Chapter 12 Grandma Huo's Kindness
Lin Xili parked her electric scooter in the designated spot behind the guesthouse.
The space was spacious, and white lines clearly marked the parking spaces for electric vehicles on the concrete ground, making it look like a miniature car parking lot.
She had just pulled out her keys when her phone rang.
The caller ID on the screen reads: Mom.
My heart felt as if it had been struck by something, and suddenly tightened.
After being away from home for several days without any news, have they finally remembered her?
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone, her fingertips growing cold.
She took a deep breath, pressed the answer button, and held the phone close to her ear.
"mom."
Song Yuan's indifferent voice came from the other end of the phone:
"Xi Li, Jon Snow's wedding is set for the eighth day of next month. Time is a bit tight, and many things haven't been finalized yet."
“Your sister-in-law is pregnant again and has severe morning sickness, so it's not convenient for her to do much. Weren't you suspended from your job? Anyway, you don't have much to do, so why don't you help keep an eye on the wedding setup and make sure nothing goes wrong?”
Lin Xili closed her eyes, a chill spreading from the bottom of her heart, colder than the temperature of her fingertips.
Just as I expected.
She had actually hoped for something just now.
"I am not in Hong Kong right now."
"Not in the city? Aren't you in your room?"
Song Yuan clearly thought she was still at home, but was hiding in her room and unwilling to go out because she was afraid of losing face.
"I went out to get medical treatment," Lin Xili replied casually.
"Treating illnesses? Aren't you a forensic doctor? Why are you treating yourself?"
"Besides, your hyperthyroidism isn't a life-threatening illness. Didn't you say the doctor said that taking some medicine would control it?"
"Why bother going out of town for treatment? Where else can you find medical care that compares to the city? I think you're just doing this on purpose, making excuses!"
A series of questions and accusations followed, with not a single word of concern for her health, not a single inquiry about her whereabouts or whether her treatment was going smoothly; only dissatisfaction and speculation about her disobedience to the arrangements.
Lin Xili felt a deep sense of powerlessness and absurdity. Her throat felt blocked, and even breathing became difficult.
She suppressed the bitterness in her heart and said calmly:
“Mom, even doctors can’t heal themselves. I studied forensic medicine, not clinical medicine, let alone endocrinology. I came out here to find a professional thyroid doctor.”
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone; Song Yuan hadn't expected her to refute it like that.
“I don’t care where you watch it, this is a big family event. As the older sister, it’s fine if you don’t care at all, but you must come back for the wedding. We can’t let outsiders laugh at us, do you hear me?”
Lin Xili knew that she had to go back to this wedding no matter what.
Even though she was unwilling, even though the scene was no different from a public execution for her.
She is Lin Xuenuo's older sister; this is an identity that cannot be changed.
She didn't want to engage in pointless arguments on the phone anymore; it would only make her more exhausted.
"I understand. I'll go back the day before the wedding, attend the ceremony, and leave again on the same day."
"Leaving today? Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Is the family short of food or lodging?"
Song Yuan was clearly dissatisfied with her arrangements.
"My treatment cannot be delayed."
Song Yuan choked for a moment on the other end, then said irritably, "Alright, alright, remember to come back early, don't make things difficult!"
He then hung up the phone.
Hearing the busy tone from his phone, Lin Xili remained in the same position, still answering the call, standing there for a long time.
The parking lot was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat, heavy and slow, one beat after another.
She stared at the electric scooter she had just bought, as this phone call from Hong Kong pulled her back into that cold and realistic vortex.
She couldn't escape it in the end.
Even though his body had escaped, the invisible shackles and his identity as the second son of the Lin family still haunted him.
She returned to the guesthouse as if she had lost her soul, and as soon as she entered, she ran into Grandma Huo coming out of the kitchen.
Seeing that she was pale, Grandma Huo asked with concern, "Miss Xili, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Lin Xili snapped back to reality, met Grandma Huo's worried gaze, forced a smile, and shook her head:
"It's nothing, Grandma. It's just a phone call from home. There's something I need to talk about."
She didn't want to say more, nor did she want anyone to see the mess behind her.
"Oh, something happened at home? If you need to go back and take care of it, then go ahead."
"By the way, lunch is almost ready. There's no seafood this time. I asked Nan Chen about the precautions and even went out to buy non-iodized salt and non-iodized soy sauce. I didn't add any other seasonings."
Grandma Huo, fearing she would refuse, unleashed her ultimate weapon:
"The food outside is all seasoned with iodized salt, so you have to avoid iodine for a month."
"Don't be shy. Nan Chen goes to work during the day, and it's lonely for me to eat alone. Just keep Grandma company, okay?"
Lin Xili knew that Grandma Huo was saying that on purpose.
An elderly person I've only known for a few days is so considerate, even switching to non-iodized salt and soy sauce.
Looking at the steamed pork ribs, freshwater bass, and blanched bok choy on the table, and recalling the seafood feast at the Lin family villa that day, her eyes welled up with tears.
I can no longer bring myself to say no.
"Thank you, Grandma. I'll go upstairs and put my things away, then come right back down." She thanked her, her voice choked with emotion, and turned to hurry upstairs.
Grandma Huo watched her retreating figure and sighed with heartache.
Although I don't know what she went through, my heartache for her is genuine.
Back in her room, Lin Xili closed the door and leaned against it, feeling utterly weak.
Letting go is not that easy.
My sister's wedding...
She wanted to go back, to witness it all with a smile, and even to busy herself with preparations and entertain guests that day.
Just imagining that scene sends a sharp, stabbing pain through my heart.
She went to the terrace, took a few deep breaths to calm her turbulent emotions, and then went downstairs to eat.
Grandma Huo is still waiting for her.
Lin Xili sat at the dining table. The ribs that Grandma Huo had picked up were steaming hot. She lowered her head and took a small bite. They were delicious.
A long-lost feeling of being cared for welled up inside me, and my eyes welled up with tears again.
Grandma Huo looked at her with a smile and picked up another piece of sea bass: "I asked Nan Chen, this fish is a freshwater fish, try it and see if it's fresh."
Lin Xili nodded with food in her mouth, her throat tightening, unable to speak for a moment.
At the Lin family home, Lin Junsheng and Lin Xuenuo's preferences always take precedence at the dinner table; no one will prepare a dish she likes separately.
Her parents always put food into her older brother and younger sister's bowls, but never gave her a single bite.
Grandma Huo didn't ask much about family matters, only occasionally telling some interesting stories about the town.
As Lin Xili listened, her tense nerves gradually relaxed, and even her appetite improved.
After the meal, she couldn't help but say, "Grandma, thank you. Please accept my payment for the meal, otherwise I'll feel really bad."
Grandma Huo knew her personality and said with a smile, "How about this? The meal doesn't cost much. You can wash the dishes after the meal, okay?"
Lin Xili nodded vigorously.
She knew that if she measured this kindness in terms of money, Grandma Huo would be unhappy.
She immediately cleared away the dishes and brought them into the small but tidy kitchen.
Grandma Huo leaned against the door frame and looked around, reminding her, "The dish soap is in the cabinet on the left. The tap water here is spring water, which is quite cold. Mix some over the red dot and wash with warm water so your hands won't feel cold."
Lin Xili hummed in agreement, turned on the tap, and adjusted the water flow slightly towards the red dot.
Warm water flowed down my fingertips, washing away the grease on the dishes.
She wasn't very quick, after all, she had never washed dishes at home, only her lunchbox at the company cafeteria.
Grandma Huo told her to take her time washing and not to rush.
After washing the dishes, she dried them and put them in the sterilizer. She also wiped the stove until it shone, and didn't even miss the water stains in the corners of the sink.
As I turned around, Grandma Huo was standing behind me, holding a small cloth bag.
“Miss Xili, this contains some dried honeysuckle and chrysanthemum. I dried them myself and didn’t add anything. You can steep them in water and drink them to reduce internal heat.”
Lin Xili took the cloth bag, her fingertips touching the dried flowers and leaves, and a refreshing fragrance filled her nostrils.
"Grandma, I can't accept this..."
"What's there to be embarrassed about? A cheerful mood will help you recover faster. Don't think about those worries; just treat this place as a vacation for yourself."
Lin Xili clutched the cloth bag, tears finally streaming down her face: "Grandma, thank you."
"Silly child, don't thank me!"
She thought that by leaving that home, she had escaped all the coldness.
Unexpectedly, in this unfamiliar town, an elderly man she didn't know gave her a warmth she had never experienced before.
"Grandma, may I...may I hug you?" Lin Xili asked softly.
She wanted to try and see what it felt like to hug her loved ones.
Grandma Huo smiled and pulled her into her arms.
She had a faint floral scent on her, a fragrance from years of tending to the flowers and plants in the yard.
There was no stiffness in the elderly's body, only warmth.
Lin Xili closed her eyes, her eyes reddening.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com