Chapter 244 - 243: Too Late
The next day, Mr. He and the others prepared to set off for Beijing City.
Xiao Yu clung to He Ze’s leg, crying and begging him not to go.
"Daddy will be back soon. You have to listen to Grandma while I’m gone."
"No! I don’t want Daddy to go!"
He Ze’s eyes turned red. He patted Xiao Yu’s back and gently pulled her away.
Mrs. He picked Xiao Yu up and waved to them. "Go on, now. You don’t want to miss your train."
Little Chen had come over early that morning. Seeing this scene, he found it inexplicably ironic.
’Anyone who didn’t know better would think this was his first time being a father.’
Watching them walk into the distance, Xiao Yu sobbed, her arms wrapped around Mrs. He’s neck.
Xue Yue and the others had planned to leave after the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, but because of He Ze’s situation, they decided to wait a little longer.
Gao Cuiyun knew that He Ze and the others were going to Beijing City for medical treatment today. She was on edge all day, waiting for Little Chen to return from the old family home.
She asked anxiously, "Are they gone?"
"Yeah."
"And your father—?"
Seeing his mother hesitate, Little Chen’s heart felt a tangle of complicated emotions.
"Mom, you still can’t let him go?"
Gao Cuiyun was stunned for a moment, then shook her head.
"No, but he’s your father. I don’t want anything to really happen to him."
Little Chen sighed. "Nothing will happen."
Xue Yue and her group didn’t go to the old family home, but the three children did.
Ruanruan came back and told Xue Yue, "The little sister is at Grandma’s house. She keeps crying and won’t play with us."
Xue Yue knew Ruanruan was talking about He Ze’s daughter.
Thinking about it, Xue Yue also found it strange.
Gao Cuiyun had given He Ze three sons, but their combined weight in his heart probably didn’t equal Xiao Yu’s. It just went to show that some people weren’t incapable of being fathers; it just depended on the child.
Waiting was always agonizing.
「Three days later.」
Mr. He and the others finally returned.
"What did the doctor say? You’re back so soon. Does that mean he’s okay?" Mrs. He asked anxiously.
Mr. He shook his head, sighing nonstop.
He Nan said to Mrs. He, "It’s stomach cancer."
Mrs. He looked at He Ze, who had been silent the whole time. She watched as he calmly picked up Xiao Yu.
He said in a low voice, "We’re going to head back first."
After He Ze left, He Nan told Mrs. He, "The doctor said it’s already late-stage. Even with treatment, it would only delay the inevitable. He Ze said he doesn’t want treatment, so we came back."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. He’s body went limp. She collapsed onto a stool and sat there for a long time without speaking, tears streaming down her face.
He Lang heard they were back and came over. When he entered the house and saw their expressions, he understood.
"It’s incurable?"
He Nan nodded. "They prescribed some painkillers. The doctor said it’s too late. There’s not much hope for a cure, and the treatment might cause more suffering than he’s in now, just to live a little longer. He Ze said he’s not doing it."
He Lang’s brow furrowed. "What about getting a second opinion at another hospital in Beijing City?"
"I think He Ze has already decided to give up," He Nan said.
After a long pause, Mr. He said softly, "He Lang, if you’re busy, you should head back to Beijing City first. Your mother and I won’t be going. With your second brother’s condition, we wouldn’t be able to leave without worrying."
He Lang nodded.
Knowing he didn’t have long to live, He Ze was, contrary to expectation, exceptionally calm.
After returning home, he went about his days as usual, doing whatever needed to be done. Mrs. He, on the other hand, kept rushing over to He Ze’s place, bringing him food and helping with the child.
One night, a little after ten, everyone at Gao Cuiyun’s house was already asleep when a sudden knock came at the door.
Gao Cuiyun sat up. When she went out, she saw Little Chen had also come out of his room.
"Someone’s knocking."
Little Chen nodded. "I’ll get it."
He opened the door and saw He Ze.
He Ze’s face was indistinct in the pitch-black night, but Little Chen could feel his gaze.
"Do you need something?"
He Ze nodded. "I want to talk to you."
Little Chen glanced back at Gao Cuiyun in the courtyard, knowing she had seen He Ze too.
"Mom, I’m stepping out for a bit."
Gao Cuiyun pressed her lips together and nodded.
He Ze didn’t look at Gao Cuiyun. He just turned and walked away. Little Chen came out, closed the door, and followed him.
After they had walked some distance, Little Chen spoke from behind He Ze. "If you have something to say, just say it."
He Ze stopped and turned to face Little Chen.
The first words out of his mouth were, "I probably don’t have long to live."
Hearing this, Little Chen’s expression darkened.
He Ze continued, "I wasn’t a good father. I know saying this now is useless—you’re all grown up. But I still want to say it. I know you’ll probably be heading back to Beijing City in a few days, and we might not see each other again. Let’s just call this a farewell. In the future, no matter who you’re dealing with, I hope you’ll be a little more cautious. Don’t be too trusting. And then there’s Xiao Yang and the others. You’re the eldest brother, so I’m entrusting them to you. If—if Xiao Yu runs into trouble in the future, help her out if you can. She’s your sister, too. Consider it a request from me."
Little Chen looked at him. "Is that all?"
He Ze paused. "That’s all."
Little Chen nodded. "Then I’m going back."
"Little Chen—" He Ze called out from behind him.
"I know you resent me, but there are things between adults that you don’t understand..."
Little Chen said flatly, "I don’t understand. But I do know that a person needs to have a sense of responsibility and not be so selfish. Even now, all you’re thinking about is your daughter’s future after you’re gone. What about our future? Did you ever worry about us? Do you have any idea how hard it’s been for my mom? Forget it. What’s the point of saying all this? A person like you would never consider others. We’re the ones you abandoned. It’s too late for you to care now."
Without looking at him, Little Chen strode back home, his heart aching with sorrow for his mother.
’Even in his last words, there wasn’t a single mention of Mom. How ridiculous. And here she is, still worried about his health.’
’Maybe that’s just how people are. When you don’t love someone anymore, you become indifferent. You pretend their entire existence doesn’t matter.’
When Little Chen returned, he saw his mother was still standing in the courtyard.
"Mom, it’s cold out. Why didn’t you go back inside?"
Gao Cuiyun glanced behind him. "Your father... is he okay?"
Little Chen shook his head. "It was nothing. He just had a few things to tell me. It’s late. You should go back to sleep."
Only then did Gao Cuiyun return to her room, relieved.
Little Chen watched the door close and shook his head. ’What a foolish woman.’
「Two days later.」
He Lang and the others left, while Mr. and Mrs. He stayed behind for the time being.
They met up with Xue Xingzhou’s family at the train station to travel together.
Xue Xingzhou was a bit surprised to learn that Mr. and Mrs. He were staying behind because of He Ze’s illness.
After all, He Ze was still relatively young.
He recalled the last time they had fought, which now seemed like a long time ago.
The group arrived in Beijing City.
He Lang soon became busy again with the supermarket’s grand opening.
「On the first day of the third lunar month.」
He Lang’s supermarket officially opened.
As for the clothing store, Guan Wenwen was made the manager. Yang Wenxiu stayed at the store with her, and He Lang hired two more salespeople. He hardly went to the clothing store anymore. He would go once a month to check the accounts, or Guan Wenwen would call him if something came up.