Meng Yunhan patted Little Huzi on the head, her gaze shifting to the bed, âYun Hao, I donât know if you can hear me or not, but you need to wake up soon. I donât know how much longer I can hold on.â
She was only human, not a god. She wouldnât divorce him but she feared the day she might reach her limit. What would they do then?
âLittle Huzi is still so young. What are we to do if you continue to sleep like this?â Meng Yunhan knew about vegetative patients, but she didnât fully understand their condition. She had heard that they could hear other people talking, so she tried to stimulate Yun Hao, urging him to wake up soon.
She was doing her best, but she hoped he was striving to wake up, too.
âLittle Huzi looks a lot like you. Mom said you two look like you were cast from the same mold. Youâre our tree, you canât fall down. Please wake up!â Her hoarse, breaking voice echoed again in the hospital room.
Meng Yunhan tried her best to stop herself from crying, but tears flowed down her face akin to a stubborn leaky faucet.
Why wouldnât he wake up? Why wonât he wake up?
âItâs been over a month. Youâve been sleeping for more than a month. During my confinement period, I only lay in bed for a month. Why have you been bedridden for longer than I have?â
âYun Hao, I still owe you an apology. I am sorry. Please open your eyes, stop tormenting me, stop joking with me. This isnât a funny joke at all.â Meng Yunhan mutters to herself as though she has been greatly wronged, yearning for someone to share her sorrow.
Yet, the man lying in the bed doesnât react to her at all.
Meng Yunhan doesnât continue to speak because Little Huzi stops eating and stares at her with wide eyes.
âLittle Huzi, this is your daddy. Kiss your daddy.â Meng Yunhan held up Little Huzi to Yun Hao, but their little one shrugged him off, seeming uninterested.
âYun Hao, see? Your son rejects you. He knows youâve grown thin, and your bony structure makes him uncomfortable.â Meng Yunhan, teasing with a light peck on Yun Haoâs lips, looks down.
âLittle Huzi, tell your daddy to get up, to play with you, to sing you a song. Ask him to demonstrate some military boxing for you.â As she speaks, Meng Yunhanâs tears start dropping onto Yun Haoâs face, spreading on his skin.
âOh right, Yun Hao, let me introduce you. This is your son, his nickname is Little Huzi, and his formal name is Yun Mingrui. Heâs just over a month old now. Your son is very well-behaved, hardly makes a fuss, and seldom cries. He was easy to look after during my confinement period, didnât give me much trouble.â Meng Yunhan, fearing that her son might need to pee again, quickly took him to the restroom.
Yun Haoâs eyelids seem to move slightly, but itâs very faint.
Meng Yunhan returned to the room and softly scolded Little Huzi, âLittle one, youâve just wasted another diaper.â
Yun mother came back holding two aluminum lunch boxes. She bought the meals from the local supply and marketing cooperative. Thankfully, no one needed tickets for it else she would have had to ask Yunhan for them.
âHanhan, is Little Huzi asleep?ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Meng Yunhan put on a smile, âLook, heâs just had a good feed and now he wants to play.â
The child couldnât roll over yet, so Meng Yunhan had extra padding of diapers under his bottom. Let him play!
âLetâs eat first, and let him keep his father company.â Yun mother put on a smile, shaking off the previous sadness. She needed to smile, she had to, even though her smile looked more like an ugly grimace due to the bitterness in her heart.
âOkay.â