Zheng Tan crouched at the doorstep, waiting impatiently and scratching the door since no one appeared. Of course, he wasn't scratching the Jiao family's door, but the door of Qu Xiangyang's house across from him, scratching the wooden door through the metal grille.
However, Qu Xiangyang, the homebody constantly wearing headphones to play games, didn't hear the scratching. By the time he realized it, his own door had already been "severely scratched."
Zheng Tan had waited for almost an hour before he finally saw Yi Xin, sweating profusely, come over.
Yi Xin had received Boss Jiao's call while he was busy with an experiment. Boss Jiao had asked him to fetch the cat after he finished. Yi Xin, having previously experienced taking the cat, knew that Boss Jiao's cat had a temper. As soon as he finished his work, without even time to drink water, he dropped his lab coat, grabbed his water bottle, and rode his recently purchased second-hand bicycle towards the East Family Courtyard.
When he arrived at the Jiao family's apartment on the fifth floor, Yi Xin unsurprisingly saw the menacing Black Cat and heard the squeaking sound of its paws scratching the wooden door.
Looking at the wooden door and then at the eyes of the Black Cat in front of him, Yi Xin quickly explained why he was late, emphasizing that Boss Jiao had agreed to his late arrival.
Zheng Tan did not listen to his rambling and ran back to the living room, throwing out the bag Mr. Jiao had been twisting when they went to the Life Science Building.
Yi Xin was not too surprised by Zheng Tan's behavior, as he had already been surprised the first time he transported the cat. Following Boss Jiao's instructions, Yi Xin opened the bag.
Zheng Tan jumped right in and then stared at Yi Xin, indicating with his eyes that Yi Xin should hurry up and set off.
Not being able to speak was indeed inconvenient; Zheng Tan used to think being mute wasn't a big deal, but now he truly empathized. After all, not everyone you meet can understand you intuitively.
Yi Xin didn't understand Zheng Tan's look. He simply followed Boss Jiao's instructions, carried the bag, and started running downstairs, only to realize halfway that he could have let the cat walk down on its own.
Yi Xin rode the bike with Zheng Tan towards the Chuhua University Affiliated Hospital.
Unfortunately, even a simple bike ride could go wrong.
They hadn't gotten far out of the East Family Courtyard when Zheng Tan heard a "snap," and then the bicycle slowed down.
Listening to Yi Xin cursing, Zheng Tan, who was crouched in the basket atop the bag, looked down and saw nothing out of the ordinary. But looking further back, a broken chain lay on the road.
Zheng Tan: "What a crappy bike, the chain broke just like that!"
The campus shuttle would take a while, and it stops frequently, which Zheng Tan couldn't wait for. A taxi? Who knew when a taxi might enter the campus? Borrow a bike? From whom? If Yi Xin borrowed another bike that broke mid-way, Zheng Tan figured he might die of frustration.
Zheng Tan remembered seeing Mr. Jiao's electric scooter in the bike shed when they came downstairs. Now that the weather had cooled, Mr. Jiao occasionally ran to the Life Science Building when he had time.
Yi Xin, scratching his head in confusion, suddenly saw the Black Cat jump out of the basket and run back.
"Hey, what are you running for! Wait!" Yi Xin grew more anxious. Although a bike could be replaced, if the cat went missing, he couldn't face his boss.
So Yi Xin threw the bike aside on the roadside and chased after the cat, considering the bike was a cheap second-hand item anyway. Besides, a bike with a broken chain wasn't likely to attract anyone's interest during the daytime, except maybe a sanitation worker.
Zheng Tan rushed back to the East Family Courtyard, reached the Jiao family's home, and found the spare key to the electric scooter hidden in a small corner of Mr. Jiao's desk drawer. As he came out of the building with the key in his mouth, he saw an out-of-breath Yi Xin.
Zheng Tan glanced at Yi Xin, ran to Mr. Jiao's electric scooter, patted the seat, and set down the key.
Yi Xin: "..." Okay, the boss's cat truly is unique.
The electric scooter was far more reliable than the bicycle, and it was easier for Yi Xin to drive—he preferred it as it didn't require pedaling, and he didn't have much strength left to pedal a bike.
What annoyed Zheng Tan was that the electric scooter always felt slow and deliberate, not quite like a motorcycle. So at that moment, Zheng Tan really wished the Jiao family owned a private car.
On the way to the hospital, Zheng Tan kept his eyes on the road, remembering that in the future, he should not depend on others, saving both time and hassle.
The Chuhua University Affiliated Hospital wasn't inside Chuhua University but about two bus stops away. The hospital, integrating medical services, teaching, and research, was a top-tier hospital.
Since the hospital was always crowded, Yi Xin parked the scooter and entered with the bag according to the precise directions given by Boss Jiao. After all, the hospital wasn't a place where cats could roam freely, and Zheng Tan couldn't strut inside either.
While riding the elevator, they ran into Mr. Jiao, who had come down to buy a lunch box. Seeing that Mr. Jiao's complexion was good and that he didn't have the hoarse and suppressed tone he had on the phone earlier, it seemed that Jiao Ma wasn't in too much trouble.
Mr. Jiao bought five boxed lunches, one of which was for Yi Xin.
Yi Xin was also planning to buy some fruit, but when he reached into his pocket, he realized he hadn't brought any money. He had left in such a hurry that he hadn't put on a coat, and his wallet was in his coat. Now, all he had in his pocket was a meal card.
"Um, can the fruit stand accept a meal card?" Yi Xin asked awkwardly.
Mr. Jiao, Zheng Tan: "..."
"Let's do it another day. She can't eat it today anyway; she hasn't woken up yet," Mr. Jiao said.
As they walked toward the elevator, Mr. Jiao explained what had happened that day.
Although Jiao Ma was a middle school teacher, she would sometimes go to Chuhua Attached Middle School, intending to move there to teach high school in the future. She knew many people on both sides, and with her capabilities, she was more than qualified to teach high school. She had not made the move only because she was concerned about her two young children at home, but if she had no classes, she would still go there to observe and help out, acting as a practice high school teacher.
Chuhua Attached Middle School was a key school in the province, but it was a bit far from the city center, close to the Third Ring Road. Every day there was a shuttle bus from the university campus that passed by the junior high and then went to the attached middle school. Unexpectedly, today, just after they left the junior high, a small truck carrying glass doors slammed into them as they were rounding a corner. The truck driver was still not fully sober from a hangover when he was driving. As for now, he was still in the operating room, clinging to life.
Many people on the school bus were injured, with six seriously injured, and two still in emergency care.
Jiao Ma was relatively lucky. When she was first brought to the hospital, she was covered in blood, which was the scene Mr. Jiao saw upon his arrival. She had multiple lacerations from glass shards, with three wounds being somewhat deep. Her leg wound was deep enough to expose the bone, but fortunately, it did not damage the bone. Although it looked very frightening when she first arrived, she was indeed luckier than those six seriously injured.
After the surgery, the glass shards were all removed, and there were no fractures, but she still needed to be hospitalized for a few days for observation.
Mr. Jiao had just received a call from Zheng Tan when Jiao Ma's surgery had ended not long ago. Mr. Jiao had not yet calmed down and was still immersed in the scene he had witnessed upon arriving at the hospital, which explained his tone when he spoke. However, now he had returned to his usual composed demeanor.
As for Jiao Yuan and the others, it was Mr. Jiao who had asked Ms. Ling to pick them up, out of fear that should the situation become grim, they would have a chance to see their mother one last time.
Relatively speaking, Jiao Ma's condition wasn't considered severe, so she was sent straight to a regular ward after the surgery, as the intensive care unit was already full. Technically speaking, the "regular ward" was not quite "ordinary"; the hospital had additional benefits for the school staff. One floor was specifically designated for Chuhua University staff, and Jiao Ma was now in one of those wards.
Compared to other wards, the difference here was that the four-bed ward was divided into smaller cubicles. Although you could still hear your neighbors if you spoke a bit loudly, it was still better than being crowded together. There were some without partitions, dependent on the family's choice. Generally, those who had just undergone surgery, like Jiao Ma, would choose to stay on the side with partitions.
Each cubicle was very small, less than ten square meters. It was quite cramped if a few more people entered.
Inside, Jiao Ma had not yet woken up, but knowing that her life was not in danger, the Jiao family could finally relax.
Jiao Yuan and Gu Youzi were sitting on the long bench in the corridor outside the large ward. Gu Youzi's eyes were still red and swollen from crying, and Jiao Yuan was not much better.
After Yi Xin joined them for a while, Mr. Jiao sent him away, considering that Yi Xin had many things of his own to manage.
"We're short of people!" Mr. Jiao sighed, and after a pause, added, "We need to recruit a few more graduate students next year."
It was hard to know what Yi Xin would think if he heard this.
Zheng Tan had his boxed meal inside the small partitioned cubicle where Jiao Ma was, as it wouldn't look good to be seen eating outside. When a nurse came halfway through to change the bandages and check on the patient, Zheng Tan hid in Jiao Yuan's backpack. As for the books in Jiao Yuan's backpack, they were all thrown into a plastic bag.
The incident with Jiao Ma had not been disclosed to the elderly living in their hometown; they were both quite old, and traveling back and forth would be too exhausting for them.
Zheng Tan and the two kids stayed there while Mr. Jiao returned home for a while to bring some clothing and supplies, and also brought the small wooden table with a Huaxia chess pattern. It would be useful for placing items, eating, and for the two kids to do their homework.
For the past few nights, Mr. Jiao had been staying there directly. There was a folding lounge chair in the small partitioned space for caregivers to rest on. Although it looked small, it was manageable.
On that day, the two kids from the Jiao family didn't go to school but stayed with Mr. Jiao. Jiao Ma woke up in the afternoon, talked for a while, and then fell asleep again. Although she was still very pale, at least the three of them and the cat felt much more at ease.
After 5 p.m., Mr. Jiao went to buy more boxed meals, and after they had eaten, he let the two kids take the bus home while it was still light.
Initially, Mr. Jiao planned to let the two kids stay with Aunt Ling or at the homes of a few close teachers, but the kids firmly objected, claiming they could take care of themselves. They slept poorly when not at home and preferred to return to their own house.
Mr. Jiao looked at Zheng Tan peeking out from Jiao Yuan's backpack and said, "Heitan, keep an eye on them while you're at home."
"Woof," Zheng Tan responded. Even if he wasn't asked, he would still look after the two kids, as he considered himself an older brother.