Tang Ximian couldn’t help but laugh as she entered the room and placed the items on the table. “Where’s my sister?”
“Right here!” Chu Jiangrong replied, her hands covered in flour. “Mom said she was afraid you’d be hungry when you got back, so she’s making noodles. So, how did it go? Did you pass?”
“I passed!” Tang Ximian took the Tao Su out of the paper package and handed it to the child who was watching eagerly. “Tell your aunt, what’s your name?”
The little girl didn’t take it, instead turning to look at Chu Jiangrong.
Chu Jiangrong sighed helplessly. “Nana, call her Aunt! Take it, it’s from your aunt.”
Nana carefully accepted the treat, her eyes identical to Chu Jiangchuan’s. “Thank you… Aunt.”
Chu Jiangrong was stunned.
She had only been routinely telling her daughter how to address people, never expecting the child to actually speak!
“Looks like your aunt really has quite the influence!” Chu Jiangchuan laughed. “I tried several times yesterday, and she wouldn’t even acknowledge me!”
Nana held the Tao Su, grinning at Tang Ximian. “Aunt… Aunt hit Dad, Dad hit Mom, Aunt is a good person.”
Because Dad would hit Mom, and Aunt hit Dad, making them not get hit, so Aunt was a good person.
At just three years old, the child had already seen too much.
Tang Ximian smiled and took out five pieces of White Rabbit Milk Candy. “These are for you too!”
Nana’s eyes lit up, and she took one. “Nana wants one. Aunt eat, Uncle eat, Grandma eat, Mom eat!”
Xu Guangfen’s eyes reddened. “Good child! Grandma won’t eat, you have it!”
Nana lowered her head and fell silent.
“You have it. You’re the only one who hasn’t had any before. You eat first, and we’ll have some after dinner.” Tang Ximian rubbed Nana’s little head and went into the kitchen to help.
Just as everyone was busy with their tasks, Nana, who had been sitting on the Kang nibbling her Tao Su, suddenly fell to the ground. Her lips turned purple, her whole body trembled, her limbs tightened, and her teeth chattered loudly.
“Nana!”
Xu Guangfen’s face instantly turned pale as she held the child, shaking her continuously. “Nana! Nana! Don’t scare Grandma!”
“Mom, put the child down!” Tang Ximian threw down the bowl and rushed over, snatching the child and laying her on the Kang. “Jiangchuan, prop up her head!”
“Sis, Mom, help rub her hands and feet, make sure she doesn’t bite herself!”
The child convulsing, fainting, and having purple lips were all basic symptoms of Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart disease! She had noticed earlier that the child’s complexion and lips were abnormal, and now the episode confirmed the symptoms!
After performing CPR several times, the child’s complexion finally began to improve.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Tang Ximian held Nana curled up vertically, and after a while, they heard Nana call out “Mom.”
Chu Jiangrong instantly relaxed. “The doctors all said this child has a weak heart, and in the future, I’m afraid…”
“It can be treated.”
Tang Ximian cut her off without hesitation. “Heart disease can be treated!”
Chu Jiangrong looked at Tang Ximian for a long time before nodding. “I know… big hospitals can treat it! But, but…”
“I’m looking for a job precisely because of the money issue. You take care of the home and the child, leave the money to me! Once Jiangchuan’s leg is better, we’ll both earn money!”
“Mianmian…” Chu Jiangrong had never imagined that her previously aloof sister-in-law would be like this once she put her heart into something!
She held the child and also held Tang Ximian, wailing loudly.
Nana also cried, “Mommy, Mommy, don’t cry. Nana doesn’t hurt, Nana doesn’t hurt!”
Xu Guangfen went to the kitchen to cook noodles for them, wiping her tears as she walked.
After the meal, the child was tired too. Watching her fall asleep, Chu Jiangrong finally asked softly, “Mianmian, Jiangchuan, how much money is needed to treat her illness?”
The young couple exchanged a glance, neither speaking.
Chu Jiangchuan sighed, “At least… it’s an amount that other families would rather give up their child than afford.”
He didn’t know exactly how much it would cost, but seeing how troubled Mianmian was after assessing Nana’s condition and how urgently she was looking for work, he knew it was no simple matter.
Tang Ximian told the truth, “This much.”
She held up three fingers.
Chu Jiangrong’s voice trembled, “Th-three thousand?!”
Tang Ximian lowered her hand, “Thirty thousand. If the child is well cared for, it should be enough! Actually, the surgery should have been done when she was one year old, but…”
Thirty thousand…
Chu Jiangrong felt she could never earn that much money in her lifetime, her vision darkening repeatedly.
“Leave it to us.” Chu Jiangchuan hadn’t expected such a sum either, his blood freezing for a moment, but he still spoke up, “It wasn’t easy for this child to survive. We can’t just give up like this!”
“We need to save money quickly and get her surgery done before she turns five. Jiangchuan, you must take your medicine—get your leg better soon so you can help me! For now, just focus on watching Nana at home. We’ll talk about my work situation once it stabilizes!”
As she spoke, Tang Ximian grasped Chu Jiangchuan’s hand.
Chu Jiangchuan squeezed her hand tightly, his lips parting several times before he managed to say, “I’ve burdened you.”
He somewhat regretted not divorcing her earlier…
Late at night, lying on the kang, Tang Ximian curled up alone for a while before crawling over and actively nestled into Chu Jiangchuan’s arms: “Hold me, please?””
The distance between their bedding had been quietly shrinking, but this was the first time she had crawled into his quilt. Chu Jiangchuan’s limbs stiffened slightly as he slowly embraced her, “I’m sorry…”
“Jiangchuan, I will definitely earn this money. You focus on recovering your leg—sharpening the axe won’t delay the woodcutting, understand?”
As the woman carrying this family, she knew Chu Jiangchuan would feel anxious.
Chu Jiangchuan didn’t respond, only held her tighter, so tight, so tight.
“Ouch~” Tang Ximian pushed him, “Any tighter and I’ll turn into a poached egg!”
Chu Jiangchuan quickly loosened his grip, instinctively glancing down before hurriedly looking away, “Ahem…”
Tang Ximian couldn’t help laughing, kissing his stubbled chin, “Jiangchuan…”
Chu Jiangchuan lowered his head, tentatively brushing against the tip of her nose.
Tang Ximian’s face flushed crimson, but she didn’t pull away.
In this lifetime, what she owed the person before her could never be repaid!
His lips were warm, always warm, no matter when.
Chu Jiangchuan kissed her for a while before releasing her, his eyes gleaming with a wolf-like intensity, “Wife.”
“It hurts… you bit through my skin!” Tang Ximian complained softly, her lips shining and swollen—truly bitten swollen.
Chu Jiangchuan coughed guiltily, lowering his head to nuzzle her lips, “Sorry, I won’t do it next time…”
Tang Ximian wrapped her arms around his waist, her thoughts in disarray, her eyes reddening, “Jiangchuan, I’ll never be foolish again. I’ll be good to you forever, good to our family forever!”
Chu Jiangchuan covered her eyes, feeling the warmth of her tears against his palm. “I believe you, don’t cry.”
He couldn’t bear to see her suffer, even back when she didn’t love him yet.
Tang Ximian suddenly chuckled softly. “Shall we sleep then?”
“What else would you want to do besides sleeping?” Without overthinking, he patted her cheek. “Stay here tonight?”
Tang Ximian took off her top. “From now on I’ll sleep here too. We can remove my spare quilt later!”