Chapter Thirty-two: A Midsummer Night

  Zhao Shuiguang rushed to the hospital, panting, and pushed open the door. His aunt and cousin Chenchen were all there. When his mother saw him, she called out "Daughter" with tears in her eyes.

  Mrs. Zhao was always a tough and decisive woman, rarely showing such weakness in front of her daughter. Zhao Shuiguan also panicked at this sight, forcing himself to walk forward, seeing his family's old lady lying there with tubes inserted all over her body, motionless, her face also pale and frightening.

  Zhao Shuiguang was a bit disbelieving, last month she was still eating at the old lady's house, shouting: "Still grandma's sugar vinegar ribs are the best to eat, next time I want to eat grandma's cooking." The old lady smiled and helped her serve rice, saying: "Good, good". Didn't expect, no more chances.

  It was fine just last month, how could it be like this! How could it be like this!

  Auntie whispered: "Mom, Daguai is here." Zhao Shuiguan hastily leaned forward to the bedside and shouted: "Grandma" his voice was already hoarse before it even came out.

  Zhao Shuiguan suddenly remembered what his grandmother used to say: "What if you can't walk anymore in the future?"

  She patted her chest and said: "What's there to worry about? We're here."

  At that time, she never thought that the old lady would really have a day when she couldn't get up. It turned out that such a thing was what the old lady was worried about and afraid of happening every day.

  When she was in elementary school, Zhao Shuiguan spent most of her time living with her grandmother. Every day after school, her grandmother would wait for her at the school gate. She also wanted to eat popsicles on the way home, but her grandmother said they were too dirty and wouldn't let her have one. Then she would pretend to be stubborn and say she wouldn't walk anymore. Although her grandmother would get angry, there were a few times when she succeeded.

  Zhao Shuiguan looked at the old lady's face with deep wrinkles, dry skin, and suddenly felt an inexplicable sourness. She could still recall the old lady's energetic figure carrying a basket to play cards behind her back, she could still remember the stories the old lady told her when she was young, she could still feel the warmth of the old lady's hand holding hers on their way home from school, and she couldn't imagine how things had become like this now.

  Zhao Shuiguang held the old lady's dry and wrinkled hand, almost shedding tears, suddenly regretting that he hadn't discovered this earlier, suddenly regretting that for such a long time he hadn't held the old lady's hand to go out for a walk.

  The old lady stopped running far after she was over 70, often laughing and saying: "In these ten years, I almost forgot how to get to Xinjiekou." Now thinking of this, it's bittersweet and tearful.

  Everyone says: "People are all prone to taking things for granted, and only cherish them when they're gone." It turns out that the moment before something actually happens is always more intense than what's being said.

  It is only when something has happened that you will regret it, and by then, it's too late.

  Mrs. Zhao stepped forward, pulled open the curtain and said: "The doctor has said that if he gets through tonight's critical period, he'll be okay." Zhao Shuiguan lifted his head, originally there was hope: "Really, can he recover?" No matter what situation she was in, she always believed her mother's words unconditionally.

  "Xiao Guang, your grandma is already so old, it's impossible to expect her to be like before. It's good enough that she's still alive."

  Zhao Shuiguan had always thought that her grandmother would wake up and be the same as before, walking with her hands behind her back to play cards and chat. Now she realizes that an old person over 80 years old has fallen down, how can they possibly have such a strong recovery like young people? She suddenly feels that the phrase "life is fragile" is far more cruel than what's written in books.

  "Mom Zhao saw her disappointed and sad look, saying: 'Tonight I'll keep watch, go home and help me get some clean clothes, this is the key, your dad will come over after work. Don't think about it anymore, first turn off this switch.'"

  Zhao Shuiguang took the note and walked out, leaving the hospital. The scorching noon sun made her eyes ache unbearably. In this short time from entering to exiting, the world had already changed. She suddenly wanted to call Tan Shumeng, but didn't know what to say, and she might just burst into tears on the phone.

  Back home, Zhao Shuiguan quickly packed up his things, checked them several times, and rushed to the hospital.

  At night, Zhao's mom and dad were keeping watch at the hospital. Zhao Shuiguan sat in front of the TV, constantly changing channels, but couldn't shake off the panic in her heart. The oppressive atmosphere made her scream, every minute, every second, she was afraid that the phone at home would ring, meaning bad news.

  The phone at home didn't ring, but her cell phone did. Zhao Shuiguan rushed back to the room, saw the man's name, and picked it up without saying a word. With a "hello", he suddenly felt that all his tension for the day was released, and all his fears flowed away with this soft voice.

  "That man chuckled: 'What are you doing?' The sexy voice in the quiet night was like a whisper in his ear."

  Zhao Shuiguang took his mobile phone and walked into the living room, saying: "Nothing's wrong, nothing happened." I was lying on the sofa, too weak to say anything.

  He talked with Zhao Shuiguan for half a day, and his intuition told him that every time she said "nothing" it absolutely meant "something", usually she would chatter on about what movie she watched today or what delicious food she ate.

  After a while, Zhao Shuiguan said softly: "My grandmother is in the hospital."

  Ben sat up straight on the balcony of his home in Beijing, phone clenched tightly in his hand, and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

  Zhao Shuiguan said: "I'm not clear, Mom said it was a cerebral infarction, which is commonly known as a stroke."

  "What's going on now?"

  Zhao Shuiguang turned up the air conditioner and said, "Just observe, it will be fine, nothing to worry about." He was saying this more to himself than to others.

  He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the brightly lit high-rise buildings of the city, and listened carefully to her every word, every breath. He imagined what kind of expression the child had when saying this, what kind of posture she had, and all of this made him feel a little powerless. At this moment, he wished he could be by her side.

  "What about you? Are you at home now?"

  They talked about books and ink, and the two of them chatted about something, but actually didn't remember what they said. Zhao Shuiguan said: "I'm going to sleep, goodnight."

  Tan Shu Mo said: "Good night" at last, and seriously said: "No matter what the result is, call me."

  Zhao Shuiguang grunted an "en" and hung up the phone.

  Even if she hung up the phone, she couldn't sleep, but she knew he had work to do in Beijing early tomorrow morning. What's the point of dragging him on? She didn't know what to say anyway, her mind was preoccupied with the phone call.

  Later, in a daze, Zhao Shuiguan fell asleep on the sofa. At more than 5 o'clock in the morning, the phone rang at home. Zhao Shuiguan jumped up to answer it. His mother's voice was tired, but her tone was excited and uncontrollable: "Daughter, the doctor said that your grandmother's condition has improved a lot, don't worry, your father will be back home soon."

  Zhao Shuiguang rubbed his eyes, carried the quilt back to his own room, and lay on the bed thinking about it. He looked at the time and thought about sending a text message: "Grandma's condition has stabilized, don't worry, thank you."

  Just less than a minute after sending it, the phone rang. Zhao Shuiguan was surprised and looked at the number before answering, "Haven't you slept yet?"

  "Nothing, just checking some information, what did the doctor say?"

  Zhao Shuiguang reported his mother's words in detail, and he actually listened carefully. Zhao Shuiguang looked at the time, it was almost 6 o'clock.

  She realized that he really wanted to look up information, and a warm feeling spread through her heart. She said softly, "Thank you, Teacher Tan."

  Tan Shu said faintly: "Zhao Shui Guang, your family will also be my family in the future. Family doesn't need to say thank you."

  Zhao Shuiguang was momentarily stunned and didn't know what to say. In her nineteen years of life, no one had ever spoken to her like that before.

  Tan Shu's voice softened: "I've booked a ticket for next week, and when I get back, I'd like to come visit your grandmother."

  Zhao Shuiguan was still immersed in thorough shock and replied without thinking: "Good"

  Tan Shu Mo hurried her: "Quickly, go to sleep now." There was a low laugh in his voice.

  She nodded and hung up the phone, lay in bed, couldn't sleep at all, suddenly "ah"ed, he said he wanted to come see her grandma, see her grandma? Just come "see"? Ah. What's going on?!

  After a few days, Zhao Shuiguan told Xi Miao about it. At that time, Xi Miao was applying nail polish and listened to the news with a crooked painting, threw away the polishing stick, grabbed the phone and said: "Dear, you're great! You've met the parents!"

  Zhao Shuiguang inexplicably said: "What's with seeing his parents, he just came to see my grandmother."

  Xi Miao laughed so hard that her scalp felt numb and said: "You're really something, your mom is now on leave every day in the hospital, how do you know it's not your mom who can't catch up with him?" With a sly smile, she said: "Xiao Guang, nowadays when meeting parents, it always starts from meeting the girl's side, listen to sister, it's true."

  Zhao Shuiguang and Xi Miao quarreled for a few words, hung up the phone, feeling that she was really in trouble. On the surface, she said she didn't believe it, but actually, she really believed that Tan Shumeng was that kind of person.

  In order not to scare her mother into having a heart attack, Comrade Zhao Shuiguan decided to give her mother a preventive shot first.

  Zhao Shuiguan has also been busy in the hospital recently. With her grandmother's condition improving a bit in the morning, and her mother seeming to be in a good mood, she opened her mouth: "Mom, I have something to tell you."

  Zhao's mother was busy collecting the flowers and gifts sent by guests in recent days, saying: "What's going on?"

  Zhao Shuiguang looked at Zhao Mama's busy hands and shrank his head: "First say, you can't hit me, nor scold me."

  Zhao's mother immediately put down everything in her hands, sat on the empty bed next to her, looked at her daughter's restless appearance, and felt very bad. She urged: "What's wrong? Tell me quickly."

  Zhao Shuiguang hesitated and said: "I have a boyfriend now."

  "Zhao's mom finally caught her breath and let out a sigh of relief: 'Oh dear, I thought something was wrong and it scared me to death.'"

  Zhao Shuiguan felt puzzled and asked: "What do you think is going on?"

  After a long time, Zhao Shuiguan and Xi Miao brought up this matter again. Xi Miao laughed so hard that she couldn't stand still, saying: "Your mom didn't think you were pregnant, did she?"

  Zhao Shuiguang hit her and thought of her mother's expression at that time, really feeling very possible.

  Zhao's mother changed her posture, waved her hand and said: "Nothing, who is that boy? I've seen him before?"

  Zhao Shuiguang found it hard to speak at this point, but still forced himself to say: "It's not some boy you've seen, it was our English teacher in high school." Zhao Shuiguang quickly added: "You even said he was handsome back then, and wondered how someone like him could become a teacher at our school."

  Mrs. Zhao suddenly looked enlightened and said, "No wonder, no wonder." She had only spoken half of her sentence when she realized it wasn't right, so she pinched Zhao Shuiguan's ear: "Are you trying to get yourself killed? You actually got involved in a teacher-student romance in high school!"

  Zhao Shuiguang died unjustly, rubbing his ears and saying: "No, no, it was only after graduation that we were together."

  Zhao's mother finally gave up, stood up and said: "I knew you were not right at that time" continued to clean up, thought of something, and said: "Your teacher is older than you, isn't he? You didn't cause any trouble for him, did you?"

  Zhao Shuiguang was really furious, what kind of mother would say that, but she couldn't help but lower her head and say: "No way, how is that possible?" Seeing her mother's fierce gaze, she quickly took back her words and said: "Really, there isn't, but he said he wanted to come over and see my grandmother."

  Later, a loud scolding came from the ward: "This kid really doesn't understand, who lets someone come to the ward for the first time and meets...".