1979: My fiancée is a goddess

Chapter 391 Visiting Mr. Mao and meeting two sisters

"Kaiyan, eat something too!"

"Aunt Yao, I've eaten."

"Give me some if you've already eaten!"

There was a sumptuous meal on the table, with three bowls of vegetable broth and porridge placed in front of the three people.

Yao Cheng put his hands on his hips and glared at Cheng Kaiyan in annoyance.

This kid came here early in the morning and didn't say a word after eating. It was a good thing that I was still thinking about him and specially prepared extra food for one person.

As a result, Cheng Kaiyan was different. She pestered the old man early in the morning and talked about something unknown, and they chatted excitedly for most of the day.

Now the old man can’t even take time to eat, which will ruin his health. Can you afford it?

"Fine……"

Cheng Kaiyan opened her mouth, said nothing, then lowered her head and started eating.

Seeing this, Yao Cheng nodded with satisfaction.

After breakfast, Cheng Kaiyan was driven out after diligently preparing her dishes and chopsticks.

"Let's go. Wait until your Aunt Yao finishes packing, then we'll go out."

Ye Shengtao sat on the sofa in the living room, continued to look at the manuscript in his hand, and gave instructions.

"Who are we going to see today? It's so mysterious."

Cheng Kaiyan asked curiously.

"You'll know when you go there. Anyway, ordinary people can't see him now."

Ye Shengtao shook his head and said nothing.

If he had not read "Atonement", a modernist literary work written by Cheng Kaiyan today, which is completely different from the current trend in the literary world and even represents the future of the literary world to some extent, he would not have wanted to take Cheng Kaiyan to meet that person.

After waiting until nine o'clock, Aunt Yao Cheng finished her housework and changed into a decent coat.

Cheng Kaiyan and the other two went out.

"Pap-ta-ta-ta-"

At this time, the sky was gray and small raindrops were falling.

The raindrops hit the umbrella and made a slight white noise.

Out of the alley.

The old man, supported by Aunt Yao Cheng, pointed to the farmer's market with a gray-green sign not far away and said, "Kai Yan, go buy some fruit."

"Ah."

Cheng Kaiyan nodded thoughtfully and turned to leave. When she came back, she had a bag of fruits in her hands, including apples and bananas.

The three of them stood quietly in the rain waiting for the bus, and a few passers-by beside them complained that the rain came so suddenly.

"Drip!"

At the end of the street in the rain, a blue and white bus drove over.

Cheng Kaiyan looked up and saw a number "3" hanging on the bus.

Three bus routes.

The starting point is Dongzhimen, passing through Dongxi, Mishi Street, Dongdan, Wangfujing, and the end point is Guang'anmen.

It starts at 5 o'clock and runs until 11 o'clock. It is a very busy bus route.

Cheng Kaiyan turned around and informed, "It's the third route."

"Just take bus number three. Let's get on."

The old man waved and greeted.

"Oh."

Who are you going to visit?

The old man looked a little emotional, and Cheng Kaiyan suppressed the doubts in her heart.

Wait for the bus to stop and then get on.

No matter what time it is, the bus is always wet on rainy days, and the smell is not very pleasant with the closed windows, and the peculiar smell after being soaked by rain is particularly obvious.

Fortunately, fifteen minutes later, Cheng Kaiyan and the other two got off the bus at Dongdan.

After a few minutes, I saw a classical building.

Varnished green tiles, grey bricks and white walls.

There was a sign with black letters on a white background next to the gate, which read Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

"Xiehe? We are here to visit the patient."

Cheng Kaiyan finally understood. No wonder he wanted to buy fruit just now.

"Well, let's go in."

Old man Ye Shengtao looked up into the distance and walked in front to lead the way.

The group entered the hospital lobby and found a young nurse.

The old man said gently, "Young comrade, can you take us to Ward 407?"

"Four-zero-seven?"

"Excuse me, old man. The patient in ward 407 is a little special. May I ask who you are?"

The young nurse looked up with some embarrassment, her eyes drifted to a tall young man following behind her, and she suddenly exclaimed in a low voice: "Surprise! Teacher Cheng Kaiyan?! Are you here to visit too?"

"Yes, comrade. If you can't make the decision, you can just go and inform them."

Cheng Kaiyan was stunned, as if she didn't expect that such a place could be recognized?
I don’t seem to be that famous, right?
what's the situation?
"Haha, last time you came to our Union Hospital to change the dressing and check up, many people in our hospital remembered you, a handsome writer, and a hero in the battle on the front line!"

The young nurse looked up and said with a bright smile, "I'll ask for you, but I may not be able to get in."

"Thank you, comrade."

Cheng Kaiyan understood and thanked her, and the young nurse waved her hand to signal her to follow.

The old man and Aunt Yao Cheng at the side both had strange expressions on their faces.

"Puchi... I'm dying of laughter. How come you weren't recognized, Dad?"

Yao Cheng couldn't help but laugh when he saw this, and he tugged at the old man's sleeve and teased him.

"Humph!"

The old man snorted, puffed his beard and glared.

Everyone went up to the intensive care unit on the fourth floor.

They stopped at the door of Room 407, and the nurse came in to ask questions while the three of them waited outside.

The young nurse walked to the bedside, looked at the old man lying quietly on the bed and asked softly:

"Comrade Cheng Kaiyan, an old man and a female comrade have come to see you. Would you like to meet them?"

"Cheng Kaiyan... there is another old gentleman?"

The old man opened his eyes and heard these words. His cloudy eyes brightened up a little and he ordered, "Let them all come in."

"understood."

The nurse leaned over and tucked the corner of the quilt for the old man, then turned and left.

After leaving the room, she waved to Cheng Kaiyan and the other two, indicating that they could go in.

Mr. Ye Shengtao walked in front, followed closely by Yao Cheng and Cheng Kaiyan.

who can that be?

Cheng Kaiyan thought while looking ahead.

The door opened, and a white-haired old man lay quietly on the hospital bed, with an oxygen tube in his nose and a heart rate monitor flashing on the side.

"Mr. Mao?!"

Cheng Kaiyan saw the old man's face clearly and was suddenly shocked.

Surprise, astonishment and an indescribable sadness.

As an unavoidable figure on the road of New China's literature, he still remembers his life, birth and death in history textbooks.

1981 3 Month 27 Day.

There isn't much time left.

"Why? Comrade Xiao Cheng, are you surprised to see me like this?"

Lying on the hospital bed, Mr. Mao smiled, looking free and easy.

In fact, he already knew that he was dying, so after he was sent to the hospital, he immediately arranged to donate his royalties and set up a literary award.

"...At last year's awards ceremony, you looked healthy and energetic. How come you suddenly..."

Cheng Kaiyan shook her head and asked in a somewhat dry voice.

He had only met Mr. Mao once, and they had collaborated on the National Excellent Short Story Award last year. When Mr. Mao presented the awards, he was the one who called out the names.

But seeing Mr. Mao in such a terminally ill state, even the calmest mind would inevitably be stirred up with some waves of sadness.

"I'm 85. At this age, it's hard to be in a stable physical condition."

Mr. Mao shook his head and smiled.

Cheng Kaiyan and Yao Cheng looked at each other and fell silent.

They both thought about their grandfather's health and age.

"Yes."

Old Master Ye Shengtao at the side couldn't help but sigh, but when he thought of his purpose, he waved his hand and said, "Okay, let's not talk about this kind of thing. I came here this time just to let you meet Cheng Kaiyan."

"he?"

Mao Lao glanced at Cheng Kaiyan standing beside him. This young man left a deep impression on him. The young man was full of vigor and vitality, with a clear demeanor, outstanding talent and character.

To be honest, if it weren’t for his old friend Ye Shengtao, he might have accepted this student.

"Yes, recently our Kaiyan has conceived a very good modernist literary work. After reading it, I think it is very likely to become a work that will officially connect our country's literature with the international literary mainstream, and it has the level of a famous modernist literary work."

"Modernist literature? Famous writers? Really?"

Mr. Mao was stunned for a moment, then quickly turned his head to look at his old friend in surprise, only to see that his face was serious and there was no sign of surprise.

Gradually, Mr. Mao felt a little convinced.

It is impossible that my old friend Ye Shengtao lied to me, especially in my current situation?

After a moment of silence in the ward, Elder Mao smiled and said, "So, Old Ye, you came here specifically to show off in front of me, right? I want to see what kind of work your students can write. Let me see it, can you?"

After saying that, the old man tried to sit up from the bed with his arms, but just after he raised himself a few centimeters, he fell down heavily without strength.

"Hey!"

Cheng Kaiyan acted quickly and helped Mr. Mao sit up. Then she took a pillow from the bed next to hers and put it behind his back so that he could lean on it comfortably.

"Thank you, Comrade Xiao Cheng."

Mr. Mao gasped weakly and expressed his gratitude.

"Just call me Kaiyan."

Cheng Kaiyan shook her head and spoke gently.

"Kaiyan, how about letting me see your unfinished work? When it comes to literature, your teacher's level is high, but still slightly inferior to mine."

Mr. Mao glanced at Ye Shengtao standing beside him and said teasingly.

"Good for you old fellow!"

Old Master Ye Shengtao blew his beard and glared, but there was a smile in his eyes. He opened his briefcase, took out the manuscript, and handed it over. "Can you still read it clearly?"

"rest assured."

Mr. Mao took it, put on his glasses and looked through it, his expression gradually becoming serious.

Half an hour later, after flipping through it roughly, he rubbed his eyes tiredly and said slowly: "It is indeed different from the mainstream literature in China, and also different from those writers who try modernist literature and stream of consciousness.

Their works are inevitably a bit awkward, but this one gives me a smooth and natural feeling.

In particular, the extreme use of limited subjective perspectives and unreliable narratives shows how consciousness distorts reality. "

Mao Lao looked up at Cheng Kaiyan, his eyes bright, and asked curiously, "Have you already thought of the whole story in your mind?"

"almost."

Cheng Kaiyan smiled.

"It seems that you still lack some confidence. Keep working hard, think more, read more, and write more."

Mr. Mao sorted out the manuscripts and encouraged: "The background of your work is the Republic of China. I have also written many works of this era before."

"I have heard of your Midnight."

Cheng Kaiyan continued.

"What? You just heard about it?!"

Mao was stunned for a moment, then said unhappily, "Go back and read this carefully a few times! Midnight will definitely be helpful for you to write Atonement, which is set in the Republic of China."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Cheng Kaiyan nodded awkwardly. He had never seen "Midnight".

"Hahaha!"

Then Mr. Ye and Aunt Yao Cheng burst into laughter, diluting the gloomy atmosphere in the ward.

"call……"

Mr. Mao leaned against the soft pillow behind him, looked at the three people in front of the bed, and let out a long sigh.

He turned his head to look at the printed window covered by rain and the wet sky outside the window, and sighed inwardly:

"But I don't think I'll be able to see this masterpiece, which is rooted in modernist literature and is about to go abroad..."

The four of them chatted for a while, and Mr. Mao felt that he had rested enough, so he waved his hand and said, "Kaiyan, you and Yao Cheng go out for a walk, I'll talk to Old Ye."

"Okay, Mr. Mao."

The two nodded, knowing that the old friends had something to say, and quickly stood up and left the ward.

In the ward corridor.

Aunt Yao Cheng smiled and said, "Mr. Mao really thinks highly of you, Kaiyan. I think he wants to take you in as his student."

"Mr. Mao is doing this for the sake of our teacher..."

Cheng Kaiyan shook her head and said calmly.

"Go, go, go."

Aunt Yao Cheng laughed and said, "It's getting late. I'll go buy some groceries and cook. You and Grandpa will be back for lunch soon, okay? Keep an eye on Grandpa."

"Don't worry, Aunt Yao, if you lose even one hair, you will be beheaded."

Cheng Kaiyan nodded seriously.

"I'm leaving."

"be careful on the road."

……

Aunt Yao Cheng went home to cook. Cheng Kaiyan sat for a while, then leaned over to the door of the ward and saw that the two old people were still chatting.

"Just walk around and come back at eleven."

Cheng Kaiyan raised her wrist. It was already ten fifteen.

I stood up and walked along the corridor, admiring the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, which was converted from a royal palace.

After being renovated by an American designer, the palace has both oriental grandeur and western elegance.

Especially in the rain, it is very poetic.

Cheng Kaiyan walked around and unknowingly came to the hospital lobby.

It was almost noon and there were still so many people in the hospital.

As he was turning around, suddenly two familiar figures came into his sight.

"Little Crane and Little Carp? Why are they here?"

Cheng Kaiyan looked carefully and saw that they were the two sisters with miserable lives in the welfare home.

There were two adults around the two sisters, a male doctor in a white coat and a middle-aged woman in her forties who was excitedly pulling the doctor's arm and saying something.

Cheng Kaiyan frowned and walked over.

……

Xiaoli held her sister's hand and stood quietly beside her adoptive mother, silently waiting for the outcome of their conversation.

To treat or not to treat.

This decision, which will determine the sister's life, is about to be revealed to her.

Ever since her sister was examined in the hospital a few years ago and her condition was found to have worsened, Xiaoli has felt like a heavy rock was pressing on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.

Many nights, she dreamed that her sister became blind, suffered from skin cancer, and passed away quietly in a corner. Then she woke up in the middle of the night, and endless loneliness and pain hit her like a tide.

"Sister...I'm so scared."

The eight-year-old girl hugged her sister's legs pitifully, her pale face flushed with unhealthy fatigue, her eye sockets slightly red, her big watery pink eyes reflected the watery light, as if she was about to sob in the next second.

"Don't be afraid, Xiaohe. Sister is here. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Sister is here."

The thinly dressed and shy girl felt a sharp pain in her heart when she heard her sister's trembling voice. She squatted down and hugged her sister tightly in her arms.

Xiaoli suppressed the uneasiness and tension in his heart, and tried to soften his voice to offer comfort.

The two sisters hugged each other, and their hearts calmed down a little.

I heard my foster mother talking to the doctor.

"Director Huang, is it possible to cure a disease like this?"

"Albinism is a typical genetic disease. Genes are irreversible and there is currently no cure, but scientific management can improve quality of life and prevent complications."

At present, Xu He's eyesight has declined significantly. It is best for him to wear 100% UV-proof amber lenses to reduce light sensitivity.

If your skin is exposed to the sun, apply cold compresses immediately and apply 1% hydrocortisone cream externally, and go to the hospital for a checkup every month.
Whether it is eyesight or skin, you must strictly avoid light and supplement vitamin D regularly.

This is relatively easy. As long as they strictly follow the doctor's advice, the life expectancy of albinos is no different from that of normal people."

"Comrade? How much do custom UV-blocking lenses cost?"

"This coating technology is not available in China at the moment. We need to import it from abroad. The price is very expensive, about 400 yuan."

"Four hundred... this."

The middle-aged woman opened her mouth but fell silent, and the doctor's hand fell down weakly.

This is definitely not something an ordinary single-income family can afford.

"Domestic lenses can only barely achieve a 60% blocking rate, but the protection effect is very poor. The price is about yuan, but they need to be replaced regularly, after all, vision is declining."

The doctor looked at the little girl not far away with pity and spoke in a calm voice.

This is still the cost of vision, and... a huge problem is that this little girl's bleeding time is longer than that of ordinary people.

Initial speculation is that it may be a platelet storage pool defect caused by albinism Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome.

"Wuwu... I won't treat you anymore, sister, I won't treat you anymore! Let me go to the small dark room..."

"Woooooooo..."

The little girl who heard the conversation pursed her lips and tears as big as beans rolled down her cheeks. She hugged her sister's neck tightly with her pale little hands, put her mouth close to her sister's ear, and sobbed intermittently.

(End of this chapter)