The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 123 It's so hard to get along with 'family'

After speaking with the attending physician, we learned that because the elderly person already had underlying medical conditions, the doctor recommended 24 hours of observation in the hospital. If the shortness of breath is relieved after today's IV infusion, the person can go home to rest.

Wang Jie silently walked towards the ward, pondering how to persuade her grandfather to stay in the hospital for another day. Her grandfather was usually very good-tempered and easygoing, but he was stubborn and inflexible.

Jian Zheng followed Wang Jie back to the ward, waiting for Wang Jie to ask what he needed help with.

Sure enough, as soon as Wang Jie mentioned to his grandfather that the doctor said he needed to be hospitalized for observation, his grandfather refused to stay in the hospital no matter what.

Having no other option, Wang Jie had to say directly, "The medications the doctor has prescribed are for intravenous infusion, and the cost has already been paid. If you leave after only half of the infusion is completed, the cost will not be refunded. Aren't you worried about wasting the medication? The money has been paid, and the medication cannot be returned. You decide what to do."

Grandpa reluctantly agreed, but emphasized that he must be discharged from the hospital and go home the next day, and that he must get back the money and deposit he paid to the hospital.

Wang Jie quickly said, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I see you're not breathing much anymore. Are you hungry? I'll go downstairs and buy you lunch right away. The doctor said to eat something light. How about some vegetable porridge?"

"Buy a small portion, don't buy too much, it'll be a waste if you can't finish it. You should go get something to eat too." Grandpa said, then looked up and saw Jian Zheng behind Wang Jie, so he said, "Jian Zheng is here too, thank you so much. Wang Jie, why don't you and Jian Zheng go get some steamed buns together?"

“Grandpa, it’s no trouble at all,” Jian Zheng replied.

Wang Jie and Jian Zheng left the hospital, walked through the bustling streets, and found a clean and tidy snack shop across the street. The shop had only three tables, its simple yet cozy decor exuding a homey atmosphere.

Wang Jie walked to the order counter and quickly ordered two dishes: a light vegetable porridge and a fragrant braised tofu. He asked the shopkeeper to pack them up, then turned to Jian Zheng and said, "You sit here for a while, I'll go take Grandpa's food first."

Jian Zheng nodded, picked up a copy of the 'Xichuan Daily' and a copy of the 'Xichuan TV Weekly' from the counter next to him, found a seat by the window, and said, "Go ahead, take care of Grandpa until he finishes eating, then come back. Anyway, I'm not in a hurry."

With the packed food in hand, Wang Jie hurriedly left the snack shop and returned to the hospital.

Grandpa's illness came on suddenly and severely; that's how the attending physician described it. Wang Jie was originally scheduled to go to Beijing on Friday to apply for a visa to go abroad, but whether Grandpa's current condition would allow him to leave without worry was still uncertain. How could he easily leave at the time when Grandpa needed someone to be with and care for him the most? How could he even bring himself to say it?

If Grandpa could be hospitalized, the situation might be better. After all, hospitals have professional medical staff to care for you 24 hours a day, and any emergency can be handled promptly and professionally. In contrast, the family obviously cannot provide such conditions.

While at the hospital, Wang Jie had considered asking Jian Zheng to help take care of his grandfather for a few days, but he hesitated and ultimately felt too embarrassed to ask. After all, this was his own grandfather, and it seemed inappropriate, both emotionally and logically, to entrust his care to an outsider while he was sick. If he really did that, what kind of person would he be?

Lost in thought, Wang Jie returned to the ward. His grandfather was now sitting up, leaning against the bed, and seemed much better than before.

"Grandpa, let's eat first." Wang Jie placed the packed porridge and side dishes on the bedside table, then helped his grandfather sit on the edge of the bed and handed him chopsticks and a spoon. "Try this porridge and see if it suits your taste."

Grandpa took the chopsticks and asked, "Jian Zheng has already left? You should invite him to a meal. You always trouble him to run around like this."

Wang Jie replied, "No, he's still waiting for me at the snack shop downstairs."

"Then you go ahead, I can manage on my own."

"I'll be going now. What would you like to eat tonight? I'll bring it over."

"No need, you don't need to come over. I'm much better now. If I hadn't already paid, I would have been discharged."

"What about your dinner?"

"There's a cafeteria here. I can ask the nurse to help me buy things. You go ahead and do your thing. Don't worry about me."

Wang Jie responded softly, no longer insisting, "I'll come to handle your discharge procedures tomorrow morning and take you home." With that, he turned and walked out of the ward.

Behind me, I heard the voice of a family member of another patient in the ward: "Who is he to you? Judging by his age, he's definitely not your son."

Grandpa replied, "He is my grandson."

“No wonder, this grandson is indeed quite different from my son. Look at my dad in the hospital, I wish I could stay in the hospital with him to feel at ease.”

Wang Jie sighed softly and quickly left.

It wasn't that he didn't want to be with his grandfather, but rather that he didn't know what to say or do in front of him; he couldn't just sit there doing nothing. Besides, he also sensed that when he was alone with his grandfather, his grandfather always exuded a sadness, looking at him with a mixture of heartache and sorrow, which made him feel very uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassed.

Back at the snack shop, the cashier behind the counter had been replaced by a young girl. Jian Zheng sat at the counter, chatting happily with the girl.

Jian Zheng said excitedly, "I like Ouyang Lanlan. Hey, don't you think I look a bit like Xiao Tong?"

The little girl giggled, clearly very happy: "Hmm, you really do look a bit like him, but you're much fatter than him. If Xiao Tong were this fat, he wouldn't be as handsome, and I probably wouldn't like him."

When the young girl saw customers come in, she came out from behind the counter and greeted them warmly, "How many of you are here? Please order over here."

Jian Zheng turned around and saw Wang Jie walking in. He said to the little girl, "We're together. Give us two steamers of xiaolongbao and two bowls of dried shrimp wontons."

The girl responded and went to the kitchen.

Wang Jie sat down near the door, and Jian Zheng came over and sat opposite him.

Wang Jie said, "What are you and that girl talking about? You seem to be having a great time."

Jian Zheng said, "We were talking about the TV series 'Never Close Your Eyes' being rebroadcast, and she said she especially likes the male lead, Xiao Tong."

Wang Jie pursed her lips and said, "What does this have to do with you?"

"We're not really related. Why do we have to be related to chat?" Jian Zheng thought for a moment, then said shamelessly, "But if we really have to say we're related, there is a little bit. Don't you think I look a bit like Xiao Tong?"

Wang Jie laughed and said, "Come on, there's no such thing as an idol-type actor as fair-skinned and chubby as you."

As the two were talking, the little girl came over with a tray and placed two steamers of xiaolongbao on the table. "The xiaolongbao will be served first, you can eat first. The wontons will need to cook for a while longer."

"Thank you," Jian Zheng replied casually.

The little girl smiled slightly, turned around and left.

Wang Jie took two pairs of chopsticks from the chopstick holder on the table, handed one pair to Jian Zheng, and said, "Eat quickly, I'm starving, I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning."

Jian Zheng took the chopsticks and asked suspiciously, "Where did you go so early in the morning? I woke up and I was all alone in the dorm. I drank a bit too much yesterday and don't even remember how I got back to the dorm. I must have blacked out. You guys just left me alone in the dorm. Aren't you worried about me getting into trouble?"

"I'm going to buy train tickets."

"Buying train tickets? Where to?" Jian Zheng was a beat late in the moment, "Oh, to the capital, right? To find Zhou Yanruo?"

“Yes, but not entirely,” Wang Jie explained.

“That means your visa appointment time has come through. Go to Beijing for the interview.” Jian Zheng suddenly became incredibly clever again.

"Hmm, this is a good opportunity to go see Zhou Yanruo."

“What do you mean by ‘just in time’ or ‘by the way’? If you want to see each other, just go. If you go abroad at the end of the year, it won’t be easy to see each other again. Don’t regret it then.” Jian Zheng asked, “When did you buy the train ticket?”

"This Friday." Wang Jie paused for a few seconds, then said, "I'm afraid we'll have to change the time now."

"Why? The visa appointment time has already been booked, how can it be changed so easily?" Jian Zheng asked, puzzled.

"Grandpa is sick."

"When you were at the hospital, you were hesitating and asking me for a favor. Was this what you meant?" Jian Zheng asked. "Why didn't you just say it? I'm fine with it. Why were you being so indecisive?"

Wang Jie felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this, lowered his head and remained silent, poking at the plate with his chopsticks.

Finally, Jian Zheng broke the silence, "Go ahead and do your thing. Don't worry about Grandpa, I'm here."