Will removing this eye patch restore her vision?
Mrs. Qin felt a bit stunned. Does this mean she’ll be able to see by tomorrow morning?
She couldn’t quite believe it. Although the changes over the past week had been very evident, she still dared not believe she would be able to see completely by tomorrow morning.
If Beisitian hadn’t specially prepared a sleep-inducing soup for her that night, Mrs. Qin might have had insomnia.
Even so, Mrs. Qin woke up before dawn.
With the eye patch on, everything was in darkness for Mrs. Qin. Without Beisitian’s instructions, she didn’t dare to take it off and just lay there, waiting for daylight.
This period seemed particularly long to Mrs. Qin. Finally, when daylight broke and she heard some movements around her, her heartbeat instantly sped up.
Would she be able to see?
Or would she still be unable to see?
Or maybe, like the past few days, she would only be able to see blurry images? Even that would be better than seeing nothing at all!
Over half an hour, Mrs. Qin was intensely anxious. Beisitian, seemingly aware of her anxiety and unease, got up an hour earlier than usual to come and knock on their door.
Luo Anguo had already woken up. He put on his clothes and sat against the pillow stack, staring absentmindedly at Mrs. Qin, who was lying still. He was also worried if she wouldn’t be able to see.
Meanwhile, Luo Anping dressed himself quietly, eagerly waiting for Mrs. Qin to remove the eye patch, knowing that once she took it off, his mother would be able to see!
Upon hearing Beisitian knock, both Luo Anguo and Mrs. Qin grew tense, while Luo Anping jumped off the kang and ran to open the door.
Beisitian walked in, and Mrs. Qin also sat up. She was dressed in her autumn clothes and trousers, typical for her age to wear early in the season.
Mrs. Qin sat cross-legged on the kang, waiting for Beisitian to let her know she could remove the eye patch. This brief process felt like a judgment, filled with both anticipation and fear.
"Mom, let me help you remove the eye patch." Beisitian said, smiling as she sat on the edge of the kang.
Mrs. Qin nodded but remained silent.
"After I remove the eye patch, don’t rush to open your eyes. Let me give you a massage first," Beisitian said, as she took off the eye patch.
Luo Anping lay on the kang, watching, while Luo Anguo leaned sideways wanting to see, but Mrs. Qin was facing away, so he couldn’t.
Beisitian gently massaged the acupoints around her eyebrows and eyes. After five or six minutes, she put down her hands and said it was okay to open her eyes.
Mrs. Qin’s eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Behind her, Luo Anguo seemed frozen, holding his breath, and Mrs. Qin was the same, almost forgetting to breathe due to her nervousness.
"How is it, old woman?" Luo Anguo asked, urgently leaning over, seeing Mrs. Qin unmoving and growing anxious.
Luo Anping, lying flat like a frog, looked up at Mrs. Qin. Seeing her dazed after removing the eye patch, he extended his hand, "Mom, how many fingers am I holding up?"
Mrs. Qin’s gaze shifted to Luo Anping’s hand, clearly seeing his fingers. "Four!" Her voice trembled because she could actually see. And it was clear!
Luo Anguo couldn’t hold back anymore. He grabbed Mrs. Qin’s shoulders to turn her around, looking into her lively, clear eyes, and laughed joyfully.
"Old woman, you really can see?" Luo Anguo still couldn’t quite believe it.
"Yes, I can see!" Mrs. Qin said, her body trembling with excitement.
Beside her, Beisitian, with a smile, reminded, "Mom, you mustn’t cry for the next two weeks; it’s bad for the eyes. And avoid straining them; no needlework or mending of clothes."
"Yes, yes, I won’t do anything. I’ll listen to you!" Mrs. Qin agreed repeatedly, trusting Beisitian immensely now.
With her regained vision, Mrs. Qin cherished it dearly. Only those who have been blind know the true value of sight!
Mrs. Qin got out of bed urgently, inspecting everything in the room, which was mostly unchanged from a few years ago, just a bit older. After looking inside, she went to see the outer rooms.
Despite being incredibly familiar with everything, like they were imprinted in her mind, seeing them with her own eyes felt different.
In the yard, the sunlight was bright. Mrs. Qin closed her eyes to adapt before reopening them.
She had almost forgotten what sunshine looked like, with day and night merely being bright and not bright when she was blind.
She looked up at the fine weather, with a blue sky adorned with several white clouds. This everyday sight nearly brought her to tears.
However, she remembered Beisitian’s advice, quickly suppressing her emotions, and turned to look at the chicken coop, which now had five chicks, grown quite a bit. She also glanced at the sheep, which were quite dirty, probably due to the recent rain.
Inspecting every inch inside and out of her home, Mrs. Qin found herself unable to close her mouth from smiling. She called out from the yard, announcing she was going to visit Zhang Qiao Niang’s place.
Since her blindness, Mrs. Qin had seldom visited others, fearing the trouble of bumping into things.
Going to Zhang Qiao Niang’s house stirred predictable reactions. Seeing Mrs. Qin strolling like a healthy person around the room left Qiao Niang dumbfounded.
Over at Luo Anguo’s place, joy was evident with a broad smile, making the home feel increasingly better!
Beisitian turned her gaze to Luo Anguo’s legs. With Mrs. Qin’s eyes healed, she might now look into his legs and see if there was a chance to heal them, unsure if his paralysis was solely leg-related or if other factors were involved.
She had asked before, but Luo Anguo was reluctant to discuss it, so she had to drop it temporarily.
Seeing Beisitian look at his legs, Luo Anguo’s heart skipped a beat, and hope surged up unexpectedly.
But he immediately doubted it, reasoning Mrs. Qin’s blindness was due to Qin Hongmei’s malice, while he was genuinely paralyzed.
The nature of their issues differed!
Yet, despite knowing this, hope brewed within him involuntarily because of the many surprises Beisitian had created!
"Dad, let’s get ready for breakfast," Beisitian said.
Seeing her shift her gaze, the hope that Luo Anguo had felt was like ice melting under fire, vanishing instantly!
Luo Anguo, with a half-smoked cigarette, stared absentmindedly at the kang, as if there was something there. His unrealistic hope turned into vehement disappointment, hitting his chest heavily!
But Beisitian’s next words immediately dispelled that pain.
"When we eat, let’s talk about your legs."