In her previous life, her mother had died early, and there were some things Su Yu had never had the chance to ask clearly.
When Su Yu returned to the familiar doorway, she raised her hand and knocked, only to find that no one answered from inside.
“Mother, are you home?”
After calling for a long time, no one came to open the door. She could only carry the basket and tentatively push the door. She found that it had not been bolted.
The light in the main room was very dim. There was only one small window, and the wooden frame on it was somewhat rotten.
There was also a very unpleasant smell.
Su Yu carefully walked toward the bedroom.
She found her mother leaning against the bed, gasping heavily while clutching her right hand.
“Mother…”
That call made the person on the bed open her eyes.
When she saw that it was Su Yu, she did not look particularly surprised.
“So you finally bothered to come see me.”
It was a plain, indifferent sentence.
Her own daughter had returned home, yet she treated her like an outsider. It was impossible for Su Yu not to feel disappointed.
She lowered her eyes slightly and placed the basket on the floor.
“Mm. I had some free time these days, so I came to see you.”
Su Yu noticed some mud on the right leg of her mother’s pants. There was also mud on her shoes, which meant she had probably gone to the fields again.
“Mother, didn’t you say your hand has no strength? Why did you still go work in the fields?”
Su Yu’s mother was named Lü Hongmei. She had married into this village from another village. When she was young, she had once been spirited and full of confidence.
“If I don’t work, who will do it for me? I still need to eat, after all.”
Her tone carried a hint of complaint.
Su Yu looked around and found that Su Jianguo was not at home.
She had not run into him on the way here either. Who knew where he had gone to fool around?
“Mother, how can you say that? Isn’t Brother living with you? Let him help you.”
As the saying went, a married daughter was like water poured away.
Even before Su Yu had married, she had felt like a basin of water that could be poured away at any time.
She often returned to her maternal home to visit.
In outsiders’ eyes, Su Yu was very filial.
But in Lü Hongmei’s eyes, it was nothing more than hypocritical pretense.
“Your brother went out to earn money. He’s the only pillar of this family. What’s wrong with me helping him a little at home?”
…
Su Yu truly did not know what to say.
How could Su Jianguo possibly be out earning money?
Going out to steal money was more like it.
Lü Hongmei looked at Su Yu and suddenly began coughing violently.
“Cough, cough, cough…”
She leaned over the edge of the bed and spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm.
It seemed she was suffering from internal heat.
Su Yu quickly patted her back.
“Is there no medicine at home?”
Judging from the smell in the room, Lü Hongmei had probably been ill for several days.
Her wrist pain was an old problem. Whenever it rained or she did heavy work, she could not lift it.
Lü Hongmei’s hands trembled as she slowly touched her chest and blinked weakly.
“Medicine is expensive these days. One strip costs five cents. How could I afford that? Besides, it has to be taken three times a day. Your brother can only bring back two yuan a day. It’s not even enough for food…”
Listening to her mother complain, Su Yu touched the fifty cents in her pocket.
In the end, she pursed her lips.
“Mother, wait here. I’ll go to the clinic and buy some medicine.”
She poured a little hot water in the main room.
The thermos liner inside the bottle was already exposed, and the floor was covered in dust and grime.
After sweeping the floor, Su Yu left.
On the road, she saw a few villagers.
“You’re here to see your mother again?”
She nodded, her face showing a trace of urgency.
She truly did not want to run into Su Jianguo.
After Su Yu left, the two women sat down on the ground and began gossiping.
“She really gave birth to such a good daughter. No matter how Hongmei beats or scolds her, she still comes back. They say daughters eventually marry out, but they’re still flesh that fell from one’s own body. I almost suspect Su Yu was picked up from somewhere.”
They lived next to Lü Hongmei’s house, so they had seen everything clearly over the years.
No matter what trouble Su Jianguo caused, Lü Hongmei would always clean up after him.
Sometimes she even pushed Su Yu forward to take the blame.
If Lü Hongmei had not fallen ill this time, Su Yu would probably have been scolded again.
Every time she returned to her maternal home, it was like entering a public denunciation meeting.
“Tsk, tsk. If I were Su Yu, I’d never come back for the rest of my life. That Su Jianguo is nothing but a bloodsucker…”
Just as the two women were speaking enthusiastically, Su Jianguo returned from who knew where, holding a wine bottle with half a bottle of liquor left inside.
“Who are you women calling a bloodsucker?”
From far away, he had seen the two women talking so excitedly that spittle was nearly flying from their mouths.
Only when he got closer did he realize they were talking about him.
“My filial devotion to my mother can be seen by Heaven and Earth. When have I ever not given her the money I brought back first?”
Su Jianguo reeked of alcohol, and his words were somewhat slurred.
The two women were startled.
They quickly stood up and smiled ingratiatingly at him.
“We were just chatting because we had nothing to do. Don’t take it to heart.”
After saying that, the two women immediately left.
Su Jianguo stood unsteadily in place, holding the wine bottle.
“Tch. Cowardly women still dare provoke me. Next time I hear you, I’ll show you what I’m capable of.”
At this moment, Su Yu had already arrived at the nearby clinic.
Calling it a clinic was generous.
There was only a wooden board at the entrance, with the words Clinic written on it in charcoal.
There was only one doctor inside.
After Su Yu entered, she looked around and saw a patient receiving an IV drip.
“Grandpa Xu, you’re sick?”
Grandpa Xu nodded at Su Yu.
When Su Yu was young, Grandpa Xu had often looked after her.
Whenever she had nowhere to go, it was Grandpa Xu who took her in.
The doctor was filling out a form with a chipped fountain pen.
The clinic itself was also built from yellow mud.
However, there was a large iron-framed window here, so the lighting was quite good.
“Doctor, I’m here to get some cold medicine. My mother is sick.”
Hearing this, the doctor looked up and smiled at Su Yu.
“Xiao Su, it’s been a long time since I last saw you. Getting married really does make a person different.”
The doctor had never changed.
Even before Su Yu married, he had been the one here.
His name was Li Dahai, and he had studied medicine outside.
After completing his studies, he had returned directly to the place where he was born and raised.
Originally, he could have gone to a big city for further training.
After finishing the form, Li Dahai took out a bottle from a tin box.
Inside the bottle were pills.