闪电算

Yet, he also felt uneasy, fearing what would happen if he were to pass away, worried that they might be bullied without him around.

Song Chuanqi managed to swallow a dumpling, but then felt nauseated and didn’t eat anymore. Lying in his hospital bed, he began to contemplate his own mortality.

Even though he desperately wished to live, he knew better than anyone the seriousness of his situation.

He felt awful, and while he still clung to any shred of hope for survival, he knew he had to make arrangements for his wife and daughter.

His unmarried daughter and wife, who still had half her life ahead of her, both weighed heavily on his mind.

To ensure that he ate enough, both Ye Xingguang and Bai Lanwu finished off a bowl of dumplings.

Bai Lanwu seemed to understand what her husband was thinking, and holding his hand, remained silent, filled with words she couldn’t bring herself to say. When the IV bag was empty, she rang the nurses’ bell for a replacement.

She had been told that the drip would likely continue until dawn. She wanted to stay by her husband’s side but hated the thought of her daughter staying up all night.

“Xingguang, find a hotel nearby and get some sleep. I’ll stay with your father tonight.”

But Ye Xingguang refused to leave. “Mom, I want to stay too.”

“Listen to me.”

“No.” Ye Xingguang said. “Mom, you stay the first half of the night, and I’ll take the second. Like this, you can get some sleep. Otherwise, you won’t be able to cope?”

Moved by his daughter’s filial piety, Song Chuanqi interjected, “Lan Wu, listen to our daughter.”

Bai Lanwu, still worried for their daughter, turned the hospital’s accompanying chair into a small bed and urged Xingguang, “You sleep first, Xingguang. I’ll stay with your father. I’ll wake you at 3 am so you can take over.”

Though Ye Xingguang couldn’t sleep, she respected her parents’ wishes and lay down on the bed.

The bright lights in the ward were switched off, leaving only a soft light. A few times, Ye Xingguang opened her eyes sleepily, only to see her mother by her father’s bedside, moistening his dry lips with a wet cotton swab, reminiscent of the warmth of their family moments. Realizing that these precious moments might be fleeting, she felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow.

She closed her eyes, her mind filled with memories of their happy life on the island.

She had left the island to study in the imperial city four years ago, having not attended any school before that.

She had not experienced primary school, middle school or high school as others had, for there were no schools on the island. Those who wanted to study had to go to T city. But she didn’t want to leave the island.

Fortunately, the neighbors on the island were all versatile. Although she hadn’t formally experienced the 12 years of compulsory education from elementary to high school, her father brought back textbooks and the neighbors helped teach her.

In the end, her father arranged for her to take the college entrance exam directly.

Fortunately, she did not disappoint. Even though she didn’t top the exam to make her father proud, she still got into the well-known C University in the imperial city and embarked on the normal life path of a girl.

As she reminisced, it was past one in the morning. Unable to sleep, she got up to take over from her mother.

Tired and drifting in and out of sleep, Song Chuanqi stirred again, thinking about what would come after him, “Call that young man from the Ye family, tell him to come to T city. Call him now.”