Chen Lihua sighed deeply before speaking up in a low voice. "I am afraid to say this, But from everything you've told me, Aunt Lin is seriously ill, but I can't tell how serious it is. She needs to get a test done for us to know what is actually wrong with her".
"The problem is that she will never agree to a test. Lihua, is there no way you can tell what is wrong with her by just taking a look at her?." Changying asked with a ray of hope in her eyes.
"I can guess if I see the physical symptoms, but it may not be of much help." Chen Lihua said.
"That's right, because of your field." Changying said with a little disappointment in her voice.
"Don't worry, I will do everything I can for you and Aunt Lin. I will pay a visit to her early tomorrow morning. And if I don't discover anything, I will force her to take a test if she doesn't tell me her health status, because I am sure she knows." Chen Lihua said in a serious tone.
"Lihua, thank you so much, I won't know what to do without you." Changying said gratefully.
"That's not a problem, that's what family is for." Chen Lihua said in a smile.
After parting ways, Chen Lihua sat in her office in deep thought.
After work, she phoned her mother to find out if she knew something about her Aunt, but Lady Chen gave a negative response.
"I saw how dull her complexion was and asked her about it, but she said she changed powder, Apart from her complexion and the weight she lost, I think everything is okay with her. Oh one more thing, I saw her from the window coughing continuously after she left our house. Why are you asking all these weird questions?." Lady Chen asked after saying everything she knew.
That day Aunt Lin came to the Chen House, she didn't cough when she was in her brother and sister-in-law's present. But immediately she came out from their house, she started coughing continuously, and that was the scene Lady Chen saw through the window.
Lady Chen left early from the discussion because she was angry with her husband for not suing his friend Mr. Gu. So had it been she didn't leave early she wouldn't have been opportune to see that scene.
"There's no problem, I just wanted to confirm something. I will talk to you later, bye." Chen Lihua said and ended the call immediately before her mother starts to get suspicious.
When Chen Lihua got home, she told Liu Longwei about her cousin's visit and what they talked about. She also talked about her plans on the matter.
Liu Longwei supported her, and only asked her to be careful.
Early the next morning, Chen Lihua paid a surprise visit to her Aunt.
Aunt Lin was not only surprised to see her, she was shocked! The kind of relationship she had with Chen Lihua does not warrant her visit at all.
After exchanging pleasantries, Aunt Lin immediately asked in a smile. "Lihua what are you doing here so early in the morning, did you come to see your cousin?."
"Aunt I'm sorry to visit without prior notice, but I asked Changying, who gave me the permission. And I am sorry for coming this early, but this is the only time I have since am so busy this period. I just wanted to pay a visit to you." Chen Lihua explained.
"Oh! There is no problem at all, I just wanted to know." Aunt Lin replied.
"Aunt I brought some fruits and the white wine you like." Chen Lihua said to her, while pointing to the several shop bags at a corner.
"Thank you so much." Aunt Lin replied and got up to check the bags happily.
Just then, Changying came downstairs and called out to Chen Lihua, "Lihua, you are here just like you said."
The two hugged each other, and Changying sat beside her.
"Why do you call her by her name? Lihua is older than you with at least two years. You should call her Sister Lihua." Aunt Lin scolded her daughter gently.
"Aunt don't about that, I am very comfortable that way. Calling me sister Lihua makes it seem like I'm so much other than her, and I don't like it." Chen Lihua said in a pleasant smile.
"Alright, if you say so." Aunt Lin replied as Changying smiled from the side.
As Chen Lihua conversed with Aunt Lin, she kept monitoring her body movements.
True to what her cousin told her, her Aunt had indeed lost weight, and she was looking much older than before.
When Chen Lihua was about leaving, she saw a man coming down the stairs while calling out to her Aunt.
Chen Lihua looked so shocked to see a man of that age in her Aunt's house. She didn't even know who the man was.
Chen Lihua glanced at her Aunt who had her eyes on the man, and then she gave her cousin a look that meant, 'who is that?'. Her cousin whispered softly to her ear, "He is my father."
"Oh!." Chen Lihua mouthed and turned to leave, but Aunt Lin's words stopped her.
She started to introduce them both. "HuiQing, meet my niece Lihua, the one I invited you to her Wedding. Lihua meet HuiQing, Changming's father, he has been staying here for a little while now."
Chen Lihua shook hands with the man as she exchanged greetings with him in a polite manner. She referred to him as Uncle.
HuiQuing replied her greetings in a warm smile, In fact, he was so welcoming.
"Aunt see you next time, I have to leave now." Chen Lihua said her goodbyes and turned to leave.
"I walk Lihua out." Changming said as she immediately followed Chen Lihua.
Outside the house, the two young women stood at a place to talk softly.
"Did you find out anything?." Changming asked with worry laced in her eyes.
"I found out a lot, and that lot shows that Aunt is seriously sick and needs a checkup done." Chen Lihua concluded in worry.
"What else did you find out apart from what I told you?." Changming asked.
"Your mum sits with small pillows supporting her back, and she still seemed to be uncomfortable while talking to me. She kept adjusting her position in a not so obvious manner, and it looked each movements caused her pain. She also seemed to be hiding the fact that she has cough. Sometimes she holds the cough back, but when she can't, she just let's it out." Chen Lihua explained.
"Ok, what do you think is wrong with her, can you guess?." Changming asked worriedly as she held unto Chen Lihua's hands.
Chen Lihua took a deep breath before saying softly. "She looks like she is terminally ill, and I think it's cancer from the symptoms of what I observed and what you told me."
"But I can't conclude till she gets a test done, or tells us what is wrong with her." Chen Lihua said in encouragement when she saw how devastated her cousin was with the news.