Xue Ling couldn't hold back her laughter and said, "You! Sometimes I'll be scared to death by you, and sometimes I'll be laughed to death by you."
Cheng Tianyuan coughed in embarrassment: "...it just feels weird."
Xue Ling put away her smile and held his hand.
"People eat whole grains, how can they not get sick?
Everyone has to experience birth, old age, illness and death. Everyone has to grow old, get sick, and die... We are no exception.
You used to be the breadwinner of the family, taking care of all of us.
When you fall ill one day, we are worried and anxious.
We also want to make a change with you, so that we can take care of you and protect you."
Cheng Tianyuan's eyebrows were gentle, and there were tears in the corners of his eyes.
"...Earlier, I saw you with red eyes calling the doctor to come and treat me. I felt extremely uncomfortable. I wished I could stand up, tell the doctor that I was fine, and then go home with you."
"stupid!"
Xue Ling said angrily: "If you don't want us to be sad and worried, then take care of yourself.
If you can't hold on anymore, you must not hold on. I don't want you to hide your illness and avoid medical treatment.
You are already in your 60s, how can you still have such thoughts?
No matter how strong or powerful a person is, he will always have weaknesses and there will always be times when he is extremely weak.
This is nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to be taboo about - it’s just human nature.”
Cheng Tianyuan smiled helplessly: "Okay."
After a pause, he still maintained his dignity as an "old father" and his insistence on saving face.
"Just take care of me. The children have their own things to do, so don't stay here.
Otherwise, let's find a caregiver and pay them a few days' salary, so you don't have to run back and forth, and the elderly at home won't get suspicious."
"What are you talking about!"
Xue Ling laughed and scolded: "Did your whole head feel dizzy after falling asleep?
I have nothing to do at home, but I hire a caregiver to take care of you?
Your father is sick, how can you not worry after letting your children know?
How can I be busy with my own affairs and ignore you?
No matter how important things are, they are not more important than life and health."
"I'm fine."
Cheng Tianyuan made his final struggle.
Xue Ling disagreed and whispered: "The children are now working and studying, but they are all adults. They are not teenagers who need our care.
Usually when we have a headache, we can take some medicine at home, rest and everything will be fine, then that’s it.
There is no need to bother the children, after all they have their own things to be busy with.
But if we have something big, like running to the hospital, we have to tell them.
Whether they are busy or not, they have to be notified.
As for whether they can come or not, it depends on their own arrangements, but we cannot refuse them to come."
Cheng Tianyuan defended: "No matter how big the problem is, we can handle it.
Don’t we still have each other?
When we grow old and need crutches and support, it won’t be too late for them to come.”
"Too late."
Xue Ling shook his head gently: "What we can handle by ourselves, we will naturally handle it by ourselves.
But we must properly let them know that taking care of their parents is their responsibility as children.
We raised them not to take care of us in our old age, but to take care of us as filial piety when we are sick and unable to move.
If we keep gritting our teeth and insisting on doing everything by ourselves, they will definitely get used to the illusion that they are not needed for anything and that we can do everything on our own.
We are now in our fifties and sixties, so of course we can still take care of ourselves.
But what about another twenty years?
What about thirty years?
How can you have such great confidence that you can remain free from illness and pain?"
"That's right."
Cheng Tianyuan hesitated: "The main reason is that they are too busy... and it will affect them."
Xue Ling shook his head: "Let them come if they should come.
We have four children, not an only daughter or an only son.
They can arrange each other's time reasonably and take time to take care of us.
But the first step is to let them know that taking care of our sick and elderly people is one of their responsibilities, and don’t just insist on blindly rejecting them.”
Cheng Tianyuan smiled slightly: "Okay, what you said makes sense."
"Of course it makes sense."
Xue Ling said: "To compare, if my parents and your mother usually hide everything from us, the old people would try their best to solve it randomly by themselves, or endure the pain and suffer secretly, but we would know nothing and be busy with our lives.
Work.
When one day the old man falls ill, or cannot bear it any longer, and dies suddenly, will you be sad and angry at the same time?
Angry, why didn't they let us know?
Sorry that they don’t think about themselves, etc.?
Will it?"
"should be."
Cheng Tianyuan couldn't help but feel sad when he thought about it: "I can't bear it."
Xue Ling stopped and asked: "Can your children be able to bear it in the future?
Um?
If you think about it, you will understand.
Although we give birth to them and raise them, we do not intend for them to be filial in the future, but at least when we are sick and unable to move, they have to fulfill their responsibilities as children, because this is their responsibility."
"Uh-huh."
After hearing this, Cheng Tianyuan's fearful feeling dissipated a lot, "The more I think about my children and the more I arrange everything for them, the less grateful they may be.
Okay, let them know that their parents are getting older, so that they can be mentally prepared."
Xue Ling patted the back of his hand and whispered: "Don't worry, I will still take full responsibility for taking care of you this time.
A few of them came to fight and took turns keeping watch at night.
Even if you don’t need them to take care of you, you still have to let them sleep on the small sofa with you.”
Cheng Tianyuan agreed.
After a while, Cheng Huanran came back with hot porridge.
"It's a bit late, there's no meat or vegetables.
I asked the store owner to fry a plate of green vegetables and add some side dishes.
Dad is still taking the intravenous injection, and it’s late at night, so I’d better eat something light.”
Xue Ling replied, take it and feed it to Cheng Tianyuan.
"Of course, do you need to be on duty tonight?"
Cheng Huanran replied: "No tonight, I have an early shift tomorrow morning."
Xue Ling's chin raised slightly: "You go back to the dormitory to take a shower and change clothes first, just stay here with me and my second son.
Yang Yang will keep vigil tonight. Go back and have a good sleep. Tomorrow night is up to you.
Please explain it to your colleagues first and see if you need to adjust the shift."
"How about I come tonight."
Cheng Huanran suggested.
Xue Ling said: "You are very tired from work today, so you should go back and have a good rest, otherwise you will not have the energy to go to work tomorrow morning.
After the hanging bottles are hung, your dad shouldn't have to wait on you, and your second child can sleep on the small sofa without having to stay up all night.
He is happy-go-lucky and can sleep well wherever he goes."
"Okay, then it's decided."
Cheng Huanran nodded: "Then I will be responsible for tomorrow night."
At this moment, Xue Yang's voice came in, as if he was chatting with someone.
"dad!"
A slender and beautiful girl rushed in and threw herself beside the hospital bed. Her eyes were red and she asked: "Are you...are you feeling better?"