Seeing the man lying on the hospital bed, whose handsome features resembled those of a man from a pictorial, Zhu Xin was more than a little shocked.
It was actually him—one of the Research Big Shots who, in later years, would be repeatedly mentioned in newspapers and on television for making tremendous contributions to the research of various military weapons in our country.
His name resounded throughout the nation. Who would have thought that the White-Haired old man seen on television was so young at this time? Even more unexpected was that he had now become a Vegetative Person.
Zhu Xin gazed at Shao Yan Shu on the bed for a long time, when it suddenly occurred to her that such military Research Big Shots, before the nation grew strong, were talents under the state’s key protection. To conceal their identities, they would work under assumed names in secret national bases, heavily guarded by soldiers. Logically, Shao Yan Shu should have been in a base like Dongfeng or similar. How could he be living in the Ganbu Dayuan of a Machinery Factory?
At this time, there were many spies who, to hinder the development of our country’s military weapons, continuously dispatched various agents specifically to assassinate such military-oriented research experts.
Could it be that behind Shao Yan Shu’s car accident and transformation into a Vegetative Person lay an assassination attempt by spies?
At his age, he must have already married and had children. But where was his wife? From the moment Zhu Xin entered the room until now, she hadn’t seen his wife. Where had his wife gone?
Outside the room, the sound of a baby crying rang out, accompanied by Wang Xin Feng’s attempts to soothe the child. Zhu Xin walked out of the room and followed the sound of the crying to a room on the left.
The door was half-open. Inside, a baby with rosy lips, pearly teeth, fair and chubby skin, and slightly curly hair—looking about seven or eight months old—lay on the bed, wailing loudly.
He was wearing a high-neck sweater, his little face flushed red from crying. Wang Xin Feng was beside him, flustered as she prepared milk, then picked him up and tried to feed him with a bottle.
The baby turned his head away, refusing the milk, and continued to cry incessantly.
“What’s wrong, Wan Li? Aren’t you hungry? Eat,” Wang Xin Feng thought the milk she had prepared was too hot. She took a sip directly from the nipple with her mouth, found it wasn’t hot, wiped the nipple slightly with her sleeve, and offered it to Shao Wan Li’s mouth. “Drink quickly. You won’t be hungry after this.”
Shao Wan Li abruptly turned his little head away, his small hands and feet flailing, still crying.
Wang Xin Feng frowned and continued trying to push the nipple into his mouth. He kept turning his head, refusing to drink the milk.
After several attempts, he still wouldn’t drink. Unable to contain her frustration, Wang Xin Feng placed him back on the bed, tossed the milk bottle aside, and glared angrily at Shao Wan Li. “What do you want?! If you won’t drink the milk, why keep crying? If you keep crying and your grandma hears, she’ll scold me again, saying I didn’t take good care of you and that you’re making a fuss!”
The little baby, easily frightened, cried even harder at her harsh tone.
Zhu Xin couldn’t stand it any longer and spoke up from the doorway. “Comrade Wang, if a child keeps crying, it might not necessarily be because they’re hungry. They could be sick, or they might have wet themselves, or their clothes might be too thick. Don’t scold him like that. Check if his forehead feels hot.”
Back in modern times, she had often helped her cousins take care of their children. They lived nearby, and whenever something came up and they couldn’t look after their kids, they would leave them with her. Unable to refuse, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and take care of them.
She had taken care of several nieces and nephews at home, so even though she had never married or had children of her own, she knew a thing or two about childcare.
“How could he be sick? He hasn’t even been outside—it’s impossible for him to be sick! I just changed his diaper, so he can’t be wet either…” Wang Xin Feng instinctively retorted, then suddenly realized something was off. Turning around, she saw Zhu Xin standing at the doorway and snapped, “Who asked you to butt in? You’re just an unmarried girl who’s never had kids—what do you know about raising children? I’ve given birth to two children myself, so I’m more experienced than you.”
Zhu Xin was speechless. She had offered a kind reminder, only to have it thrown back in her face.
“Well, you can wait for Yan Yi to come up and scold you then,” Zhu Xin said before turning and heading downstairs.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help the child. The baby was adorable, with fair, delicate skin that made him look like a little porcelain doll, and she couldn’t help but feel fond of him. She also wanted to figure out why he was crying.
But she wasn’t the one taking care of the baby. As a newcomer, she couldn’t overstep and do someone else’s job. Offering a reminder was already going above and beyond.
If Wang Xin Feng refused to listen and let the baby keep crying, Yan Man Ru would naturally come upstairs to check on the situation. As the new nanny, it was better for her not to get involved and risk making herself unwelcome.
Zhu Xin went downstairs and headed to the kitchen on the first floor.
The kitchen wasn’t large, but it was tidy and well-organized. All kinds of seasonings were neatly arranged, and the cabinets held large bags of rice and wheat flour, along with some potatoes and sweet potatoes. The refrigerator was stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, a fish, and a sizable piece of pork.
Yan Man Ru had told her to cook whatever she wanted to eat, likely because Yan Man Ru was from Shanghai City and had a very particular palate. She couldn’t stand coarse grains and only ate refined ones.
Moreover, Yan Man Ru had a stable job, and her son was a state-protected researcher. The state provided preferential treatment to his family, ensuring they received priority supplies in ample quantities. As a result, Yan Man Ru never lacked food or drink and didn’t mistreat the household staff, allowing them to eat whatever they wanted.
Such a generous employer was rare in an era when food and clothing were often scarce. Many employers were afraid their domestic help would eat too much, forcing them to limit their meals and keeping a close eye on their every move to prevent them from sneaking food behind their backs.
The only downside was that the Shao Family’s kitchen used a coal stove. In those days, gas and natural gas hadn’t yet been widely developed or used, so most city dwellers relied on coal stoves for cooking.
Zhu Xin was from the south and had only used a coal stove once when she was very young. She wasn’t very familiar with lighting one, and it took her quite a while to get the fire going.
It was already late, and there wasn’t enough time for Zhu Xin to prepare a full meal. So, she scooped out a small bowl of wheat flour and made a simple bowl of handmade noodles to satisfy her hunger. After that, she boiled a large pot of hot water on the stove, planning to take a bath.
Having traveled by train for two days and two nights to reach Sijiu City, Zhu Xin felt grimy and uncomfortable. Even if Yan Man Ru weren’t someone who valued cleanliness and couldn’t stand dirty people, Zhu Xin herself felt uneasy after going without a bath for so long.
When she went upstairs to fetch her change of clothes, she found Wang Xin Feng standing outside her room, holding the baby. Seeing Zhu Xin come up, Wang Xin Feng handed her a dark blue floral-patterned cotton jacket. “Here, Yan Yi asked me to find a cotton coat for you.”
Zhu Xin took the clothes and was about to say thank you when Wang Xin Feng turned and walked away. Before leaving, she said to her, "When Yan Yi is not on duty, she wakes up at seven in the morning. She doesn’t like wheat-based foods much, preferring rice and slightly sweet Shanghai cuisine. Mr. Shao’s current health only allows him to eat porridge and noodle soup. During the day, a nurse will come to check on him and feed him. Wan Li likes flavorful baby food, just add a little less salt."
Was this telling her about the Shao Family’s tastes?
Zhu Xin was surprised, not expecting Wang Xin Feng to share such details with her.
Noticing that Shao Wan Li’s turtleneck sweater had been changed for a loose, comfortable round-neck sweater, his little face no longer as flushed as before, he was sucking his finger while resting on Wang Xin Feng’s shoulder, his dark, grape-like eyes curiously watching her.
She then understood that earlier, Xiao Wanli had cried because he was wearing a turtleneck sweater that was too thick, and with the room’s ample heating, he had gotten too hot and cried.
After being reminded, Wang Xin Feng changed the child into lighter clothes. Once comfortable, he stopped crying, and Yan Man Ru wouldn’t come upstairs to check on him.
By bringing her clothes and reminding her of the Shao Family’s tastes, Wang Xin Feng was indirectly repaying a favor.
This was interesting. She had thought Wang Xin Feng was deliberately targeting her and wouldn’t show her any kindness, but it turned out she also repaid favors.
However, Wang Xin Feng seemed particularly afraid of Yan Man Ru?
Yan Man Ru looked quite young but was actually fifty-five years old. At her age, in this era, she should have retired long ago. Why was she still working?
Was she rehired after retirement, or was her technical expertise so valuable that the Military District wouldn’t let her go?
Zhu Xin didn’t think it appropriate to pry too much into her employer’s affairs. After bathing, she scooped the remaining hot water from the pot into an enamel basin, mixed it with cold water, took a cloth, and went upstairs to wipe Shao Yan Shu’s body.
For other women, wiping a strange man’s body might have been embarrassing.
But Zhu Xin was a modern person. In her time, she had dated two boyfriends and had done everything with them except cross the final line.
Wiping the body of her employer, a scientific research expert who had made significant contributions to the country, didn’t embarrass her in the slightest. Instead, she felt a bit excited.
She had always admired experts who made real contributions to the nation, and Shao Yan Shu was also so handsome. Being able to do something within her capacity for such a person felt like an indirect contribution to the country. How could she not be excited?
Shao Yan Shu had been lying in bed for half a year but hadn’t become emaciated. His clothes were clean, and there was no strange odor on him, likely because he had been meticulously cared for all along.
With the room well-heated, Shao Yan Shu wore only a light, pale white pajama top and was covered with an equally thin cotton quilt.
Zhu Xin lifted the quilt, reached out to unbutton Shao Yan Shu’s pajamas, and whispered as she did so, "Mr. Shao, my name is Zhu Xin. Starting today, I’ll be taking care of you. Wiping your body is part of my job. I’m not trying to take advantage of you, so please understand."
In her modern life, she had once read a report about vegetative patients. It said that vegetative patients were not the living dead who knew nothing about the outside world as people imagined. In fact, they still possessed a certain level of consciousness, but they couldn't control it, as if they had fallen into an endless void, drifting aimlessly between heaven and earth.
They could hear sounds and movements from the outside, but they couldn't wake up. Therefore, even when facing vegetative patients who couldn't regain consciousness, they should still be given enough care and respect. One shouldn't speak nonsense in front of them and hurt their feelings.
The buttons were slowly undone, and Shao Yan Shu's slender figure gradually came into view. Zhu Xin was stunned for a moment because, after the clothes were opened, she could see clear gunshot wounds and knife scars on Shao Yan Shu's chest and abdomen. Each scar was ugly and hideous, enough to show how severe the injuries had been at the time.
Under that pale skin, Shao Yan Shu's ribs were clearly visible. He had only been lying in bed for half a year, yet he had already become so emaciated. Zhu Xin didn't dare to imagine what he would become if he continued lying like this.