Chapter 31

Manzhu Jiang's pain eased by the second day, turning into a mild discomfort. Perhaps it was because her hands and feet weren't cold, or maybe she had boosted her blood and energy circulation?

Manzhu Jiang felt relieved, thinking if the pain had persisted, she might have ended up crying.

On the third and fourth days, she was still kept at home to rest properly. With the New Year approaching, she helped prepare some food, frying some meat to set aside for the celebrations.

She was busy.

Soon, the New Year arrived.

On New Year's Day, while Manzhu Jiang was still in her sleep, the firecrackers began going off.

It was lively, but also… noisy. So noisy that Manzhu Jiang couldn't sleep and could only get up grumpily, "It's so loud! Who sets off firecrackers this early?"

"It's all part of the joy and festivities. Every family has their own way of celebrating," Jumei Liu said with a chuckle. During these few days of the year, no one would be scolded, and everyone lived in harmony, symbolizing smoothness and prosperity for the year ahead.

Perhaps Manzhu Jiang didn't quite feel the difference, but other kids did.

"Mothers (grandmothers) who usually scold us like firecrackers themselves are suddenly full of praise today?!"

"It's just too early. Will there be firecrackers going off late into the night too?" Manzhu Jiang asked in concern, "By the way, Mom, do we need to stay up all night?"

"No, who has the money to buy that many firecrackers? Really, they'll all be used up by the afternoon. And no, kids like you don't need to stay up all night," replied Jumei Liu.

After breakfast, Manzhu Jiang, Linxi Li, and Xiaobei were in charge of putting up Spring Festival couplets and door gods. The bright red colors symbolized a prosperous and vibrant year ahead.

"Our Spring Festival couplets, why do they look like they're handwritten?" Manzhu Jiang asked, surprised as she took them out.

But as soon as she asked, she realized how silly the question was. Whose couplets aren't handwritten?

The machine-printed couplets are often adorned with floral patterns and gold accents, looking both beautiful and impressive, though expensive.

"Linxi, why didn't you write them? By the way, where did you get them written? Did you have to pay?" Manzhu Jiang's curiosity got the better of her.

I was at home, in the village. How did I not know about this?

"We asked someone to write them, didn't have to pay, just gave them two eggs," Linxi Li replied, not one to care about the formality. The function of couplets? Hmm, he wasn't really sure, but every household put them up.

They didn't need to be fancy or luxurious, as long as they brought good fortune and luck.

"Oh, it's a shame. It would've been great if you knew how to write couplets, Linxi," Manzhu Jiang sighed, feeling like they'd lost out on a potential profit by letting someone else earn it.

Linxi Li: …

I didn't expect you to be so thrifty!

"The one who wrote them is Grandpa Wang. He was a war hero during the Japanese invasion. His children are all gone, leaving only a grandson at home…" Linxi explained. There are some things that aren't worth competing over.

He has other paths, but for some people, this is all they have left.

"Oh, I see…" Manzhu Jiang said, her respect for the war hero obvious. She stopped talking and added, "The writing is quite nice."

"Yeah, he used to be a teacher," Linxi added, though the village and home were long gone now.

"That's really impressive," Manzhu Jiang complimented. Whether it was him or others, the revolutionary heroes were all worthy of admiration.

"Yeah, because no one knows how to write, that's why we asked him for help," Linxi said. Whether people truly couldn't write or just didn't want to, that was up for debate.

Manzhu Jiang nodded, half-understanding. After putting up the couplets and door gods, it was time to prepare the chicken for dinner. Lunch could be simple, but the evening meal had to be abundant.

In addition to chicken, there was fish—an extravagant feast of both meat and seafood.

After dinner, while it was still bright outside, Xiaobei changed into his new clothes and excitedly went out to show off to his friends.

They wouldn't wear the new clothes before eating, afraid they'd get oil stains and ruin the freshness of the outfit.

Linxi Li was responsible for washing the dishes, while Manzhu Jiang and Jumei Liu used hot water to do the laundry. Today was another day spent burning wood.

Meanwhile, Xiaobei happily ran out in his new clothes, joining other kids who could afford new outfits.

After all, kids from poorer families usually stayed at home, helping with chores instead of playing.

"Wow, your clothes look so nice."

"Look, mine even has wings!"

"My new pants, here, here—my mom embroidered a flower on them."

"Haha, are you a girl, getting flowers embroidered?"

"It looks nice, better than yours."

The kids chatted and laughed, hopping around to look for leftover firecrackers from other households.

Xiaobei had a blast. As nightfall approached, he said goodbye to his friends and headed home.

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the weather was clear, and no snow fell, as if nature knew it was a special day.

Manzhu Jiang felt restless staying at home, with nothing to do—no mahjong, no cards.

In the morning, they sat around a fire to keep warm. The fire was lit in an old pot, burning wood until it was reduced to embers, then used to heat up.

There was some smoke, but it was bearable.

They snacked on sunflower seeds, which they had roasted themselves.

Manzhu Jiang mainly shared the gossip she'd heard from the village women. Jumei Liu joined in, and they exchanged bits of information.

Xiaobei listened with great interest, while Linxi Li sighed helplessly. "Xiaobei is here too, don't let him be influenced by this gossip."

Manzhu Jiang was indignant. "How would we spoil him? We're just chatting about gossip, not saying anything harmful."

"Exactly," Jumei Liu agreed. They were only talking about things like which family's chickens had multiplied this year, or which new bride was pregnant. It was all very normal.

Talking about pregnancy made Jumei Liu glance at Xiaobei. Was this topic inappropriate for kids?

After some thought, she shifted the conversation away and didn't press Linxi Li about getting married and having children. The morning passed quickly in idle chatter.

In the afternoon, Jumei Liu went to chat with other village women, and Xiaobei went to play with his friends. Manzhu Jiang didn't feel like going out. It was so cold; she just wanted to stay in bed forever.

She even took a nap and didn't want to get up afterward.

Linxi Li, however, spent the afternoon reading and studying. Around 3 or 4 pm, he fetched water to prepare for dinner—much more diligent than Manzhu Jiang.

On the fourth day of the New Year, Jumei Liu was planning to visit her mother's home. Linxi and Xiaobei were going with her, but she worried that if Manzhu Jiang stayed home alone, she might go hungry at lunchtime.

"Come on, Manzhu, you're coming with us," Jumei Liu firmly decided.

Manzhu Jiang was confused, "Huh? I'm not going, am I?"

She felt a bit awkward. After all, she didn't know Jumei Liu's family, and her own situation wasn't that of a new daughter-in-law—she was a widow.

"Why not? What will you do if you stay home alone? We won't be back until the afternoon," Jumei Liu said, concerned for her.

Besides, if all three of them went back home, leaving Manzhu Jiang behind, wouldn't that make it obvious they were treating her like an outsider?

Even though she was unwilling, Manzhu Jiang couldn't refuse. After all, if Linxi's grandmother was considered her grandmother too, how could she say no?

She was staying at the Li family's home because of Lin Dong. Even if it felt a bit awkward, she decided to do her best to get over it.

Jumei Liu's mother didn't live far away. In those days, most marriages were arranged by matchmakers, with brides often coming from the same production brigade or nearby villages.

Some women married into the city, but that was rare.

Linxi Li carried gifts for the visit, including a chicken.

Jumei Liu chatted with Manzhu Jiang about her family, while Xiaobei worried about whether his third brother was carrying too much and offered to help.

Manzhu Jiang quickly figured out that Jumei Liu had two brothers. The second brother had two sons, both married with children, while the third brother had one unmarried son.

Oh… No wonder her mother-in-law is always pushing Li Linxi to get married. It turns out that even his younger brother already has kids.

Jiang Manzhu couldn't help but glance at Li Linxi with a hint of sympathy in her eyes. Poor guy, looks like you're going to face another round of marriage pressure today.

Li Linxi had no idea what was going through Jiang Manzhu's head. But just from that sympathetic look, he knew this woman was off in her imagination again, coming up with strange thoughts.

Tsk.

He didn't want to know anyway. Asking her about it before had only made him angry.

When they arrived, the Liu family was already there. The children had already taken their wives to visit their maternal homes on the second day of the New Year, so Liu Jumai deliberately chose the fourth day, knowing this.

"Second brother, third brother, I'm here!" Liu Jumai shouted happily as she entered, her face full of joy.

Liu Jumai's parents had passed away during those troubled years, leaving only her two younger brothers. She wasn't one of those women who spoiled their brothers excessively. As a widow raising four children, she had her own struggles.

But thankfully, everyone had made it through, and life was only going to get better.

Liu Qiang and Liu Mu had both come out, knowing their elder sister was coming today. "Big sister."

"Is this Linxi and Linbei? Oh my, they're both grown men now. You won't have to worry as much anymore," Liu Qiang said, laughing.

"Sister, is this…?" Liu Mu looked at the young girl beside them. He knew about Lin Dong's marriage but had thought that Lin Dong's new wife would have left by now. So… "Is this Linxi's wife?"

"Did you get married and not even tell us? No wedding banquet, and you didn't even let your younger brothers know?" Liu Qiang echoed in surprise. Had he just gotten married?

"No, no. This is Lin Dong's wife. Linxi isn't married yet," Liu Jumai clarified without feeling awkward.

"Oh, oh…" Liu Qiang and Liu Mu both felt awkward. Who would've thought? The elder sister had said something about a wedding to chase away bad luck, but that was a long time ago, and this young woman was still with the Li family?

It was quite surprising.

As they chatted and moved things into the house, Liu Qiang asked, "What's her name again? Your second uncle's memory is failing."

In truth, he never remembered it in the first place.

"Jiang Manzhu. You can just call me Manzhu, Second Uncle," Jiang Manzhu said, smiling lightly at his honest expression, playing the role of the polite younger generation.

"Slow pig? Haha, that's a good name…" Having attended only a few literacy classes, Second Uncle could only interpret the name with his limited knowledge.

Well, pork is delicious, isn't it? They had gotten quite a bit of pork this New Year.

Maybe Jiang Manzhu didn't understand, but Liu Jumai rolled her eyes. "She's a city girl, educated, like beautiful jewelry. Don't overthink it."

Silly brother.

"Oh, jewelry? That's nice, very nice. Come, have some tea," Second Uncle laughed heartily and called for the children to bring hot tea. "Fangzi, go kill a chicken."

Honestly, he'd rather have it be the 'pig' version of her name. Jewelry… If the Red Guard caught wind of that, they might label her as a 'landlord' or 'capitalist.'

But of course, he kept those thoughts to himself, smiling brightly. Big sister, you could've left it alone—nobody would've known! Now that you've explained it, how awkward.

Jiang Manzhu maintained her posture as the polite younger generation, her lips curved in a subtle smile. Because she was still new to the family, she didn't dare say much.

What surprised her, though, was that Li Linxi's second and third uncles hadn't divided their family property yet? How curious.

Why not?

Their parents were gone, and their grandchildren had already been born.

Jiang Manzhu didn't understand, but she didn't ask either, lest they think she was trying to instigate them to split the family.

Second Aunt and Third Aunt were both warm-hearted, and during the meal, as expected, Li Linxi was once again urged to get married.

Hahaha… See, she knew this would happen. Jiang Manzhu focused on eating, pretending not to hear anything.

"Linxi is not getting any younger. When are you planning to get married?"

"You should find a partner soon. Look at your cousin, he already has children."

"Don't make your mother worry anymore. There's a niece from my side of the family who is quite suitable…"

"Big sister, what do you think?"

The four elders took turns bombarding him with questions, and the two cousins chimed in with encouragement as well. Li Linxi just remained silent because, really, he wasn't going to get a word in anyway.

Before he could say anything, they'd already said it all.

It seems like elders everywhere love to push for marriage, then for children, and once one child is born, they start urging for a second.

Jiang Manzhu understood that, but as a younger person, it wasn't her place to speak up when the elders were talking.

She chatted with the two cousins' wives, both of whom had recently married into the family. They were especially impressed when they learned that Jiang Manzhu was a teacher at a local elementary school—the teacher halo was strong.

Jiang Manzhu was gentle as she spoke with the two cousins' wives, admiring how diligently they worked. If it were her, she wouldn't be able to handle it.

Hey, it was still better to stay with the Li family.

From her memories, it was much better than living in the educated youth dormitory. Of course, it wasn't as good as living in the city where her original self's parents had pampered her.

And definitely not as good as modern life.

The only person feeling wounded was Li Linxi, his head spinning with endless thoughts about marriage, leaving him utterly helpless.

The most he could say was, "I'm not thinking about it right now," or "I'm still young." Eventually, after dinner, he left early.

Staying any longer would only mean hearing more talk about marriage. Li Linxi was tired of it.

…

After the New Year, just before the school term started, one morning, Li Linxi woke up to find that his mother hadn't gotten up yet.

At first, he didn't think much of it, assuming she was just tired from all the New Year festivities and wanted to sleep in.

But as he finished preparing breakfast, even Jiang Manzhu had woken up, yet his mother was still in bed, causing a ripple of unease in Li Linxi's heart.

"Has your mother not gotten up yet? Maybe she's just exhausted from the holidays?" Jiang Manzhu asked with concern. Despite all the festive joy, household chores didn't lessen. Why did things seem easier? Because someone else was bearing the burden for you.

He knocked on the door, but there was no response.

"Did she get up early and go out?" Jiang Manzhu wondered aloud, puzzled by the lack of sound from inside.

But Li Linxi didn't think so. His mother's routine was to make breakfast, or at least cook some porridge, before heading out.

"Mom!" he shouted again. Then, with a push, he realized the door was locked from the inside.

Which meant she was still in the room.

Li Linxi's face darkened. "Something's wrong."

In the next instant, he kicked the door open with a loud bang, startling Xiaobei, who came running from the living room.

"What happened? What's going on?" Xiaobei was worried, rushing over to find his older brother and sister-in-law in their mother's room. Had something happened?

By the time he arrived, Li Linxi was already carrying their unconscious mother, preparing to leave.

"Don't panic, go borrow a car first," Jiang Manzhu quickly suggested. He was ready to leave the house with his mother, but did he forget about her weight? How far could he carry her?

And with such a sudden collapse, they didn't even know what was wrong. Should they take her to the town hospital or the county hospital?

"You're right. I'll go find the village chief and borrow a tractor." Li Linxi frowned, worry etched in his eyes, fearing something serious had happened to his mother.

"Good, good, go quickly." Watching him gently place Liu Jumai back on the bed, Jiang Manzhu waved him off. "I'll stay here with Xiaobei to watch over your mom. You go."

"Who knows if we can borrow it…" After he left, Jiang Manzhu frowned slightly in concern. The tractor was the village's prized possession.

"Sister-in-law, what's wrong with mom? Why won't she wake up?" Xiaobei, now full of fear, looked at his unresponsive mother on the bed, his panic rising as he turned to Jiang Manzhu.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Mom is just sick. We'll take her to the hospital, Xiaobei. Don't be scared. I'm here." Jiang Manzhu had no idea what was wrong either. She didn't know anything about medicine, and she didn't dare do anything rash.

One wrong move, and what was initially nothing serious could turn into something fatal.

She checked Liu Jumai's forehead; it wasn't hot, so it wasn't a fever-induced coma.

"Mm…" Xiaobei sat on another small stool, trying to hold his mother's hand, but Jiang Manzhu stopped him.

"Xiaobei, be good, don't be afraid. Your third brother went to borrow a tractor from the brigade leader, and we'll take it to get to the hospital." Borrow might not be the right word; renting is more accurate. Why would the brigade leader lend such a precious thing otherwise?

"Mm." Xiaobei's voice trembled with fear, almost crying, but he held back his tears.

Jiang Manzhu sighed and ruffled his hair. "Don't be scared, don't cry. Sister-in-law is here. We still need to take mom to the hospital. Do you want to come with us, or stay at home?"

Jiang Manzhu quickly changed the subject. If she kept comforting Xiaobei, he would surely start crying. Kids are like that – the more you comfort them, the more they cry.

"I, I want to go too." Xiaobei sniffled as he answered, unwilling to stay home alone.

"Can Xiaobei behave well then? Will you stay with sister-in-law the whole time? Your third brother might not let you go. It's cold, it's far, and there are many bad people outside."

Jiang Manzhu couldn't do much for Liu Jumei at the moment, so she focused on calming Xiaobei. But she was worried. Liu Jumei's condition was so bad that she might have to stay in the hospital overnight. Who knows if she could even return that evening?

She was terrified that something would happen to Xiaobei if left alone, just like how she feared being left at home alone during the New Year.

Jiang Manzhu was an adult, but Xiaobei was still a little fool. If left alone, what if he messed up cooking or set the house on fire? What if he got scared and ran out to find his third brother?

All these potential dangers worried Jiang Manzhu, who had spent enough time with Xiaobei to truly see him as her own little brother. How could she not be concerned?

"I, I'll listen to sister-in-law, I won't run around." Afraid that he wouldn't be allowed to go, Xiaobei clung to her clothes and begged.

"If Xiaobei can do that, then sister-in-law will take you." Jiang Manzhu nodded and began telling Xiaobei stories about the dangers outside, like how kidnappers deceive children.

Kidnappers would give you candy, take you to a strange place, knock you out, and take you away.

They might pretend to know your third brother or sister-in-law or even your parents, and then take you far away, where you'd never see your third brother again.

These bad people are truly evil. They'd even break your legs and force you to beg.

Scared, Xiaobei's eyes filled with tears again, and he whimpered, "I'm scared."

"So, Xiaobei, you must hold onto sister-in-law's clothes. Do you understand?" It was better to make him listen now than regret it later if something really happened.

Jiang Manzhu patted his little head. He was such a silly little boy, she couldn't trust him to stay home alone, but bringing him along worried her too.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Go grab the rope from home. Sister-in-law is afraid you'll forget, so we'll tie it around us, and that way, we won't lose you."

Jiang Manzhu had to come up with something. It might look a little silly to be tied together while going out, but it was much better than losing him.

Xiaobei quickly got up, found the rope, and brought it back to tie himself to her.

"If anyone tries to untie the rope, you must shout loudly, understand?" By then, Linxi might be too preoccupied to look after Xiaobei, so she had to be the one to worry about him.

"Mm, I understand. Xiaobei will behave." He clenched his fist as if making a vow. He was scared too. What would he do if he never saw his mother, third brother, or sister-in-law again?

After a while, Linxi returned, telling Jiang Manzhu to bring two more thick coats. He carried Liu Jumei on his back as they headed out.

When he saw that Xiaobei was coming along, Linxi frowned slightly, not approving. "Xiaobei should stay home."

"Linxi, we don't know how long we'll be out. If we leave Xiaobei alone, how will he cook or keep warm? What if he gets worried and tries to find us? We wouldn't even know where to look. I've tied the rope. I'll watch him carefully."

Jiang Manzhu hurriedly explained, and Xiaobei nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes! Third brother, I'll behave! I want to come too."

Linxi thought for a moment but didn't refuse, walking ahead while the two followed behind.

The tractor had an old cotton quilt spread out for Liu Jumei to lie on, covered in thick coats as they set off.

The tractor's shaking, or maybe the long period of unconsciousness, made Liu Jumei stir awake briefly. But in her hazy state, she couldn't say anything before falling back into a deep sleep, feeling only discomfort all over her body.

At the county hospital, Liu Jumei was placed in a hospital bed. After a thorough examination, the doctor confirmed the worst: late-stage cancer, and she had at most half a month left. (This illness is entirely made up by the author and not based on any medical expertise.)

By the time Liu Jumei woke up again, realizing she was in a hospital, she became agitated. No, she couldn't stay in the hospital. She wanted to go home…

Liu Jumei knew hospital stays were expensive, and she also knew her illness was incurable. Cancer was a term that appeared in a letter by Lu Xun in 1925, but by the 1970s, it wasn't common knowledge in rural areas.

Liu Jumei might not have understood the word, but she knew she was beyond saving. Staying in the hospital and taking medicine would only waste money.

Their family had already fallen into hard times after the deaths of Lin Dong and Lin Nan. Would her illness now deplete their remaining savings?

Liu Jumei didn't want that. Shaking her head, she weakly grasped Linxi's hand. "Take me home. I want to go home!"

"Mom, you're sick. You need to stay in the hospital for treatment." Linxi's eyes were red, but he didn't show his anxiety or grief in front of Liu Jumei. Instead, he gently coaxed her in a soft voice.

Late-stage cancer! Why? Why hadn't he noticed earlier?

He knew his mother must have felt unwell before, but she never showed it in front of them, not even once putting on a brave face.

Linxi knew his mother didn't want him to spend money treating her because she knew it would cost too much. But how could money be more important than his mother?

"Mom, why didn't you tell me earlier? If I'd known sooner, maybe things could have been different." Linxi finally couldn't hold back his sorrow and asked in a pained voice.

Liu Jumei remained silent for a long time before slowly replying, "I started feeling unwell back when your elder brother was sick."

"Telling you would have only caused more heartbreak. Let's go home. I want to go home. I miss your elder brother. I miss your second brother…"

Liu Jumei spoke softly, her eyes gradually welling with tears as she mentioned them.

"Mom, you still have me, and Xiaobei too." Linxi's voice was hoarse as he understood her meaning, making him feel even worse.

Xiaobei didn't quite understand, but he was scared and held onto Liu Jumei's hand, crying, "Mom, Xiaobei is scared. When are we going home?"

"Xiaobei, be good. Mom is sick and needs to stay in the hospital to get better," Jiang Manzhu comforted Xiaobei. She hadn't expected Liu Jumei to be this ill, especially when she had always been so hardworking and never showed any signs of being unwell.

"Linxi, didn't you hear what the doctor said? It can't be cured. If mom makes it through the New Year, she'll already be very happy. She thought she wouldn't even last until the end of the year…" Liu Jumei didn't want to waste money, knowing that their savings hadn't come easily.

Linxi Li refused, but Jumei Liu stubbornly insisted, "If you don't let me go home, I'll walk there myself! I won't take the medicine!"

"Mom, Linxi and Xiaobei are worried about you. Besides, it's already so late, and there are no cars. Have a good sleep. We'll talk tomorrow." Manzhu Jiang, understanding Jumei Liu's thoughts, gently persuaded her.

"Mom, please don't make me worry, okay?" Linxi Li couldn't understand why fate was so cruel to him. His eldest brother was gone, his second brother was gone, and now his mother was leaving too.

Glancing at Xiaobei, who was still crying beside the hospital bed, Linxi Li suppressed his grief. He had so much to take care of now. He had to look after his mom and also take care of Xiaobei.

The next day, when Linxi Li returned home to get some clothes, the villagers were curious. They had heard that Jumei Liu fainted yesterday and was sent to the hospital. What was the outcome?

Seeing Linxi Li's red eyes, they could tell the situation wasn't good.

Especially after learning that Jumei Liu was on the verge of death from a rare illness, the villagers sighed, "What a pity. Her children have just grown up."

"Maybe it's grief. Both her eldest and second sons are gone, but we didn't know."

"True, they've had terrible luck."

"How can things be so unfortunate? It feels like a cursed year. Could it be… cough cough, ever since Jiang the intellectual married into the Li family, the family has faced one disaster after another."

"Don't say such things. When Jiang the intellectual married in, Linyuan was already seriously ill."

"But what about Linan and Jumei?"

When the villagers learned about Jumei Liu's condition, they offered Linxi Li words of comfort and sent representatives to visit her. They also informed Jumei Liu's family in the neighboring production brigade, urging Qiang Liu and Mu Liu to visit their eldest sister, who was near the end.

But as they talked, the conversation shifted. The family's misfortunes had come so quickly that people couldn't help but wonder if some bad luck had befallen them.

However, with the movement to dispel superstitions, nobody dared to openly speak about such things, though they would secretly discuss them in private.

Huang Ying also heard the rumors and frowned as she advised Qianqian Su, "Aren't you lucky you didn't marry into the Li family? Otherwise, you'd be the one cursed."

Qianqian Su recalled memories from her previous life. Jumei Liu… yes, she did die later on. But what curse? If she had truly been cursed, how did Linxi Li end up becoming the richest man in the end?

"Mom, don't talk about superstitions like that. It's just an illness. What a pity." Qianqian Su dismissed Huang Ying's words, then sighed and shook her head.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her…

Hey, now that Linxi Li's mother had passed away, wouldn't he be deeply heartbroken? Could this be her chance to move in?

At this moment, the eager Qianqian Su completely forgot that he was grieving. But why was he grieving? Because his mother had passed away!

She didn't care. She was already tired of being with Liangce Luo. Everything about him annoyed her now, and they even slept in separate beds at night.

Meanwhile, having heard that Jumei Liu was nearing the end, the village representatives and Qiang Liu traveled to the county hospital via ox cart and bus, changing rides several times along the way.

After much trouble, they finally arrived at the hospital, close to noon.

"Eldest sister! Eldest sister!!"

"Jumei, how are you? Feeling any better?"

Upon arrival, they offered warm words of comfort and brought fruit. "Oh dear, how did this happen?"

That morning, Jumei Liu had wanted to go home, but Manzhu Jiang had held her down and persuaded Linxi Li to go get some things. She couldn't take her home alone, and Xiaobei had been crying.

By the time Linxi Li returned, his two uncles and the villagers had arrived.

Everyone knew that staying in the hospital for such an incurable illness was just a waste of money. But since it wasn't their own money being spent and the children were being filial, they all urged Jumei Liu to stay.

If they persuaded her to go home and something happened, the children would definitely hold a grudge against them, so why take the risk?

Even Qiang Liu and Mu Liu didn't say anything about taking Jumei Liu home. Instead, they each contributed a large sum of money, feeling that though they didn't have much to offer, they could at least cover their sister's hospital fees.

They handed the money directly to the doctor to cover the hospital expenses, ensuring she could stay longer.

They all understood why hospitals charged for their services. It was for better care. If anything happened, she could receive immediate treatment.

After much persuasion, Jumei Liu agreed to stay in the hospital for a few more days, reasoning that if she fainted again on the way home, it would be even more troublesome.

After a few days of medication, she felt a bit better.

However, there was no "after." In the following days, Jumei Liu was either in unbearable pain or unconscious.

Manzhu Jiang and Linxi Li took turns caring for her, while Xiaobei followed Manzhu Jiang. Qiang Liu and Mu Liu would occasionally visit their sister in the county hospital. It seemed that their eldest sister was also about to leave them.

She was their only elder, and the thought of losing her made them cry.

Nearly half a month later, Jumei Liu suddenly woke up one day. Her emaciated face had a bit of color, and she seemed more energetic than before.

At that moment, only Manzhu Jiang, Linxi Li, and Xiaobei were present. Seeing her like this, Xiaobei thought his mother was getting better, but Manzhu Jiang and Linxi Li felt a deep pang of fear—was this a final burst of energy before death?

"Linxi, from now on, you will have to take care of Xiaobei. He's still young, but he'll grow up eventually. Don't resent him for being a little foolish; he'll mature in time…"

What she couldn't let go of most was her two sons.

Her brothers had already married and had children, even grandchildren. She didn't have to worry about them.

She was going to see Linyuan and Linan soon; perhaps they missed her too…

"Mom, Xiaobei still needs you. How can you leave now?" Linxi Li felt a wave of panic. Could he really be about to lose another family member today?

"Linxi, don't be like this. How can I leave peacefully if you act like this?" Jumei Liu seemed to understand the hidden meaning in her son's words. She wanted to stay, but she couldn't.

She glanced at Manzhu Jiang, who was crying heartbrokenly, and chuckled softly. "Manzhu, don't cry. You'll lose your beauty."

Being able to make her daughter-in-law cry for her so sincerely made Jumei Liu feel that she had done well as a mother-in-law.

"Mom." Manzhu Jiang wanted to say something, but the lump in her throat stopped her, and she could only sob quietly.

Since transmigrating, Jumei Liu had been an excellent mother-in-law and treated her very well.

If it weren't for her, Manzhu Jiang might not have been able to stay in the Li family or live so comfortably.

Human hearts are made of flesh. No matter how independent Manzhu Jiang tried to be, she couldn't help but feel sorrowful at this moment.

Xiaobei was confused. What? What did that mean? Wasn't mom getting better? He looked at his third brother, then at his sister-in-law, and finally back at his mother.

"Linxi, about the things you mentioned earlier, I won't stop you anymore. Life… it's okay to want to live it happily. People may gossip behind your back, but that's nothing."

When people are close to death, it feels as though all the burdens of life fade away. She just wanted her son to live without regrets…

Don't let yourself regret it, and… don't let her worry.

Now that she's gone, I don't know what kind of wife Lingxi will marry in the future. What if her character is bad, her temper is bad, and she's unwilling to take care of Xiaobei?

Lingxi is important, but Xiaobei is also her son, a piece of her heart.

Manzhu is different though. Manzhu treats Xiaobei very well, like her own younger brother, and she doesn't mind that he's a little slow.

Li Lingxi listened to his mother's heartfelt words. He should have agreed to her request, but… Mom, what are you talking about? The things you mentioned earlier? The black market deals?

Seeing that Lingxi didn't quite understand her meaning, Liu Jumei got a little frustrated. Her son usually seemed so smart, so how could he be so slow now?

She rolled her eyes helplessly and looked at Jiang Manzhu, her voice soft. "Manzhu, I'll leave Lingxi and Xiaobei in your care. In my room, under the stool, there's a wooden box. The things inside, I'll leave them to you. So, could you please take care of them for a year or two?"

One or two years would be enough time for Lingxi to figure out his feelings, right? Enough time to take action, right? If not, then he's truly useless!

Jiang Manzhu's eyes widened slightly. What? The Empress Dowager was directly allowing her to stay in the Li family for two years?

"Mom, don't say things like that. I don't need anything from the box; those belong to Lingxi and Xiaobei. I'll definitely take good care of the both of them." Jiang Manzhu was already very grateful and didn't want to take any advantage.

Two years, just in time for the college entrance exam. Looking at the two of them, Li Lingxi was already working hard, and in the future, he'd be able to take Xiaobei to university and buy a house. Liu Jumei shouldn't have to worry anymore, right?

Liu Jumei looked at Li Lingxi, and Lingxi quickly nodded. "I'll hand everything over to Jiang, big sister."

For the first time, Jiang Manzhu heard Lingxi call her "big sister" without any teasing or mockery, only a promise to reassure Liu Jumei.

"That's good, that's good…" Liu Jumei, as if having settled everything, smiled slightly and slowly closed her eyes.

The next second, a wail of grief echoed from the hospital room. The doctors, accustomed to life and death, were numb to it.

The only ones still unaccustomed were the patient's family… or rather, the deceased's family.

By the time they finished everything and returned to the village, spring planting had already begun, and everyone was busy.

The most anyone did was stop for a day to help with the funeral and burial, and offer some comfort to Li Lingxi, who had just lost his mother.

The loss of a loved one is painful. After crying once, Xiaobei ate and went to sleep, while Li Lingxi couldn't even eat.

It had been two or three days, and Lingxi had visibly lost weight. Jiang Manzhu sighed. "Lingxi, Mom wouldn't want to see you lose weight because of grief. She'd want you to live a healthy, happy life."

Look at those dark circles. You didn't sleep last night, did you? Do you want to starve to death or die of exhaustion?

Her comforting voice was gentle in the darkness. "If you don't take care of yourself, who will take care of Xiaobei?"

Looking at him, with his head hanging low like a dejected puppy, Jiang Manzhu sighed. Instinctively, she patted his head, just like she did with Xiaobei. "Lingxi, Mom is gone, and the family is depending on you now. If something happens to you too, what will Xiaobei do?"

Pull yourself together, you're the main character! You're the unstoppable, unbeatable male lead! How can you be this defeated?

"Mm." Li Lingxi responded after a moment. "Sorry for worrying you."

"I promised Mom I'd take care of you and Xiaobei. I've warmed up some food for you. Eat first, then take a hot bath and get a good night's sleep. You've missed enough school already. If you don't go back soon, the principal might expel us."

Jiang Manzhu coaxed him gently. Turns out the male lead was a delicate little baby who needed someone to soothe him.

Then again, he had just come of age, and it wasn't easy to grow into the future richest man after going through so many hardships.

Feeling comforted, Li Lingxi seemed a little uneasy. He got up and went to the kitchen to get the food himself. "I can eat on my own. You can go rest, or study…"

"Mm, as long as you're thinking straight." Jiang Manzhu didn't insist on staying with him. If he could eat and sleep, that was good enough… Wait, why did that sound a bit odd?

The next day, Xiaobei suddenly came home crying loudly from outside, sobbing uncontrollably. Li Lingxi's face instantly darkened.

Jiang Manzhu quickly grabbed Xiaobei, both worried and angry. "What happened, Xiaobei? Who bullied you? Who dared to hit you? See if your third brother doesn't beat them up!"

Mom had just passed away, and now Xiaobei was being bullied. Were they bullying Xiaobei, or bullying the two of them?