CHAPTER 678: CHAPTER 456: THE COLD AND WARMTH OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

The first watch ended.

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"Why did you think of such a suture method?" After studying for half the day, Professor Yuan put the little white mouse back into its cage and continued to press Chuxia for an answer.

"During class, you mentioned that suture techniques are mainly exterior and interior suturing. Exterior suturing is relatively simple and almost every doctor can perform it, while interior suturing requires a high degree of visual acuity and dexterity. Many doctors cannot master it completely. Therefore, most of the time, they can only choose exterior suturing.

I just felt, as a patient, being sick is already painful enough. If a big, unsightly scar is left behind, it will definitely be upsetting to look at.

But then, the technical requirements for interior suturing are there, and it’s not possible for every doctor to master it skillfully. If we could combine intermittent exterior suturing with interior suturing, I believe many doctors could do it.

Although the result might not be as perfect as interior suturing, it wouldn’t leave as obvious a scar as the former method. At least, it could reduce some of the patients’ suffering."

Chuxia had prepared this line of reasoning a while ago, and indeed, the creator of this suture method had the same thoughts. The only difficulty of this technique was the transition between exterior and interior suturing, which was much less complicated than pure interior suturing. She believed that with a bit of effort, every doctor could truly master it.

"What a considerate child," Professor Yuan said with a smile. "Actually, many doctors could come up with your suture method if they just put their minds to it. But, including myself, none of us has really thought about the patients. Child, I’m very happy to have taught you."

Chuxia replied with a chuckle, "Thank you for the compliment, Professor. As long as you don’t ignore me, I’ll be very happy."

"You, this child, hehe..." Professor Yuan laughed awkwardly. "Alright, I apologize to you. I was too superficial."

"Hehe..."

Professor Yuan apologized so readily that now it was Chuxia’s turn to feel embarrassed. She scratched her head and looked at him with eyes full of remorse, "Professor, I’m sorry, I’ll try to skip class less and study hard."

Professor Yuan was a stubborn man with a childlike spirit—a stubbornly young-hearted elder. When Chuxia said this, he seemed slightly upset, "Why don’t you say you’ll absolutely not skip class? With such talent, you should cherish it. Being half-hearted will never lead to success."

Chuxia smiled bitterly, unsure of what to say. She was already married, and with the Zhou family’s background, there would inevitably be events she’d have to attend with her mother-in-law and wife. As for her own family, with her father’s backstory revealed, she couldn’t avoid certain social obligations requiring her to accompany her parents.

To her, work was important, but family was most important. She worked hard to make her parents—or rather, her family—happier, didn’t she?

No matter how deep either the Husband’s Family or the Lin Family of the Capital’s backgrounds were, her parents wouldn’t truly feel secure. Only when she became completely independent could they really feel at ease.

"Whoever has it, doesn’t know their own, whoever is strong, is not as strong as oneself," she believed this saying was very true. Therefore, someday she would become a strong, independent daughter who loved and protected her family—a good daughter and a good wife.

As Chuxia remained silent, Professor Yuan grew even more angry, "Is it that your family doesn’t support you? Fine, you can go home. Leave this matter to me, I’ll handle it."

"No, no, no... there’s no need..." Chuxia quickly refused, "Professor, my family is very supportive of me. Please rest assured, I definitely won’t skip class unless absolutely necessary."

"You, getting married at such a young age, sigh!" Professor Yuan sighed deeply, his eyes filled with regret as he waved her off. "Alright, go back home, and be more attentive in the future."

"Yes," Chuxia responded, and hurriedly left with Luo Xiaoqiong.

On the way, Luo Xiaoqiong kept looking at her. Chuxia punched her lightly, "What are you looking at? It’s not the first time you’ve seen me. Save those eyes for my brother, will you?"

"When did you figure it all out?" Luo Xiaoqiong asked. "Chuxia, I feel like I’m getting farther away from you. Even if a girl’s supposed to change as she grows, it shouldn’t be this scary, should it?"

Chuxia joked with a laugh, "Do you think if I wore underwear on the outside, I could become Superman?"

"Ah?" Luo Xiaoqiong stared at her blankly. "Why would you wear underwear on the outside? That would be so embarrassing!"

With a sigh, Chuxia realized she had just blurted that out, forgetting that in this day and age, no one knew what a Superman with underwear worn on the outside was. So she laughed it off, "I was just making a metaphor, meaning that I’m becoming more and more noticeable, like someone wearing underwear on the outside."

"Who would compare themselves like that?" Luo Xiaoqiong rolled her eyes. "That kind of attention, it’s better not to have it."

Chuxia pursed her lips and didn’t continue the conversation. When you’re not on the same wavelength, communication is really impossible...

When Chuxia got home in the evening, she told the Zhou family members about Qin Mei’s medical examination results. The old lady and Lin Yanqiu sighed, feeling that Qin Mei was pitiable. Any complaints they had about her vanished like smoke in air.

When Zhou Shanping came home and heard the results, he was silent for a long time without speaking. In the end, the old man commanded that no matter what, Qin Mei was one of his soldiers, and facing such a situation, he must fulfill his responsibilities as a leader.

So that very evening, Zhou Mikang and Chuxia accompanied Zhou Shanping to the Qin family’s home.

After Qin Mei got home, she had just informed her parents about her illness. Hearing that their daughter had a tumor in her stomach that needed to be removed, the uneducated and honest couple were immediately panic-stricken and helpless.

Mother Qin kept wiping away her tears, cursing their ill-fate for laying such a burden on their family and blaming her husband for his lack of ability, which had resulted in their daughter not being married at her age. Now that she was ill, there wasn’t even a man to care for her...

Listening to Mother Qin’s complaints, Mr. Qin could do nothing but sigh sorrowfully.

Qin Mei was very annoyed. She told them she just wanted someone to take care of her after the surgery, not for them to make a fuss as if the sky were falling.

"Mom, can you stop crying? Dad, can you stop sighing?" Unable to bear it any longer, Qin Mei exploded, "What I have now is not a terminal illness; it’s just about removing something from my stomach. I’ll live my life as before after that. If you really care about me, just inform the factory in advance so you can take time off to take care of me. As for everything else, there’s no need for you to worry unnecessarily!"

Upon hearing this, the honest couple slapped their foreheads and stood up, running off in a flash. When they came back, they told her that everything had been arranged with their superiors. Whenever they needed to take time off, they just had to give the word.

Not long after, her grandaunts, uncles, great-uncles, cousins, and grandparents all arrived...

Clearly, it must have been Mr. and Mother Qin who had notified them...

After scanning the room, Qin Mei felt overwhelmed. The problem was, even if they had come, as they entered, they took turns holding her hand, shedding tears, and mourning her hard life... Did they really think she was going to die?

As they left, the crowd collectively left her two yuan and ten cents..., saying it was everyone’s kind wishes for her treatment...

Not only did Qin Mei feel a chill in her heart, but Mr. and Mother Qin couldn’t accept it either, sighing and mumbling about the lack of righteousness in their relatives.

Already in a bad mood, Qin Mei burst out, "Dad, Mom, how others treat us will determine how we treat them from now on. Don’t upset yourselves over this, okay?"

"Sis, what happened?" Qin Sheng, who came back from work, looked at his sister in confusion as she raged, "If someone has upset you, settle it with them. What’s the point of throwing your weight around at Mom and Dad?"

For Qin Sheng, his sister, who was in her thirties and still unmarried, was a source of frustration, and his words were naturally blunt.

"Qin Sheng, do you just wish I would fall ill and die quickly to get out of this house?" Qin Mei stared straight at him, "Is that what you’ve always cursed me with in your heart?"

"Sis, you’re really sick!" Qin Sheng glared at her, "Completely unreasonable! No wonder no man wants to marry you. With that nasty temper, only a man with a sick brain would want to marry you."

"Xiao Sheng!" Mr. Qin glared at his son, "How can you speak to your sister like that? Your sister is indeed sick today. Your mother and I were anxious, so we notified the relatives, and as a result..."

After his father recounted the whole story, Qin Sheng looked Qin Mei up and down: "Sis, do you really have a tumor in your stomach?"

Qin Mei just gave him a look: "Nonsense, who would joke about such a thing?"

"Dad, Mom, if you spend money on her treatment, what about my wedding?" Qin Sheng turned to his parents, "Xiao Feng said that if the bride price isn’t enough, she won’t marry into our family."

"Xiao Sheng, saving a life can’t be delayed, whereas getting a wife can wait..." Mother Qin sighed, "She’s your own sister. How can you talk like that?"

"I wish she wasn’t my sister. Otherwise, would Xiao Feng divorce me? Would she let me marry her again?" Qin Sheng sneered, "Just to let you know, if you don’t provide the bride price, I’ll marry into the Wang family."

"So, you’re actually eager to be a live-in son-in-law? Can’t you live without Wang Feng? With a woman who is lazy, gluttonous, and ugly, you not only married her once but also want to marry her again; I think your brain is the one that’s waterlogged."

Qin Mei had long grown used to her brother’s attitude towards her. After berating him, she didn’t wait for a response and went back to her room, slamming the door shut with a "bang."

But, accustomed as she was to such behavior, being sick still made her feel aggrieved. She didn’t want to cry, yet tears uncontrollably fell. Her brother’s shouts and curses outside the door became the catalyst for her tears...

She didn’t know how long had passed when she heard her mother calling from outside, "Xiao Mei, there are guests here to see you, come out quickly..."(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote and provide monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)