Every time I held Xia'ou, seeing her breathe quietly in my arms, I felt an unprecedented sense of solidity and emotion.\ When I fully let myself indulge in my feelings, I pampered Xia'ou in ways that even surprised myself, worrying about every little injury she accidentally got and blaming the iron bed in her school dormitory—she took her naps in the school dorm. Because that iron bed often left bruises on her waist, I would lightly scold her for not taking care of herself, and in the next moment, fiercely scold her school.\ Xia'ou just laughed and said that I was indeed still a child.\ That period was the happiest time of my life, unforgettable to the point that even now, thinking about it brings a bittersweet joy.\ When Xia'ou came out of the school and saw me, she was indeed startled. But she was both surprised and happy.\ "Why are you here?!"\ "I'm here to pick up my girlfriend after school, isn't that okay?" I leaned against the car, acting gentlemanly, opening the car door for her.\ It was the dismissal time, and students were bustling around like released bees. Xia'ou quickly became the center of attention. Her uncontrollable proud expression pleased me greatly.\ "Actually, I wanted to see your dorm's iron bed, what a crappy bed." I pretended to be serious, with a smiling eye, a displeased tone, but in reality, full of affection.\ But I really couldn't bear Xia'ou's school dorm iron bed. It had affected a girl's waist badly, with a large area of dark bruising. I felt distressed just looking at it. I often saw Xia'ou in her room, rubbing her waist with baijiu (white liquor). I offered to do it for her, but she said I was too strong and she would feel pain, so I didn't pursue it further.\ "Let's go see Mom together." She suddenly suggested, and I gladly agreed.\ Passing by a certain shopping mall, I said I needed to use the restroom. Seeing my urgency, Xia'ou said I could just use the mall's restroom, and she would wait in the car.\ Ten minutes later, I returned to the car. There was a diamond ring in my pocket.\ Driving, my mood was as clear and sunny as the Greek sky. When the warm sunlight poured through the window, I looked at Xia'ou beside me. Happiness slightly revealed itself on her young face. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I could almost feel the little box in my pocket. It contained a sense of belonging that settled the wandering heart of thirty years. I intended to give Xia'ou a glowing promise at dinner and give Xia'ou's mom a reassuring delight!
And give yourself the most beautiful wife.
"Why do you keep smiling?" Xia Ou asked me. I suddenly felt embarrassed, because unlike Xia Ou, I can't hide my feelings so well—I show everything on my face. Xia Ou saw me and gave me a silly smile. "Oh, it's nothing." I said, and to avoid her suspicion, I added, "I'm already the general agent for the Southwest region." "Meaning: Your husband has a bright future." Xia Ou didn't say anything. She never liked to meddle in my work, and I had no reason to let her worry about it. Her face started looking out the window, and she kept getting out of the car. We've been together for two years, but I still can't fully grasp her thoughts: now she's happy, now she's feeling down.
Back home, Xia Ou naturally got intimate with her mom, and then she happily went into the kitchen to cook.
I started getting ridiculously nervous again, and I kept thinking about how to propose.
Suddenly, I heard a sharp "bang——" from the kitchen, a bowl hitting the floor. Then I immediately felt something heavy fall down.
Xia Ou and I almost rushed into the kitchen at the same time, and when Mom collapsed there, she had already fainted.
"Mom...... Mom!! "Xia Ou rushed over in a panic, eager to move her mom's head. "Don't move! It's probably a cerebral hemorrhage!" "I know I have to be calmer than Xia Ou, because cerebral hemorrhage is extremely fatal." "Go call an ambulance first!" I instructed Xia Ou, and she immediately rushed outside, her face full of terror. Actually, I was a bit panicked at the time too. I kept silently repeating in my heart: He Nianbin, calm down!! I called Xia Ou, who had just made the call, to hurry over, carefully level Mom's body, and tilt her head to the side so she could breathe freely. Then I quickly loosened Mom's coat and told Xia Ou to quickly open all the windows. Then I told Xia Ou to wet the towel with cold water. Suddenly, I accidentally saw Mom's unconscious waist on the ground—a patch of bruising blood, exactly like Xia Ou's. At that moment, I suddenly realized something and forgot what I was doing with my hand. "And then?" "And then?" Xia Ou looked at me helplessly, her voice trembling. She must have felt I was her only lifeline. I saw those tears streaming down her face, reminding me that time was pressing. "I covered Mom's forehead with a towel.""I order you.\ About five minutes later, I heard Mom's strong snoring, and I also began to feel helpless. I remembered the scene six years ago when my mother had a cerebral hemorrhage—it was always just a few seconds after the snoring that she would stop breathing. I had to do everything in my power to save this poor mother. But my mind went completely blank when I saw that bruise on her.\ I forced myself to stay calm and called Xia Ou to bring a handkerchief.\ "Dry or wet?" she asked anxiously.\ "Are you *** a pig?! What do you mean wet? Of course, dry!" I suddenly felt intense dissatisfaction with her clumsy hands and feet and yelled at her. After a second of stunned silence, Xia Ou rushed into the room.\ "Hurry up! Damn it, are you still putting on makeup?" I couldn't help but scold her again.\ I took the trembling handkerchief from Xia Ou, quickly moved my mother's mouth aside. Her tongue was already starting to fall back, so I hurriedly wrapped the tongue with the handkerchief and gently pulled it outward.\ ...\ That damn ambulance didn't arrive until ten minutes later. Then Xia Ou ran after the paramedics toward the hospital, crying and shouting.\ About ten minutes later, I received the terrible news—Mom was gone.\ I sank to the ground instantly.\ I thought of my mother who had died of a cerebral hemorrhage, and then of Xia Ou's mother; their images overlapped.\ "Mom—" I suddenly felt immense pain for those relatives who loved me.\ Memories from my childhood rushed into my mind.\ At that time, there were three children at home, and I was the youngest. My mother loved me very much, always pulling me close while cooking. When she finished preparing the dishes, I always liked to pinch the food to sneak a bite, and she would pat my head with her hand and scold me for being a little glutton.\ Her hand wasn't strong, and her scolding was always mixed with laughter.\ I also thought of Xia Ou's mother, who always picked out the best piece of each dish for me and in a serious tone, told me to eat it.\ That sternness was full of deep love.\ The enormous pain temporarily made me forget about the diamond ring and the bruises on my waist.\ A few days later, I saw Xia Ou at the school gate; she looked haggard, like straw. Her eyes no longer sparkled; they were hollow as she looked at me.\ "Xia Ou…" I called her softly, and the heartache seemed to roll down from the mountaintop like a giant boulder. I could barely bear it. "Come home with me. I'm here too."\ Holding her hand, we walked in silence all the way...\ \"
