With the help of his mother, Song Ran finished washing up and prepared to go to bed.
She had just covered herself with a thin blanket when Ran Yuwei, holding her silent phone, said, "Why are there so many harassing calls today? They're coming again."
Song Ran was stunned: "Whose phone is it?"
"your."
"Give me!"
"It's already hung up."
Song Ran fumbled to grab the phone and asked anxiously, "Why did you hang up on me?"
"It's obvious that this number is a spam marketing number." Ran Yuwei was puzzled, and suddenly said, "Look, it's calling again."
Song Ran was angry one second, and then he showed her his phone screen in a panic: "Please answer the call for me, and then you can get out."
Ran Yuwei roughly understood and was about to say something.
Song Ran said: "Don't mind my business."
Ran Yuwei answered the call for her and Song Ran put the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" Li Zan's deep voice came.
Song Ran didn't say anything. Everything in front of her was still blurry, but she could hear Ran Yuwei go out.
"Ranran?" he called again.
"I'm here." She answered immediately, "I just pressed the wrong button by accident."
"Oh. Are you busy today?" he asked.
"I was taking a shower afterwards and didn't receive the call." She groped her way and slowly lay down on the hospital bed.
Li Zan heard the rustling of the quilt and asked, "Have you slept in the bed?"
"Yes." She curled up in the quilt. She lost her sight, but her hearing seemed to be extra sharp. She could hear the sound of insects chirping in the woods over there, and she felt that his voice was extra clear and pleasant, as if even his voice had a gentle power.
She felt relieved for some reason and said, "I have good news for you."
"What?"
"I got my salary. It's a lot of money. When you come back, I'll treat you to a meal."
"Okay." He smiled faintly and sighed, "I just want to eat the food you cook. ... I want to drink fish soup."
She giggled and said, "Okay, I'll do it with you when you come back."
"Yeah." Li Zan said, and suddenly fell silent.
After a few seconds of silence, Song Ran asked, "What's wrong?"
He smiled slowly and said, "I will have a month of special closed training later, so I may not be able to contact you for a month."
"...Oh." She sounded a little disappointed and asked hurriedly, "Is it dangerous?"
“It’s training.”
"Oh, I heard it wrong. It's okay then." Song Ran felt a little relieved, but after a few seconds, he realized, "Are we going to the East Country after training?"
"… Um."
"how long?"
"Six months."
"Don't you usually go every eight months?"
Li Zan paused and didn't respond. Song Ran was already talking to himself: "It's okay, I will go to Dongguo in a while, and I can still find you then."
He smiled and said, "I'll try to see if I can get three or four days before departure to visit you in Imperial City."
"Really?" she was delighted.
"I'll try my best."
"Okay. But if I can't get it, that's okay." She turned over and said, "Everything is fine here, don't worry. ... Don't miss me too much."
He chuckled, but was reluctant to let go, and said in a low voice: "Why wouldn't I miss it?"
Song Ran's heart was so warm that it almost melted, but her nose felt sore. The doctor said she couldn't cry now, so she quickly lay down and opened her eyes wide. But everything in front of her was still blurry.
The nurse would come to check on him later, and Song Ran was afraid that he would find out, so he yawned after chatting for a while.
"Are you going to bed?"
"Yeah." She whispered, "I ran around outside all day today."
"Then you should rest early."
"Okay, you too."
"OK, good night."
"Good night."
The call was hung up, and the surroundings suddenly fell into silence. Only the residual heat of the phone was pressed against her cheek.
Song Ran lay there with his eyes open for a while, then groped his way to the head of the bed, found the switch, and turned off the light.
The blurry vision darkened.
After the observation period, Song Ran's eyes showed no signs of spontaneous recovery.
He Shanran performed a minor operation on her.
After the postoperative observation, she opened her eyes and saw He Shanran's smile close to her. He asked, "How do you feel?"
Song Ran blinked and said in surprise: "Okay!"
He Shan then took a step back and asked, "Is the view clear?"
"Clear." She nodded.
He Shanran moved closer, turned on the light, and examined her pupils closely.
She tilted her head back and cooperated.
He said: "The operation was successful. Take more rest and don't overuse your eyes these days."
Ran Yuwei asked from the side: "If I hit my head again next time, nothing will happen, right?"
"It's hard to predict. Some people may be fine after many collisions, while others will be affected after just one collision. All we can say is that you should pay more attention to it. But don't worry," He Shanran comforted him, "There are corresponding treatments for any situation. It's not a big problem."
"That's good."
He Shanran still had work to do, so he said hello to Song Ran and left.
Ran Yuwei asked Song Ran: "Does Li Zan know?"
Song Ran said, "It's not a big deal. He would just be worried if he knew about it."
Ran Yu sighed: "So you can choose any other profession, but you have to choose to be a soldier. A soldier's life is based on the country and military orders, and the country and military orders. You can only be ranked third."
Song Ran smiled and said, "No. I'm ranked third with A-Zan's father."
Ran Yu glanced at her and had nothing to say.
Song Ran stopped talking about this and said, "Last time I asked you to check, you didn't go again."
"I'm so busy, but I still have to find time to see you. You're really worrying." Ran Yuwei was about to leave. "It's okay, I'll go back first."
Song Ran grabbed her hand and said, "Since you're already in the hospital, go get a checkup. You have to go today no matter what you say."
Ran Yuwei couldn't do anything to her.
While waiting in line for the registration, Ran Yuwei's phone was almost ringing off the hook, and she kept answering calls to explain her work. She left as soon as she finished filming. Song Ran stayed to finish the follow-up. As a result, she had to come out the next day.
The next morning, He Shanran came to check on Song Ran and after examining his eyes, he said he could be discharged from the hospital.
He was just telling her what to pay attention to when Song Ran's cell phone rang.
“Excuse me, I have to answer the phone. … Hello, how are you?”
The other party's voice was strange and calm: "This is the Radiology Department of xx Hospital. Is this Ms. Ran Yuwei?"
"I'm her daughter. She left my phone number during the filming yesterday."
He Shanran turned his head and looked over.
"The CT scan shows that Ms. Ran Yuwei has a large area of shadow in her lungs. Please come to the hospital as soon as possible to get the results and consult a respiratory specialist..."
Song Ran was stunned on the spot.
…
After reviewing the film, Dr. Dong, a respiratory specialist, confirmed that it was lung cancer, which had already developed to the middle stage.
Song Ran's heart sank again and again. She didn't know anything about medicine, so she could only ask again and again: "Is it serious?"
"Can it be cured?"
“Is the probability high?”
"It's hard to say right now. It depends on your physical condition and the treatment response. You should be hospitalized immediately." Director Dong said, "Lung cancer is different from other cancers. It deteriorates or changes very quickly. It has already developed to the middle stage and can't be delayed any longer."
Song Ran was confused as soon as he left the office. He held on to the wall, his legs weak and he could hardly stand.
Ran Yuwei's expression was quite calm. She sighed and said, "There are a lot of tasks to be handed over, and some of them I have to do myself..."
"What time is it?" Song Ran shouted in a low voice, "Still talking about work. How can you still work when your life is almost gone!"
Ran Yuwei glanced at her and said calmly, "There is nothing else in my life."
Ran Yuwei was soon admitted to the hospital.
But during the treatment, her ward was never quiet.
There was a constant stream of leaders and colleagues coming to visit her, and the flowers had to be cleaned up every day.
There are even more subordinates who come to discuss work with computers and documents.
She held a high position and had a heavy workload. Although she was ill, the department's business could not be paralyzed. The ward almost became an office. While taking medicine and receiving injections for treatment, she had to lie on the hospital bed and hold meetings with her subordinates. She had to give instructions here and there.
The doctor said the patient needed to rest and reminded her several times, but considering her position, she had no choice but to stop. She only told Song Ran that cancer treatment was very physically demanding and Ran Yuwei was too weak, so she should try to let her rest more and at least not work at night.
Song Ran was initially quite polite to his mother's colleagues at work, but day by day, Ran Yuwei became thinner and thinner.
When she turned pale from the pain day and night, Song Ran became more and more anxious and afraid; when those subordinates kept asking about work, Song Ran finally couldn't help but lose his temper.
That day, Song Ran walked into the ward and saw Ran Yuwei was so busy that she forgot to take her medicine, and the pills were still on the table.
She put the water cup down on the table and said, "You forgot to take medicine again. Are you going to treat this disease? You are in so much pain and you don't rest. Is there no one in xxx? Will it collapse without you?"
The subordinates in the room were silent.
Song Ran said, "It's been more than half a month, and the work handover should be completed. If there is nothing important in the future, just report it by phone. Let my mother rest more."
The subordinates apologized: "It's our fault. We relied too much on the director and lost our direction when something serious happened."
Ran Yuwei smiled and said, "My daughter has been taking care of me recently and hasn't slept much. People tend to lose their temper when they are tired. However, if I am gone one day and she needs anything, you must help her if you can."
Song Ran was stunned and felt very sad.
After everyone left, Ran Yuwei sighed, "xxx has a lot of work pressure, and a small mistake can be a big problem. These kids are so dedicated and responsible, and their work is not easy, why are you angry with them?"
Song Ran's eyes were red, and he stared out the window without saying a word. He recalled that he had just come out of the doctor's office, where the doctor said that the treatment effect was not ideal, that it failed to control the cancer cells, and also killed a large number of normal lung cells.
The doctor said, "Your mother is really strong. No male patient can endure as well as she can. An average person would be crying and rolling on the bed in pain at this stage. But she still insists on working."
Song Ran didn't say anything, took a deep breath and raised his head.
Ran Yuwei's voice was weak, but her tone was stern: "Why are you crying again? You are so weak, which is not like me at all."
"Who's crying?" She turned to look at her, "I haven't cried once."
Ran Yuwei looked at her for a while and then said nothing. Song Ran continued to look out the window.
In September, the night sky of the imperial city is as bright as the stars.
"Mom," Song Ran looked at the night sky and suddenly asked, "Aren't you in pain?"
"It's because it hurts so much that I work." Ran Yuwei said.
"Although I am old and not young anymore, I still have my own ideas and pursuits. I am very pleased and proud to have achieved something after working hard for my career all my life. I am willing to leave more for the young people under me."
Song Ran listened, and suddenly asked: "Do you still hate Dad?"
"Hate." She answered with certainty.
"Do you still love him?"
"No. I haven't loved you for a long time." Ran Yuwei looked pale and said, "Some people say that if you don't love, you won't hate, and hating means you still love. They are all hypocritical lies.
Hate is hate, not love. I have had several unforgettable relationships in the years since then. But I hate Song Zhicheng from the bottom of my heart. I hate him not because of emotional entanglement, but because I hate him for trampling on my self-esteem. I have been successful and strong all my life, but he humiliated me. Even if I die, you will not allow him to come to my funeral. You should know what kind of character I am. "
He is strong and proud, and would rather break than bend. He values dignity and personality more than his life.
When Song Zhicheng learned that she was sick, he wanted to visit her, but Ran Yuwei refused.
When I left Liangcheng, I said that I would never see him again in this life. Last week, Song Zhicheng came, but Ran Yuwei refused to let him enter the ward. In the end, Song Zhicheng only took a look from outside.
Song Ran said softly: "Okay."
It was getting late and she was about to leave so she could get more rest.
But Ran Yuwei suddenly said, "The house in Dicheng is in your name. The property certificate is on the top floor of the closet in my room."
Song Ran asked anxiously: "Why are you talking about this?"
Ran Yuwei pretended not to hear and said, "Ran Ran, when you fall in love, just talk happily; when you work, just do it seriously. Although you are devoted and devoted when you fall in love, I am not worried that you will lose yourself. I know you have your own values and you are determined in your heart.
In this life, pursue what you want, don't live in vain. The value of life is never measured by its length. If you understand this, you can run and rush towards whatever value or ideal you want to achieve, even if it is just a long-cherished wish. No matter what age you are, don't be misled by the world. Remember this. "
Song Ran just looked out the window and refused to look at her.
This mother who never seemed to support her but only opposed her...
"Mother."
"Um?"
"You pursue the life you want. Do you have any regrets? Do you have any regrets?"
"No," she said.
She looked at her daughter's profile and suddenly said in her heart, "But I feel a little regretful now. The only regret is that I didn't keep you by my side since you were a child, and I spent too little time with you."
More than 20 years ago, Ran Ran was only two or three years old, such a lovely child, how could she bear to leave him behind? On the day she left, the little child staggered and ran along the bluestone alley, crying all the way, how could she bear to leave him behind
Even though he was not raised by her side, he was actually another Ran Yuwei in his bones. He was not like Song Zhicheng at all.
The nurse came in and urged to turn off the lights. Song Ran walked to the door and turned back: "Uncle and aunt said they want to come see you."
"Okay." Ran Yuwei said, frowning and turning over.
Song Ran stood outside the ward for a while. It was quiet inside.
But after standing there for a while, she heard it. She heard her mother's deep and long gasps due to the unbearable pain, the pain, the oppression, as if she was about to die.
Song Ran took a deep breath silently, feeling as if several sharp knives were stabbing his heart.
She couldn't bear it any longer, so she ran to the corridor, hugged herself and sat on the steps, burying her head deeply.
She took out an antidepressant from her bag, stuffed it into her mouth and swallowed it hard. She sat in the dark for an unknown amount of time, trying to use the drug to dispel the fear and pain in her heart. To no avail.
She had no other choice but to finally take out her cell phone and call Li Zan, even though she knew there would only be endless beeps on the other end.
She opened her mouth to answer the phone, but could not say anything until the other end said, "Sorry, the user you are calling is not available at the moment."
She clutched her phone tightly and buried her head in her arms. After a long while, she uttered in a low voice:
"A-Zan, my mother seems to be... about to die."
But no one responded to her words.
Even the sensor light didn't hear her and refused to light up. She was left alone, curled up in the darkness, hugging herself.
…
After finishing the work at hand, my uncle and aunt asked for a long vacation from their respective units and quickly rushed to the Imperial City with Ran Chi.
My uncle was already in his forties. When he saw my sister lying on the hospital bed, so thin, he couldn't stop crying. My aunt started crying too. Ran Chi also cried with red eyes.
Ran Yuwei was annoyed and said, "He's not dead yet, why are you crying? If you keep crying, get out."
My uncle and aunt lived in the Imperial City, and my uncle took turns to look after Ran Yuwei. My aunt looked up the menu every day, cooked and made soup to supplement her nutrition.
With more relatives around to help him, Song Ran finally felt better.
But more than ten days later, Ran Yuwei suddenly fell into a coma. The doctor said that the bacteria that accidentally infected her lungs had caused severe pneumonia, and she had to be given an artificial lung.
Song Ran didn't understand medicine, but he had seen similar news during the winter flu and knew that the situation was critical.
His uncle and aunt were all panicked. Song Ran was also terrified and had no other choice but to call Luo Zhan and ask where Li Zan was.
Luo Zhan said that he couldn't find Li Zan now, and could only wait for him to return to the camp in a week before notifying him.
Song Ran put down the phone and sat in the stairwell trembling, but not a single tear shed.
Day after day, Ran Yuwei still didn't come out of the ICU.
Song Ran couldn't remember how many days she had been in there. She only knew that every day she saw her with tubes inserted all over her body and even her breathing had to be maintained by machines. She was almost numb from the pain.
And that afternoon, the crisis suddenly broke out.
Ran Yuwei's heart rate dropped rapidly, and experts rushed into the ward to rescue her.
Song Ran stared at the nurses coming in and out, his face pale.
Ran Chi came over and hugged her tightly, patting her back gently.
And she just stared at the door, staring at it.
At that moment, the phone in my pocket vibrated. This time, the screen showed either garbled text or the two clear words "A-Zan".
Instantly, she was filled with grievances. Tears welled up in her eyes before she answered the phone. His voice was more anxious and nervous than she had ever heard before: "Ran Ran, I'll be there right away. Don't be afraid, okay?"
She choked up and said, "A-Zan, my mother is in danger now..."
"Don't cry. It's okay." He spoke quickly, trying to comfort her. "Don't be afraid. The expert team assigned to your mother is the best, from the treatment plan to the medication. This disease can be cured. Don't worry, really. Colonel Lin had lung cancer two years ago, a little later than your mother. But he was cured. Your mother will definitely be fine."
Song Ran calmed down a little after hearing this. Yes, after Ran Yuwei fell ill, xxx had mobilized the best medical resources in the imperial city.
She wiped her eyes and sniffed, "Then you should come quickly too."
"Six hours," he said. "I'll be there in six hours."
Six hours. Time has never been so hard to bear.
In the evening, Ran Yuwei temporarily survived a crisis.
Several directors from her unit came. Song Ran was very calm this time and told them the situation in detail.
He Shanran's mother was also there. She held her in her arms and said, "Ranran, you've worked hard. Don't be afraid, your mother will get better. The best experts in the entire Imperial City are here, and she will definitely get better."
Song Ran nodded.
After they all left, she finally had some free time, so she sat on a chair in the corridor, hugging herself and daydreaming, wondering what she would do if the worst happened.
While I was still thinking, the hem of the white coat came into view.
Song Ran looked up and saw He Shanran.
He had just finished an operation and was a little tired. He looked at her with a smile: "Didn't you say that you shouldn't cry too often?"
Song Ran touched his eyes, which were red from exhaustion, and said, "I didn't cry. I never cried."
"Don't worry. Auntie Ran is very strong. Cancer treatment will have a worst period. But you can get through it and everything will be fine."
"Yeah." Song Ran said, "By the way, your mother is here today."
"Really? I didn't know." At this point, He Shanran said, "I heard from my mother that my aunt had given instructions to the leaders and colleagues who came to visit some time ago."
"What do you want?"
"Just in case, just in case. Ask them to take care of you wherever they can. They say you're a journalist and you like to travel abroad. If you run into any trouble, ask the department to help you."
Song Ran was stunned and his eyes became sore.
She looked away, took a deep breath, shrank her nose, and tried hard to control herself.
He Shanran looked at her thin shoulders trembling slightly, and suddenly reached out and touched her head.
"Ranran!" A familiar voice that seemed to have been waiting for a century.
Song Ran turned around and saw Li Zan appear at the end of the corridor, panting, without even having time to change out of his camouflage uniform.
"A-Zan!"
She suddenly stood up, rushed over, threw herself into his arms, hugged him and started crying.