sinovels Chapter 1370 The Best Repayment
Chapter 1370 The Best Repayment
Chapter 1370 The Best Repayment
When Sisi got out of school, the sun was already setting.
She walked out of the school gate with her schoolbag on her back and immediately saw her father's car. The car was parked in the usual spot, and her father was standing next to it, talking to an acquaintance with a smile on his face. When he saw her come out, he waved.
"Sisi, over here!"
She ran over, opened the back door, and climbed in. Her father got in, started the engine, and the car slowly drove out of the crowded street.
Sisi leaned back in her chair, watching the street scene flash by outside the window, feeling an indescribable sense of peace.
Dad is off today. Actually, since he started driving for Professor Yang, their family's life has improved. They bought a house and a car.
"How was your day?" Dad glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
"It's great," she said, her tone as calm as if she were talking about something very ordinary. "Still number one in the whole school."
Dad smiled: "Not bad."
She smiled and rested her head against the car window.
Being first in the whole school is indeed impressive. But for her, it was just a given. Because she knew that every point was a stepping stone towards that goal.
The streets were bustling with traffic and pedestrians hurrying by. Shops along the roadside lit up, their vendors—selling rice noodle rolls, roast goose, and fruit—their calls rising and falling in a lively chorus. She loved the city's evenings, loved this vibrant, everyday life. Every time she saw these ordinary scenes, she would silently say to herself: It's good to be alive.
The car turned onto a familiar street, and after a few more minutes, the outpatient building of Sanbo Hospital came into view. The gray-white building stood out prominently in the twilight, and the four characters "Sanbo Hospital" on the roof were already lit up, visible from afar.
She had lived near the hospital for over three years. Her father drove for Professor Yang, and her mother worked as a caregiver in the research institute's ward. The family of three lived in a residential area next to the hospital. From her window, she could see the Sanbo Research Institute building, and sometimes at night she could even see the light on in Professor Yang's office.
She liked looking at that lamp.
When that light was on, she knew that Professor Yang was still working. Every time she saw that light, she would think of herself lying in a hospital bed many years ago.
At that time, she thought: When I get better, I must repay him.
Now she thinks: When I grow up, I want to be like him.
The car pulled into the hospital parking lot and came to a stop. She got out and ran towards the research institute; she had already told her father that she would pick up her mother from get off work today.
A man in a white coat was standing at the entrance of the research institute building, talking to a young doctor. The man turned around, saw her, and smiled.
"Sisi!"
She paused for a moment, then ran over: "Professor Yang!"
Yang Ping bent down and looked at her. His eyes were still so bright, and his smile was still so gentle, exactly the same as when he first met her many years ago.
"School's out?" he asked.
"Yes!" she nodded vigorously.
"I heard you got first place in the whole school again?"
She smiled a little shyly: "It's alright."
Yang Ping patted her head and said, "Study hard and get into a good university in the future."
She said, "I definitely will."
Yang Ping nodded, said goodbye, and walked towards the surgical building. She stood there, watching his figure disappear into the twilight, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.
This person is the most important person in her life.
After picking up Mom, we went home together. Mom changed out of her work clothes and went into the kitchen. She works as a caregiver in the research institute's ward; her work is very hard, but she always rushes home every day to cook dinner for Sisi.
The meal consisted of three simple dishes and a soup, all of which were her favorites. Sisi sat at the dining table, watching her mother's busy figure, feeling a warm glow in her heart.
"Did you see Professor Yang today?" Mom asked, putting some food into her bowl.
Sisi nodded: "Yes, I ran into him downstairs."
Mom said, "Professor Yang is so kind to you."
Sisi said, "I know."
After finishing her meal, she returned to her room and began doing her homework.
The room wasn't large, but it was spotless. A desk sat by the window, a lamp lit, and on it sat the cactus. There was also a photograph on it, taken the day she was discharged from the hospital. She was standing with Yang Ping, holding a bouquet of flowers, smiling brightly. Yang Ping stood beside her, also smiling.
Whenever she felt tired from studying, she would look at that photo. Then she would tell herself: Just a little more perseverance, and I'm one step closer to my dream.
There wasn't much homework, and she finished it quickly. She sat by the window, looking at the night view outside.
The research institute building was brightly lit, and Yang Ping's office light was still on. She knew he was still working.
She wants to study medicine.
This idea was planted in her heart the day she recovered from her illness. Over the years, it gradually took root, sprouted, and grew into a big tree. She knew that studying medicine was difficult, requiring many years of study, many experiments, many exams, and many sleepless nights, but she was not afraid.
She wanted to be like Yang Ping, someone who could save other people's lives, just like he saved her back then.
She looked at the lamp and silently said to herself: Professor Yang, wait for me.
I will definitely get into medical school, I will definitely become your student, and I will definitely become someone you can be proud of.
She closed the window, returned to her desk, and opened her textbook.
I have class tomorrow, so I need to pay attention.
On weekends, she would go to the research institute, not to see Yang Ping. She didn't want to cause him trouble; she knew he was very busy. She would just glance at him from afar. She would watch him walk into the building, watch him hurry past in his white coat, and watch the earnest way he spoke to other doctors.
She didn't bother him.
But she wanted him to know that she had been trying.
One day, she ran into Professor Zhang Zongshun at the entrance of the research institute.
Professor Zhang is over eighty years old, his hair is completely white, but he is in good spirits and walks with a steady gait. He paused for a moment when he saw her, then smiled.
"Sisi? You've grown so tall!"
She smiled and greeted, "Hello, Grandpa Zhang."
Professor Zhang pulled her aside and asked about her studies, her life, and her health. She answered him one by one. He spoke as slowly and deliberately as ever, which made people feel at ease.
Before leaving, Professor Zhang said, "Study hard and become a good doctor in the future."
She said, "I will."
Professor Zhang watched her retreating figure and said to the person next to him, "This child almost died back then. Look how well she's doing now."
The person next to her said, "It was you and Professor Yang who saved her."
Professor Zhang shook his head and said, "It's because she's so determined. Such a young child, she suffered so much, but she never cried once. I knew this girl would amount to something in the future."
Sisi was unaware of these conversations; all she knew was that her life was a gift from many people.
Grandpa Zhang took her in, Professor Yang saved her, her parents stayed with her, and the doctors and nurses took care of her for more than three years.
She owes them so much.
So she wants to become a good doctor to repay this kindness.
Sisi's grades have always been excellent. Her teacher said that with her level, getting into the best high school in Nandu Province would be no problem at all. But she still feels that she hasn't worked hard enough.
Every morning, she wakes up an hour earlier than others to memorize vocabulary and read texts. Every night, she stays up an hour later than others to review what she learned that day and preview what she will learn the next day. On weekends, while others go out to play, she stays home doing exercises. During winter and summer vacations, while others travel, she tutors herself.
Her mother felt sorry for her. Sometimes when she got up in the middle of the night and saw that the light in her room was still on, she would knock on the door and come in, saying, "Sisi, it's too late, go to sleep."
She said, "Almost done, there are two more questions."
Mom said, "Don't overwork yourself."
She looked up at her mother and smiled, "I'm not tired."
I'm really not tired.
Because you have a goal in your heart, even the most tiring work feels sweet.
Once, she went to the research institute to see her mother and ran into Yang Ping coming out of the lab, carrying a stack of documents. He stopped when he saw her. "How's your studies going lately?" he asked.
“It’s fine,” she said.
Her gaze fell on the documents in his hand, the papers covered with dense text and some charts she couldn't understand.
"Professor Yang, what are you holding?"
Yang Ping glanced down and smiled: "Oh, it's research data on a biological agent using adenovirus as a vector. That's what cured your illness."
She froze for a moment.
Adenovirus—she'd heard the word before. In the medical books she'd secretly peeked through, in the knowledge she'd desperately tried to understand. But she'd never actually seen it, what it looked like, how it worked, or how it had pulled her back from the brink of death.
"Sisi, do you know what adenovirus is?" Yang Ping asked.
She thought for a moment and nodded: "I know a little."
In her spare time, she would read some medical books. She read them diligently, devouring them one by one, and accumulated a considerable amount of knowledge. She didn't understand everything, but she did understand some of it.
Yang Ping smiled, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. He said, "You'll learn that when you go to medical school. Study hard then, you'll need it in the future."
She said, "I will."
Yang Ping patted her head and left.
She stood there, watching his back, and a surge of energy suddenly welled up inside her.
One day, she will learn these things. She will use them to save people, just like Professor Yang.
And then there's Factor K; she needs to figure out exactly what it is. All she knows is that it saved her, killed those damned tumor cells in her body, and kept her alive. But how it works, how it finds those bad cells, how it triggers the "apoptosis program"—she has no idea.
She really wanted to understand.
Mom came in and sat down next to her.
"Sisi, what are you thinking about?"
She looked at the light outside the window and said, "Mom, do you think I can really become a doctor in the future?"
Following her gaze, her mother also saw the lamp.
"Yes, you can," Mom said, her tone firm and unwavering. "If you're willing, you definitely can."
She said, "But being a doctor is difficult; you have to learn a lot, and it takes many years."
Mom said, "Don't be afraid of difficulties. You've overcome so many hardships, what else is there to be afraid of?"
She thought about it and realized her mother was right.
Yes, we got through such difficult times.
During those days of chemotherapy, she vomited uncontrollably, unable to eat anything, yet she gritted her teeth and endured it. In the days following surgery, she lay immobile in bed, in excruciating pain that kept her awake night after night, yet she never uttered a sound. During those days of K therapy, she had a fever of 40 degrees Celsius and was in a coma, yet she still survived.
She persevered through all those hardships.
What is there to be afraid of?
She suddenly smiled.
"Mom, I will definitely become a doctor."
Her mother patted her head and said, "Mom believes in you."
The light outside the window was still on.
She looked at the lamp and silently said to herself: Professor Yang, wait for me.
I will definitely become your student.
Will.
After finishing her homework, Sisi told her mother and went downstairs.
She wanted to go to the entrance of the research institute, even if she might not see Yang Ping, she just wanted to go and see.
As she approached the research institute entrance, she saw a black Hongqi car parked on the side of the road. It was her father's car, the one Yang Ping usually rode in. She paused for a moment, and just as she was about to walk away, the car door opened, and Yang Ping got out.
"Sisi?" He saw her. "What are you doing here?"
She said, "Just passing by, taking a look around."
Yang Ping smiled and said, "Perfect timing, I'm going to visit a young patient in the ward, do you want to come with me?"
She paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously: "Okay!"
As she followed Yang Ping into the ward building, her feelings were somewhat complicated.
She knew this place all too well. The corridors, the wards, the doctors and nurses coming and going—everything was exactly as she remembered it. The smell of disinfectant in the air, the occasional cries from the corridors, the busy figures at the nurses' station, and that indescribable atmosphere mixed with hope and despair—everything was so familiar to her.
She remembered the days she lived here. Those long nights, those sleepless nights filled with pain, those afternoons spent staring blankly out the window. Back then, she didn't know what tomorrow would bring, whether she would survive. But she knew that there was someone who was always trying to find a way for her.
Yang Ping pushed open the door to a hospital room.
Lying inside was a girl, who looked a few years younger than Sisi, around seven or eight years old. She was thin and small, with a pale face. Sitting beside the bed was a woman, presumably the girl's mother, whose eyes were red, clearly having just cried.
Yang Ping walked over, sat down on the edge of the bed, and softly asked the girl, "How are you feeling today?"
The girl said, "I'm okay." Her voice was very soft and weak.
Yang Ping examined her, looking at her arm, listening to her breathing, and flipping through the medical records on the bedside table. Then he stood up and spoke a few words to the girl's mother in a low voice, which Sisi couldn't hear.
A few minutes later, they came out of the ward.
As they left the ward, Sisi couldn't help but ask, "Professor Yang, what illness does she have?"
Yang Ping was silent for a moment, then said, "The same illness as before."
Sisi was stunned.
She turned around and looked at the closed door. Through the glass in the door, she could vaguely see the girl lying on the bed, and the mother sitting on the edge of the bed with her head down.
A feeling I couldn't quite describe welled up inside me.
That little girl is experiencing everything she went through back then. The pain, the fear, the dread of not knowing what tomorrow would bring. That mother is enduring everything her mother endured. The tears, the helplessness, the despair of wanting to suffer in her child's place but being powerless to help.
Yang Ping said, "We are currently using K therapy on her, and it has been two months. The results are quite good, but we still need to observe her further."
Sisi asked, "Will she be alright?"
Yang Ping looked at her, his eyes gentle yet firm. He said, "Yes, just like you."
Sisi suddenly felt like crying.
As she emerged from the ward building, she stood at the entrance, watching the crowds come and go. There were doctors hurrying by, nurses pushing wheelchairs, family members carrying lunchboxes, and patients slowly making their way with canes. Everyone had their own story, their own difficulties, and their own hopes.
She suddenly felt a surge of power within her.
That girl, she'll be alright, just like her.
She herself will study hard, get into the best high school, get into the best medical school, and then return here to become Yang Ping's student.
When the time comes, she will stand before those children, just like him, bend down, look into their eyes, and say, "Don't be afraid, we will find a way."
She took a deep breath and walked towards home.
The sunlight shone on her, making her feel warm and cozy.
She remembered a long time ago, when the little girl lying in the hospital bed looked out the window at the light in the research institute and thought: When I get better, I will definitely repay Professor Yang.
It is to become someone like him.
This is probably the best way to repay someone.