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Chapter 246: Chapter 236: This is Not My Child
Shen Yunfang and Dashuan’s wife had been waiting in the hospital ward since the afternoon until evening, growing increasingly anxious but still not seeing the child’s mother.
"What on earth could she be doing? She’s been away for so long. Isn’t she a city dweller with a job? The city isn’t that big; she could have walked around it by now." Dashuan’s wife paced to the door of the ward every so often to see whether the child’s mother had returned.
Shen Yunfang already had a bad feeling inside, but remembering the mother’s behavior in the afternoon, it just didn’t seem like she would abandon her own child. Could it be that she had been in a car accident on the way?
Shen Yunfang cursed herself, at this time of day one couldn’t even see a few cars with four wheels on the streets, let alone find a crooked tree to crash into.
The child’s mother didn’t show up all night, and the next morning, the child in the hospital bed woke up, letting out cries like a little kitten, muttering incomprehensibly.
Dashuan’s wife had been watching the whole time, and seeing the child wake up, she was pleasantly surprised for a moment and hurried over to see how the child was doing.
However, as the child in bed saw a stranger approaching, he was shocked and immediately choked back his tears, his little face turning red as he gazed at the unfamiliar person before him.
Dashuan’s wife tried her best to look kind and coaxed the child with what she thought was the gentlest smile she could muster, "Are you Xiaotian? Your mom went out and asked me to take care of you. How do you feel, is there anything that hurts, or are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"
The child shrank back a little more.
Realizing this was not working, Shen Yunfang quickly said, "Sister-in-law, we should call the doctor and the nurse to have a look. We don’t know what’s the condition of the child’s health; we can’t afford any delays."
Dashuan’s wife also thought it made sense and, without speaking further to the child, hurried out of the ward to find someone.
The little girl relaxed a little when she saw the stranger leave and laid back down on the hospital bed, unable to support herself. 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝖔𝔪
Soon, a doctor accompanied by a nurse and followed by Dashuan’s wife, entered the ward.
The sight of so many strangers suddenly approaching her brought tears to the little girl’s eyes, and she appeared as if she wanted to cry but dared not, making everyone present feel a pang of heartache.
Nonetheless, the doctor was very conscientious and asked the nurse to help the little girl, as he gave her another examination. Though the girl was scared, she didn’t cry out or refuse to let anyone approach; rather, she cooperated nicely, assuming whatever position the nurse arranged her in, like a very good girl.
Despite her cooperation during the examination, she kept silent the entire time. The doctor asked questions, but she neither nodded nor shook her head. Finally, with no other option, the doctor preliminarily concluded that she was out of life-threatening danger and, after a few more days of observation in the hospital, she could be discharged. However, he stressed that she still needed to consume more nutritious food to replenish her body. "Such a small child, being so hungry, if she doesn’t replenish her nutrition timely, it could lead to health problems as she grows up."
The doctor mistook Dashuan’s wife for the child’s mother, so all his instructions were directed at her.
Dashuan’s wife earnestly nodded to whatever the doctor said, acting as if she remembered it all. She was keen to take note, hoping to explain everything accurately to the child’s real mother when she returned.
After speaking, the doctor glanced at a few papers in his hand and asked, "Your child hasn’t paid the hospital deposit yet, right? Make sure to pay it today, otherwise, she won’t get her medication."
Dashuan’s wife heard this and knew she couldn’t nod her agreement, quickly saying, "This is not my child."
"What’s the matter with you, not even recognizing your own child? Is this how you act as a mother?" The nurse behind her wasn’t the one from yesterday and probably just started her shift, so she didn’t know that Dashuan’s wife wasn’t the little girl’s parent and thought she was denying the child to avoid paying the hospital bills.
"Oh, no, this isn’t my child. My daughter is this tall already," Dashuan’s wife gestured to her chest, "I am the family member for this bed." She said, stepping back, genuinely worried these people would blame her.
The young nurse and the doctor looked suspiciously at Shen Yunfang, who leaned against the hospital bed.
Shen Yunfang nodded, "Yes, this is my sister-in-law," pointing at Dashuan’s wife, who was mistaken for the little girl’s mother. "She’s here to take care of me. Yesterday afternoon, the child’s mother brought her over and said she needed to go home to raise money for the hospital stay, asking us to keep an eye on the child. But the whole night passed, and we saw no sign of her. If you don’t believe us, you can ask the nurse and doctor who were on duty yesterday; they were here and definitely know."
The doctor and the young nurse, hearing her speak with such certainty, believed her story. Both turned their heads to look at the little girl on the bed with furrowed brows, thinking to themselves that this must be another child abandoned at the hospital because her parents feared they couldn’t afford the hospital fees.
"Xiaotian, take care of the child for now; I’ll go and report the situation to the leaders to see how to handle this." The doctor walked away with his hands behind his back. It wasn’t his call to make; he needed to consult leadership.
Xiaotian, the young nurse referred to, obediently stayed behind and tried to communicate with the little girl, hoping to find out her address, but the little girl wouldn’t speak, no matter the question.
Soon someone called out for Xiaotian—after all, there were other patients needing Nurse Xiaotian’s care, and she couldn’t just stay there to look after one child.
So before leaving, Xiaotian handed the responsibility of caring for the child back to Dashuan’s wife.
Shen Yunfang and Dashuan’s wife both understood; it was likely that the little girl’s mother wouldn’t be coming back. They looked at the small bundle of a girl on the bed; both felt heartbroken but also helpless to do anything about it.
It was only then that Dashuan’s wife remembered, busy as they’d been with the child, they hadn’t yet had their lunch. She quickly picked up a basin and headed for the canteen.
In the ward, only Shen Yunfang and the little girl remained, but neither spoke. It was quiet until Dashuan’s wife returned with their food.
This time, Dashuan’s wife had gotten a stewed sauerkraut and a braised chicken dish.
They had barely eaten a few bites when they noticed a longing gaze. Turning to look, they frightened the little girl into hiding beneath the covers.
Remembering that the child had been brought to the hospital because of hunger and hadn’t had anything to drink or eat since waking up, they were astonished that such a little kid could endure so silently, without a single cry or complaint.
Dashuan’s wife was a mother and couldn’t bear to see a child in such a condition. She looked to Yunfang, and suggested, "Yunfang, I’m not very hungry today and there’s so much food. It would be a waste to let it sit here. How about we give the little girl some?"
Shen Yunfang looked at the food before her and then at the thin little girl beside her, shaking her head.
Dashuan’s wife’s spirits drooped. She knew she was just being impulsively kind. With two children of her own barely getting enough to eat at home, she had no means to pity others. But when faced with the situation, she still couldn’t bear it.
"Sister-in-law, this child probably hasn’t eaten for several meals," Shen Yunfang pointed at the food on the table, "None of this is suitable for her to eat right now. I have two bags of milk powder in my bag; you can take one and mix her some."
