Lin Lan nodded. "Yes. She got sick as a child, and it probably damaged her vocal cords. She hasn't been able to speak since then."
The woman looked at Lin Yuezhen sympathetically and said, "You should take her to the provincial hospital if you get the chance. If it hasn't been too long, there might be a cure."
After hearing this, Lin Yuezhen shook her head and gestured, 'It's been twenty or thirty years since I lost my voice. I've given up hope.'
When she first lost her voice, her parents took her to the city hospital, but the doctors all said her throat was ruined and couldn't be fixed. Her parents didn't give up. They asked around for folk remedies and even hired masters to perform exorcisms. They tried everything, not only spending all the family's money but also ending up deep in debt.
Even if a trip to the provincial capital could cure her, it would cost a fortune. She was already an expense for Little Lan here; she couldn't be another burden on the mother and son.
