"Hey, hey, go away, go play with Brother Pengpeng, don't cause trouble here..."
Zhuang Rui hung up the lantern and was about to come down when he noticed a chubby little guy below, preparing to climb up the ladder. Pengpeng, whom Zhuang Rui was talking about, is Ouyang Lei's son. He is nineteen years old this year and went abroad to study last year, but he has now returned. He is the eldest grandson of the emperor.
Among Nannan's generation, she is the youngest. In addition, Ouyang Long and Ouyang Lu's son and daughter are all around ten years old. If the old man's health can hold up for a few more years, it is not impossible for five generations to live together.
Originally, Ouyang Gang's physical abilities had deteriorated significantly, and he would have had a hard time getting through the New Year. However, after recognizing his daughter, the elderly couple's health miraculously changed. Not only did their physical functions recover, but some of their old ailments also inexplicably improved.
As the old saying goes, a good mood leads to a good appetite. This old man can go out for a half-hour walk every day, which makes Ouyang Gang and his old friends who can only sit in wheelchairs extremely envious. Of course, there are definitely people cursing him behind his back. In this day and age, wherever there are people, there is struggle.
The resurgence of the Ouyang family is unstoppable. With the eldest brother, Ouyang Zhenhua, entering the central government in the recently concluded power distribution, it seems there's no need to be as low-key as before. So, the brothers discussed it and decided to give their patriarch a proper 90th birthday celebration, which is also a way of flexing their muscles.
For the past week or so, almost every day people have come to Yuquan Mountain to visit the old man. These people are not qualified to attend the old man's birthday banquet, or some of them are the current officials from the old man's hometown. Isn't this representing the people of the hometown to wish the old man a happy birthday?
In short, everyone who was even remotely related to him, from his eight aunts and nine cousins to anyone connected to him, flocked to him. Zhuang Rui had certainly learned a lot these past few days.
One day, when Zhuang Rui was taking Bai Shi for a walk, they were stopped by someone. When the person introduced himself, it turned out that he was a vice governor. Twenty years ago, he had worked as a technician in a military industrial unit. When the old man inspected that unit, he had praised him. This person had come all the way to wish the old man a happy birthday, which left Zhuang Rui speechless.
After handing the mischievous little princess over to Ouyang Lei's son, Zhuang Rui wiped his sweat. He had been up and down all morning and had actually worked up a sweat.
"Zhuang Rui, come here, come here..."
Who called me?
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment, then turned around and saw Ouyang Jun standing at the gate of the courtyard, waving at him and whispering, "Don't shout, come here."
Zhuang Rui found it amusing, walked over, and said, "Fourth Brother, this is our home. What are you doing? Acting like a thief?"
A while ago, Ouyang Jun used his new marriage as an excuse to travel the world with a big star. However, with his grandfather's birthday approaching, even he, with all his bravado, dared not not return. But the trauma from his childhood was too deep, so he only came to help out after his grandfather's afternoon nap or nap. It was rather strange that he came so early this morning.
"What do you mean by thieving? Would I really do that? I was just worried about disturbing Grandpa..."
Ouyang Jun grabbed Zhuang Rui and pulled him out of the courtyard, his voice rising in volume. It was true that, apart from the old man, there was no one in the world he feared.
"What is it? Tell me, but don't make things worse if you're not going to help..."
Actually, there's not much to do; it's just that everyone's busy, creating a festive atmosphere.
Ouyang Jun glanced around and said in a low voice, "I have a business dinner tonight, will you come with me?"
"Socializing? Fourth Brother, I don't know any of your friends. Why would you drag me along to a socializing event?"
Zhuang Rui asked, somewhat puzzled, since he hadn't even been to Ouyang Jun's meeting place since he bought the courtyard house.
Zhuang Rui wasn't very comfortable or used to those places. He always felt that the people there seemed to wear several masks on their faces. They might be arrogant and haughty towards you, but the moment they saw someone else, they would become obsequious and fawning.
"Why ask so many questions? Just come with me. Oh, and your sister-in-law will be here soon. If she asks you about this, just say we're going to talk about the courtyard house tonight..."
Ouyang Jun was taken aback by Zhuang Rui's question, and then started acting unreasonably. He was forced into a corner; the big star had discovered she was pregnant while traveling and had been very emotionally unstable lately, needing Ouyang Jun's company all the time. This was taking a toll on the playboy, who wanted to relax today, so he thought of using Zhuang Rui as a shield.
It wasn't that he didn't want to find someone else, but Xu Qing wasn't very comfortable with his friends. Pregnant women are more sensitive, and Ouyang Jun didn't want to cause discord between the couple. Zhuang Rui had always been seen as an honest and reliable man, so he became Ouyang Jun's only choice.
Seeing that Ouyang Jun was still trying to argue, Zhuang Rui raised his hand and said, "Fine, fine, I agree, okay? You can go ahead with your work..."
At lunchtime, Ouyang Jun indeed brought Xu Qing to Yuquan Mountain. The pregnant star's figure was not yet visible, only a little fuller than before. After lunch, Ouyang Jun made small talk and steered the conversation to the courtyard house he had bought. Then he told Xu Qing that he would go to check on the progress in the afternoon and treat someone to dinner in the evening.
"Xiao Rui, make sure that yard is built nicely, and pay close attention to safety. That person is your friend, so you should take extra care of him..."
As expected, the big star had no suspicions and gave Zhuang Rui a few instructions. As a public figure, she had countless paparazzi waiting to take her photos every day, so she valued the safety and privacy of her residence extremely.
"Okay, sister-in-law, don't worry, my friend's work is definitely top-notch..."
While the big star wasn't paying attention, Zhuang Rui glared at Ouyang Jun with annoyance. He now understood how good people were dragged into trouble. However, his reply just now was very smooth, without any stumbles.
After being pulled out of the courtyard by Ouyang Jun, Zhuang Rui got into his car and said to Ouyang Jun, "Fourth Brother, you can go about your business this afternoon, I have things to do..."
"Alright, I'll call you tonight, let's have dinner together, so your sister-in-law won't worry..."
After Ouyang Jun finished speaking, he drove off in his car. Zhuang Rui started the car, both amused and exasperated. What kind of person is this? If he's worried about others, why doesn't he just stay away from his own life?
Zhuang Rui did have something to do in the afternoon. He had arranged to visit the Song family patriarch with Song Jun. The patriarch originally lived in Yuquan Mountain, but he had been seriously ill for the past two months and had been staying in the hospital. Zhuang Rui had contacted Song Jun yesterday and they agreed to visit him today.
"Brother Song, this place is really hard to find. Is Grandpa Song awake right now?"
Zhuang Rui drove to the PLA 301 Hospital, but Old Master Song was not staying in a regular ward. Instead, he was in a row of villa-style buildings behind the hospital, all of them red. When his car entered, he went through several checks, no less stringent than the guards at Yuquan Mountain. In the end, he had to call Song Jun to get in.
"No, he woke up for a while this morning, but has been unconscious the rest of the time. I'm afraid Grandpa won't make it through this..."
Song Jun's eyes were a little red. He was raised by his grandfather and had a very deep bond with him. Although the old man had taken away many of his valuables over the years, Song Jun, despite his fierce words, didn't really care about those things at all when he saw his grandfather happy.
Zhuang Rui patted Song Jun on the shoulder and asked, "Can I see Grandpa Song?"
"Stand outside and look through the glass. The old man is very weak. If you want to go in, we'll probably have to disinfect him or something. Don't bother..."
The ward of Grandpa Song has a living room outside, where there is a doctor on duty in addition to Song Jun. Inside the ward, there is also a nurse on duty, so that Grandpa Song can receive immediate treatment if any problems arise.
Reaching the door of the ward, Zhuang Rui looked through the glass and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the bed was no more than ten meters from the door; otherwise, Zhuang Rui would have had to find a way to get inside.
The ward was filled with medical equipment, and there was an oxygen tank by the bedside. Two white tubes were inserted into the old man's nose. The nurse sat on a chair more than three meters away from the old man, her eyes fixed on the electrocardiogram monitor by the bedside, and she was making records from time to time.
Looking at Old Master Song, whose face was the only thing visible on the hospital bed, Zhuang Rui felt a pang of sympathy. This old man was a renowned scholar-general who had written many popular poems and essays during the war years and made significant contributions to the cultural development of the army after liberation.
However, even Grandpa Song cannot escape the ravages of time. His once decisive and ruthless face is now thin, with his cheekbones clearly visible.
Chapter 423 Miracle
Looking at the old man on the hospital bed, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. No matter how glorious a person was in their youth, they would eventually return to the earth in their old age. How many great generals with illustrious martial arts skills were buried on Babaoshan Cemetery, and now they could only receive flowers and incense from their descendants?
Zhuang Rui glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw that Song Jun was talking quietly with the doctor in the room, probably discussing the old man's condition and hadn't noticed him. He quickly turned his head to face the old man on the hospital bed and released the spiritual energy in his eyes.
Since Zhuang Rui didn't know what was wrong with the old man, he didn't target any specific problem. He simply channeled all his spiritual energy into the old man's chest and abdomen, and in a very large amount. The old man's body was like a bottomless pit. As soon as Zhuang Rui's spiritual energy seeped into his skin, it disappeared without a trace.
"Brother Zhuang, I appreciate your kindness, but birth, aging, sickness, and death are all part of the natural order of life..."
When Zhuang Rui turned around, before he could even wipe the tears from his face, Song Jun saw him. Seeing Zhuang Rui's sad appearance, Song Jun's eyes also welled up with tears. He took out a tissue and handed it to Zhuang Rui. However, Song Jun was very satisfied with Zhuang Rui's behavior. This was the kind of friend he could make.
"Damn it, why do I always end up in tears when I do good deeds, and it's just like Uncle Lei Feng, doing good deeds but not being able to leave my name..."
Upon hearing Song Jun's words, Zhuang Rui not only had tears in his eyes, but also felt aggrieved and wanted to cry. The old man was so ill that Zhuang Rui had almost exhausted all his spiritual energy. Even if he recovered, it would take several days. If it weren't for Song Jun's sake and the good relationship between the Song family and the Ouyang family, Zhuang Rui wouldn't care about this matter at all.
“Brother Song, I was just thinking about my own grandfather. He might end up like this someday. I just can't bear to see the elderly suffer. Brother Song, I have to take my leave now. My grandfather said he'll be coming to see Grandpa Song in the next few days…”
Zhuang Rui found an excuse for himself: Grandpa Song wasn't his relative, so why was he crying so sadly?
Zhuang Rui didn't know when the spiritual energy would take effect, so he thought it best to slip away first. Even if Grandpa Song's health improved later, no one would suspect him. After all, he had only watched through the glass for a minute. Even novelists wouldn't have such a vivid imagination.
More than five hours after Zhuang Rui left, it was already dark outside. Today it was Song Jun's turn to take care of the old man, so after eating the meal delivered by the hospital, he chatted with the doctor.
At that moment, the sleeping old man Song suddenly dreamed of the war scenes from half a century ago, the hardships of climbing snow-capped mountains and crossing grasslands, and the familiar faces of his comrades-in-arms. He also saw the clearly visible ferocious faces of the Japanese soldiers when he plunged his bayonet into their bodies. These scenes flashed before his eyes like a movie.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
While lying on the hospital bed, Mr. Song suddenly raised his hands and made a chopping motion. The movement was so forceful that it knocked the oxygen tube inserted into his nostrils away, startling the nurse sitting next to him. She quickly stood up and went to the bedside.
"grandfather!"
Upon hearing the old man's voice, Song Jun, who was waiting outside, disregarded the need for disinfection and rushed into the room. He was afraid that the old man might have a moment of lucidity before his death. When he reached the old man's bedside, he pressed the button on the recorder placed on the bedside table. It was this very device that the old man had used to dictate his memoirs a year ago.
"Xiaojun, why are you crying, child? Grandpa has fought on the battlefield all his life, and many of my old comrades are long gone. It's worth it for Grandpa to die now. Men of the Song family shed blood, not tears. Don't cry..."
Old Master Song had witnessed far too many deaths and separations in his life; he had personally closed the eyes of countless comrades-in-arms. He wondered if his dream was a sign of a final burst of energy before death, but the old man remained calm, his former dignity returning to his face.
"grandfather!"
Song Jun was already sobbing and unable to speak. He knelt on the head of the old man's bed and buried his head in his hands, crying loudly. He looked like a child who had been wronged and was going to an adult to complain. Who says that men don't easily shed tears? That's only because they haven't reached the point of being heartbroken.
"Grandpa, is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Song Jun placed the tape recorder on the old man's bedside table and pushed it around. During this period, the old man was sometimes lucid and sometimes unconscious, and his speech was intermittent. Song Jun wanted to take advantage of the old man's lucidity to say everything that needed to be said, so as not to leave any regrets.
"That's all. Your grandpa's life has been worthwhile. After I die, I just want to be covered with a Party flag or a military flag, and buried next to my old comrades..."
The elderly man didn't realize that his voice was becoming stronger and stronger, and that he would never have been able to speak so coherently without oxygen in the past.
Even if he discovered it, Old Master Song wouldn't care. The legendary "last gasp" could last for a few minutes. He once saw a man on the battlefield whose legs were blown off at the waist, yet he managed to talk for five minutes, entrusting his mother to his comrades before dying.
Just as the father and son were facing a life-or-death separation, the young nurse beside them suddenly pointed in surprise at the cardiac monitor and said to the doctor who had followed them in, "Dr. Wu, look... look, this... this doesn't seem like something's wrong!"
"Shut up, have you forgotten the rules?"
Dr. Wu glared at the nurse with dissatisfaction. They were medical staff, but they were also soldiers. As the old man lay dying, all they could do was to preserve as much of his audio and video as possible. Well, there were cameras overhead, and every now and then, someone in the monitoring room would change the tapes.
"No, look at the commander's heart, it's beating very steadily..."
Although she wasn't a doctor, the nurse had seen many people whose hearts had stopped beating. After the machine beeped, the line drawn was a sign of someone on their deathbed. The fluctuations on the electrocardiogram monitor were also extremely chaotic.
"Um?"
Dr. Wu glanced at the instrument, his face full of astonishment. He had originally thought the old man was on his deathbed and hadn't done anything, wanting him to quietly finish his last arrangements. However, judging from the instrument's reaction, things were not as he had imagined.
"Mr. Song, please step aside, I need to give the commander a check-up!"
Dr. Wu lifted Song Jun, who was kneeling and sobbing at the head of the bed, from behind. After laying the old man down, he connected a magnetic patch to the artery in his wrist and found that the old man's pulse was very stable. Although he was not as healthy as an ox, he was not in any danger of death.
"Go, inform the hospital director to prepare for a specialist consultation..."
Dr. Wu didn't know what had happened to the old man that allowed him to recover so well from a critical condition. However, he knew this wasn't the time to investigate medical miracles, so he quickly turned to the nurse and gave her some instructions.
Within minutes, doctors dressed in military uniforms and white coats entered the room and conducted a thorough examination of the old man. Song Jun was asked to leave, looking bewildered. Only after hearing the nurse's explanation did he realize that he had cried for nothing.
After realizing what was happening, Song Jun immediately picked up his phone and started dialing repeatedly. Although he didn't know the specifics of the old man's condition, it was generally developing in a positive direction. This was something that needed to be communicated to the family as soon as possible. After more than half an hour, the living room outside the ward was filled with anxious Song family members waiting for the test results.
"Dean Zhang, how is the old man?"
After the ward door opened, Song Jun's father strode forward to greet him. This expert consultation was led by the hospital's vice president, who is also a well-known electrocardiogram expert in China.
"The commander is doing well, but his emotions are a little unstable. We gave him an injection, and he has fallen asleep. Don't worry, the commander is recovering and there is absolutely no danger..."
Dean Zhang frowned as he reported some good news to the waiting crowd, but the expression on his face made it seem as if the old man was about to pass away. This displeased the people waiting outside. They felt that the dean was being incredibly incompetent, not even offering a smile on such a joyous occasion.
"We need to make further diagnoses, so please keep quiet and let the leader rest..."
After giving a brief instruction, Dean Zhang hurriedly left with the experts. The old man's recovery was truly bizarre. He needed to think about how to write the report, as it concerned the health of many retired cadres. There were still several veteran comrades like Chief Song in the hospital.
"Could it really be those old comrades-in-arms he met in his dream, as Commander Song said, who gave him life?"
Sitting in the conference room, Dean Zhang had a thought pop into his mind. Although he thought the old leader was talking nonsense when he heard Grandpa Song talk about his dream, now that he thought about it, it seemed possible. Otherwise, how could he explain the old man's sudden recovery from critical illness?
The experts present were also discussing the matter at this point, but in the end, no one could produce any strong medical evidence, and they could only categorize it with two words: miracle!
"Fourth Brother, where are you going? We're almost in Langfang, aren't we? Why are you still driving?"
At this moment, the creator of the miracle, Zhuang Rui, was sitting in Ouyang Jun's car, looking at the snow outside the window with a bored expression. After meeting up with Ouyang Jun, the older brother drove the car directly out of Beijing without saying where he was going. However, the smile on his face was a bit wicked.