“Grandma, please wait here for me at the hospital while I go home to tell Auntie Du what happened. We’ve been out since early morning and haven’t gone back yet. Auntie Du’s probably worried.”
Ye Tianxin felt that since Auntie Du had kindly let them stay at her place, the least they could do, as a matter of courtesy, was inform her that they planned to stay out for the night.
“That’s right, Tianxin. You’re very thoughtful. Let’s do that. Take a cab home and let Auntie Du know. Don’t worry about me. I’ll wait here at the hospital and won’t wander about.”
“Grandma, just watch some TV. I’ll bring us a change of clothes and my practice books.”
Ye Tianxin was reluctant to leave her grandmother on her own at the hospital, but she really needed to go home and, since she didn’t have a phone, she had no way of keeping Auntie Du informed about what was going on.
After Ye Tianxin left, Grandma retrieved Lu Jijun’s business card and looked at it a few times.
She was illiterate and didn’t know how to make a phone call, so she had to take the business card to the nurse’s station.
“Young lady, can I please trouble you to contact the person on this business card and tell him that I’m at the hospital?’
The nurse took one look at Grandma and knew that the old lady was illiterate.
Happy to help, she dialed Lu Jijun’s number and passed the handset to Grandma.
“This is Lu Jijun. Who is this, please?”
“Lu Jijun, this is Tianxin’s grandmother. I’m at the hospital. Can you stop by, please?”
Lu Jijun was in the middle of having dinner with Lu Qinxin and Gu Yancheng when Grandma called him. But after he spoke with her, he got into his car and quickly drove to the hospital.
He walked into the ward and immediately noticed the name tag and the prognosis on the medical chart at the foot of the bed.
He then realized what was going on and was prepared for what was to follow.
“Auntie, why are you on your own in the hospital? Where’s Tianxin?”
Grandma looked at Lu Jijun. Truth be told, she was extremely reluctant to hand Tianxin over to him.
But she was very sick and didn’t want to become a burden to Tianxin.
After all, Lu Jijun was Tianxin’s father. Wasn’t it natural and right for a father to take care of his own daughter?
“Jijun, come with me to speak with the doctor!”
A hint of reluctance flashed in Lu Jijun’s eyes, as he didn’t want Grandma to know the truth about her illness. However, he responded, “Yes, let’s go.”
They went to the doctor’s office. Noticing Lu Jijun, the doctor presumed that he was Grandma’s son.
His voice chilly with disapproval, the doctor said, ‘What kind of a son are you? Your mother’s critically ill and yet you...”
Grandma interrupted the doctor’s rant. “Doctor, can you please tell me how much time I have left?”
Lu Jijun and Grandma listened intently for the answer.
“Old lady, this illness of yours isn’t serious. Just try to relax. When your mood improves, you’ll feel happier, and then you’ll live for a very, very long time to come....”
Deep down, Grandma knew that her illness must be serious if the doctor wasn’t willing to tell her the truth.
She pretended that she’d already found out about her condition and proceeded to put on an act.
“Doctor, please don’t lie to me. The doctor in our town told me that I only have one month left to live....”
The doctor kept quiet for a moment before replying, “Old lady, the doctor from your town must be incompetent. How could you only have one month left to live? All you have to do is relax and you’ll live for many more years! You just have to let go of your worries....”
Lu Jijun joined the doctor in consoling her. “That’s right. Try not to dwell on it!”
“Doctor, do you think I at least have three months left? My granddaughter is sitting for the college entrance exams in less than three months. I don’t want my illness to affect her exams in any way!”
Grandma knew that if she left this world before the entrance exams, Tianxin’s exam results would definitely be affected. And the entrance exams were extremely important because they could shape Tianxin’s future!