Chapter 0020: Joy and Sorrow Intertwined

When he was a child, Zhao Fusheng always felt that the road in front of his house was very long, and it took a long time to walk to the bus stop. When he grew up, this road became very short; from the station, he could probably get home in half a cigarette's time. We have grown up, but the people around us have aged.

There has never been any peaceful time; it's just that someone is carrying the burden for us.

For carefree children, parents are their greatest support and lifelong reliance. But now, Li Yuan's words, almost like arranging her funeral, made Fan Baobao realize that she might lose her mother.

"Mom..."

Fan Baobao's voice trembled slightly. She no longer cared about what her mother had just said to her; the only thing she wanted to do now was to take her mother to the hospital.

"Silly girl." Li Yuan smiled and looked at Zhao Fusheng. "Fusheng, from now on, Baobao and Beibei are in your care."

Zhao Fusheng blinked. "Auntie, I think you'd better handle this yourself."

"Huh?"

All the adults were stunned, including Fan Baobao. What did Zhao Fusheng mean by that?

Seeing his parents frowning, apparently displeased that he was being so flippant at such an emotional moment, and fearing they might give him a double beating, Zhao Fusheng quickly explained, "Auntie, no matter what health problem you have, we just go to the hospital for treatment. As the saying goes, the boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge. There's nothing that can't be overcome."

"Yes, Li Yuan, listen to me. Tell us what's going on."

"Mom, please tell us."

Seeing Zhao's mother and Fan Baobao urging her, Li Yuan sighed, pulled out a piece of paper, and handed it to Zhao's mother. "Take a look."

Zhao's mother took it, glanced at it, and was immediately stunned.

"I have breast cancer," Li Yuan said slowly, her gaze falling on her two daughters with reluctance. "I thought since there's nothing left to hold onto, I'd entrust them to you, and I..."

Before she could finish, Zhao Fusheng interrupted, "Auntie, do you know what breast cancer is?"

"What do you mean?"

Li Yuan was taken aback. Before she could speak, Zhao Fusheng sighed and said slowly, "Breast cancer is a type of breast tumor. Simply put, as long as it's not in the late stage, it can be cured. Of course, surgery involves removing the tumor, but I don't think you'd mind that, would you?"

He could roughly guess Li Yuan's thoughts. Upon hearing the word 'cancer,' she was probably already dazed, thinking only about arranging her affairs after death and entrusting her two daughters to the Zhao family, without even considering treatment.

As it turned out, Zhao Fusheng's guess was correct. After hearing his words, everyone, including Li Yuan, stared at him in bewilderment.

Zhao Fusheng knew this because in his previous life, he had filmed a public service advertisement focusing on women's health, which contained a detailed introduction to this subject.

He might have vague memories of other things, but when it came to matters related to his profession, Zhao Fusheng was very serious.

"You mean my mom won't die?" Fan Baobao blurted out.

Zhao Fusheng nodded. "Judging from the diagnosis, it's early stage. A mastectomy is entirely feasible. Ninghai definitely can't perform this surgery; we'll probably have to go to the Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University."

"Fusheng, how do you know this?" Zhao's father and mother asked curiously.

Shrugging, Zhao Fusheng pretended to be casual. "I've been practicing public service advertisement design recently, focusing on women's health, so I looked up some materials. Who knew it would be such a coincidence that Auntie Li has this disease."

That was the only excuse he could think of; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to get away with it.

Fortunately, everyone's attention was on Li Yuan at the moment. After hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, they didn't think much about it. Fan Baobao hugged her mother, unable to hold back her tears any longer.

Although she didn't know what was happening, seeing her mother and sister cry, Fan Beibei also started crying.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head helplessly, deciding to give them a bit more hope. "And Auntie, you don't have to worry about the surgery costs. We can sell the house to cover the expenses. You and Beibei can stay at my place."

"This..."

Li Yuan hugged her two daughters and looked at Zhao Fusheng, completely puzzled as to why he was making such arrangements.

On the contrary, Zhao's father and mother quickly nodded. "Alright, alright, let's do it that way."

Zhao's mother even laughed. "Anyway, Fusheng lives at school, so you and Beibei can stay in his room."

"And me?"

Fan Baobao asked subconsciously, then saw Zhao Fusheng's calm expression. "During winter and summer breaks, you can stay in the dormitory. It's not like the school doesn't have space."

"You!"

She was speechless with anger at this guy, but Fan Baobao knew that this arrangement was the most suitable. Otherwise, if she and Zhao Fusheng went home, there really wouldn't be enough room.

"But this is too much trouble for you," Li Yuan said to Zhao's father and mother.

"We're family, no need for formalities," Zhao's father said steadily.

"Yes, you've already entrusted Baobao and Beibei to us, why be so distant?" Zhao's mother glared at her close friend of over twenty years, walked over to pick up the little girl, wiped the tears from her face, and said, "Our Beibei is so adorable. Do you want to stay at Auntie Zhao's house every day?"

"Yes, yes!" The child, naturally understanding nothing, clapped her hands and shouted happily.

Li Yuan looked at Zhao Fusheng again. "Fusheng, don't lie to me."

Zhao Fusheng sighed and shook his head with a wry smile. "Auntie, trust me. Go to the hospital tomorrow, find a gynecologist you know, and ask carefully. You'll find out."

Li Yuan nodded doubtfully. In fact, just as Zhao Fusheng had guessed, after learning she had cancer, she hadn't even listened to what the doctor said. She had come back in a daze, thinking all the way about how to arrange her affairs after death, entrusting her two daughters to the Zhao family, and then finding a place where no one knew her to wait for death.

But if what Zhao Fusheng said was true and she still had hope of living, Li Yuan certainly didn't want to die.

As the saying goes, a living dog is better than a dead lion. When faced with the choice between life and death, except for those heroes with firm beliefs, no one would casually give up their life.

"Why wait until tomorrow? I'll call right now." Impatient Zhao's mother couldn't wait until tomorrow. She turned around and went into the house to find the phone book, starting to ask people about breast cancer.

Having worked in the hospital for so many years, she had good connections. Soon, she contacted the director of the Gynecology Department at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Ninghai Medical College. After hearing the test results Zhao's mother described, the director's answer was actually consistent with Zhao Fusheng's.

"Can it really be cured just by removing the breast?"

Li Yuan held the phone, her voice trembling slightly.

"A complete cure is impossible. But at least within ten years, with proper care, there shouldn't be major problems," the director said.

"Alright, alright, thank you, thank you so much."

Li Yuan hurriedly expressed her gratitude. When she hung up the phone, she was already in tears.

Having experienced the great joy and sorrow between life and death, her emotions couldn't remain calm. Even Zhao's father let out a long sigh of relief.

Only Zhao Fusheng sat there calmly, playing with Fan Beibei.

...

...

Li Yuan and her two daughters stayed at the Zhao house until around eight or nine in the evening before going home. After seeing them off, Zhao's mother shook her head and sighed with emotion. "Her fate is too bitter."

Zhao Fusheng knew she was talking about Li Yuan.

When she was young, she had fallen out with her family to marry Fan Jian, and they hadn't been in touch for so many years. But Fan Jian turned out to be a disappointment. Just as she was thinking about living a stable life, she fell ill.

Zhao Fusheng sometimes wondered why good people always live unhappily. After thinking it over, he finally understood: because good people always live for others, carrying too many burdens on their shoulders.

So, in this life, he would strive to be a happy good person.