Chapter 14 Repayment
In the early morning, the gray sky seemed to be brewing a rain, just waiting for inspiration to emerge and paint a picture of misty rain in the south of the Yangtze River.
The sound of dishes smashing could be heard from the restaurant downstairs, and pots and pans were playing a classical symphony. The short and fat proprietress with yellow curly hair cursed in a loud and oily voice, which was both noisy and offensive.
The noise started on time, waking up Ye Zhenzhen in the cramped little attic.
After waking up, my steps were no longer light and I felt at ease with my feet firmly on the ground. But I still felt a little weak. It would take some time to recover from the disease.
Ye Zhenzhen hurried to Lin Xiaoxi's home because Lin Xiaoxi was going to have surgery today.
In the People's Hospital, she led Lin Xiaoxi through the gloomy crowd, registering, seeing a doctor, drawing blood, and undergoing B-ultrasound. After the whole process, Ye Zhenzhen's clothes stuck to her back and her legs were sore.
Lin Xiaoxi remained silent, his steps were restrained, and his face was full of worry.
In the crowded crowd, Ye Zhenzhen whispered to comfort her, "Xiaoxi, don't be afraid. It will pass. Everything will pass."
She pulled Lin Xiaoxi, squeezed out of the elevator, and went to the operating floor to find an empty seat to sit down.
The electronic display screen is filled with people's names, and a voice announces from time to time, "XX, please go to Department XX for treatment." People are all waiting, waiting for the pain to be healed, waiting for a new life.
Lin Xiaoxi looked at the number getting closer and closer, shivering, "Zhenzhen, I'm afraid..."
Ye Zhenzhen held the medical records and examination form in one hand and held Lin Xiaoxi tightly in the other. She was also nervous at the moment. The doctor said that any surgery has risks and accidents can happen at any time. The doctor's words were calm, but Ye Zhenzhen was frightened when she heard them.
What if something happened to Lin Xiaoxi? They had no family here, and they were afraid that their family would worry about Lin Xiaoxi's pregnancy. It was a bit bloody for two young and inexperienced people to face the cruelty of life and death.
Ye Zhenzhen suppressed her fear and tried to stay calm, "Xiaoxi, I will be with you, everything will be fine."
The smell of disinfectant was so pungent that it made people cry. But they couldn't avoid it, so they could only walk barefoot on the rubble.
"No. 23, Lin Xiaoxi, please go to Department X X for treatment!"
The voice played repeatedly, and an aura of terror surrounded the two.
Lin Xiaoxi burst into tears, cutting into Ye Zhenzhen's heart, "Zhenzhen, I'm afraid...Zhenzhen, I don't want to go..."
Ye Zhenzhen hugged Lin Xiaoxi, her throat choking with sobs, "Xiaoxi, don't cry, I will be with you..."
The door of the operating room opened. The nurse was wearing a cap and a mask. She was wearing glasses, so her expression could not be seen clearly. Her voice was a little impatient. "No. 23, Lin Xiaoxi, are you there..."
The nurse's voice separated the two, and Ye Zhenzhen replied repeatedly: "Yes, yes."
The nurse handed over the consent form and notice for the surgery. "Well, the surgery may have risks such as heavy bleeding, infertility, and a second surgery. The doctor has already told you about that! Also, you need to stay in bed after the surgery, you can't have sex, and you should avoid eating raw, cold, or spicy food... Are you clear?"
Ye Zhenzhen and Lin Xiaoxi could only nod stupidly and looked at the nurse in confusion.
"If you have no objection, please sign! You can have the surgery after you sign!"
Lin Xiaoxi took the pen, her body shaking, her signature fragmented and shapeless. She walked into the operating room with her head down, taking small steps.
"Xiaoxi, I'll wait for you to come out..."
Ye Zhenzhen stood blankly at the door of the operating room, falling into a chaos she had never experienced in her life. The fear and worry were enough to scare her silly.
"You're still not a man!"
The shrill voice of a strange girl echoed throughout the entire floor.
The girl was in her early twenties, wearing a tight suspender skirt. She pulled a boy of similar age next to her and kept screaming.
"You are such a heartless person. I'm pregnant with your child, but you are unwilling to pay a little more money for me to have an epidural..."
"How could I fall for a loser like you... bastard!"
"Snapped!"
The girl angrily slapped the boy and kept pulling him. The boy did not move, his face turned red again and again, he lowered his head and whispered:
"I'm sorry... I'm useless... I'll be twice as nice to you in the future..."
The girl squatted on the ground and cried non-stop, not knowing whether she was feeling sorry for the baby in her belly or worried about the upcoming surgery.
As everyone looked on, the boy helped up the girl who was squatting on the ground crying. The girl kept hitting the boy, and the two of them hugged each other in tears.
Ye Zhenzhen walked to the window. The misty Jiangnan was drizzling. The drizzle was misty and dripping. The distant mountains were green and white mist was rising.
The raindrops hit the broad-leaved banana trees, knocked on the green tiles and bricks, and knocked on the corners and eaves of the house.
"Lin Xiaoxi's family!"
Standing in the long-dreamed-of Jiangnan, Ye Zhenzhen's sadness was halfway through rising when it was suddenly interrupted.
"Yes!" Ye Zhenzhen hurried to the door of the operating room, her legs filled with lead and she kept calling out, "Nurse, what's wrong?"
Her face was wrinkled, her heart was grasped tightly by a giant hand, and fear spread from the top of her head to her hair and fingertips.
"Lin Xiaoxi is bleeding heavily and needs a blood transfusion. We may not have enough money for the surgery. The family members should pay 2,000!"
"Nurse...will she be okay..."
"Go pay the fee first! Who can say for sure about the surgery? Didn't I tell you before the surgery?"
"Don't just stand there, hurry up and pay the fee. I'll go get the blood!"
The nurse hurried away.
Ye Zhenzhen floated all the way to the payment hall, but found that she didn't have enough money, so she withdrew money from the ATM.
She handed the medical card and cash to the payment window, "Hello...payment..."
I couldn't pick up the payment slip at all, my hands were shaking uncontrollably.
She moved to a corner, holding the bill tightly in her hand, slid down against the wall, and hugged her knees tightly. Shoes of different materials and sizes passed by her. No one stopped, and everyone was in dire straits. The sound of an ambulance outside the hall was getting closer and closer, and many chaotic footsteps flashed by.
Lin Xiaoxi, yes, Lin Xiaoxi is still in the operating room. Thinking of this, Ye Zhenzhen staggered to her feet, stepped on the clouds, and stumbled to the door of the operating room.
The door of the operating room was tightly closed, that door separated life and death. Leaning against the wall outside the operating room, she was afraid that if the door opened, there would be bad news, and she also hoped that Lin Xiaoxi would be safe.
Ye Zhenzhen's mind was in a mess. What if Lin Xiaoxi was in trouble? How to contact her family? What to say? There was not much money in the card. I wondered if the two thousand I just paid would be enough...
Facing the despair of an unknown fate, Ye Zhenzhen didn't know what to say or do. She could only wait, frying herself repeatedly in the boiling oil.
She regretted sending Lin Xiaoxi to the hospital. If anything happened to Lin Xiaoxi, she would have to live with the condemnation of her conscience every day for the rest of her life.
Time was frozen, and after a long, long time, the door of the operating room slowly opened.
"Family members of Lin Xiaoxi, the operation is over, come in and help."
Ye Zhenzhen's tense nerves relaxed slightly. She rushed into the operating room, the strong smell of blood hit her face, and the pile of clamps and pliers beside the operating table flashed coldly. Lin Xiaoxi's face was pale, and she hadn't woken up from the anesthesia yet. She hurriedly dressed Lin Xiaoxi and pushed Lin Xiaoxi back to the ward with the nurse.
Soon after, Lin Xiaoxi woke up, holding her stomach tightly and crying out in pain. Lin Xiaoxi needed to fast for the surgery, and she had not eaten anything since last night. Ye Zhenzhen ran to the hospital entrance to buy her chicken soup.
The sky was dark grey, and the city blended into a landscape painting. The rain was hazy, and Ye Zhenzhen supported Lin Xiaoxi, carrying a large bag of medicine and standing in the rain. The raindrops formed a beaded curtain. There was a constant flow of cars, but not a single empty car.
Ye Zhenzhen leaned half of her body out from under the umbrella and waved her arms continuously. Raindrops gathered on her arms and poured down like columns of water. After a long time, she finally stopped a car.
Lin Xiaoxi's face was as pale as paper, and she lay weakly on the bed, "Zhenzhen, thank you, I'm lucky to have you. You've been so good to me, how can I repay you..."
Ye Zhenzhen patted the raindrops on her shoulders and forced a smile, "Xiaoxi, have a good rest and don't think too much. Taking good care of yourself is the best reward for me."