Chapter 68: No Escape Now
The nurse on duty jumped and hurried over.
"What happened? Is the child hurt?"
"She fell on her nose! There’s so much blood!"
Ling Anxun said, his words spilling out in a rush.
The rest of the family rushed into the hospital right behind him, their footsteps a chaotic jumble.
No one gave a thought to the car they’d left in the middle of the road, its engine still running.
It wasn’t until a security guard ran out to remind them that Ling Zhiyu turned back to park the car properly.
Fortunately, the test results came back quickly.
The doctor held up the scans, shook his head, and smiled.
"It’s nothing serious. She just fell on her nose and scraped some skin. The bleeding is from inside her nose. It looks scary, but it’s not severe. Just make sure she doesn’t get it wet or pick her nose when you get home."
Hearing this, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief, their tense shoulders finally slumping.
Ding Qin wiped the sweat from her forehead and murmured under her breath.
"The heavens be praised, the heavens be praised..."
But just as they breathed that sigh of relief, everyone’s gaze fell back on Ling Anxun.
He was leaning against a bench outside the exam room, holding Shanshan, who had since stopped crying.
"Mom, Dad, my leg... it’s really better."
No one replied. The air was so quiet you could hear everyone breathing.
He wanted to stay and spend a little more time with his daughter.
But his family absolutely refused, insisting that he go home and rest first.
"You just finished your physical therapy. You can’t overexert yourself!"
Ding Qin said resolutely.
"Listen to us. It won’t be too late to come back tomorrow."
Ling Zhenkang added, trying to persuade him.
In the end, he could only nod reluctantly and follow them out.
"We know you’re better, but you have to let us see the proof for ourselves."
Ding Qin’s eyes were red, and her voice trembled slightly.
"We’ve watched you go through physical therapy for two whole years. We saw you when you could only shuffle along with crutches, then when you could walk a short distance with a walker, and then as you gritted your teeth every single day to get through your exercises... Every time we came to see you, our hearts were in our throats. So how could we not believe you? But just now... you were holding Shanshan, walking so steadily, running so fast! If that isn’t better, what is?"
Ling Anxun lowered his head, his gaze falling on his daughter’s face.
The little girl had been excited all day and was now so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open.
"I... I really am better."
"You silly boy, why do you always make your parents worry?"
Ding Qin wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, then reached out and gently poked his forehead.
"Just saying you’re better doesn’t count! We have to go to the hospital for a check-up. It only counts as being truly better if we hear it from a doctor! What if there’s some hidden issue that causes problems later? What then? Let’s go, no dawdling!"
In the end, Ling Anxun was practically manhandled to the hospital by his own family.
All the way there, his mother fretted over him nonstop, while his father followed silently behind.
Once they arrived, the moment the orthopedics clinic opened, he was pushed inside, registered, and placed first in line.
The examination went smoothly.
He had scans and an MRI done. The doctor carefully reviewed the images and asked a series of questions about his walking, weight-bearing, and flexion.
Finally, the results were in.
His bone structure was normal, and his joint mobility was good.
His nerve recovery was ideal, with no lingering side effects or hidden problems.
The doctor closed the report, smiled, and nodded.
"He’s made an excellent recovery. He can return to his normal life and physical activities."
Upon hearing this, tears immediately streamed down Ding Qin’s face.
She swept Shanshan, who was still in Ling Anxun’s arms, into a hug, smothering her with kisses.
"It’s all thanks to Shanshan! If it weren’t for our clever little girl pestering her dad to walk every day, insisting he go with you to the hill out back to pick herbs, and even claiming those herbs could cure his leg... If it weren’t for you, who knows how much longer it would’ve taken for Anxun to make a full recovery!"
"That’s right! Shanshan is our family’s little lucky star!"
Third Uncle chimed in with a laugh, reaching out to pinch Shanshan’s little cheek.
If an outsider had heard them, they would have found it utterly absurd.
Who would believe that wild herbs picked at random by a three-year-old could cure a leg that had been unusable for two years?
But the Ling family didn’t find it strange in the slightest.
In their hearts, Shanshan was the child who had brought them a miracle.
Shanshan tilted up her chubby, rosy face, her eyes sparkling, looking incredibly pleased with herself.
"Of course! Shanshan is the most amazing little... person in the whole world!"
Halfway through the sentence, she realized she’d almost let her secret slip and quickly stuck out her tongue.
"That’s right, Shanshan’s the best!"
Second Aunt chimed in. She was a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and her words carried weight in the family.
She gently patted Shanshan’s shoulder and nodded seriously.
"Those herbs... I’ve searched through all my medical texts and have never seen them used to treat nerve or bone injuries. What’s more, no one has ever tried them on a case like Anxun’s with any success. And yet, you’re the one who brought them, and they truly made Anxun get better day by day. If that’s not a natural gift, what is?"
But a moment later, Shanshan looked up, blinking her big eyes.
"If Shanshan is so amazing, then First Uncle, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, how come you aren’t taking the medicine I picked for you?"
The room was plunged into a terrifying silence.
It was so quiet you could hear the wind rustling the leaves outside the window.
First Uncle, Second Uncle, and Third Uncle all looked at each other, their expressions a mixture of emotions.
Seeing the awkward turn, First Aunt immediately forced a smile and tried to smooth things over with a strained laugh.
"Oh, your First Uncle has just been so busy lately! He’s rushing to meet a deadline on a project, and there are things to deal with at home, so he just hasn’t gotten around to taking it... As soon as he has a moment, he’ll take it. He definitely will!"
"Oh? Is that right?"
Shanshan tilted her head, her eyes twinkling with pure, unadulterated innocence.
"But you can’t forget to take your medicine, even if you’re busy! Daddy says good kids who listen grow up big and strong! But grown-ups who don’t listen just get old!"
At her words, the three uncles looked even more embarrassed.
In truth, they hadn’t thrown out the packets of herbs Shanshan had personally picked, dried, and portioned out for them.
But... they also hadn’t dared to actually take them.
Who would believe that random weeds picked by a three-year-old could actually be medicine?
They had originally planned to just humor the child by brewing the concoction and making a show of drinking it.
She was just a child, after all. She wouldn’t know any better, so they figured they could just fool her.
But who could have guessed that the little girl would see right through their scheme?
"Hmph! That day, Shanshan got up at the crack of dawn and trekked over the mountain, braving the morning dew and damp air, stumbling all the way just to pick herbs for you thoughtless fools! She was covered in sweat, her cheeks were flushed, and her shoes and socks were soaked through! And what did you do? Every single one of you pretended not to notice. You just kept your heads down, focused on your food, and didn’t even look up! What kind of attitude is that? It’s preposterous!"
The patriarch, Ling Zhenkang, was so furious his mustache trembled. He slammed his cane hard on the floor.
"Eldest Daughter-in-law, starting today, you will watch these three—the eldest, the second, and the third. Not a single one gets to skip. They must take their medicine on time, morning and night. The brew must be hot, and no cutting corners! After they drink it, they have to come and report to me in person every single day! If any of them dare to slack off or pull any tricks, they’ll have me to answer to! Is that clear?"
"Y-yes, Dad... I’ll watch them like a hawk. I won’t let them miss a single drop."
Jiao Qin replied, lowering her head.
She sighed and slowly nodded in acceptance.
There was no escaping it now. For the three brothers, the ordeal had only just begun.
Once his leg was fully healed, Ling Anxun returned to his unit for good, with no more special accommodations.
Before, he had been able to report for duty in the morning and return in the afternoon to spend time with Shanshan.