Chapter 284 (First and Second Updates) Deep in 1998…
Two weeks later, some papayas turned yellow, and Fu Cheng'an picked one.
The auntie looked at the ripe papaya, peeled it, and cut it into pieces for everyone to eat directly.
Looking at his family members watching the drama unfold, Fu Cheng'an felt incredibly gratified.
He finally let his family members taste the first papaya he made himself.
"Is it delicious?" Fu Cheng'an asked his wife.
Fu's mother didn't know what to say. Isn't this the taste of all papayas?
So I gave a very perfunctory answer: "It's alright."
Upon hearing this answer, Fu Cheng'an's smile immediately vanished.
Tang Mingli couldn't bear to see her father-in-law discouraged, so she offered some encouragement: "It's pretty good, not inferior to what you buy outside at all."
However, these words were a double disappointment for Cheng An. He felt that the papayas he grew were pollution-free, freshly picked and eaten, and refreshingly delicious, incomparable to those bought outside.
Fu Yu looked at her family members who were all eating papaya and felt a little eager to try it herself.
This is a papaya made by my grandfather himself; it would be a shame not to try it.
What if he still doesn't like it after trying it once? Grandpa will definitely be very sad if he only eats one bite and then refuses to eat any more.
Fu Yu was conflicted, her gaze falling on the plate of papayas.
There's only a small piece; if you really don't like it, just swallow it whole.
Having made up her mind, Fu Yu picked up a piece of papaya from the plate.
Seeing that even his granddaughter, who didn't like papaya, was willing to eat the papaya he had picked, Fu Cheng'an's mood, which had just dropped, instantly rose again. He asked with a smile, "It's delicious..."
Before she could even utter the words "Is it delicious?", she was horrified to see her granddaughter swallow the half-eaten papaya she had just bitten into, only to have it get stuck in her throat because it was too big, and her face turned pale.
Tang Mingli was also terrified. She quickly dropped the unfinished papaya and rushed to her daughter's side, trying hard to recall if she had seen the Heimlich method on a video in her previous life.
Fortunately, Fu Yu only paused for a few seconds.
Luckily, she managed to spit out the half-papaya.
However, the feeling of suffocation for those few seconds was too terrifying. Fu Yu burst into tears and threw herself into her mother's arms.
That was terrifying; she couldn't breathe at all just now.
Tang Mingli felt both heartbroken and furious.
How could you be so careless as to swallow a papaya whole?
That really scared her to death.
Holding her daughter, her hands were trembling.
She really hated herself just now, and even now she still wants to slap herself twice.
Why didn't I study Heimlich's method properly even though I encountered it so many times in my past life?
Thankfully, my daughter is alright.
I don't dare to think about what she would do if something really happened to her daughter.
It took the whole family quite a while to calm down and comfort the frightened Fu Yu.
With everyone's comforting words, Fu Yu finally stopped crying.
Seeing his pitiful appearance, Tang Mingli couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh, but she still couldn't help but ask, "Why did you start wolfing down your food like that?"
Fu Yu didn't dare say she didn't like it and wanted to swallow it quickly, so she could only obediently admit her mistake, "Mom, I won't do it again. I will definitely eat in small bites from now on."
No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Although her daughter didn't say anything, Tang Mingli had a rough idea. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, so she could only say, "You can't do that again."
I didn't expose him on the spot because I didn't want my father-in-law to feel guilty.
The aunt felt very guilty. After everyone calmed down, she stood up tremblingly and apologized: "It's all my fault. I should have cut it into small pieces."
Fu Yu is a reasonable child. This was her fault, so how can she blame others?
She firmly told the nanny, "Auntie, this is not your fault. I was not paying attention when I was eating."
Tang Mingli was not one to be blind to right and wrong, and said to her aunt, "This has nothing to do with you, so don't blame yourself."
Fu Yu nodded frantically, "Auntie, it's all my fault."
Feeling sorry for her great-granddaughter who had just been frightened and was reflecting on her actions, Madam Fu spoke up and made a conclusion about the matter.
"It was an accident, it's over now."
Tang Mingli chimed in, "Yes, Grandma is right."
But is that really the case?
Before going to bed that night, she went to her daughter's room to say goodnight, but instead of leaving immediately after saying goodnight, she asked directly if she choked on the papaya she ate that evening because she didn't want to eat it.
Unaware of what was going on, Fu Yu lowered her head.
However, she ultimately did not lie. While admitting it, she pleaded, "Mom, please don't let Grandpa know, okay? If Grandpa finds out that I did this because I don't like the papayas she grows, he will be sad."
"Of course Mom won't tell you, but Mom wants to tell you that if you don't want to eat, you don't have to. It's really not a big deal. We're a family. If we can't be honest with each other, who will?"
"But won't Grandpa be sad?" Although Fu Yu was young, she still had her concerns. She didn't want her grandfather to be unhappy.
“Perhaps,” Tang Mingli thought for a moment and replied, “but at most I’ll only be sad for a little while. Because it’s not Grandpa’s fault, it’s a matter of personal preference. You see, Mom doesn’t really like eating the celery that Grandpa grows either, and Grandpa doesn’t seem to mind.”
Adults should be more mature in their thinking than children.
If she can think like this at this age, her father-in-law, who is decades older than her, should be even more mature.
"Besides, we're family. We live under the same roof every day, so we can't hide our likes and dislikes from each other."
Fu Yu understood; she felt that her mother was absolutely right.
They lived under one roof as a family, so even if they could keep it from her this time, they couldn't keep it from her next time. It was better to just let her grandfather know honestly that she didn't like eating papaya.
It's not that I don't like eating papaya, but that I don't like the papayas my grandfather grows.
"Mom, I understand. I won't do it again."
"good."
Tang Mingli patted her daughter's head and was about to get up and go back to her room when she was stopped by her.
"Mom, I'm not sleepy yet, can you stay with me a little longer?"
Anyway, she wasn't sleepy, and Fu Ci hadn't come back yet, so she decided to spend more time with her daughter.
So Tang Mingli sat down again and listened with a smile to what her daughter had to say.
"Mom, my cousin Xin called me yesterday."
Tang Xin is starting high school this year and needs to live on campus, so she can only go home once a month. Fortunately, there are phone booths at school, so she can call her family often, especially Fu Yu.
The two cousins have a very close relationship.
Tang Mingli was delighted to see this and asked with a smile, "What did we talk about?"
I asked casually, but I never expected to hear such a sad answer.
"Sister Xin said that when she went home last time, she found that her grandfather didn't seem to be in good spirits. She was worried that it might be because she was living at school and her mother was very busy every day, and her grandfather was too lonely at home alone."
Tang Mingli's smile faded slightly.
My niece has grown up and understands the loneliness of adults.
After my aunt left, my uncle was all alone, and he was indeed very lonely. She had actually invited him to live with her, since there were plenty of rooms in the villa. But he refused, no matter what she said.
Tang Mingli understood why he refused.
Firstly, it's never as comfortable to stay at someone else's house as it is to stay at your own; secondly, he doesn't feel comfortable letting his daughter live alone.
Although my cousin is very busy, it's always good to have someone home when I get home in the evening to ask me a few words of concern.
So she stopped mentioning it and only went to visit occasionally.
She hadn't expected that Tang Xin was old enough to see these things.
Is your sister Xin very worried?
Fu Yu nodded, "Mom, I also think it's too pitiful that Sister Xin's grandpa is often alone at home."
"yes."
Tang Mingli felt the same way, but what could he do?
Is there any other way?
For a moment, she really couldn't believe it.
However, she still told her daughter, "I will talk to your aunt about this. Next time your sister Xin calls, you can tell her not to worry."
Fu Yu nodded. "Okay, I'll talk to Sister Xin. But does Auntie have any ideas?"
Tang Mingli couldn't answer that either.
Because she was preoccupied with this matter, the next day, after sending her daughter to school, she simply went directly to her uncle's house.
At this time, my cousin hasn't left home to open her shop yet.
Seeing Tang Mingli arrive was both unexpected and a pleasant surprise.
"Why did you suddenly come here?"
Tang Mingli smiled and said, "Is it that sudden? I come to visit my uncle occasionally, don't I?"
Tang Jianguo was also very happy to see Tang Mingli. Upon hearing this, he quickly confirmed, "That's true. Mingli often stops by to visit me after dropping Xiaoyu off at school."
Tang Mingmei looked at her cousin with gratitude: "Thank you so much."
"Look at what you're saying."
Tang Mingli smiled. With her uncle around, there were many things she couldn't say.
Around 9 o'clock, Tang Mingmei had to prepare to go out to open the shop, and Tang Mingli immediately offered to drive her there.
Tang Mingmei thought that they were giving her a special ride, so she quickly said, "No need, it's very convenient for me to take a car there."
Tang Mingli had no choice but to make an excuse: "After dropping the kids off at school, I have nothing to do, so I'd like to go for a walk."
Since that's the case, Tang Mingmei stopped saying anything.
Before leaving, Tang Mingmei told her father, "Dad, if you don't have anything to do, go downstairs for a walk. There are a lot of elderly people playing cards and chess together downstairs."
Tang Jianguo smiled and agreed.
As for whether that will really happen, Tang Mingmei is at work and won't see it anyway.
After the car drove out of the residential area, Tang Mingli asked her cousin the same question.
"Will Uncle really go down and play chess and cards with the other old men and women?"
Tang Mingmei countered her cousin's question: "Why not?"
She couldn't imagine how bored her father would be, spending 24 hours a day at home.
Tang Mingli told her cousin, "I occasionally come to visit my uncle, and he's almost always at home."
She believed her cousin would understand what she hadn't said.
Sure enough, Tang Mingmei's expression became more serious after she realized what was happening.
After a few seconds of silence, she said with self-reproach, "It was my oversight."
Tang Mingmei felt extremely guilty, thinking about how her father had been spending every day and night alone for the past two months, and she felt incredibly guilty.
Her mother is gone, and she hasn't even taken good care of her father. How can she face paying respects to her mother in the future?
Tang Mingli could tell that her cousin was blaming herself, so she comforted her, "It's not your fault. You're busy working to earn money to support the family, and you have too many things to worry about. Besides, your uncle probably never shows anything to you, so it's normal that he didn't notice."
Then she suggested to her cousin again, "Why don't you let your uncle stay at my house?"
Tang Mingmei thought for a moment and shook her head: "I know my dad's personality, he definitely won't agree."
In particular, if she were to offer any advice, he might overthink it and assume that she doesn't want him to stay there.
After hearing her cousin's words, Tang Mingli also felt that they made sense.
She had already told her uncle that if her cousin didn't help persuade her, the outcome would probably be similar.
What should we do?
It's truly pitiful for old people to have no life of their own.
It felt like I wasn't spending my old age, but waiting to die.
Unusually, the two sisters talked very little along the way, clearly both thinking about how to solve their uncle's problem.
As they approached Dongmen Commercial Street, Tang Mingmei broke the heavy atmosphere between them with a smile, saying, "Don't worry, now that I know, I definitely won't let my dad do that again. If all else fails, I'll just have him come to the store to help me."
However, she was afraid that her father would take it too seriously. Just like during the previous summer vacation, she had only asked him to come and help look after the store, but he ended up doing all the physical labor.
She was terrified just thinking about a woman in her sixties or seventies doing such heavy work.
After that incident, I never let my father come to the store to help again.
Tang Mingli also offered a suggestion: "I wonder what hobbies Uncle had when he was young. If he did, perhaps we could enroll him in an interest class or something."
Tang Mingmei smiled wryly: "My dad is different from the elders in the Fu family; he doesn't have many favorites."
"Maybe with some training, it might work."
"That might be a bit difficult."
Tang Mingmei suddenly missed her mother so much that she wanted to cry.
That's how people are; they only realize the importance of something after they've climbed it.
Although my mother was a bit of a nag and her personality wasn't exactly pleasant, it was because of her that my father felt alive. It was because of her that the family had a lively atmosphere.
She used to think that earning money to support the family was the most important thing.
But that wasn't always the case; what makes this home warm and welcoming is the people. Without these people, money is nothing but a cold, inanimate object.
She reassured her cousin not to worry, that she would find a solution, but in reality, she had no idea what to do either.
But being a father was her responsibility, and Tang Mingmei understood this better than anyone else.
There's no reason for her to shift her responsibilities onto others, especially since her father depends on her as his daughter.
If there's really no other way, she might consider gradually letting go of her business and spending more time with her father.
And from that day on, Tang Mingmei did indeed do just that.
Gradually, she went from spending the entire day at the shop to trying to spend half a day at home with her father before going to the shop to work.
At first, Tang Jianguo thought the store's business was not doing well, and he was extremely anxious.
There was no other way; Tang Mingmei could only lie and say that the two employees in the store were very capable and that she didn't have to worry about them much.
Tang Jianguo replied, "No matter how capable they are, they are still outsiders. We cannot be careless. You still need to stay in the shop and keep watch."
Tang Mingmei deliberately misinterpreted her father's meaning and said aggrievedly, "Dad, I've worked hard for more than ten years. Now that I can finally relax a little, do you really want me to work hard from dawn till dusk like before?"
"That's not what I meant at all."
Tang Jianguo was extremely annoyed, annoyed that he hadn't thought of this.
For the past ten years or so, my daughter has worked harder than any man, so what's wrong with her being a little lazy now?
But he was afraid that after he was gone, his daughter and granddaughter would have to rely on themselves. That's why he wanted his daughter to work as much as she could while she was still young, to earn more money for their future.
But when he heard his daughter say that she was tired, he felt sorry for her.
Overwhelmed by regret and self-blame, Tang Jianguo's eyes welled up with tears.
"It's all my fault for being useless; that's why you've suffered so much."
Tang Mingmei had no intention of making her father feel guilty. Seeing her father's suffering, her heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife. She quickly said, "Dad, I was just joking. Actually, doing business gives me a great sense of accomplishment. I don't feel tired at all."
That's half true and half false.
It's definitely hard work, but doing what you want to do and succeeding makes the physical hardship feel less arduous.
“Dad, I’m actually much, much better off than many people. My clothing store is thriving, I bought my own house in Shenzhen through business, and my daughter is well-behaved and sensible. If you asked me to pick out anything unpleasant from my life right now, I probably couldn’t find anything.”
Tang Jianguo did not deny that his daughter was right, but the thought of being gone and having only his daughter and granddaughter left, with no man in charge of the family, made him feel sad and he couldn't help but worry about whether they would be bullied.
But he could also tell that his daughter had no intention of remarrying, so he didn't want to force her.
But this is a dilemma; I don't want to force myself, yet I can't help but worry.
Despite his inner conflict, Tang Jianguo still said, "Dad is just worried about what will happen to you and Xin'er after I'm gone."
"dad."
Tang Mingmei reacted very strongly.
Ever since her mother's sudden departure, she has become very averse to such matters.
“Dad, how old are you? You can still be with me and Xiaoxin for many years. By the time you pass away, I will be over seventy years old, and Xiaoxin will be close to retirement age. There’s nothing to worry about.”
"Do you really think a father can live to be a hundred?"
"Why not? Even if you can't be a hundred years old, ninety or more is fine, just like Grandma Mingli."
Tang Jianguo gave a wry smile.
He could tell that his daughter was still genuinely scared, so he could only go along with her and say, "Okay, okay, Dad will try his best to live like an old monster."
"It's a deal." Tang Mingmei smiled through her tears. "Don't say things like that again."
Tang Mingmei is superstitious and very afraid that those unlucky words will come true.
However, life is sometimes like this: wise words are hard to come by, but bad words are common.
Six months later, in the spring of 1998, Tang Jianguo collapsed at home due to unbearable abdominal pain.
After being taken to the hospital for examination, it was already in the late stage of a serious illness.
This news caught everyone off guard, and Tang Xin was the one most affected.
In her extreme grief, Tang Xin even resented her mother, and the two had an unprecedentedly fierce argument in a corner of the hospital.
Tang Xin: "It must be you. You only cared about doing business and didn't take good care of Grandpa, which is why he got sick."
Tang Mingmei was powerless to refute her daughter's accusations.
She thought so too; perhaps it was because she hadn't done a good job that her father got sick.
The doctor said that this disease is also closely related to emotions.
After her mother left, her father remained depressed and unhappy, and she, as his daughter, failed to fulfill her responsibility to comfort him.
Seeing her mother forcing back her tears and suffering, Tang Xin felt heartbroken. But now, facing the cruel reality of losing her grandfather, she couldn't help but blame her mother.
Tang Mingmei was heartbroken to see her daughter so emotionally devastated.
She hated herself for failing to take good care of her father and her daughter.
My daughter is in her first year of high school, a time when she should be focusing on her studies, but this happened.
She truly hated herself and was terrified that losing her father would also ruin her daughter's future.
She had never felt so helpless since her divorce. Her mind was blank, and she had no idea what to do. All she could do was hold her daughter and cry.
Fortunately, Tang Mingli arrived at this moment.
Upon learning that her uncle was seriously ill, Tang Mingli and Fu Ci rushed to the hospital immediately.
Although the doctor had been very certain, Tang Mingli still held onto a sliver of hope.
Shenzhen is a special economic zone that has only developed in the last twenty years, and its medical level has never been as good as that of Guangzhou. Perhaps they should transfer to a large hospital in Guangzhou for another check-up.
Even assuming there was no error in the diagnosis, Guangcheng Hospital has a relatively high level of medical expertise and would certainly be able to provide better treatment.
Upon hearing this, Tang Mingmei felt that her cousin's words made a lot of sense.
Tang Jianguo was unwilling to transfer to another hospital. Although everyone was keeping it from him, he knew his physical condition better than anyone else.
He had been feeling unwell for over a year, and in the last two months the pain had become more frequent and severe. He knew his illness was definitely not serious.
His daughter said she wanted to transfer him to Guangcheng Hospital for a check-up, which confirmed his suspicions.
He looked at Tang Mingli and Fu Ci, who had come to visit him, then at his daughter and his granddaughter whose eyes were swollen from crying, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.
"There's no need for all this trouble. I know my condition. If there's really no cure, it's better to stop this and let me suffer less."
Upon hearing this, Tang Mingmei immediately broke down and covered her mouth to stop herself from bursting into tears.
You can control your mouth, but you can't control your eyes.
Tears still fell like beads from a broken string.
Tang Xin threw herself at the bedside and cried, "Grandpa, you can't say such things. You said you would watch me grow up and watch me go to college. I only have two and a half years left before I can take the college entrance exam. You have to stay by my side and support me."
Seeing his granddaughter cry, Tang Jianguo couldn't help but cry too.
He really wanted to see his granddaughter go to college, get a job, get married, and have children.
But things don't always go as planned, what can you do?
"Xin'er, you're all grown up now. You need to be sensible, especially listen to your mother and be filial to her, okay?"
These words, which sounded like a dying wish, made Tang Xin shake her head repeatedly.
"I don't know, I don't know."
"Sweetie, you can't be so willful."
“I’m not good, I still need Grandpa to teach me.”
...
Tang Mingli didn't want to cry, but in the end she couldn't hold back.
-
Because Tang Jianguo disagreed, the transfer to another hospital ultimately failed.
After calming down, Tang Mingli and Tang Mingmei also felt that he was right about one thing—to let him suffer less.
Later, after listening to the advice of the expert medical team, Tang Mingmei decided to bring her father home.
What's done is done; there's no point in deceiving yourself or wallowing in sadness.
Instead of dwelling on your grief, turn it into strength and spend quality time with your father so he can have fewer regrets.
Tang Mingmei, who was trying to convince herself, also comforted and encouraged her daughter in the same way: "Now is not the time to be sad. We must cheer up and not let Grandpa worry about us in his final days."
Tang Xin nodded. Actually, after calming down, she realized that she couldn't blame anyone else for her illness.
When she found out that her grandfather was sick that day, she was devastated and lost her temper, saying many hurtful things to her mother.
Even though her mother was just as upset as she was, she still said those things.
Tang Xin choked back tears as she apologized to her mother, "Mom, I'm sorry. I said a lot of hurtful things to you at the hospital that day. Please don't take it to heart. Grandpa's illness was just an accident; it has nothing to do with you."
With tears in her eyes, Tang Mingmei hugged her daughter tightly: "Silly child, how could your mother not know?"
After Tang Jianguo returned home from the hospital, life in the family seemed to return to normal.
Tang Xin still went to school, but applied to be a day student.
Tang Mingmei is still busy with the clothing store, but she is spending more time at home than at the store.
She knew, of course, that in the long run, the employees would definitely take advantage of the situation, but that loss was insignificant compared to spending time with her father.
-
The doctor said Tang Jianguo had three months left, but under Tang Mingmei's meticulous care, he stubbornly lived for another six months.
In the late autumn of 1998, he reunited with his wife of several decades.
-----------------------
Author's Note: When many people were criticizing my aunt and uncle earlier, I said it was probably because they knew their fate, so they couldn't bring themselves to hate them. [Crying] How could I have been so cruel when I was writing the outline, giving them such an ending?
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