As the two were tugging at each other, Zhang Binglin suddenly came back to life. He rushed over and grabbed Wu Ju's arm tightly, saying with tears in his eyes, "Shumei, you're finally back. I'm starving. Can you get Dad something to eat?"
When Wu Ju heard that Zhang Binglin had mistaken her for Shumei, she quickly stopped arguing with her. After all, they had been married for decades, seeing each other every day, and he had actually made a mistake.
Her grip loosened, and the bamboo pole in her hand fell to the ground. "Old man, you—what's wrong with you? Look carefully and don't play dumb. I'm your wife, your partner who has slept in the same bed with you for decades."
Zhang Binglin continued to ask, "Shumei, what's wrong with you today? Why haven't you gone yet? You're saying all these weird things. You really are a bit like your mother, that tigress."
Zhang Binglin seemed to be living in his own world, not understanding what Wu Ju said at all. Moreover, he had the audacity to call her a tigress right in front of her. If he was truly mentally sound, he would never dare to say that to her face.
She looked at Shumei helplessly, hesitating, "This——"
"Mother, I don't know what happened to my father. He was already like this when I met him at the village entrance."
Wu Ju was now anxious, shaking Zhang Binglin's arm and shouting, "Old man, old man, open your eyes and look at me carefully. See who I am? Can you see clearly? Who am I?"
"Do you really think your father is presbyopic? Aren't you Shumei?" Zhang Binglin was still a little unhappy, thinking that Shumei was testing his eyesight.
Wu Ju was completely confused now. She sat down on the stone bench listlessly, sighing repeatedly.
Shumei kindly advised, "Mother, it's no use worrying like this. Let's take Dad to the town hospital tomorrow to get checked out and see what the problem is."
"That's easy for you to say, but can we afford to go to this hospital? Where will the money come from? Do you have money?"
Shumei hesitated for a long time. She was currently very short of money and really didn't have any spare money to deal with it. But she couldn't just watch Zhang Binglin being so confused and ignore it, right?
"I—my situation, mother, you know as well, but we can't just ignore father because we have no money! I'll try to borrow some money, and you should also try to help with the sum. Money can be earned again after it's spent, but life is what matters most."
…
Zhang Binglin was muttering to himself, and while Shumei and Wu Ju were talking, he walked around the yard a few times, found a hole dug by a rabbit, untied his belt, and urinated into the hole on the ground.
Shumei was so scared that she quickly covered her eyes and turned away screaming.
Seeing Shumei's reaction, Wu Ju turned her attention to Zhang Binglin and flew into a rage. She rushed to Zhang Binglin and started punching and kicking him. "You—you—you're really infuriating! You're going to drive the entire Zhang family's ancestors crazy..."
Wu Ju was beating him and cursing at the same time.
Shumei took the opportunity to pick up the hoe and said hurriedly, "Mother, I'm going back first. The two children are still at home. You should pack up and prepare tonight. Tomorrow morning or the day after tomorrow, we will take Dad to the town hospital for a checkup."
After she finished speaking, she rushed out the door without waiting for Wu Ju to respond. After all, in such a situation, every minute she stayed would be a minute more awkward.
The next day, Shumei and Wu Ju took the money they had borrowed from various sources and took Zhang Binglin to the town for a check-up.
After a thorough examination, the doctor pronounced Zhang Binglin a death sentence. He had Alzheimer's disease, also known as senile dementia, and there was no cure. Furthermore, it was already in the late stages, and even medication couldn't slow the progression of the disease. The doctor also stated that Zhang Binglin had suffered compression damage to some of his nerves, and that not only would his memory be completely lost, but he might eventually become paralyzed.
This was another piece of bad news for Shumei. She had thought her current life was already the most miserable she could have been, but she didn't expect that God would not let her go and would make things even worse.
Besides being sad, Wu Ju was complaining more.
She kept muttering along the way, "I must be so unlucky that I ended up marrying into your Zhang family in this lifetime. Not only did I not get to enjoy a single day of happiness, but now I have to come to this place in my old age. I'm demented and paralyzed. Do you think I can live? I'm a daughter-in-law and a mother, and after being a mother, I have to be a grandson. I'm going to take care of you in your old age like a grandson. Who's going to take care of me? I..."
Zhang Binglin was now enjoying his free time. No matter how much Wu Ju complained, he turned a deaf ear to her and followed Shumei like a child, looking around, and was happy all the way.
The more he acted like this, the angrier Wu Ju became. She wanted to rush up and slap him hard twice to vent her anger.
"Look, look, it's just like a deaf person. I - I'm just talking to a cow." Wu Ju was so angry that her lips were shaking. She was so tired from scolding that she had to take a break.
Shumei didn't know what to say, so she could only try her best to persuade him, "Mother, Dad is sick. He won't listen to you. Just calm down. It's not worth it to get yourself hurt. Dad will have to be cared for in the future. If you fall ill, this family will really fall apart."
Wu Ju thought about it and it made sense. Even if Zhang Binglin fell, she still had to live her life. Thinking of this, she felt much more comfortable.
The three of them returned home with heavy hearts, and their lives underwent a qualitative change.
Zhang Binglin's illness undoubtedly added a new burden to Shumei.
Wu Ju, under the pretext of taking care of Zhang Binglin, pushed all the remaining land she owned onto Shumei, leaving her to worry about food and drink. When she ran out of food and drink, she would go to Shumei's house and clamor for it. This tactic worked, and as long as Shumei could offer it, she would immediately hand it over. Even if Shumei couldn't, she would still find a way to get it.
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