The April wind carried a hint of warmth, yet it couldn't dispel the oppressive atmosphere of the commune hospital ward. Old Mrs. Shen lay on the bed by the window, her face as pale as paper, an IV drip in her arm, the medicine slowly dripping from the transparent tube, refracting dappled sunlight. Lin Wanqiu sat on a wooden stool beside the bed, carefully tucking the blanket around Old Mrs. Shen. Her fingertips touched the old woman's slightly cool hand, and a wave of tenderness washed over her.

"Mom, how are you feeling? Would you like some water?" Lin Wanqiu asked softly, her voice gentle, unlike the one she used to use when she was bullied by her in-laws and argued with them. Since Old Mrs. Shen was hospitalized, she had temporarily handed over the work of her shop in the city to Wang Fugui to help look after. Every morning, she would prepare light liquid food and deliver it to the hospital, help the old lady wipe her face, feed her, and massage her swollen legs, before rushing back to the city in the evening.

Grandma Shen slowly opened her eyes, her cloudy gaze falling on Lin Wanqiu. Her lips moved slightly, and her voice was hoarse: "No need... You go about your business, don't waste time here." Although her words were harsh, they lacked their usual sarcasm, and there was even a hint of barely perceptible guilt hidden in her eyes.

Lin Wanqiu smiled, took an apple out of the cloth bag she had brought, cut it into small pieces with a knife that had been scalded with boiling water, and handed it to Old Madam Shen's mouth: "It's no trouble. Tingzhou and Boss Wang are helping out at the shop, so it's fine. Eat some apple to replenish your vitamins and you'll recover faster."

Grandma Shen hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth and took the apple slice. The sweet fruity aroma spread in her mouth, and she suddenly remembered all the difficulties she had made for Lin Wanqiu in the past—making her wash clothes by the river in the cold winter, deliberately hiding the rice porridge she had cooked for Nian'an, and colluding with Zhang Lan to sow discord between her and Shen Tingzhou... Looking at her daughter-in-law who was busy running around in front of her, she felt as if something was blocking her heart, and she felt extremely uncomfortable.

“Late Autumn…” Old Mrs. Shen suddenly spoke, her voice trembling, “In the past… I was sorry to you, please don’t take it to heart.”

Lin Wanqiu paused for a moment, then looked up at Old Madam Shen. Seeing the tears welling up in the old woman's eyes, her heart softened. "Mom, what's past is past. Now, it's more important for you to get well. We're family, there's no reason for us to hold grudges."

Just then, the ward door was pushed open, and Shen Tingzhou walked in carrying a food box, still carrying the fresh breeze from outside: "Mom, Wanqiu, I bought your favorite millet porridge and boiled eggs." He placed the food box on the bedside table, first tucking the blanket around Old Madam Shen, then turned and handed Lin Wanqiu a hot towel, "You've been running all the way, wipe your sweat."

Lin Wanqiu took the towel, wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead, and watched as Shen Tingzhou skillfully ladled out millet porridge, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it, and then offered it to Old Lady Shen's lips. Sunlight fell on the couple, outlining a warm silhouette. Watching this scene, Old Lady Shen's cloudy eyes welled up with tears—she had lived most of her life and never imagined that one day, this daughter-in-law, whom she had once regarded as an "outsider," would take care of her like her own daughter.

"Tingzhou, sit down for a while, don't always be running around," Grandma Shen said softly, her tone gentler than ever before.

Shen Tingzhou smiled and sat down on the wooden stool next to Lin Wanqiu: "It's alright, I'm young and not tired. You should eat well, the doctor said you need to replenish your nutrition so you can be discharged from the hospital sooner."

Over the next few days, Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou took turns caring for her at the hospital. During the day, Shen Tingzhou went to the village workshops to coordinate raw materials to ensure the supply of goods to the city shops. At night, he stayed in the ward, helping Grandma Shen turn over, collect her urine, and feed her her nighttime medication. He would wake up to check on her at the slightest noise during the night. Lin Wanqiu was responsible for taking care of her during the day. She also specially took out some mild nutritional powder from her spatial storage and mixed it into the porridge to supplement Grandma Shen's nutrition. The old woman's complexion gradually improved.

That noon, Lin Wanqiu was massaging Old Mrs. Shen's legs when she suddenly heard Zhang Lan's voice outside the ward, mixed with Old Mrs. Shen's cough. She got up and opened the door, and saw Old Mrs. Shen and Zhang Lan standing at the door with a basket of eggs, both of them looking uneasy.

“Wanqiu, we…we’ve come to see Mom.” Zhang Lan’s voice was a little unnatural, and she gripped the basket tightly in her hand, as if afraid of being rejected. Ever since Old Madam Shen was hospitalized, she hadn’t dared to come, partly because she felt guilty for making things difficult for Lin Wanqiu in the past, and partly because she was afraid that Old Madam Shen was still angry.

Lin Wanqiu stepped aside to let them in, smiling as she said, "Big brother, sister-in-law, come in quickly, Mom has been talking about you."

When Shen Laoda entered the ward and saw Shen Laotai on the hospital bed, his eyes instantly reddened: "Mom, how are you? It's all my fault for not taking good care of you." He works away from home most of the year and rarely comes home. This time, when he heard that his mother was hospitalized, he took leave and rushed back.

When Grandma Shen saw her son and daughter-in-law, her heart warmed, but she deliberately put on a stern face: "You still know to come? I thought you had forgotten about this old woman."

Zhang Lan quickly stepped forward, placed the eggs on the bedside table, and said awkwardly, "Mom, how could we forget you? I've been boiling eggs at home these past few days, thinking that you could eat them so I brought them over. I was immature before and always argued with Wanqiu. Please don't be angry, I will definitely change in the future."

Lin Wanqiu smiled and smoothed things over: "Sister-in-law, let's not talk about the past. Now let's take care of Mom together and help her get better as soon as possible. If you're not busy, you can come to the hospital to help out during the day. I have to go back to the city to check on the shop in the afternoon."

Zhang Lan's eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded: "Busy? Not busy at all! I'll come every day from now on and help you take care of Mom!"

From that day on, the number of people in the ward increased. Every morning, Shen Laoda would come to the hospital to help Shen Laotai bathe, and at noon he would go home to cook and deliver the food to the hospital; Zhang Lan was responsible for taking care of her during the day, feeding the elderly woman water and massaging her. Although she was clumsy, she was extremely conscientious, and she even remembered clearly the "gently massage the legs to promote blood circulation" that Lin Wanqiu had taught her.

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