Love
in China
True
Story
 
I only Have Eyes
for You 2
I
only Have Eyes for You 1
2
Yanzi
had been in a full-on vegerable coma for
two months. During this time, with
constant talk, gentle touch and tender
kiss, Zhang Jian did his best to wake her
up from deep sleep. Yet for all his
effort, he knew he was failing. And
gradually his will to battle for Yanzi’s
life, for their future, and indeed for
his own mortal existence melt like ice
and break like tiles.
Then
one day, a story in a magazine was like a
ray of sunshine in a stormy sky that
renewed his hope. It was a report about
how a famous Hong Kong TV presenter in a
similar condition regained his
consciousness and eventually mobility
after bone replacement in head surgery
done by Dr. Ling at a Beijing hospital.
Taking
the magazine with him, he jumped onto the
northbound train to Beijing.
He
failed, however, in his attempt to see
Dr. Ling. Eventually he went down on his
knees by a gate where he learned Dr. Ling
was most likely to go through, holding a
large sign that read "Please save my
Yanzi!"
Beijing
in February was still chilling cold.
Zhang Jian’s head bent against bitting
wind, but he did not move away from the
spot, nor did he get up from his knees.
When night set in and some people
eventually found out that Dr Ling went
overseas and wasn’t expected to return
in a near future, he could not even say a
word in reply. He was totally frozen.
He
returned empty-handed to Hunan. But his
confidence in the bone replacement
miracle did not wane. When two months
later the local doctors all gave up on
Yanzi, he decided to bring her home and
take care of her himself. And he began to
save money for the surgery.
In
the following two months, he nursed Yanzi
during the day while worked as a motor
taxi driver at night. One early morning,
when he spoke at Yanzi’s ear about the
events of the past, he noticed her lips
were dry, so he got a wet cotton tip to
apply water to them. As he did so, he
registered a motion on the lips. He
thought it must be his imagination, and
kept moistening her lips. Yet her lips
moved again, accompanied by a swallow
sound from her throat.
Zhang
Jian started to his feet and was for a
while gasped for air in disbelieve. Then
he burst in exclamation, "Yanzi, my
baby!" He cried out and was wild
with joy.
This
time Yanzi's eyes moved in response.
"Yanzi
has waken up!" He roared, and
eventually chocked with tears on the
shoulder of Yanzi’s mum who hurried in
on hearting the shout.
Over
the next few weeks, Yanzi made a fast
progress. She no longer needed feeding
tube, drainage tube and infusion
line, and patch memories began to emerge
in her mind that previously was like a
gaping black hole. Zhang Jian could
clearly feel her eyes bore into him with
intensity, following him around, and her
sight became more serene and tender by
the day. When Zhang Jian read or spoke to
her, she would keep a tight grip on his
hand.
One
day, Zhang Jian said to her, "Yanzi,
you remember me, don’t you? Do you
still love me? If you do, raise two
fingers; and if don’t, raise one."
There
was an unaccustomed light in her eyes.
With an effort, she slowly raised her
left hand, and, in a deep sound gasped
from her throat, two fingers were
stretched out.
Zhang
Jian was rendered mute and immobile. It
was after a long while that he was able
to hold Yanzi’s hands close to his
heart, letting happy tears dropping down
silently.
Another
year had passed, and Chinese New Year
2004 was fast approaching. On the New
Year’s eve Zhang Jian’s mother
called. Yanzi clearly recognised her
mother-in-law-to-be’s voice, and
signalled that she wanted to listen.
Her
in-law-to-be wept on the other end of the
line, and kept saying "My dear
…… dearest daughter…" Hearing
that, tears streamed down from Yanzi’s
cheeks. As the past stories slowly
unfolded from the fragments, she sounded
a sharp scream that was full of sorrow
and agony.
Observing
these, Zhang Jian felt the surgery could
not be delayed any further to prolong
that pain. But he still had a long way to
go before he could save 40,000 yuans for
the operation.
Then
one day, phone rang, and he heard a
familiar voice coming from the receiver:
"Ar Jian, How are you? Haven’t
seen you for four years …"
It
surprised him greatly. The voice was from
Rong.
"I
heard about you in online chat room, and
got your phone number from a friend. I
wish to do something to help out,"
said she.
In
the follow up calls, Rong elaborated how
she was going to help. She would take
care of Yanzi’s medical bills, and if
the surgery did not work, she would pay
for her nursing costs for the rest of her
life.
"Why
do you want to do that?" asked Zhang
Jian.
"Because
I want your love, and want a life with
you," replied she. "You’ve
done enough for her, now let me heal your
wounds."
That
wasn’t what Zhang Jian wanted to hear.
"But
wait, don’t hang up," Rong urged.
"Listen to me, Ar Jian, she needs
that special medical treatment. How are
you going to provide it for her?"
Zhang
Jian chocked up.
"Ar
Jian, please think carefully, if you
really love her, you wouldn’t deny her
an opportunity to a possible recovery,
would you?"
This
time Zhang Jian fell into a long silence.
Finally he agreed to meet and talk.
The
day for the meeting eventually came.
Before leaving home, Zhang Jian got a pan
of warm water, and gently washed Yanzi’s
face and hands. When he finished, he
heard Yanzi squeaking. Before he could
figure out what was going on, she rolled
off the wheelchair, and when reached the
pan she thrust a hand into it. After some
fuddling under the water, she produced a
silver ring and, with her shaking right
hand, placed it on her left middle
finger. Having done that, she emitted a
push of breath, grinning broadly at Zhang
Jian.
The
scene struck a chord in Zhang Jian’s
heart. He brushed away a tear at one
point. It was an engagement ring he gave
to her at her 20th birthday.
After accident, she had forgotten so many
things, but did not forget this ring.
He
realised that without his love, recovery
to Yanzi might well be pointless. Broken
down altogether, he held her in his arms.
"… My daring … daring … Yanzi
…." thick sobs chocked his words
back, and it was until relief came in a
flow of tears, he could then resume,
"I won’t go anywhere … I’m
going nowhere …"
It
was all beyond Rong. Just who or what was
there to press a healthy young man to
make a sacrifice for a near vegetable
girl? She decided to see it for herself.
Once
entered the room, she was shocked to
notice just how poor they were. They
almost had nothing, which made Yanzi’s
quality wheelchair stand out.
And
she scanned the girl in the wheelchair.
With a piece of bone missing from her
skull, Yanzi’s face was distorted
beyond the recognition. Sitting in front
of her was Zhang Jian, still young and
still handsome, talking to her while
massaging her legs. As he looked at that
disfigured face, his eyes were glistering
with tenderness and affection.
He
never looked at Rong like this, and at
that flash moment, Rong knew, he never
would. He only had eyes for one woman,
whatever she became.
Realising
her battle for his heart had been lost,
she wept soundlessly as she walked out of
Yanzi’s home.
And
Zhang Jian walked into the office of a
local newspaper. He wanted to place an
advertisement to sell ten years of his
youthful labour in exchange for the
operation fees.
When
the story spread through the media, there
were strong responses both in Changde
city, where Yanzi and Zhang Jian lived,
and Pei County, where Zhang Jian’s
parents waited for the young couple to
return. A large number of people
contacted the newspaper to find out how
to make a donation.
With
the help from many quarters in the
community, including a hospital, Yanzi at
last submitted to the surgery.
On
learning the news, the students at a
primary school near her home crafted 5000
paper birds. They believed once the
number reached 10000, Yanzi would be able
to stand up, side by side with her
beloved Zhang Jian.
Zhang Jian and
Yanzi at home after her
operation.
(The End)
(Reference: 唤醒生命的爱,
周瑜 亦清)
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