“What is the mother’s brother’s name?” “What do you call your uncle’s children?”… After finishing a day of rehabilitation, Xiao Ye from Ward 103 at Nanjing Zijin Hospital would always come up with some tricky questions for his fellow patient, Old Hu, to answer. Everyone was curious: why were the two so close, despite the age gap and no apparent sense of distance? “Then who’s your uncle’s nephew? Haha, that’s me!” It turned out they were uncle and nephew—related by blood!

Xiaoye is 28 years old this year, Originally a civil servant in a certain locality in Anhui, he underwent cranial surgery for a traumatic brain injury and was transferred to Nanjing Zijin Hospital on July 24. Four days later, his maternal uncle, Old Hu, was admitted to the hospital due to a cerebral hemorrhage. Once separated by only a bridge within the same city, the uncle and nephew… “An unexpected reunion” at Nanjing Zijin Hospital.
 

Xiaoye is being cared for by his parents, while Old Hu is looked after by his wife. Bound by blood, they warm one another in the hospital room. Xiao Ye is currently recovering well, able to care for himself and communicating without significant difficulty. He used to be an avid traveler, always eager to share the breathtaking landscapes he had explored through rugged paths and lofty peaks. Meanwhile, his uncle, who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage more than three months ago, faces challenges with both mobility and communication. Upon hearing his nephew describe the lakes and mountains, though he cannot fully articulate his feelings, he nods with a gentle smile. And I kept listening to my nephew’s story.

       Xiaoye, who is about to be discharged from the hospital, still thinks of his uncle. In his memory, his uncle was a steady and low-key man. “I remember when I had just graduated from university, my uncle encouraged me to take the civil service exam—he didn’t expect great wealth or high status, only a life of peace and stability. And now I’ve achieved that too. I’m very grateful to him,” he said. “I hope he recovers soon and returns home to live with us.”