"No problem!" Shen Nian'an patted her chest and assured him, "I'll definitely draw it beautifully!"
As the family was talking, hurried footsteps came from the courtyard gate. Zhang Lan ran in, panting, her face pale: "Wanqiu... Tingzhou... something bad has happened... Mom... she's fainted!"
Lin Wanqiu's heart tightened, and she almost dropped the bowl of porridge in her hand. Although Old Mrs. Shen hadn't treated her well before, she was, after all, Shen Tingzhou's mother and the children's grandmother. She immediately stood up: "What happened? Why did Mom faint?"
“Mom went to the river to wash clothes this morning, and she collapsed as soon as she squatted down. The neighbor saw her and quickly helped her home. She still hasn’t woken up.” Zhang Lan was so anxious that she kept stamping her feet. “I originally wanted to go find a doctor, but I thought you were in the city, so I came here first.”
Shen Tingzhou's expression was grave: "Don't panic, I'll go back now. Go to the commune hospital and call a doctor. Wanqiu, you stay home and take care of Nian'an and Xixi. I'll go back and check on the situation first."
“No, I’m going back with you.” Lin Wanqiu said firmly. “Nian’an, you stay home and look after your sister. Mom and Dad are going to check on Grandma and will be back soon.”
Shen Nian'an nodded sensibly: "Mom, don't worry, I will take good care of my sister. Be careful on your way."
Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou hurried towards the village. The wind carried the chill of early spring, but it couldn't dispel the anxiety in their hearts. Lin Wanqiu looked at Shen Tingzhou's tense profile, her heart filled with mixed emotions—although Old Mrs. Shen was harsh, Shen Tingzhou had always been filial to his mother. She didn't know how serious Old Mrs. Shen's fainting was, and if something serious had happened, Shen Tingzhou would definitely blame himself.
"Don't worry too much, Mom has always been in good health. Maybe it's just low blood sugar," Lin Wanqiu comforted softly, reaching out to hold Shen Tingzhou's hand.
Shen Tingzhou nodded, then took her hand in his, feeling the warmth of her touch: "Thank you, Wanqiu. I don't know what I would do without you."
Lin Wanqiu smiled, but she knew very well that no matter how many conflicts there had been in the past, now that Old Mrs. Shen was ill, she, as her daughter-in-law, had a duty to be filial. Moreover, she was no longer the helpless widow she once was; now she had the ability and the confidence to deal with these family matters.
As they approached the village entrance, they could see neighbors gathered around Old Lady Shen's yard, with the doctor busy inside. Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou quickly ran over. The doctor, seeing them, breathed a sigh of relief: "You've arrived. The patient fainted due to high blood pressure. Fortunately, she was brought to the hospital in time and is fine, but she needs to be hospitalized for observation for a few days and prescribed some medication."
Shen Tingzhou breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked him, "Thank you, doctor. We'll take Mom to the commune hospital now."
Lin Wanqiu looked at the pale-faced Old Mrs. Shen lying on the bed and breathed a sigh of relief. She walked to the bedside and said softly, "Mom, don't worry, we'll take you to the hospital, you'll get better soon."
Grandma Shen slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Lin Wanqiu, a complex look flashed in her eyes, but she wasn't as harsh as before. She just gave a soft "hmm".
In the days that followed, Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou took turns caring for Old Mrs. Shen at the hospital. Every morning, Lin Wanqiu would prepare breakfast and deliver it to the hospital, help Old Mrs. Shen wash her face, and feed her. In the afternoon, she would return to the city to manage her shop. Shen Tingzhou, on the other hand, was responsible for staying with Old Mrs. Shen at night, helping her turn over, massaging her, and getting up several times during the night to check on her. Zhang Lan would occasionally come to the hospital to help, but she was always clumsy, and in the end, Lin Wanqiu had to teach her how to care for a patient step by step.
Grandma Shen saw this and her heart gradually softened. One time, when Lin Wanqiu was feeding her medicine, she suddenly said, "Wanqiu, I was wrong before. I was never nice to you. Don't take it to heart."
Lin Wanqiu paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Mom, let's not talk about the past. Now, it's more important for you to get well than anything else."
Seeing the guilt in Old Mrs. Shen's eyes, Lin Wanqiu suddenly felt relieved. All the past grievances and difficulties seemed insignificant in the face of family and responsibility. She remembered her initial reason for transmigrating to this era: simply to survive and give Shen Nian'an a good life. But now, she had not only achieved that, but also gained so much more—a complete family, a successful career, and a group of people who supported her.
In the evening, Lin Wanqiu returned to the city from the hospital, where Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianxi were waiting for her at the shop. Shen Nian'an ran over and handed her a note: "Mom, the shop sold a lot of purple sweet potato cakes today, and Uncle Wang even said he wants to order next month's supply from us!"
When Shen Nianxi saw her, she reached out her little hands to hug her and sweetly called out, "Mommy!"
Lin Wanqiu picked up her daughter, feeling the soft little body in her arms, and looked at her son's proud smile, her heart filled with happiness. She knew that there would be more challenges in the future, such as the city's food fair, taking care of the ailing Grandma Shen, and balancing family and career. But she was not afraid, because she had Shen Tingzhou's support, her children's company, and her own resilient heart.
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