Special Forces Medic-Chapter 652 - 614: None of the Xiao Family are good people

In the dark room, the persistent sounds of coughing filled the air, almost matching the frequency of human breathing. A lamp, emanating a dim glow, entered the dimly lit room from outside. A girl fumbled at a table, the lamp failing to illuminate much distance, and opposite the table was a bed that occupied most of the small room. The person on the bed moved slightly, and then once more, a series of heart-wrenching coughs erupted.

The girl glanced back at the person on the bed, sighed, and continued searching. She remembered placing the medication she fetched that morning in this drawer, so why couldn't she find it now? "Grandpa, did you throw the medicine away?" she asked the person on the bed with her back turned. The person on the bed rolled over without responding to her. "Grandpa, you're being naughty. How will you get better if you don't take your medicine?"

After another rustling sound, the girl finally gave up searching and walked to the bedside with the lamp. "Did you smoke again? The doctor said you can't touch cigarettes anymore; your lungs will be affected." Her voice was full of blame, but the concern outweighed the reproach.

"You can't always listen to doctors." A hoarse and aged voice came from the person with his back to her, the strained throat sounded like a broken saw.

"You can't say that. What will I do if something happens to Grandpa?" The girl picked out some pills from the bottle, holding the water out to the elderly man. "You don't take your medicine when I'm not here, acting like a child."

The old man reluctantly accepted the cup and medicine, gulping them down his throat. "Now that I've taken the medicine, you can go to sleep."

"No way!" The girl plopped down by the bed, refusing to let the old man turn his back to her. "Grandpa's been acting strange recently, you're hiding something from me."

"You're overthinking it. What could an old man like me possibly do? Go to sleep."

"And the medicine? Where did you throw it? I spent a lot of money to get it for you." The drug, which was supposedly really good for treating this asthma, was procured at great cost, only to be tossed aside by the stubborn old man; it was infuriating. The girl's lips quivered in grievance as she looked at the elderly man, his desolate expression in the backlight making her nose tingle with sorrow.

"Why are you crying? I'm not dead yet." The old man sternly addressed the girl, his unpleasant voice and angry countenance resembling a malevolent spirit. "Girl, I can still live a long time, don't bring back useless medicine, even if we had money, it's not to be spent like that."

"Grandpa, we don't have money." These words were becoming a tired refrain for the girl, who had not noticed any extra funds in the household. "You need a sponge bath today."

With her makeup removed, the girl showed a clean face; her youthful skin dotted with freckles. Usually covered by cosmetics to appear mature, she now looked purely innocent.

The old man cooperated as the girl helped him out of his clothes, the towel at the perfect temperature still steaming. The girl's hands were soft, and thorough. Each time they passed over the long scar on the man's back, her eyebrows knit in concern. "Grandpa, this scar is still deep!"

The old man's nonchalant sound signaled his response, muttering something under his breath as he allowed the girl to fuss for a long while. "I can handle the rest myself." The old man was a stickler for cleanliness; despite his apparent age, he looked much younger, and this girl, who'd been by his side, was merely a stray he had picked up from the doorstep at the age of ten. They shared no blood relation, nor any obligations. Yet they had lived together for over ten years, in that time she never questioned his origins, and he never inquired into her past. They simply moved from one makeshift abode to another, finally putting down roots in this place.

"Alright, I'll go fix you some supper." Despite being family, propriety's invisible line often kept them apart; the girl was considerate and didn't fuss over such matters, while the old man wouldn't let such bonds cross familial lines.

"Pack up in the next few days, we need to prepare to move." The old man's supper was simple: a bowl of noodles with a cracked egg and some small vegetables.

"We're moving again?" The girl didn't question it, but her brows furrowed in concern. Her memories were full of relocations, always on the move without a stable home. She disliked it. The North District was the longest they had stayed in one place, and she had just started to get used to life here, even though she hadn't made many friends, knowing they might have to leave at any moment. So she seldom bought things, always looking for a house ready to move in.

"Yes." The old man's forlorn eyes held a hint of bitterness. It was a look the girl had seen before, but it was rare; usually, he just sat alone, lost in thought, his time mostly spent amidst violent coughing fits.

The girl had asked the doctor about the old man's condition, no one would tell her outright, only shaking their heads, though even the dullest person would understand from that response; it made her pay closer attention than before.

"Grandpa, let's find a better place this time!" The girl wished they could have an apartment building with an elevator, a bathroom with a shower so she wouldn't have to fight with the neighbor lady for the faucet. They lived in a true slum, where hardly any house had a shower; even having a toilet was a luxury.

"Yes." The old man brushed his hand over the girl's dejected head, before another fit of coughing seized him, the girl patting his back with concern. "Buy a two-bedroom in the city center, fully furnished, we'll live a little better, at least give you a secure home before I pass."

"Grandpa!" The girl cried out, tears rolling down her face. So Grandpa had known about his health condition all along, and she buried herself in his embrace, sobbing silently. "Didn't the gentleman say your illness could be cured? Why won't you accept it?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"None of the Xiao Family are any good!"

"What?" The girl couldn't hear clearly what the old man said, lifting her misty eyes to gaze at him.

"Nothing, go look tomorrow, and we'll move within two days." Clearly urgent in his resolve, the girl didn't ask any more questions, though her heart held a big mystery: what is Grandpa worried about this time that made him so uneasy, or who is he afraid of?

"I understand, Grandpa! Just pack your clothes and we'll move once I return."

In the city center, as long as you have money, you can buy the house you want, so the girl wasn't worried, it's just… "Take this." The old man handed her a worn notebook with frayed edges.

"Oh my god!" Looking at the numbers inside, the girl could hardly believe they were so wealthy. "Grandpa, you…"

"Some people, someday, will come here." The old man said something the girl didn't understand, turning over to sleep, his snores soon following. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it. Your support is my greatest motivation.)