Wu Guifen smiled, as if nothing had happened. "I'm sixty or seventy, life and death are just a matter of time. I've seen through it. It's just you... child, you're still young, only in your early twenties, still a young girl. You have a lot of youth and life ahead of you... you must not leave any regrets!"
Zhao Shuyao felt a pang in her heart.
In this world, besides her deceased mother, perhaps only her maternal grandmother would say such things to her.
"I know, but I can't help it. The Zhao family needs the Qin family to support it..."
"Don't say foolish things. You live for yourself, not for the Zhao family, understand? Your mother left with regrets. I don't want you to..."
As Wu Guifen spoke, she suddenly seemed to be in severe pain, forcing her to interrupt.
Zhao Shuyao's heart tightened. Seeing Wu Guifen like this, she panicked and pressed the bell to call a nurse.
The nurse's expression turned grim after the examination, and she immediately ran out to call a doctor.
The ward instantly became chaotic, with medical staff rushing around.
"The patient's condition is sudden. Surgery must be arranged immediately. Notify Dr. Huang now. There's an emergency stomach cancer surgery here!"
When Li Huiyun returned with dinner, Wu Guifen had already been wheeled into the operating room.
"Where's your grandmother?" Li Huiyun looked at the empty ward, lost and helpless.
Zhao Shuyao remained silent, sitting on the sofa with her hands covering her face.
Wu Guifen was in the operating room for more than ten hours. When the door opened again, the doctor's face was somber. Zhao Shuyao's heart clenched, and her stomach ached faintly.
"Where's my grandmother? How is she?"
The doctor sighed deeply. "The deceased was advanced in age, and the late-stage stomach cancer was aggressive. We fought for over ten hours, but ultimately could not save her... The deceased has passed. Please accept my condolences!"
"Yaoyao... Yaoyao!"
Zhao Shuyao slept for several days. When she woke up, she saw Li Huiyun's face.
Li Huiyun was both surprised and delighted to see Zhao Shuyao awake. "Yaoyao, you're awake. What do you want to eat? Are you hungry..."
"Where's Grandma? Where's my grandmother? I had a nightmare that Grandma was gone. I want to see my grandmother. Hurry and take me to see her..."
Zhao Shuyao struggled to sit up, threw off the quilt covering her, and was about to go out.
"Yaoyao... your grandmother... has passed away!"
Li Huiyun held Zhao Shuyao down, her eyes immediately turning red.
"Impossible!" Zhao Shuyao laughed. "You must be joking. I want to see my grandmother..."
"Yaoyao!" Li Huiyun hugged her, refusing to let her get up. "Your grandmother is really gone!"
"Impossible, how could it be? My grandmother wouldn't leave. She was fine a few days ago, watching melodramatic TV shows. Don't curse my grandmother..."
Zhao Shuyao sobbed uncontrollably in Li Huiyun's arms, her voice breaking.
"Your grandmother's spirit in heaven must also wish for you to be well. Look forward and live a good life..."
Li Huiyun suppressed her heartache, gently patting Zhao Shuyao's back and speaking softly to comfort her emotions.
Le Haitan arrived at the hospital after work. As he entered, Li Huiyun tugged at his sleeve, signaling him not to hurt Zhao Shuyao.
Le Haitan walked to the bedside.
"Your grandmother was already old. Her departure was bound to happen sooner or later, just like you and me, we will all leave this world eventually. Your aunt said your grandmother spoke with you before she left. She must have wanted you to live well."
This was the first time in many years that Le Haitan had spoken to her so gently and patiently.
In that moment, Zhao Shuyao felt as if she had traveled back in time to when her mother was still alive.
Back then, she and Le Haitan had no generation gap or estrangement, and they never argued.
"Think about your sister. Your aunt adopted her from an orphanage. You still have a father, but your sister, from birth, had no one."
What?
"Zhao Shuhui?" Zhao Shuyao was stunned, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief as she looked at Li Huiyun behind Le Haitan.
Li Huiyun sighed. "I didn't tell you before because I was afraid you sisters would argue. You said it out of anger. There's nothing to hide now. Your sister Yanran was adopted by me from the welfare institute. I can't have children..."
"Your Aunt Li was a good friend of your mother's before she passed. She admired me for a long time. After your mother's death, it was your mother who set us up. I was very resistant at first, but thinking that you had no mother to care for you, I married your aunt. She is a very good person. Your mother was worried about this family, so..."
Zhao Shuyao looked at Le Haitan and Li Huiyun before her, completely unable to process the information.
"I know you have a prejudice against Aunt Huiyun, but it's okay. As long as you're happy..."
Zhao Shuhui rushed to the hospital that evening. Seeing Zhao Shuyao, Zhao Shuhui still held some resentment from their previous encounter.
Her expression remained stern.
"Get well soon." Zhao Shuhui placed the gifts she bought on Zhao Shuyao's bedside, then turned and left.
"Oh, this child... your sister has always been proud and strong-willed since she was young. Don't take it to heart."
After speaking, Li Huiyun chased after her and stopped Zhao Shuhui at the door. They spoke for a while.
Zhao Shuhui glanced at Zhao Shuyao in the ward, lowered her head, and thought for a moment.
Then, she pushed the door open and entered.
"I was rude just now. You've endured a lot of grievances in the Qin family over the years, all for the Zhao family. I shouldn't have treated you like a cash cow..."
Zhao Shuyao pursed her lips, remaining silent, until Zhao Shuhui took her hand.
"Your grandmother is gone. You still have me. I am your sister..."
Zhao Shuyao couldn't hold back any longer, and tears streamed down her face.
Seeing Zhao Shuyao cry, Zhao Shuhui panicked. "Don't cry, don't cry..."
She reached for tissues to wipe Zhao Shuyao's tears.
On the seventh day after Wu Guifen's death, Zhao Shuyao went to the funeral parlor. Wu Guifen had just been cremated, and her ashes were placed in a large urn. Le Haitan and several Zhao family relatives carried the urn containing the ashes out.
At the North City Cemetery, in a location with good feng shui, they purchased a plot of land.
On the way to the cemetery, the sky was overcast, and a light rain began to fall.
Upon arrival, a gentle drizzle continued to fall.
The Zhao family relatives all wore raincoats and held umbrellas.
Zhao Shuhui opened an umbrella and stood behind Zhao Shuyao.
Zhao Shuyao said nothing, and Zhao Shuhui said nothing either. They quietly watched as their grandmother's ashes were buried in the urn.
A gust of wind blew, rustling their hair.
Zhao Shuyao seemed to sway precariously.
When her mother passed away, she was too young to understand the meaning of life and death.
It wasn't until she watched her grandmother leave before her eyes that she seemed to understand something.
"Are you okay?" Zhao Shuhui steadied Zhao Shuyao, worried she might collapse.
"Thank you..." Zhao Shuyao lowered her head, managing to stand firm.