She Only Cares About Cultivation
Chapter 122: 【122】90s cook 122 (third watch)

Chapter 122: 【122】90s cook 122 (third watch)

Gong Mingxia had already grown fearful of trains from this era; they were too crowded, and the journey took several days. Consequently, she asked Cao Yuan to take her to the airport.

Taking the plane, she arrived at the capital of H province in just over two hours, followed by a four-hour train ride to their county; then, after another rural bus ride that lasted over two hours, she finally reached their town. By the time she arrived at the town, it was already dark. Gong Mingxia was so exhausted that she simply spent twenty yuan to stay in a guesthouse for the night.

The conditions there aren’t even worth mentioning, obviously too dreadful to look at directly. But she was so sleepy that she slept in her clothes until the next morning when she caught a bullock cart right at the entrance of the town to head towards home.

To tell the truth, it had been so many years since she had visited her maternal village that she had forgotten all her fellow villagers. Besides, she had been well-maintained, decently dressed, and her hair had been permed and dyed, making her look very different from the rural people. Thus, the elder driving the cart glanced back at her several times until he couldn’t help but ask.

"Young lady, are you from Gaociazhai Village?"

Gong Mingxia nodded politely, "Uncle, my father is Gong Tiezhu, and I am his eldest daughter, Gong Mingxia."

Rather than having the elderly gentleman ask her one question at a time, she decided to give a thorough explanation. Upon hearing this, the old man abruptly turned around.

"You’re saying you’re the eldest daughter who married into the Zhang family in Zhangjia Village?"

Gong Mingxia kindly reminded him, "Uncle, it is true that I once married into Zhangjia Village, but I have been divorced for over ten years now."

"Oh, yes, yes, that’s right, you’re divorced. Where are you living now, young lady?"

"I’m in ZJ province. I went down to the Southern regions. It’s been many years, and I wanted to return to see my father."

The old man suddenly pulled on the reins, "Goodness, look at my memory; your father is in the hospital! He’s at the county hospital right now. Going home now would be of no use; both your parents are at the hospital."

Gong Mingxia immediately felt a rush of confusion in her brain—it was real, after all! It must have been the original owner of the body who knew what was going on and had informed her to come. This was true!

"What? What illness does my father have, sir? Is it serious?"

"It’s old age. He’s had a cerebral hemorrhage and is now hemiplegic."

Heavens, he was actually hemiplegic!

"Then, Uncle," she hadn’t finished speaking before the old man interrupted her, "Young lady, you should be calling me Uncle Niu, according to our kinship."

"Oh, Uncle Niu, my apologies. It’s been a long time since I’ve come back, and I’ve forgotten a lot of people and our relations to each other."

"No problem, no problem. Don’t rush. I’ll take you to the bus station in town now so that you can quickly catch a bus to the county."

When they arrived at the bus station, she attempted to pay, but Uncle Niu staunchly refused to accept any money, insisting that he had not traveled far and that he didn’t need any money.

The simple honesty of the rural people shone through at that moment. Gong Mingxia thought she would definitely return, and she could always pay a visit later to express her gratitude. So, she stopped insisting, boarded the bus heading to the county, and set off.

Two hours later, she arrived in the county. The county hospital was very close to the bus station; it took her just over ten minutes to walk there.

She bought three boxes of nutritional products—milk powder, soy milk powder, and walnut powder—as well as a large bunch of bananas from a nearby supermarket. After spending over a hundred yuan, she proceeded to the inpatient department.

Following the signs to the neurology department and inquiring for Gong Tiezhu’s name, she soon located the ward. Initially nervous, she adjusted her breathing outside the door before knocking and entering.

This was a three-person hospital room. As she entered, the occupants all turned in unison to look at her. Seated beside the bed nearest the window, on the farthest left, was a woman—recognized with just a glance by Gong Mingxia, who instinctively called out, "Mom, it’s me, Mingxia!"