Chapter 78 Suspecting this is her uncle (1/2)

Inside the ward, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, illuminating Qin Tian's thin face. He squinted slightly, a warm smile playing on his lips, as he answered Su Wantang's question: "I'm from Shanghai. I lived in an old alleyway when I was a child."

Su Wantang's heart pounded, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the medical record. Shanghai! She tried to remain calm, but her voice trembled slightly: "What a coincidence, my maternal grandmother's family is also in Shanghai. Dr. Qin, what year were you born? Where were you born?"

Qin Tian seemed oblivious to her emotional fluctuations, his gaze distant as he recalled the past: "I was born in the early 1960s, on a stormy night. My mother told me that the thunder was deafening that night, and she was in excruciating pain, almost not making it through."

A stormy night! A sudden thought struck Su Wantang, and the memory of her mother's story seemed to echo in her ears—the day her grandmother gave birth to her uncle, it was also pouring rain, and she nearly died during childbirth. She swallowed hard, her palms already sweating, and tentatively asked, "Which hospital in Shanghai?"

Qin Tian smiled, a hint of bitterness in his eyes: "There was a small hospital in the old city, I've long forgotten its name. The place was dilapidated and the conditions were terrible. My mother said there was another woman in the next delivery room who was also having a difficult labor and was crying her heart out."

Su Wantang's mind tightened even more. The delivery room next door! Didn't her grandmother mention years ago that a poor woman was giving birth next door, and her crying could be heard throughout the entire floor? She bit her lower lip, suppressing her wildly beating heart, and continued to press, "What does your mother... do?"

Qin Tian's eyes dimmed, and his voice was low: "My mother was just an ordinary person, from a poor family, who made a living by washing and mending clothes for others. My father was an alcoholic with a bad temper and often beat her. When I was a child, life was hard. I collected garbage to exchange for money to go to school, and I almost starved to death on the streets."

Su Wantang lowered her eyelashes, concealing the complex emotions in her eyes. Her impoverished background was completely at odds with her grandmother's gentle temperament, but that rainy night, that small hospital—everything made sense! She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms.

Qin Tian didn't notice her reaction and continued, "Later, my mother became seriously ill, and I did my best to take care of her. Before she passed away, she held my hand and cried, saying... I'm actually not her biological son." His voice choked up, and tears welled up in his eyes. "She didn't explain clearly, and I didn't know if it was true or not. I just thought she was confused because of her illness."

A storm raged in Su Wantang's heart. Not her biological child! She could barely stop trembling, and an absurd yet plausible guess surfaced in her mind—back then, the two children were switched at birth! She lowered her head to hide her emotions and managed to squeeze out, "Please... don't overthink it, just focus on getting better."

Outside the ward, the footsteps in the corridor faded into the distance. Su Wantang leaned against the wall, closing her eyes to calm herself, but her mind was filled with Qin Tian's face, overlapping with a photograph of her grandfather when he was young. She murmured to herself, "If it really is my uncle... what should I do?"

A few days later, Qin Tian's hospital room returned to silence. Lu Linchuan pushed open the door and entered, carrying an exquisite paper bag, which he handed to Su Wantang: "Try this on, it's a new maternity dress I bought, loose and comfortable."

Su Wantang accepted the dress; the light blue fabric was soft and smooth, with a warm touch. A warmth filled her heart, and she murmured softly, "Thank you, Lin Chuan." But then her eyes darkened, and she hesitated before speaking, "I...there's something I want to tell you."

Lu Linchuan raised an eyebrow, his tone relaxed: "What's up? Look at your expression, like you're about to go to war?"

Su Wantang bit her lip, lowered her head and clutched the hem of her skirt: "I suspect that Qin Tian... might be my maternal uncle." She raised her eyes, her voice trembling slightly, "His birthplace, time, and even the hospital match the time my maternal grandmother gave birth to my uncle. I think that once he is better, I will accompany him to his hometown to find out the truth."