The woman’s car returned to the town and stopped at the entrance of a secluded alley. The car could not drive in, so she had to continue on foot.
Deep inside the alley lived an old traditional Chinese doctor, well known locally for his excellent medical skills. When the woman walked into his courtyard, several bodyguards in black uniforms were already standing inside.
At that moment, a handsome man pushed a young girl, who was reclining halfway in a wheelchair, out from the inner room.
“What did the doctor say?” the woman stepped forward a few paces and asked anxiously.
The man shook his head, unable to hide the disappointment in his eyes.
The woman’s eyes reddened. Afraid the girl would notice, she tried her best to steady her emotions. Squatting down, she said gently, “Nannan, Mommy bought that dress you kept looking at on the street today. In a few days, we’ll go pick it up together, alright? We can also go out for a bit of fresh air. Although it’s the countryside, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, the air is good, and there’s also a little girl as pretty as you.”
The girl’s eyes shifted slightly toward the woman, indicating her agreement.
A few days later, the woman came to collect the finished clothes. Accompanying her was the same girl, sitting in a wheelchair, appearing completely paralyzed.
Lan Sisi showed no curiosity or any other emotion, nor did she ask any inappropriate questions.
The woman was very pleased with her thoughtfulness.
“Nannan, look, Mommy also made you a coat. Do you like it?” The woman did not treat her daughter as a paralyzed person, and she asked for her opinion on everything.
The girl’s eyes moved slightly, and the woman immediately smiled happily.
Watching this, Lan Sisi felt a trace of envy. In both her past and present lives, her mother had died early. She had already forgotten how long it had been since she had experienced maternal love.
“Come, have some water. It’s from our own well,” Lan Sisi said as she brought them two cups of water. Perhaps because she was moved, she secretly added two drops of spirit spring water into the girl’s cup.
The woman took the cup without any hesitation and drank a sip. “It really tastes good, with a hint of sweetness,” she praised.
After finishing her own, she fed a few sips to her daughter. Just as she was about to take the cup away, the girl’s eyes moved again, indicating she still wanted more. The woman fed her several more sips until the small cup of water was completely empty.
“It seems Nannan really likes the water here,” the woman said with a smile.
“If she likes it, you can take some back with you. It’s nothing valuable,” Lan Sisi said with a smile.
In the end, seeing that her daughter rarely liked something so much, the woman filled the bottle she had brought with her with water. Lan Sisi quietly added a few more drops of spirit spring water. This was all she could do.
The woman told Lan Sisi that her husband’s surname was Tang. They had come specifically to find the old doctor in town to treat their daughter. Lan Sisi knew of that doctor, he was very skilled at treating common ailments like headaches and fevers.
They were simply grasping at straws. As long as there was even the slightest hope, they would not give up.
Just as Madam Tang stepped out of Lan Sisi’s house, an old woman suddenly rushed in front of her. “Honored guest, are you Sisi’s friend? I’m her grandmother. Come eat at my house today.”
Looking closely, it was none other than Liu Guihua.
Madam Tang was startled and took a step back. The bodyguards standing outside immediately stepped forward to block Liu Guihua, preventing her from getting closer.
“Madam Tang doesn’t need to consider me. I have no relation to her,” Lan Sisi said expressionlessly.
“What are you saying, child? Honored guest, you’re leaving already? Why not stay and play a bit longer? Is this your daughter? She’s really beautiful. People from big cities really are different,” Liu Guihua babbled, spittle flying as she tried to strike up a conversation.
Madam Tang felt somewhat embarrassed. Under the protection of her bodyguards, she got into the car. Before leaving, she nodded to Lan Sisi.
Lan Sisi had no intention of speaking further with Liu Guihua. She turned around to go back inside and tried to close the door, but Liu Guihua blocked it, clinging to the door forcefully while craning her neck to look inside. “Sisi, what did that honored guest come here for? Didn’t she bring any good things?”
“What does it have to do with you?” Lan Sisi rolled her eyes and prepared to shut the door.
But Liu Guihua forcibly squeezed her way in. “How is it not related? I’m your grandmother. Sisi, I was confused before. I’ll apologize to you.”
If her eyes had not been darting around the courtyard like a thief, her apology might have sounded more convincing.
“No need. I can’t accept your apology. The document severing our relationship is written clearly in black and white. If you have any questions, you can go to the Village Chief to confront it. Now please leave,” Lan Sisi said, unmoved.
Before Liu Guihua could fully squeeze inside, Lan Sisi used brute force to push her out. Liu Guihua’s expression immediately changed. Standing at the gate, she began wailing and crying, accusing Lan Sisi of being unfilial. However, everyone knew her personality, so few people paid her any attention. After crying for a while and realizing there was no audience, she muttered curses to herself and went back.
Since the old doctor here could not treat their daughter, Madam Tang and her husband rushed back to Beijing overnight. Along the way, she fed her daughter only the well water given by Lan Sisi.
Her husband frowned slightly at the sight. “Is this water clean?”
“I boiled it before giving it to our daughter. It’s from that girl’s well. I’ve drunk it too, it tastes better than the water at our home. Don’t think of Nannan as so fragile. Besides, she likes drinking this water now. She refuses to drink anything else,” Madam Tang said softly.
Hearing that their daughter liked it, Mr. Tang’s expression softened.
After returning to Beijing, Madam Tang and her husband had matters to attend to and went out temporarily. As usual, the nanny pushed the girl into the garden to get some sun. After a while, she picked up the prepared cup of water to feed her. As the cup got closer, the girl suddenly resisted, turning her head to the side and trying to raise her hand to push it away. In the end, her hand fell weakly.
This action stunned the nanny, who hurriedly had someone inform Madam Tang and Mr. Tang.
When they returned home, Madam Tang was almost overwhelmed with joy. Her daughter could now support her own head and upper body. Although she could not do so for long, it was already a tremendous improvement.
“How did she suddenly get better?” Madam Tang asked in surprise. Holding her daughter’s hand, she could feel her trying to grip back. The strength was weak, but it could not be ignored.
The girl’s gaze fell on the water bottle Madam Tang had brought back from Chaoyang Village, and her hand lifted slightly.
“Water? Nannan, did you get better because you drank this water?” Madam Tang’s voice trembled.
The girl nodded slightly. When she first drank it, she had only felt that it tasted good and made her body feel warm and comfortable. Gradually, her immobile body had begun to regain strength little by little.
“I’ll take it for a confidential analysis immediately,” Mr. Tang said, his eyes slightly red. Although he was emotional, he still maintained restraint and would not publicize it. Holding the bottle that still contained a little water, he strode out.
…
That afternoon, when Lan Sinian returned home, he looked dejected. His downcast expression quickly caught Lan Sisi’s attention.
“What’s wrong?” Lan Sisi asked curiously.
Lin Ruihai was also confused.
“Sis, Grandpa Guo has been rehired by a university in Beijing as a professor. He’ll be leaving in a few days,” Lan Sinian said.
“This is a good thing,” Lan Sisi said sincerely, feeling happy for the elderly man who had gone through so much.
“Now that the College Entrance Examination has been reinstated, China needs old professors with real talent and knowledge. Grandpa Guo being rehired was only a matter of time,” Lin Ruihai said.
Although Lan Sinian was mature for his age, he was still young and not used to partings.
“It’s alright, it’s not like you’ll never see each other again. Study hard. Now that the College Entrance Examination has been reinstated, if you get into a university in Beijing in the future, won’t you be able to see him often?” Lan Sisi comforted him.
Lan Sinian nodded. “Sis, I will definitely get into Beijing University in the future.”
Lan Sisi patted his head. “Alright, do your best.”
A few days later, Grandpa Guo came to say goodbye. Unlike when they first met, he was now dressed neatly in a well-fitted Zhongshan suit, his hair combed meticulously. People had come to take him back and were waiting behind him.
“Sisi, Sinian, Ruihai, I’m going back to Beijing. Thank you for taking care of me during this time. Without you, I might not even be alive anymore. The books in my room will all be given to Sinian. There’s also a box of items here as my token of thanks. I know these material things are rather vulgar, but only if you accept them can I feel at ease,” Grandpa Guo said, handing over a small rosewood box. Lan Sisi could not refuse and had no choice but to accept it.
“I get along very well with Sinian. If you don’t mind this old man, I would like to take him as my god-grandson,” Grandpa Guo continued. “I have no children. In the future, everything I have will be left to Sinian.”
Lan Sinian stood beside Lan Sisi with reddened eyes. Hearing this, he widened his eyes in surprise.
He glanced at Lan Sisi. Seeing her nod, he happily called out, “Grandpa.”
“Ah, good child. This is my address and phone number in Beijing. If you encounter anything you don’t understand, call me anytime. I’ll be waiting for you in Beijing.”
After speaking, Grandpa Guo looked at Lin Ruihai again. “Since Sinian calls me Grandpa, Sisi is also my granddaughter. You must not bully her in the future.”
“I won’t. Grandpa Guo, please rest assured,” Lin Ruihai said solemnly. Lan Sisi’s face instantly flushed red.
Grandpa Guo left by car. Lan Sinian watched for a long time, until the car turned into a small black dot and disappeared from sight.
That night, the three of them opened the rosewood box Grandpa Guo had given them. Inside were neatly arranged gold bars, each one heavy.
Lan Sinian’s mouth fell open. He had never seen gold bars in his life.
“This… is too valuable,” Lan Sisi said, feeling at a loss for the first time.
“Since it’s Grandpa Guo’s token of thanks, just keep it. Compared to help given in times of need, these material possessions may truly be nothing,” Lin Ruihai said.
Lan Sisi could only temporarily store the box of gold away. She planned to put it into her space when she was alone.
“Sisi,” Lin Ruihai called out as she was about to return to her room.
Lan Sisi looked at him in confusion. At that moment, only the two of them remained in the room.
“What I said to Grandpa Guo today, I meant every word. I… will definitely treat you well in the future!” The sudden confession left Lan Sisi’s mind completely blank.
“So, are you willing to be with me?”