A Forum for Patients of Fourth Hospital
Chapter 9: Let Ms. Deaf Heir be the first to speak

It was evident that the three empty chairs were intended for Yu Xiao and her companions. George led them over and whispered, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have three new members today. Let’s give them a warm welcome.”

However, there was no response to his words. Yu Xiao counted silently and realised that there were a total of thirteen chairs, with ten already occupied by individuals of various ages and genders. They all had a pale complexion and a vacant expression on their faces. They remained motionless, as if unable to hear George’s words.

George paid no mind to their indifference and warmly invited Yu Xiao and her companions to take a seat. “Please, have a seat. These chairs have been arranged specifically for you.”

Once they were seated, George stepped aside and smiled at the thirteen people.

“The test for today is about to begin,” George’s voice was leisurely. “Each one of you here has undergone treatment for some time. In order to assess the effectiveness of the treatment, I have chosen a reliable testing method. The results of this test will impact your future treatment plan and bed allocation, so it is essential that everyone takes it seriously.”

After he finished speaking, the patients who had previously worn vacant expressions suddenly displayed fear in their eyes.

George gracefully moved around the patients and stopped behind Yu Xiao. He rested his hands on the back of her chair and said, “Today’s test revolves around sharing the reasons why you came here. Who would like to begin? Why don’t we start with our new friend, Lady Deaf Descendant?”

Although George’s tone was gentle, Yu Xiao sensed a hint of malice in his words. She instinctively knew that there was a trap present and she must not fall into it.

“Dr. George,” Yu Xiao lowered her head and spoke softly, “the reason why I came here is very complicated and cannot be explained in just a few sentences. Let others speak first, I need to sort out my thoughts.”

George’s smile widened and he was about to speak when Yu Xiao suddenly raised her head and pointed to a thin man with small eyes across from them. “I believe this uncle (叔叔, shūshu) has something to share. Why don’t we begin with him?”

‘I don’t look old and I’m only thirty-one years old. How can you refer to me as ‘uncle’?’ The thin man hesitated momentarily and then responded, “Well, let’s begin with me then.”

Zhao Lan and Zhou Xiao Zhen, let out a collective sigh of relief. After Yu Xiao’s earlier refusal, they were concerned that George would ask them to speak first. They didn’t know how to decline without using the same excuse as Yu Xiao.

“My name is Zhang Tao (张涛), and I am thirty-one years old,” emphasised Zhang Tao, the thin man. He glanced at Yu Xiao and continued, “I work for the government, and my relatives and friends all admire my youth and potential.

(张涛: “To open up a big wave” or “to fill a blank paper with a big wave ”)

“— Last year, I got married. My wife is a beautiful woman, and her family is affluent. Her father is a prominent local businessman. We were very happy after our marriage. My wife often slept in the guest room to avoid disturbing my sleep. Soon after, she became pregnant, and I was overjoyed.” Zhang Tao glanced at Yu Xiao again and added, “At a young age, I have achieved success in my career, have a blissful family life, and I am going to be a father.”

Yu Xiao was perplexed by the man’s constant gaze. Why was he staring at her?

“I never expected my son to be born after only seven months,” Zhang Tao suddenly became animated. He sat on a chair and lowered his head, gripping the few hairs on his head tightly. “The doctor claimed it was a full-term delivery, but how could that be possible? We had been married for only seven months…”

Yu Xiao leaned back slightly. So, he couldn’t handle the pressures of fatherhood and ended up at St. Elizabeth’s?

“This child is not mine at all, and it tortures me. I confronted her, but she insisted that the child was conceived before she met me. She sees it as a representation of her past and not a betrayal towards me.” Zhang Tao suddenly looked up.

Just as Yu Xiao thought he was about to explode, he unexpectedly said, “She may have a point. If I truly love her, I shouldn’t be bothered by her past. She has suffered greatly, and it is my duty to take good care of her.”

Yu Xiao: “…”

‘What kind of bizarre logic is this?’ exclaimed Yu Xiao inside, feeling utterly bewildered. As she pondered over this, she couldn’t help but be amazed by the man’s incredible resilience. If he could endure such a traumatic experience, then why was he admitted to a mental hospital?

Suddenly, Zhang Tao stood up and shouted, his voice hoarse, “But a week later, I left work early and found her lying in my bed with another man. When I tried to separate them, she hit me and cursed at me like a dog! I won’t forgive her so easily. I will go find my father-in-law. He will support me…

— Hahaha… As expected, my father-in-law came to my side. He promised to reprimand that woman and even gave me his luxury car to drive back home.”

Everyone watched him in silence, wondering what would unfold next.

“And then, on the way home, the brakes failed, and I was involved in a car accident,” Zhang Tao resumed his seat, his expression once again becoming blank. “That’s how I ended up here.”

Yu Xiao was puzzled, ‘What do you mean? He just walked in here like that? Wasn’t he comforted by his father-in-law? Didn’t he break down after the car accident? Could it be that he sustained brain damage, which is why he’s here?’

“He’s done speaking now. It’s my turn,” responded a middle-aged woman sitting across from Zhang Tao.

Yu Xiao glanced over and saw an overweight and weary-looking woman. She had layers of fat on her body, and her skin appeared yellow and rough. Her hair was hastily tied up, looking messy and unkempt. Her features were almost indistinguishable, except for her fairly nice eyes. If she weren’t so overweight, her eyes could have been considered large, but unfortunately, they appeared dull and lifeless.

“My name is Liu Cui (刘翠), and I’m forty-five years old,” announced Liu Cui, not understanding why she needed to disclose her age. However, since the person before her had mentioned it, she decided to follow suit. “I’m a housewife. My husband works in a factory, and my son is a… guard at a casino.”

(刘翠: “(classical) a type of battle-axe bluish-green” or “To kill green jade”)

Liu Cui reached out to tidy the dishevelled hair on her forehead, her eyes darting slightly as she surveyed the group of people. Then, she continued, “Don’t judge me based on my current appearance. When I was young, I was considered one of the most beautiful women in the factory, and those smelly men were always chasing after me. Later, I got married. My husband repaired bicycles and was a skilled craftsman. Despite being short and unattractive, my mother told me that it didn’t matter as long as he could provide for me and treat me well. Besides, she said that ugly men were more trustworthy and less likely to cheat.

— At the beginning, things were going well after we got married. I became pregnant quickly and gained quite a bit of weight. He assured me that it was fine and that he enjoyed hugging a soft and round wife,” Liu Cui’s dull eyes sparked with a glimmer of hope. “Nine months later, I gave birth to a large, chubby boy. However, he was born with health issues, so I had to stay at home to care for him and couldn’t go back to work at the factory. Eventually, my friends stopped hanging out with me. When the factory shut down, they all found new jobs or started their own businesses, but I couldn’t join them because my son had just started primary school…”

There was no need to explain what happened next. Such tragedies were sadly commonplace.

As expected, Liu Cui burst into tears, streams of salty droplets carving deep grooves in her weathered skin.

“But that jerk… he’s seeing someone else. Who does he think he is? He’s so ugly and doesn’t even have much money. Why does he get to find another woman? And she’s not even half as beautiful as I was in my prime! We had a fight, and he even hit me,” Liu Cui admitted, her eyes brimming with bitterness.

“He didn’t hesitate to strike me where it hurts. He had the audacity to tell me to look in the mirror and say I looked like a pig.” The resentment in her voice was palpable. “This wretched state I find myself in is all because of him. I had numerous suitors vying for my affections in the past, but I chose him because he was a diamond in the rough. Little did I know that his true colours would eventually surface. Thankfully, my precious son remains by my side. As long as he stands with me, I can endure anything. I devote all my energy to him, hoping that one day he’ll be successful enough to buy a big house in a big city and take care of me in my old age.

“But,” Liu Cui hesitated, her voice quivering. “He, too, has become a reflection of his father—useless. He didn’t perform well in school and has a penchant for playing around. He dropped out of high school. At such a young age, he’s already involved with shady women, and he even got one of them pregnant. He brought her home and claimed they were getting married, but she demanded a dowry of 40,000 yuan, which would have crippled our family.”

“— I refuse to give a single yuan to a woman who got pregnant before marriage. If my son is willing to marry her, that should be her fortune. However, she went ahead and had an abortion without telling my son. Now she won’t even see him anymore. That woman has ruined my son. We argue constantly now.”

Liu Cui’s face crumbled as her tears flowed relentlessly. She covered her face, her sobs making her choke on her words and barely audible. “One day, I went into his room while he was playing games and told him to go to bed early because he lacked ambition. Suddenly, he yelled at me and even stabbed me with a fruit knife. I fell to the ground in pain, and he didn’t even take me to the hospital. He continued stabbing me multiple times… After that, I ended up here.”

“…” Yuan Xiao’s eyes twitched as she finally understood the situation. She was relieved that she hadn’t spoken up earlier, or else she would have faced a terrible fate. She had thought that this hospital, called Saint Elizabeth, was for mental patients. But now she realised that the only requirement to enter this hospital was death. Everyone present, except for the three of them, was dead.

The other patients, with their pale faces and lifeless expressions, seemed harmless at first glance. They spoke to one another, their conversations laced with an air of normalcy. But who could guarantee what they would do once they discovered there were living people nearby?

“I feel sorry about what happened to Mrs. Liu,” George said, adjusting his glasses in a hypocritical manner. “So, who will be the next to speak?”

“I will,” Yuan Xiao announced, raising her hand amid the surprised gazes of Zhou Xiao Zhen and Zhao Lan. “Allow me to share with everyone the reason behind my arrival at this place.”