Chapter 586 - 580_1
Zhao Erhu had just reached the doorway when Zhao Yunxiang seemed to sense his presence. Her previously closed eyes suddenly opened, gazing towards the door. Seeing it open and the figure that appeared before her, she could no longer hold back her tears, which fell down her face. Her eyes were filled with both heartache and solace. Her voice was weak but laced with excitement, "Erhu, you’ve finally come back!"
No matter the reason, what Zhao Yunxiang had been longing for these past few days was Zhao Erhu’s arrival. But by this time, she felt she could hardly hold on any longer. If it weren’t for a burst of willpower—for her husband and son—she would have almost given up. Yet, without having her affairs in order, how could she close her eyes in peace and take her last breath?
"Big sister, you?..." Zhao Erhu, looking at Zhao Yunxiang’s expectant eyes, felt an unbearable sourness in his heart and, for a moment, didn’t know what to say.
Lin Genfa had been by Zhao Yunxiang’s side the whole time, but had become too tired and dozed off by the bed for a while. He woke up when Zhao Erhu opened the door. "Erhu, you’re back. The doctor said your big sister doesn’t have much time left. She’s been hanging on with the help of the Hundred-year-old Ginseng these past few days, just hoping to see you one last time. It looks like you’ve made it just in time."
"Brother-in-law, big sister seems to be in good spirits. Did Doctor Zheng really say there’s no way to treat her?" Zhao Erhu was still somewhat unwilling to believe it and wanted to try anything possible.
"Doctor Zheng said he has done everything he could. Your big sister is happy to see you, which is why she looks particularly spirited right now," Lin Genfa shook his head, knowing better than anyone that Zhao Yunxiang’s current condition was just a momentary recovery before her death. It was for Zhao Erhu that she seemed so lively, appearing more energetic and with a healthier complexion than the past few days, prompting Zhao Erhu to ask such a question.
Lin Genfa didn’t avoid Zhao Yunxiang when he spoke to Zhao Erhu. Zhao Yunxiang knew her own condition all too well; she had been lying on the bed, barely alive for the better part of a year, and had long since wanted to end it all. If it hadn’t been for Lin Genfa constantly persuading her, she would have taken her own life by now. Finally reaching the last moment was a kind of release for her.
Zhao Yunxiang looked at the two men she cared for most in her life with a smile, "Genfa, could you step out for a moment? I have something I want to say to Erhu."
Zhao Yunxiang wanted to take this chance to send off Lin Genfa and leave her last words to Zhao Erhu. She knew the man she had shared a bed with for half a lifetime all too well—so honest and kindhearted. If he were to hear her words, he would surely refuse to bother Zhao Erhu any further, so she had to get him out first.
Zhao Erhu, seeing Zhao Yunxiang send Lin Genfa out, probably also understood somewhat what was going on. He sighed softly, feeling that his big sister, after all, couldn’t let go of her husband and the children, which was why she so eagerly awaited his return.