CHAPTER 49

Over the years, Li Xia has been preparing for Shen Haiyang’s treatment. Perhaps with divine help, the passports and visas they applied for last year were valid, and good news came. After returning home and listening to what the children said, she immediately called Shen Haiyang and asked him to take a leave.

Grandpa Shen has been in poor health for many years. Fortunately, he found an old Chinese doctor a few years ago. The old Chinese doctor could not cure this disease, but after years of acupuncture and medicine, the old man was still in good health. But the Western doctor said that he had missed the opportunity for surgery, and even if the surgery could cure it, his body could not bear it.

Shen Haiyang has also been treated by an old Chinese doctor in recent years. He also learned a set of Qigong from the old Chinese doctor. He is a patient and perseverant person. He has never slacked off in the morning or evening for so many years. It’s really effective. He has survived several instances of discomfort safely.

“Have you asked for leave?” Li Xia asked anxiously as Shen Haiyang entered the room. She was in charge of the factory’s water dispenser, which had just passed the quality inspection and was put on the market. The rest of the work would be left to Han Jun.

“Yes.” After a few years, the man’s face became more elegant, and his smile was refreshing. “Don’t worry. We have waited for so many years, so it doesn’t matter if you wait a little longer.”

Li Xia took a deep breath and went over the things on hand in her mind. She had to attend a meeting at work tomorrow. She would not be back for a short time, so she had to explain everything clearly.

“I have a meeting at work tomorrow, so make arrangements as soon as you can. We will leave for Shanghai as soon as possible and transfer to another flight abroad from Shanghai.”

“Okay.”

After Li Xia finished speaking, she looked back at the three little ones. Shen Hui raised his hand first and said, “Don’t worry about us. We can take care of ourselves. Mom, please take good care of Dad along the way. The flight abroad takes a long time, and it’s tiring to sit there.”

Huihua nodded and then added, “Don’t worry about studying; we will arrange it ourselves. The piano exam will be in the second half of the year, and you will definitely be back by then, so it won’t be delayed.”

“Although I’m about to take the high school entrance exam, you can go ahead, mom and dad.” Yiyi patted his chest and said, “The exam is not a big deal. I can handle it myself.”

Li Xia had never worried about the boy’s studies in his past life or in this life. She nodded when she heard it. She didn’t care about him in the first place. Her presence or absence would not hinder the boy’s performance.

“Well, it’s settled then. You guys take care of yourselves.”

“I know. You can go without worries.”

Yiyi waved his hand carelessly, and Shen Hui’s eyes were filled with worry. After returning to the room, he paced back and forth in the room and took a deep breath, and his mind could not stop worrying. In the evening, Shen Haiyang asked him to go to the study, and he could see the worry in his father’s eyes.

Shen Hui is sixteen this year, and at 1.8 meters tall, he already looks like a young man. However, no matter how tall he is, the childishness on his face has not faded. His dark eyes seem to be able to speak, and the blinking of his eyes can let people read the owner’s emotions. In front of his closest relatives, he still reveals his emotions.

“dad,”

Shen Haiyang pulled a stool over for him to sit on. “Are you worried about your dad?”

“Yeah.” Shen Hui said as he took a deep breath. “Dad, keep going. I’ll be waiting for you to come back safely at home.”

As age increases, hypertrophic myocardium will continue to thicken, and the condition will become more serious. Because of his father’s illness, he has specifically looked up information on this aspect and knows that surgery is imperative at this time. The United States has developed medical care and mature technology, but when it comes to his turn, he still can’t help but worry.

Shen Haiyang stood up and gave his son a hug. “That’s right, be brave. You are already sixteen years old, and you will be a full adult in two years. Be independent in doing things, and don’t be stubborn.”

Though his son has been doing much better these years, as a father, Shen Haiyang is still worried about his son. He has completely believed what Li Xia told him about his past life, and what he is most worried about is the entanglement between his son and Murong Danling.

But since Murong Danling went into business, her life has been thriving. Not only did she not bother him anymore, she even seemed to have forgotten that she had a son. She was only focused on making money, and he  heard that she lived a carefree life and was a frequent visitor to the dance hall.

“If, Daddy is talking about if’s. If Daddy has any problems, you must listen to Mommy. Don’t be instigated by others; don’t believe in other people’s nonsense. If you encounter problems, discuss them with Mommy; don’t be impulsive.”

Shen Hui nodded with tears in his eyes. “I know. I was young at that time, and I remember how my mother treated me over the years. I know. I have long regarded her as my own mother and will never doubt her for anything again.”

“Then Dad will be relieved. Remember, if Mom does something that you can’t understand, you must talk to her properly, and don’t hold it in and dwell on it.”

“Okay, I will remember.”

After leaving the main room, he lifted the curtain and entered the east room. Yiyi was sitting in the small hall in the middle, reading a book. When he heard the noise, he raised his head, stood up, and pulled him over to sit down.

“Brother, did Dad talk to you?” After asking and seeing Shen Hui nod, he continued one by one.

“Dad is under a lot of pressure himself. You didn’t say anything to make him worry, did you?”

“Probably not. I said I would wait for him to come back safely.”

Shen Hui thought about it; he didn’t say anything he shouldn’t have said. But no one knows a son better than his father. He tried hard to pretend that nothing happened, but he probably couldn’t fool his father’s eyes. His father was still worried about him.

“That’s good. I just discussed with my sister that we should go to the temple in Xishan to pray for Dad’s safety and blessings. I heard from those aunts that the temple in Xishan is very effective. Now there is a direct bus to that place. Let’s take the bus and then climb the mountain.”

“OK.”

“What are you talking about? Are you talking about our trip to Xishan?”

As she was talking, Huihua came in. The little girl had grown into a graceful lady. Her facial features were not like those of Li Xia or Fang Zhongcheng, but somewhat similar to those of Shen Haiyang. People who were familiar with her said that they looked like each other, with clear eyes and gentle features, and she looked like a lady in her quietness.

“Yes. Sister, please bring some money with you; otherwise, we will be left stranded without money for a ride, and mom will have to pick us up.”

Yiyi ‘s pocket money is all with his sister. Huihua nodded when she heard this. “I know. I will prepare food and drinks. You guys should get up early tomorrow.”

The three children agreed to go to a classmate’s house the next day and left one after another with their schoolbags on their backs. Li Xia was also busy attending a meeting at work and had no time to find out what they were doing.

She was busy in a meeting at work in the morning, arranging the next work. “Don’t worry, I’ll call you when I get there and give you the contact information. If you can’t make a decision, just call me.”

Han Jun breathed a sigh of relief: “Okay. Remember to call me when you get there.”

“good.”

“I’ll drive you there tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

After saying goodbye to Han Jun, Li Xia drove home, took out the suitcase, and opened the cabinet to pack their clothes. Shen Haiyang also went to the unit to hand it over to his colleagues and came back at noon.

“Why haven’t the children come back from their classmate’s house yet? They seem so mysterious; are they up to something?”

“What can they do? They are old enough; they won’t cause trouble. Besides, Huihua is there; they can’t cause any big trouble with her there.”

That’s right, Huihua has always been the most well-behaved. When she was around, anything she agreed to was definitely not something to mess with. The couple smiled, packed their luggage, and ate lunch without waiting for the children.

By the time they woke up from their nap, the three were nowhere to be seen. Li Xia was a little anxious, thinking about how good it would be to have a cell phone. Just as she was getting anxious, the three came back. However, their clothes and pants were stained, especially at the knees, where Yiyi and Shen Hui’s pants were torn, revealing their skin. Huihua’s pants were wear-resistant, but they were also too thin to be worn through.

“What’s wrong with your forehead and the clothes on your body?” Shen Haiyang asked.

“Could they have gone to the Xishan Temple to kowtow?” Li Xia had also heard of that place. It was obvious from the looks of the three of them that they had gone there to kowtow.

The three little ones nodded obediently, and Shen Hui took out a triangular yellow paper package from his arms, tied with a red string. “Dad, this is the amulet we prayed for you.”

Shen Haiyang was a little shocked and felt deeply shocked. He spoke one by one: “Dad, hurry up and continue. This is what the three of us prayed for together. We kowtowed all the way from the mountain gate to the main hall. If we are sincere, it will definitely work. My brother kowtowed so hard that his forehead was swollen.” In fact, the foreheads of the three people were swollen.

Huihua also nodded. “Dad, they say that one blessing is there on each and every step of the way, and we pray for it all the way sincerely. We hope Dad will return safely.”

Shen Haiyang’s outstretched hand was trembling, and he couldn’t speak at all. Not to mention that he was greatly shocked, Li Xia beside him began to wipe away tears.

You stinky kids, they did what she had thought about but she had no time to do. Although some people think this is superstition, when science cannot guarantee the lives of their loved ones, they would rather believe in superstition.

“Put it on; the children are all sincere.”

Shen Haiyang was given the yellow amulet by his wife, and he looked at the three children, not knowing what to say. Going to the temple to ask for an amulet was a little unexpected, but it was generally normal.

Li Xia was busy in the past few years, so he took care of the children more and had a deep relationship with them. But he never expected that the three of them would kowtow every time they took a step. How deep must the relationship and expectations be to do this?

“Dad, you must come back safely.”

Huihua is a girl who is delicate, gentle, and soft-hearted. She couldn’t help crying after she said a word. She quickly reached out to wipe it away, thinking it was unlucky. She was worried when she heard the news yesterday, especially because the operation was still abroad, and she was even more worried because she couldn’t see it. She didn’t dare talk to her father, for fear that she would burst into tears as soon as she opened her mouth.

“Okay, okay, it feels like a life-and-death separation. Don’t worry; Dad will come back and be safe. I will take you out to play during the holidays, and you won’t have a bad time.”

Shen Haiyang spoke and dispersed the strong feeling of separation. The children smiled and chattered, and they no longer talked about their worries. One by one, they promised to stay at home and let them go abroad for treatment without worry.

After packing their luggage, Han Jun drove them to the train station the next day. They took a sleeper to Shanghai and then flew abroad. When buying the ticket, Li Xia considered buying a business-class ticket. Shen Haiyang was in poor health, and it was too tiring to sit in economy class.

After buying the ticket and waiting in the departure lounge, she took out a water cup from her bag and gave it to him. After drinking it, Shen Haiyang wanted to fill it, but Li Xia stopped him and told him that she would go. Looking at her back, the man smiled softly. She has been taking care of him to the best of her ability for so many years. He is so lucky to have her accompany him in this life.

He was bored and took a magazine to read. Time passed very quickly when he was reading. When he looked up again, his wife had not come back yet. He couldn’t help but wonder, Where did she go to get water?

“Haiyang, Haiyang,” she said, coming back with a cup of water just as he was worried about her. She hurried over to him, sat down, and continued in a low voice, “Guess who I saw?”

“who?”

“Murong Danling’s sister.”

“Why is she here?”

“I don’t know. She was sneaking around in the bathroom with a woman. She was carrying a big bag, and they seemed to be trading something. But what was it? Why were they hiding it so much?”

“You didn’t go and see?”

Li Xia smiled. No one knows a wife better than her husband. He knew she would go to see it even without saying anything. “She gave the bag to that woman. The woman was holding a boarding pass. She was on the same flight as us.”

“Go to the United States? Or rather, go back to the United States.”

“It should be. I heard her speaking a foreign language to people.”

“What about Murong Danfeng?”

“Let’s go. We’re heading towards the exit.”

Shen Haiyang pondered for a while, “Don’t worry about it; there is security at the airport. These will be strictly checked.”

“oh.”

She was really curious: what exactly is Murong Danfeng trading with foreigners? And she heard her say she’d trade here again next time.

“Let’s go; board the plane.”

“oh.”

The two of them boarded the plane with their luggage. The woman from before was no longer seen in the business class. It was the first time for both of them to take a plane. After the novelty wore off, Shen Haiyang leaned back and closed his eyes to rest. She felt bored and followed suit.

The flight lasted more than eight hours, and they had a meal once during the flight. When they landed, it was 4 a.m., US time. They carried their luggage through a security check, and Shen Haiyang was in charge of communication. He had learned foreign languages from his father over the years, and his oral and written skills were not weak.

There was no language barrier, and they got out quickly. They went to the airport to find a bus to the city, and on the way, they met the woman who had made a deal with Murong Danfeng. The woman was still holding the bag in her hand, and after meeting a man, she opened the bag to show him. The two of them were talking very fast, and Li Xia could hardly keep up.

The man took out some of the things in the bag, rubbed them, and put them back, then got into a car with the woman. Li Xia asked Shen Haiyang what they talked about, and the man looked heavy.

“Did you see what’s in the bag?”

“It’s not very clear.”

“They said it was a bronze artifact, but I don’t know if it’s a national cultural relic.”

“Oh. It’s an antique shop opened by Murong Danfeng. What kind of antiques are considered cultural relics?” The sisters of the Murong family now mostly follow Murong Danling to do business. Once Murong Danling is involved in something, they always feel that something is wrong.

“I’m not too sure. I’m so far away that I don’t know what’s inside. I can’t be sure. It’s illegal to resell cultural relics, but since it passed the airport security check, it might be a normal antique. Or a replica?”

Murong Danfeng runs an antique shop and has an antique business license, but because of this incident, the couple can’t help but think too much.

Because of what they saw, both of them were thinking and didn’t say much. They went all the way to the city center. They found a hotel to stay at. Li Xia was shocked by how expensive things were here. Staying in a hotel was much more expensive than in a city like Shanghai.

Check in and get the key. Li Xia didn’t say a word the whole time; she had enough money with her. She just smacked her lips and complained silently, not saying anything out loud.

After taking a shower, Shen Haiyang pondered for a long time before picking up the receiver and making an international call. He told a friend what he had seen and asked him to pay attention to Murong Danfeng’s antique shop.

After taking a shower and resting for the night, they first found Father Shen’s good friend the next morning. Under his guidance, they went to the bank to withdraw money and then went to the hospital for hospitalization.

“Federal Hospital is the best hospital in the United States.”

After going in for a checkup, they asked for payment. One hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Li Xia nodded immediately. As long as it can be cured, it’s fine. The old man had saved two hundred thousand dollars back then. The principal plus interest over the years is more than enough now.

In a capitalist country, everything is easy if you have money. She arranged hospitalization, a series of examinations, and then waited for the operation. Although the arrangement time was a bit long, Li Xia felt very conflicted. She wanted to go as fast as possible, but she was afraid to go to the operating room right away. There was still some time left, so she was worried and enjoyed it at the same time.

Sitting in front of the bed, she peeled an apple for him, cut it into small pieces with a knife, and asked him to eat it with toothpicks. Shen Haiyang’s helpless smile was filled with deep happiness.

“You are not even that careful with our children.”

“Children are nothing. They will all be gone in a few years. We are the ones who will grow old together and be together for life.”

Shen Haiyang agreed with this, nodded, and smiled at his wife. He insisted on exercising these years, hoping to grow old with her. Now it really works. The doctor said that his lung function was good, so he could better support the operation.

“What do you want to eat for lunch?”

“whatever.”

They were both not used to Western food. These days, Li Xia has bought him some meat and other things. She was used to it since she was a child and thought that meat was nutritious. But she didn’t like the cooking method of Western food, so she thought about whether she could find a place where she could cook. There was still some time before the operation, and he had to rest well after the operation. How could he survive without eating well?

“I’m going to go out and rent an apartment or something where I can cook. It might take a long time for me to be gone, so don’t worry about you in the hospital.”

Shen Haiyang reached out and held her. His wife acted quickly and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll look in the newspaper to see if there is any rental information. Then you can call them first. If it’s suitable, we can go and find them directly.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. I was worried that with my current level, I would become mute and would have to use my hands to gesture.” Li Xia said.

Shen Haiyang smiled and went out to the nurses’ station to find some newspapers. As expected, there was information about renting a house in the newspaper. He used the ward’s phone to start contacting people. He wanted to find one near the hospital. It didn’t matter how old it was, as long as it could cook.

They successfully rented an apartment near the Federal Hospital. The apartment was less than 20 square meters, only big enough for one person. Moreover, the landlord required a one-time deposit of 10% and a four-month payment. Li Xia and her family could not live there for such a long time. But she rented the apartment without hesitation. Although the apartment was small, it had everything you needed, you could cook, and it was very close and convenient.

Li Xia immediately went to the supermarket to buy ingredients—beef, tomatoes, and onions—and went home to stew a pot of beef and tomatoes. It simmered for two hours, during which time she also steamed flower rolls, and when she packed it up, she mixed a cucumber and lettuce salad.

       (stew a pot of beef and tomatoes)

          (steamed flower rolls)

She went out with her lunch box, and not far away she saw a familiar figure. Shen Yaozong, is he in the United States? She thought this guy had moved so much money and fled to other countries. Maybe she was dazzled.

While she was thinking, her legs had their own thoughts and followed the figure.

The man was wearing casual clothes and a hat. She changed her angle several times, but she couldn’t see his face clearly. She followed him for a long distance without realizing it.