She knew of Yun Xiaoxiao, but hadn’t formally met her alone.
"Comrade Yun, my name is Tian Li."
Yun Xiaoxiao looked at her, "Ruoruo won’t be out for a while, I’ll go with you to her dorm to collect some of her things."
Although Tian Li didn’t know how long Du Ruo would stay in the hospital after the surgery, she knew that surgery required a hospital stay and that they would need to gather some belongings.
Zhao Tianlei wanted to go and fetch the items himself, but he couldn’t enter the women’s dormitory, and furthermore, it wasn’t appropriate to take an unfamiliar woman with him.
"You all wait here, I’ll go with Student Tian to get some things."
Yun Xiaoxiao rode her bicycle to Capital City University with Tian Li.
"Comrade Yun, are you coming up with me, or will you wait here?" Tian Li pointed towards the dormitory building, and after getting off the bicycle, she asked.
"Let’s go up together." Before going up, Yun Xiaoxiao locked her bicycle.
Yun Xiaoxiao also saw Tan Yunrou in the stairwell, who had lost a lot weight and looked even more frail.
Tan Yunrou didn’t recognize Yun Xiaoxiao, assuming she was a student from this dormitory building, and didn’t pay much attention.
They reached Du Ruo’s dormitory where others were present.
"Xiao Li, how is Du Ruo?" someone in the dormitory immediately asked upon seeing them.
"She had surgery, and we came back to pack some things for Ruoruo."
This was a serious matter.
"What surgery is it?"
Yun Xiaoxiao looked at them and explained, "Appendectomy, it involves a segment of intestine that’s inflamed and needs to be removed; it’s a minor surgery."
This explanation left everyone in the dormitory, including Tian Li, somewhat dumbfounded.
They felt a bit scared.
"It really is just a minor surgery."
Tian Li hurriedly gathered Du Ruo’s belongings, while Yun Xiaoxiao watched, constantly reminding her what to bring as she wasn’t sure which items were Du Ruo’s.
Hot water bottle, water cup, lunch box, books, and several other things.
"Ruoruo will need about a week to be discharged after her surgery; could you please help to request a leave for her?"
"That won’t be a problem."
A whole week in the hospital for a minor surgery?
Is it really a minor surgery?
"Student Tian, you have classes tomorrow. I’ll go to the hospital by myself."
They would request a nurse aide for Du Ruo.
Tian Li paused, "Then I don’t have classes tomorrow. I will visit Ruoruo at the hospital, so I’ll trouble Comrade Yun."
Yun Xiaoxiao carried the items downstairs and rode her bicycle toward the hospital.
When she arrived at the hospital and got to the surgery room, Du Ruo had not been brought out yet.
"Wife, are you cold?" Zhao Tianlei immediately took the handbag from her, unzipped his down jacket, and embraced Yun Xiaoxiao in his arms to warm her up.
"Xiao Yang, could you please ask the nurse if there’s a nurse aide available?"
Fang Chaoyang glanced at the two of them and then at the surgery room door as he went to ask about it.
The sister-in-law and Third Brother had a child and had to attend school; they couldn’t stay at the hospital to look after Student Du.
And he was not suitable to take care of Comrade Du.
"My hands are too cold."
He held her hands tenderly, rubbing them gently to warm them up.
She hadn’t worn gloves when she came out.
"There’s a nurse aide available, but it costs two Yuan per day."
Two Yuan a day was neither expensive nor cheap.