Zeng Hui and the man walked towards the ward, exchanging names along the way.
The man said his name was Dong Jian and he was 28 years old.
The two had just met, so Zeng Hui felt it was awkward to ask why he had been to prison before, or how his leg got into this state. She politely went to the ward.
On the bed lay a withered, white-haired woman.
Dong Jian called out "Mom," and the woman slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Zeng Hui, the originally lifeless eyes suddenly lit up.
"You're here, Xiao Jian. Who is this?"
Zeng Hui stepped forward first, carrying the fruit to the woman.
"Hello Auntie, I'm Dong Jian's friend. I heard you were ill, so I came to see you. How are you feeling today?"
The woman was very excited.
Perhaps Dong Jian hadn't brought a girlfriend home for a long time, or perhaps in her eyes, her son's conditions were too poor, and he would never find a girlfriend in this lifetime.
Seeing the beautiful and clean Zeng Hui, she was so excited and satisfied that she didn't even need an injection. Her condition instantly improved by more than tenfold.
The two women held hands and sat on the hospital bed, chatting like old friends.
Dong Jian looked at his gentle mother and the kind Zeng Hui, and felt a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time.
He began to fantasize, perhaps heaven also felt he had suffered too much and sent an angel to save him.
After chatting for a while, Zeng Hui asked Dong Jian to go buy dinner. Her instructions were gentle and casual, as if they were an old couple of many years.
Dong Jian naturally followed her words, turned, and went out.
Zeng Hui coaxed Dong Mama to eat fruit. Soon, a chief physician entered the ward with a nurse for a round.
They approached, performed a basic examination on Dong Mama, and then scanned the room.
"Why isn't your son here today? Didn't we say he had to come today no matter what?"
Before Dong Mama could speak, Zeng Hui stepped forward.
"I'm Dong Jian's friend. He had something to attend to and went out. Is there anything important, Doctor? You can tell me."
The doctor sized Zeng Hui up and down, mistaking her for Dong Jian's girlfriend, and was somewhat surprised.
"It's the same telling me?"
"Yes." Zeng Hui saw that the doctor seemed hesitant to speak, and proactively led him outside.
"Is there anything inconvenient to say? Is her condition very serious?"
The doctor stood in the corridor and told Zeng Hui that Dong Mama's condition was indeed very serious. She suffered from uremia, and by the time it was discovered, it was already in the late stage.
Dong Jian sold everything he had, including the house they had lived in for over 30 years, to send his mother to the hospital. After only two months of dialysis, he ran out of money.
Looking at the current situation, she could not be cured, but he could not watch his mother die.
However, at the same time, Dong Jian couldn't come up with more money.
He had to choose between giving up treatment or continuing to pour money into it pointlessly.
Today was meant for him to discuss this.
In an instant, Zeng Hui seemed to recall the days when she was treating Dou Bao.
The doctor's way of speaking was similar; they were all unfortunate people.
Either they had no money for treatment, or they managed to raise the money, only to be diagnosed with an incurable disease.
If it were in the past, she could only offer her sympathy. But today...
"We will continue the treatment. Didn't our mothers work hard to raise us so that they could rely on us someday? How can we watch them die? How much money needs to be paid? I will pay."
Dong Jian returned after buying dinner. Dong Mama looked at Zeng Hui before her, her mouth opening and closing several times, but she couldn't speak.
Dong Jian knew she had something to say, so he deliberately dropped his chopsticks on the floor, and Zeng Hui helped him pick them up.
"I'll go wash them and then use them. You two wait."
He went to find water to wash the chopsticks. Dong Jian asked his mother what was wrong, "What did you want to tell me?"
Dong Mama said, "When you went out, the doctor came, and seemed to have something to tell you. Later, Zeng Hui talked to the doctor, but I don't know what they discussed. When I asked her, she wouldn't say."
"But I know it must be about my illness, or about paying money. Xiao Jian, you must not cheat her. It's rare to find a girl who likes you; we can't live off her."
"My illness can't be cured anyway, so let's not waste the money. Discharge me from the hospital. Keep your money for your marriage and children."
Dong Jian's heart was heavy. He knew why the doctor had called him over.
In fact, he had been struggling for several days and had already chosen to give up in his heart.
It wasn't that he was unfilial, but he was powerless.
So, after his mother finished speaking, he immediately went to find Zeng Hui.
Zeng Hui finished washing the chopsticks and turned around. Seeing him waiting at the corner with a somber expression, she walked over.
"What's wrong? Do you have something to tell me?"
Dong Jian asked her, "Did the doctor ask you to pay money just now?"
She replied frankly, "Auntie is still ill, and if there's no money, we have to continue paying."
"How much did you pay?"
"Two hundred thousand."
Dong Jian's shock was visible on his face.
They had only met by chance, and Zeng Hui looked ordinary in her dress and makeup, yet she had so much money that she would upfront pay 200,000 yuan for a stranger?
How could he ever repay such a great kindness?
Thanks to Chen Dongyang, Zeng Hui could also put on a show of wealth.
In the past, 200,000 yuan would have been a huge sum for her, so she understood Dong Jian's feelings at that moment.
She patted his shoulder, "Don't be too surprised. I can see you're a good person, and I like Auntie very much. I'm not afraid you'll run away. Consider this money a loan."
That was too generous.
With his current salary of 1,500 yuan a month, 200,000 yuan—how long would it take him to repay it by working?
Dong Jian stammered, "Miss Zeng, I..."
"Don't say so much. Go let Auntie eat first. We can talk more when we have time."
They returned to the ward. Zeng Hui knew that Dong Mama was worried, so she said casually and cheerfully.
"The doctor called me out just now to talk about your condition. The treatment has been going well lately. If you continue like this, you'll be able to be discharged soon."
Dong Mama didn't believe it, "I know my own body. Everyone says this illness is incurable..."
Zeng Hui said, "It's incurable, but as long as we have a positive attitude and cooperate with the doctor, we can live for many more years."
"It's like cancer; some people cooperate with treatment and still live well for more than ten years. You haven't seen Dong Jian get married and have children yet; can you bear to leave like this?"
Her words struck a chord with the old lady, and tears instantly fell. She held Zeng Hui's hand and said.
"This child is so worrisome. For him, I've suffered so much in this life, shed so many tears, my eyes are almost blind from crying."
"When he was young, he was often sick. His father was also a scoundrel, always idle, drinking, and beating people. I worked hard, and I often took him to the hospital in the middle of the night."
"After I finally raised him, I hoped he would amount to something. But because of a girl, he got into a fight with someone, was imprisoned for a few years, and even injured his leg."