On the hospital lawn, Grandma Pei found solace sitting in her wheelchair, basking in the shade of the tree.
The aroma of fresh grass and blooming flowers enveloped her, providing a welco respite from the sterile scent of dicines and disinfectants that had filled her senses throughout the day.
As she enjoyed the lash greenery scenery, another patient, Mrs. Wang, who was of similar age, wheeled her own wheelchair beside Grandma Pei.
"The sun is setting, aren’t you heading inside?" Mrs. Wang inquired, her voice hoarse and unpleasant. But Grandma Pei was already used to her rude tone.
Grandma Pei turned her gaze to Mrs. Wang and offered a polite smile. "Oh, it’s you, Mrs. Wang. I’m just about to go inside. I’m waiting for my granddaughter."
Mrs. Wang nodded in understanding. "Ah, the lovely young lady who visits you regularly?"
"Yes, that’s my granddaughter," Grandma Pei replied, her smile widening at the thought of her beloved Sangyun.
It wasn’t often that she engaged in conversations with other people nor she was patient in socializing with others. In her village, she had been known for her stern and aloof deanor, causing most to steer clear of her.
However, in this unfamiliar city and not wanting her stubbornness to cast a shadow on her granddaughter, Grandma Pei had made an effort to soften her disposition and engage politely in conversations with others.
Now, she was able to engage in brief but peaceful conversations with fellow patients during her monts of respite on the hospital’s serene lawn.
"You’re fortunate to have such a filial granddaughter," Mrs. Wang remarked, a tinge of envy in her voice. "She visits you daily and brings you gifts. I have several grandchildren her age, yet none of them visit regularly. I can’t help but envy you."
Grandma Pei’s voice resonated with pride as she responded, "My granddaughter and I were separated for a long ti, so she tends to be a bit clingy. But she truly is a filial child."
Mrs. Wang’s sigh carried a bitter undertone as she continued, "She’s still in high school, isn’t she? Most kids her age are too busy with their studies, going out with friends, or even dating. To think that she still finds ti to visit you—what a good lad." Her tone soured a bit towards the end of her comnt.
Grandma Pei paused, pondering the implications of Mrs. Wang’s words.
Was this elderly woman implying that Bei Sangyun didn’t seem to have much of a social life, which allowed her to visit her grandmother every day?
Even though Grandma Pei had softened her deanor in recent days, she remained cautious and hesitant to trust others easily. She reserved her approval and trust for only a select few, like the Bang couple who had been able to gain her trust after so many years of looking out for her.
When it ca to conversations like these, she often assud the worst.
"Indeed, my Bei Sangyun is filial," Grandma Pei responded, her tone firm. "Unlike others, she did not waste ti on things that won’t benefit her."
Mrs. Wang’s expression remained unapologetic as she countered, "Waste ti? It might seem that way, but isn’t that how young people relax and have fun? If you compel your granddaughter to visit you daily, won’t she eventually find it burdenso? I’m only saying this because I have nurous grandchildren, and I understand how their minds work."
Mrs. Wang was forthright in her opinions, unafraid to voice her thoughts. She felt bitterness that, while other granddaughters exhibited filial behavior, her own grandchildren had barely visited her during her stay at the hospital.
"Are you suggesting that I’m overburdening my granddaughter?" Grandma Pei asked, her expression was turning for the worst.
"Those words ca from your mouth, not mine," Mrs. Wang responded with a shrug. "But I’ll tell you this, children her age should be allowed so freedom and not be tied down by us all the ti. Otherwise, she might start feeling trapped. Just so food for thought."
Mrs. Wang then silently signaled to her personal caregiver to take her back to her room.
Left alone to contemplate Mrs. Wang’s words, Grandma Bei found herself caught in deep thought.
****
Bei Sangyun arrived at the hospital quite late. She had been preoccupied with arranging matters for Fei Chuan and discussing various issues with Butler Xin, which resulted in her arrival at the hospital when the sky had already darkened.
"Grandma, I’ve brought so nourishing soup. Let’s eat it while it’s still hot," Bei Sangyun said as she carefully placed the warm container on a small table by Grandma Pei’s bedside.
As she tended to her grandmother, Bei Sangyun’s caring words flowed incessantly. "Do you feel any discomfort? How’s your treatnt going? Is it painful? I’m thinking of hiring a caretaker so you can have help washing your hair more effectively."
Bei Sangyun’s attention seed unwavering as she peeled a piece of fruit she had brought for her grandmother, all the while inquiring about her needs.
Grandma Bei watched her granddaughter with a thoughtful expression, recalling the unsettling words of Mrs. Wang.
"You don’t have to serve als every day," Grandma Bei finally spoke up, her voice gentle but firm. "The hospital provides a very nutritious diet, and Guard Huang ensures my comfort. He even runs errands for daily. I believe I might be wasting his abilities as a bodyguard."
"Guard Huang is just doing his job," Bei Sangyun replied calmly. "But I will make sure to increase his pay."
"Bei Sangyun," Grandma Bei suddenly called her granddaughter’s full na in a solemn manner. It was a rare occurrence, and when she did so, it signaled the importance of her words.
Bei Sangyun paused from her task of peeling the fruit and looked up at her grandmother. "What is it, Grandma?"
The use of her full na by Grandma Bei indicated that she had sothing significant to discuss.
"Aren’t you tired from coming here every day?" Grandma Bei inquired sincerely.
Bei Sangyun gently placed the peeler down and offered a reassuring smile to Grandma Bei. "It’s not tiring at all. On the contrary, coming here helps relax my mind."
However, instead of finding solace in Bei Sangyun’s words, Grandma Bei fell into a contemplative silence.
Mrs. Wang’s words continued to echo in Grandma Bei’s thoughts.
Young people usually visited malls, spent ti with their friends, or explored exciting places for relaxation. Visiting a hospital to spend ti with ailing elderly individuals wasn’t a typical form of relieving stress for soone of Bei Sangyun’s age.
If this was how Bei Sangyun chose to relax, her life outside of the hospital must be exceptionally dull. Unlike most teenagers her age who were out enjoying their youth, Bei Sangyun had taken on the responsibility of caring for her grandmother.
Grandma Bei couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache for her granddaughter. She also grappled with a sense of guilt for having her granddaughter shoulder this burden.
"My granddaughter, you don’t need to co here every day," Grandma Bei expressed sincerely. "I would prefer it if you spent ti with your friends and visited enjoyable places to relax your mind. I’ve heard that high school students have limited ti due to their studies and socializing with their peers. You are at that age now, and it’s perfectly fine to have so fun. You don’t need to take care of ."
Bei Sangyun blinked in surprise at her grandmother’s words.
Play with her friends? Socialize and have fun?
She gazed at Grandma Bei with a puzzled expression. Her grandmother’s sentints seed to differ from her mories. The Grandma Bei she recalled always emphasized that it wasn’t worth making friends with people who weren’t deserving of their ti.
In all her ti at school, Bei Sangyun hadn’t encountered anyone she deed worthy of being her friend. She couldn’t consider those ’lackeys’ of hers as friends, and no one around her seed worthy of befriending.
Well, perhaps there was one exception. However, that man despised her. They were far from friends; they were more like enemies in the making.
Regardless, when had Grandma Bei ever heard such seemingly ridiculous words about socializing and having fun?
"Grandma, I’m not a normal high school student, so I’ll be just fine," Bei Sangyun reassured her with a warm smile. "I prefer spending ti with you over those so-called ’friends’ you ntioned."
"Still, wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to spend ti with others your age? Don’t visit here anymore and go make so friends. While you’re young, be carefree and don’t turn into a stubborn old person like ."
Bei Sangyun looked at her grandmother in astonishnt. This was the first ti Grandma Pei had given her such absurd advice in both her lifetis.
Her grandmother had always leaned more towards offering advice on how to protect oneself from others rather than indulging in the fun of friendship. While Bei Sangyun might have considered this counsel during her first lifeti, with her current ntal age, she found it impossible to follow.
How could she play with other high school kids? She could discipline them and be ruthless when necessary, but engaging in childlike gas with them? No way.
She’d rather endure Fei Chuan’s mocking words than spend ti playing with those children.
"Grandma, what’s gotten into you? When did my old, serious grandma turn into this?" Bei Sangyun teased.
"What do you an, you little brat?" Grandma Bei huffed, a faint smile playing on her lips as she stared at her granddaughter, who seed to find her sincere advice amusing.
Perhaps her granddaughter had matured so quickly that she no longer found such things appealing due to the advice she had received in the past. Grandma Bei couldn’t help but sigh, feeling conflicted.
She had wished for her granddaughter to grow up strong, capable of facing adversity, and Bei Sangyun had indeed grown into a strong and proud young woman.
But now Grandma Bei yearned for her granddaughter to relax a little and enjoy life.
Was it too late to change her granddaughter’s perspective and outlook on life?
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