Song Yuzhang: Chapter 146 - There is Parting
Chapter 146: There is Parting
“Perhaps before, he was too young, so it wasn’t noticeable…” Nie Qingyun had already cried once, and now her eyes were just red-rimmed, though she remained composed. “Now that he’s a little older, the X-ray revealed it. Fortunately, it was discovered early. The doctors are still studying it and aren’t rushing to a conclusion,” Nie Qingyun straightened her back. “You should go back. I’ll take care of him here.”
Song Yuzhang had his hands in his pockets and unconsciously began to curl inward slightly. “I don’t have anything urgent to do, so I’ll just wait here.”
Nie Qingyun lowered her face and said softly, “Bonian is my nephew; you don’t need to worry too much.”
Song Yuzhang glanced at her, his voice slightly deepened. “Is now really the time to say that?”
Nie Qingyun lifted her face and saw the worry and tension on Song Yuzhang’s face—so genuine that it mirrored her own—and tears once again welled up and rolled down her cheeks. “Bonian… he’s still so young, without a mother, without a father…”
Song Yuzhang opened his arms and held her.
Nie Qingyun’s high heels lightly tapped the floor, her forehead pressed against Song Yuzhang’s shoulder, and she let herself cry fully this time.
Before long, Nie Yinbing also arrived. He had just come from the mines, dust covering his clothes, and upon entering, asked Nie Qingyun first, “How’s Bonian?”
“They took X-rays. It seems there’s some problem with his lungs.”
Nie Yinbing nodded calmly and turned to look at Song Yuzhang. “You’re here.”
Song Yuzhang said, “Mm, sit first. The doctors are still discussing.”
Nie Yinbing sat beside him. Song Yuzhang noticed a grayish smudge on his knee and reached out to pat it.
Nie Yinbing looked down at it.
Song Yuzhang quietly asked, “Did you fall?”
Nie Yinbing didn’t respond.
It wasn’t until around nine o’clock that night that the doctors finally reached a conclusion. They believed Nie Bonian’s lungs had congenital underdevelopment. Because he had been well cared for before and was still young, it hadn’t been noticeable. Now, as Nie Bonian grew, the pressure on his lungs increased, and the symptoms began to appear.
“If it gets worse, he might resemble a tuberculosis patient, with severe coughing, fever, and even coughing up blood as a frequent occurrence.”
Song Yuzhang listened silently, his heart pounding faster with every word from the doctor.
Nie Qingyun’s lips trembled, and the tears that had dried from crying before began flowing again.
“Can it be treated?” Nie Yinbing asked calmly.
The doctors shook their heads, embarrassed.
“Currently, medical technology and equipment in the country are not advanced enough. We can only try to delay or alleviate the symptoms. To cure it completely,” one doctor gestured with his hand, “surgery might be necessary. His left lung is underdeveloped; the right lung seems fine. Perhaps the underdeveloped portion needs to be removed. We can’t conclude that here. Mr. Nie, it’s best to take him abroad to consult with doctors there.”
Song Yuzhang asked, “What if surgery isn’t done?”
The doctor replied, “I can’t say for sure. He might still survive into adulthood.”
Hearing this, Song Yuzhang felt that, with this disease, merely surviving to adulthood seemed like a tremendous stroke of luck. His face tightened, and he asked softly, “And if surgery is done?”
“If successful, he could live like a normal person, though with only one lung, there would be some minor limitations. But survival is assured.”
“Thank you, doctor.”
Once the situation was clarified and the doctors left, Nie Qingyun immediately said, “I’m taking Bonian abroad!” She was frantic, as if she wished she could sprout wings and carry Nie Bonian across the ocean herself, finding the best doctor, performing the surgery, and curing him.
Nie Yinbing remained silent, and Song Yuzhang also didn’t speak.
All three shared the same feeling: their hearts were in turmoil.
Nie Bonian woke up. Once awake, he seemed mostly normal, except his face was flushed and he appeared to have a fever. Song Yuzhang, noticing the redness, lightly touched Nie Bonian’s face. Nie Bonian puffed his little cheeks and let out a small cough.
That small cough turned into several more.
The sounds were tiny, stifled, and constrained.
Song Yuzhang, meticulous as always, asked, “Bonian, when did you start coughing? Be honest, don’t lie to us.”
Nie Bonian looked at the three adults with his big eyes and murmured, “Since the weather got warmer, I’ve been wanting to cough.”
“Then why didn’t you ever tell me?” Nie Qingyun asked urgently.
Nie Bonian lowered his head. “I just wanted to cough. It’s not a big deal.”
“What about your health is ever a ‘small deal’?!”
Nie Qingyun lost control slightly. Song Yuzhang hugged her shoulder firmly. She stifled her tears again.
“It’s okay, Bonian. Auntie is just too worried,” Song Yuzhang reassured him.
Nie Bonian said softly, “I know. I just didn’t want to worry you. If I cough, I just hold it—cough—it will pass.”
“Good boy,” Song Yuzhang said, rubbing his hair. “You’re so sensible. Thank you.”
Nie Qingyun, unable to bear it any longer, turned and left the room.
“Second Uncle, Brother Yuzhang,” Nie Bonian looked up, whispering, “Am I sick again?”
Song Yuzhang took his hand gently. “Not sick again. This is the illness you had before. The doctors found the root cause.”
“Wasn’t it because I was born early?”
“Yes, because of premature birth… it caused incomplete lung development, which is why you often catch colds and have fevers.”
“Lungs…”
Nie Bonian blinked. “Then… can it be cured?”
“Yes.”
Song Yuzhang squeezed his little hand. “We’ll go abroad for treatment. Are you scared?”
Nie Bonian smiled. “I’ve never been abroad, but I’m not scared. I’ll speak lots and lots of English.”
Hearing the child’s innocent words, Song Yuzhang felt a pang in his heart and bent down to kiss his forehead. “Good child, very brave.”
Throughout this, Nie Yinbing hadn’t spoken a word. After leaving, he made a decisive statement: “Qingyun, take Bonian to America.”
Nie Qingyun had been waiting for this. She quickly said, “Alright. Don’t worry. I’ll find the best hospital and the best doctor to treat Bonian.”
Nie Yinbing replied with a simple, “The sooner, the better.”
Nie Qingyun also nodded in agreement. With her mind eased, she quickly wiped her face and went back to check on Nie Bonian.
Song Yuzhang glanced back at the hospital room, his heart a storm of worry, unsure of what the future held for the child within those walls.
“Sending him abroad is good… at least Sister Qingyun will be with him. Then we can rest easy. Foreign doctors are highly skilled; it should be curable…”
Song Yuzhang murmured this, partly to Nie Yinbing, partly to himself, as if trying to comfort himself.
“Life and death are fated,” Nie Yinbing remained calm. “This is a congenital condition—his fate from birth.”
Song Yuzhang lowered his gaze to the shadow over Nie Yinbing’s knee and softly said, “Do what we can, then leave the rest to fate.”
Around ten o’clock, Song Yuzhang left the hospital. As he stepped outside, he saw Meng Tingjing standing by the car. He had no energy to deal with him, so he kept his hands in his pockets and walked around.
Meng Tingjing followed. “I checked inside. Nie Bonian has a lung disease. It can’t be treated domestically; he must go abroad for treatment.”
Song Yuzhang walked while replying, “Yes.”
“I know two lung specialists abroad.”
Song Yuzhang stopped and turned to look at Meng Tingjing.
Meng Tingjing’s expression remained calm. “One of them is a friend of my mentor. I’ll send him a telegram shortly. You tell me exactly what kind of problem Nie Bo Nian has.”
Song Yuzhang got into his car and told Meng Tingjing to get in as well. After explaining Nie Bonian’s condition, Meng Tingjing said, “I understand. Don’t worry too much. His type of condition usually shows no severe symptoms, which means it isn’t critical. If it were truly serious, he wouldn’t have survived long after birth.”
Harsh words, but logical. Nie Bonian had lived this long, just slightly weak. Even the doctors thought he was only frail, which indicated the lung issue wasn’t entirely hopeless.
“Are the doctors reliable?” Song Yuzhang asked softly.
“Reliable.”
Song Yuzhang gave Meng Tingjing a doubtful look.
Meng Tingjing’s face grew serious, and he scratched the side of his temple. “Back in school, I had a minor conflict with someone. That person injured their lung. My mentor recommended a highly skilled doctor.”
“A minor conflict?”
Meng Tingjing merely gave a cautious “Mm.”
Song Yuzhang turned his face to the window. He thought he wouldn’t smile tonight, yet the corner of his mouth twitched upward uncontrollably before settling again. He murmured a soft, “Mm.”
Song Yuzhang sent Meng Tingjing back to the Meng residence. At the door, he said quietly, “Thank you for your concern.”
Meng Tingjing hesitated internally but couldn’t hold back. He lowered his voice. “Handling the arms factory… It’s too dangerous.”
“You know the risks. Tell me, Song Yuzhang, what exactly are you after?
Song Yuzhang was silent for a long moment, then slowly said, “Life.”
“Life?”
“Yes.”
“You won’t survive if you don’t do this?”
“I can survive,” Song Yuzhang smiled faintly. “But not happily.”
“Not happily?” Meng Tingjing pressed his lips tightly. “Do you think I make you unhappy? That only by dominating me would you feel satisfied?”
“That’s not it.”
“I’m not targeting you. I just… never mind, it’s hard to explain,” Song Yuzhang said gently, smiling at Meng Tingjing. “As always, I don’t interfere with you, and you don’t interfere with me. Thank you for what you’ve done for Bonian. If you can help, just let me know. Otherwise, we don’t discuss anything else.”
Seeing Song Yuzhang impervious to his frustration, Meng Tingjing was angry but remained silent. After Song Yuzhang left, he kicked over a small flowerpot at the entrance.
Soil and flowers spilled everywhere. Meng Tingjing’s face was as cold as water as he entered the courtyard. Memories of past disputes with Song Yuzhang flashed through his mind, especially the contests of wit and skill. He kicked a cedar tree in the garden, anger boiling inside him. Coldly, he muttered to himself: “Karma.”
Nie Bonian had a low-grade fever that wouldn’t subside. Fearing sudden deterioration, they didn’t wait for it to break. Song Yuzhang asked Liao Tiandong for two tickets to the U.S. Liao Tiandong couldn’t help but ask, “Why are so many people around you leaving lately?”
Song Yuzhang almost fell silent, thinking this man really knew how to hit the sore spot.
Song Qiyuan had already arrived in Nancheng. There was a phone at the local temple, so he called back and also spoke briefly to Song Yekang. Song Yekang’s cheerful voice was refreshing; his mastery of Buddhist teachings had clearly brought him peace.
Nie Qingyun and Nie Bonian arrived in the U.S. a few days later. Having studied abroad, Nie Qingyun effortlessly handled hospital arrangements and admissions. She contacted the two specialists recommended by Meng Tingjing one by one.
A telegram arrived, and Song Yuzhang felt a calm settle over him. After sending it, he looked around the empty room, suddenly feeling the solitude of being alone.
Fine. If one must be alone, then so be it. Farewell brings gain. With that in mind, he resolved to accomplish even more.
A tremendous “boom” resounded—another path had been blasted open.
Yu Feiyu, covered in dust, shook his head and brushed off the dirt from the back of his neck by the riverbank. “Pfft, pfft,” he spat out some mud. The people around him spoke, but he could barely hear; the roar in his ears was deafening, sand having entered them. After slapping his ears a few times, he turned to speak. “What? Say that again—I didn’t hear clearly.”
“Mr. Yu—”
Someone shouted at the top of their lungs, “The explosives—they’re running out—”
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