1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 201 Upon seeing her grandson, she miraculously opened her eyes.

"Knock your ass."

Fifth cousin laughed in anger, but because he was an outsider, he didn't throw a punch at him.

"Seventh Brother, tell us about your romantic escapades!"

The ninth cousin was also a cunning fellow, and his counterattack came quickly: "Who stabbed you in the back during the New Year? Why are you being so secretive and reluctant to say it outright?"

"I'd like to hear about your sister-in-law."

Gu Bin glanced at Lin Xiyu, who was racking her brains to win over her nephew, and then changed the subject: "Ask Liangzi's wife. She's a big shot, she'll definitely be happy to tell you."

"Who wants to hear it? I'll tell you."

As expected, Wu Meng immediately perked up and responded smoothly: "Since Gu Bin trusts me so much, I can't let him down. I promise to explain the whole story to you clearly from beginning to end."

"Ah."

Gu Bin laughed angrily: "Who trusts you?"

"Sister Meng, please tell us, we want to hear it."

The ninth cousin chuckled and cheered enthusiastically.

"Sister-in-law, don't just stand there, sit down and talk slowly."

My fifth cousin also joined in, fanning the flames, and quickly moved a chair over.

"Take a sip of water to moisten your throat first."

My third cousin suppressed a laugh and handed me a water glass.

Wu Meng thoroughly enjoyed the attentive service of the three brothers, and indeed did not disappoint them. With great emotion and detail, she recounted the ill-fated relationship between Gu Bin and Zhang Xiaoqian, adding her own embellishments as well.

"Wow, this is so complicated. No wonder Xiaobin didn't want to talk about it. Anyone who gets into this mess has to accept their bad luck."

"If it weren't for the fact that she saved Xiaobin's life, she would have dared to run over her brother and sister-in-law with her car. Even if she died, she wouldn't be allowed to rest in peace."

"What else do you want? To dig up the grave and whip the corpse?"

"The person is already dead, so saying anything more is pointless."

“My sister-in-law has suffered so much, she has been wronged and burdened. Xiaobin should stay at home and spend time with her.”

"Xiao Qi, this is a small token of our appreciation from us brothers. Please don't think it's too little."

"Take it, it would be really inconsiderate of you not to."

"As the older brother, if I buy you and your sister-in-law some supplements, how dare you not give me face?"

The cousins ​​were deeply moved by what they heard. Before leaving, they insisted on stuffing the 10,000 yuan that they had pooled together into Gu Bin's hand.

Wu Meng accompanied Lin Xiyu to see the people downstairs. Watching their departing figures, she felt a surge of emotions.

“People are just different. The Fu brothers are much more honest than the Gu brothers. Soldiers don’t have much money. They’re reluctant to spend money on food and drink themselves, but they still managed to scrape together 10,000 yuan to buy you supplements.”

"On the other hand, the Gu family members, dressed in suits and ties, wearing watches worth tens of thousands of yuan, looked very respectable, but they were unwilling to spend a single penny. They came empty-handed and left empty-handed."

"Who cares about their insincere words of comfort? It's too pathetic. I feel sorry for Gu Bin. It's better not to have a cousin like that."

-

“Even if they offered him money, Gu Bin wouldn’t take it.”

Lin Xiyu understood Gu Bin's temperament well: "His pride does not allow him to accept charity from anyone, not even his own family."

"Don't even mention him."

Wu Meng wholeheartedly agreed: "If someone looks down on me, I will get very angry. No matter how much money they offer, I won't lick their stinky feet."

"Let's not talk about this anymore, let's go back quickly."

Lin Xiyu was eager to connect with her nephew and didn't want to waste any time: "Little Rui Rui is still waiting in the ward, asking me to teach him how to play shuttlecock."

"You really want to keep it by your side?"

Wu Meng couldn't understand: "Although Rui Rui is indeed very pitiful and lovable, he's not your own son. What are you getting out of raising someone else's son?"

“Rui Rui needs someone to love her.”

Lin Xiyu's eyes darkened, and a pang of bitterness welled up in her heart: "And I need a child to heal my wounds."

"You and Gu Bin are still young."

Wu Meng tentatively advised, "Take good care of your health; you'll have children in the future."

"Maybe there won't be a future."

Lin Xiyu smiled bitterly: "The doctor said that this miscarriage has caused great damage to the uterus and may lead to infertility."

"Isn't it?!"

Wu Meng was shocked: "How could this be? Is it that serious? Can we trust what the doctor said? Is she a quack? Let's not see her anymore, let's ask someone else, maybe it's a misdiagnosis."

"Shh, keep your voice down."

Lin Xiyu glanced around warily: "You keep this to yourself. Don't tell anyone else. I don't want Gu Bin to know. At this critical juncture, adding to his mental burden would be detrimental to his recovery."

"You didn't tell him?"

Wu Meng's eyes darted around, looking a little guilty.

Gu Bin is her sugar daddy; it's impossible for her to keep such a big thing a secret.

She's about to do something that will betray her best friend again, and she's really torn!

"I didn't say it."

Lin Xiyu had her own plans: "At least I won't say it now. He has too many worries right now. He has no job, his grandfather is sick, and his grandmother needs to be taken care of. I don't want to add to his troubles at this time."

"If he doesn't become a lawyer, he can do something else."

Wu Meng blindly trusted Gu Bin: "With his clever mind, he could make a fortune even in the stock market."

"What you said reminds me."

Lin Xiyu had a sudden inspiration, and her eyes lit up with joy: "If my mom asks, that's what I'll say."

"what?!"

Wu Meng was stunned again: "You really said he invests in stocks?"

"Can't you?"

Lin Xiyu countered with a question.

"I just said it offhand."

Wu Meng gave an awkward laugh, not daring to say it outright. In the mind of her mother-in-law in Shandong, stock trading was equivalent to not having a proper job. If her mother heard that her son-in-law made a living by trading stocks, her expression would definitely be quite interesting.

"I think that's a good reason."

Lin Xiyu's thoughts were completely opposite to hers. The more she thought about it, the smarter she felt: "Anyway, my mom doesn't know exactly what the investment industry does, so I just told her that investing in stocks and real estate is very profitable now. As long as it's profitable, she won't say anything anymore and will definitely look at Gu Bin differently."

"You really understand your mother's mind perfectly."

Wu Meng admired him from the bottom of her heart: "But investing does sound really high-class, much better than just talking about stock trading."

"Ok, deal."

Lin Xiyu patted her shoulder hard to encourage herself.

"Ouch."

Wu Meng's shoulder slumped, and she winced in pain.

"Does it hurt a lot? I didn't use any force."

Lin Xiyu blinked innocently.

Wu Meng was furious: "I think you learned this from Gu Bin; you're getting more and more cunning."

Lin Xiyu suppressed a laugh and said, "That's why people say married couples look alike."

Wu Meng protested: "They meant the couple looked alike, not that they were both scheming."

His loud voice, octaves higher than his own, drew the attention of many.

"Keep your voice down."

Not wanting to attract attention, Lin Xiyu grabbed the person and ran away in a flash.

-

Gu Bin, relying on his youth, spent about ten days in the hospital, and his injuries recovered to a great extent.

Before the Lantern Festival, with the doctor's consent, I completed the discharge procedures.

Grandma Fu and Fourth Aunt stayed with them at the hospital. After spending more than ten days together, little Rui Rui had developed feelings for the couple, especially Gu Bin, who seemed to be omnipotent in the little one's eyes.

Aunt Lin Xiyu has a good temper and knows how to coax people, making the little one very happy and developing a dependence on her. Wherever Aunt Lin goes, the little one follows, like a little shadow, very clingy.

Grandma Fu saw this and was delighted. With her previous reservations gone, she was happy to see it happen and tacitly agreed to let the couple take care of Xiao Rui Rui and let her live with them.

-

Grandpa Fu suffers from stomach cancer and has been hospitalized for a long time. The doctor has issued several critical condition notices, but he has pulled through each time.

In Grandma Fu's words, he was still thinking about his grandson, and he died with his eyes open, unwilling to breathe his last.

Gu Bin was torn between his grandfather and maternal grandmother, and ultimately chose to return to his hometown first.

The old man's condition was serious. If I didn't go back and couldn't see him one last time, it would be a lifelong regret.

Grandma Fu was overjoyed. After waiting in Shanghai for half a month, she finally saw her grandson return home. On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, the group boarded a plane home.

-

At 1 p.m., the plane landed on time.

Wu Meng and Zhao Yuncheng, siblings, successfully completed their mission, happily accepted their boss's reward, and went home.

Lin Xiyu accompanied Gu Bin to the hospital to visit the old man.

With the care of his relatives and the comforting words of Grandma Fu, Gu Bin no longer harbored any resentment towards his grandfather.

Once the knot in their hearts was untied, the scene of their meeting naturally became warm and touching.

One word, "Grandpa," brought tears to the old man's eyes.

"Xiao Bin."

The old man, who had been in a coma for many days, miraculously opened his eyes when he heard his grandson calling him in his final moments.

"Grandpa, it's me. I've come to see you."

Gu Bin grasped the old man's hand and knelt before the bed.

Grandma Fu's eyes reddened, and Lin Xiyu also shed a few tears of sorrow.

-

The old man's condition is unstable, and Gu Bin's injuries have not yet healed; neither of them should get too excited.

The heartwarming scene didn't last long before the group was asked to leave the ward by the nurses.

"Xiao Bin, you're finally back."

Gu Bin's fifth uncle, who had been staying at the hospital to take care of the old man, was also deeply moved when he saw his nephew and niece whom he had not seen for a long time.

How is Grandpa's illness?

Gu Bin felt heavy-hearted.

"Ugh."

Uncle Wu pointed to his heart and sighed sadly, "The doctor said it's failing here, and I could die at any moment."

"Can't I have surgery?"

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed anticipation.

"I can't do it."

Fifth Uncle shook his head: "The old man is too old. Once he's on the operating table, I'm afraid he won't be able to get off."

Lin Xiyu was unwilling to give up: "Is there really no other way? Are we just going to drag this out like this?"

"It can only be this way."

Uncle Wu smiled bitterly: "We're just dragging this out one day at a time. We've already consulted with experts from Beijing, but they haven't come up with any good solutions."

"Just leave it to fate."

Grandma Fu has come to terms with it: "If this continues, he will suffer a lot. He has endured so much torment, but he still can't escape death."

"Dad's will is still very strong."

Uncle Wu sincerely admired him: "Chemotherapy is so painful, but he gritted his teeth and persevered without even groaning. He truly deserves to be called an old revolutionary, someone who has been on the battlefield and carried artillery."

"Grandpa was such a strong person too."

Gu Bin subconsciously thought of his grandfather, and his heart ached again.

"They are old comrades-in-arms."

Grandma Fu smiled bitterly: "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have hurt our relationship and argued for most of our lives."

"Dad still cares a lot about Grandpa Gu."

Fifth Uncle wanted to ease Gu Bin's grief, so he deliberately tried to evoke emotion: "Just two days ago, I heard him calling out Grandpa Gu's name while he was unconscious, saying something like, 'Run quickly, I'll hold them off.' It sounded like they had encountered an enemy and were fighting side by side."

Lin Xiyu quickly caught up: "Grandpa Fu is very classy, ​​letting Grandpa Gu leave first."

"He's dreaming."

Grandma Fu teased her husband, "Anyone can play the hero in their dreams."

Lin Xiyu laughed awkwardly: "I would never have such a dream."

Grandma Fu looked at her with loving eyes: "You were too young to have experienced that era."

Uncle Wu smiled and said, "Xiao Bin's injury hasn't fully healed yet, so go back and rest first."

"Can he walk?"

Lin Xiyu felt a chill run down her spine, and for some reason, a wave of panic surged up again.

This feeling was familiar, just like it was five years ago before the Gu family's accident, causing panic and helplessness, as if it were a premonition that something bad was about to happen.

"Grandpa's biggest worry is him. What if he passes away?"

"fine."

Fifth Uncle didn't believe in superstitions and didn't take her words to heart: "The old man has been lying in bed for more than a day or two. He's not that fragile. You should go back and rest first, and come to see him again tomorrow."

"Listen to your fifth uncle."

Grandma Fu felt sorry for her grandson and didn't want him to suffer any more: "Xiao Bin, go back home. Don't overwork yourself."

"Ah."

Gu Bin nodded in agreement, going along with his grandmother's wishes.

At this moment, none of the three expected that Lin Xiyu's premonition would come true.

When the old man saw his grandson, his wish was fulfilled, and the last breath he had been holding on to finally dissipated.

Gu Bin and Lin Xiyu went downstairs, but before they even left the hospital, the old man closed his eyes and passed away.

"Old man."

Grandma Fu's heart-wrenching cries echoed in the ward.

"grandfather."

Gu Bin lost a loved one once again. Although a man doesn't easily shed tears, he still shed tears of grief at this moment.

-

My maternal grandmother's house is a resettlement house on Donghua Street. When it was built three years ago, my uncle had bad luck in the lottery and drew the 5th floor.

My maternal grandmother is too old to climb stairs, so she has always lived in a house with a small courtyard on the ground floor of Qinglong Back Street.

The new house on Donghua Street wasn't empty either; Chen Xiulan and her son moved in.

It's a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment, 65 square meters in size, with the living room in the middle and two bedrooms, one facing south and the other north.

Xu Yi is 13 years old. He has skipped two grades and is already a high school freshman.

Boys of this age should no longer sleep in the same room as their mothers.

To help her son with his studies, Chen Xiulan gave him the sunny south-facing room, while she herself lived in the smaller north-facing bedroom.

The mother and daughter each have their own room. When Lin Xiyu goes back to her hometown for holidays and has nowhere to stay, she stays at her maternal grandmother's house. Her grandmother's house has three rooms, which is just enough for her to sleep in by herself.

-

Qinglong Back Street.

When Lin Xiyu returned from the hospital, it was nearly 11 p.m. The lights in the house were off, and it was pitch black from the outside.

She took out her key, opened the door, and tiptoed inside.

"Who's back? Is it Xi Yu?"

The light in Grandma's room came on, and Grandma opened her eyes alertly, looking towards the hallway.