C8 A Strange Look in Her Eyes

The Old Red Armband Lady, concerned that excessive grief might worsen her injuries, quickly consoled her, "Don't be so upset, young lady. Are you having trouble seeing? Let's get to the hospital quickly to have a look. You don't want to suffer any long-term damage that could affect you for life!"

Ann Jue then stood up, wiping away her tears, and accompanied the lady to the nearest workers' hospital.

Meanwhile, Mr. Xue's body was taken directly to the hospital by an ambulance. Autopsy technology was available in the 1990s, but the cause of this accident was all too clear—it was the result of a crash caused by a drunk driver. Consequently, the police quickly concluded their investigation and sought to notify the family of the deceased, Xue Jingran, to claim his body.

It was then that Ann Jue recalled that Mr. Xue's full name was Xue Jingran, and her heart skipped a beat. Master Xue, Xue Jingran! The very same Xue Jingran who, more than a decade later, would be recognized as one of the great modern masters of Chinese classical studies, was her beloved Mr. Xue! Overwhelmed with sorrow, Ann Jue once again collapsed onto Mr. Xue's remains, weeping inconsolably.

"Oh dear, young lady, please don't be so heartbroken. Your teacher has passed on... We need to let him rest in peace, right?" A young female doctor gently lifted her away, concerned that being too close to the body could be harmful, and not wanting to have to explain such a thing to her parents.

Ann Jue's deep affection for Mr. Xue was profoundly touching, and it moved everyone present.

"I... I can't see!" Ann Jue suddenly felt an intense pain in her eyes and, in distress, covered them and crouched down.

The Old Red Armband Lady, who had brought her to the hospital, was terrified. "Doctor, doctor! This child was almost hit by a car earlier, and when she fell, she might have hit her head!"

The young female doctor quickly helped her onto a chair and after a brief check, she frowned and said, "I'm not sure what's causing the eye pain. I'm going to take her to an ophthalmologist right away!"

"Good, good. I'll stay with her," the Old Red Armband Lady said earnestly, following along to provide support.

Ann Jue lay on a hospital bed, responding to a few questions. As the ophthalmologist examined her eyes, she experienced a sharp, intense pain deep in her right eye. She bore it silently, not even noticing her fingernails digging into her skin.

"We need to take an X-ray," said the ophthalmologist, sounding somewhat uncertain. "The pupil and cornea appear normal, but we can't discount issues with the tiny blood vessels and nerves surrounding the eye."

Old Red Armband Lady let out a sigh. "This is serious. What's your name, dear, and where do your parents work? I must notify them immediately! There's a fee for the X-ray, you know."

Both the ophthalmologist and the young female doctor were accommodating. They reassured her, "No need to worry. We'll proceed with the X-ray. Just have someone from your family come over, and they can settle the fee later."

Hearing this, Ann Jue felt a surge of warmth. She reminisced about how genuine and endearing people were in the 90s, unlike the strained doctor-patient relationships a decade later, where patients would sometimes attack doctors with knives. To avoid upsetting patients, doctors would often prescribe medications they didn't fully endorse.

"Child, what's your name?" asked Mrs. Zhang.

"Oh, I apologize, Mrs. Zhang. My name is Ann Jue. I live on the second floor of the Plastic Factory dormitory. My father's name is An Ji, and he works in the Plastic Factory's molding workshop."

Old Red Armband Lady beamed at Ann Jue's precise response. "Good, now I've got it. I'll call your father right away! Don't you worry, there's nothing wrong with your eyes!"

An Ji felt a sense of dread upon receiving the hospital's call. Learning that Ann Jue was having vision problems, she panicked, dropped her tools, and without taking the time to formally request leave, she quickly informed her supervisor and pedaled her bicycle to the hospital.

After the X-ray, the ophthalmologist confirmed there was nothing wrong with Ann Jue's eyes, yet the cause of the pain puzzled him. Eventually, he consulted with neurology and psychiatry specialists. Their consensus was that the pain was likely due to nerve pain caused by excessive fright.