The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 208 - 207: Surgery

"Mom is going to Beijing City all by herself? How can she do that? She’s never traveled far from home before," He Ze said.

He Nan looked at him. "Why can’t she? I’ll see her onto the train, and she just needs to get off at the station in Beijing City. He Lang will be there to pick her up. If you’re so worried, why don’t you go with her?"

He Ze’s expression stiffened. "I want to go too, but what about my child?"

He Nan’s mouth twitched, and he returned to the house.

He Ze felt a little awkward. He turned back to his mother. "Mom—"

Mrs. He sighed. "That’s enough. You should go home. We still don’t know what’s going on with your father. No one else needs to go. I can manage on my own."

The next day, He Nan took Mrs. He to the train. He found her seat and made sure she was settled in before he got off.

Two days later, Mrs. He spotted He Lang the moment she stepped out of the station exit.

Mrs. He looked exhausted.

"Where’s your father?"

He Lang took her luggage. "He’s at home. Come on, let’s go back first. We can talk more then."

When they got home, Mrs. He couldn’t be bothered with anything else. The moment she saw Mr. He, she asked, "Do you really have to have surgery? Is the operation risky? It won’t be life-threatening, will it?"

Mr. He looked at her. "The doctor didn’t give a definite answer. But there are risks with everything. I’m an old man, what’s there to be afraid of? But now that you’re here, what about things back home?"

Mrs. He said irritably, "It’s not like the world will end just because I’m not home. I was worried about you. I should have come with you last time. I left the livestock with Cuiyun and told the village chief. Getting you treated is what’s important right now, so don’t worry about work. I didn’t let the eldest come. He’s already taken a lot of time off this year because of you, and it’s not good to keep taking leave. I’ll be here to look after you."

Mr. He nodded.

He Lang said, "Alright, now that you’re here, just relax and settle in. We’ll go to the hospital tomorrow to discuss the surgery date."

Only after dinner did Mrs. He take a walk around the courtyard. ’So this is what houses in Beijing City look like,’ she thought.

At noon, when she saw Daya come home from school safe and sound, Mrs. He had a much bigger reaction than He Lang did. She pulled Daya into her arms and started crying.

One moment she was saying how hard Daya’s life had been to have such parents, and the next she was saying how lucky Daya was to have met He Lang and his wife.

He Lang immediately told her, "Daya is fine now. Don’t go complaining to your daughter again. If that family gets Daya back, she might even lose her life."

His words were harsh, but He Lang didn’t want any more trouble. Although a formal agreement had been written, as the old saying goes, written proof only binds people who have integrity. For scoundrels, it wouldn’t matter what kind of proof there was; if they refused to acknowledge it, there would inevitably be a whole lot of hassle.

They all knew perfectly well what the Liu Family was like.

Mrs. He nodded. "Last time, I wasn’t being careful. From now on, I won’t say a word, no matter who asks. Poor Daya. She’s finally escaped that family, so she should never go back. She and your sister just weren’t fated to be mother and daughter."

Daya just listened quietly. She had buried that incident deep in her heart. She didn’t want to bring it up, but it would never disappear.

The next day at the hospital, Wen Yuanbo had Mr. He admitted.

"The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Eat an early dinner this afternoon, and then no more food after that. A nurse will be by in a bit to give you the pre-operative instructions. Also, a family member needs to go pay the fees."

After Wen Yuanbo left, He Lang went to pay the fees.

Mrs. He quietly asked Mr. He, "Is this the doctor that Comrade Zheng you mentioned introduced to us?"

"Yes. He’s an expert. We have Comrade Zheng to thank for his help."

Mrs. He nodded. "After you get better, we must treat him to a meal to thank him properly."

"Mm-hm."

"By the way, did you ask the doctor? About how much will this surgery cost?"

"They estimate three to four thousand."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. He’s eyes went wide, and she cried out in shock, "Three to four thousand?"

Then she said worriedly, "But we didn’t bring enough money."

Mr. He told her, "Don’t you worry. He Lang said he would cover the cost. Sigh, I never thought I’d become a burden to my children in my old age."

Mrs. He didn’t say anything, but her heart grew even heavier.

After spending a night in the hospital, Mr. He was to be wheeled into the operating room early the next morning.

Mrs. He was still fussing over him. "Don’t be nervous, just relax. Everything will definitely be okay."

Mr. He patted her hand, then glanced at He Lang and Xue Yue.

Then he was wheeled in by the nurses.

Outside the operating room, Mrs. He paced back and forth nervously, her hands clasped together, muttering prayers for heavenly protection.

Xue Yue wanted to go over and persuade her to sit down and wait, as the surgery likely wouldn’t be over quickly, but seeing how anxious Mrs. He was, she decided against it.

He Lang sat on a chair, his head in his hands. Xue Yue placed a hand on his back and rubbed it gently.

The wait was agonizing for those outside, but thankfully, the procedure went smoothly. The surgery was a success.

Wen Yuanbo came out personally to tell them about Mr. He’s condition, adding that he would be wheeled out soon.

He Lang bowed to him in gratitude.

Wen Yuanbo had a smile on his face this time. "No need to thank me. I’ll be collecting on this favor from someone else."

He Lang paused for a moment, but by the time he looked up, Wen Yuanbo was already gone.

Mrs. He happily gripped Xue Yue’s hands.

"Heaven really does protect the good. Oh, my poor heart can’t take much more of this," Mrs. He lamented.

Mr. He stayed in the hospital for a week before being discharged to continue his recovery at home.

「September」

School started. Ruanruan began first grade, and Shiyi was sent to preschool. His first day was fine, but on the second, he cried and refused to go.

When they asked him why, it turned out he had tried to snatch a toy from another child and lost.

Xue Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "We don’t snatch things. The toys belong to everyone. You can play with them together."

She reasoned with Shiyi for a long time, but she couldn’t get through to him. In the end, Xue Yue had no choice but to take him to school herself. She spoke with the teacher about Shiyi’s situation and bought some small gifts for the other children, having Shiyi give them out one by one.

For the next few days, the little guy went to school happily.

With Mrs. He helping around the house, Xue Yue had a much easier time. Every day when she came home, Mrs. He had already cooked their meal, and the house was cleaned until it was spotless, inside and out.

Zhang Qian finally had her freedom back. With someone to watch Tun Tun and someone to cook the meals at home, she also went back to school in September. The only thing was, she had put on some weight and hadn’t lost it yet. She had recently started dieting but was also worried her son would lose his food supply, leaving her incredibly conflicted.

And so, on Sunday, the family of three came to visit Xue Yue. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Oh my, what a chubby little boy! He looks so sturdy. Your milk must be very nutritious," Mrs. He said with a smile.

Tun Tun was awake, looking at Mrs. He with his big, bright eyes. His little hands were picking at his feet. He wasn’t crying or making a fuss at all; he seemed like such an easy baby.

Zhang Qian pinched the fat at her waist. "Auntie, look at me. I’ve gotten this fat. How could my milk be bad?"

No wonder everyone says mothers are great. Look at this blatant sacrifice—she couldn’t fit into a single one of her old clothes anymore.