Zhou Lishu snorted. “If he knew how to talk properly, do you think I’d get so worked up with him? Anyone who knew us would say we’re father and son. Anyone who didn’t would think I was his enemy.”
“I criticize him because I want what’s best for him. If he weren’t my son, I wouldn’t bother with him.”
Zhou Lie’s brows drew together. He’d known his father would react this way.
Lu Ning could see it too: her father-in-law was a bigger problem than her younger brother-in-law.
She tugged at Zhou Lie’s arm, signaling him not to say anything more for now. Once a way of speaking became habitual, it was hard to change.
They could only take things slowly.
“Mom, then let’s have a bowl of liangfen sweet soup before going upstairs,” she said to Li Ying.
Li Ying nodded. “All right. I’ll get some for you.”
Zhou Lie took Lu Ning by the hand and led her to the dining room.
Once they were seated, he explained quietly, “Dad didn’t used to talk like this. He was a cheerful person who went to school every day with a smile to teach his students. On weekends, he liked going outdoors to paint.”
“Of the four children, Xiaolin was the one who liked clinging to Dad the most. He also had the most talent for painting. Dad had high hopes for him and wanted him to get into an art academy, so he could become a painter or an art teacher like Dad.”
“What happened after that? Did Dad’s personality change because he was injured and paralyzed? How did he get hurt?” Lu Ning pressed.
“It was a traffic accident,” Zhou Lie replied. “Three years ago, Dad was on the Yangcheng University campus, saving a student, when a delivery truck bringing food supplies to the cafeteria hit him and ran over him. The driver suddenly had a brainstem stroke and lost control of the truck.”
“He was the only one injured at the scene. The truck ran over him, damaging his spine. When Dad woke up and learned that he might never be able to stand again, he was still very calm.”
“He cooperated with his treatment and was more optimistic than any of us. But as time went on and he gradually realized that the chance of him standing again was next to nothing, he became increasingly despondent, and his temper got worse and worse.”
“The atmosphere at home grew more and more oppressive too. The people it affected most were Mom and Xiaolin, since they spent the most time with Dad…”
Zhou Lie abruptly stopped and called, “Mom.”
Lu Ning turned toward the kitchen doorway. At some point, Li Ying had appeared there, carrying a tray with three bowls of liangfen sweet soup.
She tried to smile, but it came out bitter.
“Son, I’m all right. It’s Xiaolin I’m worried about. He’ll be taking the college entrance exam next June, and I’m concerned about his grades.”
She set the tray on the dining table and handed Lu Ning and Zhou Lie a bowl each.
Then she sighed. “If Xiaolin can’t get into college, how will he support himself in the future? We parents will grow old someday. We can’t support him for the rest of his life. I just hope he’ll be able to take care of himself.”
A parent’s heart was always full of worry for their children. Lu Ning thought her parents-in-law were good parents, even if some of their methods weren’t quite right.
It was her adoptive parents who were selfish.
“Mom, Xiaolin will definitely get into college,” Lu Ning said with confidence. “He just likes arguing with you for the sake of it. He’s actually very sensible, and he has plans of his own.”
“But there’s one thing that might disappoint Dad: Xiaolin doesn’t want to apply to an art academy. I think we may need to talk to Dad together and get him to respect Xiaolin’s choice and support him.”
Li Ying was taken aback.
“Wife, did Xiaolin tell you something?” Zhou Lie asked Lu Ning. “What school does he want to apply to?”
Lu Ning said, “I promised Xiaolin I’d keep it a secret. Anyway, don’t worry. He’ll definitely get into college. How about I tutor him from now on? His exam isn’t until next June, so we have enough time.”
Li Ying’s face lit up with joy. “Ningning, would it be convenient for you to tutor Xiaolin? You still have to work, and your job must keep you busy.”
“Mom, my work is flexible. I can usually leave on time, and if I need to work overtime, I can do it at home—I just need a computer. But we do need to apply for Xiaolin to become a day student. He can’t keep living at school.”
Zhou Lie thought it over. “He can commute. I can drive him to school in the morning before heading to work. He gets out early in the afternoon, so he can take the subway or a bus home by himself. The main thing is that Xiaolin has to be willing to study.”
Lu Ning was confident. “He is willing. Then let’s contact his teacher as soon as possible and switch him to day student status. From now on, I’ll make sure he studies every night and tutor him myself.”
Li Ying beamed. She gripped Lu Ning’s hand and thanked her excitedly. “Ningning, you’re one of the top students at Yangcheng University. If you tutor Xiaolin, I’m sure he’ll get into college. It’s just going to be a lot of work for you.”
“Mom, we’re family. Xiaolin is my younger brother too, and I want him to get into college.”
Zhou Lie cut in. “Then who’s going to talk to Xiaolin? I don’t have the patience. The moment I see him acting so carefree, I feel like beating him up.”
Li Ying was at a loss too. “I’m not good with words, and Xiaolin doesn’t like listening to me.”
“I’ll talk to him,” Lu Ning said. “You just have to promise that no matter what school Xiaolin chooses, you’ll support him wholeheartedly.”
“That’s Xiaolin’s life. He has to take responsibility for it himself. I won’t interfere with his choice,” Zhou Lie said.
“I have no objections either. He’s the only one in this family who does,” Li Ying said.
Lu Ning knew her mother-in-law meant her father-in-law, Zhou Lishu.
“Mom, we can work on Dad slowly. There’s still time. And I think he’s just putting on a tough front. He has a good heart; being unable to move around has dealt a blow to his self-esteem, and that’s why he talks that way.”
So her father-in-law’s illnesses needed treatment—not just the psychological ones, but his physical ailments too.
Lu Ning had heard a colleague mention an amazing acupuncturist who could help people paralyzed for ten years stand and walk again. She planned to ask her colleague about it later and see if she could find the person to treat her father-in-law’s legs.
But there was nothing certain yet, so she couldn’t bring it up.
Hearing her husband mentioned made Li Ying’s heart feel even heavier. It was a deep worry for her.
Lu Ning could understand how her mother-in-law felt: a despondent husband and a son who wouldn’t listen. Li Ying had been bearing all that pressure alone.
Lu Ning’s heart ached for her.
She hoped she could do more for this family from now on and help ease some of her mother-in-law’s burden.
After they finished their liangfen, Zhou Lie took their bowls to the kitchen, washed them, and put them away. Then he came back and carried her upstairs to rest.
Lu Ning didn’t object this time. She was happy to enjoy her husband’s care.
When they reached the second floor, Zhou Lie suddenly remembered that the bedsheets were still in the washing machine and should be clean by now.
“Go back to the room and rest. I’ll hang up the sheets,” he told Lu Ning.
“I’ll come too,” Lu Ning said at once.
Zhou Lie had no choice but to carry her to the laundry room. It was at the end of the hallway on this floor, a room set aside for doing laundry.
There was also a large balcony for hanging clothes.
Lu Ning immediately spotted red underwear and a camisole nightdress fluttering in the sunlight.
Her face turned bright red.
“Are those my clothes?” she asked Zhou Lie in a small voice.