“Brother Zhang, you should take a look at Old Su as well. It’s best to prescribe some stomach medicine, painkillers, and fever reducers for him too.”

Just as Zhang Hong and Su Huaiyuan thought the medical visit was over, unexpectedly, Qiao Jiuru pointed at Su Huaiyuan for Zhang Hong to examine and insisted on getting him some medicine.

Zhang Hong: ……

Su Huaiyuan: … No, he’s not sick!

The two men looked at each other, both feeling that Qiao Jiuru was acting a bit strange today.

“Go ahead, Brother Zhang, really, it’ll come in handy. We might not need it, but Xiaowan will.”

But in the next moment, Zhang Hong and Su Huaiyuan understood what Qiao Jiuru meant.

Xiaowan is the eldest daughter-in-law of Su Huaiyuan and Qiao Jiuru.

The whole family privately calls her Xiaowan.

Her real name is Zhou Wanwan.

Her parents were intellectuals too, though they didn’t teach at Peking University but at Beijing Normal University.

Before the new year, they were sent down.

When the Su family learned about the Zhou family’s trouble, they tried to help through contacts and official channels, but in the end, the Zhou family was sent down to the Northeast.

When the Zhou family was in trouble, they severed all apparent ties with their daughter Zhou Wanwan.

Fortunately, the Zhou family were all adults without children.

On the train to the Northeast, the Su family secretly arranged for someone to send them 800 yuan, some tickets, bedding, luggage, and clothes.

Qiao Jiuru remembered that the older generation of the Zhou family had all returned safely, although they suffered many hardships, they still remained together, unlike the Su family…

Zhang Hong naturally knew the Zhou family and had also provided some secret help when they were in trouble.

So immediately, without hesitation, he took Su Huaiyuan’s pulse and also wrote out a prescription.

After about half an hour, the couple left the hospital carrying a bag of medicine.

It was nearly noon.

Su Huaiyuan rode his bicycle, taking his wife home.

After returning, he still had to cook for their son, daughter-in-law, and two little grandchildren.

However, as the couple rode past the bank between the hospital and Peking University, Qiao Jiuru tapped her husband’s back.

“Old Su, I brought the bankbook. Let’s go withdraw some money first.”

What?!

Withdraw money?!

Why suddenly remember to withdraw money?!

Su Huaiyuan thought maybe they didn’t have enough money at home, so without question, he parked the bike at the bank entrance as his wife instructed.

Qiao Jiuru went in to withdraw money, while he waited outside.

Soon, she came out, and without going anywhere else, they returned home.

As the two rode back into the residential compound, they met the same people from earlier in the yard, who were either knitting sweaters, patching clothes, or picking and peeling vegetables.

“Old Su, Old Qiao, you’re back! How did it go? What did the doctor say?”

“I think Sister Qiao shouldn’t have anything serious, otherwise she wouldn’t have come back so quickly.”

“Old Qiao, are you alright?!”

“We went to the hospital, Professor Qiao’s face looks much better than before, probably just tired and didn’t rest well.”

“I think so too, the weather’s been bad lately, probably just a cold.”

“Da Bao and Xiao Bao had colds and fevers, maybe Old Qiao got infected taking care of them.”

…

Although Qiao Jiuru was a university teacher, she managed most things at home.

When she had free time, she chatted with neighbors or female colleagues from the residential compound and went shopping at the department store, supply and marketing cooperative, or market.

She didn’t recognize everyone in the compound, but many faces were familiar, especially those she had known well before.

“I’m much better, thanks everyone for your concern. I really just caught a cold and was tired, plus some stomach issues, so the doctor prescribed some cold and stomach medicine.”

Qiao Jiuru greeted everyone as usual, with her normal voice.

Except for her pale face, there was nothing unusual.

“Well, you should rest soon.”

“Old Qiao, if you need to rest, rest. The kids aren’t well yet, you can’t fall ill too.”

“Yes, yes, go home quickly.”

When the crowd realized what they thought was true and got what they wanted to know, they let the couple leave.

After arriving home, Su Huaiyuan didn’t hesitate to pour water for his wife and prepare to help her take her medicine before cooking.

But just as he turned after pouring water, he noticed that his wife not only locked the big gate to the yard but also locked the front door.

Su Huaiyuan: ……

He didn’t ask anything but gestured with the glass of water to her.

“Old Su, come inside, I have something to tell you.”

Qiao Jiuru didn’t take the water cup but softly spoke while going to turn on the black-and-white TV in the living room.

Su Huaiyuan: ……

Although he didn’t understand what his wife was up to, he obeyed and trusted her completely.

So, when he carried the water and medicine following his wife into their bedroom, he was surprised to see Qiao Jiuru immediately go and turn on the radio in the room.

Just arrived home, turning on the TV, then the radio — even Su Huaiyuan, slow as he was, felt something was wrong with his wife.

“Take the medicine first, then we’ll talk.”

No matter what happened, he thought it best to get the medicine down first.

Qiao Jiuru was not a shy person; even though her heart was filled with countless words and anxiety, she swallowed the medicine in one gulp with teary eyes.

“Don’t rush, take your time to talk.”

Su Huaiyuan’s expression remained calm and steady, gently patting his wife’s hand as he spoke slowly.

Qiao Jiuru’s tears immediately spilled out, filled with grievance, fear, terror, anxiety, helplessness, and despair, but most of all, a fire still burning deep inside her heart.

With such a complex look and gaze, she stared at her husband, who said nothing but squeezed her hand even tighter, sending back a wave of firmness and warmth.

“Huaiyuan, I wasn’t sick this morning. I had a very long and terrible dream. In the dream, our whole family was sent down. It happened suddenly; we didn’t have time to prepare anything.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao had just recovered but were frightened, and after a few months with us, they passed away. Xiao Tong couldn’t bear the blow and also became seriously ill, and after a few months, she too left us.

Then Xiao Ze held on for more than a year before he went too. In the end, only the two of us, the old folks, were left…”

Although this was from a previous life, even though she was now reborn, the soul-piercing, suffocating pain and sorrow were still deeply etched in her soul.

Qiao Jiuru couldn’t hold back her tears, overwhelmed and trembling as she spoke these tragic words clearly into her husband’s ears.

Su Huaiyuan was shaken all over, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock.

The next moment, he tightly hugged his trembling wife.

He didn’t doubt her words at all; at this moment, he only felt immense heartache.

If such a thing had happened, it must have been a fatal blow to his wife.

“Ah ru, tell me everything in detail.”

“All right…”