Starting a new chapter in life

The father and son finally breathed a sigh of relief, but because of the injury to his back, he would have to stay in the hospital for a while, and it was estimated that he would have to spend the Chinese New Year in the hospital. Jingyan muttered that it was bad luck, but He Jin'an comforted her: "It's lucky that you didn't hurt any vital organs. It's okay to spend the Chinese New Year in the hospital. Zhizhi and I will come to keep you company."

Jing Yan waved her hand and shook her head in refusal: "No need, you all go about your business. I have your dad here with me. If I can, I'll be discharged and go home to recuperate during the New Year. The smell of disinfectant in the hospital makes me feel uneasy."

He Jin'an and He Anzhi went to consult a doctor, "Doctor, can my mother be discharged from the hospital before the end of the year to recuperate at home? She doesn't want to stay in the hospital."

The doctor glanced at the medical records and shook his head: "A normal person would need at least a month or two to be discharged after such a fall. Your mother is older, and her bones are brittle. It would be best if she stayed in the hospital for two months before going home to recuperate."

She has a minor fracture in her lumbar vertebrae, and she cannot get out of bed on her own at the moment. She's also not lightweight, and without professional help, it's easy for her to suffer further injury. You wouldn't want the elderly woman to suffer too much, would you?

The brother and sister exchanged a glance, and could only ask the doctor to take good care of them again before returning to their ward.

"Mom, we just asked the doctor, and he said you fractured your lumbar vertebrae and will need to stay in the hospital for at least two months. We'll bring you dumplings for the New Year, and it'll be just as good for our family to get together here," He Jin'an said helplessly.

Jingyan knew she couldn't be willful, so she nodded in agreement, "Okay, then you guys go back and bring over my toiletries and skincare products. Even if I'm hospitalized, I'll still be a refined old lady."

The brother and sister were amused by her: "Okay, we'll go back and pack now. Dad will stay here with you for now, and I'll take over tonight." After saying that, He Jin'an pulled He Anzhi out of the ward.

Zhizhi complained, "I can come and keep watch too, how about we take turns?"

He Jin'an shook his head: "Your work can't be delayed. Changing directors midway is a big no-no. You should just focus on your work. I'll take care of Mom. I'll ask the caregiver for help when she has trouble showering or using the toilet. I'll take care of that, so don't worry about it. Let's make time for Mom during the New Year."

Thinking about her own tasks, Zhizhi could only reluctantly nod in agreement: "Then let's hurry back and pack up Mom's usual things. You probably won't understand how to sort out Mom's skincare and toiletries, so I'll organize those. And Mom's change of clothes too; it's easier for me as a girl."

While I'm tidying up, could you go to the supermarket and buy Mom some milk, biscuits, bread, snacks, fruit, and other food? Mom might feel hungry when she's bored.

He Jin'an took Zhizhi home and told her to pack first. He then drove off to shop. It took the two siblings two trips to carry the things from the car into the ward. After that, they started tidying up the things, explaining as they went. This made Jingyan feel dizzy and confused.

Although she was annoyed, he was her child after all, and out of filial piety, she could only suppress her anger and numbly nod. The doctors who came to make rounds were dumbfounded. The once empty single ward was now crammed full. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder would go crazy. Fortunately, Jingyan was not very diligent, so she adapted well to this environment.

Seeing the doctor come in, he interrupted the two children's chatter: "Alright, you can put them down. I'm watching. Don't make a fuss, it's giving me a headache."

He turned to the doctor and asked, "Doctor, is my injury serious? Why do I have to stay in the hospital for so long? It's almost Chinese New Year, and I want to spend it at home."

The doctor smiled gently: "Auntie, I still recommend that you stay in the hospital to recover. There are professional medical staff here. Although it's more comfortable and convenient at home, the care provided by family members is ultimately not as good as that of professionals."

Hiring a caregiver at home isn't really necessary, is it? Your injury isn't too serious, but if you don't take it seriously, it could easily cause further damage. It's better to be safe than sorry, don't you think?

Jing Yan pursed her lips and finally agreed to the doctor's suggestion. So she stayed in the hospital. Both of her children were filial, and she was not short of money. Since there was a private room available, she naturally wanted to stay in a good one. So overall, she was quite comfortable.

The hospital has caregivers, so there's no need for someone to stay with the patient at night. He Jin'an is unusually diligent, preparing and delivering two meals a day, and bringing his father over and then taking him away. He doesn't have time to cook lunch, so Jingyan has to settle for He Zhijun's cooking.

The two have supported each other for half their lives, and He Zhijun's cooking skills are not too bad. Apart from the appearance not being very good, the taste is not bad either. At least Jingyan likes the food.

Jingyan was getting better day by day and could walk slowly in the corridor. However, just a week before the New Year, the global pandemic began to break out. Beijing was not the first city to be infected, but because of the large flow of people there, the number of infected patients was also large.

As the hospital was a gathering place for patients, it had to be sealed off immediately, and all family members were to be evacuated. When the hospital issued the notice, He Zhijun, his two children, and Shen Runze, who had rushed back from out of town, were chatting in the ward when they were shocked by the news.

Jingyan reacted quickly: "You guys go back first. Zhizhi, you haven't finished your work yet. Bring more changes of clothes and daily necessities to the film set tomorrow. The hospital is under lockdown, and there are a lot of people on your side, so it's probably going to be difficult. Make preparations. It's better to prepare more than to be short of things. At this time, even express delivery may not be timely."

Zhizhi nodded in agreement, but was somewhat worried about Jingyan.

Jingyan patted her hand and comforted her, "I'm probably the safest place in the hospital. There are medical staff here, so I feel safe. Don't wander around when you go home. Stay home and don't worry me."

"Old Shen, you're single and not a great cook, so why don't you move in with me for a while? I'm worried about leaving Zhijun home alone. There's plenty of food in the pantry."

You can usually just buy some vegetables and fruits, that should be enough. You can also buy fresh meat to cook. I have a lot of beef and lamb stored in the freezer, and there's also some sausage I learned to make from Chef Zhou in Haishi. Eat it when you want, it won't taste good if it's left for too long. After you finish eating it, I can cook more when I get home from the hospital.

Shen Runze nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, I'll take care of Lao He in daily life, and he just needs to be in charge of cooking."

Jing Yan looked at He Jin'an: "An'an, why don't you take your wife back to her parents' house for a while? Otherwise, her parents will miss their daughter, and it won't be fun for the two of you to stay at home. It'll be more lively with more people around."

I've stocked up on a lot of masks at home. It's very windy and dusty here, and luckily I don't like my mouth and nose getting dirty easily, so I bought two boxes and kept them at home, right behind the entryway. You guys can share them later. Since we're sick, wearing a mask when going out is better than not wearing anything at all.

"Zhijun, don't worry about me here. When you get home, cook some good food and don't skimp on yourself. We can video chat when we have time. There are caregivers here taking good care of you."

He Zhijun held her hand, his tone somewhat anxious: "Why don't we just get discharged? I'm really worried about leaving you here alone. I can carry you at home and make sure you don't get hurt."

Jing Yan laughed: "Didn't the doctor say that it's convenient for me to do rehabilitation and everything in the hospital? If the hospital is really closed, and something happens, I won't be able to get in even if I want to, and I'll suffer instead..."

"Dear family members, please leave the hospital within half an hour. The building will be closed in half an hour. Thank you for your cooperation!" The hospital's long-unused broadcast system was activated to issue the building closure notice.

Jing Yan smiled and waved to them: "Alright, stop dawdling and hurry back. The hospital is going to be locked down now, it seems this is quite serious. Be careful, the city might be locked down at any time. Have you finished preparing your New Year's goods? If not, hurry up and get them, don't delay things."

Everyone walked away, glancing back repeatedly, but despite their concerns, the hospital ruthlessly pushed them out. Seeing the once bustling hospital doors now closed and locked from the inside, all the family members standing outside could only sigh and leave.

On the way back, everyone first took Shen Runze home to pack his change of clothes and toiletries. Fortunately, men's things are relatively simple, and he finished packing in about half an hour.

Carrying two large suitcases into the trunk, He Jin'an drove, with He Anzhi in the passenger seat and He Zhijun and Shen Runze in the back. He Zhijun stared out the window, his mind blank.

He didn't know why, but he always felt uneasy. It was a vague feeling that he couldn't put into words, so he could only remain silent.

Once home, the group started dividing up the masks. Zhizhi, who was going to the film set, had brought a lot, so she and He Jin'an shared one and a half boxes, leaving half a box for He Zhijun and Shen Runze.

The siblings didn't linger. He Anzhi had a lot to do tonight. She was going back to the film set tomorrow, and as her mother had instructed, she was to bring plenty of personal belongings. Naturally, she packed carefully and also went to the supermarket to buy some snacks, just in case she couldn't make it out. It's always better to be prepared.

He Jin'an dropped her off at her doorstep, gave her a few words of advice, and then sped home. Fu Zixu was sitting on the living room sofa, leisurely reading a book.

The son sat cross-legged on the carpet by the coffee table, writing his test paper. He was about to enter junior high school and was taking advantage of the winter vacation to preview the courses for the second half of the year at home. He would ask Fu Zixu questions when he encountered something he didn't understand. The mother and son were very peaceful.

Hearing the door open, Fu Zixu looked up and saw He Jin'an returning. He gently got up, then turned and hung his down jacket on the coat rack in the entryway. "I went to see Mom. How is she recovering? I'm planning to take the kids to see her tomorrow. I made some pork rib soup today, so I'll bring some over tomorrow."

He Jin'an shook his head: "There's no need to go. We were kicked out of the hospital today. The hospital will be officially closed tonight. We won't be able to get in, and Mom won't be able to get out either."

Fu Zixu was startled: "Why so suddenly? Didn't you arrange for Mom to be discharged early? If the hospital is closed, it's better for her to stay at home and rest. It's inconvenient for you, as her son, to take care of her, but I can go. Mom has always been very good to me. It's rare for her to need my help. I can actually do a good job."

He Jin'an grabbed her hand and shook her head: "The doctor doesn't recommend that Mom be discharged. Mom also said that she feels safe with medical staff in the hospital, so she didn't go through with the discharge procedures."

But I just took Uncle Shen to Mom's to keep Dad company, so don't worry. Mom said that the pandemic has caused hospitals to close, so this might be quite serious. She told me to take you back to Mom and Dad's to stay with them. After all, you're their only daughter, and they'll feel more at ease having you around."

Fu Zixu was touched: "Mom is in the hospital all by herself and she still thinks about me. Let me get you a bowl of pork rib soup. I'll go pack my clothes. Hanhan, you go pack your things too. Don't forget your books."

He Shenghan agreed quickly, got up, tidied up the books on the coffee table, and went inside to finish tidying up.

"Go pack your things. I'll get the soup myself. Since we're spending the New Year with Mom and Dad this year, bring all the New Year's goods we bought with us. We can buy more here when we get back," He Jin'an casually instructed, then turned and went to the kitchen to drink the soup.

After the family finished packing in a flurry of activity and rested for a night, they drove to the mother-in-law's house early the next morning. Fu's parents were overjoyed to see them, especially since their grandson was also there. He was so enthusiastic that Fu Zixu was a little jealous.

He Anzhi packed her things overnight after returning home last night, making Cheng Heng think she was running away from home? Was she moving house?

Zhizhi glared at him: "What nonsense are you talking about? My mom's hospital is closed. I have to go back to the film set tomorrow. My mom told me to bring more things. In case Beijing is also under lockdown or something, it will be hard to live there if we lack everything. It's better to bring more than less."

Cheng Heng thought for a moment: "Should I pack my things and go with you? If you get stuck inside, it'll be boring for me to be home alone. I might as well keep you company."

Zhizhi frowned: "Then what about our son? We'll just leave him at your parents' house?"

Cheng Heng said matter-of-factly, "They take good care of Xiao Qing. They usually bring him back on weekends. It's fine for him to spend the New Year there. If you miss him, we can video chat more often later."

Zhizhi felt helpless, but she didn't want to spend the New Year alone on set, so she went along with it: "Okay then, pack what you need to take, bring the New Year's goods from home, and drive the RV in the garage, that can hold a lot."

After the couple finished their work and took a nap, the next morning they carried and moved things around like they were moving house. Only then did they drive to the film set, completely satisfied.

When she arrived at the film set, things seemed to be going well. At least there was no sign of unrest. The drive there had been normal too. Zhizhi, who had been on edge, felt much more at ease. She thought to herself, "Maybe it's because hospitals are different, so they're a bit stricter."

When you're engrossed in your work, time flies by, and you're less aware of the outside world. It wasn't until Zhizhi's script was nearing completion and she could finally catch her breath that she learned that the pandemic wasn't just severe in Beijing, or even in China; it had actually spread globally.