Chapter 241 As long as there is life, there is hope
As Guo Yanlong listened, his eyes instantly reddened.
He lowered his head and wiped his eyes.
"Brother, sister-in-law... thank you. Really, thank you."
“I used to think you were quiet, cold-tempered, and didn’t like to talk to people. You never made a fuss about things. But now I realize that you are warm-hearted and have more feelings than anyone else. You may not say anything, but you think things through and make arrangements for others behind the scenes.”
“With you all by my side, I feel like I'm holding a hot water bottle, warm from my feet to my heart. I feel incredibly secure. It's not because I have a powerful backer, but because I know that even if my daughter goes out, there are people watching over and protecting her, and I won't let her bear it all alone.”
Upon hearing this, Guo Zhenyi immediately turned his face away.
"Why are you being so formal? We're family, blood relatives, why are you making such a fuss?"
“We have to get through this together. We share the good times and the bad. After the New Year, we’ll go to Ningcheng. We need to take care of things at the factory, and we also need to make sure Cuihua is taken care of. We can’t let her drift around alone, with no one to stand up for her if she suffers any grievances. We should ask for help from those who can, and we should put in a good word for her. We can do everything we can to help.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shufen reached out and gently squeezed the back of Guo Zhenyi's hand.
“You always have such a cold and hard attitude, and you always think that saying a few words is too much, but I know that you are softer and more thoughtful than anyone else. Who can see the things you do? But we remember them all.”
She withdrew her hand and looked up at the sky.
"It's getting late, Yanlong, hurry home. It's dark on the road, be careful walking alone, don't fall."
“Let’s go to Ningcheng together after the New Year, and then we can talk about Cuihua in detail. Make the necessary arrangements and give her the necessary instructions. We can’t be careless in any step.”
Guo Yanlong stood up and straightened his clothes.
"Okay, I'll be going now. It's cold outside, so don't work too late and get some rest."
He gently pushed open the wooden door, wrapped his coat tighter around himself, and stepped outside.
Zhou Shufen and Guo Zhenyi exchanged a glance, and after a moment, they couldn't help but laugh.
It was the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, just as dawn was breaking.
An old jeep slowly drove into the yard.
The car door opened, and Zhou Yufan was the first to jump out.
He then turned around and reached out to support Li Huachen, before turning to take the young Li Rongkai's hand.
The three of them walked through the snow toward the door.
Hearing the noise, Zhou Shufen came out of the kitchen. When she saw them return, a smile immediately appeared on her face.
"Second brother, sister-in-law, have you found any relatives yet?"
Zhou Yufan took the hot towel handed to him by Zhou Shufen, wiped his face, and then sat down on the chair by the stove.
“Little sister… your sister-in-law’s father… is still alive. We searched for three days and finally found him in a dilapidated house in the countryside.”
"That's great!"
Zhou Shufen's eyes lit up instantly.
"As long as people are alive, there is hope!"
"Can……"
Zhou Yufan frowned.
“Someone blinded him before. Since then, he has lived alone in the old house, relying on the help of his neighbors to make a living.”
Upon hearing this, Li Huachen's eyes immediately reddened.
The vegetables in Zhou Shufen's hand fell into the basket with a thud.
Without bothering to tidy herself up, she rushed over and hugged Li Huachen tightly.
"Don't cry, don't cry, sister-in-law, listen to me. Being alive is the greatest blessing. Not being able to see is not the end of the world. We'll take it slowly, there's always a way! The country's policies are good now, and hospitals are making progress. We can definitely be cured!"
Guo Zhenyi stood to the side, his brows furrowed.
He slowly approached.
“Things are different now than they used to be; medical conditions are improving every day. I’m going to Ningcheng for business after the New Year, and I’ll personally ask a professional ophthalmologist there. Even if he can’t be completely cured, he can at least get much better. If he really can’t be cured… our family will support him for the rest of his life and we will never let him suffer any more. This isn’t about responsibility; it’s about compassion.”
Zhou Shufen tightly gripped Li Huachen's icy hand.
She looked at her sister-in-law with heartache.
“Sister-in-law, why didn’t you bring him to Yuxin? Yuxin is warm and has a hospital. It’s much better than him suffering in the countryside.”
Li Huachen's hands were so cold that she could barely feel them, so Zhou Shufen immediately turned around and rummaged through the cabinet to find a hot water bottle.
"Warm your hands, don't let them get cold. Sister-in-law, say something!"
“I told you, he absolutely refuses to leave.”
Li Huachen's voice choked with emotion.
“He said… he wouldn’t go anywhere, he would just stay in that old house, the last place he and my mother lived in.”
"Why?"
Zhou Shufen couldn't understand, and her brows furrowed tightly.
“Even if we have to stay here, we can move to Yu Xin’s place and take care of him together.”
“He said that he kicked me out of the house back then, and since I am not his daughter, I don’t need to take care of him in his old age.”
With each word Li Huachen spoke, her voice trembled a little more.
Zhou Yufan gently put his arm around her.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. With me here, no one can let you suffer."
Zhou Shufen continued.
“Sister-in-law, are you stupid? What father really doesn’t care about his daughter? He’s just being stubborn! He probably had no choice but to push you out the door back then, and he’s regretted it terribly. Now that he’s weak, he’s even more afraid of being a burden to you, so he deliberately said those harsh words to avoid making things difficult for you and to make you worry about him.”
Guo Zhenyi stood to the side, his brows furrowed deeply.
“The old man is upset, so we can’t rush him. We have to work on it slowly. He lives alone, he’s old, and his eyesight is failing. He has many inconveniences in his life. How can he manage without someone to take care of him? If something happens to him, we’ll regret it.”
Li Huachen was suddenly stunned.
"Director Guo...you, you're usually the best at doing ideological work, and your words carry weight. I...I'm begging you, please help me..."
"Sister-in-law, that's too formal of you!"
Guo Zhenyi smiled.
“I’m your brother-in-law now, not some director anymore. People at work call me ‘Director Guo’ because that’s a work requirement, but this is home, a place for us family to talk. From now on, don’t be so polite, just call me Zhengyi.”
Li Huachen is a conservative person; the concept of hierarchy is deeply ingrained in her.
She kept her head down, her fingers tightly gripping the hot water bottle.
Zhou Shufen noticed her nervousness and quickly smiled to smooth things over.
“Sister-in-law, don’t be so reserved! Zhengyi isn’t an outsider; he’s our son-in-law, your dear brother-in-law! The most important thing for a family is closeness; the more familiar you are, the warmer your heart will be. Look at me, when have I ever called him ‘Director Guo’ in front of him? I always just call him ‘Zhengyi,’ isn’t it? It’s so natural and easy to say, isn’t it?”
Guo Zhenyi also squatted down, so that his line of sight was level with Li Huachen's.
“Yes, sister-in-law, don’t feel pressured. In the past, we used to address each other by our titles at work, which was the rule and part of the work atmosphere. But this is home, and there are no such rules. If you really can’t get used to calling me ‘Zhenyi,’ then you can call me ‘brother-in-law’ too. Do whatever makes you comfortable. We’re family, so let’s not talk about those empty formalities.”
Li Huachen kept her head down.
“But you…you used to be a leader, everyone respected you. When I call you ‘Zhenyi,’ it just feels…a bit off, like I’m being disrespectful…”
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