With that question, Lin Wanyi’s tears flowed even more.
But she held them back.
She was thirty years old, not thirteen—she wouldn’t be so dramatic.
These were her emotions, and Liu Renzhi shouldn’t have to bear the burden for them.
Liu Renzhi managed so many people and so much business every day.
She shouldn’t waste his time over something so trivial.
Still, as she struggled to keep her composure, Liu Renzhi pulled open the passenger door and directly wrapped his arms around her.
His voice came from above her head:
“Go ahead and cry. Let it all out if you’ve been wronged.
“With me, you don’t have to hold back. Don’t worry about my feelings.
“Cry if you want to cry, laugh if you want to laugh.
“Wanyi, I just want you to be happy.”
Lin Wanyi’s tears soaked Liu Renzhi’s suit jacket.
She buried her face in his chest.
So this is what it felt like—to be fully protected and completely loved by someone.
It really was different.
Liu Renzhi knew that Lin Wanyi had suffered many grievances in the past.
He silently made a vow to himself.
From now on, he would never let her suffer again.
He would give her all the security she needed.
Because—
He was her man.
Protecting her and loving her was his most basic responsibility.
---
Wangjia Village.
Wang Jianguo’s health was getting worse every day.
With Wang Hao away from home, Liu Chunlan gave him only one bowl of porridge a day.
Sometimes, not even that.
Liu Chunlan just wanted to starve him to death.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
No one helped him.
Neither his two sons nor his daughter came to check on him even once.
Liu Chunlan wasn’t feeling well either.
Her chest ached more and more frequently.
She went to the town clinic for a checkup, and they told her to go to the city hospital.
She decided to go that very day. At her age, she couldn’t afford to delay treatment.
As she was leaving, Wang Jianguo grabbed her clothes:
“Where are you going? What am I supposed to do if you leave?”
She slapped him right across the face:
“You? Just wait to die, what else?
“Or should I call Widow Zhang to come take care of you?”
Liu Chunlan swaggered off, laughing to herself.
Serves him right.
It was divine retribution, really.
Letting Wang Jianguo get lung cancer.
Otherwise, she would have been the one dying of frustration.
On the bus, she called Wang Hao to ask him to go with her for the checkup.
But Wang Hao’s phone wouldn’t connect no matter how many times she dialed.
She tried Wang Kai next—still no answer.
Finally, she pinned all her hopes on Wang Meijuan.
But Wang Meijuan just cursed her out:
“You still dare to call me? Shameless as ever.”
Liu Chunlan quickly explained:
“Juan’er, my chest has been hurting for a long time. The doctor told me to get a proper checkup.
“I don’t even know how to register at the big hospital. Please help me.
“Don’t worry, I have money—I won’t ask you to pay. I just need you to come with me.”
“Pfft!”
Wang Meijuan continued scolding:
“What, you think your few pennies can get you into a hospital?
“You probably can’t even afford a single pack of medicine!
“And at your age, is it even worth checking?
“If they really find something wrong, will you have the money to treat it?
“I’d advise you to just go back home. Don’t waste your time.
“When your time comes, just jump into the river and be done with it. Don’t burden us.”
Liu Chunlan’s heart ached. Clutching the phone, she sobbed:
“Wang Meijuan, I’m still your own mother!
“If you won’t take me to the doctor, fine—but do you have to be so nasty about it?
“What use was it giving birth to you?”
Wang Meijuan simply hung up, leaving Liu Chunlan with nothing but a dial tone.
A woman next to her on the bus, who had overheard the call, gave her a sympathetic look.
She even offered a few words of comfort:
“Sister, don’t take it to heart. Young people these days are like that.
“It’s because we treated them too well, gave them too much love.
“Every last one of them is ungrateful. A pack of ingrates.”
Liu Chunlan grew more and more distressed, and more and more despondent.
She had spent her whole life raising children. Now, in her old age, she couldn’t even get anyone to accompany her to the hospital.
And that woman was right—she had devoted herself entirely to this family.
She had worked hard to raise all three children, helped them settle down.
Just because she hadn’t handed over money to them, they treated her like this?
The woman went on:
“Taking care of their elders is their duty—they can’t escape it.
“Don’t worry, sister. Worst case, you can take them to court.”
Liu Chunlan took the advice to heart.
After getting off the bus, she had no idea where Wang Hao was, nor where Wang Meijuan had rented a place now.
But she knew where Wang Kai’s house was.
Without much thought, she headed straight there.
Wang Kai was her eldest son—he couldn’t just abandon his mother.
In the middle of the day, both Wang Kai and Chen Qingxiu were at work.
Only Chen Qingxiu’s mother, Su Ling, was home, about to head out to buy groceries.
When she saw Liu Chunlan, she froze for a moment, then quickly blocked the doorway:
“What are you doing here?”
Liu Chunlan had always hated Su Ling. In her mind, it was Su Ling who had been poisoning Chen Qingxiu’s mind.
If Su Ling had raised her daughter properly, would Chen Qingxiu be so cold and unfilial?
If Chen Qingxiu were as gentle and considerate as Lin Wanyi, Liu Chunlan wouldn’t be left to fend for herself now.
So she didn’t even pretend to be polite. She reached out to push Su Ling aside and barged in:
“I’m here to see my son. What, it’s my son’s house—you can come and go, but I can’t?”
Su Ling swiftly blocked her:
“If you want to see Wang Kai, call him. This is my home, and you’re not welcome here.”
Liu Chunlan was fuming:
“What do you mean? I’m coming to my own son’s house, and I need your permission?”
Su Ling shoved Liu Chunlan back and slammed the door shut:
“Wang Kai isn’t here. If you want him, call him yourself.”
Liu Chunlan was convinced Su Ling was doing this on purpose.
She just wanted to steal her son away from her.
At that thought, she kicked the door hard:
“You old witch, what do you think you’re doing? I gave birth to Wang Kai—I gave birth to him!
“Were you just jealous you couldn’t have a son yourself, so you stole mine?
“Let me tell you, you can dream on! His blood runs through my veins. He’ll always be my son.
“Call him back right now. I have business with him.”
Su Ling just turned and walked away. The door was locked now, and Liu Chunlan couldn’t get in no matter what.
She wasn’t worried at all.
Before this, like Chen Qingxiu, she had assumed Liu Chunlan still had some money.
So she had kept up a pretense of politeness.
But ever since she learned that Liu Dabin had swindled all of Liu Chunlan’s money, she had completely lost any respect for her.
Not a shred remained.
What good was it to have given birth to two sons?
Still, no one would take care of her in her old age.
Serves her right. She had always said Liu Chunlan deserved it.
A mother-in-law who never treated her daughters-in-law well could never expect a good old age.
Earlier, when she heard Chen Qingxiu talk about Lin Wanyi’s ordeal, she was already disgusted with Liu Chunlan.
So now, she simply ignored her and walked away.
How could Liu Chunlan swallow that?
She had just been scolded rotten by Wang Meijuan, and she was already in a foul mood.
Seeing Su Ling’s attitude, her temper exploded.
She grabbed Su Ling by the hair, blocking her path:
“Stop right there! Open the damn door!
“You old hag, what right do you have to take over my son’s house?
“Hurry up and open it! I’ve never seen such a shameless mother-in-law.
“I’m his own mother, and I’m not even living with him! How dare you move in and act like you own the place?”
