Qiao Dashan pulled them aside: "Have you gone home yet? Did your sister-in-law give you the red dress?"

Su Chenhao nodded; the red dress had already been put inside his clothes before he left.

Relieved, Qiao Dashan spoke again: "She only has one breath left. Grandpa said that the old lady is probably waiting for Xiao Ni to come back, but I don't know if it's true or not."

Go in and check on her in a bit, try to say some nice things to her. When it comes to the final step, everything that happened before is forgotten.

Qiao Xiaoni: "Brother, let's go in now!"

Qiao Dashan nodded, turned around, lifted the curtain, and entered the main house.

Qiao Xiaoni followed her in. What came into view was the old woman lying in the center of the kang (heated brick bed), with two young men on either side. They were likely her immediate family members, but she didn't recognize them and could only glance at them briefly.

When Qiao Tianli saw his granddaughter and grandson-in-law return, he quickly got up and went to greet them: "Why did you come back so quickly? Did something happen on the way?"

"No, we were just a little tired from the journey. We took a taxi back, not the train," Su Chenhao replied.

Qiao Xiaoni walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) to look at Qiao Sunshi. She was breathing heavily, and it was clear that she was on her deathbed.

"Grandma, I've come back to see you."

Qiao Sunshi opened her eyes a little, and when she saw that it was Qiao Xiaoni, a smile finally appeared on her face.

"It's good that you're back..."

Qiao Xiaoni sighed inwardly, recalling how the old lady had been sitting in the yard, full of energy and scolding people just a few months ago, and how she had changed so much in such a short time. People are actually quite fragile; they can leave just like that.

Li Meihua and Wang Qin wiped away their tears; all the unpleasantness of the past vanished in that moment. Sending their mother-in-law off on her final journey was their duty as daughters-in-law.

Qiao Haisheng and Qiao Xiaoshan asked Su Chenhao a few questions and learned that he had traveled safely.

Qiao Xiaoni didn't know what to say to the old woman, so she thought for a moment and asked, "Grandma, are you hungry? Do you want to eat or drink anything?"

"Hungry... I want some sweet soup." Having fulfilled her wish, Qiao Sunshi realized her stomach hadn't eaten in a long time. Suddenly craving something sweet, she knew her days were numbered, and so many people had come to her house. They were probably waiting for her to die. She felt content that so many had returned to see her.

Li Meihua quickly got down from the ground: "I'll go make the sugar water."

Wang Qin asked the old lady, "Mom, is there anything you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

Qiao Sunshi shook her head; she only wanted some soup, feeling that her life had been too bitter.

Just as everyone was lost in grief, someone was pushed in.

Upon closer inspection, isn't that Qiao Lingling?

His face was bruised and swollen, his hair was a mess, and his clothes had two holes in them.

Qiao Haixing then came in and knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Mom, your rebellious daughter is here. We've wronged you!"

Qiao Lingling almost fell, but Qiao Xiaoshan caught her.

Qiao Xiaoshan's action was subconscious. Upon seeing that the person pushed in was Qiao Lingling, he quickly let go of her hand. His face was full of disgust, and he even rubbed his hand vigorously on her clothes.

Qiao Lingling saw everyone in the room staring at her. Looking down at the kang (a heated brick bed), she saw that the old lady had become so thin she was barely recognizable. She was a completely different person from before she left. Back then, she could still sit on the kang and talk, but now she was clearly failing. At this moment, Qiao Lingling felt extremely regretful.