Dream Reading

Five years after marriage, my husband suddenly passed away due to asthma, leaving me and my son alone and helpless.
Friends lamented that I became a widow at such a young age, and my parents urged me to quickly remarry with my son.
However, I firmly disagreed and insisted on staying to mourn my husband.
But on the day of my husband's third anniversary, I unexpectedly heard my father-in-law angrily questioning my uncle:
"Clearly, it was your brother who had asthma and your brother who died, yet you pretended to be dead to take care of sister-in-law. Was it worth deceiving your own wife and children?"
"In these three years, Xiao Lin mourned for you, raising Lele alone. You gave your niece a home, but have you thought about this: from the day you pretended to be dead, Lele lost her father too."
At that moment, my blood ran cold, and I realized that the one who died three years ago was not my husband Zhou Zian, but his twin brother Zhou Ziping.
And my three years of mourning have been nothing but a joke.
That night, I dialed my parents' number:
"Dad, Mom, I agree to remarry!"

After mourning my husband, who pretended to be dead, for three years, I married his superior with my son

The next day, I took my son downstairs to eat. At the table, Zhou Zian was diligently serving dishes and pouring water for my sister-in-law and niece, bustling around attentively, making anyone who saw them think they were an exceptionally happy family of three.


Before knowing the truth, I had countless times envied my sister-in-law who was so cherished, fantasizing that if Zhou Zian were still alive, he would treat me the same way.


But now, watching this scene, I could only find it extremely ironic.


My eyes were unbearably sore, but I forced myself not to cry because there was no one left to wipe my tears.


Zhou Zian, out of the corner of his eye, saw my face pale as paper, and proactively served a piece of meat each for me and my son:


"Sister-in-law, you should eat more. Zian is gone, even if not for yourself, think of your nephew."


He spoke naturally, showing normal concern as a brother-in-law, as if the deceased Zhou Zian he mentioned wasn't himself.


"Uncle, I can serve food for mom myself!"


But the next moment, my son picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of meat into my bowl, then responded sensibly to Zhou Zian.


Upon hearing this, Zhou Zian's expression changed immediately, and he accidentally knocked over his bowl and chopsticks.


Because this was the first time my son called him "Uncle." Before, no matter how much he corrected him, my son had never called him "Uncle," always calling him "Dad."


But today, the words "Uncle" seemed like a sudden thunderbolt exploding in his mind.


"Lele, you... you used to always think of Uncle as your dad. Why did you change today?" he asked, barely maintaining his composure as he looked at my son.


My son, however, just smiled and looked at him:


"Uncle, I was young before, so I always mistook you for my dad. Now I've grown up and know that my dad died three years ago. Don't worry, I won't make the mistake again!"


Zhou Zian was dumbfounded for a long time, unable to say a single word in rebuttal, and in the end, could only force a few dry laughs:


But his eyes kept examining my son and me, as if trying to catch a hint of something from our faces, struggling with his chopsticks but not eating a bite.


My son and I didn't spare him a glance, just focused on eating our meal.


This made Zhou Zian even more restless, frequently casting glances our way, until he finally spoke, probing:


"Although I'm not Lele's dad, Lele is no different to me than my own son. Don't keep your distance; we're all family."


"If there's any difficulty in the future, just come to me for help, don't bear it all alone."


Was he regretting because my son no longer called him dad?


But it was he who chose to fake his death and abandon his son.


I put down my chopsticks and stood up with my son after we finished eating.


Before leaving, I didn't thank him as I used to for taking care of my son but instead stared straight into Zhou Zian's shocked eyes, leaving him with one sentence.


"Brother's right, no matter how close, you're not really Lele's dad. My son and I can live well on our own."


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