The last ti she encountered Zhang Yuanhong, he offered her a ride to the station and also gave her his contact information, asking her to get in touch when she’s in the provincial city.
Afterward, Ling Chengyan ca twice but didn’t think of contacting him.
Comparing these, she couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.
Before deciding whether to get out and talk, she hesitated slightly, but Zhang Yuanhong saw Ling Chengyan’s license plate and turned to walk over.
Ling Chengyan had no choice but to get out of the car.
"Zhang Yuanhong." Ling Chengyan opened the door and got out, smiling as she greeted him, "I didn’t expect to bump into you again today."
The words carried the joy of an old friend reunion, with a trace of slyness in disguise.
Zhang Yuanhong either didn’t notice or chose not to, simply smiled and said, "I saw Huicheng’s license plate and ca over to check—didn’t think it was you... What brings you here?"
Ling Chengyan said, "Soone fell ill, I drove them over."
After speaking, she looked at Zhang Yuanhong, who confessed, "My mother’s health is poor, ca over for a check-up... Oh, what departnt are you in?"
Ling Chengyan slightly pursed her lips and said, "Respiratory Departnt."
"Are you going back now?"
"We’re going out to buy so things."
After exchanging a few brief words, Zhang Yuanhong didn’t say much more, bid farewell to Ling Chengyan, and quickly walked towards the hospital. Ling Chengyan also got in her car, leaving the hospital with Liu San.
Since she t him again and had owed Zhang Yuanhong a favor, Ling Chengyan briefly stopped outside to buy two boxes of pastries.
Upon returning to the ward, Father Ling was back from his examination. Ling Chengyan promptly handed him the egg custard she brought along: "Here, have a little sothing first; we’ll eat lunch later."
Watching her father finish eating, Ling Chengyan advised him to close his eyes and rest for a bit, then took the pastries she bought along with so homade specialties and went out; Liu San had already returned with the information that Zhang Yuanhong’s mother was in the Health Departnt.
"The Health Departnt is mostly for senior cadres; they co regularly for health check-ups," Liu San explained.
Ling Chengyan nodded, signaling Liu San to wait outside. She raised her hand and knocked on the ward’s door.
Once inside, Ling Chengyan realized even more clearly the Zhang Family’s unusual standing; a private ward equipped with a guest sofa and a twelve-inch television—higher than typical hotel standards.
Zhang Yuanhong wasn’t there, and Mother Zhang was resting with her eyes closed, only a caregiver in her forties was attending. Ling Chengyan stated her identity, asked a few questions, left the things, and departed, all within ten minutes.
In the afternoon, the test results for Father Ling were out, and Ling Chengyan along with her two brothers went to Professor Qi’s office to hear the diagnosis and treatnt advice.
Professor Qi began with good news: "The test results are slightly better than we anticipated, it seems you’ve been recovering well this week. The patient’s mood and spirit have improved significantly since the last ti, and all this is positive for our upcoming treatnt..."
Professor Qi said a lot, but to sum up, Father Ling’s body could handle surgery now; he planned to schedule it soon, preliminarily set for two days later.
Leaving the doctor’s office, the Ling siblings stood at the end of the corridor and discussed, all supporting the surgical treatnt. As for the costs, the eldest Ling son volunteered that they brothers would split the expenses, sparing Ling Chengyan, their younger sister, from contributing.
Ling Chengyan didn’t argue with them, returned to the ward to accompany Father Ling, peeled a pear for him, and discussed the treatnt arrangents...
Father Ling still looked thin but was indeed more spirited than at first sight, the daughter sitting quietly at the bedside peeling fruit while talking brought back mories of his obedient quiet little girl before she married.
As the sky darkened, Father Ling urged her to leave early, "Don’t stay too late, traveling at night is unsafe."
Ling Chengyan then said her goodbyes to her father and brothers, leaving Liu San to coordinate in the provincial city while she returned alone.
After leaving the ward, she asked a nurse about the estimated surgery costs, then went directly to the inpatient departnt to pay five hundred yuan.
By the ti she returned to Huicheng, it was completely dark. Wang Liansheng waited at the gate of the courtyard and quickly ca to et her upon spotting her return.
Ling Chengyan briefly explained the hospitalization situation, entered, freshened up, and ate, the children behaved very well; even little Shi Tou sensibly handed her a towel, gave her chopsticks, and asked about their grandpa... It felt as if the children grew up and beca sensible overnight, despite having not seen her for a day.
Of course, the children couldn’t have suddenly grown sensible on their own. Ling Chengyan glanced toward Wang Liansheng, who brought her heated al, ushered the children away to do their howork, then sat across from Ling Chengyan and said, "The children asked where you went, so I told them grandpa was sick and needed hospitalization for surgery."
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