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Su Jianshe looked at Su Ying with even more confusion in his eyes. A country girl like her actually knew things about the city?
Su Ying scoffed at his condescending look.
“I’ve been to school, you know. Even if I’ve never lived in the city, it’s not like I wouldn’t know what a tram is. Besides, I just saw one while I was out walking around.”
Su Jianshe thought about it and figured she had a point. Su Ying was educated, after all—she had more knowledge than women like Chen Shuyun from the village. But only a little more. In the end, a country bumpkin was still a country bumpkin.
“It’s Route 5. You can catch it up ahead, but it’s 20 cents per person. I gave you 40 yuan—you better spend it wisely. That money’s for your medical checkup.”
Medical checkup? Su Ying wasn’t expecting any fatherly concern from Su Jianshe. That 40 yuan probably wasn’t even enough for a single scan. His so-called “checkup money” was barely a drop in the bucket.
She grabbed Chen Shuyun and walked toward the tram stop.
Su Jianshe’s face darkened. His own daughter treated him so coldly. Definitely a product of the countryside—completely uneducated. She couldn’t even compare to Xiaohan’s heels.
In the 1980s, cities weren’t very large, and the Route 5 tram didn’t take long to circle around. Su Ying and the others didn’t have to wait long before a tram arrived.
Su Jianshe looked at his bicycle, hesitated, then locked it on the roadside and got on the tram too.
Su Ying had just found an empty seat for Chen Shuyun. As soon as Su Jianshe stepped on, Chen Shuyun stood up.
“Your father—let him sit.”
Without hesitation, Su Jianshe made to sit down.
But Su Ying grabbed Chen Shuyun and firmly pressed her back down into the seat.
“He works in an office, probably sits so much his back hurts. Standing for a bit is good for his posture.”
Chen Shuyun believed her and said sincerely to Su Jianshe:
“If your back hurts, I’ll give you a massage when we get back.”
Su Jianshe shot Su Ying a look that was far from gentle. He was beginning to realize how unlikeable this daughter of his was—rude, argumentative, completely disrespectful to elders. Not sweet and obedient like Xiaohan at all.
“With that kind of attitude, I bet no one in the village likes you. Your mom probably had a hard life because of you—offending people left and right.”
Su Ying had absorbed the original owner’s memories. Indeed, she hadn’t been well-liked in the village. Gossiping women were always whispering about her behind her back—saying she dressed too showy, acted promiscuous, didn’t respect elders, and wouldn’t even greet people properly.
The old Su Ying had been arrogant and dismissive. Since her father was a city man, she thought she was above the villagers. She even looked down on the Chen relatives. Naturally, no one liked her.
After the scan, the three of them waited on a wooden bench for only a short while before the results came back.
As soon as Su Ying got the film in her hands, her fingers instinctively clenched. The 1980s imaging equipment wasn’t very advanced, but with her eight years of medical experience, she could spot the issue immediately.
There was no blood clot, as the county hospital had claimed. Instead, there was clear evidence of brain trauma. This kind of injury could have serious long-term effects—possibly leading to partial paralysis, epilepsy, and other complications.
Recovery would be a long journey. She’d need medication, regular checkups—none of which could be skipped.
Her heart sank. She had already suspected something was wrong, but not this serious. She had planned to work hard, make a name for herself in the 1980s, earn money—but that would have to wait. Her top priority now was recovering her health.
“Come on, let’s go ask the doctor what the scan shows.”
Chen Shuyun glanced at the scan—it was just a black sheet to her. She couldn’t understand a thing.
Su Jianshe didn’t get it either. He looked at the door signs and started leading them toward the doctor’s office.
“Mom, I’m thirsty. Can you get me some water?”
Seeing her daughter’s dry lips, Chen Shuyun nodded.
“Alright, I’ll go ask someone for some hot water. Wait here.”
Once Chen Shuyun was out of sight, Su Ying walked forward with the scan in hand.
Su Jianshe followed and, noticing her expression, assumed she was worried. He made a rare attempt to comfort her.
“It’s probably nothing serious. You’re still walking, jumping, yelling—seems like you’re fine. The scan’s just to put your mom’s mind at ease.”
Su Ying ignored him and kept walking.
Just as they passed a hospital room, a sharp, angry voice boomed out:
“You let him develop bedsores? What kind of bodyguard are you? What the hell are you even doing here? Is this how you take care of your commanding officer?”
Su Ying instinctively glanced into the room.
Inside were several men in green military uniforms, wearing hats. One man, with one arm behind his back, was pointing angrily at a younger soldier in front of him.
On the bed was someone completely covered by a white blanket, only a tuft of black hair visible.
Suddenly, the blanket was lifted slightly, and the person on the bed turned sharply toward the door.
When Su Ying met that pair of sharp, cold black eyes, her heart skipped a beat. The depth and chill in those eyes stirred something within her. Her first instinct about the man: Dangerous.
So sharp. He must have sensed someone looking at him—that’s why he turned.
Su Ying quickly looked away but instinctively glanced toward his waist. Unfortunately, the blanket hid everything. His gaze sharpened further. She quickly walked away and caught up with Su Jianshe.
To his credit, he did take her to a senior, experienced doctor to read the scan.
The diagnosis matched what Su Ying suspected: brain trauma. The doctor couldn’t say if it would worsen, but treatment would definitely require long-term medication and regular checkups. If the condition deteriorated, surgery—possibly even a craniotomy—might be needed.
As they left the office, Su Jianshe’s gaze toward Su Ying became complicated. She was, after all, his daughter. Even if he didn’t like her much, he didn’t wish for her to be paralyzed or dead.
“You heard what the doctor said. You need to be hospitalized and take meds every day. That’ll cost a lot of money.”
Su Ying looked at him coldly.
“So?”
Su Jianshe coughed awkwardly and sat down on a nearby wooden bench.
“So… today’s treatment, I’ll pay for it. But I can’t afford your hospitalization costs. I do have a salary, but it’s not much. I just don’t have that kind of money.”
“So?”
Su Ying’s flat, emotionless eyes made Su Jianshe squirm a little. He looked away.
“So I thought… maybe you should get married sooner. You’re old enough now. If you marry into a city family, it’ll be easier for you to get treatment and medication.”