Rebirth in 1986: Unforgettable Regrets

Don't even mention that time when Granny Tang was sick and Zhang Hualian took care of her for two days; even without that incident, Tang Zhengde always treated Elder Mrs. Zhang like his own mother.

Tang Zhengde and Zhang Hualian hurried to the hospital in Shuanghe Town. The doctor's words were particularly serious. Zhang Hualian panicked, nearly fainting, and Tang Zhengde supported her, insisting on transferring her to the county hospital.

Ever since hearing about Elder Mrs. Zhang's illness, Tang Yue had been prepared in the hospital, with money ready and even plans to transfer directly to a city hospital if the county one was insufficient.

She stood at the hospital entrance, waiting for Elder Mrs. Zhang to arrive. Her emotions were also in great turmoil. The kind and gentle face of Elder Mrs. Zhang flashed in her mind one scene at a time. Busy with her senior year and post-college entrance exams, how did she never think to take her grandmother for a health check-up?

She felt that after the check-up, Granny Tang should also come to the hospital for a check-up, and if there was anything wrong, it should be treated early.

She closed her eyes, trying to recall past events, only to find that the memories were fading in her mind, with only the happy and fortunate life after rebirth remaining.

"Big Sister, Granny will definitely be fine," said Tang Jun, comforting his sister. In his heart, Tang Yue was always smart, as if no matter what happened or what difficulties arose, she was the calmest.

This time, hearing about Granny's illness, as Tang Yue walked back and forth at the hospital entrance, Tang Jun felt worried as well.

"Yes, Granny will be fine."

Tang Yue comforted herself, but her trembling eyelashes and grave expression conveyed considerable tension. The siblings comforted each other, not wanting to worry one another.

"Granny."

As Tang Yue saw her grandmother, who had lost weight, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Tang Jun, following alongside, also felt uneasy and after calling out 'Granny,' he didn't know what else to say.

No one was in the mood for pleasantries. They accompanied Elder Mrs. Zhang through various examinations, and finally, the doctor concluded that her diet was too greasy and heavy, which her digestive system couldn't handle.

Zhang Hualian anxiously asked about the illness mentioned by the doctor in Shuanghe Town.

The doctor explained that now, if Elder Mrs. Zhang adopted a lighter diet, did not overexert herself, and took good care of her health with regular check-ups, it should be fine.

"How could she be eating too greasy?" Zhang Hualian couldn't comprehend, as Elder Mrs. Zhang's diet was usually light, and besides, the family didn't have the means for that.

Liu Cuixong guiltily stepped back.

Zhang Hua Feng said in a heavy voice, "Sister, it's my fault."

"What happened?" Zhang Hualian asked urgently.

Zhang Hua Feng explained, "The household situation improved, and so did the meals, so the amount of oil used in cooking increased a bit than usual." Zhang Hua Feng looked grave.

This matter traces back to Liu Cuixong. After making money from her clothes store, she would insist on having Elder Mrs. Zhang bring over meals to eat every day. Now with money, Liu Cuixong wanted to eat meat with every meal, and more than once she complained about Elder Mrs. Zhang's cooking being too bland.

Gradually, Elder Mrs. Zhang also became more willing to use oil in her cooking.

Liu Cuixong liked to make a lot of food, but often couldn't finish it all, and Zhang Huafeng didn't come home from the shop, so with the weather getting hot, the leftover dishes which Elder Mrs. Zhang couldn't bear to throw away, all ended up in her stomach.

Over time, Elder Mrs. Zhang ate foods that were too greasy, but as an elderly person, her digestion wasn't good, so every time she had greasy food, she would end up with diarrhea. Zhang Huafeng only found out during a recent visit to the doctor that Elder Mrs. Zhang had been suffering from diarrhea every day.

Zhang Huafeng's face was filled with self-reproach and guilt. All the chores at home were done by Elder Mrs. Zhang, who also had to prepare and deliver their meals. Although the house was only about two li from town, for an elderly person, delivering meals every day in the wind, sun, and rain was indeed a very hard task.

Zhang Hualian fell silent, then said, "Huafeng, I'm also at fault in this matter."

The restaurant business kept her so busy that she hadn't visited Elder Mrs. Zhang for a long time. She said, "Huafeng, when Mom gets better, let's have her stay at our house for a while."

Just as Liu Cuixong was about to protest, Zhang Hualian interjected, "Cuixong, I know running the shop is also tough, but Mom is getting older, and walking two li every day, especially with that steep slope, is very hard on her."

Liu Cuixong gave a strained smile, "Sis, it's our fault."

In the past, Liu Cuixong wouldn't have cared about such matters, but now that she relied on Tang Mingli's clothing factory for her inventory, she couldn't afford to offend the Tang Family.

"Let's have Mom stay at our house for a while." Zhang Hualian's tone became firmer, something that, if it had been in the past, she would never have said.

Tang Yue secretly gave Zhang Hualian a mental thumbs-up. She had been worried that her mother was still as meek as before, but now it seemed that her mother's meekness was just her nature, and when truly provoked, she could be assertive.

Knowing that Elder Mrs. Zhang didn't have any serious problems, Tang Yue was relieved. She said, "Dad, Mom, I'll go back and cook first and then bring it over for Grandma to eat."

"No, Xiao Yue, I'll do it. You and your mother stay here to take care of Grandma," Tang Zhengde refused subconsciously.

Zhang Hualian said, "You all go back. Cuixong and I can take care of her here. There's no point in everyone coming to the hospital; there's not even enough room to sit."

Zhang Hualian didn't want her daughter to struggle, preferring to let Tang Zhengde take the trouble to bring over some food, making sure to tell him to make it light and bring it over.

Liu Cuixong watched as Zhang Huafeng left and tried several times to speak, but Zhang Hualian gave her no chance to do so.

"It should have been Huafeng who stayed, but it's always more convenient for a woman to take care of another woman," Zhang Hualian tried to explain to Liu Cuixong.

Liu Cuixong gave an awkward smile and couldn't say anything more, quickly changing the subject, "By the way, sis, Xiao Yue is only nineteen. How could you agree to her betrothal?"

This was a question Liu Cuixong had wanted to ask for a long time. Back at home, she was curious, but since she couldn't see Zhang Hualian, she could only wonder to herself. Now that they met, Liu Cuixong immediately asked, "Is it because Zhengde wants to marry Xiao Yue off early? If you ask me, a stepdaughter is never the same as one's own daughter. No matter how well Zhengde appears to treat her day-to-day, it won't change the fact that he is a stepfather."

Liu Cuixong spoke her mind, utterly unaware that Zhang Hualian's face had already darkened.

By the time she realized, Liu Cuixong still didn't understand what she had said wrong. She asked, "Sis, did I say something wrong?"

"You're wrong," Zhang Hualian said with a dark face. "Zhengde is reluctant to let Xiao Yue get married, and so am I. But the other party is very outstanding, and we didn't want to miss out. Who said that being engaged is the same as being married? I am waiting for Xiao Yue to graduate from college before having her get married, is that not acceptable?"

The last three words were spoken through clenched teeth.