Watching the golden liquid in the bottle rise a little higher, she relaxed and entered the next world.
"Mother, I'm talking to you! Are you even listening?" Wang Changqing looked at her anxiously.
Seeing her grown son, Wu Caiwei paused for a moment before reacting, "Oh, I'm sorry, Mother was lost in thought. What were you saying?" Souda n Xiao Shuo Wang
"I said you've worked hard all these years to raise me, and you never wanted to buy yourself a decent piece of clothing. Today, I'll take you out to see. If you see anything you like, buy a few more outfits. Regardless, it's a joyous occasion. Your son has worked hard for a year and finally passed the Xiu Cai exam. We must celebrate." As he spoke, he tugged at her sleeve, trying to lead her out.
Although his face was filled with sincerity, Wu Caiwei sensed his nervousness. Thinking of the bad things that always happened whenever she entered a new world, she quickly refused, "I suddenly feel a bit unwell. Let's skip it today and do it another time."
"Where do you feel unwell? Should I call a doctor?" Wang Changqing immediately looked at his mother with concern, then murmured to himself, "There's a small clinic not far from our house. Let's go there."
"No need, Mother is just a little dizzy. I'll be fine after a rest." Seeing his anxious expression, Wu Caiwei suddenly doubted her own guess. Did he really care about her?
"A son works hard just to give his mother a better life. How can we ignore his health? I must take you to see a doctor today, or I won't be at ease. I can't eat or sleep thinking about it." Wang Changqing said, forcibly leading her out.
"Mother is not feeling well now and can't even walk. You can invite the doctor to our home." Seeing how flustered he was, Wu Caiwei suddenly had an epiphany. She realized she might have been mistaken from the beginning. Perhaps his intention was to take her out.
Wang Changqing's body stiffened instantly, then he said nonchalantly, "Doctors are quite busy. If we invite one over and another patient needs their help, wouldn't that delay their treatment? Besides, I can support you. Lean all your weight on me."
Wu Caiwei tried to struggle free but found that he was quite strong and determined not to let her go. She decided to comply and leaned her entire weight on him.
Unprepared, Wang Changqing stumbled and nearly fell. He had never realized his mother was so heavy, and unused to physical labor, he struggled to support her as they walked step by step.
Wu Caiwei watched him grit his teeth, break out in a cold sweat, yet refuse to give up. She was curious what awaited them ahead that made him so persistent.
After they finally managed to leave the house, Wang Changqing suddenly patted his waist as if he remembered something, saying apologetically, "Mother, wait here for a moment. I'll go back to get some money."
Trying to escape? No way. Wu Caiwei grabbed his hand, "You don't have money? Mother does. Let's go."
"It's rare for your son to show filial piety. How can I let Mother pay? You wait here, and I'll be back soon." Wang Changqing said and tried to pull his hand away.
Wu Caiwei then let herself fall, her body sliding down as she cried out painfully, "Son, Mother can't stand anymore. My condition seems to have worsened."
Seeing her like this, Wang Changqing hesitated, unsure whether he should leave.
Just then, a carriage drove into the alley entrance at an unusually fast speed, heading straight for them. It was clear the horse was spooked.
Wang Changqing's eyes widened involuntarily. He used all his strength to shake his mother off and escape, but for some reason, he couldn't. He could only watch helplessly as the carriage barreled towards him.
His body was thrown into the air by the carriage, then landed on the ground, feeling as if he were falling apart. The pain was excruciating, and the next moment, he fainted, as he wished.
As for Wu Caiwei, the moment the carriage approached, she held onto Wang Changqing, preventing him from leaving, and quickly rolled away. The carriage narrowly missed her.
She watched as the driver and the carriage crashed straight into the wall, undoubtedly meeting a grim fate.
Many people lived nearby and came out upon hearing the commotion. They were stunned by the scene. Some called for the authorities, while others rushed to find a doctor.
When the crowd discovered them, Wu Caiwei, who had been feigning unconsciousness, conveniently woke up. Her first action was to anxiously look at everyone, "Where is my son? How is he? I remember at the moment the carriage came, he pushed me away, and then I didn't know anything else."
The crowd immediately looked at her with pity. Finally, the elderly doctor sighed sorrowfully, "He is seriously injured, but his life is not in danger. He will likely have difficulty walking in the future. You must be strong. A living person is more important than anything."
Upon hearing this, Wu Caiwei burst into tears, "Oh, my son, how can you be so unfortunate? Mother finally raised you, and you passed the Xiu Cai exam, only for this to happen. How am I supposed to live now?"
The onlookers couldn't help but wipe their eyes, thinking of the mother and son's hardships over the years and feeling that fate was unfair to them.
However, everyone lived a difficult life, and apart from comforting her, they could do nothing else.
Gradually, Wu Caiwei's cries subsided from heartbroken wails. She sat there motionless, like a soulless doll, letting tears stream down her face. Anyone who saw her would call it a tragedy. Eventually, the crowd dispersed, leaving only the mother and son in the room.
Looking at her son lying on the bed, half dead, Wu Caiwei wiped away her tears and sat by the table to receive memories.
After a while, she opened her eyes and felt that her actions, guided by instinct, were indeed correct. This was a heartless person.
In this life, the original host's name was Wang Yumeng. Her parents owned a small grocery store in this town. Although unremarkable, it was a significant establishment in the village. Everyone envied their family for having a house and a shop in town, not having to toil in the fields.
In reality, their family's life was not affluent. The father had to constantly travel to procure goods, while Wang Yumeng, her brother, and her mother were responsible for selling them and earning a small profit. The earnings were not substantial, but enough for the family to live a peaceful and contented life.
Unknown to Wang Yumeng, she had caught someone's eye. It was incredibly difficult for a farming family to support a scholar. Li's father and mother could not bear to have their son return home, as the tutor had said he possessed great talent suitable for scholarship, and perhaps their family could change their fortune. However, they were also burdened, so they set their sights on the wealthiest family in the village—the Wang family.