On the way to the hospital, Peach's Mom imagined all sorts of possibilities.
Maybe a neck problem, or the flu.
But the test results still caught her completely off guard.
"Ms. Jiang Mansi, correct?"
Peach's Mom sat in the chair and nodded.
The doctor pushed up his glasses and took out the scan to show her. "There's a tumor in your head."
"Here," the doctor pointed. "It's already three centimeters across. This is a fairly dangerous situation."
Peach's Mom stared at the scan, her face draining of color.
A tumor?
"The tumor isn't in a good location, either," the doctor said. "Have you had any blurred vision lately?"
Peach's Mom nodded.
"When did you start having these headaches?"
Peach's Mom thought back carefully. "Around... last month."
The doctor acknowledged that and said, "The tumor is fairly large. We just haven't determined whether it's benign or malignant yet."
"We'll have to wait until the report comes out the day after tomorrow to know for sure."
At those words, Peach's Mom's thoughts tangled into knots, her palms slick with sweat.
Feng Ze stood behind her and gently patted her back. Only then did she manage to collect herself.
She took a deep breath before asking, "Doctor, what's the difference between benign and malignant?"
"If it's benign, generally speaking, there's not too much to worry about once it's surgically removed." The doctor paused. "But if it's malignant, there are more things to consider."
"Its growth, whether it spreads."
"And your tumor is rather large." The doctor wanted to put it more gently, but he had a duty and obligation to inform his patient of her condition. "If it's malignant, the danger is considerably greater."
"You may need to prepare yourself."
Hearing that, Peach's Mom went rigid, as though a pair of enormous hands