“Even the supply and marketing cooperative is selling electric blankets now, at the same price as the department store. It didn’t take any time at all. Also, Auntie, it must’ve been you who cleaned up my mom’s courtyard. I just went back and saw it—it’s spotless. Thank you for your trouble.”
Wang Shuo had planned to come back and tidy up his mother’s yard while she was asleep. He didn’t expect that when he returned home, everything had already been cleaned up neatly. He didn’t even need to guess who had helped.
This Aunt Yang didn’t want anything from their family, yet she repeatedly helped him. Especially this time—he had originally planned to finish teaching his students one more day before coming back to see his mother.
But if he had really waited until then, everything would have been too late. He would have regretted it forever.
So a single electric blanket really wasn’t much at all.
“It’s nothing big. When your Aunt Wang comes back, I’ll visit her more often so you can focus on your work with peace of mind. I’m free at home anyway—just cooking every day.”
She was still even using their tricycle.
Li Xueguo looked at the large number of orders—every one of them urgent. The factory workers were all excited. With orders coming in, they no longer had to worry about the factory shutting down and losing their jobs.
“Hire more workers. Keep the machines running nonstop. Three shifts a day, but quality must be guaranteed.”
“Yes!”
“Xueguo-ge, that auntie is really a lucky star for our factory. Ever since she bought our goods, the orders have gotten bigger and bigger.”
Li Xueguo nodded as well. If he met her again next time, he would definitely thank her properly.
“Ranran, isn’t your sister-in-law working at the department store?”
“Yes, why?”
“Ask her to help me buy a radio.”
“Sure. I was just planning to ask her to bring back two electric blankets for me.”
After sending Qin Nian off to work, Yang Yufen rode her tricycle to the Third People’s Hospital. Today was Aunt Wang’s discharge day.
“Auntie, can you ride a bicycle? I can take my mother home.”
“No need. Your mother is light. You ride ahead with the bedding and go home quickly to make the bed and light the fire. I’ll walk slowly with her.”
Yang Yufen refused outright. A bicycle was not as stable as a tricycle.
“Alright.”
Wang Shuo stopped insisting. He tied up the extra bedding and rode back to the housing compound.
Yang Yufen had told him to go home and start the fire, but in fact she had already lit the coal stove, and water was already boiling on it.
Wang Shuo prepared the electric blanket, then went to the greenhouse behind the house to pick vegetables and start cooking.
When Aunt Wang returned home, she finally relaxed as she lay on her own bed.
“It’s still more comfortable at home. Hospitals are no place for people.”
“That’s true. Home is more comfortable. I’ve already taken care of your greenhouse vegetables and cleared the snow around it. Don’t stay back there too long before you recover—your health matters.”
“If it weren’t for you taking care of me this time, I might have…”
“Don’t say unlucky things. Your son is very filial—he’s been running around nonstop.”
Yang Yufen suddenly felt something wasn’t quite right.
“Yeah… he’s been exhausted too. I’ve thought it through now. Sister, let that boy acknowledge you as his godmother.”
Yang Yufen didn’t expect the topic to change so suddenly.
“Godmother?”
Wang Shuo, who had heard it, called out immediately, very decisively.
“So I’ve suddenly gained a godson?”
“Oh my goodness, sister, are you willing to part with him?”
After all these days of busyness, Yang Yufen had also gradually sorted out her thoughts.
“Why wouldn’t I be? Without you, his biological mother might not even be alive. What’s wrong with calling me godmother? From now on, he’s your son too.”
“That’s great. It’s getting late—you should rest. I brought you some eggs. I’ll go back and deliver food to Nian-nian, then come back later to keep you company.”
Wang Shuo escorted her out.
“Come here—pick a day and bring him over. Both of them.”
Aunt Wang suddenly said this. Wang Shuo originally thought she had something else to say to him, but he didn’t expect this.
“Mom, aren’t you…”
His voice was a little tight.
“After walking through the gates of hell, if you still don’t get married at your age, forget divorced people with kids—even others won’t want you. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. I won’t interfere anymore.”
“Mom, don’t say that, I…”
Wang Shuo was tempted, but he was afraid his mother would be unhappy.
“Enough. A grown man acting so indecisive. You’ve kept others waiting for so long and still have no courage. Only she would even want you. Your father wasn’t like you back then.”
Aunt Wang looked at him in disgust.
“So… I really bring her here? You won’t be angry?”
“Bring her or don’t, I don’t care.”
She said it impatiently, then thought of her good friend Yang Yufen.
Wang Shuo finally smiled. He was so happy he almost wanted to feed his mother himself, but she refused.
“Mom, I’ll bring her this afternoon? And let godmother meet her too?”
“I know.”
Aunt Wang put down her bowl.
Wang Shuo’s eyes followed the bowl nervously, afraid it might fall.
“Mom, thank you.”
Seeing the bowl safely in his hands, he finally relaxed.
At this moment, Wang Shuo couldn’t wait for anything. He quickly washed the bowl, said a quick goodbye to his mother, then rushed out and rode his bicycle at full speed—almost getting stopped by the security office.
“Comrade Fang!”
Fang Fen, who was pouring water outside, looked up and saw Wang Shuo with his hair blown messy by the wind.
“What are you doing here? Isn’t Aunt Wang being discharged today?”
“Comrade Fang, my mother agreed. She wants me to bring you and the child to meet her.”
His mother said it—both of them!
Fang Fen froze for a moment.
“Really? My mother said it herself—both you and Yaoyao.”
“How did Auntie agree to this?”
Actually, Fang Fen had already started to hesitate. She didn’t expect Aunt Wang to agree at this moment.
She and Wang Shuo had met during the educated youth period. In those difficult years, they developed mutual feelings. But when Wang Shuo’s father had an accident and he took leave to leave, during that month, she fell into water and was saved by her former husband, forcing her into marriage.
After giving birth to Yaoyao, her husband accidentally drowned in another water incident—how ironic.
When the college entrance exams were reinstated, she resolutely took the exam, used 300 yuan to sever ties between Yaoyao and that family, and brought her to study at university.
She never expected to meet Wang Shuo again.
She knew Wang Shuo had gone to find her, wanting answers. She didn’t want him to get hurt, so she avoided meeting him.
Later, when Wang Shuo returned to the city, she was happy for him. When they met again, Wang Shuo stopped her and said he already knew everything, but he didn’t want them to miss each other. He asked her to give him another chance.
Love can overcome many hardships, but when the obstacle was Wang Shuo’s own mother, Fang Fen didn’t want to force things, and neither did Wang Shuo.
So they kept delaying it, while she had already graduated and was assigned to teach at a normal school.