In the evening, Lin Ziming brought them food, and they ate in the ward before going back.
Gu Zheng naturally took the child back as well, while Xia Ran stayed with her grandfather overnight.
Grandpa was really eager to be discharged from the hospital. The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Xia Ran heard some noises.
"Grandpa?" He opened his eyes groggily and found that his grandfather had already gotten up, but he hadn't turned on the light so as not to wake him.
"Did I wake you up?" Grandpa asked with a guilty tone. "I thought I was being quiet enough, but I still woke you up. It's still early, go back to sleep."
Xia Ran lost the desire to continue sleeping, yawned, sat up, and turned on the light.
"Grandpa, why are you up so early today?"
"I've been sleeping too much these past few days, so I woke up early. I didn't expect to wake you up."
"No, I've been going to bed early these past two days, so I'm not sleepy anymore. Let me help you wash your face. We can be discharged soon after the doctor starts work."
"Okay." Grandpa Xia always had a smile on his face, but Xia Ran felt that it didn't quite match the feelings that Grandpa was going through right now.
Grandpa was feeling so unwell the day before yesterday that he even fainted, but since waking up in the hospital, he seems to be in a better mood than ever before.
This was unprecedented not only after waking up in the hospital, but also because he had never seen his grandfather so relaxed since he could remember. This relaxed mood emanated from within.
"Grandpa, you seem to be in a very good mood these past two days."
After washing up, they sat on the bed watching TV, and Xia Ran couldn't help but ask a question.
Grandpa Xia was still smiling. "Of course, I'm in a good mood now that a wish of mine has finally been fulfilled."
Xia Ran knew, of course, what her grandfather's wish was.
"Grandpa, do you... still like that... other grandpa?"
Xia Ran thought for a moment and decided to use the title "Grandpa" instead. Although he felt that his grandfather's actions were somewhat unfair to his grandmother, he still didn't know what to do. If he said he would stand up for his grandmother, would his grandfather be angry?
Grandpa Xia immediately knew what Xia Ran was thinking, but he didn't say it aloud. He simply said...
"How can I forget someone I've liked for so many years, someone I knew and loved since I was young? But that's all in the past, so it doesn't matter whether we talk about it or not. Let's talk about your situation. I won't be at ease until your problem is resolved."
"Huh? Talking about me? What's there to say?" Xia Ran was taken aback. "We were just talking about you, why are you suddenly bringing me up?"
"Grandpa's affairs are all in the past, what's there to talk about? What we need to talk about now is you. You have a bright future ahead of you, and what Grandpa wants most is for you to be doing well."
Xia Ran disliked hearing his grandfather say such things the most, as it always made him feel very uncomfortable.
"Grandpa, I'm doing fine now, aren't I? You don't need to worry. You can watch me go and see me live a good life."
Grandpa Xia smiled but didn't answer Xia Ran's question. In the past, he would have agreed, but things were different now; he wanted to…
Grandpa Xia sighed inwardly, but his face remained all smiles.
"Alright, alright, Grandpa will watch over you from now on, watch you walk, and watch you live a good life. But Xiao Ran, how do you feel about Gu Zheng now? I've been watching his every move these past few days, and I'm sure he's really good to you and really likes me."
Upon hearing his grandfather's words, Xia Ran thought to himself, "As expected," as he had guessed that his grandfather wanted to say this to him.
But he still has no answer and can't answer his grandfather's question.
"Grandpa, I know what you're thinking, and I know that it's impossible for you to forgive Gu Zheng right away, so I won't force you. I just want you to know that there are some people you should never miss, because once you miss them, it's hard to get them back."
"Also, now that Ziming and your Uncle Lin are in the family, if you encounter any difficulties or don't know what to do, you should take the initiative to ask them and discuss it with them, okay? Also, don't be too frugal. We have so many houses, you can live a lifetime even if you don't work. Go out and see more when you have time, don't always stay at home."
Chapter 416 Sleeping Pills
"Grandpa, why are you suddenly talking about these things? I'm not a child anymore; I know how to behave properly."
Xia Ran found his grandfather's words somewhat amusing, feeling that his grandfather was treating him like a child. At this moment, he was still unaware that something was amiss.
Grandpa Xia smiled and didn't say anything more, but he thought to himself that no matter what, Xia Ran was no longer alone, so he could rest assured.
"Alright, alright, Grandpa won't say anymore. You're a grown-up now. But Xiao Ran, when you're discharged from the hospital, could you ask the doctor to prescribe some sleeping pills for me? I haven't been sleeping well these past few days."
"Sleeping pills? Grandpa, those pills are no good. We should avoid taking them if possible."
"I haven't been eating much. Sometimes I don't sleep well and I'm not energetic during the day. We just ask the doctor. As long as we eat the right things, we're not worried, right?"
"Okay, I'll ask the doctor later."
"Okay," Grandpa Xia said with a smile.
Gu Zheng arrived early as yesterday. They had breakfast together and would be discharged after the doctor's rounds.
Of course, Xia Ran also asked the doctor, who said that the old man could take some sleeping pills to help him sleep, but it would be best to maintain an optimistic attitude so that he could sleep better.
When Grandpa was discharged from the hospital, Lin Ziming and the others naturally came and took Grandpa home.
But when they were at the doorstep, Grandpa suddenly sighed.
"It's a pity it's not at home."
"Grandpa, I know you miss home. Once you're feeling better after the New Year, we'll go home."
Xia Ran simply assumed the old man was just getting on in years and missing home, and didn't think much of it.
Grandpa Xia smiled but did not answer Xia Ran's question.
Yes, I'm going home, back to my original home. It'll be soon. You must wait for me.
Grandpa Xia touched the iron box in his hand and went inside.
Gu Zheng was already quite skilled at it, and he didn't need to wait for Xia Ran to express her opinion before following her inside.
"You can all stay home and have dinner with me today. Gu Zheng, you can stay too."
Gu Zheng was naturally pleased with what Grandpa Xia had said and readily agreed.
Xia Ran frowned, about to speak, when Lin Ziming patted his shoulder and whispered,
"Grandpa was just discharged from the hospital, so let's just go along with him."
Xia Ran could only remain silent, which was considered a silent agreement.
"I'm going to take a nap first, and then I'll go grocery shopping with Xiaoran later. Since you went to college, we've had very few opportunities to go grocery shopping together."
"Okay, I'll go with you then," Xia Ran said helplessly. "Then you should go and rest now."
He helped the old man back to his room, intending to put the iron box away for him, but to his surprise, the old man simply placed it on the bedside table.
Xia Ran paused for a moment, but ultimately said nothing.
"Then you should get some sleep first, and then I'll take you to the supermarket so we can have a good look around."
"Okay, okay."
Xia Ran quietly closed the door, while Gu Zheng and the others sat in the living room.
Perhaps because none of them knew each other well, they all sat in silence, creating an extremely strange atmosphere.
Xia Ran looked at the group of people, and suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Otherwise, you can all go about your business. I can keep an eye on things here. Grandpa said you can come over for dinner tonight. Otherwise, sitting here all the time will just be a waste of time."
The main problem was that since everyone was sitting there, he didn't know what to ask them to do, because it seemed like there was nothing to do.
"Xiao Ran, is everything really alright with Grandpa?" Lin's father asked.
Xia Ran: "It seems that Grandpa is in a pretty good mood right now, so he should be fine. It's just that I never expected that the person who left Grandpa back then was due to health reasons. This must have been a huge blow to Grandpa."
"He was doing it for the old man's own good; it was his way of showing his love for him."
"Yes." Xia Ran also had great respect for the young man his grandfather had never met. How much that person must have loved his grandfather! If he could, he would like to be a part of his grandfather's youth and see those two boys who worked hard for each other back then.
Lin Ziming and his son ultimately did not go back. They simply sat in the living room watching TV and looking at their phones. For them, the old man's condition was quite worrying.
As for Gu Zheng, he didn't leave either. He rarely gets to stay here, so why would he be foolish enough to leave?
Xia Ran didn't say anything more and could only sit with him in the living room. Gu Chen had probably gotten up too early in the morning, so he had already gone to sleep.
Xia Ran was playing on his phone when he realized he hadn't replied to several messages yet.
One of them was from He Xiu, who said he was off work the day before yesterday and yesterday, and only found out this morning when he came to work that his grandfather had been admitted to the hospital again. He just sent a message to ask.
Then there's Dazhuang, who just asked about recent events, and he replied to all of them.
The last one was He Hao. Xia Ran asked if he was alright. She was a little confused, but still replied that he was fine.
When Grandpa Xia got up and saw everyone there, he was in a very good mood. Perhaps it's because he's getting old, but he still enjoys the lively atmosphere at home.
"Didn't I tell you all to go about your business? You can come over for dinner tonight, don't let it interfere with your work."
“Grandpa, we just wanted to stay here with you, have lunch with you, and then we could all go grocery shopping and cook together, which would make things much easier,” Mr. Lin said.
"How about we go out for lunch? I know a really good restaurant there, the food is excellent," Gu Zheng suddenly said.
After he finished speaking, he looked at Xia Ran with a hint of expectation, afraid that Xia Ran would refuse.
Xia Ran certainly noticed Gu Zheng's gaze, but he didn't know whether he should refuse.
Well, to put it simply... he seemed a bit hesitant. He'd like to eat out, since there wasn't enough time to cook at this hour.
But when it comes to agreeing, he doesn't seem quite so keen.
But before Xia Ran could come up with a solution, Grandpa Xia spoke up first.
"Okay, let's go out to eat together. I'd like to try some food from outside."
Since Grandpa had already spoken, Xia Ran had nothing more to say. She went to wake the child up, changed his clothes, and went out.
One car was definitely not enough to accommodate everyone, so Gu Zheng and Lin Ziming each drove one.
Xia Ran wanted to ride in Lin Ziming's car, but Grandpa Xia pulled her into Gu Zheng's car instead.
"We'll ride in Gu Zheng's car, and Ziming and the others can follow behind."
"Grandpa," Xia Ran called out helplessly. How could he not understand his grandfather's thoughts?
"Stop talking like Grandpa, just listen to me," Grandpa Xia said.
Gu Zheng watched from the side, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.
"Aran, you can ride in my car with Grandpa and the kids. Don't waste time, or Grandpa will get hungry."
Xia Ran couldn't help but glare at him, but then the grandfather and child got into the car together.
Little did he know how happy Gu Zheng was by the glare he had just given him. At least Xia Ran would no longer look at him with the same calm and unfamiliar expression as usual.
The restaurant was an old-fashioned Chinese restaurant, very large in scale and with a very nice environment. It was definitely not the cheap kind of restaurant, but for Gu Zheng, such an environment and price were not a problem at all.