Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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TW: child abuse
Wen Nuo stayed at the county hospital for four days, and her dizziness and vomiting gradually improved. The doctor said she could be discharged and would be fine after a period of careful rest at home.
But now the most serious problem was her ear; she had completely lost hearing in her left ear.
Tang Tang decided to take her to a large hospital for ear treatment. She asked for extended leave for Ji Xiaozhuo and Wen Nuo from kindergarten, packed her things, and immediately took the two children to the city.
But when she arrived at the hospital, Tang Tang was dumbfounded by what she saw. There was a long queue at the registration window, and the line didn’t move for ages. After finally getting a number with the two children after waiting for most of the day, all the specialist appointments were already taken. The hospital staff said that appointments had to be made, and at least the next week would be the next available time.
Tang Tang was worried that her child’s condition would worsen if left untreated, and she was extremely anxious and didn’t know what to do. She was completely unfamiliar with the area, and Ji Yan wasn’t home. She was truly at a loss. The mother and her two children had come all this way; were they really going to return empty-handed?
Tang Tang didn’t want to go back like this. After much thought, the only person she could contact here was Ji Yue. Desperate, she had no choice but to call her for help, explaining her situation over the phone. Without a word, Ji Yue personally drove to pick them up and took them all to the Military General Hospital. She had even contacted an ENT specialist beforehand, so they could see a doctor immediately upon arrival.
Tang Tang didn’t know how to thank Ji Yue enough. Without Ji Yue, she didn’t know if she could even get medical care with two children on her own.
At that moment, Tang Tang truly felt her own inadequacy. She was far inferior to Ji Yue; it seemed she needed to learn more from Ji Yue in the future.
“Ji Yue, thank you. I’ll treat you to dinner after this is over, and I’ll cook all your favorite dishes.”
“What are you thanking me for? You sent me so much delicious food, and every new outfit you made was a gift for me. I haven’t even thanked you for any of that. Why are you thanking me? Don’t be so polite! But I still really appreciate your thanks! Haha.”
Before Ji Yue could finish speaking, Ji Xiaozhuo tugged at her sleeve and beckoned to her, “Aunt Ji Yue, look down, I have something to tell you.”
Ji Yue bent down, “You have to tell me— ah!”
Her words were interrupted by a “smack” kiss from Ji Xiaozhuo, “Aunt Ji Yue, thank you, I love you.”
The little guy was quite good at making girls happy, and Ji Yue was immediately overjoyed. She pulled the chubby guy close and kissed him back, “My little darling, I like your thanks even more!”
Ji Xiaozhuo was extremely proud and whispered in Wen Nuo’s right ear, “Nuo Nuo, come here, you have to thank Auntie.”
“Oh.” Wen Nuo always obeyed Ji Xiaozhuo without hesitation, and without any hesitation, she imitated him and gave Ji Yue a “smack” kiss on the other cheek. This time, she even whispered, “Thank you, Auntie.”
Ji Yue’s eyes sparkled as she hugged both little darlings and kissed them to her heart’s content. Then, she teasingly whispered in Tang Tang’s ear, “Tang Tang, your daughter-in-law is just like you, so well-behaved and cute. It seems our Xiao Zhuo and his dad have the same taste.”
Tang Tang was embarrassed by what she said and playfully patted her lightly, “Don’t talk nonsense. Kids are just having fun. What do they know?”
“You underestimate children too much. Even kindergarten kids are dating these days.” Ji Yue said this, but it was just a joke to lighten the mood and prevent the adults and children from being nervous about the upcoming examination. They chatted and laughed all the way, and by the time they arrived at the specialist’s office, Tang Tang and the two children were not so nervous anymore.
The elderly specialist, in his sixties with graying hair, looked very experienced. After carefully examining Wen Nuo’s ears, he said in a deep voice, “The nerve in her left ear is damaged, which is a bit difficult to handle. Her right ear was only slightly affected and can still fully recover.”
Tang Tang was happy that her right ear could fully recover, but her left ear was a big problem. “Doctor, can her left ear be cured? My child is so young. What will happen if she loses her hearing for the rest of her life? Doctor, please think of a way.”
The doctor was also at the age of a grandfather, and his grandson was about the same age as these two children. So naturally, he couldn’t bear to see such a young child go deaf. However, nerve damage in the ear was not so easy to heal, so he could only say, “This disease can only be treated as much as possible. Whether it will be cured or not is really uncertain. I suggest you bring your child in twice a month for acupuncture treatment. Try acupuncture treatment. Even if it can’t be cured temporarily, over the years, the child’s hearing will recover a little.”
Even a little recovery was better than not hearing at all, and Tang Tang didn’t want to give up any hope.
Seeing that Tang Tang agreed, the elderly specialist immediately took Wen Nuo to the back treatment room and gave the little girl her first acupuncture treatment.
By the time the acupuncture session ended, the lights outside were already bright, but the hospital was still bustling with activity. There was never a moment of rest in this place; every moment was a battle against illness and death.
Ji Yue said, “Tang Tang, it’s getting late. I think we should book a hotel for the night and go back tomorrow.”
The two children had also been traveling all day and were exhausted; they couldn’t take any more exertion, so Tang Tang naturally agreed.
As soon as the four of them stepped out of the hospital, an ambulance with its siren blaring quickly pulled up at the main entrance. Several doctors in white coats rushed out and, together with the nurses, carefully lifted the patient out of the ambulance, repeatedly reminding them, “Be careful, be careful! Don’t drop the respirator! Watch the monitor readings!”
A nurse followed closely behind, holding up the IV drip.
From a distance, it was difficult to see clearly who was being carried, but a large patch of blood could be seen on the person on the stretcher. Ji Yue got goosebumps. “This person must be seriously injured. The blood has almost dried up. I don’t know if they can be saved.”
Tang Tang also sighed, silently praying that the person would be safe and sound.
Ji Yue tugged at Tang Tang’s arm. “Okay, there’s nothing we can do to help. We can only leave it to the doctors. Let’s go, the children are sleepy.”
Tang Tang nodded, tightened her grip on Wen Nuo’s little hand, and continued walking with Ji Yue. After a few steps, the group of doctors and nurses carrying the stretcher quickly passed by them, anxiously calling out, “Everyone, make way!”
As the stretcher passed, Tang Tang subconsciously glanced at the person on it. However, in just one glance, her blood froze, and she couldn’t take another step.
“Tang Tang, what are you standing there for? Hurry up, the doctors will save that person.” Seeing Tang Tang standing motionless, Ji Yue assumed she was still worried about that person.
Tang Tang didn’t hear Ji Yue’s words at all. Her face slowly turned pale, all the strength drained from her body, and her eyes filled with terror.
Ji Yue then noticed that something was wrong with Tang Tang. She walked to her side and touched her forehead. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Tell me what’s wrong.”
Tang Tang’s lips trembled, and she managed to say in broken sentences, “I… I saw… I saw Ji Yan on the stretcher.”
“What? Ji Yan?” Ji Yue’s expression changed. Her gaze quickly swept towards the group of doctors and nurses, but she saw nothing. She only caught a glimpse of their clothes disappearing around the corner.
“Tang Tang, are you sure you’re not mistaken? Is it really Ji Yan?”
Tang Tang trembled all over and couldn’t say anything more. She hoped she was mistaken, that the person wasn’t her Ji Yan, it couldn’t be!
The two children were frightened by Tang Tang’s expression. They grabbed her trouser leg and called out to her anxiously, but Tang Tang couldn’t hear them at all. She seemed to have lost her soul.
Ji Yue knew something was wrong. She gritted her teeth and pinched Tang Tang’s arm hard, scolding, “Tang Tang, wake up! Maybe you saw it wrong. Why are you scaring yourself before you even know what’s going on? You’ve scared both children!”
Tang Tang regained some composure after being pinched. She stood silently for a while, then suddenly turned and ran into the hospital.
Ji Yue didn’t have time to say anything else. She grabbed the two children and ran after her, chasing after her until she finally saw Tang Tang standing not far from the emergency room, staring blankly at the closed door.
Ji Yue went up to her and hugged her, advising, “Tang Tang, calm down. Maybe you saw it wrong. It’s very possible you were mistaken in a quick glance. It’s also possible that she just looks like Ji Yan. Besides, Ji Yan might be on a mission far away right now.” However, sometimes fate doesn’t allow for wishful thinking. Ji Yue had just finished speaking when a series of hurried footsteps sounded behind them. Then, a group of men in military uniforms rushed past them and stood motionless outside the emergency room door.
One of the soldiers, covered in blood, clenched his fist and slammed it against the wall, growling in pain and rage, “F**k!!!”
The others weren’t much better off, all anxiously staring at the operating room door.
Tang Tang suddenly broke free from Ji Yue, her lips trembling as she walked step by step towards the group of olive-green uniformed soldiers, until— she reached out and grabbed the clothes of the man who had been pounding the wall.
“Dong Li?”
Dong Li was frantic with worry when he was suddenly grabbed. He instinctively tried to shake her off but couldn’t. He turned around angrily, ready to yell at the person behind him to get lost, but when he saw who was holding him, his eyes widened in disbelief, “Sister-in-law?!”
“Dong Li, has something happened to Ji Yan? Was that Ji Yan who just went in?” Tang Tang clung tightly to Dong Li, as if only by doing so could she stand properly.
Dong Li’s eyes instantly reddened, and he looked like a helpless child, stammering, “Sister-in-law, I…I…” But he couldn’t get the words out, unable to say that Ji Yan’s heart had been pierced by a bullet, unable to say that the doctor had issued a critical condition notice on the way.
Dong Li collapsed to his knees, clutching his head in anguish, a grown man choking back tears for the first time.
Tang Tang understood immediately; her heart froze, her blood seemed to stop flowing.
Ji Yan, her husband, was really in trouble!
Ji Yue now knew Tang Tang hadn’t been mistaken; that really was Ji Yan. She felt the sky was falling and, suppressing her panic, quickly called Gu Chang’an and Zhuo Ji.
But as soon as she finished the call, she saw Tang Tang staring motionless at the red light of the operating room, tears streaming down her face. Ji Xiaozhuo, who also understood what had happened, was trembling with sobs, calling out for his father.
Ji Yue’s eyes stung; she suddenly couldn’t bear to watch, covering her mouth and turning away. She suddenly regretted bringing the mother and child here today. If they hadn’t come to this hospital, they wouldn’t have witnessed such a heart-wrenching scene.
Was this fate?
Everything was in chaos; tonight was destined to be an eventful one. As time passed, more and more people gathered outside the operating room, but the atmosphere grew increasingly quiet, the air thick with a suffocating tension.
Then, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence.
Leading the group was an elderly man with gray hair, yet possessing a dignified and vigorous air. He shook off the hands of those trying to support him and, leaning on his cane, walked step by step towards the operating room. His eyes were fixed on the red light, his face expressionless and calm, his entire being like a steadfast pine. But a closer look revealed that his hands beneath his sleeves were trembling.
“Dad, don’t get agitated, Ji Yan will be alright,” Ji Weifeng urged from behind, his expression worried.
“Yes, Dad, your heart isn’t good; you mustn’t get emotional. Ji Yan will definitely be fine. Go sit over there and wait,” Lin Lan tried again to support the old man’s arm, but he ruthlessly shook her off.
Seeing this, both people frowned helplessly.
Ji Yue wiped away her tears, walked over, and softly called out to the old man, “Grandpa Ji.”
Grandpa Ji blinked, slowly turned his head to look at Ji Yue, nodded, and then his gaze shifted to Ji Xiaozhuo, who was standing motionless not far away. A crack finally appeared on his expressionless face. Leaning on his cane, he walked step by step towards Ji Xiaozhuo, squatted down, hugged the little guy, and gently patted him. “Xiao Zhuo, don’t be afraid, great-grandpa is here. I will definitely not let anything happen to your father, I will definitely not let anything happen.”
The old man seemed to be comforting a child, but also comforting himself. “He is my, Ji Anshan’s grandson. He will be fine. What is this little storm? He can get through it.” This was his most beloved grandson, his greatest pride in this life. He would not be defeated like this, he wouldn’t!
Ji Xiaozhuo’s horribly swollen eyes silently glanced at the old man, neither crying nor making a fuss nor speaking. He simply turned his gaze back to the door, remaining silent.
A suffocating silence descended once more. Time ticked by, the anxious wait turning into a frenzy, then into numbness. Every second was agonizing for those waiting outside.
As the first rays of dawn streamed through the hospital windows, the doors, closed all night, finally opened slowly. Exhausted doctors emerged, instantly shattering the shackles of time. Everyone rushed forward, demanding, “Doctor, how is he? Is he alright?”
The surgeon removed his mask, a slight smile playing on his tired lips. “The bullet was successfully removed. The patient is out of danger for now and has been transferred to the intensive care unit for observation for a few days. If all goes well, he should wake up in the next couple of days.”
In other words, Ji Yan’s life had been snatched from the jaws of death.
These words were like heavenly music to everyone’s ears. The anxieties of the night had finally been relieved. A chorus of sighs of relief rose and fell as everyone eagerly thanked the doctors.
The doctor waved his hand with a smile. They were overjoyed to have saved the lives of these soldiers who defended their country.
“Great! I told you our boss would be alright, haha!”
“Our boss is a living devil; the devils below wouldn’t dare take him.”
“Thank goodness, it wasn’t for nothing that this atheist prayed to all the gods! He didn’t disappoint me.”
Everyone chattered excitedly, their mood no longer as heavy as before. As long as life was saved, there was hope.
Tang Tang’s heart was also revived by the doctor. She loosened her lips, which she had unconsciously bitten raw, and ran to the glass outside the intensive care unit, pressing her face against it. She looked at Ji Yan, who was covered in medical equipment, from afar. Although she couldn’t see anything, just looking at him calmed her heart.
Ji Xiaozhuo and Wen Nuo followed behind her, the two little ones also pressing their faces against the glass, staring intently at the person inside.
Ji Xiaozhuo placed his hands on the glass and gripped it, calling out softly, “Dad, Dad, Dad.”
When Grandpa Ji saw this, his hands, which had been trembling all night, finally stopped shaking, and his tense back relaxed. As he relaxed, he couldn’t help but stagger back two steps and leaned against the wall behind him.
“Dad!”
“Dad!”
Ji Weifeng and Lin Lan exclaimed simultaneously, rushing forward to help him sit down anxiously. “Dad, come back with us to rest. You’re too old for this. Ji Yan is out of danger now. You can come see him again after you’ve rested.”
“Yes, Dad, you can’t go into the ICU to stay with people anyway. You can come and stay with him after Ji Yan is transferred to a regular ward.”
The two were concerned about the old man’s health, but Grandpa Ji slapped their hands away forcefully, refusing to let them help him. “I’m perfectly healthy. I don’t need your concern. You don’t show this much concern for things you should!”
Ji Weifeng frowned and said in a deep voice, “Dad, what are you saying? I also care about Ji Yan. He’s my son. How could I not care about him? Lin Lan genuinely cares about him too. She rushed over even though the meeting was only halfway through when she heard the news.”
“Alright, alright, stop with the nonsense. You know perfectly well whether you care or not!” Grandpa Ji said, not even glancing at the two of them. He directly called over an officer and had him helped to walk. His body couldn’t take it anymore; he couldn’t cause any more trouble here.
Being reprimanded in front of so many people, Lin Lan looked embarrassed and felt very sad. All these years, no matter how she behaved, the old man still didn’t like her. Although he had severed ties with Ji Yan on the surface, he still only recognized Ji Yan as his grandson. In the old man’s heart, Shi Yue was probably not even worth a hair on Ji Yan’s head.
Seeing Lin Lan’s aggrieved expression, Ji Weifeng patted her hand tenderly, comforting her, “That’s just Dad’s temper, don’t take it to heart.”
“I won’t,” Lin Lan shook her head, forcing a smile, “Then what do we do now?”
Ji Weifeng glanced at the many people present and said, “Let’s go home and rest too. You look terrible after staying up all night. With so many people here, we can’t really help.”
Lin Lan hesitated for a moment, then nodded, “Okay, we’ll come see Ji Yan again when he wakes up.”
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Ji Yue huffed in dissatisfaction, muttering softly, “If it were Ji Shiyue inside, they probably wouldn’t want to leave even for a moment.”
Gu Chang’an shook his head disapprovingly, “Don’t say that. Ji Yan has us.”
Ji Yue pouted, nodded, and said nothing more.
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