Chapter 229 (Second Update) Tang Mingli didn't overlook the milk...
If Gu's mother only felt a pang of heartache after hearing the first part, she was devastated after hearing this part.
She immediately thought of herself and her husband when they got old, sick but unable to afford medical treatment, and could only lie in their own bed groaning in pain.
Just thinking about it sent a chill down her spine.
She knew all too well how uncomfortable it was for people to get old.
When my mother-in-law was still alive, she often had aches and pains in her body starting in her fifties, but she would endure them on her own because she was worried about the cost. Sometimes, when the pain became too severe, she would get up in the middle of the night to drink hot water.
She's almost that age too. Although she considers herself to be healthier than that old hag, once you get old, there's no going back.
Am I really going to follow in my mother-in-law's footsteps in the future?
Just thinking about it made Gu's mother feel desolate.
Gu Wei wasn't stupid; he immediately understood the meaning behind his cousin's wife's words and replied, "What ordinary families seek is family reunion, right? Anyway, if my parents have any health problems in the future, I will definitely take care of them 24/7. I will personally take care of their every need, from eating and drinking to using the toilet, until they pass away."
These words, though spoken with great filial piety, made Gu Dazhi and his wife's hearts pound like drums.
Tang Mingli added casually, "My cousin is filial, but he only takes care of my basic needs like food, drink, and toileting. He can't afford to send me to the hospital for treatment. I'm afraid he won't be able to be filial for many more years."
you do not say.
Gu's mother silently accepted this sentence in her heart.
My mother-in-law was just too stingy with money. She wouldn't spend money to see a doctor even when she had a headache or fever, and she just toughed it out at home. Later, it got so serious that she ended up in the hospital and never came out again.
Moreover, this hospital admission was only granted under strong pressure from the Fu family...
Gu's mother was distracted as to what to talk about next.
She even forgot what she wanted to do when she came to the Fu family. All she knew was that when she left after having lunch at the Fu family's house, all she could think about was making sure her son earned as much money as he could while he was still able to work.
The child may be filial, but without money, they may be willing but unable to help.
A few days later, Tang Mingli received a call from Gu Lin, saying that her parents had agreed to her brother and sister-in-law going out to make their own way in the world.
Gu Lin on the other end of the phone had probably already heard her brother recount what happened that day, and kept saying, "Sister-in-law, you really have a way with things. You dealt with my difficult parents and helped my brother and sister-in-law solve a big problem."
Tang Mingli didn't really want to punish the two men; it's just that her grandfather had just passed away, and her grandmother was still very sad, so she didn't want her grandmother to be bothered by them. Otherwise, given her previous personality, she would either have gone upstairs to avoid seeing them or simply kicked them out.
Regardless of kinship, in her view, the most important thing is not to cause trouble; otherwise, even the closest relatives will be a nuisance in her eyes.
Thinking of her grandmother, Tang Mingli felt as if a stone was pressing on her heart.
She knew that although her grandmother seemed to be very open-minded about her grandfather's passing and accepted the fact calmly, eating and sleeping as usual every day, she was actually very sad inside.
One night, she got up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water and heard a noise downstairs. She quietly went down to check and found that it was her grandmother.
Grandma couldn't sleep at night and paced back and forth in the living room.
Sometimes she stared blankly at the study, sometimes she gazed absently at the corner where her grandfather used to sit and read the newspaper.
Clearly, she misses her grandfather.
Tang Mingli initially wanted to go downstairs to comfort her grandmother, but then she thought that she should give her grandmother an outlet to vent her sadness.
That night, for as long as Grandma stayed in the living room on the first floor, she hid at the corner of the stairs.
It was after that day that she suddenly had the idea that maybe they should move to a different place.
A change of environment might help everyone recover from the grief of losing their grandfather more quickly.
She had originally planned to discuss this matter with Fu Ci after he returned. But before he could come back, another unexpected event occurred at home.
That morning, Tang Mingli returned home after dropping her child off at school. As soon as she entered the door, she heard her mother-in-law say in a very surprised tone, "You're leaving?"
Tang Mingli looked bewildered, glancing back and forth at the three people in the living room.
There were only the father-in-law, mother-in-law, and Zhang Guihua in the living room.
It can't be that my father-in-law is leaving.
There is only one answer.
Tang Mingli looked at Zhang Guihua anxiously: "Aunt Guihua, are you leaving?"
Zhang Guihua had been living with the Fu family for decades, and to them, she was no different from family.
If she were to leave, neither her mother-in-law nor her grandmother would be willing to let her go.
Of course, Tang Mingli herself was also reluctant to part with it.
Zhang Guihua clearly knew this, but she did have reasons why she had to leave.
"I'm too old to do this anymore."
Tang Mingli felt guilty; Aunt Guihua was indeed almost sixty. Although they had hired an extra nanny after their daughter was born, it was tiring for two nannies to take care of so many people in the family, and she hadn't considered this carefully.
So she quickly said, "We'll hire another nanny. You don't need to do any work here anymore. Just keep Grandma and Grandma company and help them pass the time."
"How can that be? You pay me such a high salary, how can I not work?"
The salary the Fu family paid her was higher than what she earned as a technician in a state-owned factory.
It was precisely because of the Fu family's salary that she was able to raise her children and grandchildren. She has always been grateful to the Fu family and has worked honestly for them for decades.
She is actually very reluctant to leave now.
Tang Mingli and her mother-in-law repeatedly tried to persuade her to stay, so Zhang Guihua had no choice but to tell the truth.
"Actually, my eldest daughter-in-law is not in good health, and I have to go back to help take care of her."
Upon hearing that a family member was unwell, Tang Mingli and Fu's mother were speechless.
Trying to persuade them to stay at this point would be putting them in a difficult position.
However, if Zhang Guihua also leaves, Grandma will definitely be even more heartbroken.
Zhang Guihua had obviously thought of this as well. Her family had been urging her to go back for a long time, but she kept putting it off until now when she could no longer delay.
“I know that it would be too unfair to the old lady to say goodbye at this time.”
Tang Mingli didn't want her to leave with guilt, so she comforted her, "You've lived with us for so many years, and we're all reluctant to let you go. But Grandma will definitely understand, so don't worry."
She paused for a moment, then added, "If you really find it hard to say, I'll talk to Grandma. I'll try to comfort her."
Hearing this, Zhang Guihua breathed a sigh of relief.
The reason she specifically chose to bring this up when the old lady wasn't home was that she hoped the Fu family could relay the message.
-
Around 10 o'clock, Madam Fu returned after chatting with her old friends outside. Tang Mingli noticed that she was in a good mood, so she casually mentioned Zhang Guihua's departure during their conversation.
Madam Fu was taken aback upon hearing this and subconsciously looked towards the kitchen.
After listening to Tang Mingli's explanation, she nodded seriously and said with great understanding, "At Guihua's age, even if she were working in a state-owned enterprise, she should have retired by now. Our Fu family didn't handle this well enough."
Tang Mingli did not refute, and listened quietly as her grandmother continued.
"Guihua is leaving, we can't let her down."
Tang Mingli nodded again, "Grandma, don't worry, I've thought about this. If Aunt Guihua stops working for us one day, we should give her a pension."
Madam Fu looked on in agreement.
Their granddaughter-in-law never treats those around her poorly.
But Zhang Guihua is leaving, and the family will be one less person.
As Madam Fu looked around the large room, a sense of desolation and loneliness grew stronger.
Tang Mingli did not overlook her grandmother's changes and also looked around the room.
In the blink of an eye, she has lived in this house for seventeen years.
-
The day before Zhang Guihua was to leave, the Fu family threw her a small farewell dinner.
Fu Ci, who lives far away in Shenzhen, also made a special trip back.
Perhaps it was after three cups of wine, but towards the end of the meal, Zhang Guihua couldn't hold back her tears.
She was also reluctant, but there was really no other way.
If it weren't for her eldest daughter-in-law's poor health, she would have loved to work at the Fu family until she couldn't anymore.
Zhang Guihua said sincerely, "The luckiest thing in my life is not marrying such a husband, nor having several children, but being able to come to the Fu family as a nanny."
“Although I am a servant, you respect me more than my in-laws. I am a thousand times happier living in the Fu family than in my in-laws’ family.”
“You also paid me such a high salary, which made me feel proud in front of my in-laws. Really, it wasn’t until I actually started earning money that I felt like I was living like a human being.”
Tang Mingli completely understood Zhang Guihua's feelings.
She was already struggling to make ends meet back then, which is why she thought of becoming a nanny for someone else.
She was lucky; after working for two different companies, she came to work for the Fu family, where she stayed for decades.
This meal, in the end, was filled with the sorrow of parting.
Even the youngest, Fu Yu, seems to be beginning to understand what separation means.
That night, before going to bed, she lay next to her mother and suddenly asked, "Mom, if I leave, will I never see you again?"
The childish voice and innocent tone made this question, which should have been full of sadness, seem ordinary.
Tang Mingli nodded and told her daughter, "Some departures mean you'll never see them again."
Although they all told Zhang Guihua at the dinner table to come back and visit more often, and Zhang Guihua agreed, everyone knew in their hearts that once they left, they didn't know when they would see each other again.
Perhaps it's too cruel for a child to never see something like this again, Fu Yu hugged her mother tightly.
"Mom, our family must stay together forever."
"Of course, Mom and Dad will always be with you, baby."
After Tang Mingli expressed her determination, Fu Ci followed suit.
"Yes, the three of us will never be separated."
"Won't Xiaoyu grow up?"
Tang Mingli countered with her daughter's question: "Honey, why do you know this now that you're grown up?"
“Didn’t you say that when Xiaoyu grows up, she will go to university and see a wider world?”
For some reason, Tang Mingli suddenly stopped wanting to think about it.
It's not impossible not to see the wider world.
However, she also knew clearly that this was just an irrational and impulsive thought brought about by excessive sadness.
When children are young, they naturally live under the protection of their parents.
But when she grows up, she will naturally have her own vast and boundless future.
After putting their daughter to sleep, Tang Mingli and Fu Ci couldn't fall asleep no matter what they did.
I tossed and turned, afraid of waking my daughter.
Finally, Tang Mingli suggested, "Why don't we go sit in the study for a while?"
"Um?"
Fu Ci felt that his wife's personality—preferring to lie down rather than sit, and to sit rather than stand—was more than just a matter of sitting.
As expected, Tang Mingli, having been seen through, had no choice but to tell the truth: "Actually, I have something I want to discuss with you."
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