Chapter 40: Aunt Fanqia

The next morning.

Orthopedic inpatient ward.

The morning sky had just brightened up. It was the start of Autumn and the morning air was fresh. The nurse conducted her morning rounds and woke Shin jian. He yawned and greeted the old man, with a fractured leg, in the same ward. Shin jian slowly makes his way down his bed and poured himself a cup of warm water. He wore his slippers and was about to ask the nurse at the nurses' station on what other checks he had today when his iPhone 4 rang. It was Xu Fanqia's number.

Shin jian cleared his throat and swiped the screen to answer: "Hello?"

"Xiao Bing, where are you? How come you did not return home last night?"

Shin jian was afraid Xu Fanqia would be worried and did not want to let her see him lying in bed so pathetically. So, he did not inform her and his hospitalization. He called her yesterday and told her that he will be having dinner with his colleagues. "Ah... We had dinner until quite late yesterday, and I stayed over at my colleague's place. I had just wake up and is preparing to go to work now." When he finishes this sentence, a nurse walked in with a few small plastic containers and shouted. "The medicine is here. Take it half an hour after breakfast."

"What medicine?" Xu Fanqia asked nervously. "Xiao Bing, where are you?"

Shin jian stuttered: "Nothing... nothing... It's the television."

"You think I am stupid? Hurry up and tell me the truth!"

Shin jian's lies were exposed, and he could only tell her the truth. "Errr... I am at Jiangong Hospital. It's like this.... Yesterday there was a fire at my workplace, and there were some important documents in the office. I ran in to retrieve the documents and suffered some minor burns. It is not very serious. I will be discharged in one or two days. You don't need to visit me. I am fine."

"..."

"Aunt Fanqia? What's wrong? Why are you keeping silent?"

"..."

"Errrm... I didn't mean to lie to you."

"Dooo... dooo... dooo..." The line was cut.

Shin jian was sweating nervously. Was Aunt Fanqia angry with him?

Shin jian tried to call Xu Fanqia again, but she did not pick up his calls.

Breakfast was ready, and Shin jian kept his phone. He took out a 10 RMB food ticket bought by Zhuang Zhi yesterday and paid the lady pushing the food cart. After getting his breakfast, he slowly peeled the shells of an egg with one hand. He spent a long time removing the shell. The nurses in the hospital will not care for the patients other than doing their jobs of changing the drips, changing oxygen tanks, taking temperature, etc. They will not do anything extra for the patients. If you need someone to feed you, you will need to hire a caretaker, and it cost tens of RMB a day. Shin jian did not want to spend that money and tried to do everything himself.

Half an hour after breakfast, he took his medicine, and he could hear the sounds of heels down the corridor.

Click, click, click, click, the footsteps were fast and strong.

A person's figure rushed past the door of the ward, and the sounds of the heels stopped. The person turned back quickly, and push opened the door of Shin jian's ward. It was Xu Fanqia.

Shin jian, who was half lying on the bed, was nervous to see her. "Aunt Fanqia, didn't I told you not to visit me?"

Xu Fanqia's eyes turn red as she saw Shin jian covered in bandages and burns wounds. She bit her lower lips and did not say a word."

"Errr.... Aunt Fanqia, take a sit." Shin jian pushes a chair next to his bed.

Aunt Fanqia was still not saying anything and was still looking at his wounds.

Shin jian's whole body was covered with severe and minor injuries. He does not look like the type of men Xu Fanqia likes now. Shin jian tried to cover most of his wounds with his blanket, leaving only some minor injuries outside. "It is not as serious as you thought. I'm fine. All these are just minor injuries. I will recover in a few days."

Xu Fanqia seems to be mad, and she shouted at Shin jian: "It is the job of the firemen to put out the fire. Why didn't the others from your workplace go and put out the fire except for you? Are you the only person left in your entire workplace?" Xu Fanqia lifted her hand and slapped Shin jian's exposed arm. "Try to be a hero? Huh? Who ask you to be a hero?" She slapped his arm more than 10 times.

Shin jian had never seen Aunt Fanqia so angry before. He did not dare to make any noise.

"I am worried sick for you." Xu Fanqia was snuffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

Shin jian panicked. "Aunt Fanqia, I'm sorry. Stop crying. I will not try to be a hero the next time." He felt good to be scolded by Xu Fanqia. He could feel that she was anxious about him. "The next time I see a fire, I will run away. Really! I promise you."

Xu Fanqia looked at him and then touched the wounds on his arm gently. "Is it painful?"

Shin jian laughed. "No."

"Where else are you hurt? Let me see."

"I only sprained my ankles. There are no fractures. I'm fine."

Xu Fanqia lifted his blanket and saw all the wounds on his body. She was about to start crying again before staring at Shin jian angrily: "Xiao Bing, you must not hide anything from me in the future. If you dare to lie to me again, I will smack you on your buttocks!"

The old man and his son at the adjacent bed were laughing at Shin jian.

Shin jian blushed: "I will not lie to you again."

Xu Fanqia continued to nag at him.

Shin jian just went along with her and agreed to whatever she said.

The old man with his leg in a cast laughed and interrupt: "Girl, stop scolding him. This young man had made a huge contribution. His leaders and colleagues had visited him yesterday, and I heard that he will be getting an exceptional approval to be a Party Member."

Shin jian also replied cheerfully: "That's right. I will be a party member soon."

Xu Fanqia touched Shin jian's face gently. "Nothing is more important than your life. If something happens to you, how am I going to face Sister Luan?"

"Huh? Please don't let my mother know about what happened."

"Ok."

Xu Fanqia stayed by Shin jian and took care of him for a while before going to see his doctor. She wants to ask about Shin jian's condition.

After she returns, Shin jian said. "It's late. Hurry and go to work."

Xu Fanqia shook her head and used a wet towel to wipe his face. "I had applied for leave. I still have 5 days annual leave left. I will accompany you these few days in the hospital."

"No need. I am fine."

"You can't even walk by yourself, and you call this fine? The doctor had told me that you need someone to accompany by your side."

"I am really fine."

"If you say one more word, I will tear your mouth!"

Seeing that Xu Fanqia could not be persuaded, Shin jian could only accept her help.

Accompany by the bed? Sigh... It would be better if she could accompany me in the bed...