Chapter 24: Who Cares About Whom

Chen Yunchao arrived at the hospital on a dilapidated bicycle, his hair and clothes soaked by the rain. He pulled a brown leather wallet from his sodden briefcase, inquired about the fees for his older brother, Chen Jiangchao, and carefully counted out the money at the payment window.

"This is far too expensive!" Fan Lihua clicked her tongue, watching her son’s wallet empty out.

Embarrassed by his mother’s loud, unrefined outburst in front of so many people, Chen Yunchao felt a sense of shame. He shoved the wallet back into his briefcase and headed toward his brother’s room, with Fan Lihua hurrying to catch up.

"Mom, you can stay here and look after Big Brother. You should come back to the dormitory with me. Appendicitis isn't a serious condition; he can be discharged after a few hours of observation."

Had it not been for the freezing rain and the distance between the county town and home, Chen Yunchao would not have even suggested hospitalization. Fan Lihua, however, did not mind staying the night; the hospital had heating and she didn't have to cook, a rare opportunity to relax.

"Let’s go! What are you standing there for?"

Chen Yunchao shot Li Tian'er a look of disdain. He felt he had overestimated her medical knowledge; he found it absurd that she would make such a fuss over a minor outpatient procedure like an appendectomy just to summon him.

Having spent enough time together, Li Tian'er could easily guess his thoughts. It was clear he wasn't keen on taking her to his dormitory, only doing so because it would be inappropriate for her to stay the night in his brother's room.

"There was really no need to bring my brother to the county hospital. The town clinic could have handled this. The danger with this condition isn't the treatment itself, but delaying it. Honestly, you..." Chen Yunchao grumbled as he pushed his bicycle.

Li Tian'er moved the worn black umbrella Fan Lihua had brought to shield Chen Yunchao, but he dodged away as if she were carrying a plague.

No good deed goes unpunished. Li Tian'er had intended to look out for him, but he clearly didn't appreciate it. Not only did he remain ungrateful, but he also acted skittishly whenever people passed by, as if terrified that others might misunderstand their relationship.

Li Tian'er endured it for a while, but eventually noticed that Chen Yunchao was intentionally quickening his pace without a second thought for her. He walked straight into a dark stairwell, leaned his bike against the wall, and headed upstairs.

Seeing that Chen Yunchao had already reached the second floor without noticing she hadn't followed, Li Tian'er grew angry and turned to leave.

She remembered passing a fruit stall on the way; she could negotiate a bulk price with the owner. With some money in hand, she could stay at a nice hotel, take a bath, and buy some decent clothes—who would care about Chen Yunchao’s attitude then?

"To hell with Chen Yunchao!" In her fury, Li Tian'er adopted the sharp-tongued vernacular of the women in Xiaowu Village.

Li Tian'er successfully struck a deal with the fruit vendor for a batch of seedless watermelons and cream bananas. The vendor was overjoyed to acquire such rare stock at standard prices and eagerly agreed to a long-term partnership. Li Tian'er readily promised to deliver more when the time came, though she wasn't entirely sure if she would return to the county for fruit trading in the future.

The sense of mission and fulfillment she derived from healing others could not be compared to selling a few dozen pounds of fruit.

By the time Chen Yunchao reached the third floor, he finally looked back to see if Li Tian'er was following. The stairwell was empty. He leaned over the corridor railing and called out twice, but received no answer.

Panic set in. He clattered back down the stairs and scanned the area. The staff dormitory was mostly deserted on the weekend as people had either gone home or were out on dates.

How could a grown woman just vanish into thin air in broad daylight?

His heart pounding, Chen Yunchao jumped on his bike and rode all the way back to the hospital. Hearing his mother's tone, he realized Li Tian'er hadn't returned. He swallowed his questions, feigning that he had left something at the payment window, and rode back to the dormitory. As he neared, he remained uneasy. He knew Li Tian'er rarely visited the county town—perhaps even less than his mother—and he feared she might be lost or, worse, abducted.

With that thought, he rushed to the police station.

The police refused to take a report for a twenty-five-year-old married woman who had been missing for only an hour. They advised him that marital squabbles were common and that a man should be the one to yield.

Chen Yunchao was left speechless, his frustration festering. Walking out of the station, he struck his own head. Why had he been so dismissive of Li Tian'er, thinking her unrefined and foolish?

It was all because he had been infatuated with An Qi lately. She had been showing him interest, inviting him to dance at the Workers' Cultural Palace, to the movies, and to go skating. She had made his life feel vibrant and exciting.

Though it was still cold, An Qi had already switched to spring attire. Walking beside her in her thin stockings, high heels, and red plaid skirt, Chen Yunchao felt much more fashionable. Passersby would stare at her, and by extension, look at him with envy.

He sometimes even forgot he was a married man. An Qi no longer pressured him for a divorce, and he became intoxicated by this ambiguous atmosphere, feeling as if he were living out a romance novel.

Chen Yunchao returned to his room in a state of turmoil, lying on his bed fully clothed and awake all night. He hoped to see Li Tian'er at dawn; if not, he was determined to report her missing again.

When the hospital opened, Chen Yunchao was the first to charge into the room.

"Has Tian'er come by?" he asked, though he could see only his mother and brother were there.

"Hasn't she been with you?" Fan Lihua looked at him, confused.

Chen Yunchao shook his head, clutching his messy hair. His throat felt dry and raspy; he coughed, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He had caught a cold. It hit him hard, and by noon, his forehead was burning and his cheeks were flushed. He could no longer hold on.

After another fruitless trip to the police station, Chen Yunchao decided to broadcast a search request on the county radio. As he pedaled his borrowed bike toward the station, he suddenly felt dizzy. He jumped off, gripping a roadside railing until his vision cleared.

In front of the County Department Store, a figure caught his eye. He rubbed his eyes, fearing a mistake. When he realized it was indeed Li Tian'er, his face brightened for a moment, only to be replaced by a flash of anger.

Li Tian'er, carrying several shopping bags, walked gracefully toward the street to hail a taxi back to Xiaowu Village. With Chen Jiangchao being discharged today, there was no need for her to stay. No matter how comfortable a hotel might be, it couldn't compare to the comfort of her own home in the Chen family’s storeroom.

Perhaps there were patients waiting for her to return and ease their suffering. She was, after all, the Immortal Maiden of Xiaowu Village.