Chapter 7 — Criteria for Choosing a Wife of the Late Doctor

15

Three days before surgery, it was my birthday. The hospital room was filled with people who cared about me. Co Tay Ngan pushed in a giant two-tier birthday cake. He changed into a white blouse and wore a light gray sweater, his whole body radiating a gentle light.

“Make a wish.” Co Tay Ngan lit the candle and looked at me quietly.

I closed my eyes. Blowing out the candles, everyone clapped and cheered. I looked at the cake with eager eyes, but Co Tay Ngan only cut me a tiny piece of fruit. He cruelly declared: "You can't eat ice cream." I puffed my cheeks and looked at him. While he wasn't paying attention, I used my finger to swipe a big dollop of cream, with a pop, and wiped it straight onto the bridge of his high nose.

“Accuse me of patient abuse!”

The whole room suddenly fell silent. Dare to apply cream on the face of a handsome man like Co Tay Ngan, I am definitely the first. He was stunned for a moment. Looking at me with a smug smile, his face suddenly curved into an extremely endearing smile. The next second, he held the back of my neck, bent down and kissed me.

“Um!”

I rolled my eyes. That kiss carried a possessiveness that could not be denied. He gently kissed the cream stain at the corner of my lips and said in a low voice: "It's so sweet." There were loud whistles and applause all around. My mother stood aside and watched for a moment, then suddenly covered her mouth with her hand and sobbed. Co Tay Ngan let me go - my face was as red as fire. He knelt down on one knee and took out a velvet box from his pocket. Opening it, inside was a heart-shaped ring studded with blue sapphire.

“Lam Tam.”

He looked up at me, his eyes full of respect.

"You said you didn't like poor people, so I tried my best, hoping to be able to get close to you, and then confess on a suitable day. You said you wanted to live a good life, so I put all my effort into studying, to become someone worthy of you. But these days, every day I regret, regretting not saying I like you sooner. Happiness comes late, so now I'm very greedy, don't want to waste another second."

He grabbed my hand, his voice trembling slightly.

“Marry me? Give me the rest of your life, give me your heart — whether good or bad, I want it all.”

I cried so much that I couldn't speak, I could only nod strongly. He put the ring on my ring finger. Perfect fit.

16

The wedding is scheduled one month after the surgery. The night before going into the operating room, my mother sat and combed my hair.

“Tam Tam, are you scared?”

I looked at my skinny figure in the mirror and shook my head slightly.

"Don't be afraid. You have the mother who loves you the most and the best doctor."

Mom put down the comb and hugged me from behind.

"That year, I named my child Lam Tam. Some people said it was unfortunate, how could there be a blue heart? But they didn't understand. Blue is the color of the sea and the sky. The heart of the sea and the sky is the largest, strongest, and freest. That is also what I expect from you."

I turned around and gently kissed my mother's haggard face.

“Mom, if I don't wake up... don't blame So So and Tay Ngan.”

I stopped for a few seconds, trying to hold back my sobs.

“Mom, please consider So So as a daughter, consider Tay Ngan as a son, and then live well for the rest of your life.”

My mother's tears flowed like a stream, pretending to be angry and hitting me.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Toan said bad things! I will definitely wake up! Mom still has to hold you!”

I went to look for Ha So So again. She was looking at my surgery plan, the dark circles under her eyes were clearly visible. I grabbed her hand.

“So So, if anything unexpected happens... my mother will ask you to take care of her.”

Ha So So raised his head and glared at me.

“Stop this game now! Say no more! Hurry up and rest, don't bother me!”

I asked what I always hid in my heart: "Co Tay Ngan can't hold a scalpel... is it because he was injured in the tool room in high school?" So So nodded.

“Yes, also because of you. So you must live well and make it up to my brother."

With a heavy mood, I went to Co Tay Ngan. He stayed up all night reading the data. When he saw me coming, he pulled me into his arms.

“Listen to me, go home and rest. Tomorrow is over, everything will be fine.”

I know, actually you are more scared than me. As a doctor, he understands the risks of this surgery better than anyone. I secretly wrote a letter and hid it under his pillow.

17

The operating room lights light up. The moment the anesthetic enters the body, the world begins to spin. Co Tay Ngan wore surgical clothes and a mask, revealing only her eyes. Those eyes were no longer cold, but only had deep love and determination. He bent down and said in my ear:

“Lam Tam, this surgery will definitely be successful. I will definitely wake up. In this life, the next life, each life after another, you are mine. We will get married, we will have a child…”

I can't hear clearly from behind. Consciousness falls into endless night. In the darkness, I dreamed a long dream. Dreaming about heavy rain in 10th grade. Dreaming about a black umbrella. Dreaming of that guy's skinny back, and the can of dried beef that he hadn't finished eating yet. Someone is calling me.

“Lam Tam… Lam Tam…”

The voice came from far away, tearing my heart apart. The light—a blinding light. I tried to open my eyes. What catches your eye is the pure white ceiling. And… a huge face, with stubble and whiskers. Co Tay Ngan. He looked ten years older, his eye sockets were sunken and covered in blood. The moment he saw me open his eyes, the man who once made waves in the medical world suddenly shouted:

“She's awake! Awake!”

Right after that, he buried his head on the edge of my bed. In front of so many doctors and nurses, he burst into tears. Cry like a child who just lost his favorite toy, then found it again. Tears fell on my blanket. Ha So So rushed in, wiped his tears and kicked him:

“Co Tay Ngan, stay away! Do not press the patient! You're scaring her into cardiac arrest now! Go to sleep soon! I have been guarding here for three days and three nights!”

I looked at that chaotic yet warm scene and wanted to laugh, but the wound was painful as soon as I touched it. I can only move my fingers slightly. Co Tay Ngan immediately felt it, raised his head, and held my hand tightly. Even though he was haggard, even though he was disheveled... But the light in his eyes was brighter than the stars.

“Lam Tam,” he said chokingly, “Welcome back.”

Outside the window, the sunshine is beautiful. I think, my once broken blue heart, Finally, has been mended by love, And once again, beats — for a very long life. (Complete)