Chapter 53: The Daughter Who Got Stuck with a Useless Father

The little girl has grown up!

She used to seem like just a baby, but now she’s suddenly going to become a mother?

Incredible, truly incredible!

I just wonder if her slender frame can withstand the hardships of motherhood.

I still remember when Director Deng was pregnant with our first child…

“Dad, what are you doing here?”

Just as Shen Guozhong was lost in thought, Shen Yi’an—who should have been sound asleep in the hospital bed—woke up.

Glancing around at the unfamiliar surroundings that still felt vaguely familiar, she asked groggily:

“Are we at the Staff Hospital?”

“Did I have another episode?”

That shouldn’t be!

Ever since unlocking the Space, she had been drinking the Spirit Spring Water like regular boiled water.

After all this time, even if she wasn’t completely cured, she should have mostly recovered.

She had no trouble running and jumping normally, and could even help with household chores within her capabilities.

Just this afternoon, she had been in the kitchen making plenty of pastries and cookies…

That’s right!

Hadn’t she been baking the last batch of pastries in the kitchen? How did she suddenly change locations?

Honestly, the feeling of waking up to find herself in a hospital was indescribable.

Seeing her rapidly shifting expressions, Shen Guozhong leaned closer with an amused and doting sigh.

“We’re at the Staff Hospital, but you didn’t have an episode.”

“If that were the case, the first person you saw definitely wouldn’t be me.”

“True!” Shen Yi’an nodded in agreement.

“If I’d really had an episode, Mom would definitely be by my side.”

“You and my brothers and sisters-in-law would be here too, and your expressions definitely wouldn’t be as relaxed as they are now.”

After this brief exchange, she finally asked why she was in the hospital.

“But Dad, why am I in the hospital?”

“I clearly remember baking cookies in our kitchen earlier. How did I end up at the Staff Hospital when I opened my eyes?”

Hearing this, Shen Guozhong stared at her for a few seconds before calmly replying:

“We’ll discuss the details when we get home.”

“You know I’ve never liked repeating myself about the same topic.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi’an sensed something strange about the situation.

Based on Comrade Shen Guozhong’s usual character, he always emphasized resolving matters clearly face-to-face to avoid future complications.

Yet now he was breaking his usual principle by saying they’d talk about it at home.

Could it be that she had done something outrageous while unconscious?

That couldn’t be, right?

Watching her sit in bed with her expressions shifting rapidly, Shen Guozhong knew she was overthinking again.

Although he found his daughter’s thought processes quite peculiar, he still interrupted her train of thought.

“Alright, if you’re not feeling unwell, let’s go home.”

“Your Third Sister-in-law brought you to the hospital earlier. When she saw you were fine, she went back to look after the children.”

Hearing that her Third Sister-in-law had brought her to the hospital, Shen Yi’an remembered what she had been trying to do before fainting.

“Dad, did my sudden fainting scare Xiaoyi?”

“I just wanted to turn around and pinch her chubby little cheek, but instead I turned myself right into the hospital.”

“That little girl is quite sensitive—I’m worried she might have been frightened.”

This was the first time Shen Guozhong had heard about this, and he shook his head somewhat helplessly.

“Your Third Sister-in-law didn’t mention it.”

“Just said the two kids were being watched by your Grandma Lin, but she wasn’t feeling reassured so she went home first to check.”

“If I’d known that Xiaoyi girl had gotten frightened, I would’ve definitely given her some instructions.”

Having reached this point in the conversation, father and daughter felt no need to continue exchanging pleasantries, unanimously deciding to assess the actual situation after returning home.

Once the decision was made, Shen Yi’an threw off the blankets to get out of bed, her movements appearing rather rough.

Watching this from beside the bed, Shen Guozhong felt his temples throbbing.

“Don’t move so quickly, take it slow.”

“The Staff Hospital isn’t far from home, just a few steps away.”

Seeing Shen Yi’an’s movements still lacked steadiness, he simply bent down to help tie her shoelaces.

“Never mind, never mind, I’ll do it!”

“You’re a grown girl now, when will you finally act like an adult?”

“Such a dad-drainer!”

These last three words were their customary banter.

There was no helping it – Shen Yi’an had been a premature baby, with hospitals being her most frequented places since childhood.

Had they not later obtained the sandalwood wooden tablet from the Taoist temple, who knows what state she’d be in now.

So when hearing her father’s remark, Shen Yi’an just smiled and defended herself, “Can’t be helped, you’re the one who had a dad-draining daughter. Too late for regrets now.”

“Next lifetime! Next lifetime I’ll strive to be a good girl!”

Hearing this, Shen Guozhong squatting on the floor shook his head in amusement.

“What? Draining one lifetime of fatherhood isn’t enough? You plan to torment me in the next life too?”

“You heartless little girl!”

Their conversation successfully amused the patient and family in the neighboring hospital bed.

“Director Shen, your daughter is quite the character.”

“Though her health is somewhat frail, she’s certainly quick-witted.”

“It’s fine, she’ll gradually recover with proper care.”

To this, Shen Guozhong could only offer a resigned smile.

“What else can we do besides gradual recovery?”

“Her mother and I were too focused on work when we were young, resulting in this girl suffering plenty since birth.”

“But it’s alright, life will keep getting better.”

The neighboring patient and family nodded smilingly.

“That’s the spirit!”

“Life will indeed keep getting better.”

After father and daughter left the ward, the patient and family had different comments.

“Director Shen is excellent in every way, except for having a daughter born with poor health.”

“Fortunately they live in the city.”

“If this were the countryside, who would spend all their money on an outsider?”

According to prevailing attitudes, daughters would eventually marry out, becoming part of another family once wed.

People would spend freely on their own, but investing in outsiders seemed impractical.

Fortunately, there was no one else in the ward.

Had someone spread these words, it might have caused another messy commotion.

Meanwhile, the father and daughter who had left the ward were already walking easily away from the inpatient department.

Their hospitalization and treatment costs were fully covered, deducted from the labor insurance medical fund for employees and their families.

This illustrated why everyone was so determined to secure jobs in major factories.

Truly, the employee benefits were enviable indeed.

Walking back to the Family Compound, the pair encountered few acquaintances.

It was mealtime, so everyone was home.

An hour later, the courtyard would likely be filled with people chatting after dinner.

“We’re back!”

Shen Yi’an announced their arrival the moment they stepped through the door.

After all, they had just returned from the hospital. Making a sound would at least reassure those who had stayed at home.

“You’re finally back!”

Hearing the father and daughter chatting and laughing as they entered, Deng Yaxin, who had been stewing chicken soup, rushed out of the kitchen.

When she reached the doorway, she first gently patted and examined Shen Yi’an all over, making sure there was no serious issue before getting straight to the point.

“Old Shen, this girl… Did the doctor say what the problem was?”

“Your third daughter-in-law wouldn’t say anything, only that she’d wait until you two came back.”

“Now that you’re here, can you tell me what caused her to suddenly faint earlier?”

Bringing up the topic of fainting, Deng Yaxin still felt a lingering fear.

She had thought her youngest daughter’s health was almost fully recovered, so the sudden fainting was truly overwhelming.

Fortunately, someone was home at the time.

If no one had been there, she couldn’t imagine what she would have faced after returning from work.

Seeing her mother so anxious, Shen Yi’an stepped forward to comfort her. “Mom, don’t worry just yet.”

“Dad said it’s not a bad thing and that he’d tell us the reason once we got home.”

“Let’s listen together.”

Hearing it wasn’t a bad thing, Deng Yaxin first breathed a sigh of relief.

But when she learned that her daughter also knew nothing, the hand she had raised high came down on Shen Guozhong’s arm.

“Old Shen, stop keeping us in suspense. Tell us what’s going on.”

“Look how anxious you’ve made the two of us!”

Knowing there was no need to keep it a secret any longer, Shen Guozhong first sat on the sofa, took a sip of water, and then calmly revealed the reason.

“Your youngest daughter is going to be a mother!”

“Your never-before-seen grandson or granddaughter is already one month along!”

“What?” The answer shocked Deng Yaxin.

She first looked blankly at Shen Yi’an sitting beside her, then stared at Shen Guozhong for a long moment before finally slapping her own thigh hard.

“Old Shen, I didn’t quite catch what you just said.”

“Say it again. Who’s going to be a mother?”