CHAPTER 692: CHAPTER 685: FAREWELL TO TANG QIUBAI

Meeting Tang Qiubai again in Capital City, it was already an bleak autumn, the branches of the sycamore trees on the street had become bare, with only a few stubborn dead leaves swaying in the autumn wind, ultimately unable to resist the powerful natural order, struggling and swaying before finally drifting away with the wind to become spring mud.

In her previous life, whenever Sisi saw these autumn leaves swaying with the wind, she always felt a sense of desolate loneliness, perhaps it was seeing objects and thinking of herself?

In this life, she lives happily, everything goes as she wishes, naturally she wouldn’t be so anguished over spring and autumn. Even if the falling leaves hit her head, she would calmly brush them off, look up at the bare trees and say: "Ah, autumn is here!"

But when she saw Song Mengshi, who appeared emaciated, in the hospital, she truly felt the melancholy of autumn.

She went to the hospital to deliver dumplings to Alice. This month, she was staying at the Old Man’s place. Granny Zhao often asked her to deliver lunch to her granddaughter-in-law Alice at the hospital. The lunch was mostly dumplings, with various fillings like shredded radish and pork, chive and meat, cabbage and meat, beef, lamb, etc. If Granny Zhao could think of a filling, she could make it, and Alice ate them appreciatively, never tiring of them.

Honestly, the adorable imported banana Alice was really quite likable. Although Granny Zhao and Alice didn’t speak each other’s language very well, it didn’t hinder the relationship forming between the old and the young. Within just a few months, they became close to the point where they were inseparable.

Alice called her "Granny" at every turn.

Granny Zhao called her "Shredded Radish" at every turn.

Their closeness even made Sisi somewhat jealous, though she herself quite liked this straightforward and simple banana!

So today, fulfilling Granny Zhao’s gracious decree, she was delivering the loving lunch—dumplings with cabbage and pork filling, a full large box—to Shredded Radish.

Of course, Alice might have a stomach of steel but she couldn’t eat such a large box all by herself. Some were also for Zhong Anping, whom Granny Zhao also liked, primarily because Zhong Anping was also a dumpling enthusiast. Thus when the old lady was delighted, she conveniently made his lunch as well.

Sisi parked her car at the hospital entrance, carrying an oversized insulated container as she got off the car, and she ran into Song Mengshi and Tang Qiubai who were walking out of the hospital.

Tang Qiubai still looked the same as before, although a bit thinner, mentally he seemed quite energetic, not at all like someone suffering from a severe illness. Sisi was shocked by how haggard Song Mengshi looked, it had only been a few months!

Anyone unaware of the truth would think the person with cancer is Song Mengshi, not Tang Qiubai.

The surprise on Sisi’s face could not be hidden. Song Mengshi saw her and smiled as she stepped forward to greet Sisi. Tang Qiubai’s expression was unnatural, as if he didn’t want to talk to Sisi, standing woodenly in the distance waiting for Song Mengshi.

Due to Song Mengshi’s actions during the previous visit to Tang Qiubai’s house, Sisi’s impression of her greatly improved, so she stopped to chat with Song Mengshi briefly.

"Song Mengshi, why have you lost so much weight? You should really take care of your health." Sisi said.

Song Mengshi wasn’t wearing any makeup, although she looked much refreshed, the fine lines at the corner of her eyes couldn’t be covered, she smiled faintly and said: "Losing weight is nice, no matter how I tried before I couldn’t slim down. Now when I buy clothes, I no longer envy others."

Song Mengshi now seemed much more peaceful, speaking without the sour tone she used to have, making interactions quite pleasant.

Sisi hesitated for a moment but didn’t ask about Tang Qiubai’s health, instead she and Song Mengshi just exchanged some formal pleasantries. It seemed Song Mengshi didn’t want to talk much either, especially with Tang Qiubai urging her from the side, she quickly made her farewell.

"Why did you talk so much? Do you want people to pity us?" Tang Qiubai’s voice was discontent.

"After all, she’s an old classmate. When you meet someone, you should at least say hello, right? Besides, you stayed at her house for so long when you were young. Considering feelings and reason, you shouldn’t be so cold." Song Mengshi comfortingly spoke.

Tang Qiubai was silent for a moment, then said gloomily: "She’s living such a glorious life now, if I clung to her given my current situation wouldn’t it make me look down on myself? Perhaps in the next life!"

Song Mengshi raised her voice: "What next life? Zhong Anping said many patients in the second stage in U country have been cured. As soon as the visa arrives, we’ll go to U country for the operation, and Zhong Anping also said he would introduce his mentor to us for the operation, the hope is very high."

Tang Qiubai stared blankly at his excited wife, her face was full of wrinkles, several strands of gray hair had appeared on her head, the clothes she was wearing, because she had lost so much weight, were loose-fitting and looked untidy, a far cry from her usual carefully dressed image.

This was the first time he looked so closely at Song Mengshi, honestly even during their wedding he hadn’t really looked at her carefully. At that time, marrying was just because he felt it was time, needing to find a woman who wouldn’t lower his family’s prestige, especially not in front of Tian Xinhua and others.

After careful selection, he chose Song Mengshi, a girl who was quite outstanding at the time.

A graduate from a prestigious school, a girl from Shanghai, with above-average looks, and an art major. Even if she didn’t marry him, Song Mengshi would have had many better choices.

Reflecting on his past reckless acts, Tang Qiubai truly regrets it. As the saying goes, when death approaches, the heart becomes kind.

Tang Qiubai had been uncompromising all his life, disappointed so many people, but in the end, it was all in vain.

He’s only thirty-five, his child is still so young, there are still many dreams unfulfilled, how could he be struck by such a disease?

Was it really retribution, as He Sisi said?

Could it be because he opened that kind of electronic waste recycling factory that God sentenced him to this terminal illness?

But there are so many factory owners, why was he singled out for this disease?

He was so unwilling!

But no matter how unwilling, he was helpless, he couldn’t be selfish any longer, he had to think about the future for his wife and child.

"Meng Shi, maybe we shouldn’t go to U country for treatment? Who knows if it’s a waste of time? You should save that money for yourselves, it’ll cover expenses for you three, and I can be at ease." Tang Qiubai said.

Song Mengshi became anxious, lowered her voice to shout: "No way, we must go to U country, Zhong Anping said the chances of getting cured are very high, why are you being so pessimistic? If you really care about us three, then fight to live well!"

"I’m just worried that if things go wrong, then I’ll be gone, and the money will be gone too. What will happen to you three?" Tang Qiubai said gloomily.

Song Mengshi discreetly wiped the corners of her eyes and laughed: "If we’re really that unlucky, then I’ll accept it. Don’t worry, I’ll raise the child to adulthood. After all, I’m a graduate from Qing University!"

Tang Qiubai opened his mouth but didn’t say anything in the end.

Actually, he wanted to say, with your pampered lady temperament, what kind of work could you do?

But then he thought again, in these past few months Song Mengshi had been busy tirelessly, taking him everywhere to find doctors, boldly selling the factory and villa, and making nourishing soups for him daily, completely different from the pampered lady she used to be, leaving him unable to tell what her true nature was.