Chapter 788

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

Originally today they had planned to go to the County Hospital to visit Liu Xiaoli.

Because Wang Zhanggen had an incident, in the end they had no choice but to postpone it.

Changed to going tomorrow.

Ever since Liu Xiaoli was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer, she did not cooperate with treatment in a timely manner; after she went home to recuperate for a period of time, her condition not only failed to improve but gradually worsened, showing signs of ascites.

In the end she had no choice but to go to the County Hospital for treatment.

She has already been hospitalized for three days now.

"Tomorrow I'll go with them to visit Liu Xiaoli; you just don't go, stay at home and rest properly."

That evening, during dinner, Li Xiulan said this one sentence to Wang Zhanggen.

Wang Zhanggen sat dully at the table, his face dark, expressionless, frozen like a wooden chicken.

He still hadn't come out of the blow of losing his grandson.

Wang Erhai, seeing this from the side, felt uneasy:

"Dad, don't take this matter to heart; later I'll find another woman and give you several grandsons."

Wang Erhai didn't return to the County Town today; he was afraid that if he left his father would have trouble, so he decided to stay in Shangou Village for the night, and wait until the next day to see how his father's condition was before deciding whether to return to the County Town.

If the state still wasn't good, then he would take Wang Zhanggen to the hospital for a check-up.

If the state improved, then he would return to the County Town to work.

Recently the Company signed a new Sales Agency Contract with Huangsheng New City, and he has a lot of work to be busy with.

"Exactly, don't take it to heart; if it's ours it will naturally come, if it's not ours forcing it won't bring it, all this is fate, you also don't blame Erhai, it was Liu Meiqi herself who wanted to abort the child, the child was in her belly, we also had no way to say anything, just let this matter pass."

Li Xiulan also came to comfort Wang Zhanggen.

Wang Zhanggen gave a complex smile:

"I'm afraid I won't be able to hold a grandson in this lifetime."

Li Xiulan's heart gave a jolt, and she hurriedly said:

"Pah pah pah, don't speak unlucky nonsense; how could you not hold a grandson when everything's fine? If Erhai doesn't have one, there's still Dashan; if Dashan doesn't, there's still Xiao Hua; with our three sons, there will always be one who can give you a grandson!"

Wang Erhai hurriedly chimed in:

"Right right, Dad, you'll definitely be able to hold a grandson in the near future; on my end I'll also find a new partner as soon as possible, and make you a grandson as soon as possible!"

To comfort his own father, Wang Erhai spoke all kinds of words against his true feelings.

Actually he had absolutely no intention of preparing for pregnancy again.

Even if he were with Yao Xueqin, he probably wouldn't be in such a rush to have a child.

He always felt he was still young; having a baby wasn't urgent.

At the very least he'd wait until after thirty before considering it.

Of course, he couldn't possibly tell his parents these true thoughts, because he deeply knew there was a generation gap between him and his parents; no matter how he explained, it would be impossible to make his parents accept his viewpoint, just as no matter how much effort his parents made, they could never change the stereotyped impression long since formed in his heart.

Wang Zhanggen suddenly spoke at this moment:

"Tomorrow going to the County Hospital to see Liu Xiaoli, I'll go along too."

Li Xiulan's face showed a trace of surprise:

"You weren't always unwilling to go see Liu Xiaoli before? How come you're taking the initiative to go now?"

Wang Zhanggen didn't say anything, just lowered his head, took out a cigarette, and with trembling hands lit one.

He seemed to have anticipated something, and only then made this decision.

In the blink of an eye, the next day.

Wang Erhai drove, carrying Wang Zhanggen, Li Xiulan, and Liang Xinghua, together to the Town; on the Town side they met up with Zhou Hongwei, Zhao Shoutian, and Liu Dahe, and then all went together to the County Town.

Zhou Hongwei drove his own minivan; Zhao Shoutian and Liu Dahe both rode in his minivan.

Arriving at the County Hospital, they parked the cars.

The group together went outside to buy some fruit, then together went to the Inpatient Department.

Finding Liu Xiaoli's ward, just as they walked in.

They saw Liu Xiaoli lying on the hospital bed; her face was gaunt, her hands shriveled and fleshless, but her belly was strangely large, just like a pregnant woman's — that was the ascites swelling her belly.

There was also a middle-aged man in the ward; that was Liu Xiaoli's own older brother, Liu Daliang.

"Xiao Li, I have to go back to work today; the Factory only gave me two days' leave; you must take good care of yourself."

Liu Daliang's face was full of guilt.

"Brother, you go; no need to worry about me."

Liu Xiaoli's eyes were dim.

She actually very much wanted her brother to stay and take care of her, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

She was someone who didn't like to trouble others.

And she also knew her brother had his own family, their finances weren't well-off, just staying alive was already very hard, and it was also very difficult for them to help her out.

"Xiao Li, here's five thousand yuan; although it's not much, you take it; it's a little token from your brother; if your sister-in-law asks, you absolutely must not say I gave it to you, otherwise she'll get angry."

Liu Daliang handed the five thousand yuan to Liu Xiaoli.

"Brother, you take it back; no need to give me money; I'll be discharged in a couple of days."

Liu Xiaoli declined politely.

"Take it. If you don't, I'll have a knot in my heart I can't get over for the rest of this life."

Liu Daliang's eye rims were red.

"Alright then, I'll take it. Thanks, Brother."

Liu Xiaoli took the money in the end.

Liu Daliang turned around and left.

Just then Wang Changgen and a large group of fellow workers walked in.

Liu Daliang didn't say a word, didn't even offer a greeting, and just hurried away.

"Sister Xiao Li, was that your brother?"

Liang Xinghua asked.

Liu Xiaoli nodded.

At this moment Li Xiulan handed over the fruit she had bought:

"Xiao Li, we brought you some fruit. You're in the hospital, you need to take good care of yourself."

At this moment Zhou Hongwei took out a stack of cash:

"This is from me, Dahe, Shoutian, Xinghua, and Changgen — so many fellow workers chipped in together. Not much, three thousand each, fifteen thousand total. You take it, get proper treatment. If the money runs out, we'll figure something else out."

Seeing this, Liu Xiaoli was moved.

"Thank you, thank you all."

Wang Changgen hid behind Zhou Hongwei and the others, watching Liu Xiaoli from a distance.

He didn't dare get too close.

As soon as he got too close, there would be a breath, an aura, giving him endless fear.

It was the breath of death.

This aura coiled around Liu Xiaoli, impossible to dispel.

And he, Wang Changgen, felt that he himself seemed to have a touch of that same aura on him.

"Brother Changgen, can I say a few words to you alone?"

At this moment Liu Xiaoli looked at Wang Changgen, her eyes pleading.

Wang Changgen had come over on his own initiative this time, actually wanting to say a few words to Liu Xiaoli as well.

But now that he was here on the scene, he felt a bit of dread.

It was a complex and contradictory feeling.

A contradictory psychology of facing death.

And this psychology is actually a process every single one of us must go through.

Facing others' death, facing our own death.

Only by overcoming the fear of facing others' death can one overcome the fear of facing one's own death.

It is a gradual, step-by-step process.

We are born into this world, we see off one person after another around us, and then in turn are seen off by one person after another around us as we depart.

"Xiao Li, whatever you want to say, I'm listening."

Wang Changgen forced his steps forward and came to Liu Xiaoli's bedside.

He looked at Liu Xiaoli on the sickbed, and in a trance saw himself in the not-too-distant future.

……