89. I am willing
"Unlucky?" Xiao Cheng said with a smile, "Then I'm willing to do it."
Xu Yanmei was stunned when she heard the word "willingly." But then she said disdainfully, "How old are you? You're just a young boy. You've never experienced any hardship. What do you know?"
Xiao Cheng still smiled and said, "Auntie is right, I really don't understand anything——"
Xiao Cheng paused. He didn't want to say anything more to Xu Yanmei. After all, this woman was not an important person to him. But then he thought about it and realized that she was the one who raised Xu Wenqiang, so he became serious. He glanced at the drowsy Xu Wenqiang and said to Xu Yanmei with a promise, "But I am really willing to do this. Auntie, please rest assured."
Hearing the word "willingly" again, Xu Yanmei could no longer lie still. "Boy, what's your name?" she said as she struggled to get up.
"Auntie, I'm Xiao Cheng." Xiao Cheng stepped forward and helped Xu Yanmei up.
When Xiao Cheng came over, Xu Yanmei suddenly said, "I remember now. You often come to the market to buy our seafood, and you always buy a lot."
"Auntie, you have a good memory." Xiao Cheng complimented.
Xu Yanmei looked Xiao Cheng up and down, "So you're after Xu Wenqiang."
Xiao Cheng let Xu Yanmei watch, "Auntie, we are classmates with Xu Wenqiang, so it's our duty to take care of your family's business."
"Alright, there's no need to talk about those empty words with me." Xu Yanmei glanced at her daughter. "What does Xu Wenqiang mean to you?"
If Xu Wenqiang had a brain, she would understand that she should hold on to the person in front of her no matter what.
But Xiao Cheng laughed at himself, "Auntie, Xu Wenqiang's thoughts are not with me right now."
"You don't know what's good for you." Xu Yanmei cursed, "Her mind isn't on you, could it be that she's still with Su Xiaoshan?"
Xiao Cheng's expression stern, "Auntie, you think too much. Although Xu Wenqiang's mind is not on me, it is not on Su Xiaoshan either. Her mind is very simple. Besides studying, it is you."
"Xiao Cheng, Xu Wenqiang is still stubborn, so you should keep a close eye on her." Xu Yanmei acted like an elder. "Xu Wenqiang isn't afraid of hardship or trouble. She's capable of quarreling and fighting. She definitely won't let you coax her or pamper her like other little girls."
Xiao Cheng's brows twitched when he heard this. In Xu Yanmei's eyes, Xu Wenqiang was such a ruthless character.
"Auntie, Xu Wenqiang she——"
"Listen to me first."
Xu Yanmei interrupted Xiao Cheng and continued, "Although Xu Wenqiang is powerful, she is still a poor girl. Without money and power, she will still be bullied when she encounters difficulties. So, Xiao Cheng, you still have to keep a close eye on her and don't let her fall into a pit. If she falls into a pit, can you help her out?"
Xiao Cheng's brows relaxed. There was no reason for him to refuse.
"Auntie, don't worry, I will keep a close eye on Xu Wenqiang."
But when Xu Yanmei heard Xiao Cheng's answer, she sighed and said, "Actually, I'm just worrying about nothing. You're so young, and you still have a long life ahead of you. Even if you agree, what will happen? Maybe once you leave the hospital, you won't look back."
Xu Yanmei's words were indeed helpless, but also had a hint of "threatening" in them. Xiao Cheng heard it, but did not explain too much. He just said, "Auntie, don't worry."
"Good boy." Xu Yanmei tried to act like a kind elder. "Boy, come to our house often."
Just at this moment, Xu Wenqiang woke up and just heard Xu Yanmei's last words.
"Mom, what are you and Xiao Cheng talking about?"
"Talking about you."
"Why are you talking about me?"
"Wipe your saliva first."
Xu Yanmei said something with disdain, turned to look at Xiao Cheng, and found that Xiao Cheng was looking at Xu Wenqiang who was wiping her saliva with a smile on his face.
The sun is shining brightly outside the window. Even though it is the coldest time of the year, just looking at the sun makes me feel warm.
Xu Yanmei suddenly lost her strength.
When the doctor informed her she had only a few days to live, she still had the energy to argue and make a scene. She didn't even take the word "death" seriously. A brain tumor, so what? She had the final say in her life.
She originally thought that as long as she wanted to live, she would definitely be able to live...
However, she suddenly found that Xu Wenqiang had grown up. She had someone who was "willing" to be with her, someone who did not mind her making a fool of herself. She would have an intimate relationship with this person, have children with him, and live their own lives.
All of this had nothing to do with her. She could only watch from the side. Even then, she couldn't watch for much longer.
It dawned on her that not everyone revolved around her, and she had no say in matters of birth, old age, sickness, and death.
"Mom, what's wrong with you?" Xu Wenqiang noticed that something was wrong with Xu Yanmei.
Xu Yanmei said nothing and lay down.
"Mom, Xiao Cheng brought some dumplings. Have some."
Xu Yanmei turned around and covered herself with the quilt.
"mom--"
Xu Yanmei's back was too silent, and Xu Wenqiang didn't actually say the last word "Mom" out loud.
Xu Wenqiang looked at Xiao Cheng, Xiao Cheng pointed outside the door, and the two walked out of the ward.
"What did you talk about with my mother just now?" Xu Wenqiang asked as soon as they left the ward. "I've never seen her look so listless before."
Xiao Cheng said, "I just said a few casual words about you."
Xu Wenqiang didn't believe it, "Didn't you talk about her illness?"
“We really didn’t talk about this.”
"Then why did she suddenly lose her spirits?"
"Maybe I'm just tired."
Xu Wenqiang shook her head. "This is so unlike my mother."
Xiao Cheng didn't want to care about what happened to Xu Yanmei. He was worried that Xu Wenqiang might not have eaten. "The dumplings are still hot. Go and have a couple of bites."
Xu Wenqiang, however, had no appetite. "I can't eat after smelling the stench in the hospital."
"Then take the dumplings and eat outside."
"I don't want to eat now. I'll eat when I'm hungry."
As soon as Xu Wenqiang finished speaking, her stomach made a rumbling sound.
Without saying anything, Xiao Cheng turned around and went to get the dumplings.
Xu Wenqiang held him back, a worried look on her face. "Xiao Cheng, my mother doesn't want to have the surgery. What should I do?"
"Fill your stomach first." Xiao Cheng went back to the room to get some dumplings, then handed them to Xu Wenqiang. "Eat while we talk."
The two of them walked to the chairs in the hospital corridor and sat down. Xu Wenqiang looked at the dumplings in front of her but never picked up her chopsticks.
"Xu Wenqiang, if your mother really doesn't want to have surgery, you can only respect her choice," Xiao Cheng said.
"I know." Xu Wenqiang sighed, "From childhood to adulthood, I can't change what she has decided."
"Then just let it be." Xiao Cheng took the chopsticks from Xu Wenqiang, picked up a dumpling and brought it to her mouth. "Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by heaven. No matter what choice you make, it's all for the best."
Xu Wenqiang glanced at Xiao Cheng, "Are you cooking some chicken soup for the soul? It sounds rather boring."
"But the dumplings are filled with celery and pork, so they're not greasy." Xiao Cheng said with a smile.
Xu Wenqiang could only swallow the dumpling in her mouth in one gulp, chewing while saying, "Chicken soup may taste greasy, but it contains truth. Let nature take its course. This is the only way for now."
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