Worried about her daughter, Lin Wanyi made a video call to Wang Meijuan.
She called several times in a row, but no one answered.
Lin Wanyi's heart pounded with anxiety.
After what happened just a few days ago, she was a nervous wreck.
If it hadn't been absolutely necessary, she would never have left her daughter behind.
It took more than ten minutes before Wang Meijuan finally picked up the video call.
Seeing her daughter alive and well on the screen, Lin Wanyi finally let out a sigh of relief.
Keke called out for her mother, her eyes turning red as she spoke.
Wang Meijuan took the opportunity to say, "Sister-in-law, the child misses you. When are you coming back?
"The New Year is almost here. You wouldn't let Keke spend the New Year at my house, would you?"
Lin Wanyi's tears were on the verge of falling, and she hurriedly hung up the phone.
Li Suhua saw this and her heart ached for her. She sat down next to Lin Wanyi:
"There's nothing much left to do here. Your father just passed away, and Jiajun's wedding will have to be postponed to next year.
"If you miss your child, you should go back first."
Lin Wanyi could no longer hold back her tears. "Mom, I want to stay and spend the New Year with you."
How could Li Suhua not want that? It had been eight years. Since her daughter married far away eight years ago, she had never come back for the New Year.
She had originally thought they could spend the New Year together this year.
But her husband had suddenly passed away, and when her daughter and son-in-law returned, they didn't bring her granddaughter.
She had her suspicions but didn't dare to ask her daughter.
Her daughter surely had some unspeakable difficulties she didn't want to share.
She knew that without her granddaughter here, her daughter wouldn't stay either.
Weren't all mothers and children in the world like this?
She worried about Lin Wanyi, and Lin Wanyi worried about Wang Keke.
It was all the same.
She could only feign a relaxed tone:
"Who wants you to stay? I served your father for so many years. Now that he's finally gone, I can have a relaxing New Year. Why are you coming back to add to the mess?
"Hurry up and go back. Don't let the child miss you."
Wang Hao, on the other hand, was very happy: "Yes, Mom is right. We've seen Dad off, honey, so your wish is fulfilled.
"Let's go back first. If you really miss Mom during the New Year, you can come back, or we can bring Mom over."
Lin Wanyi didn't believe Wang Hao at all, but she had to go back.
She had originally planned to secretly tell Lin Jiajun, asking him to go back and help snatch her daughter back.
But just as she was about to speak, Li Suhua suddenly collapsed to the floor with a thud.
In a flurry of panic, they rushed Li Suhua to the hospital. The doctor looked grave:
"These are precursors to a cerebral infarction. You need to be very careful.
"If she collapses and no one is around, a mild case means paralysis, and a severe case means sudden death."
Lin Wanyi felt as if the sky was falling.
Her father had just passed away; nothing could happen to her mother.
Her plan to have Lin Jiajun go with her to snatch Keke back had to be put on hold.
If Jiajun left, what would happen to Mom?
She was burning with intense anxiety, but Wang Hao was so happy he almost whistled.
He was reporting to Liu Chunlan again:
"Mom, even God is helping me. My mother-in-law is sick too. Their family is in total chaos right now, and Lin Wanyi has absolutely no time to bring up divorce with me.
"I'll make her go back in a couple of days. She has to spend the New Year at our house."
On the other end, Liu Chunlan happily took a sip of liquor and showed off to Wang Jianguo:
"My move was ruthless enough, right? As long as that money-losing burden Wang Keke is in my hands, Lin Wanyi is like a kite on my string. I can pull her however I want.
"If she disobeys, she can forget about ever seeing her daughter again."
Wang Jianguo shot her a sideways glance. "Do you think she's a pushover? Just wait and see if she settles the score with you when she gets back."
Liu Chunlan looked completely unbothered. "Me, afraid of her? As long as she comes back, I have plenty of ways to deal with her.
"I didn't let her leave before because I was afraid she wouldn't come back. Now that her daughter is in my hands, does she dare not to come back?"
Sure enough, Lin Wanyi didn't dare.
Remembering how Keke looked lying in the hospital a few days ago, she was worried to death.
Before the first seven days of mourning were even over, Wang Hao brought up leaving: "We need to buy New Year goods for the house, honey. We have to go back and help Mom."
Lin Jiajun was a little angry. He didn't overthink things like Li Suhua did, and he said directly:
"What New Year goods absolutely need my sister to go back and buy? You can't even wait for my dad's seventh day of mourning?
"Brother-in-law, what do you mean by this?"
Wang Hao hurriedly explained, "I didn't mean it like that. It's just because your sister has a high status in our family, and everything has to wait for her to go back and make the decisions."
Lin Jiajun didn't believe him at all. He had been observing Lin Wanyi these past few days.
She was weighed down by worries, and especially when she was with Wang Hao, her whole body was always tense.
He had wanted to ask for a long time, so he simply took the opportunity when Li Suhua wasn't around to speak up:
"Sister, are you and brother-in-law hiding something from us?"
"No!"
Lin Wanyi quickly said, "There's nothing. I'm doing very well."
"Doing well how?"
His voice grew much louder. "You've been married for eight years and haven't come home for the New Year even once. You've only come back twice in total.
"It's even more ridiculous with Keke. She's about to start first grade, and she hasn't been to her grandmother's house a single time.
"She didn't even come back for such a major family event this time. Is this normal? Sister, I'm asking you, is this normal?
"Brother-in-law, I'm asking you too. Is it normal?
"You both came back but didn't bring her. Anyone you ask would say this isn't normal!"
Suddenly questioned like this by Lin Jiajun, Lin Wanyi's mind went blank. She didn't want to say anything.
She still didn't want to make her mother worry.
She forced a smile with all her might. "It's nothing. Your sister is really fine. Keke suddenly got sick a couple of days ago, otherwise she would have come back with us."
"I don't believe you!"
Lin Jiajun's voice grew even louder. "Then why did you ask to borrow money from me a few days ago? I don't believe you wouldn't even have the money to come home, unless..."
As he spoke, he suddenly turned to look at Wang Hao. "Unless you don't give my sister any money. Unless my sister is being controlled by you."
Lin Wanyi's throat tightened. She wanted to retort, but her tears fell first.
Wang Hao panicked. "That's not it. It's really not like that. Jiajun, you're overthinking it.
"I have never controlled your sister. She doesn't come back because she simply doesn't want to."
Lin Wanyi suddenly turned her head and looked at him in disbelief. "Me! I don't want to come back? Wang Hao, are you saying I don't want to return to my own family and see my own parents?
"Do you have any conscience at all when you speak?"
Sweating from panic, Wang Hao said, "Honey, don't talk nonsense. Really, don't talk nonsense.
"Mom's health is poor. Don't make her worry. Dad just passed away. Do you want to send Mom to her grave too?"
Lin Wanyi clenched her fists in anger. Wang Hao was threatening her. He was threatening her again.
But she could only do as Wang Hao said.
Her mother's health couldn't withstand any shocks right now. She couldn't tell the truth.
She took a deep breath. "Jiajun, your sister is doing very well. Don't worry about me."
"Fine! Since you're doing so well, then bring Keke over to spend the New Year at home.
"If you can bring her over, I'll believe you're doing well."
Lin Wanyi turned to look at Wang Hao, her eyes full of pleading. Her voice broke as she said:
"Wang Hao, can we bring Keke over? Let's just stay home and keep my mom company for a while, okay?
"I promise you, as soon as the New Year is over, I'll go back with you immediately. I will definitely go back."
Of course, Wang Hao couldn't agree. He whispered in Lin Wanyi's ear:
"Honey, Keke is with my mom right now. It's not up to me whether she can come or not.
"My mom is still waiting for you to go back. Let's go back tomorrow!"
