Chapter 401 - 137: Beyond the Three Realms and the Five Elements
"But remember, this elixir cannot extend life! If someone’s lifespan has reached its end, then even if the medicine’s effects aren’t fully realized, the person meant to die will still die."
Chen Yan accepted the medicine bottle, nodding solemnly: "Thank you, Mr. Lin! I will make sure to repay this favor in the future!"
At this moment, his heart was filled with genuine gratitude, so sincere that he even changed his address to "Mr. Lin."
Afterwards, Chen Yan carefully stored the elixir, bid farewell, and drove off with Lu Sisi.
·
Despite driving this whole journey, Chen Yan didn’t rush; his driving was quite steady. Lu Sisi noticed Chen Yan’s serious expression and his silence during the entire ride, understanding his sadness, so she occasionally took out some snacks she had brought along, trying to feed him, and spoke gently to comfort him.
Halfway through the trip, when they stopped at a rest area on the highway, Chen Yan finally sighed and softly said to Lu Sisi: "Don’t worry, I’m fine. Though I feel sad, I understand that birth, aging, illness, and death are natural and irreversible. It’s just that my heart feels a bit melancholy."
As he spoke, Chen Yan led Lu Sisi out of the car. The two had rushed out from home without eating, so they settled for a quick meal at a fast-food outlet in the rest area, and then continued their journey.
By evening, they reached the county town of Chen Yan’s hometown, and he drove straight to the county hospital.
In the hospital parking lot, Chen Yan made a call to Master Zhao’s daughter, and then walked into the inpatient area with Lu Sisi.
At the entrance of the hall, they saw a middle-aged woman rushing out, her face showing a blend of anxiety and sorrow.
"Chen Yan." The middle-aged woman called out upon seeing Chen Yan, her eyes instinctively glancing at Lu Sisi beside him.
"Aunt Zhao." Chen Yan approached, affectionately pulling the middle-aged woman’s arm.
"Yes, thank you for rushing back. The old man insisted on seeing you one last time."
"No trouble at all." Chen Yan immediately shook his head, saying seriously: "Master Zhao watched me grow up. When I was a kid, I often ate at your house, so to speak, he’s as dear to me as my real grandfather."
After pausing for a moment, he continued softly: "How is he..."
"Not very well. He was lucid when we brought him to the hospital this morning, but gradually became confused in the afternoon. He’s been drifting in and out of consciousness, not quite clear-minded." Aunt Zhao said, her eyes reddening: "The doctors say it should be within these next two days."
Afterwards, Chen Yan introduced Lu Sisi to Aunt Zhao, straightforwardly mentioning she was his girlfriend. Aunt Zhao perked up, greeted Lu Sisi amiably.
Master Zhao’s family upbringing was excellent, so his children were kind-hearted people, decent and well-mannered.
Then, Chen Yan went upstairs to the ward.
Approaching the ward’s door, Chen Yan took a deep breath, spotting Master Zhao lying on the bed closest to the door.
The old man lay quietly, eyes shut, a nasal tube attached for oxygen.
Though he didn’t appear frail, his breathing was clearly weakened.
Chen Yan pushed the door open and walked in, standing by the old man’s side for a while.
"An hour ago, he woke up briefly to ask for water, then fell asleep, and hasn’t woken since." Aunt Zhao said tearfully.
The old man was also connected to a monitor, the bedside table displaying the device, tracking heart rate, blood oxygen, and respiratory frequency in real time.
The county hospital’s conditions were average, the ward evidently somewhat worn-out.
Sitting slowly beside the old man, Chen Yan reached out and touched the old man’s thin yet strong arm.
After steadying his emotions, Chen Yan turned to Aunt Zhao: "Where’s my uncle?"
Referring to Aunt Zhao’s husband, who was also Master Zhao’s son-in-law.
"He was here in the afternoon, but went home to cook for the children in the evening. Your brother is taking the college entrance exam this year and has evening classes. He stopped by after school and just went back with his father a while ago.
Tonight, the two of us are staying here. My brother went to the village to prepare..." Aunt Zhao shook her head, sighing.
After a pause, she tried to muster a smile: "You must be hungry after driving all the way from Jinling Prefecture without dinner, right? Why not take your girlfriend out for a bite? Given the old man’s current state, he likely won’t wake up for a while..."
"No, I’ll stay here and keep watch." Chen Yan thought for a moment, then smiled: "Did Aunt Zhao eat dinner? How about you take my girlfriend to the restaurant, and bring me back something when you return. I’ll stay here with the old man."
"Ah..." Aunt Zhao seemed somewhat hesitant, feeling it might not be entirely appropriate.
However, Chen Yan threw a glance at Lu Sisi. Although not fully understanding, Lu Sisi vaguely grasped Chen Yan’s intention and softly said: "Aunt Zhao, I’ll accompany you to eat, and let Chen Yan stay here. After rushing back, he surely doesn’t want to leave even for a moment."
Aunt Zhao looked at Chen Yan, then nodded—having always had a good relationship with his family, Chen Yan was someone she watched grow up, calling her Aunt and her husband Uncle.
In truth, not much different from her own children.
After Aunt Zhao took Lu Sisi away from the ward, Chen Yan sat by the bed, glancing around at the other patients in the ward.
This was a three-bed room; the middle bed was vacant, but the innermost bed was occupied, a middle-aged man lying there brushing his phone, with no relatives in sight.
Chen Yan got up, pulling the curtain next to the bed to block the view.
Then he took out the medicine bottle and poured out a ’Qingming Pill,’ carefully opening the old man’s mouth and gently placing it inside.