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Chapter 130 – Recognizing Relatives
The two directors looked at each other, both yelling at each with their eyes that the other person should speak first. After some to and fro, Father Lian was defeated. He coughed and changed the subject: “You… how do you feel?”
Xu RenDong: “It’s good. I’m very grateful to you and your wife for your care these days.”
Father Lian: “Cough, we only did what we should. Does your arm still hurt?”
Xu RenDong: “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Father Lian: “Have you taken the painkillers?”
Xu RenDong: “I did.”
Some words, once asked, will trigger a specific questioning routine. So Father Lian instinctively asked a series of questions such as “How many painkillers did you take?” “Is there any other pain?” “Is your chest still tight?”
It sounds like care, but it’s actually just like performing a ward round.
It was not until RenDong explained his condition from the beginning to the end that Father Lian finished shooting off his questions like a series of bullets, only to realize that his wife and son had already covered their mouths and had been snickering for a long time.
“What are you laughing at!” Father Lian became angry, “I haven’t been to the ICU to do rounds for a few days. Why shouldn’t I ask about the situation!”
“What? Ward rounds? You, a surgeon who makes five-minute ward rounds every day, have the nerve to question our ICU?”
Generally speaking, surgery focuses on surgery, and things outside of surgery are considered extraneous. Especially in the daily work of ward rounds, it’s treated like wind walking. If they could, the surgeons probably would choose to stand at the door of the ward and just shout “Is everything all good?!” They all wanted to hurry up and finish the ward rounds so they could go back to surgery.
ICU was the exact opposite. Each patient had a complex medical history and a serious condition. Not to mention the ceremonial director’s big rounds, even the daily rounds of the junior doctors were so meticulous that they couldn’t wait to analyze the patient from their hair to their fingertips, staring at each patient for a long time.
Therefore, Mother Lian used these words to attack Father Lian and Father Lian was unable to make a comeback.
Father Lian was defeated by his wife, so he could only turn his head to take it out on his son: “Why are you laughing!” He searched around and quickly found the place where he wanted to add to his sins, “Look at this dish, the soup is clear and watery, how can it be nutritious? Enough? Your… your…” He was stuck “your” for a long time and was embarrassed to say the next words so he had to forcefully change his words, “Xiao-Xu {Little Xu}‘s bones haven’t healed yet and he lost so much weight in the ICU, why don’t you give him more nutritional support!”
Lian Qiao had expected this trick and immediately took out an ICU nutrition guide. He said cheaply: “I followed the guide to prepare him a meal. Dad, look, tell me what’s inappropriate and I’ll adjust it right away.”
Father Lian: “…” When did this bastard learn from his mother!
Oh, that’s right, he has been observing and studying in the ICU for two months. It’s enough time for even a fool to learn something…
At this point, Father Lian felt a subtle jealousy in his heart.
He and his wife are both busy with work, so they were not very close to their son. Later, his son ran away from home because of work and the parent-child relationship became even more rigid.
Lian Qiao’s return this time brought them a series of shocks one after another. Fortunately, the two chief directors have been working in the clinic for many years and they have weathered many big storms. Xu RenDong also lived up to their expectations and was discharged from the hospital beautifully. This paragraph finally turned the page. Now they were back to the old problem:
How to deal with this parent-child relationship?
Now it seems that his son has been frittering away in the ICU for two months, and his relationship with his mother was growing. This made the old father feel indignant.
Obviously I came first! I was the one who sent the people to the hospital and I directed the rescue in the emergency room. This director even participated in the compressions himself! How come this stinky boy only remembers his mom!
Although RenDong didn’t live in their surgery department but, as the chief surgical director who manages all kinds of things every day, he also found time to go to the ICU for ward rounds every week… no, to care and inquire about RenDong! Hasn’t he done enough!
What’s more, it’s not that he doesn’t know the stupid business of the ICU! Although Mother Lian was the director of the ICU, she only checked the room once a week. Otherwise she was usually writing reports or attending academic conferences. How can she spend so much time in the wards. Usually she will just instruct the ward doctors to keep a close eye on things, what else can she do?
What can’t be done!
The more Father Lian thought about it, the more angry he became. He subconsciously exuded the domineering air of a senior director and put down his chopsticks with a gloomy expression.
Xu RenDong was startled, wondering if the sudden gloom of Father Lian had something to do with him. He glanced at Lian Qiao anxiously, and Lian Qiao immediately protected him like a calf and said, “Dad! Why are you putting on such a fierce face! You’re scaring him!”
Lian Qiao’s mother knew that this father and son would not handle the parent-child relationship well. Seeing the tense atmosphere, she hurriedly came to the rescue and said, “Alright, let’s eat! The dishes are getting cold!”
So everyone ate.
However, the two chief directors developed a bad habit of eating too fast in the hospital. After about two minutes, the two bowls of white rice were finished.
Lian Qiao & RenDong: “…”
Seeing the bowl in front of him that had only two or three bites taken out of it, RenDong doubted himself again.
Do they not want to eat with me…
After the two directors finished eating, they raised their heads one after another. The four pairs of eyes looked at each other, and everyone fell into embarrassment again.
Everyone has seen the wind and waves, so it stands to reason that they should not be so restrained. But this situation was a little more subtle. RenDong had been hurt by Lian Qiao to his extent. He had just been discharged from their ICU and immediately turned into a new family member who was sitting at a table with them to eat. This change, who can accept it?
When it comes to emotional intelligence, Lian Qiao mothers EQ’s was a little bit higher. She  thought for a while, switched to the gentle and kind channel and said to Xu RenDong: “Eat more and eat slowly. You have suffered during this period of time. You have lost more than 20 pounds, so you have to make up for it.”
This is true. Xu RenDong was originally a well-proportioned and slender body. After struggling in the ICU for so long, he had already lost his human form. Lian Qiao’s mother was used to seeing such patients, so she was very active in adding vegetables to his bowl and began to teach Lian Qiao what to cook for him these days.
Lian Qiao nodded again and again.
Lian Qiao’s mother’s gentle and kind advice reminded RenDong of the director of his orphanage. The dean was like a mother’s existence to him and, at this time, Mother Lian… Xu RenDong can’t really describe how he feels. A little flattered, and a little sad.
He thought that if Zhong Xiu was still alive, she might have touched his arm like this and said distressedly that you are thin and you are suffering.
The three chatted at home and the atmosphere quickly became harmonious, with a little sense of home. Only the father was left aside.
The anger was already over, he just didn’t know what to say.
He is used to his identity as the head of the department. Usually he is making official statements or giving doctor’s advice. It feels strange to say anything in this situation. He was never a doctor who would pretend to comfort patients. For him, the most important thing is to do the surgery well and let the patient recover and leave the hospital as soon as possible. As for the appeasement conversation, that’s a matter for the junior doctor’s below him. He didn’t even have time to do the surgery, how could he have time to chat with people?
Fortunately, Director Lian is a department director after all and his learning ability is still very strong. After some observation, he immediately summed up his wife’s speaking routine.
Heh, wasn’t it just being concerned with their lives?
Eat well, dress well, have fun, don’t worry about money, don’t worry about sickness.
It’s easy, I can do it too!
Eating, clothing, travel, and illness have all been discussed by his wife, so there is only one choice left!
Director Lian was very happy and said happily, “Xiao-Xu…”
RenDong and Mother Lian were chatting warml, but when Director Lian cue-ed in , he immediately responded politely: “Yes?”
Father Lian: “Where are you staying tonight?”
RenDong: “…?” Does this mean you want to drive me away?
Mother Lian: “?” Of course he’s going to live in our house, where else?
Lian Qiao: “???” Of course he’s going to live in my room, where else?
The three looked at each other and the atmosphere dropped to freezing point in an instant.
Director Lian: “???” What’s wrong, what did I say wrong?
Although Lian Qiao’s parents are two-stringed clubs, it was clear that Lian Qiao’s father had a lower emotional intelligence and was a mace.
Lian Qiao couldn’t bear it any longer, and suppressed his anger: “Dad! Are you full? I’ll give you another bowl of rice!”
Father Lian was surprised: “I’m full.”
Mother Lian: “No, you’re not.” She filled his rice bowl with another bowl of vegetables.
Father Lian stared at the hill-like rice bowl and fell into deep thought. After a while, he suddenly realized:
Oh, they were trying to shut him up!
After some failed parent-child communication, Father Lian accepted his fate. He felt that he should not pretend to be polite to his son.
He was used to being a director and a leader, but had never learned how to be a father. Now things had turned out like this, the existing son hadn’t been settled yet and another son had fallen from the sky.
His own son was so angry that he ran away from home. Then this porcelain son who fell from the sky was very fragile. He was recovering from a serious illness and had a history of heart disease, so he should not be neglected.
It’s better to stop playing house and go back to the hospital to be on duty.
Father Lian pretended to answer a phone call. His acting skills were extremely poor, saying that there was an emergency operation in the hospital, and he was going to go. He told RenDong to  eat slowly and recuperate. Before leaving, he felt that the meal was extremely pitiful and didn’t show the honor of being an elder. So he deliberately turned back and stuffed a big red envelope into Xu RenDong’s hand.
Xu RenDong: “…?”
Director Lian suddenly regained the confidence of being an elder and a director, and returned to the hospital to work overtime confidently.
After Father Lian left, Mother Lian suddenly felt that she was alone. She actually doesn’t know how to get along with Xu RenDong. After all, Xu RenDong has been seen by her from  inside  to  outside. Now she feels uncomfortable when she sees Xu RenDong in clothes.
Not long after, Mother Lian also made an excuse and left the house. Both she and her husband acted like model workers.
In the end, there was only RenDong and Lian Qiao left in the family.
The surroundings suddenly quieted down. RenDong and Lian Qiao looked at each other, first with a wry smile, then burst into laughter.
“Don’t mind them, my parents have some problems with their brain circuits.” Lian Qiao said a little proudly, “I’m the only normal person in our family.”
RenDong suddenly remembered that when they first met, he was also accused of having a strange brain circuit. Lian Qiao repeatedly complained about it. He couldn’t help but sighed: “No wonder you behaved so cordially when you saw me…”
Lian Qiao: “?”
RenDong thought about it and laughed.
After the meal was over, Lian Qiao started to clear the table. RenDong wanted to help but his bones hadn’t healed yet and Lian Qiao refused to let him do any housework. He could only swing his arms around, watching Lian Qiao wash the dishes nimbly.
“Do you usually cook and wash dishes in your family?” Xu RenDong, leaning on the refrigerator, suddenly asked.
Lian Qiao turned on the tap. The warm water washed away the oil on his hands. He washed the dishes skillfully and said casually: “Yes. My parents and two clinicians work night shifts every five days on average, and they can’t come back after night shifts. It’s normal to stay in the hospital for fifty or sixty hours. It’s normal for me not to see them for four or five days.”
“Since childhood?”
“Well…” Lian Qiao raised his face, showing a look of memory, “It’s been since I can remember. My mother gave birth to me late and, after giving birth, wanted to catch up in her career so she only took a month off for breastfeeding. So after a month, I was weaned and lived with my grandparents when I was young. Later, when my grandparents left, I moved here.” The memory on his face gradually became more smug and his tone was brisk, “I was in elementary school at that time. Heh, I was already omnipotent when it came to housework! Cooking, washing clothes, mopping the floor, I can do anything, I was so smart!”
He became more and more proud, turned his head and smiled and said, “So you don’t have to worry about housework in the future! Just leave it to me. You just do what you like.”
RenDong: “…” He had a complicated expression and, after several hesitations, he finally told what was in his heart, “…you have both parents, how could you live such a childhood? It’s not even as good as mine.”
Lian Qiao: “…” After thinking about it, it was indeed true.
The two were silent for a moment. They looked at each other and suddenly laughed again.
“Forget it.” Lian Qiao wiped the water droplets on his face, smiling with frowning eyes, “Anyway, the two of us will become a small family in the future. We depend on each other and no one will be left out.”
Xu RenDong looked at him and smiled warmly. Suddenly his heart moved. He walked over, quietly, resting his head on his shoulder.
Lian Qiao turned his face sideways and kissed the tip of his nose lightly. But he heard a sigh.
Lian Qiao: “What’s the matter?”
RenDong: “I want to hug you. But it can’t be lifted.”
Lian Qiao: “…?”
He was blank for a few seconds before realizing what RenDong was referring to. Then he yelled: “That’s not called ‘it can’t be lifted’, it’s just because your hand is broken so you can’t lift it up!”
Xu RenDong was stunned, and it was only then that he realized that he had said the wrong thing. Immediately, his face became hot and a sweet blush spread from his ears to the tip of his eyebrows.
He bit Lian Qiao’s ear: “I have a bad brain, forgive me.” The voice was low and soft, scratching Lian Qiao’s eardrum like a kitten’s claws.
Lian Qiao’s rational brain string was broken in an instant.
Then the whole kitchen scene became indescribable.
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T/N: Unfortunately that’s the end of the lovey-dovey interlude and a new arc begins next chapter.