coobybook Chapter 460 Old Man Jiang Hao Has Gone
Chapter 460 Old Man Jiang Hao Has Gone
The atmosphere in the corridor of Renxin Hospital was so solemn that it was almost suffocating. At the door of the ward, a group of police officers stood straight, holding their weapons tightly in their hands, with sharp eyes.
They were always alert to their surroundings, with every muscle tense, sticking to their posts, like silent statues, guarding the precious and fragile moment of reunion in the ward.
Mu Xiaoji and Cui Jiani stood a little further away, listening quietly to the conversation coming from the ward between the mother and son after a long separation.
Those words, filled with the vicissitudes of life, endless longing and deep regret, were like heavy hammers, striking their heartstrings and making them feel deeply moved.
"Mom, I know that I owe him this kindness, and I will repay you in the future." Jiang Hao's voice came from the ward, sad but firm.
His warm and powerful big hand tightly held his mother's hand. The blue veins on the back of his hand bulged slightly due to the force, as if he was promising his mother and swearing to himself that he would definitely repay this kindness.
His arms trembled slightly, as if he wanted to pass on the determination and strength in his heart to his mother through this tight grip.
The old woman raised her hand. Her hand was skinny, with skin hanging loosely on the bones, covered with blue veins and brown age spots.
Her movements were slow and trembling. She groped in the air, relying on memory and instinct, and finally touched her son's scalp.
Under his fingertips, the hair that was once thick, black and full of vitality has now become a short layer and feels hard, as if silently telling of the days he served in prison.
I couldn't help but blame myself: "Son, I am useless. I am sorry for you two brothers. You didn't enjoy a single day of happiness with me, and I led you astray."
The old woman's voice was as low as the buzz of a mosquito or fly, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from her broken heart, full of self-blame and pain.
Although her eyes were dim in her sunken eye sockets, she seemed to be able to see the painful scenes of the past. Her eyes were full of regret, as if they were swallowed by endless darkness.
Jiang Hao quickly defended himself, "No, Mom, it's my fault. Dad was clinging to the rich and powerful and abandoned us. As the eldest son in the family, I should have supported the family, but I didn't follow the right path.
Greedy for quick money, he was obsessed with following the drug lord Fu Chuxiong and was on a path of no return. "
Jiang Hao's voice trembled, filled with endless sorrow and regret. The tragic scenes of the past appeared before his eyes, and his voice became more choked:
"When Xiaojie had a high fever, I followed Fu Chuxiong into the Yi Mountains, ignoring the fact that he had already lost consciousness due to a high fever and needed to be rushed to the hospital for treatment.
He was already 1.7 meters tall! He was like a cute and adorable kid, but... he died in my selfishness.
I ruined my brother, ruined myself, and also caused you to have no home to return to, and you can only live alone in the Red Star Welfare Home. I am an unfilial son, a bastard son!"
At the end of his speech, he burst into tears. The pain and regret that had been accumulated in his heart for many years burst out like a flood, and he could no longer hold it back.
He thought of his younger brother Xiaojie, who used to be as cute as a dog, always following him and calling him "brother" in a Burmese voice.
They ran away in the street together and took shelter from the rain under the eaves together. Those beautiful memories have now become the sharpest thorns in his heart.
The last time he saw her, he was covered in corpse spots and died in his mother's arms. That scene, like a nightmare, reappeared in his dreams countless times, waking him up in agony every night.
His tears kept flowing like beads from a broken string, soon soaking the sheets of the bed.
His body was shaking violently with sobs, and his shoulders were shaking constantly, as if he wanted to release all the pain that had been accumulated over the years.
The old woman's hand slowly fell on Jiang Hao's cheek. Her movements were as gentle as the breeze blowing across the lake, carrying with her endless attachment and reluctance.
Her fingers carefully traced the outline of her son, from his forehead to his eyes, from his nose to his lips, wanting to carve his current appearance deeply into her heart as an eternal memory.
"Xiao Jie, my Xiao Jie, slow down and wait for your mother. Mom is here to accompany you!" The old woman muttered in a whisper, her voice becoming weaker and weaker, and her eyes gradually lost focus.
Her hand slid from Jiang Hao's face and fell to the side of the bed like a withered leaf.
At this moment, the electrocardiograph next to him issued a sharp alarm, and the line on the screen suddenly turned into a straight line, announcing the end of the old man's life.
The ward instantly fell into dead silence, and then Jiang Hao's heart-wrenching cry broke the tranquility of the ward: "Mom..."
The voice was filled with despair and sorrow, as if it was going to shatter the entire world.
When Mu Xiaoji heard the shouting, he immediately looked at Cui Jiani, his eyes full of worry and anxiety.
They hurriedly pushed open the door of the ward, and Mu Xiaoji rushed forward, leaned down, stretched out his hand and gently opened the old woman's eyelids to check her pupils, and quickly put his hand on the old woman's carotid artery to feel her pulse.
However, everything was in vain, as the old man had no vital signs. In the ward, only Jiang Hao's grief-stricken cry remained, "Mom..." echoing in the air for a long time.
In the ward, the dead silence was like an invisible giant net that tightly wrapped everyone.
Jiang Hao's world completely collapsed at this moment. He collapsed beside the bed, his body shaking uncontrollably, like a fallen leaf drifting in the wind.
Mu Xiaoji suppressed his inner grief, his eyes reddened as he looked at the data from various instruments. He then placed his hand gently on Jiang Hao's violently heaving back.
His voice trembled slightly, but he tried to be soothing: "Jiang Hao, the old man is gone, you have to mourn.
Now is not the time to be overly sad. You should follow the police officers back to the detention center and wait for my news.
I will prepare all the relevant documents as soon as possible and send them to the detention center for review, and try to get you out as soon as possible to handle the funeral for the elderly."
Every word seemed like the strength he squeezed out from the bottom of his heart, trying to convey a glimmer of hope to Jiang Hao who was now trapped in the abyss of despair.
The two police officers in the ward looked solemn. They exchanged a sad look and then approached the bed with heavy and powerful steps.
One of the police officers bent down slightly and stretched out his hand, his movements extremely cautious, as if he was afraid of disturbing the sorrow in the room;
Gently holding Jiang Hao's arm, he said in a low but unquestionable voice: "Jiang Hao, it's time for you to go."
Jiang Hao was like a frozen statue, as if all the life had been drained out of him, and he lay limp there.
Only tears flowed out of his eyes like a flood, flowing freely on his sorrowful face.
His hands, as if trying to grasp the last bit of warmth in life, tightly hugged his mother's hands that were gradually losing their temperature. His nails were almost deeply embedded in his palms, but he felt no pain at all.
His eyes were empty and desperate, his lips trembled, and he cried out heartbreakingly: "Mom...Mom..."
The voice seemed to be pulled out from the depths of the soul, carrying endless attachment and reluctance, echoing in the ward and striking everyone's heart.
After a long time, Jiang Hao realized that his identity as a prisoner was like a heavy yoke. He also knew the responsibilities of the police officers and that he could not embarrass them because of his personal feelings.
Thinking of this, although he was reluctant, he suppressed his grief and slowly let go of his mother's hand.
He supported himself with his hands and kowtowed three times on the ground, "dong, dong, dong". The sound of his forehead hitting the ground was dull and shocking, and each one seemed to tell of his guilt and reluctance towards his mother.
The sound seemed to knock on everyone's heart, making them feel heartbroken and moved.
Mu Xiaoji took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions, slowly reached out and picked up the corner of the quilt on the old man.
His movements were so gentle as if he was afraid of disturbing the sleeping old man. He slowly pulled the quilt towards the old man's head to cover him for the final time.
His eyes were filled with sorrow, and at this moment, he seemed to be saying goodbye to a loved one. His solemn expression showed his grief and sorrow.
Jiang Hao stood up slowly, his eyes still reluctant to leave. He looked back every few steps, his gaze always fixed on his mother's body on the hospital bed.
The two police officers, one on the left and one on the right, performed their duties and carefully helped Jiang Hao out of the ward.
Jiang Hao's steps were heavy and dragging, and every step seemed like he was dragging a heavy burden. His body leaned forward slightly.
It seems that I still want to spend more time with my mother and see her more. I just feel that the time we spend together is too short, and the time we spend apart always passes too quickly.
Walking out of the hospital building, the outside world was shrouded in darkness, and the cold wind cut everyone's faces like ice knives.
In the distance, the police car with flashing lights was waiting quietly. At this moment, the siren suddenly sounded, a sharp and long whistle, as if saying the final goodbye to the old man, and as if playing a sad song for this separation of life and death.
Jiang Hao was helped into the police car by the police officers. He sat in the back seat and stared at the hospital building through the car window.
Tears blurred his eyes again, and he was forced to look away until the police car slowly started and drove towards the detention center;
And that sad atmosphere seems to remain forever under this gloomy and silent night sky.
Mu Xiaoji stood stiffly in the ward, and everything around him seemed to be caught in silent slow motion.
His eyes were empty and blank, staring at the lifeless old man under the quilt, as if he was still expecting a miracle to happen, the old man would open his eyes again and call him his benefactor.
A moment later, the medical staff walked into the ward with solemn expressions. Their steps were steady but cautious, as if they were afraid of disturbing the sadness in the room.
A thin nurse walked to the ECG monitor. She stretched out her hand, and with gentle but professional movements, she slowly unplugged the various lead wires connecting the instrument to the elderly man.
Every time one was pulled out, the green lines that were originally jumping on the instrument would stop one by one, as if announcing the complete disappearance of signs of life.
Then, she gently lifted the monitor and pushed it away from the bed. The "gurgling" sound made by the instrument's rollers rolling on the ground seemed particularly harsh in the silence at the moment.
Then, two nurses pushed the medical bed into the ward. They walked to the bedside and looked at each other, their eyes full of regret for the loss of life.
One of the caregivers gently lifted the old man's shoulders, while the other one held up his legs. Their movements were gentle and cautious, as if they were treating an extremely precious yet fragile treasure.
They lifted the old man steadily onto the medical bed, then pulled over the white sheet and gently covered him with it.
Mu Xiaoji looked at the direction where the old man left, and sighed silently in his heart. The impermanence of fate was vividly displayed at this moment, and the warmth and regret of human nature were also infinitely magnified in this life and death separation, leaving behind endless sighs and thoughts.