Chapter 37: Paying a Visit

After boarding the bus, about twenty minutes passed before Lin Xiao and Yuan Yu finally reached Jinghai First Hospital.

“Mom, I’ve come to see you,” Yuan Yu called out as she entered the specialized care ward where her mother was housed.

“Little Yu is here, good, good,” Yuan’s mother murmured from her bed. A slight smile appeared on her face as she watched her daughter rush towards her.

Although she had only been hospitalized a few days before, Yuan Yu’s mother seemed to have improved significantly. Her incessant coughing had diminished, and her previously pale complexion was rosier.

Lin Xiao thought to himself that even if the monthly treatment cost was tenfold higher, he would find a way to manage it.

Yuan Yu’s mother turned to Lin Xiao with a hint of gratitude.

“Thank you. It’s a blessing for little Yong to have a comrade like you,” she said.

“Auntie, please don’t say that. Yuan Yong and I are brothers,” Lin Xiao said, his heart aching. He wanted to reveal the truth, but, seeing the woman’s pallid face, he eventually decided to keep quiet.

“Don’t worry, Auntie. Just focus on getting better. I’ll handle everything else,” he assured her.

Yuan Yu sat next to the bed, peeling an apple for her mother. As she heard Lin Xiao’s words, her hands trembled slightly, almost slicing her finger. Even though she couldn’t fully understand Lin Xiao’s feelings, she could sense his inner turmoil and sadness.

“Mom, have an apple,” she tried to lighten the mood, feigning anger and pouting. “And why do you always talk about brother? Don’t you worry about me too? Am I not your daughter?”

Yuan Yu’s mother smiled. “How could I ever forget you, Little Yu? But I know that with Little Xiao here, he will take good care of you, so I’m not worried at all.”

While Yuan Yu and her mother were talking, Lin Xiao quietly left the ward and went to the office of Yuan’s mother’s primary care doctor.

“Dr. Li, how’s my aunt’s condition?”

“It’s not promising,” Dr. Li, who seemed to be in his fifties, with a sprinkling of grey hair and wearing silver-rimmed glasses, responded with a furrowed brow. “Liver cirrhosis is a troublesome disease, particularly when it’s progressing towards malignancy. If it does develop into cancer, that would mean liver cancer, which is essentially incurable. Even though it hasn’t yet turned into cancer, it’s still highly problematic.”

“What can we do then? Dr. Li, regardless of the method, as long as it can save my aunt, I’m open to it.”

“Liver cirrhosis is a chronic disease that requires sustained treatment and body conditioning. It’s not something that can be cured overnight. As for medication, I would recommend the most recently developed, globally recognized, specialized liver medication. This medication has demonstrated significant effectiveness in treating liver disease. However, the cost…”

At this point, Dr. Li glanced at Lin Xiao, shaking his head slightly.

He didn’t know what Lin Xiao did for a living, but judging by his attire, he didn’t seem to be a wealthy man.

These specialized medications were costly, and with the ongoing expense of hospitalization, it was a substantial financial burden.

“Mr. Lin, I suggest we maintain the current regimen. Although it may be less effective than the specialized medication, it should help stabilize the patient’s condition.”

“How much does this specialized medication cost?” Lin Xiao asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

“To see an improvement in the patient’s condition, a minimum of five treatment courses would be necessary. Each course, with the specialized medication, costs 800,000. So for five courses, that would amount to four million. Coupled with subsequent treatments, the total may reach five million.”

“Five million?” Lin Xiao was taken aback, even though he was somewhat prepared. He quickly responded, “Dr. Li, money is not an issue. I’ll gather it as soon as possible.”

“Alright.” Dr. Li nodded, although he wasn’t holding out much hope.

He had seen plenty of cases in his years as a doctor where a patient’s condition worsened because they couldn’t afford the treatment. Every family promised to raise money, but very few could gather the amount needed.

Especially in this case, where the sum was large. Five million could even buy a house within the third ring of the high-priced Jinghai City. It wasn’t an amount an ordinary family could come up with.

Lin Xiao returned to the door of Yuan Yu’s mother’s ward. He didn’t go in but stood outside, deep in thought.

Yuan Yu’s laughter would occasionally drift out from inside the ward. She seemed to be in high spirits.

Listening to Yuan Yu’s laughter and her mother’s conversation, Lin Xiao’s eyes filled with determination. “Yuan Yong, don’t worry. I will make them happy for the rest of their lives.”

About ten minutes later, the door of the ward opened, and Yuan Yu looked at Lin Xiao standing outside. “Big Brother Lin, why are you standing outside? Come in. Mom was just asking about you.”

“It’s okay, I’m fine here. I don’t want to interrupt your conversation with your mom.”

Lin Xiao smiled without revealing what the doctor had just informed him. In his view, he would handle the financial issue, there was no need to burden Yuan Yu with it.

Yuan Yu didn’t overthink it, and she urged, “Big Brother Lin, please go in. Mom said she wanted to see you.”

“Is that so? Okay, I’m going in.”

“Alright, you go keep mom company. I need to use the restroom.”

Once he stepped inside, Lin Xiao approached the bed. “Auntie, little Yu mentioned you wanted to see me. Do you need something?”

“Were you speaking with the doctor earlier?” asked Yuan’s mother, lying in bed.

“Yes.” Lin Xiao didn’t hide this from her as he did from Yuan Yu.

She was bound to find out about the treatment process. Hiding it was futile, so Lin Xiao nodded without hesitation.

“Little Lin, be frank with me about my condition. You don’t have to hide anything. I’m prepared,” said Yuan Yu’s mother with a calmness that masked any fear of death.

Seeing her expression, Lin Xiao quickly reassured her, afraid she might worry unnecessarily. “Auntie, it’s not as severe as you imagine. Your illness is somewhat challenging, but it’s not terminal. Please don’t let your thoughts wander. Yuan Yu needs you.”

“The medical expenses must be big, right?”

“Don’t worry about that, Auntie. You focus on your recovery, and I’ll manage everything else.”

“I know you’re a good boy,” she acknowledged. After a moment of silence, her voice trembling slightly, she ventured, “Little Lin, tell me honestly… did something happen to little Yong?”

She wasn’t oblivious to the signs. She had suspected something was off.

Her son had not reached out to her for nearly six months. He would usually call once a month. At most, he would go three months without contact, but now his fellow soldier had suddenly shown up at their home.

She had been trying to convince herself not to overthink, but now she couldn’t hold back her question.

Lin Xiao fell silent for a moment. Finally, gritting his teeth, he admitted, “Yes, four months ago, Brother Yong made the supreme sacrifice during a mission.”

Tears streamed from Yuan Yu’s eyes as she murmured sorrowfully, “My son… I didn’t get to see you for the last time. How could you just leave?”

Seeing Yuan Yu’s expression, Lin Xiao felt a lump forming in his throat.

“Auntie, Brother Yong may be gone, but you still have Yuan Yu. And I’m here to help. Brother Yong and I were like brothers.”

“I know, you and little Yong were very close,” she managed to choke out after a while, her tears temporarily abated. “Don’t worry about me, I’m okay. I just can’t control myself. Ever since little Yong joined the army and began returning only once a year, I’ve counted the days, always looking forward to his homecoming. But I never imagined…”

Fresh tears welled up in her eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks.

“Mom, you still have me.”

The door suddenly opened, and Yuan Yu, her face tear-streaked, rushed into the room. She came to her mother’s side and hugged her, crying.

Seeing the scene of Yuan Yu and her mother crying together, even Lin Xiao found his eyes welling up. He let out a long sigh, then stepped out of the ward, quietly closing the door behind him to give them space to grieve.

About ten minutes later, the sobbing inside the ward finally stopped. Yuan Yu opened the door.

“Yuan Yu, how’s Auntie doing?”

“She’s okay now, she just needed to let it all out,” Yuan Yu, her eyes still red, replied.

“That’s good.”

Lin Xiao was relieved. He had been concerned about how she would react once she learned the truth. Now that everything had been laid bare, they were understandably grief-stricken. Yet, he knew that time would eventually heal their wounds.

The three of them continued talking late into the night. It was only then that Lin Xiao and Yuan Yu left the hospital and headed home.