"Thank you, thank you so much, Dr. Xie!" Grandma Zhang approached Xie Wanying, firmly grasping one of her hands in thanks.
Xie Wanying couldn't pull her hand away from the older woman's grasp, feeling it tremble even as it squeezed tightly.
Grandma Zhang felt that she had nearly lost a family member, nearly gone from sending off the young before the old.
"His mother was wrong last night, Dr. Xie; I'm apologizing to you on her behalf!" Grandma Zhang said, "But I hope you can understand. She's always been this way, strong-willed. We haven't held back in our words to her. She always thinks she's capable, that she can do anything and bear everything. Over the years, my son has been very busy with work. It's his mother who's been running around; she's a good daughter-in-law beyond words. Now that she's sick, our whole family is deeply concerned. If it weren't for you doctors insisting on examining her, treating her illness, we couldn't even bear to think what might have happened—"
