Everyone was too scared to speak again.
Soon, eight o'clock arrived, and the doctor came to check on the patients.
Everyone stood up with bated breath, watching the doctor enter.
After a thorough examination, the doctor removed his mask and came out.
"Doctor, doctor, how is he?"
The doctor shook his head. "His vital signs are still unstable, and he needs to be observed further. Are the family members here? It's not very optimistic, so it's best to be mentally prepared."
"Ah?" Peng's mother's legs went weak, and she almost fell backward. Her two daughters supported her.
"Is it that serious? What happened to Peng Fei? He's the only male descendant in our family for three generations, and he doesn't have children yet. If he dies, how can I face our ancestors with pride? Doctor, I beg you, you must save him. I'll kowtow to you, please save him!"
The doctor quickly went to help her up.
"Auntie, auntie, please don't do that. I will definitely save him, please get up."
Fangfang and her sister also spoke to her.
"Mom, what are you doing? The doctor will do their best without you saying anything. Don't embarrass yourself. Didn't Chun Chun say it's not done like this here?"
The doctor was very embarrassed. He gave Zhan Jingchun a few instructions and left quickly.
His mother, disregarding everything, knelt on the ground again and crawled towards Zhan Jingchun, banging her head on the ground.
"What a sin, it's all my sin. I'm sorry, I almost harmed you. This is heaven punishing me!"
"If I had known this retribution would fall on my son, I would never have dared! Please, Chun Chun, forgive me! The Peng family really only has him as a male child. If he dies, how can I explain to his father? Chun Chun, forgive me, I'll kowtow to you, I'll kowtow to you!"
Everyone quickly crouched down to help her up. It was then that Zhan Jingchun looked at her up close for the first time in her life.
Why were her eyes so old and cloudy? Had they always been like this?
Zhan Jingchun felt something was wrong.
"Fangfang, what's wrong with her eyes?"
Fangfang was startled, looked at her sister, and dared not speak. Her sister hesitated for a few seconds before speaking.
"Chun Chun is really sharp. You noticed it right away. Mom's eyesight has been getting worse these past two years."
"Peng Fei rarely calls home. Last year, he still wrote letters and occasionally called, but the letters were always for me and Fangfang, rarely mentioning Mom. I always answered the phone. Mom knew Peng Fei hated her and cried all the time."
"This year is even worse. Peng Fei always says he's busy and doesn't call home at all. When I occasionally call him, he doesn't answer. Mom thought Peng Fei didn't want her anymore and cried day and night. Then, the doctor said it was cataracts."
"But don't worry, Peng Fei went back later and was very successful; even the TV station interviewed him. Mom isn't crying anymore."
As the saying goes, what's the point of arguing with such an old woman?
Even if she were killed or dismembered, what good would it do?
Zhan Jingchun sighed.
"Alright, stop crying. I forgive you, get up. If you keep kneeling like this, we'll become a joke for the entire hospital. You don't want to embarrass Peng Fei, do you?"
Only then did Peng's mother agree to get up.
Her two daughters spoke to him.
"Peng Fei hasn't even had anything happen to him yet, and you're already crying. It's so unlucky. Stop crying. The doctors here are so capable, he'll definitely be fine."
Peng's mother cried, "But we don't know how long he'll have to stay in the hospital or how much it will cost... By the way, are you paying for the hospitalization fees now? How much have you paid? Fangfang, we brought our savings passbook, right? Quickly, go give it to your sister-in-law, oh no, go give it to Chun Chun to settle the bill."
Fangfang quickly took her schoolbag off and looked for the passbook.
"Sister-in-law, the money Brother gave last year has all been used for the bills. Mom saved up 40,000 yuan by being thrifty. I don't know if it's enough. Take it first. He hasn't sent any money home this year. If it's not enough, we'll owe you the rest. I'll write you an IOU..."
Let alone forty thousand, Zhan Jingchun didn't lack forty million. She wouldn't take it.
"No need. Our family invested in the hospital, so it's free."
"Ah?"
"Take it back. Use this money to get her eyes treated later. She can't become blind at such a young age."
Fangfang quickly turned to look at her mother.
Her mother shook her head. "No, no, no. I'm already buried up to my neck in yellow soil. I don't have many days left, so why spend that money? I can still see, so I won't get treatment. How can a girl like you spend money on a man? Take it quickly, don't think it's too little. I can't come up with any more for now..."
Zhan Jingchun still didn't want to take it, but Tiantian felt that at this point, not taking it would burden them psychologically, so she took it for her.
"Alright, take it for now. We'll talk about future money later. You've come all this way, haven't you eaten yet? I'll treat you to a meal."
"No, no, no, we've eaten. We brought our own food."
Fangfang patted her backpack.
"Have you eaten? I have several steamed buns here, and they're still warm."
Zhan Jingchun and Tiantian exchanged glances and shook their heads.
Fangfang seemed to know they didn't like it, so she didn't insist. Silence fell upon them again.
After a few minutes of silence, Zhan Jingchun suddenly thought of something.
"Fangfang, did you receive the books I mailed to you?"
Speaking of this, Fangfang became very excited, so excited that she even forgot about her brother being sick.
"I received them! There were so many! They were so good! I read them for a long time before finishing! I knew it was from you, thank you so much, sister-in-law!"
Knowing she liked to read, Zhan Jingchun nodded.
"What grade are you in now?"
"Sixth grade. I'll be going to junior high next year."
"How are your studies?"
"They're okay. I got first place in the class in the final exam before the New Year."
Her first place in the class wasn't something to be proud of. There were only a few people in the class, and the average level was very low.
Zhan Jingchun said, "Study hard, don't be arrogant, and strive to get into university and leave the mountains. Look how good the big cities are. You don't want to stay in that mountain ravine forever, do you?"
Fangfang said, "We got a TV installed at home last year, and I finally knew how prosperous the cities outside were. I just want to grow up quickly, get into university, and become a city person like you. Sister-in-law, if I get into a university in Nancheng in the future, can I come visit you?"
She kept calling her sister-in-law, and Zhan Jingchun didn't know if she was used to it, but she found it quite pleasant.
"It's a long way off. We'll talk about it when you get in. Even if you don't get in, don't drop out. If you encounter any problems you don't understand, don't keep them to yourself. You can call me."
"Ah? I can call you?"
"Why not? Did you buy a mobile phone? Write down my phone number."
Fangfang was so happy as if she had won the lottery, almost jumping up. Then she remembered she was in the hospital and her brother was still sick, so she composed herself.
She took a piece of paper and a pen and asked Zhan Jingchun to write down her number, then put it in her schoolbag as if it were a treasure.
"I'll only call you when I encounter a problem that's extremely difficult, even for the teacher. Sister-in-law, don't worry, I won't bother you otherwise."