Chapter 47: New Year in the Ward

He looked at the woman in front of him and suddenly realized that he had never truly known her. He felt that the month they spent together before and after their marriage was a joke. This woman had been hiding her talents all along… 

Lu Cheng was deep in thought when Xiao Yichen walked in. He had received a call from the hospital at home earlier today, saying that Lu Cheng had woken up. He was so happy that he didn’t care about anything else. Thinking that Lu Cheng’s family hadn’t eaten, he went straight to the kitchen and asked Zhang Ma to cook a pot of lotus seed porridge. He also made a dish for Lin Yuexi and added a bowl of rice, and finally cooked two bowls of meat dumplings for the two little ones.

When Doctor Wang saw Xiao Yichen come in, he said, “Comrade Lin, you guys eat first, and then we’ll discuss the treatment plan…” He then turned and left Lu Cheng’s ward, returning to his office. Xiao Yichen felt a little confused after hearing Doctor Wang’s words. It wasn’t until Lu Cheng called out, “Yichen, you’re here…” that he came back to his senses.

Xiao Yichen quickly walked to Lu Cheng’s bedside, carefully examining him, his face filled with joy. “Brother Cheng, you’re finally awake. You had us worried sick.” He then took the porridge, poured it into a bowl, and added a spoon. He handed it to Lu Cheng and said, “Brother Cheng, can you move yourself? If not, let your sister-in-law feed you?”

“I’ll do it myself. It’s my head and legs that are injured, not my hands. What’s so hard about moving? Your sister-in-law has been busy all morning. Let her eat some hot food first…”

“Yes, yes… yes… Brother Cheng, you’re right. Don’t worry, I also prepared food for your sister-in-law…” He then took another lunch box from the basket and handed it to Lin Yuexi. “Sister-in-law, eat quickly. This is what I specially asked Zhang Ma to cook…” He then took out another box. “Ziyan, Xiyun, come here, this is from your Uncle…”

The two children ran over happily when they heard the call, took the box, and said sweetly, “Thank you, Uncle!” Xiao Yichen smiled and patted their heads, his eyes full of love.

Lu Cheng watched this scene and felt a mix of emotions. He thought back to the past, how he had neglected Lin Yuexi. Now, lying in a hospital bed, he realized that she had been silently supporting this family all along. He secretly vowed to make up for it tenfold in the future.

Lin Yuexi took the lunch box and thanked him softly. She sat down and ate quietly, but her mind was racing. She was thinking about how to tell Lu Cheng about the divorce when he was better.

There was a long silence in the ward, a quiet stillness. The two children broke the silence.

“Mom, are we going to spend New Year’s Eve in the hospital with Dad this year?” Lu Ziyan asked Lin Yuexi.

Lin Yuexi was taken aback when she heard Lu Ziyan’s words. That’s right! New Year’s Eve is only a week away. Are we going to spend it in the hospital?

“Brother, of course! How can we leave Dad alone?” Lu Xiyun said with a pout.

“But I promised my little neighbor, Little Sister, that I would give her a Barbie doll before the new year…” Lu Ziyan said in a childish voice.

“Brother, you’re so embarrassing. You’re so young, and you already like girls…” Lu Xiyun made a shy expression.

The adults all laughed out loud at the children’s words. Especially that guy, Xiao Yichen, he walked over and picked up Lu Ziyan. “Brother Cheng, this kid is not bad. He’s so young and already knows how to flirt with girls. Why don’t you let him call me his godfather?”

“I don’t want you to be my dad. I have a dad. Ziyan has a dad. Ziyan is not a child without a dad…”

As soon as Lu Ziyan said this, the laughter in the ward stopped abruptly, and the atmosphere instantly became a bit heavy. Lu Cheng’s face flashed with a hint of guilt and sadness. He realized that it was his five years of absence that had made his child so sensitive. Lin Yuexi’s eyes also turned slightly red. She quickly walked over, took Lu Ziyan from Xiao Yichen’s arms, and placed him beside Lu Cheng’s bed. She said softly, “Ziyan, you have a father. Your father will get better, and he will always be with you and your sister.”

Lu Cheng looked at Lin Yuexi, then at Lu Xiyun and Lu Ziyan, took a deep breath, and said firmly, “Yuexi, Ziyan, Xiyun, we’ll spend New Year’s Eve in the hospital this year. From now on, we’ll spend every year together happily.”

Xiao Yichen listened happily from the side, “Brother Cheng, you should have done this a long time ago…”

Lin Yuexi looked at Lu Cheng’s determined gaze, and the words she wanted to retort were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t say them. She just nodded slightly and turned to clean up the children’s lunch boxes.

Over the next few days, Lin Yuexi and Doctor Wang discussed a treatment plan for Lu Cheng’s injuries. Doctor Wang was responsible for Western medicine treatment, while Lin Yuexi was responsible for using acupuncture to dredge Lu Cheng’s major foot meridians and promote blood circulation.

Lu Ziyan and Lu Xiyun also became familiar with Xiao Yichen. Xiao Yichen simply took the two little ones back to the Xiao family. The Xiao family’s elders were overjoyed to see Xiao Yichen bring back two adorable children. They urged him to go on blind dates every day, making Xiao Yichen complain to Lu Cheng and Lin Yuexi at the hospital every day.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve. Lu Cheng had long since passed the danger period, and his spirits were gradually improving. On this day, Xiao Yichen specially sent the two children over so that they could have a reunion dinner as a family. Old Master Xiao and Lu Cheng’s superiors came to visit in person.

The atmosphere in the ward became a little stiff due to the presence of the two elders. Lu Cheng struggled to get up to greet them, but Old Master Xiao pressed him down. “Just lie down, child. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.” The superior also looked at Lu Cheng with concern, asking about his recovery, his words full of care for his subordinate.

Lu Ziyan and Lu Xiyun hid behind Lin Yuexi, curiously watching the two unfamiliar grandfathers. Old Master Xiao and the superior smiled and pulled out two large red envelopes from their pockets, handing them to the children. “Come, this is your lucky money. I wish our little darlings a healthy and happy new year.”

Lu Ziyan and Lu Xiyun happily took the red envelopes and said, “Thank you, Grandpa Xiao, thank you, Grandpa Superior…”

“Good, good. These two children don’t look like they’re from the countryside at all. This kid Lu Cheng is lucky. He married such a good wife and had a pair of twins…” The superior patted the children’s heads and said.

Lin Yuexi laughed a little awkwardly when she was praised by the superior.

Afterwards, the superior chatted with Lu Cheng about work matters, praising him highly for his previous performance. He also told him to rest assured and focus on recovering, saying that the army matters didn’t need to worry him, as the organization would take care of everything. Lu Cheng’s eyes were filled with gratitude, and he agreed to everything.

Lin Yuexi listened quietly from the side, watching Lu Cheng on the bed, a ripple of emotion stirred in her heart. After spending time with him, she had witnessed his every move, and she realized that he wasn’t easy either.

Then, Xiao Yichen led everyone to simply decorate the ward, putting up Spring Festival couplets and the character “Fu” (meaning good fortune). Lu Cheng leaned against the headboard, watching Lin Yuexi, Xiao Yichen, Lu Ziyan, and Lu Xiyun happily bustling about the ward. His heart was filled with warmth.

When the New Year’s bell rang, fireworks bloomed outside the window, and the ward was filled with laughter and joy. At this moment, all worries and sorrows were temporarily forgotten. They welcomed the new year together and looked forward to a new chapter in their lives.