Inside the hospital ward, the dust-covered woman looked up.
“Xiaoyou is back.”
Lu You put down the shampoo bottle. “Mom, why did you come over?”
“Well, the time is getting late. Your father and I just came down from the construction site, and we were thinking…” The woman awkwardly tugged at the corner of her clothes, looking at her with embarrassment, “Is it convenient to eat a meal together?”
Lu You said: “I went out to buy some things just now and haven’t had time to cook yet. Go wash your hands and watch Grandma for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”
Since Grandma was staying in the ward, they couldn’t keep ordering takeout. Lu You had found a restaurant nearby and, after negotiating with the owner, the manager agreed to lend her the kitchen every day.
But the restaurant also had to do business, so Lu You always borrowed the kitchen during off-peak hours. Naturally, their mealtime was delayed.
Lu You wiped the sweat from her face, preparing to go to the restroom to wash her hands, and saw the woman constantly glancing towards the ward door.
“Mom? What are you looking at? Where is Dad?”
“He… he was a little tired, so he went back first. I’ll take his meal back to him later.”
“Alright. I’ll go wash my hands first then.”
The woman immediately stood up: “I’ll go too!”
She rose so quickly that the chair under her was knocked over, making a thunderous noise.
Someone in a nearby bed was startled and looked over. Even Grandma, sleeping in the bed, was woken up. She half-opened her eyes and vaguely made out the figure: “Xiao Hui is here?”
Lin Hui flusteredly picked up the chair. “It’s me, Mom. I came to see you.” She smiled awkwardly at the people in the other beds.
Public hospitals don’t have many private rooms. In their shared ward were a young girl and a middle-aged woman, both accompanied by family. Seeing that nothing was wrong, they looked away.
“Oh… You’ve been busy all day. Go back and rest early. Xiaoyou is watching over me here.”
The gray-haired elderly woman weakly reached out her hand. Lu You quickly stepped forward and grasped her hand: “Grandma?”
Grandma nodded, looking at her with loving eyes: “Go take care of your business.”
Lu You and Lin Hui entered the restroom one after another. Lu You washed her hands meticulously.
She sweated a lot in the summer and would be sticky all over in no time. After her walk outside, her whole body felt uncomfortable.
Lu You took out a handkerchief to dry her hands. Through the mirror, she saw Lin Hui constantly stealing glances at her. “Mom?”
“Ah?” Lin Hui was startled. She quickly composed herself, her face resuming that cowering, embarrassed smile. “Xiaoyou is done washing her hands?”
“Mom, is there something you want to tell me?”
Lin Hui looked left and right. Seeing no one was paying attention to them, she moved closer to Lu You and whispered: “Xiaoyou, tell Mom the truth. Was the person who sent you those things yesterday… your ex-girlfriend?”
Lu You’s heart skipped a beat, but her expression didn’t change. She said calmly: “No, it was another friend.”
The disappointment on Lin Hui’s face was visible. She mumbled: “Why did you two break up? Wasn’t it good like this? Her family is so rich. If you had married into it, wouldn’t our whole family have been taken care of?”
Here we go again.
Lu You had heard that sentiment at least a basketful of times during her three years with Chi Huan.
Lu You said: “Mom, haven’t we talked about this? Even if we didn’t break up, it would be impossible for her to marry me. You know her family is well-off, an elite family. Her future marriage partner could never be someone like me.”
Lu You felt a bit helpless.
She couldn’t tell her mother about the “stand-in” arrangement, but if she didn’t explain clearly, Lin Hui would never give up hope.
She always felt that as long as she clung to Chi Huan, their whole family could crawl out of the mud pit called “poverty” using “Chi Huan” as a lifeline.
Lin Hui unconsciously raised her voice: “So what if they’re an elite family? My daughter is good too! Xiaoyou, you’re so beautiful, and you went to such a good university. You’re no worse than a female celebrity. Why would she look down on you?”
Lu You quickly said: “Mom!”
Lin Hui then noticed others were looking at them subtly. Her dark, rough face immediately flushed red.
Lu You pulled her out of the restroom and stopped at a deserted corner.
“Mom, don’t say those things anymore. Chi Huan and I have broken up. We have no relationship. Can you understand?” Lu You carefully chose her words. “We will solve our family problems ourselves. It has nothing to do with anyone else, okay?”
Lin Hui’s voice grew louder, and she said anxiously: “Solve it ourselves? How can we solve it ourselves? Your father and I work so hard every day at the construction site. The sun is so scorching outside. We’ve carried bricks until our hands are covered in bloody blisters, just to raise you this big. Now that you’ve finished your studies, your grandma…”
Stopping abruptly, she grabbed Lu You’s arm as if realizing something:
“Xiaoyou, tell Mom the truth. Did you break up with her because of your grandmother’s illness?”
Lu You had no idea how her mother’s thoughts had twisted this way. She quickly said: “What are you thinking, Mom? How is that possible? Our breakup was our own problem; it has nothing to do with you. Don’t let your imagination run wild.”
“How can it have nothing to do with us? We worked until our hands were covered in blood to raise you! Your business is our whole family’s business!”
A feeling of suffocation washed over her. Lu You was tired, but she absolutely had to make herself clear.
If she didn’t, she didn’t know what Lin Hui would think when she went back home.
“That’s not what I mean. I mean, dating is a matter for two people. We get together if we feel compatible, and we separate if we don’t. After we break up, we are two separate individuals.”
Lin Hui’s tone was aggressive: “See, you’re being honest now! Everything was fine before! Besides your grandmother’s illness, what else was incompatible!?”
She reached a conclusion and bit her lip resentfully: “I knew it all along! It’s because of that old woman! She was always causing me trouble before. Now she gets sick, and my daughter’s good marriage is ruined! I was about to live a good life, and that old hag messed it all up!”
Lu You knew her mother had some resentment towards her grandmother because of her father’s filial piety.
But mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationships have always been difficult. In addition, her parents had worked outside the city for years. The family rarely saw each other, and the few times they did, they were happy. Lu You never thought much of it.
It wasn’t until Lu You enrolled in university in this city and brought her grandmother with her that the family was reunited.
Lu You had been busy with her studies and never expected that beneath the seemingly calm surface, the undercurrents had become so tumultuous.
Seeing the anger and resentment in her mother’s eyes, Lu You gripped her phone, hesitating whether to call her father to take her mother away.
She now absolutely did not dare to leave her mother alone to accompany her grandmother.
But given her father’s filial piety and quick temper, letting him hear what her mother just said…
Lu You finally put down her phone. “Mom, calm down.”
“How can I calm down?” Lin Hui was convinced of the “truth” and was furious. “It’s all that old woman who dragged you down! If it weren’t for her, I would be a rich lady now! I wouldn’t have to carry bricks every day until my hands bleed…”
Lu You hadn’t wanted to say this, but she grabbed her hand, looking into her eyes with a calm gaze.
“Mom, when Chi Huan and I first started dating, Chi Huan’s mother came to see me.”
Lin Hui’s body jolted. The stubbornness in her eyes lessened. When an outsider was mentioned, she reverted to the cowering middle-aged woman she usually was: “She…”
“She told me her daughter was their designated heir,” seeing Lin Hui’s eyes suddenly light up, Lu You steeled her heart and finished the sentence, “Therefore, the wife she marries in the future must be outstanding enough. I was not good enough for her.”
Lin Hui’s face instantly went deathly pale.
“So, Mom, it’s not Grandma’s problem.”
Lin Hui stammered: “I… I…”
“Go back and rest first. I will take care of Grandma here and then bring you dinner.”
Watching Lin Hui walk away, a flash of guilt crossed Lu You’s eyes.
The middle-aged woman in front of her was so unremarkable. Although she was only in her forties, she had aged beyond her years.
Her eyes were always shifty when she looked at people, as if making eye contact was a sin.
Inevitably, Lu You thought of another middle-aged woman.
She was about the same age, yet she was well-maintained, her skin smooth and taut like a young girl’s. She was always impeccably dressed, overbearing, and any piece of jewelry she wore was worth several months of their family’s living expenses.
Not everything she told Lin Hui was false.
When she and Chi Huan first got together, the woman who claimed to be Chi Huan’s mother did seek her out.
She didn’t approach her directly. Lu You met Rong Qing’s assistant.
“Chairwoman Rong says she does not object to President Chi dating anyone. Young people have the freedom to pursue love.”
“But, young lady, you must understand one thing: dating and marriage are two different matters. President Chi’s future marriage partner must be outstanding enough.”
“Not just personal ability, but personality, appearance, family background, the relationship between the two families… a series of standards must be strictly vetted by the family before a candidate can be considered President Chi’s fiancée.”
The assistant’s suit was immaculate. The eyes behind the wire-rimmed glasses looked at Lu You without concealment, their gaze sharp as a needle.
Lu You tried hard to remain calm, her fingers intertwined on her lap, hiding her sneakers under the elegant small table’s hanging cloth.
She only came to her senses when her feet felt numb.
“Then what is your suggestion?”
“Don’t be nervous. Chairwoman Rong asked me to say this not to ask you to leave President Chi immediately.”
Not to leave immediately? Lu You chewed on the words, finding them somewhat amusing.
She felt like Cinderella in ancient times, hoping to marry into the royal family, being scrutinized and selected without any dignity.
The person who called herself an assistant didn’t even bother to use more subtle words, pointing out directly:
“You should be clear in your heart that, based on family background, you absolutely do not meet the Chi family’s selection criteria. The wife President Chi marries in the future cannot have parents who work on construction sites.”
“However, Chairwoman Rong is not unreasonable. Chairwoman Rong is willing to give you a chance—”
“Provided you can prove you have the value to offset this deficiency.”
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