"Jingjing, don't worry, good people are rewarded. I believe Sister E will be fine," Wu Chunmei said to Li Jing, who was pacing nervously outside the emergency room.
Seeing Li Jing's distress, Wu Chunmei walked over and took her hand to comfort her.
"Mm, my mom will be fine. She'll be fine," Li Jing echoed mechanically, her eyes fixed on the emergency room door.
After an agonizing wait, the emergency room door finally opened.
"Doctor! How is my mom?" Li Jing rushed forward as soon as the doctor in a white coat appeared.
The doctor pulled down his mask. "The patient has been resuscitated and is temporarily conscious. However, her condition is very serious. Please be prepared."
Li Jing tried to ask more questions, but a nurse beside the doctor stopped her. "We can answer any questions once the patient is in her room. We have other matters to attend to now."
With the nurse's words, Li Jing and Wu Chunmei had no choice but to hold their questions.
Subsequently, Li Jing and Wu Chunmei went to the room the nurse had indicated to wait.
"Mom."
"Sister E."
Li Su'e lay in the hospital bed, pushed into the room by two nurses. At this moment, Li Su'e's face was as pale as paper, and her lips were devoid of color.
"Jingjing, why are you crying? My darling daughter, don't cry. If you cry, my heart will break," Li Su'e said, seeing Li Jing weeping by the bedside. She reached out a hand to wipe away her tears.
Seeing her mother try to wipe her tears, Li Jing used the back of her hand to dry her eyes and forced a smile. "Mom, I'm not crying. I'm not crying anymore."
However, looking at her mother lying in bed with such a pale complexion, Li Jing felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife.
"Chunmei."
"Yes, Sister E, I'm here." Seeing Li Su'e look at her, Wu Chunmei immediately took her hand. They had only known each other for a short time as fellow townsfolk, but they had hit it off immediately. Now, to have something like this happen to her, Wu Chunmei felt deeply distressed.
"Chunmei, we may not have known each other for long, but I... I want to ask you for a favor, perhaps presumptuously." Li Su'e suddenly grabbed Wu Chunmei's hand, her grip instinctively tightening.
Although Wu Chunmei felt a slight pain from the grip, she saw the gravity on Li Su'e's face and said seriously, "Sister E! Although we haven't known each other for long, I feel a strong connection with you. Please tell me whatever you need, and I will do my best."
"Chunmei, Jingjing is my only daughter. If one day I'm gone, I want to ask you to look after her." Li Su'e paused, sniffled, and continued, "I know this is an excessive request, but I have no other relatives. I truly have no other recourse. Chunmei, please, just consider it a good deed, okay?"
As soon as Li Su'e finished speaking, the tears Li Jing had managed to hold back burst forth uncontrollably.
"Mom! Mom, don't say that. You'll be fine. You'll definitely be fine!" Li Jing hugged Li Su'e, crying heartbrokenly.
Li Su'e felt immense sorrow but could only hold Li Jing's head while her eyes remained fixed on Wu Chunmei.
Tears streamed down Wu Chunmei's face. "Sister E! What are you saying? You will get better. Medical technology is so advanced now. You must not give up on yourself."
"Chunmei, I've never begged anyone in my life. Now, I'm begging you, please help me. In the next life, I will repay you in any way I can." At this point, Li Su'e had accepted her fate, no longer clinging to unrealistic hopes of a sudden recovery. Her sole worry was that Li Jing would be left all alone after she was gone. She felt she had failed her daughter terribly, making her fatherless from a young age and depriving her of a warm family. Now, she was about to leave her alone. Li Su'e deeply regretted ever getting married and bringing Li Jing into this world, as she had only brought her pain.
"Sister E, don't worry. I will treat Jingjing like my own daughter. From now on, as long as I have food to eat, Jingjing will never go hungry. I promise you!" Seeing Li Su'e's utter despair, Wu Chunmei knew that any further comfort would be futile. She then solemnly promised Li Su'e that she would take good care of Li Jing.
"Chunmei, thank you. Thank you so much," Li Su'e said, a faint smile appearing on her face after hearing Wu Chunmei's promise. She then stroked Li Jing's head. "Jingjing, from now on, you must listen to Aunt Wu, just like you listen to me. Do you understand?"
"Mom, I don't want to listen to anyone but you. Mom, you'll get better." Li Jing shook her head desperately like a willful child.
Li Su'e looked at Wu Chunmei, a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Chunmei. My daughter is a bit willful. Oh, and could you please buy me something to eat?" Li Su'e actually wanted to use this opportunity to have a private conversation with Li Jing.
Wu Chunmei understood her intention and nodded. "Then, Sister E, you rest for a bit. I'll go buy you something to eat."
...
Wu Chunmei stepped out of the elevator, planning to go outside the hospital to buy some food for Li Su'e and her daughter. Although she knew Li Su'e wanted to have some mother-daughter time, they likely hadn't eaten all morning and would be hungry. However, thinking about Li Su'e's tragic situation, she wasn't paying attention and bumped into someone. Wu Chunmei stumbled and was about to fall.
"Mom, are you okay?" A familiar voice reached her ears, and then Wu Chunmei was caught.
"Son!" Turning her head, Wu Chunmei saw that the person holding her was Du Fei.
Du Fei helped Wu Chunmei steady herself and then said, "Mom, why do you look so preoccupied? What happened?" Du Fei had received a call from Wu Chunmei earlier, asking him to come to the First People's Hospital immediately. He had rushed over, thinking something had happened to his mother. As he entered the hospital, he was about to call Wu Chunmei when he saw her walking towards him from a distance. However, her gaze seemed distant, as if she were lost in thought. As Du Fei approached Wu Chunmei, he saw her collide with someone. Fortunately, Du Fei reacted in time and prevented Wu Chunmei from falling.
"Xiao Fei, your Aunt Li..." Wu Chunmei's eyes immediately welled up when Du Fei asked. She then recounted everything that had happened to Li Su'e. During her explanation, Wu Chunmei paused several times, choked with emotion, and it took her a full five minutes to tell Du Fei everything.