The next morning, Liu Xiue looked exhausted as she came to pick up Zhao Meimei. Seeing that there were no adults at Shi Yang's house, she simply took both children home with her.
Liu Xiue cooked fried sauce noodles for the two kids, simmering porridge on one stove while boiling noodles on the other.
Mrs. Zhao Senior was rescued but the situation didn't look too optimistic.
The doctor advised eating liquid food for the next couple of days and after returning home, suggested to buy whatever she wanted to eat. Between the lines, it was clear that the old lady's illness was untreatable, and she didn't have much time left. The goal was to make the elderly feel happy, letting her do whatever she wanted to be comfortable for as long as possible.
Liu Xiue wiped away tears as she stirred the porridge in the kitchen.
She was soft-hearted and couldn't bear to see others in distress. Mrs. Zhao Senior, originally a lonely widow, now sick, had no one around to tend to her, which made Liu Xiue feel sad.
Zhao Meimei was indifferent, having seen her mother she didn't even think to ask about Grandma Zhao's condition. In her mind, when someone gets sick they go to the hospital, and once they're in the hospital, they can be cured. She didn't understand what separation meant, nor did she have a concept of death.
Shi Yang sneaked into the kitchen and saw Liu Xiue with red swollen eyes, shedding tears. His heart skipped a beat, realizing that Grandma Zhao's condition was probably not good.
Shi Yang, with his keen sensitivity, whispered, "Aunt, how is Grandma Zhao?"
Liu Xiue originally didn't want to tell the children about these things, but she looked up to meet Shi Yang's bright, understanding eyes, and knowing this child was sensible, she didn't deliberately hide it anymore.
Liu Xiue whispered, "It's not looking good. The doctor said she only has a few days left. Meimei's father and I plan to keep her in the hospital for a couple of more days, then bring her home to look after her. When the time comes, we'll find a place to bury her. Your Grandma Zhao has been a lonely widow all her life, her fate is bitter, it's not easy."
Shi Yang gazed deeply at Liu Xiue, listening to her words full of sympathy and regret, feeling profoundly moved. He had never seen such kind-hearted people like Meimei's parents from his childhood till now.
Shi Yang comforted her, saying, "Aunt, don't be too sad, or Meimei might ask when she sees you later."
Liu Xiue wiped her face carefully with the back of her hand, nodded, and smiled at Shi Yang, "Yangyang, you're so sensible. Go play with Meimei in the room, this kid likes you. When the noodles are ready, I'll call you."
Shi Yang agreed and went back to the bedroom.
Zhao Meimei took out all her treasured belongings for Brother Yangyang to play with — stickers, marbles, pretty candy wrappers, all sorts of odds and ends she considered her best things spread across the bed.
Zhao Meimei generously opened her hands and said, "Brother Yangyang, these treasures are mine, feel free to take whichever you like, I'll give it to you."
Shi Yang looked at the bed full of little trinkets, lips pursed, "You decide and give it yourself."
Zhao Meimei seriously considered each one, hesitated, pondered, then proposed to Shi Yang, "How about, Brother Yangyang, you leave the things here first? Then come and get them when you want to play with them?"
Poof!
Shi Yang burst into laughter, reaching out to pinch Zhao Meimei's tiny flat nose. This girl, she actually couldn't bear to part with them, right?
Liu Xiue cooked well, and Shi Yang ate two big bowls of fried sauce noodles, full to the point of belching.
Liu Xiue worried he wouldn't have food when he got home, while packing away the dishes she kept him, saying, "Yangyang, I'm taking Meimei to the hospital to visit Grandma Zhao later, and probably won't be back by noon. There are dumplings frozen in the fridge, I'll pack a plate for you, you can cook them yourself at noon, and tonight Meimei and I will be back. You can come to our place for dinner, what do you think?"
Shi Yang actually wanted to refuse; he didn't like troubling others and was already used to taking care of his own life.
Just as Shi Yang was about to speak, Zhao Meimei clung to his arm, "Brother Yangyang, come, ah, when I get back, I'll come call you."
Seeing Zhao Meimei's eager face and Liu Xiue's smiling, welcoming demeanor, Shi Yang felt a warm rush in his heart and nodded in agreement, "Alright, I'll come over in the evening."
Zhao Meimei had been healthy and sturdy since childhood, never having been to a hospital. Even for vaccinations when she was small, she had them done in the health office of the residential building. Suddenly finding herself in the bright and spacious hospital corridor, filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant, she felt inexplicably afraid.
Zhao Meimei clung tightly to her mother's arm, her sparse little eyebrows knitted tightly.
Liu Xiue guided her towards the ward with a reminder, "When we enter the ward, you need to be good, your Grandma Zhao is sick and needs quiet to recuperate."
Zhao Meimei nodded, her eyes wandering to the doctors and nurses passing in their white coats, clutching her mother's arm even more tightly.
She had been afraid of needles since childhood, a lingering effect from those vaccinations, and was terrified of people in white coats.
Zhao Meimei timidly followed her mother into Grandma Zhao's hospital room.
In the room there were five beds placed close to each other, Grandma Zhao's bed was near the wall by the door, with her father sitting leaning on the chair beside the bed talking with the patient in the bed next door.
The patient next door was an elderly man, who pulled Meimei's father aside to chat, "When people get old, they become useless!"
"Dad!" Zhao Meimei ran over, hugging her father's neck and whining, "I missed you so much!"
Zhao Dazhuang's heart melted as Meimei acted affectionate, hugging his precious daughter and kissing her, "My big baby, dad missed you too. Did you get into mischief at your Brother Yangyang's house yesterday?"
Zhao Meimei never lied. As soon as her father asked, she quickly reported everything honestly, from what she ate, what she played, to twice peeing on the mountain.
Liu Xiue was taken aback, learning that Zhao Meimei had wet Shi Yang's house sofa and bed.
Liu Xiue was amused and helpless, reaching out to poke Zhao Meimei's forehead, "Shame on you!"
Zhao Meimei chuckled and turned to greet her Grandma Zhao, "Grandma! I came to see you."
Mrs. Zhao Senior lay on the bed, her lips curling into a smile when she saw the childish Zhao Meimei, unable to stop grinning, "Meimei ah, you came to see grandma, grandma is so happy."
Mrs. Zhao Senior instructed Zhao Dazhuang, "Hurry, get the drinks the boss sent this morning and give them to Meimei."
Liu Xiue was puzzled and asked Zhao Dazhuang, "What? Did someone come from the factory?"
Zhao Meimei chimed in too, "Dad, do we have drinks? Come, let me try them."
Zhao Dazhuang smiled as he took out a drink, helping Meimei open it while chatting with Liu Xiue, "The factory secretary dropped by, said the hospital expenses will be covered by the factory for half, the rest is out of pocket."
Liu Xiue nodded, quite pleased, "Really? I hadn't even thought of that."
Zhao Dazhuang was about to speak when Zhao Meimei interrupted, "Dad, give it to me!"
Zhao Dazhuang handed the drink to Zhao Meimei, who took a sip and contentedly inhaled, saying, "Strawberry flavored, it's delicious."
Liu Xiue glared at Zhao Meimei, "Meimei, what should you say?"
Zhao Meimei promptly turned to Grandma Zhao and said, "Thank you, grandma, I really like it."
Mrs. Zhao Senior grinned widely, "If you like it, let your father take some home, anyway I can't drink this stuff."
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