White Olive Tree

Chapter 68

Chapter 68
September is coming to an end and the weather is starting to get cooler.
On the 30th, Song Ran took Li Zan to Jiangcheng as usual to check up on his health at Jiangcheng Military Hospital.
The doctor was already familiar with him. When he measured his weight, he said happily: "Not bad, 62.3. Ah Zan should keep working hard."
Li Zan listened to his childlike tone and nodded in amusement.
"Eat more and pay attention to balanced nutrition. You must gain at least another 10 kilograms. In addition, you must exercise more. But your health is too poor now. If you exercise, just take a walk, one or two hours a day. Others It's like running and push-ups, but I can't do them yet."
Li Zan said: "I understand."
The doctor told Song Ran alone that autumn was coming and he should pay attention to the cold. Li Zan's body will be particularly difficult on rainy and cold days. As long as a person's health is not good, his mental resistance will drop sharply, making him more likely to have negative emotions.
Song Ran said he would pay attention. She thought it was a good thing that their home had floor heating.
After other tests, it was still far from reaching the health standards, and there were very few signs of recovery. Song Ran was worried, but she was prepared. Physical fitness cannot be restored in a year or a half. Moreover, it is already impossible to get him back to the physical condition he was in a year ago.
She didn't have much hope, as long as he would be less sick and tired.
After the physical examination, they saw a psychiatrist again.
Song Ran waited outside the consulting room for an hour or two. The doctor came out and said the same thing as last time. His condition is currently difficult to effectively treat and can only be prevented by regular observation. Jiangcheng's doctor agreed with Liang Cheng and believed that he could be admitted to the hospital and his movements restricted. However, considering that they lived in the countryside and were almost isolated from the outside world and would not affect others, and the patients themselves strongly resisted being admitted to the hospital, they did not persist.
The doctor emphasized to Song Ran again that even if there were no external sources of stimulation, apart from danger and panic, joy and happiness might also become sources of stimulation, making Li Zan unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy, thinking that all peace was his imagination. In this case, once he encounters external stimulation and his dream is shattered, he will collapse. The consequences could be disastrous.
"You have to make him feel as much as possible that he is in the real world. Although it is not very useful, it at least prevents him from being stimulated."

"I will."
After coming out of the hospital, it was almost lunch time.
Having been staying in the countryside, Song Ran also wanted to take Li Zan to the city for a walk, but she was afraid of an accident. After much deliberation, she took him outside his high school campus. Tomorrow is the National Day holiday, the last day of school. The sound of books came from the school building.
There was still some time before the last class ended, and the fried chicken shop across the street was deserted.
Just right.
The two found a seat by the window and ordered fried chicken, French fries and Coke.
In late summer and early autumn, the sun was not dazzling and enveloped the two of them warmly.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, there are green trees, the streets are empty and quiet, and the wind is blowing the treetops swaying. The security guard at the gate was setting up a ladder and hanging the national flag at the gate.
"No one has physical education class today, otherwise we would see rope skipping." Song Ran said with regret as she looked at the school playground across the street.
Li Zan was about to follow her gaze when he saw the dense trees outside. He turned his gaze away and stared at her hands. The sun shines on the back of her hand, which is white and transparent, but also tinged with pink, which is the color of life.
He unconsciously stretched out his hand and touched her hand. The next second, she hooked his finger in turn. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Her hand drew circles on his palm, her other hand held her chin, and she sat across the table and smiled at him.
He also laughed: "Why are you laughing?"
"Do you remember when we first fell in love last year, you took me to see your school and took me to eat maltose?"
"Remember."
"But didn't this fried chicken restaurant exist at that time? It should be a new one."
"Business doesn't seem to be very good." He whispered and smiled, "Maybe it's not delicious."
"Ah, it's done. I ordered two portions. If it's not delicious, I'll let you eat them all."
He smiled: "Okay."
"A-Zan, you need to eat more meat." Song Ran grabbed his wrist and measured it. He could hold it with one hand. However, it is a bit thicker than when he came back from Dongguo.
When the fried chicken was served, it tasted very good. The meat is plump, soft and juicy.
"Is it delicious?" she asked.
"It's delicious." He licked the oil from the corner of his mouth and nodded.
"It's good to come out once in a while to change the taste," she said. "Eat the food I cook every day. I'm afraid you'll get tired of it."
"No." He said warmly, "I won't get tired of it. I will never get tired of eating it for the rest of my life."
"You can still say such words to coax people?" She gave him a slight glance.
He bit into the fried chicken and laughed silently.
The ring on the ring finger of her left hand shone pale gold in the sunlight.
Song Ran suddenly remembered that the doctor said that he would think she was fake. It was his imagination.
But, she also knew that his happiness was true. His smile at her was also genuine.
Just like this moment.
The two of them finished eating fried chicken and chips leisurely and were sitting by the window drinking Coke when the school bell rang.
Song Ran rolled her eyes and said, "A-Zan, let's go, school is over. Don't compete with those brats for the road."
"Okay." Li Zan picked up the Coke, held Song Ran's hand and walked out of the fried chicken shop quickly.
When the students poured out of the school building, Song Ran had already started the car and quickly left the noisy children behind them.
The season was about to change, so she took Li Zan to the mall to buy clothes.
She held his hand tightly all the way, paying special attention to her surroundings, for fear of any unexpected situation. Even when she was looking at clothes and trying on clothes in the store, she stayed close to him. The clerk smiled and said, "You guys have a great relationship. I'm so envious."
Song Ran just smiled and didn't answer.
The journey was smooth. It was the eve of the National Day holiday, and there were not many people in the mall. After buying a few sets of clothes, they went downstairs and passed by a boutique. Song Ran caught a glimpse of red ropes for sale, so she pulled Li Zan in and bought two, each of them wearing one on their hands.
Li Zan's previous one has long since disappeared and must have fallen into the terrorist's cell.
"Wear this red rope, A-Zan, you will have a safe life. I will share half of my good luck with you."
He nodded: "A safe life."
Leaving the mall, Li Zan said: "Going to dad's house for dinner today?"
"OK."
They came to Jiangcheng to see Father Li.
Song Ran drove towards the construction workers' family home.
A piece of news was suddenly broadcast on the car radio: "Recently, China X Construction Group successfully won the bid for the Al-Tsangdi highway construction and infrastructure construction project in East China; recently, the two governments also launched a new round of consultations on oil trade issues. . At present, Dongguo has recovered 90% of its land, and infrastructure, agriculture, commerce, and trade are in full swing. China and Dongguo have always been friendly and cooperative..."
Song Ran turned off the radio and glanced at Li Zan in the rearview mirror of the car. He looked calmly at the road ahead.
After a long time, Song Ran said: "A-Zan, the thirteen special forces sent out at the beginning. Your mission has been completed."
Li Zan said: "Oh."
Assistance eventually resulted in benefits.
She refused to think about it anymore and looked straight ahead.
The sky is blue, the road is open, the trees are shady, and the red flag is flying.
Because of the National Day, national flags were hung at the entrances of many shops, shopping malls and units in the streets and alleys. Some oncoming cars had national flags on them, and children were running down the street waving small flags.
The early autumn in Jiangcheng is full of joy and peace, and the festive atmosphere is getting stronger.
There were cars and people passing by on the street, and there were so many laughing people. Do they know the story of the person next to her?
The vehicle turned into the family courtyard, and bright red flags were flying on the treetops. Li Zan suddenly said: "When we were maintaining peace before, the national flag was embroidered on the military uniforms. Five stars."
Song Ran avoided the vehicle, but before she spoke, she listened to him continue: "Because it is necessary to distinguish nationalities. Benjamin's military uniform is embroidered with their country's flag. Stars and stripes. So is George, and his is the word rice."
Under the gunfire, their young smiling faces turned black and white, dim and broken.
He stood in the smoke and looked around. Thousands of young soldiers were mangled with blood and died tragically in the wilderness.
A pair of hands held him firmly: "A-Zan!"
When Li Zan came back to his senses, he found that the car was parked at the door of his unit building, and the windshield was covered with sunlight, which was so unreal that it was unreal.
"Huh?" He heard his own voice responding.
The worry in Song Ran's eyes flashed away, and she smiled: "A-Zan, we're home."
"Okay." He held her hand tightly.
Li Zan was a little tired after walking all morning. After entering the house, he went back to his room and took a nap.
Song Ran stood by and watched him breathe evenly and fall asleep peacefully before quietly leaving the room.
Father Li was preparing ingredients for chicken soup in the kitchen, and carefully washed the mushrooms one by one: "This thing is easy to get sandy. You see, after washing it three times, there is still sand in the water." He poured out the water and picked up new ones. A pot, "Where did you go to play today?"
"I went to the hospital and bought some clothes. I didn't go anywhere else."
"What did the doctor say?"
Song Ran only said good things: "It's still getting better."
Li Qingchen said nothing, cleaning the folds of the mushrooms. Song Ran knew that he knew something, and she suddenly remembered what Ran Yuwei said a month ago.
The pain in Father Li's heart was probably even worse than hers.
In his entire life, he has raised such a son.
Song Ran took a piece of ginger and peeled it. Thinking of the doctor's words and the red flag on the road, her heart surged with emotion, and she finally called out: "Dad--"
Father Li said warmly: "Don't be afraid if you have something in your heart, just tell dad."
"I -" Song Ran was fine at first, but she choked up after being coaxed by his gentle words, "I just... feel uncomfortable. Dad, sometimes I wonder, why do you say...?"
Father Li paused for a moment, lowered his head to wash the mushrooms, and sighed after a long time: "It's like this. No matter how uncomfortable I feel, what can I do?" This middle-aged man, who had always been gentle and calm, felt at a loss and helpless at this moment. , "If you die, it will be over. But as long as you are still alive and want to live, no matter how hard it is, if you don't accept it, what can you do? You have to endure it. It doesn't matter who suffers."
Song Ran was stunned.
Yes, it doesn't matter if you can't get over this hurdle, fate won't give you any other choice.
Can......
"I feel dissatisfied." She scraped the ginger skin with a scraper and said harshly, "What a strange fate." She vented her anger, and there was no movement in the kitchen, only the sound of water.
She lowered her head and pinched the ginger in her hand: "Dad, are you weird?"
Father Li moved his lips twice, trying to say something, but it was difficult and he couldn't. He put a washed mushroom into the draining basket, raised his hand and rubbed his nose with his sleeve.