A Forum for Patients of Fourth Hospital
Chapter 10: Queen of Bullshiting

“Very well then, let’s give some encouragement to ‘Deaf Descendant’,” George said, clapping his hands with a perfunctory smile. “Miss, it seems like you have a lot on your mind. Your experiences must have been quite complex?”

Yu Xiao’s lashes trembled, and a fleeting sadness crossed her brows. “If I had the choice, I would have preferred to live an ordinary life.” With a sigh, she lifted her gaze and began to speak. “I was born into a modest family in a small county town. My parents worked in a factory. Life was simple, yet happy.”

Zhou Xiao Zhen marvelled at her ability to weave a story so effortlessly, an unexpected talent since she usually appeared introverted.

“When I was seven, we went shopping. I accidentally wandered off and was abducted by a human trafficker. They sold me to a mountain village to become a child bride.”

Zhao Lan struggled to hold back a twitching smile.

“I was too young to bear children, so they forced me to work day and night. Even in the biting cold of winter, I had to break ice on the river to wash clothes.” Yu Xiao extended her hands, her voice trembling with emotion. “My hands were raw and swollen, as if they had been soaked in brine for three days and nights.”

The patients gazed at her delicate, fair hands, their mouths watering in unison at words ‘in brine for three days and nights’.

“Eventually, I grew older,” Yu Xiao said, retracting her hands. “When I was fourteen, they believed I was ready to marry their foolish son. But I refused to accept my fate and ran away. After enduring numerous hardships, I found my way back home. To my surprise, my parents had a new baby boy. It turned out that I was never kidnapped in the first place. They had deliberately sold me off to have a son.”

The scene was heart-wrenching, and tears began to flow among the audience.

“They wanted to send me back to the mountains, but I refused and fled to the city to find work. I do not believe in surrendering to fate. I will rely on my own two hands to make a living and never bow down to this wretched destiny!” Yu Xiao declared, her fists clenched tightly and her face resolute.

“Exactly! That’s the spirit!” The patients were deeply moved.

“I will not yield to fate!”

Yu Xiao sniffled before continuing, “While working, I made a good friend who introduced me to a high-paying job. I placed complete trust in her, but she deceived me into selling my kidney. I had one kidney removed and was left with neither money nor a place to go. I was on the brink of death when I was saved by a doctor named George.”

“…”

“I’m sorry.” Yu Xiao looked like a frightened bird, casting a timid glance at George. “I apologise, Dr. George. I wasn’t referring to you. The doctor who saved me was also named George, with the surname Qiao and the given name Zhi.” (“乔治” (qiáozhì) is the Chinese transliteration of the name George.)

“It’s okay.” George chuckled. “Having the same name is quite common.”

“Yes, George is such a basic name, it’s only natural for there to be others with the same one,” Yu Xiao quickly changed the subject upon seeing George’s darkening expression. “Dr. George took care of me and attended to my needs. He even helped me with adult diapers when I was unable to care for myself. I thought he was the most incredible person in the world, and I truly believed we had found true love. Little did I know he was a heartless monster, devoid of any hint of humanity. He saved me simply because my blood type matched that of his girlfriend, who suffered from a heart condition. He wanted my heart! Waaah…”

Yu Xiao covered her face and sobbed for a while, her muffled cries filling the room. Gradually, she lifted her head, her gaze meeting the complex expressions of those around her. “He had me imprisoned and subjected to unspeakable torture. I risked my life to escape by severing my own hand and leg. I collapsed on a filthy street, in the midst of a freezing night, and was rescued by a small-time gangster. He was the only person who showed me kindness in this heartless world. Later, I discovered that he was my elementary school classmate who had harboured a secret affection for me since we were little.”

Zhao Lan found it hard to believe Yu Xiao’s account. Her story seemed too fantastical for others to accept, but as she turned her head, she saw Zhou Xiao Zhen’s tear-stained face and strained breathing.

Zhao Lan fell silent.

“We spent blissful days together,” Yu Xiao continued. “He worked at the construction site during the day to provide for us, while I prepared meals and did the laundry. Sadly, my parents and step-parents came searching for me. I was terrified, but he promised to protect me and take me far away. Before we could get very far, that wretched George tracked us down.”

At this point, George raised his eyebrows, annoyed. He was no stranger to being berated, but this time it grated on him more than usual.

Yet, nobody paid him any mind. The other patients were captivated by the tale, clamouring to know what came next. “And then what?” they chorused.

“Did you get caught?”

Yu Xiao’s smile turned bitter and forlorn. “Yes, we were caught. The man I loved most was brutally killed by that despicable Dr. George, who had caused me such immense suffering. I despise him with every fibre of my being, that loathsome George. Why must I endure such agony when I have done nothing wrong?”

She clenched her left fist. “I yearn for vengeance.”

Her right fist tightened. “I want those who wronged me to suffer the consequences.”

With both hands clenched into fists, Yu Xiao declared, “Since heaven cannot deliver justice for me, I shall take it upon myself!”

“Absolutely!” exclaimed a young girl with twin braids, no older than ten, sitting to Yu Xiao’s right. She bounced up and down, waving her hands. “Kill them! Kill them all!”

“I intentionally revealed my location to attract their attention,” Yu Xiao disclosed, “and then I ignited a gas cylinder inside the house where my beloved and I had once experienced moments of happiness. The radiant, awe-inspiring flames consumed us… and that’s how I ended up here.”

After hearing the conclusion, a collective sigh of relief escaped from everyone’s lips.

“Thank you all for enduring my rambling,” Yu Xiao humbly and sincerely expressed, feeling a deep sense of gratitude.

The applause thundered through the room, and Zhou Xiao Zhen, while clapping, couldn’t hold back her tears.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Lan leaned closer and whispered, “Why are you crying? Smiley was just making it up.”

“I know,” Zhou Xiao Zhen replied, her tears gushing uncontrollably. “But it still touched me deeply.”

Zhao Lan was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions and struggled to find the right words.

“To tell you the truth, I had also come up with a few stories in my head,” Zhou Xiao Zhen sobbed harder, “but I doubt I could ever surpass Smiley’s storytelling prowess.”

Zhao Lan: “…”

Growing increasingly irritated by the euphoric atmosphere, George stood up, his displeasure evident. “Alright, let’s move on. Who’s next to speak?”

“It’s me!” Zhou Xiao Zhen eagerly raised her hand. “Me, me!”

George’s eye twitched, but he tried to ignore it. The little girl, who had waved earlier, pointed at Zhou Xiao Zhen and said, “I’ll let you go first this time. I’ll wait until you’re done!”

George remained silent.

Clearing her throat, Zhou Xiao Zhen said, “My name is ‘Braised Egg Girl 438’, and I’m eighteen years old. I’ve had a miserable life. When I was sixteen, my father’s company went bankrupt, and he sold me to the president of the opposing company. On the night of our wedding, he tied me to a chair and made me watch him with another woman in our marriage bed, and…”

….

Zhao Lan’s mouth hung agape.

As Zhou Xiao Zhen finished, the room erupted in applause.

George observed the spectacle with an air of indifference, concealing his true emotions behind a mask of composure.

“Next,” George said to Zhao Lan, his eagerness to move on palpable. “Are you ready?”

Zhao Lan glanced at the little girl with twin ponytails and hesitated, “Can I have a little more time?”

“No,” George said coldly. “I want you to go first.”

Zhao Lan took a deep breath and confessed, “This morning, I ran a red light while rushing to work and got hit by a dump truck. And now, I find myself here.”

…

After everyone had shared their stories, George regained his polite and courteous demeanour.

“The test is over,” he announced, sweeping his gaze across the patients. “Based on your performance, I will assign each of you a bed. Please collect your dinner and medication from the nurse and get some rest. Good night, ladies and gentlemen.”