Although Chen Lishu hadn't been nervous before, her heart couldn't help but race when the young nurse called her name. A flurry of negative thoughts flooded her mind.
"Is something bothering you?"
Chen Lishu shook her head, then briefly explained her previous medical consultation to the doctor.
"Have you been consistently taking medication?"
Chen Lishu nodded. "I've been taking it for about a year."
"Lie down and lift your shirt. I need to examine you."
Chen Lishu obediently complied.
Though the examination lasted only a few minutes, it felt like a long time to Chen Lishu.
"You can get up now." The doctor finally allowed her to sit up.
"I don't see any abnormalities for now, but just to be safe, I recommend you get an ultrasound. It will help rule out any other issues definitively."
"Ultrasound?"
Chen Lishu had undergone abdominal ultrasounds during her previous hospital visits. She hadn't expected that the hospital would already have ultrasound technology.
The doctor, assuming she didn't understand, explained internally: "Abdominal ultrasounds have certain limitations and are quite empirical. Ultrasound is our hospital's latest diagnostic equipment; it provides a more comprehensive and detailed view. Don't be nervous; it's not painful at all and won't take much time to complete."
As the doctor spoke, they finished writing the referral. Chen Lishu was then led by a nurse to have the ultrasound. The results showed everything was normal.
"The persistent infertility might still be due to cold uterus. If Western medicine isn't very effective, I suggest you try Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment, such as acupuncture or moxibustion to warm the uterus."
"Thank you, Doctor." After thanking the doctor, Chen Lishu left the consultation room.
As she went downstairs, she bumped into someone, and both of them paused.
"Xu Ning?"
Xu Ning clearly hadn't expected to run into Chen Lishu at the hospital. "What brings you here?"
Chen Lishu smiled. "I'm here for a check-up. What about you?"
Xu Ning waved the file bag in her hand and chuckled, "I'm here to deliver something for our teacher. Wait for me for a moment; I'll be down in a few minutes."
Chen Lishu nodded. "I'll wait for you on the bench outside."
Not long after, Xu Ning came out from the first floor. Her eyes scanned the area and then moved directly towards Chen Lishu.
Chen Lishu smiled and patted the empty spot next to her. "It feels like it's been a long time since we last saw each other."
Xu Ning sighed, "I can't help it. I wish I could be in two places at once." Schoolwork was demanding, and she also had to take care of her family in her spare time.
"Is Auntie any better?"
"It's the same old story, fluctuating. When she gets sick, she hits anyone. My eldest brother is in his situation, so, sigh." Xu Ning sighed and looked up at her. "What's wrong with your health?"
Chen Lishu briefly explained her situation. "There's been no progress, so I came to see. The doctor suggested TCM treatment."
"Then what are you waiting for?" Xu Ning said, standing up. "Let's go."
Chen Lishu was puzzled. "Go where?"
"To the hospital, the Municipal TCM Hospital. Their TCM treatments are the most authoritative in the province. My classmate's mother is a director there. I'll go and speak to her for you."
…
In a humble guesthouse near the school, Yang Lili frowned as she looked at the man and child opposite her.
"I already wrote to you. Why did you bring the child?"
The man looked up. "Are you going abroad? Such a big decision, and you didn't even discuss it with us?"
Indeed, coming out to study had changed her temper and her assertiveness. When they were at home, they used to discuss things, but after being away for so long, she no longer talked about anything.
"You didn't even come home for the New Year. Doesn't the child miss her mother? Now you're going abroad. Can't you not go?"
"Not go?" Yang Lili chuckled lightly. "If I don't go abroad, how can I make something of myself? I'm thirty years old. Do you expect me to live a muddled life like you?"
The man looked taken aback. "Back then, our family conditions didn't allow it. Wasn't there still someone to earn money and look after the child?"
"This opportunity to go abroad is something I fought hard for. I have to go."
The exam results were out, and in July, a specialized team of teachers would accompany this batch of students to schools abroad.
"Niuniu, try to persuade your mother." The man pushed the child forward.
His wife's ambitions had grown. He no longer dared to dream of having a son. Graduating from university would be fine too. He brought the child here this time to beg her not to go abroad. If she really left, this family might be completely gone.
The child was almost eleven and understood things well. Knowing that her mother was going abroad, she was very scared. If she went to such a far-off place and didn't return, she would have no mother.
"Mom, can you not go abroad? I promise to study hard and get into university like you."
Yang Lili reached out and stroked her child's cheek. Her tone was a little more patient than when speaking to the man. "Be good, darling. I'll be back in at most a year."
"Mom, I don't want you to go. Dad and Grandma say that if you leave, you'll never come back. I can't bear to part with you..." Niuniu threw herself into her mother's arms and cried.
Yang Lili's eyes welled up.
The man sighed. "You're already a university student. If you find a job after graduation next year, the three of us can live a simple life together. Isn't that good enough?"
Yang Lili tilted her head up, suppressing the tears in her eyes, and gently pulled the child away from her. "Niuniu, listen to your father from now on."
With a difficult sigh, Yang Lili turned and walked towards the exit.
"Mom—"
Hearing her child's cries, Yang Lili raised her hand to cover her mouth, quickened her pace, and left without looking back.
…
Chen Lishu emerged from the TCM hospital around three in the afternoon. She had not only undergone acupuncture and moxibustion treatment but also had a week's supply of Chinese herbal medicine.
Xu Ning had to leave halfway due to her classes. On her way home, Chen Lishu stopped to buy a clay pot to decoct the medicine, then headed home.
In mid-June, Chen Liyuan's job was finalized. She would be an intern accountant at the electricity meter factory with another classmate.
Chen Lishu only heard the news a week later. Chen Liyuan had already moved from the school dormitory to the factory's employee dormitories.
"Why didn't you say anything when you came? How is it? Are you adjusting to life at the factory?"
"Everything is fine, big sister. You don't need to worry."
Chen Liyuan said happily, "Big sister, I'll start receiving my salary this month. 'Apprentices' uniformly get 18 yuan, but since we have educational qualifications, there's an additional cost of living subsidy. The factory can give us an extra two yuan. After the one-year internship, I'll be earning 36 yuan."
Fearing Chen Lishu's worry, Chen Liyuan even showed her the factory's meal tickets. "Big sister, eating at the factory is very cheap. A bowl of noodles with minced meat costs only one jiao, and eating meat costs only two jiao and five fen. I don't spend much on other things; ten yuan a month is enough. I can give the remaining ten yuan to the family for Li Fei and Liru's schooling."