Yu Jia was clearly taken aback: "With modern medicine so advanced, do they still ask such questions nowadays?"
"When I was studying, I heard provincial hospitals don't allow this question, but Qinggang is a small town. They still have to ask in emergency situations. Besides, Xiao An is still a minor."
Gao Xiang interjected: "Aunt Mei, no need to ask. Of course, save Xiao An."
Yu Jia immediately said: "Yes, save Xiao An. Thank you. I'll get there as soon as possible."
The car's air conditioning quickly warmed up the interior. Gao Xiang detected an unfamiliar, indescribably strange odor. Puzzled, he adjusted the air vents before suddenly realizing it was the scent of blood. Even with the window slightly cracked open, the howling wind rushing in couldn't disperse it.
He glanced in the rearview mirror. Aunt Mei appeared very calm, holding Zuo Si'an in her arms. Zuo Si'an's eyes were slightly closed as she leaned against her, her pale face equally devoid of panic. It was as if what was happening had nothing to do with her—as if she wasn't continuously bleeding while speeding toward the hospital for surgery.
The weather was gloomy, the snow falling heavier, visibility poor, and the road muddy and bumpy. This was Gao Xiang's first time driving fast in such conditions, requiring his full concentration. Soon, his back was damp with sweat. Forty minutes later, they arrived at Qinggang Hospital, and Zuo Si'an was immediately taken to the delivery room.
Aunt Mei sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't say this, but this foolish child clearly fell on purpose. She just sat silently in the snow after bleeding. If Jingjing hadn't seen her and called me, who knows what would have happened."
Gao Xiang also vaguely felt that his complete failure to comfort her last night, along with his casually spoken words of reassurance, might have contributed to her strangely calm demeanor after making such a painful choice today. Realizing this, he was filled with frustration and self-blame.
The doctor came out and informed them that immediate surgery was necessary, but Yu Jia hadn't arrived yet, and no one could sign as a relative. Gao Xiang and Aunt Mei looked at each other. He asked the doctor, "Must her parents come to sign?"
"Of course. Surgery requires a family member's signature, especially since she's a minor."
Gao Xiang checked the time. "Her father is away on business, and her mother will take at least an hour to get here from the provincial capital."
"She has placental abruption and is continuously losing blood. We can't delay any longer."
Gritting his teeth, Gao Xiang said, "I'll sign. I'll take responsibility if anything happens."
The doctor, encountering such a situation for the first time, hesitated. "Let me speak with the department head."
She and the head discussed in the office while Gao Xiang and Aunt Mei waited anxiously outside. After what felt like an eternity, they emerged together. The department head scrutinized Gao Xiang. "There's one question that only her guardian can decide. In case of an emergency, do we save the mother or the child?"
Despite Aunt Mei's warning, Gao Xiang was still shocked by the question. Before he could respond, Chen Zi Hui's voice sounded behind him. "Save the child."
Aunt Mei was horrified and blurted out, "How can that be?"
Chen Zi Hui shot her a glare. "None of your business."Gao Xiang apologetically shook his head at Aunt Mei without looking at Chen Zi Hui. "Doctor, I just called her mother, and she authorized me to sign. I'm conveying her mother's wish—if anything happens, Zuo Si'an must be saved."
The doctor and the head physician exchanged glances, and the head physician nodded. "Let him sign."
Gao Xiang quickly signed the form. After the doctor went in, Chen Zi Hui said sternly, "If I hadn't received the call, I wouldn't have known she was about to give birth. How could you so casually say to disregard the child?"
"Mom, please wait quietly and don't offer any opinions. None of us have the right to make decisions in this matter."
His expression was grave, and Chen Zi Hui had no choice but to sulkily fall silent.
A long time passed before a young woman in a nurse's uniform suddenly waved to Chen Zi Hui from the stairwell. Chen Zi Hui walked over, and Gao Xiang, recognizing the girl as Wang Yujiao's daughter Liu Yaqin, followed. He overheard her whispering to Chen Zi Hui, "It's a baby boy, weighing 1800 grams and 47 centimeters long. He's been placed in an incubator."
Chen Zi Hui immediately beamed with joy. "Thank heavens! When can I see him?"
"That depends on what the doctor says."
Gao Xiang asked, "How is Xiao An now?"
Liu Yaqin turned and was startled to see Gao Xiang. Stammering, she said, "She's... fine, I think. I don't know."
Aunt Mei also came over upon hearing the commotion and instructed Liu Yaqin, "Go check and notify us immediately if there's any news."
Liu Yaqin nodded and hurried off.
Chen Zi Hui paid them no mind and immediately called Chen Li Guo to deliver the news. "Dad, it's a boy. He's a bit underweight, but that's alright. Babies are easier to raise than to birth. I guarantee he'll be plump and healthy within three months. I'll call Gao Ming right away and have him bring over the things I prepared."
Chen Zi Hui couldn't stay still, pacing back and forth. She suddenly remembered to have the nanny start work early and began making another call.
Just then, Yu Jia came upstairs and stopped abruptly. Gao Xiang felt that his mother's overt joy was somewhat glaring, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her to tone it down. He could only approach with Aunt Mei.
"How is Xiao An?"
"Don't worry. We got her to the hospital in time. The risk of prenatal hemorrhage is lower than postpartum hemorrhage. Since the fetus has been delivered, the doctor's main tasks are to stop the bleeding and perform the suturing. She'll be fine."
Finally, the doctor emerged. "The young lady has been sutured, but the newborn's condition isn't good. He's showing cyanosis and signs of respiratory distress."
Yu Jia breathed a sigh of relief, but Chen Zi Hui was horrified. "Doctor, is it serious?"
"The newborn needs to be transferred to a well-equipped hospital for further examination to rule out the possibility of congenital heart disease."
Chen Zi Hui's legs went weak with fear, and she grabbed the doctor's sleeve. "How could the baby have congenital heart disease? Is he in danger?"
The doctor said tactfully, "I'm an obstetrician, not a pediatric specialist, and I mentioned we need to rule out that possibility. Please let go."Chen Zihui felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. She froze for a moment, then turned furiously toward Yu Jia. "It's all because you insisted on having an early C-section. The Chen family only has this one descendant. You clearly did it on purpose, not wanting to leave us a healthy child..."
"Mom," Gao Xiang interrupted her sternly, "stop making a scene."
Just then, the operating room door opened, and a nurse wheeled Zuo Si'an out. She lay on the bed, her hair splayed across the pillow, her lips devoid of color, her face so pale and ashen it was almost indistinguishable from the bedsheet. Yet her eyes were wide open—she had clearly heard the earlier conversation and was struggling to sit up. Yu Jia rushed over and embraced her.
"Xiao An, Mom is here."
Zuo Si'an's gaze drifted past her, and she said weakly, "Tell him to come here."
"We're all here."
Aunt Mei held her down. "Don't move. Be careful of your wound."
"Tell Gao Xiang to come here."
This was the first time she had spoken Gao Xiang's name. Startled, Gao Xiang walked over. She looked at him and said, "He can't take the Chen surname."
Gao Xiang looked at her in confusion, then glanced at Yu Jia and Aunt Mei, who were equally bewildered. Zuo Si'an strained her arms and suddenly sat up, grabbing his collar. Staring intently at him, she repeated, "Promise me, don't let him take the Chen surname. Otherwise, I'll go strangle him myself."
This unexpected threat left everyone in the room stunned and speechless. Her face contorted, and she fell back onto the bed, tightly shutting her eyes as tears streamed from the corners. Yu Jia held her, losing the composure she had struggled to maintain, and wept uncontrollably, repeatedly calling her daughter's name, "Xiao An, Xiao An."
The doctor said, "Take her to the ward immediately. I need to check the sutures."
But Zuo Si'an still clung tightly to Gao Xiang's clothes, refusing to let go. Gritting his teeth, Gao Xiang leaned down slightly, looked into her eyes, and whispered, "Alright, I promise you."
Finally, she released her grip, and the nurse wheeled the bed into the ward.
Chen Zihui stared blankly at the scene, seemingly about to erupt, but then she remembered the child's condition and grabbed Gao Xiang's hand. "What do we do? What do we do? Maybe I'll carry the child, and you drive—we can go to the provincial capital right away."
Aunt Mei interjected, "The child can't leave the incubator. You can't just take him like that—it's too dangerous. You should communicate with the hospital immediately and arrange for an ambulance with medical staff to escort you to the provincial hospital."
Chen Zihui finally regained some rationality and immediately began making calls to pull strings. Gao Xiang asked Aunt Mei, "Congenital heart disease can be treated, right?"
"In recent years, I've seen several cases in the countryside. Poor families often delay until the child is seven, eight, or even ten years old, when their health deteriorates, before scraping together money to go to the provincial capital for a diagnosis. When I was training in the provincial capital, I heard a professor say that congenital heart disease should be operated on as early as possible. It's a pity..." She shook her head, clearly indicating that the surgery costs were an astronomical burden for rural families.
Chen Zihui quickly added, "Money isn't the issue, but the child was born prematurely and is so small. How can he withstand surgery?"This question was something Aunt Mei couldn't answer. The more Chen Zihui thought about it, the more frightened she became. Pacing back and forth in the corridor, she found it increasingly impossible to calm down. When the ambulance finally arrived, only one family member could accompany the medical staff. Chen Zihui got into the vehicle and instructed Gao Xiang to drive over afterward.
Gao Xiang asked Aunt Mei to help call Yu Jia out. "Teacher Yu, I apologize for what my mother said. Please don't take it to heart. When will your daughter be discharged? I can drive you back to the provincial capital."
Yu Jia shook her head. "That won't be necessary. We'll return on our own. Why did you tell Xiao An her father was away on a business trip?"
Gao Xiang was extremely embarrassed—this was precisely why he had hesitated to come. "Teacher Yu, I know telling that lie was inappropriate, but at the time she... was emotionally unstable. I just didn't want to upset her."
"You might have meant well. But do you have any idea how ruthlessly her father acted?" Yu Jia gritted her teeth. "He applied for the Aid Tibet program without discussing it with me. Even though the leader said he could leave after the New Year, he still chose to depart immediately, unwilling to even say goodbye to his daughter in person. He left me alone to clean up this mess—how am I supposed to explain this to Xiao An?" As she spoke, Yu Jia could no longer control her emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she had always been strong-willed. Unwilling to show weakness in front of others or let her daughter in the ward hear, she immediately wiped them away fiercely.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Yu. I truly apologize. I usually work in the provincial capital too. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to call me."
"I don't need anything from you. Let's stick to our previous agreement and not contact each other anymore." She turned and walked straight inside.
Aunt Mei patted his shoulder. "Gao Xiang, staying here won't help. Go assist your mother in taking care of that child. If anything happens here, I'll call you."
By the time they completed the admission procedures at the provincial hospital, it was already late at night. Chen Zihui slumped exhaustedly on a hospital bench, and Gao Xiang finally found time to call home and update them on the situation. After listening, Gao Ming pondered for a moment and then shared another piece of news: "Your girlfriend came by the house looking for you this afternoon. Your grandfather and I had to tell her you were away on a business trip."
He had indeed received a call from Sun Ruodi that afternoon. She asked where he was, but he was too anxious to talk and hurriedly said he was at home before hanging up. It never occurred to him that Sun Ruodi had also been in Qinggang County at the time. He was taken aback. "Where is she now?"
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