"Okay, checkout." Liu Zhi carried the tray to the counter.
Liu Yi picked up his bag and followed behind her.
Liu Zhi's phone beeped again. Liu Yi watched her stop and reply before continuing to walk.
While paying the bill, Liu Zhi checked her phone several times, waiting for a message from that person.
The weather was gloomy this morning, but the sun peeked out at noon, and now the sky has finally cleared up.
Liu Zhi stood at the shop entrance, shading his eyes with his hand, and gazed at the distant teaching building.
The administration building has been renovated and looks quite impressive.
“A lot has changed in Yanzhong,” Liu Zhi said.
"Want to go in and take a look?" Liu Yi used his height to shield her from the light.
Liu Zhi shook her head.
"I'm going to class." Liu Yi said, carrying various kinds of bread and holding up his free hand.
Liu Zhi watched his figure disappear into the distance.
My phone vibrated; Meng Yang had replied to my message.
Liu Zhi opened her phone, and the screen displayed a photo of Meng Yang kneading her breasts.
Meng Yang was bathed in sunlight, only a blurry profile visible, his fair knuckles resting on the fluffy back of the baby.
The photo was taken by Liu Zhi secretly, and she only set it as her wallpaper during the time they were apart.
Liu Zhi's thumb caressed the screen with an almost imperceptible tenderness.
"I'm off on the 10th, I'll pick you up from the airport."
"Okay," Liu Zhi replied.
Chapter 45 Unexpected
On the 10th, Liu Zhi got up very early to catch her flight.
Despite having bandages wrapped around his neck, Liu's father insisted on taking Liu Zhi to the airport.
The farewell was so loud that it woke up Liu Yi, who was sleeping soundly.
Liu's parents saw Liu Zhi downstairs. Liu Yi, with his hair all messy, leaned on the windowsill and waved to them sleepily.
Less than half an hour after getting into the taxi, Liu's mother received a call from her grandfather.
Liu's mother's expression froze.
"Stop the car." Liu's mother's voice trembled. "Turn around! Turn around!"
"What's wrong?" asked Liu's father.
Liu's mother's voice was choked with sobs, "My mother has had another accident."
"What's wrong with Grandma?"
Liu Zhi felt as if her heart was being squeezed. She looked at her mother and curled up her hands, which were resting on her knees.
"My dad said he fainted." Liu's mother looked helplessly out the window.
In an instant, Liu Zhi's mind went blank.
A feeling of being struck by lightning washed over me.
"Call an ambulance!" Liu Zhi said quickly. "Give me the phone!"
The grandfather on the other end of the phone was even more panicked than Liu's mother. He could barely hear what his children were saying, and could only repeat the three words "Something has happened" in a monotonous way.
"Grandpa, don't panic." Liu Zhi calmed herself down and tried to speak to her grandfather in a steady voice.
At times like these, she is the pillar of the family; if she panics, the family will only panic more.
Liu Zhi used her own phone to dial the emergency number and explained the address and situation.
The driver was a kind-hearted man. When he heard that something had happened to their family, he turned the car around and went back the way he came without saying a word.
"Driver, to Yancheng People's Hospital." Liu Zhi held onto the back seat.
"Okay, okay, I'll hurry, don't rush." The driver turned the steering wheel as Liu Zhi instructed.
"Grandpa, can you hear me?" Liu Zhi's knuckles were white as she gripped the phone.
Grandpa responded.
"Don't move Grandma, the ambulance is coming soon. Stand at the intersection," Liu Zhi said. "Do you hear me?"
Liu Zhi was afraid that her grandfather hadn't understood, so she slowed down and repeated herself.
Grandpa heard her instructions clearly, and walked shakily to the intersection to wait for the ambulance.
"Grandpa, please tell me about the symptoms." Liu Zhi took a deep breath and remained calm.
"Just this morning," Grandpa's hand trembled as he held the phone, "he didn't even realize his rice bowl had fallen over."
“Take a deep breath and then exhale,” Liu Zhi said. “Speak slowly and clearly.”
"He threw up," Grandpa said, still flustered. "Then he collapsed."
"Did it just happen?" Liu Zhi bit her lower lip, trying to suppress the stinging sensation in her nose.
Grandpa didn't hear clearly.
Liu Zhi repeated it again, but Grandpa still couldn't hear her clearly.
In an instant, Liu Zhi experienced a sense of helplessness that she hadn't felt in a long time.
"Grandpa, how long was Grandma unconscious?" Liu Zhi raised her voice.
"Just now!" Grandpa understood and quickly replied.
"The sooner it's discovered, the better," Liu Zhi reassured her. "Don't worry, everything will be alright."
Liu Zhimo calculated the time and deduced the timeline.
“Xiao Zhi, you…” Liu’s father said.
"Don't speak." Liu Zhi didn't look at her father. "Let me think about what to do."
"We're almost there, we're almost there, honey, don't worry," the driver said gently.
They arrived at the hospital one after the other in the ambulance.
Only one relative could be carried on the bus, so the doctor in charge brought Grandpa along as well.
Grandpa stood at the entrance of the emergency department, looking flustered and helpless.
"Grandpa!" Liu Zhi called out to him.
The moment Grandpa saw Liu Zhi, he felt like he had found a powerful backer.
On so many occasions, Liu Zhi had been observing the people outside the emergency room from inside. This time, however, Liu Zhi was observing the people inside the emergency room from outside.
The doctor who diagnosed the stroke first performed a CT scan, and then discussed the specific situation with the family.
"Where are the family members?" The visitor was an elderly doctor.
“Here.” Liu Zhi stood up, followed by her parents.
"The situation is not optimistic."
With just one sentence, Liu's parents' mental defenses were broken down.
Liu Zhi frowned as she looked at the CT scan, feeling somewhat anxious.
The doctor wasn't exaggerating; Grandma's condition was indeed very serious.
My grandmother suffered a second brain hemorrhage, which is much riskier than her first one.
"We are now preparing to make an intervention to understand the situation in detail before proceeding with the surgery," the doctor said.
Liu Zhi nodded and listened quietly to him speak.
"The old lady is quite elderly," the doctor said, "and the surgery carries a relatively high risk..."
Liu Zhi understood what he meant.
“You just need to develop a plan according to your own ideas,” Liu Zhi said.
The doctor looked at her, surprised that she was so easy to talk to.
Chapter 46 Decision
"This preliminary CT scan can't reveal anything yet," Liu Zhi said, her voice low and hoarse as she held the phone. "I suspect it's a ruptured cerebral aneurysm."
It was still raining in the capital. Meng Yang leaned against the door frame, watching the splashing water outside the window, not knowing what to say.
“I can’t go back anytime soon.” Liu Zhi remained calm throughout, but her voice choked as she said this. “I have to stay with my grandmother.”
“I understand,” Meng Yang said. “You also need to take good care of yourself.”
As the call was about to end, Liu Zhi whispered an apology.
She had planned to go back on Friday. It had been raining continuously in the capital these past few days, and if possible, she wanted to hold an umbrella and pick Meng Yang up from get off work.
Afterwards, they can spend a relaxing weekend together.
Liu Zhi felt very sorry for Meng Yang, and the more Meng Yang understood, the more ashamed she felt.
My grandmother was bleeding heavily and was urgently transferred to a higher-level hospital in the city.
Grandpa, exhausted from running around, was sent to a relative's house for care. Father appeared calm but was panicking inside, only repeating the phrases "money is not a problem" and "I'll listen to Xiaozhi in everything." Mother was at a loss and kept crying.
Liu Zhi was the backbone of the family.
Grandma was rescued relatively quickly, and all the initial emergency measures had been taken.
Liu Zhi revealed her profession and discussed the matter at length with Dr. Shi, who was treating her grandmother.