Ma Lihua felt as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping her throat, and all the curses that hadn't yet escaped her lips were blocked back, making her eyes red and her face turn purple.
Shangguan Wenyan lightly flicked his fingertips, and the power of the rules, like fine spider silk, firmly sealed her mouth and tongue, so that no matter how hard she tried, only a hoarse sob could be heard in her throat.
Ma Lihua's heart was in turmoil. This power of rules had always been in the hands of her father in the God Realm. How could he have dared to touch it?
I wonder if my father is alright? Did something happen when she left? Was he affected by evil spirits? Her worries grew like wild grass, stirring up her thoughts into a mess.
_
Meanwhile, Ma Linghua paced back and forth in Ma Lihua's room like a trapped beast, unable to sit still.
She sat listlessly on the edge of the bed, her fingers repeatedly stroking the sheets, her eyes vacant. After a long while, she took a deep breath, got up, and closed the door, her movements mechanical and heavy.
She knew perfectly well that the Gu Daoist had kidnapped Pear Blossom and taken her to that evil sinkhole.
After all, Pear Blossom was clever. Before the incident, she secretly sent a message using her Little Genius watch, but it disappeared without a trace and she never heard back.
That phrase, "Don't worry about me," became Ma Linghua's only reassurance, but how could she not be worried?
Seeing Li Zhongguo shrouded in a dark aura at night, an ominous feeling lingered.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the usual liveliness of the Li family was completely gone, leaving it eerily quiet and desolate.
Li Zhongguo woke up with a sore neck, as if it were shackled, and a dry, tight throat, followed by a violent dry cough.
"Cough cough cough..."
He coughed so hard his whole body was hunched over and trembling.
For the first time ever, Ma Linghua handed over a glass of water, her movements swift but her expression somewhat unnatural.
Li Zhongguo accepted it in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief. Had his wife, who usually threw tantrums and bickered with him, suddenly changed her ways? After a long pause, he managed to stammer out a "thank you."
Ma Linghua raised an eyebrow and smoothly got to the point: "Hmm! You're welcome. Where have you kept all the pocket money you've been saving over the years?"
Li Zhongguo blurted out instinctively, "Put it in the kang hole under my bed..."
As soon as he said it, he slapped his thigh hard, realizing he'd been tricked!
A sly glint flashed in Ma Linghua's eyes as she calmly said, "Oh! Okay, I understand. I'll go get them now and store them properly. I'll leave them all for Lihua from now on, don't you think?"
Li Zhongguo sighed helplessly. Oh well, he wouldn't be able to save much more anyway. Let her be. As long as Linghua is happy.
To save money, Ma Linghua kicked Da Mao, Er Mao, San Mao, Si Mao, and Wu Mao out of the house early in the morning.
I can't stand them loitering around in the house; they're a nuisance.
After sending the children away, she rushed into the room, taking stock of the ritual implements and checking her assets, the abacus beads clicking away.
At noon, a sudden change occurred.
As Li Zhongguo was walking, his head suddenly went blank, his legs went weak, and he fell straight backward with a "thud!" The sound startled Ma Linghua, who nearly knocked over her abacus.
She rushed over and helped Li Zhongguo up, her eyes instantly reddening, and she called out in a trembling voice, "Zhongguo, what's wrong?"
Li Zhongguo was filled with terror. He opened his mouth to explain, but found that his throat was locked and he couldn't utter a single word. His face was ashen, cold sweat poured down his face, and he gripped Ma Linghua's arm tightly with both hands, his fingertips turning white. The helplessness and fear in his eyes grew even stronger.
Ma Linghua hugged him tightly, her body trembling slightly. An ominous premonition grew stronger, as if an invisible net was slowly tightening around her.
Ma Hehua was extremely anxious, her eyes reddening, her hands unconsciously gripping the hem of her clothes. She stepped forward to stop the doctor, her voice trembling with urgency: "How is he? Is there any hope for my father?"
She looked as if she was about to grab the doctor's collar and beg for her life at any moment.
The doctor coughed lightly, his expression grave, and said slowly, "Family member, let's go outside to talk."
Ma Linghua nodded silently with a somber face and followed behind the doctor.
The corridor reeked of disinfectant, and the stark white lighting only amplified the oppressive atmosphere.
The doctor stopped, adjusted his glasses, and carefully chose his words: "I have been a doctor for many years and have used the most advanced equipment to examine this old man. He looks young and has a good constitution, but the damage to his bodily functions was caused when he was young. It is like a poison that is deeply rooted in his body and cannot be eliminated. It is also very insidious. I'm afraid it is incurable."
After saying that, he sighed heavily and added, "Please accept my condolences."
Ma Linghua's eyes flickered, but she didn't show much sorrow. Instead, she readily replied, "Okay, I understand. Remember to give a gift when you attend the banquet!"
The doctor's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, his face filled with astonishment, as if he had misheard.
He couldn't help but wonder: Is this woman really his daughter? She's so "vicious"! Her father has just been sentenced to death, and she's already thinking about the money for the wedding!
Before the doctor could recover, Ma Linghua patted his shoulder again and said calmly, "Don't be afraid. I'm his wife. Life and death are preordained, and wealth and honor are determined by fate. We're very open-minded. Alright, if he can't be cured, then we won't. May you rest in peace."
The doctor was utterly speechless, veins throbbing on his forehead. He muttered to himself, "What the hell do you mean, 'may you rest in peace'? I'm only in my thirties, I'm far from 'may you rest in peace'!"
He waved his hands repeatedly, hurrying along, wanting to escape from this bizarre family as soon as possible, afraid that staying even a second longer would really make him sick from anger.
The ward was filled with the smell of disinfectant. Li Fagu sat on the edge of the bed, his brows furrowed, his eyes slightly red, and his hands unconsciously stroking the sheets repeatedly, his heart filled with an unyielding bitterness.
He stared at his unconscious relative on the hospital bed and murmured to himself, "How could such a healthy person have gotten into this mess?"
Memories of the past flashed before my eyes like a revolving lantern: those afternoons when we put on face masks together, our faces covered in sticky cream, yet still joking with each other; and when visiting relatives and friends, we would enthusiastically show off our mothers, wives, and daughters, our laughter still seeming to linger in my ears.
Thinking of this, Li Fagui felt a lump in his throat, turned to look at Ma Linghua, and called out in a hoarse voice, "Mother."
Then, forcing herself to stay alert, she reached into her pocket for her phone, her voice firm with a slight choke: "Mom, I'll call my brothers and the kids! They need to know so we can all discuss what to do next."
The moment his fingers touched the phone, Ma Linghua quickly raised her hand and stopped him.
Although Ma Linghua's eyes were red, her expression revealed an undeniable determination. She slowly shook her head: "No need. Let's just end it like this after all these years! My Ma family's sins have come to an end. It's better to end it. From now on, they can live their lives peacefully."
These words, though spoken lightly, struck Li Fagu's heart like a heavy hammer.
He stood there, stunned, his phone almost slipping from his hand. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. All the resentment and doubt in his heart were swallowed back by those few words.
Li Fagui remained silent for a long time, his shoulders slumped slightly, and he slowly withdrew his hand, nodding lightly.
The ward was quiet for a moment, with only the monotonous beeping of the instruments. Looking at his father's sleeping face, he lowered his eyes, hiding the loneliness in them, swallowing all his worries and reluctance, and silently accepting this helpless arrangement.
After all, some chasms of fate are insurmountable, and one can only accept them.
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