By the end of the night, Zhou Qichen had calmed down, but he couldn't sleep. His cold had not gotten better, and it was getting worse. He took the anti-inflammatory medicine the doctor gave him, but his ears were still throbbing and painful.
After struggling in a state of half-sleep and half-wakefulness for half the night, around six in the morning, he was pulled back to reality by a phone call.
My first reaction was of course to think that Lang Feng had calmed down and that it was time for him to call. But after a closer look, I found that the caller was not Lang Feng, but a domestic landline number.
As soon as the voice on the other end sounded, he regretted it.
"Achen, please go home. Something happened to your father."
The person who called was his aunt, his father's eldest sister Zhou Chenglu. After Zhou Qichen's family severed ties with him, the news probably spread quickly throughout the Zhou family. Three years had passed, and no one had ever sent him a single blessing during the Chinese New Year, let alone a phone call. He didn't need to think about it to know what had happened.
He paused for several seconds, struggling between pretending not to hear the call and answering, before he said, "Where's my mom?"
"… You actually answered the phone, that's great, I was afraid you changed your number and didn't answer, or couldn't get through. Oh, you don't know, we have been worried sick these past two days…" Zhou Chenglu is an elementary school teacher with a loud voice. She usually speaks with great emotion, and her tone is even more exaggerated at this moment. She didn't answer Zhou Qichen's question, but she talked about his father's condition. In fact, it wasn't a big deal, just a sudden heart attack, and he was sent to the provincial hospital and had a bridge installed overnight.
"Aunt, where is my mother?" he asked again.
"Your mother... You know, without your father's approval, she wouldn't dare to look for you even if she wanted to."
Zhou Qichen laughed self-deprecatingly, then said softly into the microphone: "Who are they... I really don't know."
He made Zhou Chenglu, who was always sharp-tongued, speechless for a moment. She could only say, "I know that these past two years have been... not easy for you. Now that you've come back this time, maybe they will forgive you for what happened. It would be great if the family could live in harmony. You, it's such a pity..."
Zhou Qichen didn't let her continue and asked, "How much does the surgery cost?"
Zhou Chenglu continued without getting discouraged: "I called because I want you to come back and see me. Your father just went into the operating room last night and he hasn't woken up yet. The doctor also said that his heart may not be able to hold out for much longer. If you don't come this time..."
"He's on minimum living allowance, so the reimbursement rate will never exceed 50%. My mom doesn't make money, and I know how much money my dad has in his savings account. You've also mentioned a family, so let's be straightforward. Just tell me how much you want."
Zhou Chenglu also said: "Including the hospitalization fee and medical expenses, the current cost is 210,000 yuan, and the subsequent medicine has not been calculated yet."
Zhou Qichen said nothing.
"If this is the last time we meet, won't you see me?"
Zhou Qichen thought for a moment and suddenly asked the person on the other end of the phone: "...Where's A Rui?"
"Her, the girl is going to take the college entrance exam soon. Your mother meant not to disturb her studies. She also lives on campus, so she should not be told about this."
“… She lives on campus.” Zhou Qichen said as if he was talking to himself.