Chapter 118 A Stable Life
It seemed that Aunt An had fallen ill. Xu Songning had never been in contact with Alzheimer's patients before and didn't know what to say that might upset her, so he could only continue by saying, "I'm here to pick you up. Let's go upstairs first."
They were still by the river, and Xu Songning subconsciously felt a sense of danger. If Aunt An started having a fit of hysteria, she wasn't sure if she could control her.
Aunt An nodded, then immediately shook her head.
"No, no, I can't go with you. You're not the one I'm waiting for."
"..."
After a long pause, Aunt An looked at her again with a wistful expression, "Did you come to pick me up?"
Xu Songning blinked. "No, I'm just here to keep you company."
"Thank you so much," Aunt An said with a smile.
Xu Songning sensed a sense of tranquility emanating from Aunt An. She asked, "Aunt An, do you know who you're waiting for?"
Aunt An seemed stumped by her question, staring at her with wide eyes, trying to remember who she was waiting for, but she couldn't recall at all.
She suddenly stood up, slapping her head hard, tears welling in her eyes, obsessively asking herself, "Who am I waiting for? Who am I waiting for? I'm not waiting for anyone. Right, who am I? Where am I? Why...why are you so close to me?"
"Aaaaaah, why is it red again? I don't want red! I don't want red!"
Aunt An tugged at her coat, and when she found she couldn't unzip it, she started to ruffle her hair, making a mess of her hairstyle.
"Aunt An, Aunt An! Don't worry, Uncle will be here soon." Xu Songning quickly stood up and protected her path.
"Xiao An! Xiao An!"
The calls rose and fell, each one louder than the last.
Before Xu Songning could speak, Aunt An, as if paused, responded, "Hey! I'm here!"
Aunt An, who had been panicking, calmed down instantly; she seemed like a completely different person from the hysterical one just moments before.
She turned to look at Xu Songning, her tone softening again, "Look, young lady, the people who came to pick me up have arrived. And you? Who's coming to pick you up?"
Xu Songning almost subconsciously thought of a person; his image flashed through his mind.
The middle-aged man stood panting by the roadside, giving Xu Songning a grateful look. "Thank you, young lady!"
When Aunt An saw Uncle, she finally left the tree and walked back to the main road.
The middle-aged man hurriedly circled around her, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was unharmed. "Xiao An, do you still remember me?"
Aunt An shook her head, her mind telling her she didn't know him, but her body honestly pressed close to him, letting him help her tidy her messy hair.
She frowned. "I'm tired."
The uncle showed no sign of annoyance. He patted the leaves off Aunt An's sleeve, took her hand, and said, "Okay, let's go home."
Middle-aged couples often reach an age where they feel disgusted even to kiss, but the uncle and Aunt An are still very much in love, holding hands like young lovers.
Aunt An seemed to remember something and suddenly turned around, as if she had come to her senses again. "Little Xu, are you coming again tomorrow? The troupe is going to perform a new dance."
The smile in Xu Enxia's eyes faded. She waved her hand in farewell, "I won't be coming tomorrow, so don't miss me too much."
"Where are you going?" Aunt An was reluctant to part with her.
“I’m going to a very far place. I’ll bring you your favorite big lace-trimmed straw hat when I come back,” Xu Enxia replied.
Aunt An smiled happily, "Okay, and you also need to bring me a pretty white dress."
"good."
Ms. Xu's eyes were a little moist.
Because Aunt An's condition was unpredictable, red became her signature color, and even her summer dresses were red.
Aunt An occasionally reacts negatively to red, but you can't dress her in ordinary colors, otherwise she won't be recognized once she's in a crowd.
"Were you scared?" Ms. Xu asked her daughter gently.
Xu Songning shook his head, "No, it's enough that the person has been found."
"What if Mom becomes like this in the future..."
"Mom! Don't talk nonsense. Not everyone gets Alzheimer's when they get old!" Xu Songning frowned. She didn't want to hear her mother say such things. The fact that her mother was sick was hard for her to accept.
In her subconscious, her mother should just enjoy life and not worry about anything else.
"Even if that possibility really exists, I will always take care of you."
Ms. Xu took her daughter's hand and gently shook it, a comforting gesture. "Okay, Mom knows. Mom just hopes you can have someone to keep you company, so your burden will be lighter in the future. Aunt An has her son, daughter-in-law, and husband to take care of her. Are you going to take care of me all by yourself?"
Xu Songning understood her mother's meaning; she simply wanted her to find a partner. In the past, she had never wanted to give a definite answer, but seeing Aunt An's behavior today, she wavered.
Her mother was also asking her for a sense of security.
"How about I find a stable boyfriend this year?"
Ms. Xu smiled with relief and took out her phone to show her the photos. "It should have been done a long time ago. Now I can rest assured. Do you want to go on a blind date? I have plenty of candidates here, including doctors, teachers, civil servants, and engineers."
"Isn't there one right in front of us?" Xu Songning blinked.
Ms. Xu disagreed, "Are you pursuing him?"
"Is that not allowed? It's a new era now. What's wrong with a woman pursuing a man? If I don't take the initiative, it might take several years for such a reserved person to make the first move."
"Oh my, is Xiao Xiang really that good?" Ms. Xu said sarcastically.
Xu Songning grumbled, "I didn't say who it was, Mom, don't make things up."
Xu Songning sat down by the roadside, picked up a stick, and poked at the mud on her shoes. She felt a little empty inside. Aunt An might not know where her friend was going, but she did.
Two months have passed too quickly, and Ms. Xu is about to embark on her journey this year.
"Mom, when are we leaving?"
Ms. Xu patted her head and said, "My flight is tomorrow afternoon. I'll be waiting for you to take me."
Xu Songning has a meeting in the morning tomorrow, and there is an hour break at noon. Ms. Xu calculated the schedule precisely so that her daughter could see her off at the airport without missing her afternoon flight.
Time was tight, and they didn't have time to be sentimental.
The mud on the soles of their shoes was mostly gone, and the mother and daughter prepared to go home.
Ms. Xu went grocery shopping as usual, planning to deliver food to her daughter the next day. Xu Songning tried his best to dissuade her, but to no avail.
Ms. Xu's reasoning was quite sound: "Goodness, your cooking is terrible, don't torture your stomach."
Well, Xu Songning couldn't refute it. In the two months since her mother came back, she had been eating too well and had even gained two pounds.
She arrived at her front door and heard the elevator ding. The sound of suitcase wheels rolling came from the other end of the hallway. She instinctively looked back and, sure enough, saw Xiang Yun. A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.
"Brother Yun, are you off work?"
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