"Then...then let's get him admitted to the hospital immediately."

Li Chenyang suppressed his grief and pleaded, "Doctor, you must save my second uncle."

When Li Chenyang told his second aunt what had happened, she collapsed to the ground. Zhiqiang and Zhiming also had tears in their eyes.

"Dad...Dad he..." Zhiqiang couldn't finish his sentence.

"Don't panic," Li Chenyang reassured him.

The doctor said it's not too late to seek medical attention. Let's prepare for hospitalization as soon as possible.

Upon hearing the news, Ye Xiaoxiao rushed to the hospital. Seeing her second uncle in the hospital bed, she felt a pang of sorrow.

This usually cheerful elder was now lying there, looking utterly haggard.

"Xiaoxiao is here." Second Uncle forced a smile. "Thank you for spending so much."

"Second Uncle, please don't say that," Ye Xiaoxiao said, her eyes red-rimmed. "Just focus on getting better; don't worry about anything else."

"Yes, Dad," Zhiqiang said, holding his father's hand. "Just focus on getting better. Zhiming and I will take good care of Mom."

Uncle nodded, tears welling in his eyes: "Zhiqiang, you just got married, you should be happy, but instead..."

"Dad, please don't say anymore," Zhiqiang choked up, "Just focus on getting better."

After discussing it, Ye Xiaoxiao and Li Chenyang decided that Zhiming would stay at the store, while Li Chenyang would spend more time at the hospital taking care of his second uncle.

They also covered the costs of the surgery and treatment.

"Big brother, sister-in-law..." Zhiqiang wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words out.

"Stop talking," Li Chenyang patted his shoulder.

"You're my brother, so my second uncle is like my own uncle. It's only right that way."

The surgery is scheduled for three days from now. In the past few days, my second uncle's condition has been getting worse and worse; he can barely eat anything.

Ye Xiaoxiao specially bought some nutritional supplements, but her second uncle only took a small taste.

"Chenyang," one evening, his second uncle held Li Chenyang's hand, "you need to keep an eye on Zhiqiang and the others for me. My illness... might..."

"Second Uncle, don't talk nonsense." Li Chenyang gripped his second uncle's hand tightly. "The surgery will definitely be successful."

"I know," Uncle said with a bitter smile, "I just feel sorry for your aunt and the children. Zhiqiang just got married, and Zhiming isn't even married yet. If I leave..."

"Second Uncle!" Li Chenyang's voice choked with emotion, "Please don't say these things, taking good care of yourself is the most important thing."

My second uncle nodded and said nothing more, but tears kept flowing.

On the day of the surgery, the whole family waited outside the operating room.

Li Chenyang hugged his sobbing second aunt, while Zhiqiang and Zhiming stood aside, their faces pale.

Ye Xiaoxiao went to buy breakfast for everyone. Although she knew that no one could eat at this time, she still wanted to keep everyone's energy.

"Ye Xiaoxiao," her second aunt suddenly called out, "Thank you. We wouldn't know what to do without you."

Ye Xiaoxiao's eyes welled up with tears: "Second Aunt, please don't say that. Second Uncle has treated us well; it's only right that we do this."

The surgery lasted nearly five hours. When the doctor came out, everyone nervously surrounded him.

"The surgery went relatively smoothly," the doctor said, "but chemotherapy will be needed afterward, and the patient's willpower is very important."

Hearing this news, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But Ye Xiaoxiao knew that this was just the beginning, and there was still a long way to go.

"Zhiqiang," Ye Xiaoxiao called him aside, "you still need to keep your repair shop open, and continue with your work. Your second uncle and I will take care of things here, so don't worry too much."

Zhiqiang nodded: "Thank you, sister-in-law. I know what to do."

Looking at this young man who had suddenly matured, Ye Xiaoxiao felt both gratified and heartbroken. Zhiqiang had just gotten married and should have been enjoying a happy time, but instead he had to face such a blow.

On the way home, Ye Xiaoxiao held Li Chenyang's hand: "Second Uncle will definitely get better."

My second uncle's recovery after the surgery was not ideal.

Although the hospital facilities were excellent, and Ye Xiaoxiao and Li Chenyang had hired the best doctors...

But the illness relentlessly eroded my second uncle's body.

"Brother," Uncle said weakly, holding Li Jianguo's hand one day, "my illness might...you'll have to take better care of them, mother and children."

Li Jianguo, his eyes red-rimmed, said, "Second brother, don't say that. Just focus on getting better."

"I know what I'm doing." Although weak, Uncle was still quite lucid. "Zhiqiang just got married, and Zhiming is still young. I'm leaving now, so you'll have to keep an eye on him for me."

Relatives took turns visiting my second uncle in the hospital. Everyone advised him to have faith, but my second uncle seemed to have seen through everything.

"Xiaoxiao," Uncle said, holding Ye Xiaoxiao's hand, "all these years, we've been so grateful to you and Chenyang for taking care of Zhiqiang and Zhiming. In the future... we'll have to trouble you again."

"Second Uncle, what are you saying?" Ye Xiaoxiao said, fighting back tears. "You'll get better."

The doctor privately told the family the worst possible outcome: the cancer cells had already spread, and even chemotherapy would be unlikely to save them.

My second uncle insisted on going home. He said, "I want to go back and see that old house, and see my son and daughter-in-law."

His family couldn't persuade him otherwise, so they had to take him home. His second aunt took care of him day and night, and Zhiqiang and Zhiming also took turns taking leave to come back and keep him company.

Ye Xiaoxiao and Li Chenyang returned to the village every week to visit their second uncle. Although everyone knew the illness was incurable, they still clung to a sliver of hope.

Three months later, one morning, my second uncle passed away. He fell asleep in the rocking chair under the jujube tree in front of the door and never woke up again. He passed away peacefully, as if he were asleep.

"Sister-in-law..." The second aunt threw herself into her sister-in-law Liu Juan's arms and burst into tears.

Li Jianguo patted her back, tears streaming down his face, "Don't cry, we're here for you."

Zhiqiang knelt before the chair, tightly holding his father's hand, speechless for a long time. Zhiming stood by, silently shedding tears.

Ye Xiaoxiao watched this scene with a heart full of anguish. Remembering her second uncle's dying words, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Chenyang," Ye Xiaoxiao said, holding her husband's hand.

"We need to take better care of Second Aunt and the others. At least we need to make sure Zhiming gets a wife."

In the original book, Li Zhiming was a bachelor his whole life, never married, and took care of his elderly mother. He was always cheerful and happy.

But it's really heartbreaking to see.

Li Chenyang nodded: "That's only right."

In accordance with my second uncle's last wishes, the funeral was conducted in a very simple manner.

"Mom," Zhiqiang's wife said, supporting her second aunt, "Don't be too sad. Zhiqiang and I will definitely take good care of you."

The second aunt touched her son's hand: "Your father left in peace, because he knew you were there for him."

After his second uncle passed away, life had to go on. Zhiqiang persisted in opening the repair shop, and he and his wife finally had a livelihood.

He's quite versatile; he can repair cars and appliances.

Basically, people from several nearby villages have their things repaired here.

Ye Xiaoxiao and Li Chenyang often visit their second aunt, sometimes bringing her food, sometimes just keeping her company and talking to her.

Although life was tough, the family supported each other and gradually got through it.