Author/Li Rongcai Reading/Zhuxiang Yaxin
The most beautiful April day in the world, the spring breeze is blowing, the birds are singing and the flowers are fragrant, and the earth is full of vitality. Every morning, I get up and wash up, then go for a walk in a nearby park. Sometimes I dance square dances with my old sisters, living a leisurely and comfortable retirement life.
But there are unforeseen circumstances. One morning after my morning exercise, on the way home, I suddenly felt sore in my back and legs, and it was difficult to walk. So I sat on the side of the road, rested for a while, rubbed my waist and patted my legs, and then continued walking. But I didn't go very far and it was difficult to walk, so I called my family to drive me home. I applied plaster and rested in bed for two days, but still no improvement. Then I went to Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital for an MRI and was diagnosed with congenital spinal stenosis and lumbar spinal strain. Following the doctor's advice, I was admitted to Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital for treatment on April 20.
During my hospitalization, I followed the doctor’s instructions and took my medicine on time every day. Accompanied by my wife, I went up and downstairs, in and out, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and cycled through magnetic therapy, traction, acupuncture, baking lamps and fumigation. Steaming and other treatments, as well as oxygen injection and spinal irrigation injections once a week, constituted the entire trajectory of my hospital life.
In the hospital, many relatives and friends were thinking about me all the time and called me one after another to inquire about my treatment. Once, when the nurse was about to give me an injection, an old classmate called me and kept talking. The nurse said helplessly: "Auntie, hang up. I have to give injections to other patients. Your phone is always busy." I was embarrassed and hung up immediately. During my hospitalization, my relatives who lived in Luoyang came to the hospital to visit me one after another. Due to the harassment of the epidemic, the visitors could not enter the ward. They had to wait for me at the entrance of the inpatient department and could not see me until the treatment was over. They all expressed their warm love. In my heart. My aunt and uncle, who are over 70 years old, live on Daobei Road in the old town of Luoyang, which is far away from the hospital. They don’t know how to drive, and they have to change buses midway. However, I was hospitalized for less than 20 days, so they made several trips to the hospital to visit me. I, and the day before I was discharged from the hospital, invited me to his house for dinner.
Even more coincidental was that during a fumigation treatment, I met Li Xiaozhen, a distant aunt from the same family in the same village. She is 20 years younger than me and has lived and worked in Luoyang for nearly 30 years. Her husband works out of town all year round and her son just graduated from school. Because they just moved to a new home and tidied up the house, they developed cervical spondylosis . We live in the same ward, she is on the fifth floor and I am on the first floor. We have not seen each other for more than 20 years, but when we meet here, we are overjoyed and have endless topics to talk about. After that, she came to the ward to see me whenever she was free, and she also brought many nutritious tonics. One afternoon, after our treatment, she personally took me to her house for dinner and called her son in advance to buy various ingredients. As soon as she entered the house, she ignored her rest and hurriedly gave me her seat to pour water. She quickly walked into the kitchen to steam rice, cook porridge, and stir-fry vegetables, and began to show off her cooking skills. After a lot of intense work, she carefully prepared a sumptuous dinner with delicious meat and vegetables. Because she was hospitable and loyal to others, we chatted about everything while eating, and we didn't leave until about ten o'clock in the evening. Afterwards, I took a hot shower and slept comfortably. When I woke up the next day, I found that I was sleeping alone in the bed, while my aunt was fully clothed and lying on the sofa for the night. When I asked why, I found out that I was afraid that snoring at night would affect my sleep, so they were really considerate of me.
On the morning of May 10, the day I was discharged from hospital, I received a call from Duan Xiaoning, a cousin in Luoyang, when I was undergoing magnetic therapy, saying that she would drive me home in the afternoon. I repeatedly excused myself, saying that my car was ready and she was busy at work. , the children at home go to school, so there is no need to bother, but she said angrily: "You are my sister-in-law, and you are also the role model for our Duan family. I happen to be in Luoyang, why don't you let me send it to you! Don't worry about my family's affairs, I will make a special trip to send it to you in the afternoon You go home!". Listening to the girl's sincerity, I had no choice but to obey her arrangement. At four o'clock in the afternoon, she drove to the entrance of the inpatient department on time to wait for us, and brought me two barrels of high-calcium and high-protein milk powder for middle-aged and elderly people.After that, we drove smoothly to Luoning . After
returned home, many relatives and friends came to visit her. One day a week later, at around nine o'clock in the morning, I suddenly received a call and said: "Rongcai, are you at home? I am the wife of your best friend Suzhen. She has not seen you for more than a month and wants to chat at your house." Suzhen is my childhood friend, and we went to school together and grew up. She is 68 years old and lives in the same county. She is strong-willed, clever, smart, virtuous, and sincere in her treatment of others. Last winter, due to cerebral infarction, caused slurred speech and difficulty in mobility. Over the past six months, under the patient care of her husband, she has recovered well, but she still needs someone to accompany her in life. Therefore, I randomly said on the phone: "My building is high and you won't come. Then I will go to your house to play." But he said: "We have arrived downstairs at your house." At this time, I opened the living room window and looked downstairs. I saw Suzhen's husband first helping her out of the tram, then taking out a cup of milk from the car, holding the patient tightly, and staggering towards the corridor of my house. Seeing this scene, I couldn't help but shed tears. Because my back problem was not good enough and it was inconvenient to go downstairs, I stood at the door and waited. When they came up, they saw Suzhen holding the guardrail with her left hand and her right hand being supported by her husband. She was sweating and breathing rapidly. I saw it in my eyes and felt pain in my heart. I hurriedly helped her come in and sit on the sofa. I poured water for her, but she waved her hand to indicate that she didn’t want to drink. I let her lie down on the sofa to rest for a while. After she recovered, she could not speak clearly and said to me: “I heard that you have back discomfort. You went to Luoyang to be hospitalized and came back. Can you see me? I’m worried about you!” I said: "This is a chronic disease. I can eat, drink and move. The doctor asked me to rest at home for a while. Don't worry, you have just recovered from a serious illness, so you need to take more care!" We chatted for more than an hour. It was really not easy to see them come. I left them to have lunch at home. Her husband said: "After a while, you can come back to eat after you recover. My son and his wife are at work, and my grandchildren are still in school. I have to go back to cook for them at noon." I understood their feelings and had no choice but to let them go. After going out, looking at the back of his old couple supporting each other, I randomly took a photo with my mobile phone as an eternal souvenir.
What moved me even more was that one morning two weeks after I was discharged from the hospital, I suddenly heard a knock on the door outside. I opened it and saw that it was my husband's 95-year-old aunt. In her hand she held a bag of crispy and fragrant fried dough sticks. Behind her were her two daughters, both carrying gifts in their hands. I hurriedly welcomed them into the house, held my aunt's hands tightly, and offered them a seat to make water. Because my family lived on the sixth floor of the pedestrian staircase and there was no elevator, I saw my aunt sweating profusely and panting from exhaustion. I was moved and said: "You, a 90-year-old elder, walked to the sixth floor to see me, a junior, which made me feel sad." I can’t get through it!” She smiled and said: "You usually treat me like your own daughter. You always give me rare and delicious food. Every year, no matter where you are on Mother's Day, you always call me to say hello and wish me well!". Although my mother-in-law has passed away many years ago, we still continue this family relationship. To be honest, I respect this aunt from the bottom of my heart because she has a gentle personality and is sincere in her treatment of others. Although she has entered an octogenarian age, she is not deaf, her eyesight is not blurry, her face is rosy, she is energetic, and she is highly virtuous and respected. Today, four generations live under one roof, with children and grandchildren around their knees. They ride a tricycle alone on the streets, go shopping in supermarkets, and use their smartphones to chat on videos and watch Douyin. This is still very rare in our Luoning County.
These touching examples made me deeply moved and unable to sleep at night! I deeply feel that disease is ruthless but there is love in the world. And inspired me to use poor words to express true love in the world. Here, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and sincere respect to my relatives and friends who have always cared about, paid attention to and cared for me!
About the author: Li Rongcai, female, 68 years old. Member of the Communist Party of China, first-level teacher of middle school. I love reading and photography, and occasionally my works are published on the platforms of "Xinran Appointment" and "Art Sun Paradise". Live life simply and enjoy the sunset in an ordinary way.
platform anchor: Zhuxiang Yaxin was born in Luoning, the hometown of green bamboo at the feet of the gods, in 1967. She serves as a county TV announcer and program host; she has won the second prize in municipal broadcasting competitions over the years. In 2014, he won the Henan Province Broadcasting Competition Excellence Award. In my spare time, I like poetry, prose recitation, singing, dancing, modeling, sketches, micro-films and other arts. I hope to use my own expertise to reflect the value of life, express my inner world with my voice, and convey positive energy with my true feelings.
