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墨書 Inktalez
"Okay, please tell Mr. Qin that I will definitely be there, thanks to his kindness."
After hanging up the phone, Shu Ran leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest. She reached up to rub her slightly aching temples, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
Who is Old Qin? He is Qin Xian's grandfather!
Previously, she had been able to face him calmly while playing chess, merely considering him as another grandfather like Grandpa Zhang.
But now, given her relationship with Qin Xian... how should she face him?
Shu Ran let out a deep sigh, not wanting to think about it any longer.
She reassured herself that with Old Qin's status, the guests at the banquet would surely be prominent figures from the political and business circles. They would be too busy attending to him to notice someone as insignificant as her; she was really overthinking it.
Having thought this, she finally relaxed, sat up straight, and slowly started the car engine.
The first thing she needed to do now was visit Grandpa Zhang. After all, it had been a while since they last met when she accompanied him to see Old Qin.
According to Shu Mother, he had been feeling a bit fatigued lately, often coughing and having trouble sleeping, and he hadn't had much of an appetite.
Shu Ran specifically bought some light porridge and a few appetizers to take along for her visit. Just as she reached the door, she heard a violent coughing sound coming from inside.
Shu Ran hurriedly knocked on the door and called out, "Grandpa Zhang! Grandpa Zhang!"
Inside, she could hear the sound of someone getting up, slippers shuffling on the floor.
"Who is it?" A frail and weak voice came from behind the door, occasionally interrupted by a faint cough.
"Grandpa Zhang, it's me, Shu Ran." Hearing his fragile voice made Shu Ran feel anxious.
With a soft thud, the door was opened from the inside.
Shu Ran looked up and saw Grandpa Zhang's weathered face. His eyes, usually filled with wisdom and intelligence, were now deeply sunken from illness and lack of sleep, revealing his frail condition.
The color had drained from his face, leaving only a dry and yellowed complexion, and he was forcing a thin smile.
Seeing this scene made Shu Ran's heart ache. Her eyes instantly turned red, and hot tears fell with a soft plop.
How could Grandpa Zhang have changed so much in just a few days?
"Silly child, why are you crying when you see Grandpa Zhang? Have you been wronged? Tell me, and I will stand up for you," Grandpa Zhang said as he raised his bony hand to gently pat her head in comfort.
Just like when she was little, whenever she felt wronged or bullied and held it in, Grandpa Zhang would always soothe her with such kindness and patience.
Thinking of this made Shu Ran's tears flow even more fiercely; her heart was overwhelmed with both sorrow and gratitude.
She shook her head vigorously, trying hard to hold back her tears, not wanting to worry Grandpa Zhang.
Suppressing her sobs, she explained, "It's nothing, Grandpa Zhang. I just accidentally got some sand in my eyes."
As she spoke, she wiped away her tears with determination, sniffled, and forced out a dry smile.
She entered the door and helped Grandpa Zhang sit down on the wooden chair in the living room. Then she went to the kitchen to put the porridge and dishes she brought into bowls. A casual glance revealed that the dining table was filled with leftover food, and even the fish had been sitting there for who knows how long, leaving a foul smell that permeated the kitchen.
How could someone as cleanly as Grandpa Zhang allow this to happen, unless he was too ill to clean up?
Shu Ran's eyes brimmed with emotion as she stared at the kitchen for a moment, but eventually, she calmed down and quietly walked out of the kitchen to serve the plain porridge and side dishes to Grandpa Zhang.
Shu Ran sat beside him, watching as he slowly brought the spoonfuls of porridge to his mouth. Only then did she finally feel relieved.
As long as he could eat, that was good.
As long as he could still eat, that was good.
She focused on him, her brows slightly furrowed with worry. "Grandpa, what happened to you?"
How did he suddenly fall so ill? Why didn’t he call her?
If she hadn’t come today, would he have planned to endure it silently without telling anyone?
Until he couldn’t hold on anymore...
Shu Ran didn’t dare to think further.
“It’s nothing much, I just caught a cold a few days ago and have been coughing. It’s not serious; I’ll be better in a few days.”
He casually summarized the matter as if it were just a simple ailment. But the cough he tried hard to suppress made Shu Ran see through his lie at a glance.
She didn't confront him; she understood that Grandpa Zhang said this just to avoid worrying her. So she didn't dig deeper and couldn't help but murmur, "Have you seen a doctor? I'm not saying this to nag you, but if anything happens, just call me. I saved your number in my phone last time; you just need to press 1."
Grandpa Zhang was all alone here. His partner had passed away, and his relatives were far away in the north and west of the city. If something happened, it would be too late to contact anyone.
They say distant relatives are not as helpful as close neighbors, and moreover, Shu Ran treated him like her own grandfather.
So she truly hoped that Grandpa Zhang could stay healthy and that if anything happened, he would see her as a support and not suffer in silence.
"Alright, alright, Grandpa understands."
Seeing her serious expression as she lectured him made Grandpa Zhang smile; it felt like the room warmed up and was filled with life.
After finishing the porridge, he felt much better and finally had some strength.
Suddenly, he reached out and fiddled with the drawer of the tea table.
Before long, he pulled out a gilded invitation from the cabinet, on which several characters were elegantly written in cursive.
It was a birthday invitation.
One glance made it clear that it was sent by Mr. Qin.
"I can't go with my health like this. Shu Ran, you go in my place and express my apologies to Grandpa Qin."
As he spoke, he took out a scroll of calligraphy and painting from the cabinet and handed it to Shu Ran, instructing, "This painting is a gift for Old Qin from me; it's my birthday present for him."
He placed the calligraphy and invitation on the table, and Shu Ran nodded, carefully putting them away.
"Then, Grandpa, what gift should I prepare?"
Grandpa Zhang looked at her in confusion. Shu Ran did not shy away and explained, "Mr. Qin also sent me an invitation."
Only then did Grandpa Zhang nod, though he couldn't quite understand why Old Qin would specifically send an invitation to a young girl.
However, he still replied, "As one gets older, they no longer cherish gold and jewels as much; they only seek stability. Especially him, after struggling for most of his life, he now just wants a peaceful life."
"If you are going to give a gift, choose something with a Zen quality. It's not about the value but the sentiment. You can decide for yourself."
Shu Ran nodded in understanding, already having a plan in mind.
After chatting with Grandpa Zhang for a while, he began to feel tired.
Shu Ran helped him to his bedroom to rest. Once he closed his eyes, she gently covered him with a blanket.
Looking at his weathered face and the frail hands that were nothing but skin and bones, she ultimately couldn't bear to look any longer.
She quietly exited the room, closed the door, and leaned against the wall, silently shedding tears.
Sometimes, life is just so indifferent.
Aging, illness, and death are all part of life; no one can prevent them, only accept them calmly.
After crying, she walked into the kitchen and threw all the leftover food from the table into the trash can. She washed all the dishes piled high in the sink and mopped the entire living room and kitchen.
Once everything was cleaned up, she made a trip to the mall for a big shopping spree.
She packed the fridge with a variety of fruits and vegetables, and also prepared a few dishes to store inside, making it convenient for Grandpa Zhang to heat them up whenever he wanted to eat.
She prepared several dishes for Grandpa Zhang's dinner, and by the time she finished, Grandpa Zhang had also woken up.
He staggered over, looking at the refreshed kitchen and the dishes on the table, tears welling up in his eyes.
However, Ke Shuran didn't give him a chance to dwell on it; she hurriedly invited him to sit down and eat.
Meanwhile, she was tidying up her things, preparing to leave. She had been busy here for an afternoon but still had some matters of her own that needed attention, so she had to rush off.
After reminding Grandpa Zhang about everything, she slung her bag over her shoulder and opened the door, ready to leave.
Suddenly, Grandpa Zhang called out to her from behind, inexplicably saying, "Shu Ran, make sure to care about your mother. Spend more time with her when you can, okay?"
"Okay," Shu Ran replied cheerfully as she closed the door and left.
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