Chapter 227 (Third Update) Passed away peacefully, suddenly...

After calming the child down, Tang Mingli was finally able to call her husband.

After learning about this, Fu Ci didn't say much, only reassuring his wife and mother that he would go home immediately.

Fu's mother and Tang Mingli thought that immediately, at the very least, he should finish dealing with his work in Shenzhen. After all, Grandpa Fu wasn't in any immediate danger.

However, to everyone's surprise, he left home that very night.

At this moment, Madam Fu had just returned from the hospital. When she saw her grandson, who should have been in Shenzhen, appear before her, she stood there stunned for a few seconds.

When I came to my senses again, the strength I had maintained all day had cracked, and my voice trembled involuntarily when I spoke.

"Why did Aci suddenly come back?"

Fu Ci carefully examined his grandmother and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she was alright.

"I came back to see Grandpa."

"You've already been to the hospital?" Madam Fu knew her grandson well and guessed that he must have already been to the hospital.

As expected, Fu Ci nodded.

Madam Fu, with an air of "I knew it," said to him, "As you know from what I've seen, your grandfather is fine, it's just that people's health inevitably deteriorates with age."

She knew that her children were afraid of worrying her and didn't even dare to mention her husband in front of her. But she knew better than anyone else, and even earlier than anyone else, that her husband's health was deteriorating day by day.

She felt sorry for her grandson's long journey and told him, "Don't rush back like this in the future. You're not a young man in your twenties anymore. You can't handle it."

Fu Ci smiled and said, "I am a strong middle-aged man in my early forties."

"Your child is almost in elementary school, and you're only now learning to talk."

After a brief change of topic, Madam Fu's mood improved.

She spent the whole day at the hospital with her grandson, and at her age, it's really taking a toll. So even though it's been so long since she last saw him, she didn't chat and went back to her room to rest.

Now she has to take better care of herself, otherwise, not to mention taking care of her husband, if two elderly people in the family fall ill at the same time, the children will be exhausted.

Besides, the old man is still alright, isn't he?

After his grandmother fell asleep, Fu Ci also planned to stay at the hospital with his grandfather.

My father is getting old, and I'm worried that his health won't be able to handle keeping watch all night.

Tang Mingli knew that this was indeed the right thing to do. There were old people and young children in the family, and only she and Fu Ci were of working age. Of course, they had to stand up for the family when something happened.

Although it is already April, the weather in Guangcheng is still quite cool.

She handed her husband a coat that was neither too thick nor too thin, so he could put it on if he got cold.

As Fu Ci took the coat his wife handed him, he also took her hand.

As he expected, his wife's hands were very cold.

She always takes good care of herself, especially in these small details. Today, she must be so distracted that she can't even take care of her own body.

"Take good care of yourself too," Fu Ci told his wife, then added, "Don't make me worry."

Tang Mingli grasped her husband's hand in return and nodded.

"The hospital has folding beds for rent. If you're tired, just lie down and rest. Don't be silly and stay up all night."

"Okay." After replying to his wife, he looked at his mother and said, "I'll go and relieve Dad. You two get some rest. I'll take care of Grandpa."

“Yes.” Mrs. Fu nodded emphatically.

For some reason, even though I know my son isn't a doctor and can't cure diseases, seeing him come back makes me feel inexplicably at ease.

-

When Fu Ci returned this time, he stayed at the hospital with Grandpa Fu for two days.

Two days later, Mr. Fu's overall condition improved significantly. The doctor believed that it might be better for the elderly man to be discharged and go home to recuperate, so Mr. Fu's family completed the discharge procedures for him.

As soon as he got home, Grandpa Fu started grumbling, "It's so much more comfortable at home. I was in the hospital for three days, and my bones almost fell apart."

Madam Fu said to him, "You're so ungrateful! You're already complaining just because you're lying in bed. Fu Ci is still taking care of you in the hospital, and Mingli has to pick up and drop off the kids and bring you meals. Isn't that better? Do you see how much she's suffering?"

Grandpa Fu was silenced after being told off.

After sitting in the living room for a while, he couldn't sit still any longer and started grumbling that he wanted to go outside and find someone to play chess with.

Madam Fu then said to him, "You've only just been discharged from the hospital, and you're already restless. It's quite chilly in the mornings and evenings now; be careful not to go outside and catch a cold."

Grandpa Fu defended himself, looking aggrieved: "But I was really bored."

Fu Cheng'an could tell that his father was really bored in the hospital, so he said to his mother, "I'll go out for a walk with Dad, we'll be back in a couple of rounds."

With her son by her side, Madam Fu said nothing more, only emphasizing, "Just take a couple of turns and you'll be back."

...

No secrets stay hidden forever; the neighbors eventually found out that Grandpa Fu was hospitalized.

Several of his close friends, with whom he often played chess, saw him and immediately inquired about his health.

Grandpa Fu naturally insisted that nothing was wrong.

But age is a factor, and being stubborn won't help.

His friend advised him to take care of his health, which wouldn't have been a big deal if he had just said that, but he added afterward, "After all, you're not that old anymore."

Grandpa Fu was displeased upon hearing this and retorted, "How old are you this year?"

The other person honestly replied, "Seventy-eight years old."

Upon hearing this age, Grandpa Fu paused, losing his confidence to refute.

The two looked about the same age, and I thought the other was about the same age as me.

He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Seventy-eight years old, so young."

Fu Cheng'an, who was standing nearby, overheard this and couldn't help but laugh.

Seventy-eight years old is not young, so how could I not find it funny to hear someone remark on how young they are? But my father's sentiment is not wrong. An eighty-year-old man hearing that someone is almost ten years younger than him is bound to feel a sense of youthfulness.

After muttering to himself, Grandpa Fu saw the chessboard next to him and immediately got the urge to play chess, asking the others if they wanted to play.

They had just finished playing chess all afternoon and were really getting ready to go home.

Grandpa Fu was somewhat disappointed, but seeing that the others also had white hair and walked with difficulty, he couldn't force them to stay and play the next game with him.

After his health deteriorated, he understood even more what it meant to be powerless to control one's own destiny.

He said to his chess friends with deep feeling, "Although you are younger than me, you have to accept that you are getting old and take care of your health."

The group laughed.

“Zhenhua knows how to care for people after going to the hospital and coming back.”

"Don't worry, the local dialect spoken by us is quite strong."

"I really don't have time today. Let's come out early tomorrow and have a fierce battle. I'm going to make sure you lose face."

After making their boastful claims, the group went home one after another.

After walking around for a while, Grandpa Fu got bored and went home.

Madam Fu was probably surprised by his quick return and smiled, saying, "I didn't expect him to be so obedient this time."

Grandpa Fu gave a light snort and offered no explanation.

I have no choice but to come back; I'm really too old to walk anymore.

...

Spring is drawing to a close, and the weather forecast says that temperatures in Guangzhou will rise across the board in about ten days.

Tang Mingli has never been so eager for the weather to warm up as she has this year.

In her past life, she often heard people say that the elderly fear winter the most, because it is so hard to endure. It wasn't until this year that she truly understood what that meant.

Perhaps when the weather gets warmer, Grandpa's health will gradually improve.

Tang Mingli looked forward to it.

However, to everyone's surprise, on a late spring morning in 1993, Mr. Fu was sitting on the edge of his bed, basking in the sun. In just a short while, he passed away in the morning light.

He passed away peacefully, suddenly, without any pain.

Fu Ci was the first to notice that something was wrong with Grandpa Fu.

He wanted to pour his grandfather a glass of water, but when he turned around, he found that his grandfather was sleeping too quietly.

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately had a bad feeling.

He rushed forward, trying to wake his grandfather, but found that he could no longer wake him.

This elderly man, who lived through the war years, witnessed the devastation of his country and sacrificed his life to rebuild it. In the last ten years of his life, he saw the country getting better and better.

Everyone in the Fu family believed that he left without any regrets.

-

After handling the affairs of Old Master Fu's funeral, the Fu family's attention turned to Old Madam Fu.

They were worried that she wouldn't be able to handle the blow.

Madam Fu clearly realized this, so she simply took the initiative to explain it to the children.

"I'm already eighty-three years old, and I take life and death much less seriously than you do. So don't worry about me, just keep doing what you're supposed to do. I'll continue living my life the way I always have."

Can we really just continue living our lives the way we always have?

That night, Tang Mingli and Fu Ci tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, both thinking about how they would live in the future.

Tang Mingli said, "Xiaoyu will be starting elementary school in September."

Fu Ci nodded.

He knew that, of course, but he also knew that wasn't what his wife meant.

"Are you really going to let her study in Guangcheng?"

If they really do go to school here, then they'll definitely be here for all six years of primary school. Unless absolutely necessary, Tang Mingli doesn't agree with transferring her child to another school.

Transferring schools not only requires adapting to a different teaching style but also making new friends. Although children are adaptable, they are innocent and pure, and the pain of parting from close friends can have a significant impact on them.

Fu Ci smiled and said, "Then let the child continue to study here. The schools in this area are all good schools."

“I know, but…”

After experiencing her grandfather's situation, Tang Mingli felt more and more that her family should not live apart for many years.

After his grandfather's health deteriorated, Fu Ci frequently traveled between two places, and he visibly became thinner.

Grandma is getting old, and you never know when she might suddenly become unwell. And then there are my father-in-law and mother-in-law; although they are younger, they are still elderly.

An elderly person's health can deteriorate at any time. What if things really get to that point? Would we expect Fu Ci to keep running back and forth like he has been doing recently?

Even if Fu Ci were physically strong, he couldn't withstand this for long.

If Fu Ci also falls, this family will truly collapse.

Fu Ci sensed his wife's fear, hugged her from behind, and gently comforted her, "I admit I've been a bit tired lately, but don't worry, I'll take care of myself and I won't collapse."

"But……"

Tang Mingli's mind was in turmoil.

Fu Ci patted her head and changed his words, "Aren't there still a few months left? Don't rush, let's think it through slowly over these few months, okay?"

Tang Mingli nodded.

She was indeed flustered and panicked.

They have a few months; they can discuss it slowly.