Chapter 237 The Sun Rises in the West
“No matter how unfilial he is, he is still the child I carried for ten months. I can hate him, but I can’t abandon him. As long as he still calls me ‘Mom,’ I have to endure it, even if I’m beaten, scolded, or trampled underfoot, I have to live.”
After hearing this, the woman shed a few more tears, which slowly slid down her cheeks and dripped onto her rough clothes, leaving a dark stain.
She held Zhao Lin's hand tightly, feeling a warm sensation in her palm, as if she wanted to pass on that faint warmth to him.
She whispered comforting words like "It will all be alright" and "Don't be too sad," her tone gentle and sincere, as if afraid of accidentally puncturing the thin veil of strength before her.
As she spoke, she gently massaged Zhao Lin's aching back and waist, her fingertips slowly kneading along his spine with meticulous and considerate movements.
Only after confirming that her complexion had eased somewhat did they slowly help her sit up, afraid that any sudden movement might aggravate her injury.
Zhao Lin held onto the edge of the bed, gritted his teeth, and stood up. He took a couple of steps, but his buttocks still ached terribly. Every step felt like an iron needle was stabbing back and forth in his bones.
Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and she staggered, almost kneeling down.
Seeing this, Dr. Mao's wife quickly walked over, picked up an old wooden cane from the corner of the wall. The surface of the cane had been worn smooth and shiny, and a strip of gray cloth was wrapped around the handle.
Without hesitation, she placed it in Zhao Lin's hand, her voice filled with undeniable concern: "Use this for now. Don't mind that it's old; as long as it lasts, it's fine. You don't need to buy a new one. You can return it to me once you've recovered."
Zhao Lin looked down at the cane, his heart warmed, and his throat tightened.
She didn't say anything, but silently took out a crumpled ten-yuan bill from her pocket and stuffed it into Dr. Mao's wife's hand.
She gripped her cane tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force, and walked out shakily, each step extremely slow yet exceptionally firm.
The cold wind howled outside, making the hem of her thin clothes flutter loudly.
She looked up and her gaze swept across the open space in front of the door, but she didn't see Zhou Anguo.
She stopped and turned to look at Dr. Mao, who was sitting on the doorstep smoking. Her voice was weak but tinged with urgency: "Where is my son, Anguo? Where did he go?"
Dr. Mao slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, which twisted and dispersed in the cold air.
He lazily flicked his cigarette ash, and the spark fell onto the muddy ground and went out instantly.
“He said it was too cold,” he said slowly, his tone nonchalant. “He didn’t know when you would be done, so he decided to go back first. He even said he would come pick you up when you were better.”
At first glance, these words seem like concern and thoughtfulness from a son who is worried about his mother waiting too long. However, upon closer examination, they reveal perfunctoriness and hypocrisy in every word.
I don't know when it will be good?
How do you know when to pick them up?
It's as if he's so filial and concerned about his family.
But anyone with eyes can see that it's just an excuse.
Actually, what is it?
Zhou Anguo wasn't worried about his mother at all; he was just annoyed by the cold weather, the freezing feet from standing for so long, and the fact that waiting would delay his return home for dinner.
He didn't think much about it at all. Seeing that his mother wouldn't be able to come out anytime soon, he simply slipped away without leaving a single honest word.
Dr. Mao clearly stated in front of Zhou Anguo that Zhao Lin was so injured that he would need crutches and wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least half a month, and would need someone to help him walk.
But Zhou Anguo didn't even frown when he heard this. He turned around and left without looking back.
Just before leaving, Zhao Lin forced a smile and gently coaxed him, "If your dad were at home, I would have hope. Now that you're with me, we can have a good life together."
Her tone was gentle and full of expectation, as if she wanted to use this warmth to keep her son from leaving.
But he still ran away, running away swiftly and decisively, without even the slightest hesitation.
Seeing Zhao Lin remain silent, only lowering her head and gripping her cane tightly, Dr. Mao quietly moved closer, lowering his voice so that only the two of them could hear: "Sister Zhao, of all your sons, the youngest is the most unreliable. I saw it with my own eyes yesterday afternoon; he and a bunch of thugs surrounded Zhao Fangyi's door, making a scene, insisting that people had read your books for free and that they had to pay compensation. They even tried to steal the little bit of wages people earned from their work!"
He paused, his tone full of indignation: "Think about it, how hard did Zhao Fangyi work to save that little bit of money? Every day he would go out before dawn to carry loads for miles, enduring injuries and illnesses all the while. His mother is blind and needs to take medicine every day, and he's the only one supporting her. Their family was already struggling financially, how can they possibly cope now?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Lin's face flushed intensely, and his ears turned bright red.
She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously picking at the wood grain of her cane, her lips trembling slightly.
After a long while, he spoke in a low voice, hoarse but firm: "I will pay back the money, not a penny less. I won't take a single cent that I shouldn't have taken."
Seeing her like this, Dr. Mao felt a pang of sadness in his heart.
He shook his head, sighed heavily, and softened his tone: "Sigh, everyone has their difficulties. But if you don't raise your child well, you'll be the one who suffers. How about this, I'll have my wife take you home. It's so cold, it's not safe for you to walk alone."
Zhao Lin raised his face, his gaze firm, and with his hand on his cane, his steps slow but unwavering: "No need, I can walk by myself."
She finished speaking, word by word, then turned around and, facing the cold wind, moved forward step by step.
His back was thin but straight, like an old bamboo that refused to bend.
Just as they reached the edge of the bamboo grove, they heard Aunt Mao chasing after them, scolding, "Are you stupid? Everyone knows how much Zhao Lin dotes on Anguo! Why did you have to bring that up? She's in a bad mood today, that's why she didn't lash out. If it were any other time, she would have spit on you like a sieve! — Don't you see the situation? It's not easy for her, a widow raising her child alone. She takes every harsh word from others as a knife to her heart. Anguo is her only hope. From childhood to adulthood, she hasn't let anyone touch a hair on her head. And you had to provoke her with this? Aren't you just asking for trouble?"
"You've heard it all, haven't you? Anyone who dares to say a bad word about her child, she immediately turns on them—as if someone is deliberately trying to harm her! Can't you use your brain for once? The other day, Aunt Li just said, 'Anguo studies so hard, he probably won't be able to take care of the family in the future,' and Zhao Lin immediately smashed her bowl, refused to eat, and went straight to her room with the child, refusing to leave. Are you really not afraid of getting into trouble? Or do you think you're thick-skinned enough to withstand her sharp tongue?"
Dr. Mao threw his cigarette butt on the ground and said in a muffled voice, "I know I'm quick to speak, but this is really outrageous... You know, Zhou Nuli is so old, yet he drinks and gambles all day long, even losing his son's tuition fees. What's the point of being a father like that? I just couldn't stand it, so I said a few words. By the way, you just said she was in a bad mood. Could it be that Zhou Nuli did this again? Did he incur debts again and come back to cause trouble? Or did he beat up An Guo? Otherwise, even if Zhao Lin has a bad temper, she wouldn't get angry at someone for no reason."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
