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墨書 Inktalez
Now that Wang Xu is locked up, and my mother-in-law has attempted suicide twice with no relatives around, I have no choice but to take care of her. Unable to manage alone, I hired a caregiver to help with my mother-in-law's needs. However, one day she specifically called for me, and the caregiver was at a loss.
"I told you not to call me unless it's urgent. Just take care of her; your salary won't be affected. If this continues, I'll find someone else," I said.
The caregiver was anxious and quickly explained, "It's not that I want to bother you, Xiao Zhuang. But your mother-in-law is very unstable right now; she's been crying and insisting on seeing you. I really have no choice but to let you know. Her emotions are extremely heightened."
Hearing this, I felt helpless. "Didn't you say you're good at managing patients' emotions? I hired you at a high price to alleviate these concerns, and look at the situation now."
"I'm really sorry, Xiao Zhuang. I'm also forced into this situation. Let me try to persuade her again. You go ahead with your work; I won't disturb you any longer."
After hanging up, I fell into deep thought. It wasn't a solution for my mother-in-law to keep causing such disturbances. This situation was truly unfortunate for me. Today was the first time; there would surely be a second time. Glancing at the clock, it was three forty in the afternoon—almost time to get off work. Should I go visit her tonight?
I wrestled with my thoughts until Gu Xiang came out of the office and smiled at me. "What's wrong? You look so lost today."
Seeing Gu Xiang made it hard for me to think of anything else, so I quickly asked him what was going on with my mother-in-law lately—her repeated suicide attempts and what psychological reasons could be behind it.
"Tell me everything that's been happening recently," Gu Xiang said, his expression turning serious.
I recounted the bizarre events I'd encountered lately. After I finished speaking, Gu Xiang's expression didn't improve. "I think your mother-in-law has some serious issues going on in her mind. You mentioned you're going to see her tonight? How about I accompany you?"
I knew it was troublesome for Gu Xiang, but having him with me would make things much easier and give me a sense of support. I nodded in agreement. "That would really help; thank you."
Gu Xiang then smiled more easily. "Since you know it's a hassle for me, how about treating me to dinner tonight? I want a feast."
I agreed.
After work, I sat in Gu Xiang's car as we headed to see my mother-in-law. When we reached the door of the hospital room, Gu Xiang didn't go inside but pointed inside and told me to go in alone while he waited outside.
Thinking about it, if my mother-in-law knew I brought a strange man with me, she would surely explode in anger and accuse me of being unfaithful right after my divorce—especially if she found out about Gu Xiang's profession; she'd probably say I was cursing her by bringing a madman around.
Thinking about these details is both curious and amusing, reflecting on what I have experienced in the past.
As I walked into the hospital room, the caregiver was feeding my grandmother, spooning food into her mouth. My grandmother was mumbling something that I couldn't quite catch, and seeing the caregiver's expression, it seemed like it wasn't anything good.
When I got closer, my grandmother noticed me. She paused for a moment, her expression showing that she was taken aback. After a brief moment, she tentatively called out to me, "Zhuang Jun? You’re here?"
Not only was my grandmother surprised, but I also didn't expect to find myself in this situation. I placed the fruit basket I was holding on the bedside table and said, "Yes, I came to see you. How's your recovery? It should be going well, right?"
In stark contrast to what I had imagined, my grandmother looked at me with tears of joy and smiled broadly, nodding vigorously. "Very good, very good! It's great that you came. Come sit over here. Have you eaten? Should I ask Xiao Wang to buy you something to eat?"
Her words made the caregiver's expression darken. I quickly tried to smooth things over. "No need for that; this caregiver is here to take care of you, not me. I'm fine; if I'm hungry, I'll go get something myself."
"What's wrong with that? Isn’t it paid for? Two hundred a day is so expensive and they can't do much."
My grandmother's complaints made the caregiver look even more displeased. I really didn't have the energy to look for another caregiver, so I encouraged everyone. "It's not easy for them either; they work day and night. As long as they can take good care of you, that's enough. Once you're better and discharged from the hospital, I'll come back to help you with the discharge procedures. You just focus on resting; if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Upon hearing this, my grandmother suddenly mustered some strength and grabbed my hand tightly, not letting me go. "Where do you think you're going? You just got here! Sit down for a while and chat with me; can’t you keep me company?"
I forced a smile. "Auntie, you know I've divorced Wang Xu. Taking care of you shouldn't have been my responsibility; I only came because the nurse called me. I also paid ten thousand yuan to hire a caregiver for you. I feel like I've done everything I should do, so please don’t make it difficult for me."
I could do these things out of human obligation, but that didn’t mean I wanted to sit down and chat with her. Deep down, I was worried about what others would think if my grandmother succeeded in committing suicide; even though I was upright and proper in my actions, I still feared being judged by some blind individuals.
"I used to be your grandmother after all; what's wrong with asking you to keep me company now? If you can't even agree to this small request, that's too much! Is this how you want to avoid our Wang Family? The Wang Family has treated you well before."
I raised both hands in surrender. "Alright then, say whatever you want; I'm here listening. Once you're done talking, I'll go get something to eat. How does that sound?"
She nodded in satisfaction, an unusual emotion flickering in her eyes as she sighed meaningfully. "Zhuang Jun, I know this might put you in a difficult position, but really... could you do us one last favor? Forgive Wang Xu and let him out of prison, okay?"
I knew it; this must be the reason, but I felt helpless. This was not a problem I could solve, nor did I want to solve it.
"I'm sorry, but there's really nothing I can do. This is beyond my control."
"But you could just tell the police it was all a joke, that you weren't hurt or angry, and that you won't hold Wang Xu responsible. Just think of it as doing a good deed; can you do that?"
Such discussions made me feel disgusted, as if refusing would bring about some great sin. But in reality, what had I done wrong?
For the people of the Wang Family, was I supposed to inexplicably bear everything behind the scenes?
"I'm really sorry, but I might not be able to do that. Maybe when I have the power to control the law, I could consider it. Until then, I want to say this might be my last visit to see you. From now on, I'll have the caregiver handle things. You can consider your medical expenses during this time as my responsibility, but I hope you won't call me again. Otherwise, I'll have to think about changing my phone number or moving."
My grandmother's eyes widened in disbelief at my words. But this was what I truly thought and hoped for; I didn't want any further ties with this family. Some things should have ended at the moment of divorce.
Why were they, who clearly wanted to cut ties with me, now pulling me back to face the cold reality?
"What did you say...?"
"Everything you've heard is true. I've done all I can do. From now on, whatever happens between you and Wang Xu has nothing to do with me, right? Everything has its cause and effect. I don't know if Wang Xu understands this, but since you're the one waiting for him outside, I'm sure you realize that Wang Xu won't be coming back anytime soon."
The guilt of intentional harm is something Wang Xu must bear. He should have thought about the consequences when he chose to do all this instead of looking for solutions. Now there is only one path: waiting.
My grandmother's face turned ashen, and her gaze lost its vitality as she looked at me. I felt I had emphasized enough; how she thought was her own business.
"Wang Xu will eventually come out, so please don't harm your body any further. If he sees you in poor condition when he gets out, it will upset him too, won't it? Wouldn't it be better to wait in good health?"
While I spoke, my grandmother's eyes filled with tears: "But that's prison! Wang Xu has lost his job; what will he do when he gets out? His reputation is ruined; what will happen next?"
My mother-in-law is more thoughtful; she is considering Wang Xu's situation in the future. I recalled Wang Xu's previous attitude and smiled wryly as I replied, "Anyway, Wang Xu is talented enough to find opportunities anywhere. There might be restrictions in government positions, but private companies should be fine. Don't worry, he is very capable."
My mother-in-law did not catch the sarcasm in my words and kept nodding in agreement. I thought it was about time to leave, so I exchanged a glance with the caregiver and planned to exit the ward.
But my mother-in-law called out to me again.
"Zhuang Jun, about what happened before, I owe you an apology."
Just that simple sentence nearly brought tears to my eyes. I even doubted whether it was my imagination; she had never said anything like this before, and I had foolishly hoped to hear an apology from her.
I had waited too long for such words, to the point where I had lost patience. All the struggles before were meant to make her and Wang Xu understand the hurt they caused me. Now that I finally heard it, it felt surreal.
"Thank you for letting me hear those words."
Without looking back, I walked out of the ward, sniffed back my emotions, and met Gu Xiang's curious gaze. I smiled at him, and he smiled back. As he raised his hand, I naturally embraced him and buried my head in his chest.
Unexpectedly, I heard a low exclamation from nearby: "Zhuang Jun, what are you... oh, Gu Xiang?"
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