Chapter 22 Helpless Decision
I said coldly, "Does it feel good to talk bad about people behind their backs?"
Several girls were startled and a little surprised to see that it was me.
"Tian Zhiyong, why are you speaking for Cheng Xiaoyan? She is always against you. Last time, she teased you in front of the whole class. This little gangster girl doesn't deserve sympathy!"
"That is to say, you are such a slut. Others don't treat you as a human being, but you still take the initiative to stick to them?"
"I see he must be attracted to Cheng Xiaoyan. After all, she is pretty!"
Several girls spoke in a sarcastic tone and smiled mockingly.
My face suddenly darkened and I said, "Yes, she did play a trick on me, and even... I used to hate her very much. But now, she is already sick and may lose her life at any time. Can you put yourself in her shoes and think about it. If you were to have such a disease and someone said this behind your back, would you feel good?"
The girls kept silent. They probably felt a little guilty but couldn't save face, so they muttered "crazy" and left in a hurry.
After seeing them leave and continue talking and laughing, I felt extremely self-deprecating.
Now it seems that there was no point in forcing the principal to initiate donations.
Look at these classmates who “live together day and night” and they don’t take any life seriously at all. Even if they launch a donation campaign, what can they get?
It's just a bloody dumpling.
People only think of needing help when they are in danger, but when the other person is in trouble, they don't hesitate to speculate and hurt in the most vicious way.
Sometimes, human hearts are much scarier than diseases.
When I returned to the classroom, Chen Wei saw that I was absent-minded and asked me what was wrong.
I told him what I had just heard, and he sighed and said nothing.
In the classroom, the teacher was talking loudly, while the students were still chatting, playing with their phones, or eating.
The few boys who were good friends with Cheng Xiaoyan came back to class and continued playing cards and chatting, as if Cheng Xiaoyan's "disappearance" was nothing to them.
I glanced at the empty seat next to me, and my mood suddenly became empty as well.
I don't know when, but I got used to her noise, used to her always arguing with me, and used to her deliberately waking me up from my sleep.
Now that I think about it, apart from being a bit of a prankster, Cheng Xiaoyan hasn't done anything unforgivable.
However, everyone habitually labeled her as a "little gangster", so when she fell ill, there was no one who cared about her.
None of her classmates or friends went to the hospital to see her.
Cheng Xiaoyan was the only grandmother, and it was not known whether it was because of domestic violence, but she was obviously very scared.
I suddenly started to have doubts in my heart.
Why is Cheng Xiaoyan so afraid of her grandma?
She said she would rather stay in the hospital than see her grandmother.
Why did she fear her grandmother so much?
As I was thinking, I felt sleepy and fell asleep on the table.
…
When I woke up, it was Chen Wei who reminded me. He said, "It's time to go home after school, so why are you still sleeping?"
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and stood up from my seat.
The classroom was empty, everyone had left, and the air was filled with the smell of snack bags, which was particularly nauseating.
"I'll go see my aunt today, and then go see Cheng Xiaoyan right away." Chen Wei suddenly said.
I hesitated for a moment and said forget it. The hospital is a very gloomy place and I would feel bad if I stayed there for a long time.
Chen Wei said it was okay and he felt embarrassed for not going.
I couldn't stop him, so I left the school with him and walked towards Aiken Hospital .
When we arrived at the infectious disease ward, Chen Wei went over to greet my mother enthusiastically. My mother was not in good spirits today, but her face immediately lit up with smiles when she saw Chen Wei. She knew Chen Wei and when she was not sick, she often invited him to come to my house for dinner.
"Xiaowei, tell me, how is Tian Zhiyong's performance in school?" the mother asked impatiently.
Chen Wei looked at me with a wicked smile on his face, and I begged for mercy, asking him not to let the cat out of the bag.
"Don't worry, Auntie. Zhiyong has good grades in school. Although he's not at the top of the class, he's definitely more than enough to get a diploma. Just focus on recuperating... He and I will take care of everything."
My mother was very happy. She held Chen Wei's hand and said that it was a great honor for me to know him.
After staying for a while, Chen Wei and I went to see Cheng Xiaoyan again.
The two of them usually didn't have much interaction, but when Cheng Xiaoyan saw Chen Wei coming to see her, she was very moved and said that she would treat him to a meal after she recovered from her illness.
"Eating is no problem. If it's convenient, please introduce a few more girls to me." Chen Wei said with a smile.
Cheng Xiaoyan laughed and said, "All the girls I know are bad girls. Do you want one too?"
"Yes, of course. As long as I'm as beautiful as you, that's fine."
I have to say that Chen Wei is quite good at talking. Although he is not familiar with Cheng Xiaoyan, he soon became very happy chatting with her.
I stood aside and became an idler.
Since it was still early before work, we decided to order some takeout and have a meal together as a group in the ward.
At this time, a male doctor and several nurses suddenly walked into the ward.
The male doctor glanced at Chen Wei and me and said, "Who is the patient's family member?"
"We are her friends, so let's count." said Chen Wei.
"Well, if it's convenient, pay her medical bills today. It's been owed for a long time... If you delay any further, our hospital will have to stop providing the medicine," said the doctor.
Hearing this, Chen Wei and I both changed our expressions.
Looking at Cheng Xiaoyan, she was quite calm, as if she had expected this day to come. She said, "Don't worry about me. I'll pack up and go home later."
"No, you are sick now, how can you go back!" I refused without hesitation, and then looked at the doctor, "How much is the medical bill?"
"We have spent more than 10,000 yuan so far. If you continue to be hospitalized, the medical expenses and hospitalization fees for one month will be around 50,000 yuan," the doctor replied.
About fifty thousand?
I gasped.
That’s 50,000 yuan a month. This is not just hospitalization, this is burning money.
However, I am also very clear that Cheng Xiaoyan is now "extending her life", and the medicines she needs are very expensive. Once she stops, her life will be in danger at any time.
Seeing that Chen Weinei and I were indifferent, the doctor immediately understood and sneered, "If you don't have money, please move out immediately."
"You, how can you be so cold-blooded?" Chen Wei said angrily.
"Cold-blooded? Haha, as a private hospital, we are kind enough to let her take the medicine first after she had been in arrears for so long."
"That is to say, you medical troublemakers are treating the hospital as a welfare center... If every patient is like you, then can the hospital still be open?"
"If you don't have money, don't come to the hospital. It's a nuisance that you're delaying our work!"
The doctor didn't say anything, but several nurses began to make sarcastic remarks.
Chen Wei and I were so angry.
Although I know that things cannot be changed, I still cannot accept the attitude of these medical staff.
"We'll give you one day. Pack up and leave tomorrow, otherwise don't blame us for taking compulsory measures." The doctor said coldly.
"You are committing murder!" I gritted my teeth.
"Whatever you say, if you're not convinced, go call the police." The doctor sneered, "By the way, if you want her to survive, there is another way--"
I knew what he was going to say, and I immediately refused, “No way!”
Cheng Xiaoyan came up and said, "What's the solution?"
Before the doctor could speak, I said, "Forget it. That place is not for human beings."
"What's the solution?" Cheng Xiaoyan was anxious.
I briefly told her about Building D, deliberately describing its despair and horror.
Unexpectedly, she only hesitated for a few seconds and said seriously:
"Building D? I live there."
