By the time Cheng Lele felt slightly better and they left the hospital, the sky was already bright. Returning home, Cheng Lele saw the curtains upstairs were closed. Checking her watch, Chen An should have already left. Did he see it or not? Why didn’t he send me a message?
Chen An had missed it.
He had to catch an early flight today. The airport was in the provincial capital, so he had to get up when it was barely light. Walking to the window, just as he was about to pull open the curtains, remembering that no one had been there these past few days, he withdrew his outstretched hand. He ate two bites of breakfast and checked his phone—that person downstairs with her big temper still hadn’t replied to his text from last night.
Alas, little ancestor.
Chen An picked up his luggage and left. At the courtyard entrance, he leaned on the railing and glanced at that pitch-black little room on the first floor.
I’ll make up with you when I get back.
After ten o’clock, Chen An landed in Jilin. Opening his phone, there was a message from Cheng Lele inside.
“Did you see it?”
He hurriedly replied: “See what?”
But Cheng Lele didn’t reply again.
At that moment, she had gone to the hospital again. The Criminal Investigation Brigade had sent a police car to pick up the mother and daughter.
Captain Fang was imposing and tall. Even though Cheng Lele wasn’t short, she seemed to be shrouded in darkness by his enormous frame. Blocking the tepid sunlight, he said: “Cheng Dong is being resuscitated in the emergency room. We didn’t expect that fugitive to have a gun. During the pursuit, Cheng Dong was shot.”
Cheng Lele’s brain went blank for a moment. She was stunned for a long time before asking: “Where was he hit?”
Captain Fang was silent, and that period of silence was enough to crush what little hope Cheng Lele had left into dust. Finally, he squeezed two words through his teeth: “The chest.”
Ye Xiaomei and Cheng Lele were brought to the operating room door. Cheng Lele’s hands kept trembling. Ye Xiaomei was trembling too. The two were like trees in a gale, weakly leaning on each other.
Neither dared to cry, fearing that crying would seem inauspicious.
But the Grim Reaper still came calling.
The doctor walked out of the operating room: “I’m sorry, we did our best.”
Cheng Lele thought, this isn’t some Korean drama. A perfectly fine person—how could he just die like that?
She stood at the operating room door, staring blankly, as if trying to see through the glass. This must be some kind of trick. Dad definitely isn’t in there.
He went to work, he’s just a bit busy.
Ye Xiaomei also stood there weathering the storm, not saying a word.
Captain Fang had long been mentally prepared to bid farewell to a colleague, and now he only thought about how to take care of the mother and daughter. But neither of these two cried—as if competing with each other—which made him a bit flustered.
“Sister-in-law—”
With a “thud,” Ye Xiaomei fell straight to the ground and fainted.
Cheng Lele turned and held Ye Xiaomei, shaking her. Captain Fang quickly called for a doctor.
In the chaos, Cheng Lele was like a piece of duckweed, drifting numbly here and there, going with the flow.
Who knows how much time passed—Ye Xiaomei woke up. Who knows how much more time passed—Wang Liting arrived.
By this time, Wang Liting was already a successful businesswoman. She had rushed over after receiving her mother-in-law’s message during a meeting. Chen Tao was in Beijing for a meeting and couldn’t get away. Actually, she’d been incredibly busy recently too—after a huge overseas order was delivered, they suddenly received feedback that the quality wasn’t up to standard. She’d been in meetings day and night and was already exhausted. In the middle of a meeting, hearing the news of Cheng Dong’s death, she was first shocked. Then her mother-in-law urged her several times on the phone. She suppressed her hesitant emotions, immediately set out, and rushed back to Taixi.
She wore a well-tailored suit and stepped in a pair of thin-heeled high heels. Despite her fatigue, her makeup was meticulous. Coming in with her was a driver carrying her bag. She walked into the hospital room, saw Cheng Lele’s two eyes empty and gloomy, as if someone had stolen her soul, and immediately embraced her, stroking her hair and saying: “Lele, you must be strong.”
Cheng Lele hadn’t seen her godmother for a long time. Being held in her arms now reminded her of how Godmother used to hold her often when she was little. Familiar feelings surged up. She felt somewhat uncomfortable but didn’t cry. This morning she’d held her breath, enduring and not crying, afraid crying would summon the Grim Reaper. Now, the Grim Reaper had already taken someone away, but that breath was still stuck—she couldn’t cry anymore.
The Cheng family had few close relatives. Captain Fang was outside handling funeral arrangements. Ye Xiaomei sat dully on the hospital bed like a piece of withered wood. Wang Liting held Ye Xiaomei’s hand without speaking. At a time like this, anything said would seem pale.
A phone suddenly rang intrusively in the quiet hospital room. It was probably something from the company. After Wang Liting hung up twice, she took her phone and went outside.
After finishing the call, she turned around and found Cheng Lele had followed her out.
“What is it, Lele?”
Cheng Lele asked in a hoarse voice: “Godmother, my mom and I came out in a hurry and didn’t bring our phones. Could you lend me your phone? I want to call little brother.”
Cheng Lele’s face was pale, as if she could collapse at any moment. Of a family of three, two had collapsed. She knew in her heart she had to be strong, but having held on until now, she was a bit dazed. She wanted to find little brother to steady herself.
Cheng Lele was like walking on the edge of a cliff. Having finally reached out her hand for Wang Liting to help pull her up, Wang Liting should help both emotionally and logically, but she had her concerns.
She pulled Cheng Lele into her arms, sobbing: “Lele, Godmother understands you’re in unbearable pain. But Lele, could you bear to endure a bit more? An’an has his official exam in two more days. He’s going for a recommendation spot at Tsinghua or Peking University. If you call him now, he’ll definitely come back regardless of everything. You know how hard he’s been working lately. One phone call from you would make all his recent efforts in vain. You’ve always been sensible since childhood—could you wait until after his exam to tell him? Please, Godmother is begging you…”
Cheng Lele said nothing. Her fingers kept scratching at her palm, causing sharp pain. Past events flashed by like a revolving lantern.
Back then, Godmother had said that in the future, Chen An and Lele would both provide for and see off both sets of parents in old age. Whoever dared to be partial to one side should chop themselves up and feed the dogs.
But if little brother came back after finishing the exam, Dad’s ashes would already be buried. Wouldn’t that promise be void?
She thought again—Dad really treated little brother as his own son. These years, her godparents had been building their careers in the provincial capital. It was her own parents and Grandma Chen who had raised little brother together. When little brother had a high fever, it was Dad who carried him to the hospital. When little brother had parent-teacher conferences, it was Dad who attended. When little brother had birthdays, it was Dad who organized the celebrations.
Before Dad turned to ash, little brother should see him one more time.
Suddenly someone pried open Wang Liting’s hands. Cheng Lele turned to look—it was Mom.
Ye Xiaomei shielded Cheng Lele behind her, forcing out a trace of a smile: “Sister Wang, Lele is being immature. She won’t call An’an. I’ll watch her, don’t worry.”
Wang Liting hurriedly said: “Xiaomei, I’m not worried about that. You should go rest. Chen Tao is in Beijing. He should be able to rush back to help. Don’t worry about it.”
Before she finished speaking, Wang Liting’s phone rang again. Frowning, she answered, listened for a few seconds, hung up, and seemed burdened with countless worries.
Ye Xiaomei said: “Captain Fang is here. Sister Wang, if you have things to do, please go ahead.”
Wang Liting said uncertainly: “Ah, Xiaomei, but I’m also worried about you.”
Ye Xiaomei said: “You don’t need to be. I’ll be strong too.”
Wang Liting left in the end.
Ye Xiaomei watched Wang Liting’s figure recede further and further until it completely disappeared down the corridor. Then she led Cheng Lele back to the hospital room.
Cheng Lele saw several drops of blood on Ye Xiaomei’s hand where the IV needle had been—probably from pulling out the IV tube in a hurry.
Ye Xiaomei walked to the bedside, pulled out a phone from the drawer, stuffed it into her hand, and said: “Captain Fang sent my phone over. Call if you want to call.”
As soon as the phone was taken out, Chen Tao’s call came through. Ye Xiaomei put it on speaker. The other party first expressed shock and condolences about Cheng Dong’s death, then informed her that he was in a closed meeting in Beijing and had requested leave from his leaders several times without approval. But if there were any issues, he could have his secretary fly back to Taixi to help handle things.
Ye Xiaomei politely expressed thanks and stated again that with help from the police force, they probably wouldn’t need to trouble him.
After hanging up, the corners of Ye Xiaomei’s mouth lifted in a trace of mockery. She put the phone back in Cheng Lele’s hands.
Cheng Lele held the phone, her hands involuntarily trembling again. Her palm was scratched too painfully—she could barely hold on.
“Why aren’t you calling?” Ye Xiaomei’s cold gaze looked at her. “Are you afraid that after An’an answers the phone, he’ll choose to come back after the exam like his godparents, making the same choice?”
Cheng Lele’s voice was almost blown away by the wind: “Mom, please stop.”
Mom had always been such a gentle person. Why had she suddenly become like this?
Ye Xiaomei lowered her eyes. Like Cheng Lele, she was someone who had grown up being cherished. Back then, her parents had her late in life and had always treated her as the pearl in their palm. An ordinary social gathering led her to fall in love with Cheng Dong. They became husband and wife, and she married far from home. The two were devoted to each other, their small family warm. Cheng Dong never let her suffer the slightest grievance.
A woman in her forties without a trace of weathering on her face.
The fragile mother and daughter saw life open its bloody maw at them for the first time, revealing terrifying fangs.
Ye Xiaomei became the most sensitive one. She resented heaven’s injustice, resented Cheng Dong’s cruelty in abandoning her, resented Wang Liting and Chen Tao’s condescending, class-gap-displaying, hypocritical concern.
The Cheng family had raised their child as their own son, but their family couldn’t even attend the funeral for various reasons. And when Wang Liting saw Cheng Lele, all she had was one cold-hearted, cold-faced “you must be strong.” She had actually fantasized about marrying Cheng Lele into such a family?!
“Lele, no matter how close two families are, in the end they’re still two families.” Ye Xiaomei said slowly.
The snow outside the window was blindingly bright. Cheng Lele blinked. She thought the criminal must have shot more than once at Dad’s chest—otherwise, why was her chest also bleeding profusely?
“You’ve received a lot of care from An’an, but An’an was ultimately raised by us. All things considered, they owe us more. Just now Wang Liting gave a sum of gift money—not a small amount. I accepted it. Consider it even between us.”
The adult world looked complex yet simple. Originally, there had been so many intricate and close exchanges between the two families, growing intertwined like vines—an account impossible to sort out. But in the end, through addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, a profit or loss could be calculated. Then a method could be devised to balance the books, finally achieving a “neither owing the other” that both parties could accept with peace of mind.
Cheng Lele sat in the hospital room, staring blankly at the sparrows outside the window. The sky was overcast gray, oppressively stifling. She stroked the scars on her palm and slowly uttered one word: “Okay.”