frightfiction Chapter 303 A Blessing from a Previous Life
Chapter 303 A Blessing from a Previous Life
"Grandma Yali, are you awake? I'm coming in." Even after the divorce, Zhao Xiaojuan still called Qian Shuzhen "Mom," partly because she was used to it, and partly because Qian Shuzhen said that after all these years, if she couldn't be a daughter-in-law, she would be a daughter, and there was no need to change the way she addressed her.
Since Zhao Xiaojuan has decided to leave, let the children call her that!
"Xiaojuan, where did you go last night?" Qian Shuzhen was stunned when she heard this address. She didn't answer, as if if she did, her daughter-in-law would really fly away.
She woke up very early, having not slept well last night, pondering how to reconcile her youngest son and daughter-in-law, but Xiaojuan's current attitude clearly indicated that there was no point in negotiating.
“I kept Zhaodi company last night, Grandma Yali. Let me help you turn over and wipe you down!” Zhao Xiaojuan didn’t say much more; she had originally planned to bring it up earlier.
But when she saw the old lady's increasingly thin body, ravaged by illness, and how easily she was being carried, Zhao Xiaojuan swallowed her words. "Sigh," she thought, "it seems her days are numbered. Maybe I should wait a couple more days, let her prepare mentally, and perhaps then we won't need to say anything more."
After being wiped down with hot water, Qian Shuzhen felt much better. To be honest, Zhao Xiaojuan and Yi Dani really took good care of her. It is said that "there are no filial children at the bedside of a chronically ill patient", but she had been lying in bed for almost half a year. People who are bedridden for a long time are prone to bedsores, but she didn't have any.
Her two daughters-in-law never let her get dirty; she was always clean and fresh. When the sun came out, they would take her outside to a lounge chair to bask in the sun, and whenever they had time, they would sit and chat with her. The room was cleaned every day, and a thorough cleaning was done once a week, so there wasn't a single unpleasant smell. Of course, Zhao Xiaojuan did most of the cleaning, while Yi Dani only helped out.
When the elderly people in the neighborhood came to visit, everyone envied her, saying she was blessed with good fortune from her past life. Her son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and other relatives were all filial, and they would bring her any good food they had to try immediately. Alas, how could Wanxing possibly ask Xiaojuan for such a thing?
The atmosphere at home has been a bit strange these past few days; everyone's pretending not to know. Song Wanxing is still sleeping in the factory building, and Zhao Xiaojuan doesn't eat at the same table with him; she eats in the kitchen.
The other children ignored Song Wanxing, except for Song Wanli, who tried to talk to him and ask about his situation outside, but he didn't want to talk about it, saying he had nothing to say...
The last person to call Song Tingnan was Song Mingli, who, along with Song Mingxiang, was now at the county's No. 1 High School. Song Mingli had gotten in based on his own merit; he was one of the top students and was placed in the experimental class.
Mingxiang got in through some connections with Jiang Qianqian, and Song Mingli also said that since his older brother wasn't at No. 1 Middle School, he could only go to another school.
The principal of No. 1 Middle School made a special inquiry and learned that Song Tingnan was their older sister. He immediately agreed, as good students are so hard to find. Besides, siblings can't be that far apart. Maybe they haven't shown their full potential yet, and they might have great potential. So he put the two brothers in the same class.
"Sister, he's back? What will happen to my mother?" Song Mingli cried out to his sister as soon as the call connected. At home, he had been putting on a brave face, afraid that Zhao Xiaojuan would worry. Besides, he was the older brother, and Mingcheng and Yali were both watching over him.
"Who? Who's back?" Song Tingnan had been extremely busy lately. Mrs. Smith, knowing that she wanted to apply to a foreign language college, specifically asked her to come over early after the New Year so that her husband could take her on an internship at the Foreign Trade Bureau.
Several foreign languages were swirling in her head every day. Mrs. Smith said that to develop a feel for the language, it was best to go to countries where those languages were spoken and communicate with the locals. But that wasn't an option right now; with the college entrance exam just around the corner, she could only choose the Foreign Trade Bureau, which was nearby. It handled various diplomatic affairs and was a place frequented by many foreigners, so it would be good for getting used to the language.
Song Tingnan's mind didn't quite process what was happening for a moment. "Auntie, what's wrong? What happened? Is Grandma alright?"
"Sister, Song Wanxing is back. Grandma wants us to help... get them back together." Song Mingxiang grabbed the microphone. "Sister, what do you think we should do? Auntie clearly disagrees. That Song Wanxing is so shameless. He's always hanging around Auntie, making her stop eating at the table just to avoid him."
Also, when my dad said he was working away from home, he seized on that and went around asking about things back home. He would run back and ask my grandma and my dad whatever other people said, and then he would get angry with my aunt and turn around and blame her..."