Chapter 587: Psychiatric Hospital

Chapter 587: The Psychiatric Ward

Li Huowang sat in a wheelchair, pushed by his own mother, Sun Xiaoqin, as they emerged from the ward. His bony hands, thin as chicken claws, were shackled to the wheelchair’s handlebars with silver cuffs.

To go out, he was not even wrapped in the double restraints. Li Huowang himself was surprised—apparently, they believed his illness had improved.

"Just taking a walk to get some fresh air," he said to the four burly prison guards standing beside him. "Do we really need so many escorts?"

"Oh, let them follow if they must. It's an order from above. Little Liu and the others aren’t easy either. Don’t make their lives harder."

Hearing his mother’s words, Li Huowang gave a faint smile. She called them by their nicknames now—clearly, she had become well acquainted with these people.

"Son, it’s raining outside today. We won’t go out for sunshine. Let’s just take a stroll inside."

"Oh, okay."

Soon, Li Huowang was pushed through the corridors, turning several corners before arriving at a large open space.

Some patients, dressed in the same blue-and-white striped uniforms as Li Huowang, were looking up at a television mounted on the wall.

As the saying goes, long illness makes one a doctor. Though mental illness doesn’t make one a physician, Li Huowang could still roughly tell what kind of disorders these fellow patients suffered from.

Those babbling incoherently, or those with clear thoughts but unable to stop talking, were most likely suffering from schizophrenia—the type most familiar to the public.

A large portion of the patients fell into this category, appearing to be neglected by their families, wandering the streets until they were caught and brought here to the public hospital.

Those who were quiet, withdrawn, and avoided interaction with others looked deeply introverted—most likely depressed.

Those who were hyperactive, constantly upbeat, were probably experiencing hypomania.

And those with confused consciousness, vacant expressions, and dull eyes? They had clearly just been given medication by the nurses—the effects were still wearing off.

Of course, there were also those who behaved normally. Whether they were recovering, suffering from eating disorders, pretending to be normal, or afflicted with another condition entirely, only they themselves knew.

Seeing all these people, Li Huowang thought the place wasn’t so bad. There were no manic patients randomly attacking or cursing.

Perhaps such people, like himself in the past, had been forcibly detained. Those allowed to watch TV were those whose symptoms were relatively stable.

These were the majority in the psychiatric ward. As for the rare cases, he wasn’t a doctor, so he couldn’t identify them.

But soon, Li Huowang noticed that everyone stopped watching the TV. Instead, they all turned toward him, staring wide-eyed, as if his face was far more entertaining than anything on the screen.

Looking at the crowd staring at him, Li Huowang asked in confusion, “Why are they all looking at me like that?”

The prison guard named Xiao Liu spoke up, “Little Li, you’re in Bai Ta Correctional Zone. You’re one of the top names here. Not only do they know you—they’ve heard of your fame throughout the entire prison’s fifteen zones.”

“You’re that famous?” Li Huowang said, somewhat surprised.

“Not just famous—right now the buzz has died down. Back when you broke into the university campus to save your girlfriend, you were on every trending list daily. If you don’t believe it, ask yourself why the warden treats you so kindly.”

Hearing this, Li Huowang finally understood his status in their eyes.

Then he noticed a seemingly invisible barrier around him. No mentally ill patient dared come within ten meters.

“Mom, let’s stop here. I’ll watch some TV. It’s been a long time since I last watched,” Li Huowang said, gazing upward at the noon news.

The once monotonous images now seemed incredibly new to him.

“Dear viewers, good afternoon. Today is the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month—the minor New Year. As the saying goes: ‘On the twenty-third, worship the Kitchen God; on the twenty-fourth, clean the house.’ Nowadays, across provinces and cities…”

“Another New Year already?” Li Huowang suddenly felt as though he had traveled through time. For a long time, he had lost all sense of time.

“Yes, it’s the New Year again. You’ve grown another year older, son. What would you like to eat for the New Year? Tell me—I’ll cook it for you.”

“I heard there’s a game going viral lately. After I’m discharged, I’ll give you New Year money to buy it.”

“Mom, I’m not a kid anymore,” Li Huowang said with a hint of helplessness.

“How old are you? Just eighteen. Legally, you’re an adult, but you’re still just a boy.”

Under his mother’s chatter and the celebratory background music of the news, time passed slowly.

Li Huowang liked this peaceful feeling. He liked these calm days. He wished they could continue forever, until the moment he died.

In this tranquil illusion, everything he had gone through before felt like a dream.

“Mom, where’s Dr. Yi? Why haven’t I seen him recently?”

“He’s been too busy to work. Said he’s writing a paper.”

“A psychiatrist publishing a paper? What kind of paper?”

“I don’t know, honey. I didn’t understand it either. But I heard from Ma Jie at the cafeteria that TV reporters came to interview him. He might be on TV soon.”

“Oh? Congratulations to Dr. Yi then.”

“Yes, yes. There aren’t many doctors like him who are so dedicated. Oh, and I heard he’s over thirty and still hasn’t found a wife.”

“What must his mother be worried about? If you don’t find a wife at this age, I’ll be truly anxious,” Sun Xiaoqin said with empathy.

Li Huowang wanted to scratch his head. How did middle-aged women get to know so much?

“Sun Sister, you say that, but what society is this? It’s common for people to marry late now,” the prison guard interjected.

It was clear that Li Huowang’s improving condition had relieved everyone. They could now chat casually with Sun Xiaoqin.

“Oh, you young folks, always thinking about playing. Early marriage has its benefits—you can have your parents help raise kids. Women should have children early, because postpartum recovery is hard to manage otherwise.”

“We don’t want to get married, but after graduation, we’re already in our twenties. We have no money, no car, no house. Who would marry us? And besides, we work fifteen days on, fifteen days off in prison. How can we find someone? When we hear we can only see each other half the year, we run away.”

“Oh, you all have secure jobs and still worry about finding wives? Then what about the workers out there—do they not live at all?”

Soon, another single prison guard joined the debate. But Sun Xiaoqin grew more spirited, holding her ground against both men.

Watching his determined mother return, Li Huowang smiled slightly. He liked seeing this vibrant Sun Xiaoqin.

Just as the debate was reaching its climax, Li Huowang suddenly felt a chill down his spine. He turned his head toward the corridor on the left.

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(End of Chapter)