy to think of excuses or lies and ultimately chose to co clean to her mother.
“Arrested?”
Little did she know that Xue Mingqin, who had already regarded He Guangwen as a lifeline, couldn’t withstand such a shock.
Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted outright.
“Auntie!”
Fortunately, Jiang Chen’s quick reflexes allowed him to catch her in ti.
“Doctor!”
Li Shuru shouted anxiously, hastily helping her mother to another bed with Jiang Chen’s assistance.
Hearing the commotion, the dical staff hurried over and quickly examined Xue Mingqin.
“There’s no serious issue, she’s just been resting poorly recently, has insufficient blood and qi, and the excitent led to a temporary shock.
She’ll be fine after so sleep.”
Hearing this, Li Shuru finally let go of her anxiety.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t ntion it, call anyti if you need anything.”
With a nod, the doctor left the ward.
Looking at her parents lying on the hospital beds, Li Shuru’s delicate face lost all its luster, wan and forlorn, feeling utterly helpless about the unforeseen future.
Jiang Chen stood by, wanting to offer comfort but not knowing what to say.
In such a situation, any words seed pale and powerless.
“Are you hungry?
I can go buy you sothing to eat.”
Li Shuru shook her head blankly.
“I’m not hungry.
Go ahead and eat; don’t worry about .”
Despite her words, Jiang Chen couldn’t bear to leave her alone in such a state.
It’s true that one cannot fathom the pain of a pinprick until it pierces their own skin, but to be honest, he could deeply empathize with how Li Shuru felt at that mont.
After all, he had been through the sa thing himself.
And at that ti, he was even younger than Li Shuru was now, much younger in fact.
“Shu Rui, I know it’s tough for you right now, but life is like this sotis, playing all sorts of jokes on us.
If we can’t avoid them, all we can choose to do is to accept.”
These words might not be pleasant to hear, but they still needed to be said.
The harshness and cruelty of reality lie in the fact that it does not show rcy or soften for anyone’s despair or pain.
Faced with the hardships and setbacks that life throws at us, all we can do is to grit our teeth and bravely press on with strength.
“My dad is really going to die, isn’t he?”
Li Shuru muttered, looking at her father on the hospital bed.
Jiang Chen was silent, unable to bring himself to utter that cold truth, and gently said, “There are still three days.
Perhaps a miracle will happen.”
“Miracle.”
Li Shuru’s expression beca wistful as she involuntarily recalled scenes from her childhood to the present.
From her first words, to her first steps, her father holding her to see the seals, then starting elentary school, her father handing her the school bag, encouragingly watching her enter the school gate for the first ti, to middle school, her father staying up with her to study geotry and algebra…
and then leaving ho to attend university in East Sea.
As she grew up, the distance between her and her father seed to grow ever wider, to the point that they hardly spoke to each other anymore.
Whenever a call ca from ho, it was usually her mother on the line.
Her father would hide aside, and only occasionally take the phone to speak a few words to her, and it was always just a few words.
Li Shuru still rembered when her grandparents were alive, her father took her back to their old house deep in the mountains near the reservoir.
One night, he took her to sleep on a boat under the stars.
Later, for that, her grandmother scolded her father for several days.
“Dad, will you always be with ?”
“Of course, but when Rui Rui grows up, she probably won’t need Dad anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because Rui Rui will et a boy who loves you more than Dad, and then it will be ti for Dad to step down and leave you in his care.”
“Dad, why is that star so bright?”
“Because that’s your grandmother.”
“Grandma?”
“The person who loves you the most, after they leave, will beco a star in the sky, protecting you in another way.”
“Then will Dad also beco a star?”
“Haha, of course, if one day Dad were to leave, you just look up at the sky.”
“But there are so many stars in the sky…”
“You can find the brightest one; that will be Dad.”
That night, lying on the little boat floating on the surface of the water, she talked with her father for a long, long ti, as if she had said all the words she would need for a lifeti.
Li Shuru thought dazedly.
Jiang Chen did not disturb her, quietly keeping her company.
After being unconscious for about an hour, Xue Mingqin slowly ca to, and upon waking, couldn’t stop wiping away tears, her face filled with sorrow.
Clearly.
This woman also well understood what it ant for her family that the line to He Guangwen had been cut.
Unless a miracle happened.
But miracles have always been a cold, dark word.
Just like the fairy tales in books, they seem full of wonder, but they never occur.
“Mom, I want to ask for a few days off from school.”
Li Shuru’s voice was hoarse.
This ti, Xue Mingqin remained silent and did not object.
Jiang Chen said he was also willing to stay at the hospital, but Li Shuru declined.
Jiang Chen did not insist.
————
Monday.
Liang Zhenlun found Jiang Chen, and the two t at a coffee shop in the school.
“Senior Jiang, the police have already been to see ; I took full responsibility for everything,” Liang Zhenlun declared his accountability imdiately.
“What did the police say?”
Liang Zhenlun took a sip of coffee, “The police recorded my statent and let go, saying they would contact if there were any developnts.”
“What about He Guangwen?”
“He’s done for this ti.”
Liang Zhenlun no longer referred to him reverently, “Based on what I heard at the police station, as well as from friends, this case involves a huge amount of money.
Many organs have been trafficked by them.
Using their power, they sold organs that were ant to save ordinary people to wealthy individuals for high prices.
Even though they didn’t directly kill anyone, they’ve indirectly caused many people to just lie in bed and wait for death.
Although He Guangwen was not directly involved, due to the heinous nature of this case, he will probably have to serve at least ten years in prison.
His life is effectively over.”
Not only did Liang Zhenlun not exhibit any sympathy, but he even seed a bit gleeful.
Jiang Chen remained silent.
Seeing this, Liang Zhenlun toned down his excitent, “Senior Jiang, how is Shu Rui’s father…
now?”
“It’s not very optimistic; the hospital has issued the final ultimatum, there are only three days left.”
Liang Zhenlun was startled.
“Sorry, Senior Jiang.”
Jiang Chen shook his head.
He wasn’t soone who couldn’t distinguish right from wrong.
This whole affair had nothing to do with Liang Zhenlun; there was no reason to bla him.
“Senior Jiang, you still need to persuade Shu Rui to be more accepting.
Birth, old age, sickness, and death are not within human control.”
Jiang Chen nodded.
“Thank you.”
Liang Zhenlun said hastily, “You’re too kind, Senior Jiang.
I haven’t been of much help.”
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