CHAPTER 15
”Really?”
I don’t remember my mother taking care of him. It seems that it has always been my grandmother who has taken care of them. The little guy was full of doubts. Murong Danling’s eyes flickered but her words were firm.
”Of course. I’m his wife, if it’s not me who will take care of him?”
”Then why did you leave later? If you hadn’t left, grandma wouldn’t have gone to find a new mother. Our family of three would have been together.”
How could the brat have so many questions? Murong Danling was furious. If it was before, she would have raised her hand to beat him, but now he was a golden baby, she didn’t dare. If she pissed off the little guy and he didn’t want to follow her, then she would lose more than she gained. Looking at the brat, thinking about the 30,000 US dollars, she suddenly felt that he was glowing with gold, and her anger towards him was suppressed.
”Mom has no choice. Your grandma blames me for your dad’s accident and bullied me every day. If I didn’t leave, I’ll be bullied to death. I, I also wanted to take you with me, but your grandma won’t let me. Baby, you talk to mom like this, is your grandma always saying bad things about me to you? I know, she must…”
”No, grandma didn’t say anything about you.” When the little guy mentioned the old lady, he pouted and looked very sad. “I wanted to find you, and grandma took me to grandma’s house. Grandma said you were not there, and told us not to come again.”
”Your grandma also wanted me to start a new life. I was crowded with my colleagues at work at that time, so I really couldn’t take you with me.”
”All right.”
Finally, the matter was resolved, and Murong Danling secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She talked to her son for a while to strengthen the parent-child relationship, and left two dimes for the child before leaving.
”Buy whatever you want to eat. If someone bullies you, go find your mother.”
The child nodded and shook his head: “She never bullied me.”
Murong Danling didn’t like what she heard, and she tried hard to hold back her anger. “I’m leaving now. When your custody is returned to me, I’ll come and pick you up.”
”And Dad.”
”Um.”
The answer was very reluctant and in a very low voice. Unfortunately, the little guy was so immersed in the happiness of his parents and the three of them being together that he didn’t hear it.
Li Xia saw that Shen Hui was still yearning for his dream, so she said nothing. In the following days, she was still busy with her own business of making money. Investing in real estate was one aspect, and on the other hand, she had to rely on herself to make money.
First Selling food accumulates funds to prepare for future sales. Trading goods back and forth between the north and the south is when you can make big money.
She waited for the uncle and nephew to come back and sat down with the seller to have a deep discussion. Finally, the price was set at 7,600. At that time, the region did not have a big impact on the housing price. The location of this place in the provincial capital was very good. The other party thought it would appreciate in value in the future, but it was not so valuable at the moment. The owner was in a hurry to use the money, so she finally spent less than 20,000 to buy two courtyard houses in the provincial capital.
Looking at the property certificate with her name on it early in the morning, she felt like she was dreaming. She glanced at Shen Haiyang and started talking to him again.
”These two properties will be worth tens of millions in 20 years. With this, Shen Hui should not have to worry. Even if we cannot contact your father, even if his money is taken away by his biological mother, he will have a way out if the mother and son have a rift over money in the future. I am making a lot of money from selling buns now, and I plan to modify the south wing of the newly bought house and open it to the street. In this way, I can open a store. I will open a breakfast shop first. The location is good and the business will probably be good…”
Suddenly she saw the man’s arm raised, she stood up halfway in shock. Then she rubbed her eyes, and the man stopped moving again. She patted her chest to calm herself down.
”I’m dizzy, I was scared to death. Shen Haiyang, I’m telling you, I’ve done my best to protect you and your son. If you can live a few more years, your son will still have a dad and a home here. I promised his grandmother to take care of him… Oh my god!”
Shen Haiyang actually opened his eyes after his arm moved, but she was not as frightened this time as before. She had seen scenes of vegetative patients waking up in TV dramas in her previous life, so she calmed herself down after the shock and reached out to observe Shen Haiyang.
”Hey, Shen Haiyang, are you awake? Are you awake or are you making any muscle movements? Can you speak or even blink?”
Then he blinked. Li Xia was overjoyed. She stomped her feet on the ground with joy and didn’t know what to say.
”What’s wrong?”
Because of Murong Danling’s appearance, Shen Hui no longer called her mother. But at this moment, she didn’t care about this at all, and happily pointed at the person on the bed and talked to the child.
”Your father is awake, your father is awake.”
”really ?”
Shen Hui hurriedly ran to the bed and found that his father had actually opened his eyes. He called him happily and threw himself into his arms. Tears flowed out uncontrollably.
”Dad, Dad, are you really awake?”
”cough,”
Shen Haiyang coughed, and Li Xia quickly pulled the child up. “The child is too excited, please don’t mind. I’ll get you some water to moisten your throat.”
Without the gastric tube, he drank a mouthful of water from his mouth. This progress made them ecstatic. And after drinking the water, he looked at Li Xia and wanted to speak. After thinking for a long time, he asked doubtfully.
”Who are you?”
Li Xia didn’t know how to answer for a moment. She was speechless. He looked at her and stammered again: “I want to hear you talking ?”
He just woke up and couldn’t say much, Li Xia was too embarrassed to say anything. But Shen Hui, who was standing next to him, was eager to answer his father’s questions.
”She is the wife grandma married for you. But my mom said that doesn’t count, and some people said that having a wedding banquet does count, so I don’t know if it counts or not.”
”Where’s your mom?”
”My mom divorced you.” He felt a little ashamed when talking about this child, “But my mom said that she will take good care of you in the future, and our family of three will be very happy.”
Shen Haiyang frowned and turned his gaze to Li Xia. Li Xia smiled and took clean clothes for him from the closet. “It’s good that you’re awake. We can talk about other things later. Let’s go, put on your coat and go to the hospital for a check-up.”
After changing her clothes, she took the mattress and went outside to pad the tricycle. She came in and let the two children hold her, and she squatted in front of him and carried him on her back. The man was embarrassed, and she saw that he didn’t move, thinking that he felt uncomfortable, so she turned around and picked him up.
After lying down for so long, the man was so skinny that he looked light. But for Li Xia, who was used to doing hard work, it was nothing. She carried him to the flatbed outside in a princess-like manner.
”Huihua, go to the room and get a pillow for him to lean on.”
”Okay.”
With a mattress and pillows, Shen Haiyang was safely placed in the flatbed cart. She turned around and rode her bike, and Shen Hui also got on to follow. She glanced at Huihua and asked her to stand in front while she pedaled the bike and the family of four went to the hospital.
The car drove out steadily. The neighbors who saw it greeted him one after another, and when they saw Shen Haiyang woke up, they all congratulated him.
”It’s not easy for your wife. You must treat her well in the future.”
”Yes, a woman is taking care of the three of you, getting up early and going to bed late. “
This is what they said when they were on good terms. The aunt in the east room, who was unable to build a house because of Li Xia, was just behind him, not too loud so that Shen Haiyang could hear her.
”Just for the money of this father and son, she got the house. What’s so difficult about that? You are a snob who is only interested in money.”
Shen Haiyang heard the aunt’s words clearly. He was still immersed in the embarrassment of being carried like a princess just now, but when he heard these words, his face turned pale and he subconsciously looked at Li Xia in front of him.
Li Xia also heard it, stopped what she was doing and turned back: “It’s useless to be jealous. No matter how jealous your eyes are, the house and the money have nothing to do with you, and your son will still be single. I’m not saying that with the character of you and your son, it’s natural that you won’t be able to find a wife.”
”you,”
The old lady was so angry that she pointed at her arm and trembled. Li Xia said nothing more and turned to ride away. You always want to take advantage of me. Don’t you know that it’s not worth it to make someone angry to death? If you want to be tortured, don’t blame me.
She rode her bike to the provincial hospital quickly, and the doctor checked him out and said he was fine. “The next step is rehabilitation. Lying down for such a long time will take time for muscles, bones, and organs to recover, so we still have to be careful about the care we take.”
Li Xia nodded carefully: “Doctor, I will remember everything you said.”
She memorized a bunch of doctor’s instructions one by one. When she heard that he should be careful about his diet and not eat anything raw, cold or hard all at once, she went home in the evening and made him some thin dragon beard noodle soup.
There was soup made from tomato sauce, white noodles, and beaten eggs scattered throughout, but the large bowl was only filled with half of it and was brought to him.
”Try to eat on your own. The doctor said to eat small and frequent meals. I prepared milk biscuits for you when you get hungry in the middle of the night.”
The man looked up at her and smiled: “Thank you.”
Li Xia waved her hands, looking at his gentle and elegant eyes with some embarrassment. “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m just taking care of you, this is what I should do.”
The man ate the noodles slowly with a spoon. Seeing that he was fine, Li Xia turned around to prepare the stuffing for the buns. She had to take care of him for rehabilitation, so she might have to put the buns on hold. But the noodles and stuffing that were already half-finished had to be sold, otherwise it would be a waste.
She took her daughter to the side room, while Shen Haiyang ate in the main room and asked about his son’s recent situation. Hearing that his mother had passed away, he couldn’t help but shed tears.
”Grandma, did she say anything before leaving?”
”Yes, she told me to listen to her.”
It seems that his mother trusts this woman very much. Shen Haiyang remained silent after hearing this. He ate the noodles and asked his son to take the bowl away. Then he heard his son say that his biological mother wanted to sue for his custody.
After all, the child was too young to explain clearly, which made him full of doubts. In the evening, Li Xia prepared the buns and fetched water for him to wash. As usual, she got a towel to wipe his face, and the man reached out to take it.
”I will do it myself.”
She smiled sheepishly and handed him the towel: “I’m used to it. I forgot you were awake. Here, wipe it yourself.”
He spoke incoherently, and after stuttering once, his speech slowed down, and now it was almost impossible to hear the punctuation. He washed his hands, face, and teeth, and Li Xia changed the water to wash his feet. The man’s gentle eyes were obviously embarrassed. He wanted to wash himself, but Li Xia refused.
”Sit still. The doctor said you have to proceed step by step and not be impatient, otherwise it’s bad for your health.” After saying that, she raised her head and smiled, both to ease the awkwardness and to show her kindness to him. “Just think of me as your babysitter, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
She took good care of him, reminding him of the comfort he felt when he couldn’t move. “When did my mother die?”
”In early July. She was already seriously ill when she came to see me, relying on painkillers to hold on. After she brought me to take care of you both. She passed away peacefully.”
Ignoring the pain the old lady was in, she didn’t want him to feel bad as a son. But when she looked up, he was still in tears, so she quickly handed him the towel.
”Mom, what she was most worried about was you, her son. The doctor said that there was almost no chance of you waking up, so she thought someone would take care of you. Now that you’ve woken up, she must be very happy in heaven. Don’t be sad, she must be smiling when she sees you now.”
”Thanks.”
He saw the black cuffs on her arms, and this thank you was extremely serious. Li Xia waved her hand and said it’s okay, washed his feet, helped him lie down, and put the chamber pot beside his bed.
”Call me if you need to pee. You just woke up and your body is not flexible, so don’t try to force yourself.” After saying that, she saw that the man looked embarrassed. She knew he was embarrassed, so she said casually, “Don’t be embarrassed. I have been taking care of you these days, and I have seen every part of your body.”
She originally wanted to ease the embarrassment, but after she finished speaking, she found that his face suddenly turned red. In all her years, she had never seen such a thin-skinned man. She smiled awkwardly, feeling inexplicably funny, as if she had teased a decent man.
”I’m from the countryside, I haven’t received much education, so I speak frankly. Don’t be offended. If you find anything I said wrong, just tell me and I’ll try to correct it.”
The man’s face was a little sunken due to his thinness, but now that he had woken up, his big eyes were more prominent. He was in his thirties, but his eyes were very clear. Pure and bright, like a spring stream, moist and warm. Hearing her words, he slightly raised the corners of his mouth, his eyes full of joy.
”It’s okay, thank you for the time.”
”It’s okay. Your mother helped me and my daughter get our household registration, and also provided me with a shelter from the wind and rain. This is a huge favor to me. I promised her to take good care of you, and I will definitely do it.”
The two of them tacitly agreed not to mention the wedding ceremony. Li Xia arranged for him to lie down and go to sleep, and she also lay down on the small bed beside him.
She Turned off the lights and drew the curtains, soon the room is plunged into darkness.
In the dark night, she could faintly hear the other person’s shallow breathing. Li Xia was thinking silently with her back to him.
The next day, the two children went to school. After selling steamed buns, she took him to the hospital for rehabilitation. Seeing him sweating profusely, she kept encouraging him and wiping his sweat. She wanted to help him several times but was stopped by the doctor. The man looked back at her anxious face and smiled calmly.
”It’s okay, I can hold on.”
”Yeah. If you’re really tired, take a rest.” After saying that, she turned her head and looked at the corridor: “The doctor is not here, why don’t you sit for a while?”
”No. I want to continue.”
After two hours of rehabilitation in the morning, he gritted his teeth in pain when he went home. When he got off the car at home, Li Xia saw him like that and picked him up and carried him back into the house.
”Take your time, don’t be too anxious. Now that you’re awake, it’s only a matter of time before you get back to normal.”
He had given up the unnecessary embarrassment of being carried like a princess by a woman, and nodded to her with a grateful smile. Li Xia got him some water to wash up, and then handed him two property certificates. Facing his puzzled eyes, she began to explain.
”The money your father sent, 30,000 is in Huihui’s name. His grandmother said to keep it for his education. This is your 20,000. I bought you a house. The house will be valuable in the future, so it’s better than keeping it in the bank. Your uncle sued me for your custody. I can’t contact your father, so I can only transfer the house to my name first. In case he really wins the lawsuit for your custody, the house in my name can delay the time.”
Shen Haiyang nodded. Although she didn’t say it clearly, he could figure out the truth from her words. He knew his uncle’s personality. He was fighting for his custody just for money. His mother found him a wife, probably to protect him. She had worked hard these days. Not only did she take care of the father and son, but she also had to do everything she could to protect their property.
”When you feel better, we’ll transfer the house to you. After that…”
”Brother Haiyang, are you really awake?”
Zhang Qiuhua interrupted her mid-sentence. The woman rushed across the living room and into the bedroom. Seeing that Shen Haiyang had indeed woken up, she excitedly ran to the bedside and threw herself on him.
Li Xia reached out to pull her, “He just woke up and you are rushing at him. Do you know how frail he is? He can’t stand your rush.”
The woman was pulled away by her, and did not notice the grateful look of Shen Haiyang looking at Li Xia on the bed. She was very dissatisfied with this move and started yelling at Li Xia directly.
”What are you doing? Brother Haiyang has watched me grow up since I was a child. I treat him like my own brother. I’m happy that he wakes up…”
”He’s sore all over from the rehabilitation he did this morning. Don’t add to his burden.”
”Oh,” the woman replied softly, shyly, and turned to give Shen Haiyang a charming smile. “I’m sorry, Brother Haiyang, I didn’t know you were doing rehabilitation. Is it very tiring to do rehabilitation? Can I go with you tomorrow?”
Li Xia, who had experienced this, could see what this person was up to, but she didn’t say anything. She turned around and went out to cook first, as the children would be back soon.
”No need, as long as she accompanies me.”
”Li Xia, she’s from the countryside and doesn’t know anything. It’s better for me to accompany you.”
“She’s very nice and knows everything.”
“…”
”If you have nothing to do, please go out. I want to get some sleep.”
Shen Haiyang didn’t say anything more. This simple sentence made Zhang Qiuhua shut up immediately. She stood there for a while, not knowing what to say. Shen Haiyang asked her to leave. She felt dizzy when she walked out of the hall.
Li Xia was in high spirits while cooking in the kitchen after hearing his words. It felt so good to have someone to recognize her efforts and to protect her when she was despised by others. It was like seeing flowers blooming on branches and butterflies fluttering in.
For lunch, She made him nutritious fish soup, carp tofu, side dishes and rice. The man ate very well, and the two children also liked it very much.
After eating, she stood up to clean up, and Huihua followed. Li Xia left with a pile of dishes. The girl handed Shen Haiyang a towel and hesitated before calling him.
”Daddy wipe your mouth.”
Shen Haiyang was stunned for a moment, but soon reacted. He smiled gently at the little girl and reached out to touch her little head. “Thank you.”
”It doesn’t matter.”
Shen Hui who was beside rubbed his father’s legs, looked up and said to him, “We often work together to take care of you. Huihua was very careful and cleaned your legs very well.”
”Thank you for your hard work.” The man looked at the child apologetically, “I’ll take you guys out to play when Daddy recovers. Where do you want to go?”
”My mom said she wants to take me to the zoo to see tigers.” Shen Hui was very eager when he talked about this: “Dad, should we go with mom or…”
”we’ll talk about it then.”
”All right.”
Shen Hui was looking forward to reuniting with his parents, but he didn’t see his mother for a few days after Shen Haiyang woke up. He was angry at the school gate after school and thought she was lying.
Li Xia had been taking care of his father before he woke up. After he woke up, she stopped selling steamed buns and focused on accompanying him in his rehabilitation, making all kinds of delicious food to nourish his body. His biological mother said she was taking care of his father, but she hadn’t been seen for several days.
”Brother, what’s wrong with you?”
HuiHua asked quietly, knowing that he was unhappy. Shen Hui shook his head, looked at her and whispered, “You call my dad dad, do you want my dad to live with your mom?”
”Grandma told me to call him that when they got married.”
”My mother said their marriage didn’t count at all, and that they were not registered and had no protection.”
”What do you mean by registration? Isn’t that what marriage is all about? You put up a wedding sign and invite people to dinner. My mom and your dad both wear the bride and groom’s clothes.”
Shen Hui couldn’t be fooled by the innocent words of the little girl. He was still young and heard everything from adults. He longed for his biological mother but also blamed her. He lowered his head and said nothing more. When he went home and saw Li Xia cooking in the kitchen, he quietly asked his father if he would be with his mother in the future.
”Mom promised to take good care of you. She said that stepmother only took care of you for your money. The three of us are a family. Uncle also said that she bought the house to transfer your money. She can’t be trusted without blood relationship.”
”Don’t worry about adult matters, Daddy is awake now, and he will take care of these things in the future.”
”Okay. I’ll follow Dad anyway.”
The little guy stayed close to his father and was always close to his kind father. Shen Haiyang touched his son’s head and looked at the drawer not far away. There were photos taken when he married his ex-wife, and his mind was filled with the memories left after the accident.
For dinner, Li Xia cooked pork ribs and lotus root soup for him. “Eat as much as you can. Stop if you feel uncomfortable.”
”Okay I will.”
Li Xia was so busy that she forgot about the court session the next day. When she was washing dishes at night, her daughter asked her quietly: “Mom, can we still live here in the future? You said you were moving before, so are we still moving?”
She squatted down and kissed her daughter to reassure her: “This house is already ours. No one can evict us from the house under mom’s name. You don’t have to worry about that. If there is no storefront, mom will continue to sell buns from a cart. Don’t worry, mom can support you.”
”Really? This house is ours.”
”Yes, this house is ours.”
”Oh, then I’m relieved.” The little girl has a simple mind. As long as she is sure that the house is habitable and her mother is still with her, she has nothing to worry about. As for the rest, those are the adults’ business and she just needs to be obedient.
