Hospital Room 

When Meng Yuanzheng said he really couldn’t eat anymore, Lin Miaoyin stopped, placed the bowl on the table, pulled a chair over, and sat down. After a moment of silence, she cautiously spoke. 

“Brother Yuanzheng…” 

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuanzheng furrowed his brows and looked at her, confused by the way she addressed him. 

“Go on.” 

“Do you blame me for making you go into the mine yesterday?” She lowered her head, clutching the bed sheet. 

“Why would I blame you? If you hadn’t asked, I would’ve gone in myself,” he replied calmly, leaning back, his fingers crossed over his stomach. 

“But your leg…” she said, her eyes suddenly becoming teary. 

“It was my own carelessness; it has nothing to do with you. Besides, I saved so many people. You should feel proud that your man is so capable,” he looked down at her, only seeing her braided hair. 

“I will take good care of you. I’ll make sure your leg heals properly. Oh, and by the way, yesterday when I was digging you out, I swore that once you recover, I won’t make you do the dishes or laundry anymore,” she said with determination. 

In response, he couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle her hair. 

“Dishes and chores still have to be done,” he said gently. 

“I’ll go wash the dishes!” She sprang to her feet, her face slightly red, and ran out the door. 

Seriously, why’d he have to ruffle her head for no reason? 

She washed the dishes, put everything away, then took his dirty clothes from yesterday to wash and hang out to dry in the hospital courtyard. 

There were many doctors and nurses coming and going. Some were helping patients in hospital gowns take walks, others were sitting on benches basking in the sun. 

The hospital only had three floors, with much of the wall paint peeling off. A single touch would leave your hand covered in white dust. The paint on the hospital beds was chipped too. 

When she returned to the room, she was startled. The other bed in the double room had been occupied by a new patient. The family was there as well, and with doctors and nurses around, the room became lively and crowded. 

“Old man, you can’t let yourself get so worked up when something happens. You need to relax,” the doctor said while personally hanging an IV drip for the patient. 

This room could be considered the VIP ward of the county hospital. Unlike other rooms with long rows of beds lined up next to each other, this one only had two beds with a curtain separating them. There was a radio at the head of the bed, and a thermos and basin were placed under the bed. 

If it weren’t for Meng Yuanzheng being a “hero,” an ordinary person would never get such treatment in their lifetime. 

A woman added, “Father, if you keep causing a scene, it’s hard on Wen Zhong too. Please try to understand us. Just rest here for a few days, and we’ll take you back home after the weekend.” 

The old man, lying on the bed, grumbled, “This is just an old problem of mine. I don’t need to be in the hospital. I know my own body!” 

That immediately drew complaints from those around him, saying he was inconsiderate of the family, that everyone was busy and couldn’t watch him all the time. What if something happened to him at home? 

The old man simply shut his eyes and stopped talking. 

The woman then said, “Father, we’re leaving now. There’s still a lot of work to do. Let Zhenhua stay and keep you company. If you need anything, call the nurse.” 

The teenage boy next to her instantly protested, “I don’t want to stay here!” 

She gave him a glare. “It’s not up to you.” 

Then, she turned to the doctor and nurse, saying, “Please take extra care of my father.” 

“Of course, of course,” the doctor replied politely. The group then left, leaving behind an upset young man. 

Lin Miaoyin had been standing at the doorway the entire time, practically invisible. The old man’s family had blocked the way to the inner bed, where Meng Yuanzheng was. 

She waited for them to leave before entering, carrying a thermos and making him a cup of malted milk. 

The curtain between the hospital beds was drawn, offering some privacy. She gently blew on the cup, feeling it was no longer hot, and prepared to feed it to him. He, however, said, “You drink half first.” 

She shook the cup. “It’s just this little bit. I won’t drink it. I don’t need extra nutrition.” 

He pressed his lips together. “Then I won’t drink it either. You’re just trying to make me fat on purpose.” 

“Being a little fat is good. It’s a blessing.” 

These days, being overweight was considered better than being too thin. 

He didn’t say anything, but his attitude was firm. 

Lin Miaoyin gave in. “Alright, alright, I’ll drink it.” 

She took a few sips and positioned the clean edge of the cup toward him, preparing to feed him. 

He had already leaned in, his eyes full of anticipation. 

She chuckled, supporting his head with one hand and bringing the cup to his lips, watching him gulp it down. 

“The taste is okay, but I feel like this bottle is a bit too little.” She put the cup down and took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, though Meng Yuanzheng took it and wiped it himself. 

Just then, a sudden voice rang out, “Why so talkative over a cup of malted milk? Country bumpkin.” 

The voice was raspy and hoarse, like a drake’s croak—it was that boy named Zhenhua. 

But as soon as he spoke, he cried out in pain and complained, “Grandpa, why are you hitting me? I didn’t say anything wrong!” 

“You little brat, don’t forget that your ancestors have been farmers for five generations! What country bumpkin—say that again and see if I don’t beat you to death.” 

“Then stop calling me a brat! Don’t forget I’m still your descendant! Ouch, if you hit me again, I’ll stop caring about you. I’m leaving!” 

“Go ahead, leave. But don’t expect to get a penny from your parents in the future.” 

“Hmph, you just know how to threaten me. Wait until I go to college next year, then you won’t be able to control me.” 

“You’d better apologize right now!” 

After a moment, an unwilling voice came from behind the curtain. “Sorry!” 

Lin Miaoyin and Meng Yuanzheng had been listening to the argument between the grandfather and grandson. Since he was just a kid, they didn’t take his words to heart. Lin Miaoyin replied, “It’s fine!” 

Seeing that Meng Yuanzheng looked a little down, she guessed that he must not have slept well last night, so she told him to lie down and sleep while she sat beside him, spacing out. 

She looked at his calm closed eyes, his lashes curled. Then, she glanced at the hand resting by his side, slightly tanned and marked with small cuts. 

She thought since they were in the county town, she’d find time to shop and bring some things back. Hand cream, for one—she didn’t want his nice-looking hands to end up too rough. 

After some time, she heard the boy again, saying, “Grandpa, I can’t take it anymore. I’m going home. If you need anything, call the nurse. I’ll come see you tomorrow.” 

The old man cursed, “Go, you brat. I don’t need you.” 

“Then I won’t come tomorrow either!” The boy said, his voice growing fainter as he left. 

The noise from their argument woke Meng Yuanzheng. He opened his eyes, and she hurried over to help him sit up, propping him against the wall. 

“Miaoyin, help me undo this—I need to…” he said, looking a bit embarrassed. 

“Hmm?” She didn’t quite understand but followed his request and lowered his leg. 

“What do you want to do?” she asked. 

“Go to the bathroom…” 

He supported himself with his hands and stood on one leg. Lin Miaoyin quickly helped him, wrapping her arm around his waist. 

“There’s no need to feel embarrassed about going to the bathroom. I need to go too. Let’s go together,” she said casually, pulling a few sheets of tissue from her bag. 

Although she was only talking about going to the restroom together, it sounded a bit strange. 

Meng Yuanzheng didn’t say anything, taking the crutch the hospital provided. As they were about to leave, the old man noticed that the room was empty and got anxious. “Hey, where are you two going?” 

Lin Miaoyin looked back. “We’re going to the bathroom. Grandpa, are you coming?” 

“Go, go, go. Wait for me!” he said, quickly putting on his shoes and following them, afraid of being left behind. 

The group walked through the corridor and reached the hospital’s public restroom. 

The toilets were still the kind with long troughs, divided by half-height partitions, offering no privacy whatsoever. 

Lin Miaoyin felt uneasy. What if Meng Yuanzheng fell into the pit while going by himself? Meng Yuanzheng reassured her, saying, “It’s fine. I’ll lean against the wall.” 

Seeing Lin Miaoyin’s worried expression, the old man spoke up, “I’ll help him. Don’t worry.” 

Author’s Note:  

The old man is a plot point, just making a brief appearance here. 👴✨ 

It’s been a while since I wrote about Zhengzheng working with manure. I kind of miss it. 💩😂