Early the next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Lin Wanwan hurried to the subway station carrying her luggage and the jewelry box.
Boarding the intercity express to Dongguan, she spent the entire journey rehearsing her words, her eyes fixed on the scenery flying backward outside the window, with only one thought in her mind:
Faster, get home faster.
When the intercity express reached the station, Lin Wanwan caught a ride-hailing car.
10 minutes later, the car stopped downstairs at her uncle’s residential community, and Lin Wanwan couldn’t wait to push the door open.
The osmanthus trees in the community emitted a faint fragrance, and the aroma of soy milk from the neighboring breakfast shop floated in the air, but she had no mind to appreciate the familiar scenes.
Carrying her backpack, she ran swiftly into the building unit where her uncle lived.
“Grandma! I’m back!”
Pushing open the unlocked security door, Lin Wanwan called out loudly.
Her grandmother, who was watching TV, heard Lin Wanwan’s voice and immediately looked toward the door:
“Oh, my dear child! Why are you back so early??”
“Didn’t you usually arrive home at 12 o’clock in the past?”
Lin Wanwan walked briskly to her grandmother’s side, yet her gaze couldn’t help scrutinizing her grandmother’s complexion.
Her grandmother looked to be in good spirits, but perhaps because of the warning in the email, Lin Wanwan always felt that the left corner of her grandmother’s mouth seemed to droop downward, asymmetrical with the right side.
She immediately recalled the information on stroke warning signs she had researched yesterday.
To identify whether there was a risk of stroke, there was a very common mnemonic: the “BEFAST” principle.
The so-called “BEFAST” principle stood for:
B: Balance difficulty
E: Eyesight changes
F: Face drooping
A: Arm weakness
S: Speech difficulty
T: Time to call emergency services immediately
Among these, facial asymmetry was one of the most critical warning signs of a stroke.
Normally, the corners of the mouth curved upward when smiling, but if there were warning signs of a stroke, one side of the mouth would droop downward uncontrollably during a smile.
Just as Lin Wanwan was carefully observing her grandmother’s condition, her uncle Chen Hui walked out of the study:
“Yo, Wanwan’s back?
How’s work going?”
Lin Wanwan quickly greeted her uncle:
“Work is going great, I just passed probation a couple of days ago!”
…
After the two exchanged pleasantries for a while, Chen Hui spoke up:
“Since it’s rare for you to come over, let’s eat at home this afternoon. I’ll call your parents to come over as well.”
Lin Wanwan wanted to decline, but swallowed her words as they reached her lips.
From the drooping corner of her grandmother’s mouth, it was already certain that she was showing signs of an impending stroke.
When the hospital’s checkup report came out later, the elders in the family would need to make decisions together, so having them all come over was actually convenient.
Therefore, Lin Wanwan nodded with a smile:
“Sorry to trouble you then, Uncle!”
Saying so, she turned to look at her grandmother:
“Grandma, how about I take you to the hospital for a physical checkup?”
As soon as these words came out, her grandmother’s brows furrowed immediately:
“What physical checkup?
My body is in great shape. I was just square dancing with your Aunt Zhang yesterday. Why waste money like that?”
Her uncle also joined in to persuade:
“Your grandmother’s health has always been strong. The free annual community checkups never show any problems, so there’s no need to specially go to the hospital and spend money.”
“Besides, I’ve heard people say many of those testing instruments in hospitals carry radiation, so going frequently isn’t a good thing either.”
Lin Wanwan had long anticipated the mindset of the older generation, who feared spending money while believing all sorts of absurd rumors.
Having rehearsed her script several times in her head, she lied without the slightest hesitation.
She pulled her grandmother’s hand, her palm resting against her grandmother’s rough skin, her tone carrying a hint of spoiled coercion:
“Grandma, this isn’t paid for out of my own pocket, it’s a company benefit!
Since I just passed probation, the company specially gave physical checkup vouchers to outstanding employees.
We can bring family elders for a comprehensive checkup, and the company reimburses everything.”
She deliberately paused before adding:
“Besides, this voucher has a time limit—it’s only valid for three days. If we don’t use it in these couple of days, it will expire and go to waste.
Think about it, it’s a free benefit, wouldn’t it be a shame to waste it?
Plus, it wasn’t easy for me to come back this time, and I want to know how your health really is so I can feel at ease working in the city.”
Hearing “free” and “expire and go to waste,” her grandmother’s eyes visibly wavered.
After all, as someone accustomed to hard times, she naturally couldn’t bear to see things wasted, let alone a benefit provided by her granddaughter’s company.
She pondered for a moment, looked at Lin Wanwan’s expectant eyes, and finally relented:
“Is it really free?
Well… alright then, let’s not waste your company’s good intentions.”
Lin Wanwan instantly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart and nodded repeatedly:
“It really doesn’t cost a cent!
I see it’s only 9 o’clock now, how about we go today?”
Seeing her grandmother relent, half the weight on Lin Wanwan’s heart was instantly lifted, and she hurriedly helped her grandmother up:
“Then let’s leave right now. The sooner we finish the checkup, the sooner we can rest assured.”
While helping her grandmother get her coat, she said to her uncle Chen Hui:
“Uncle, I’m taking Grandma to the hospital. You can just wait at home for my news.”
Chen Hui looked at the hurried backs of the grandmother and granddaughter and shook his head with a smile.
He merely took it as the young girl showing filial piety, thinking no further of it before turning back to his study to handle work.
Lin Wanwan helped her grandmother out of the residential community and hailed a taxi straight to Dongguan People’s Hospital.
Along the way, her grandmother was still muttering:
“Honestly, there’s really no need to be in such a hurry. I know my own body, there’s definitely no major issue.”
Lin Wanwan held her grandmother’s hand, feeling the warmth of her palm through her fingertips, yet her heart remained tightly strung:
“Grandma, getting checked just makes us feel more at ease. Since it’s free anyway, just treat it as accompanying me out for a walk.”
At the hospital, after inquiring with the nurse at the information desk, Lin Wanwan successfully registered for an appointment.
Looking at the queue outside the consultation room, she felt anxious, looking up at the calling screen from time to time while turning to check her grandmother’s condition.
The hospital on weekends was packed with people; after waiting a full 40 minutes, her grandmother’s number was finally called.
Lin Wanwan supported her grandmother into the consultation room.
The doctor was very professional; after inquiring about her grandmother’s physical condition in detail, he performed a basic physical examination.
After finishing the physical check, the doctor’s expression immediately turned serious.
He did not communicate directly with the elderly lady, as according to his experience, the family members were the ones who made the decisions.
The doctor looked at Lin Wanwan and spoke after careful consideration:
“Some of the elderly patient’s physical check results aren’t looking very good. Based on my experience, it’s best to do a CT scan and a routine blood test.
If the family’s financial situation is relatively comfortable, I suggest doing an MRI as well to check the condition of her head.”
Lin Wanwan nodded repeatedly, then gave the doctor a meaningful look:
“Do them!”
“Do the most comprehensive checks!”
“Our company’s benefits are great—immediate relatives of employees can get a free physical checkup once a year!”
Hearing Lin Wanwan’s words, a proud expression instantly surfaced on her grandmother’s face:
“That’s right, doctor, my granddaughter is a top graduate from Sun Yat-sen University who entered a major company to work right after graduation.”