She held the cara, and since Su Ronggui was closer to the table, she saw him walk to the edge of the table, open the thermos, and pour out so water—it was actually hot.
"No hot water! Where did you get hot water from? That’s the thermos I just brought from ho!" The woman sighed.
Su Ronggui first poured so water out to rinse the cup, then filled it half full, carried it to the bed, and slid his arm beneath Granny’s neck. The sleeve of his neatly pressed coat brushed against the greasy pillow as he helped Granny sit up to drink.
Granny’s hair was a tangled ss of white, her face wrinkled like dry orange peel, and her eyes leaked yellowish secretions. Groggy, she sipped from his hand and then slowly raised her head as if trying to see who was feeding her.
As she looked, tears welled up in Granny’s cloudy eyes. She suddenly threw her arms around his neck and began to sob loudly, "Old man, have you co to take away? Old man, is that you?"
The cup in his hand was knocked to the ground as Granny clung to him. Her dingy quilt and old cotton jacket squeezed between them, her face buried in his shoulder. Tears, mucus, and eye discharge sared onto his coat.
Yet he, after a mont of stiffness, didn’t push Granny away. Instead, he pulled the dirty quilt to wrap her frail body, clad only in a similarly grimy old sweater, lightly patting her back.
Tu Hengsha watched the scene; knowing his character, he was still a bit shocked. How could soone so particular about cleanliness...
The woman couldn’t hold it any longer and loudly said in Granny’s ear, "Granny Zeng, he’s not your old man; he’s a reporter! A reporter!"
Engulfed in sorrow, Granny couldn’t hear the woman’s words. She just cried in Su Ronggui’s arms, calling him "old man" or "Old Zeng," asking, "Why did you leave ? You said you’d be with forever! Why did you leave first? Why didn’t you take with you? You broke your promise...Old man..."
Granny’s voice was hoarse, having to cough after every few words, each cough shaking her lungs violently. After coughing, she continued to cry, ignoring the woman’s words, until she was indeed too tired. Su Ronggui assisted her in lying down, helping her to fall back asleep. Even then, she wouldn’t let go of his hand, whispering in a raspy voice, "Old man, you must hold on this ti, don’t leave again...the days without you...they’re so hard...too hard..."
The dirty quilt only highlighted his fingers, as pure as jade. Granny’s dry and dark hands gripped his tightly, like dead vines wrapping around mutton fat jade. Her black fingernails dug into his hand, leaving deep marks, striking to the eyes.
As the pillow moved, the corner of a black-and-white photo peeked out.
Su Ronggui pulled out the photo, showing a young man and woman in yellowed image. The woman had two long braids, wearing a cross-collared blouse and pleated skirt, her face lovely. The man wore a dark Zhongshan suit, with short hair and deep eyes, full of spirit. From afar, he bore a slight resemblance to Su Ronggui.
"This is...Young Granny Zeng and Old Man Zeng, right? There’s so resemblance..." The woman tried to identify the photo.
Resemblance? Tu Hengsha, standing by the cara, couldn’t associate the youthful, vibrant woman in the photo with the filthy, disheveled Granny on the bed...
Su Ronggui tucked the photo back.
The woman picked up the cup, refilled it, and also brought over dicine, "Ti for her to take her dicine, probably didn’t have it this morning!" Finishing her statent, she loudly told Granny Zeng, "Granny, ti to take your dicine!"
This, Granny heard, and she shook her head repeatedly, holding onto Su Ronggui’s hand, saying, "No! Old man doesn’t take dicine! It’s bitter..." just like a little girl...
"Ah, this illness has made her confused!" The woman said with a sigh while holding the dicine.
He took the dicine and coaxed Granny into taking it, promising sweets afterwards, not bitter. It took much effort to persuade Granny to take the dicine.
The woman kept sighing, "Yesterday she was able to take her dicine easily herself, today she’s truly muddled by the illness, thinks she’s back in her youth. Reporter, I’m really sorry!"
He shook his head, indicating he didn’t mind. He truly didn’t mind, as on Grandma’s last night, he held her hand the sa way. If Grandma were still here, he would willingly do the sa, accompany her, coax her, except he never had the chance to show his filial piety to Grandma.
"Indeed, once the elderly often muddle back to their youth, their days are numbered. In the last days, they tend to review their lifeti from childhood to old age. Granny was not well, living in such a place, suffering from hunger and cold without care. I fear she won’t last many more days!" The woman’s eyes welled red as she spoke.
"Does she have her son’s phone number?" Su Ronggui’s hand was still held by the elderly one.
"Which son?" The woman asked.
"She has two!"
The woman began scrolling through her phone contacts, "I have the younger son’s number; note it down. Also, the daughter-in-law’s number. I’ll ask around for the elder son’s."
There were actually onlookers outside the garage. Upon hearing this, soone spoke up, "I have the elder son’s number! Let tell you!"
He called the younger son of the Zeng family first, but couldn’t get through. Then he contacted the elder son, this ti getting an imdiate connection, "Hello, are you Granny Zeng’s son?"
"Who are you?" The voice on the other end was clearly unpleasant.
"I’m a reporter from the Chenjiang Daily. Here’s the thing, your mother is sick..."
"Ask my brother, let him deal with it! Don’t co to for anything!"
Su Ronggui hadn’t finished speaking before Zeng Da abruptly interrupted and then disconnected. No matter how he tried, the person on the other end refused to answer.
Amid the crowd, soone explained to him, "The elder Zeng and the second son of the Zeng family cut ties over money and property issues long ago; they’ve had no contact since."
"Yes! Back then, the elder Zeng started his own family, bought a house, and moved out, while the second son’s family sponged off the elderly, living on their expenses. The elder suspected the savings and house were given to the second, so he broke ties, saying since the second got the money and house, he should care for the elderly, and the elder wouldn’t be involved!"
Listening to these matters made Tu Hengsha uneasy, prompting him to ask, "Did the second son’s conscience get eaten by a dog? Living in the elderly’s house, then tossing the mother into the garage?"
"Isn’t it just? When the old man was around, he didn’t dare; as soon as he passed, the mother was thrown out, claiming it’s for the kid’s wedding and there’s no room at ho!" Soone else explained further.
"It’s absolutely outrageous!" Tu Hengsha was furious, "How can there be sons and grandchildren like this? They couldn’t afford a house for marriage, yet took the elders’ house so naturally?"
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