Lying in bed, Lin Yanan was absorbing memories, while outside the hospital room, Lin Mu was comforting Qin Feng: “That’s just how your mom is—she won’t change overnight. But she really went too far today. I’ll have a word with her when we get home…”
Lin Mu handed Qin Feng a set of workout clothes he’d bought at the supermarket, telling him to go change in the bathroom. He’d originally intended to stay and help out, so he’d bought a change of clothes for himself—and now they came in handy. Qin Feng’s original clothes were splattered all over and unwearable. Luckily, the bowl of porridge had been lukewarm; otherwise, he might have been scalded.
“Uncle, don’t waste your energy. We both know my mom’s temper isn’t going to change. The reason she threw rice porridge at me today is because she wants to live with us after she’s discharged from the hospital, and I didn’t agree. That’s why this whole scene happened.” The two of them went to a smoking booth. Amid the swirling smoke, Qin Feng explained the reason behind the commotion to Lin Mu.
“So what do you plan to do? You know your mom’s temperament—she’s the type who won’t give up until she gets her way. If she keeps being this stubborn, I’m really afraid she’ll do something even more outrageous, and then she’ll just be a burden on you guys…”
Hearing this, Lin Mu also felt torn. The original owner had a history of this—if things didn’t go her way, she could ruin everything for you. If she wasn’t happy, no one would have an easy time of it. With someone like that, who knows what else she might do next to further her own interests.
“I’ll go back and discuss it with Xiaoxue. Otherwise, I’ll just bring my mom back to stay with us. I can handle it myself, but I’m worried she’ll take her frustration out on Xiaoxue. As for the rest, we’ll just have to take it one step at a time.” After a long silence, Qin Feng exhaled a ring of smoke, then abruptly crushed the cigarette butt before speaking slowly.
“If it’s really too much of a burden, I’ll bring your mom to my place for now. My daughter’s at home studying for the civil service exam anyway; she can look after her for a few months without any problem.” After all, she’d watched him grow up, and Lin Mu couldn’t bear to see Qin Feng caught in the middle, taking the brunt of it.
“I’ll go home and discuss it first. If there’s really no other way, then I’ll ask Uncle for help.” Hearing Lin Mu’s suggestion, Qin Feng was tempted for a moment, but then he felt it wasn’t right. His uncle was getting on in years, his aunt didn’t get along with his own mother, and his cousin was studying for her exams. Bringing a difficult patient into the house at a time like this wasn’t a good idea.
The two sat with furrowed brows, smoking in the cubicle for a while longer. Finally, Qin Feng took the clothes he’d changed out of and headed home, while Lin Mu took over watching over Lin Yanan for the time being.
“Why are you back so soon? Go wash your hands and eat first! I’ll head to the hospital later to bring Mom some pork rib soup.” Hearing the familiar sound of the door opening, Li Xue poked her head out from the kitchen. Seeing it was Qin Feng, she was surprised but didn’t ask any questions, simply urging him to eat quickly.
“No need to take soup to the hospital. Our uncle went to the hospital today to keep her company; he’ll help look after her for now. We can go over tomorrow.” Although he said he didn’t mind, he still felt resentful at being treated so bluntly by his own mother, and his original plan to take soup to the hospital was thwarted by her.
“Uncle’s there? Then I’ll buy some extra breakfast to take over tomorrow morning.” Hearing Qin Feng’s unusual tone, Li Xue knew something unpleasant must have happened at the hospital again, but she didn’t press him—he’d tell her when he was ready.
“Did you get our daughter to sleep?” When Qin Feng returned to the bedroom, Li Xue was blow-drying her hair. The couple had a daughter, Guoguo, the year after they got married. She was now in her final year of kindergarten and would be starting first grade next year. To ensure their child’s healthy development, the couple took turns each night telling Guoguo stories, playing games, and watching her fall asleep.
“Mm-hmm. Not only is she asleep, but she’s snoring softly too. Her little hand was clutching my shirt so tightly—I had to really struggle to pry it loose,” Li Xue said with a smile to Qin Feng.
Qin Feng looked at his daughter’s sleeping face; she looked just like a little angel. Although his day had been unpleasant, looking at his daughter made Qin Feng feel a little less sad.
After checking on his daughter, Qin Feng naturally picked up the hair dryer and began carefully drying Li Xue’s hair.
“Did Mom say something that’s putting you in a difficult spot? Like, maybe she wants to move in with us?” Noticing that Qin Feng was hesitating, looking as if he wanted to speak but dared not, Li Xue sighed softly to herself and then took the initiative to voice his unspoken thoughts.
“You already knew?” After a few seconds of silence, Qin Feng said uneasily.
“Mom told me right to my face a long time ago.” At the time, she had been alone in the hospital—neither Qin Feng nor her uncle was there—but Li Xue could still recall the moment vividly: “Although the doctor’s prognosis is optimistic, I’ll still have to go live with my son’s family after I’m discharged. I’ve raised him for decades, and now it’s time for him to repay my kindness.
“But my son has to go to work every day, and his job is exhausting. He can’t be with me all the time, so I’ll reluctantly ask you to take care of me. This isn’t putting you out—we hardly ever see each other anyway. Now that I can’t move around, it’s only fair that you look after me.
Oh, and you need to get a room ready for me at home in advance. Don’t make the mattress too soft—I’m not used to it. Buy me two new outfits, washed and ironed, so I can wear them as soon as I get back…”
This wasn’t a discussion—it was clearly an order! Li Xue knew full well that if she didn’t agree today, her mother-in-law would surely say even harsher things tomorrow. She’d always known just how thick her mother-in-law’s skin was.
Li Xue looked up and saw Qin Feng’s awkward expression in the mirror. She recalled how he’d run back and forth taking care of her when her father was hospitalized. She lowered her head, her expression shifting several times, before finally saying, “Let’s let Mom come stay for a while.”
“Thanks, honey.” ” Qin Feng wrapped his arms around Li Xue from behind. She knew his hesitation, and he knew her dilemma, but in the end, he had relented. Li Xue said nothing, merely patting Qin Feng’s hand gently. Between husband and wife, some things need no words. Qin Feng made up his mind: from now on, he would rush home as soon as he got off work and turn down all gatherings with friends. With him there, his mother would at least be a little more restrained. And if anything did come up, he could lend a hand.
“This porridge isn’t even warm anymore. Are you seriously trying to make me eat cold food and give me a stomachache? Is this how you take care of a patient…?” Lin Yanan was trying her best to play the role of the original host, picking at the lukewarm millet porridge Li Xue had handed her with obvious impatience.
“If you don’t want to eat it, don’t. The kid doesn’t have to keep bringing you meals. From now on, when it’s mealtime, I’ll go buy you food from the hospital cafeteria. Do you think that tastes better?” Seeing his sister start acting up again, Lin Mu quickly spoke up; otherwise, once he left, there’d be no one left to speak up for her.
“Well… I guess I’ll just eat this then.” Since Lin Mu had given her a way out, Lin Yan’an took the hint and began eating on her own. The cafeteria food was very bland and really didn’t suit her taste.
“I’m warning you in advance: if you don’t cooperate properly and keep picking at the food, I’ll have my wife come over to watch you until you’re fully recovered. So, before you do anything, you’d better think it through carefully…”
To get his sister to settle down a bit, Lin Mu had no choice but to bring out his ultimate weapon: his wife, Wang Qian. After all, everyone else in the family was afraid of the original host causing a scene, which only fueled her arrogance.
But Wang Qian wasn’t afraid. If you wanted to go on a hunger strike, go ahead; if you wanted to smash things, go ahead—she didn’t care. But there was one rule: no matter what you did, if you broke anything, you’d have to pay double for it. What? No money? Fine, then work it off. You wouldn’t stop working until the debt was paid in full—and no amount of persuasion would change her mind. After this happened a few times, the original host learned her lesson. She stopped provoking her sister-in-law so easily and became quite intimidated by her.
“Brother, why are you always going on and on? Aren’t you supposed to be going home? Just hurry up and go. Lin Yan’nan’s expression flickered with unease, but she forced herself to speak.
After giving his final instructions, Lin Mu followed Qin Feng back to their hometown. The main purpose was to fetch clothes and daily necessities for Lin Yanan, and he also needed to entrust Lin Mu with taking care of the things they couldn’t take with them—like the land—back home.
“Have you worked it out?” On the way back to their hometown, Lin Mu finally asked.
“We’ve agreed. After she’s discharged from the hospital, my mom will stay with us for a while. Once she can fully take care of herself, we’ll discuss the rest.” Since the decision had been made, Qin Feng didn’t dwell on it any further.
“If you can’t handle it, just give me a call.” Lin Mu didn’t know what else to say, but he thought to himself that if she really couldn’t manage, he’d discuss it with his wife and bring her back.
“Dad, listen to me. You can’t move on your own right now, so don’t try to be a tough guy. If you need to use the bathroom or have a drink of water, just call out to me. Otherwise, I’ll have to sit here watching you the whole time, and that’s just adding to my burden…” A patient in the ward had been discharged today, and a new patient arrived right after—also a stroke victim, though he was in a wheelchair.
“Stop nagging. If you think I’m a bother, just have your eldest sister come back…”
Fed up with his second daughter’s nagging, the old man waved his hand dismissively, refusing to engage.
“How dare you bring up my eldest sister? If she hadn’t stayed with you in the ER for days on end, watching over you day and night, would she have fainted? If you hadn’t been so stubborn, wouldn’t she have been able to get some rest? I’m not as patient as my older sister. Either listen to me, or just get rid of me sooner rather than later. Do you think I want to be stuck here…?”
The father and daughter argued loudly, their voices filling the entire ward until a nurse came in to change his dressing and called out, finally bringing the room to a hush.
“Didn’t you buy that alarm that goes off after the injection? Hurry up and set it up.” Lin Yanan lay in the hospital bed receiving an IV drip, while Li Xue sat beside her keeping watch. Though she hadn’t fallen asleep, her head was nodding slightly—she clearly wanted to sleep but dared not, all because of the fear instilled by her original self. She wouldn’t listen to anyone’s advice and kept trying to move on her own, but she had no strength in her body and nearly fell—just like that new patient who hadn’t listened to warnings earlier. Ever since then, Li Xue hadn’t dared to sleep.
“Huh? Oh!” Although she didn’t understand why she hadn’t wanted to use it before but now wanted to, Li Xue didn’t ask any further to avoid trouble and simply installed it. She’d been half-asleep just now and hadn’t really caught much of the father and daughter’s conversation.
“I’ll call you if I need you. You should get some rest yourself—otherwise people might say I’m mistreating you.”
Li Xue: The sun must be rising in the west today.