Everyone was scared into silence again.
Soon, eight o'clock arrived, and the doctor came to check on the patients.
Everyone stood up, holding their breath, and watched the doctor go in.
After a thorough examination, the doctor removed his mask and came out.
"Doctor, doctor, how is he?"
The doctor shook his head, "All his vital signs are still unstable. We need to continue observing him. Are the family members all here? It's not very optimistic, so you should be mentally prepared."
"Ah?" Madam Peng's legs went weak with fear and she was about to fall backward, but her two daughters supported her.
"Is it that serious? What happened to Peng Fei? He's our only male descendant in three generations, and he doesn't have children yet. If he dies, how can I face our ancestors? Doctor, I beg you, you must save him! I'll kowtow to you, please save him properly!"
The doctor quickly went to help her up.
"Auntie, auntie, please don't be like this. I will definitely do my best to save him, please get up."
Fangfang and her older sister also spoke to her.
"Mom, what are you doing? The doctor will try their best without you saying it. Don't embarrass yourself. Didn't Chun Chun say this kind of thing isn't done here?"
The doctor was very awkward and quickly left after giving Zhan Jingchun a few instructions.
Her mother, disregarding everything, knelt on the ground again and crawled towards Zhan Jingchun, banging her head on the floor.
"It's my fault, I've sinned. I'm sorry, I almost harmed you, this is heaven's punishment for me!"
"If I had known it would bring retribution upon my son, I would never have dared! Please, Chun Chun, forgive me! Peng family really only has him as the sole male heir. If he dies, how can I face his father? Chun Chun, forgive me, I'll kowtow to you, I'll kowtow to you!"
Everyone hurried to help her up. It was then that Zhan Jingchun looked at her up close for the first time in her life.
Why were her eyes so old and cloudy? Had they always been like this?
Zhan Jingchun felt that something was not right.
"Fangfang. What's wrong with her eyes?"
Fangfang was startled, looked at her older sister, and dared not speak. Her older sister hesitated for a few seconds before saying.
"Chun Chun is really amazing, she saw it at a glance. Mom's eyesight has been getting worse these past two years."
"Peng Fei never calls home. Last year, he still wrote letters and occasionally called, but the letters were always for me and Fangfang, rarely mentioning Mom. I always answered his calls. Mom knew Peng Fei hated her and cried all the time."
"This year is even worse. Peng Fei always said he was busy and never called home. When I occasionally called him, he wouldn't answer. Mom thought Peng Fei didn't want her anymore and cried day and night. Now, the doctor said it's cataracts."
"But don't worry, Peng Fei went back later and was very successful, even interviewed by the TV station. Mom isn't crying anymore."
As the saying goes, why bother with such an old woman?
Even if she were killed or skinned, what difference would it make?
Zhan Jingchun sighed.
"Alright, stop crying, I forgive you. Get up. If you keep kneeling like this, we'll become a laughingstock of the entire hospital. You don't want to embarrass Peng Fei, do you?"
Only then did Madam Peng agree to get up.
Her two daughters also spoke to her.
"Peng Fei hasn't even had anything happen to him yet, and you're already crying, how inauspicious. Stop crying, the doctors here are so capable, he'll definitely be fine."
Madam Peng cried, "But we don't know how long he'll have to stay in the hospital, or how much it will cost... By the way, you're paying for the hospitalization now, right? How much did you pay? Fangfang, we brought our savings book, quickly, go give it to your sister-in-law, oh, no, go give it to Chun Chun to settle the bill."
Fangfang quickly took her schoolbag off and looked for the savings book.
"Sister-in-law, the money my brother gave last year has all been repaid. Mom saved up 40,000 yuan by being thrifty. I don't know if it's enough. Please take it first. He didn't send any money home this year. If it's not enough, we'll owe you, and I'll write you an IOU..."
Let alone forty thousand, Zhan Jingchun didn't lack forty million, she wouldn't accept it.
"No need. Our family invested in the hospital, so it's free."
"Ah?"
"Take it back. Use this money to get her eyes checked in the future. She can't become blind at such a young age."
Fangfang quickly turned to look at her mother.
Her mother shook her head, "No, no, no. I'm almost buried up to my neck in the yellow earth, I won't live much longer. Why spend that money? I can still see, so I won't get treatment. How can a young girl like you spend money on men? Take it quickly, don't think it's too little, I can't come up with more right now..."
Zhan Jingchun still didn't want to take it, but Tiantian felt that things had come to this point, and not taking it would burden them psychologically. She took it for her.
"Alright, take it for now. We'll talk about future money later. You've come all this way, haven't you eaten yet? I'll treat you to a meal."
"No, no, no, we've eaten. We brought dry rations."
Fangfang patted her backpack.
"Have you eaten? I have a few more steamed buns here, they're still warm."
Zhan Jingchun and Tiantian exchanged glances and both shook their heads.
Fangfang seemed to know they wouldn't accept it, so she didn't persuade them further. Everyone fell silent again.
After a few minutes of silence, Zhan Jingchun suddenly thought of something.
"Fangfang. Did you receive the books I mailed to you?"
Speaking of this, Fangfang became very excited, so excited that she even forgot about her brother's illness.
"I received them! So many! They were so good to read! I read them for a long time before finishing! I knew it was from you, thank you so much, sister-in-law!"
Knowing she liked to read them, Zhan Jingchun nodded.
"What grade are you in now?"
"Sixth grade. I'll be going to junior high next year."
"How are your studies?"
"They're okay. I was first in my class in the final exams before the Lunar New Year."
Her being first in class wasn't much to be proud of, as there were only a few people in her class, and the average level was extremely low.
Zhan Jingchun said, "Study hard, don't be arrogant, and strive to go to college in the future and leave the mountains. Look how good the big cities are. You don't want to stay in that mountain village your whole life, do you?"
Fangfang said, "We got a TV installed at home last year, and I finally know how prosperous the cities outside are. I just want to grow up quickly, get into college, and become a city person like you. Sister-in-law, if I get into a university in Nan City in the future, can I come find you?"
She kept calling her sister-in-law, and Zhan Jingchun didn't know if she was used to it, but she rather enjoyed it.
"It's still a long way off. We'll talk about it when you get admitted. Even if you don't get admitted, don't drop out. If you encounter any problems you don't understand, don't keep them to yourself, you can call me."
"Ah? I can call you?"
"Why not? Did you buy a mobile phone? Write down my phone number."
Fangfang was so happy as if she had won the lottery, almost jumping up. Then she remembered that they were in the hospital and her brother was still sick, so she composed herself.
She took a piece of paper and a pen and asked Zhan Jingchun to write down the number, then carefully put it into her schoolbag.
"I'll call you when I encounter a problem that is very, very difficult, one that even the teacher can't solve. Sister-in-law, don't worry, I won't bother you at ordinary times."