Wu Xuan masih dirawat di rumah sakit. Meskipun kesehatan Lin Aizhen sudah pulih dengan baik, dia tak bisa duduk di sampingnya sehari terus. Dia tak lagi menjadi ibu rumah tangga yang pasif; dia kini punya banyak urusan. Jadi, biasanya dia datang ke rumah sakit pada sore atau malam hari untuk berkunjung dan menemani sebentar. Untuk sisa waktu, dia menyuruh Wu Xiaoyang dan istrinya, serta Wu Xiaofeng dan istrinya, menggilir-gilir menjaga ayah mereka. Cucu-cucu masih fokus belajar, jadi tak bisa diandalkan.
Wu Qin juga sempat datang mengunjungi. Saat tiba di Kediaman Wu, Lin Aizhen kebetulan ada di rumah, duduk di halaman dengan buku di tangannya. Ia mengenakan kemeja biru muda di bawah cardigan putih warna lembut. Setelah minum obat yang diresepkan oleh Xiao Man, rambutnya yang sebelumnya campur keabu-abuian kini bertambah gelap. Rambut itu disisamkan rapi dan halus, wajahnya pun kini cerah dan kembang. Sajaian kulitnya tampak sangat baik. Ia sudah memiliki sikap yang anggung dan halus, dan dengan sedikit penataan, dari kejauhan ia kelihat seperti wanita intelek di usia empat puluh-an. Hanya dari dekat saja terlihat bekas, kerut, dan tekstur kulit yang kendur dan kasar di wajah dan tangannya.
Ini membuatnya sangat tidak puas, sehingga ia terus-menerus mendorong Wu Xiaowen untuk mengambil lebih banyak obat dari Xiao Man agar terus diminumnya. Siapa sangka, mendengarnya dari Tang Qingyun bahwa Wu Xiaowen telah memberikan kedua kali pengobatan itu kepada orang lain. Lin Aizhen hampir pingsan karena amarahnya. 'Itu dua kali pengobatan penuh! Kalau aku habis, aku pasti bisa kelihat seperti setan tua Fang Qinglan itu—aku mungkin bahkan lebih baik darinya!'
'Meskipun akhirnya kukuh karena belajar di luar negeri dan sangat terdidik. Di masa mudaku, Fang Qinglan tak tertandingi di aspek apa pun—baik dari segi postur, kesopanan, pengetahuan, latar belakang, maupun cara bicaranya! Sekarang sudah tua-tua, hanya karena keluarga Tang berhasil merebut Manman lebih dulu dan menggugdaya dia untuk memecat keluarga saudara maternalnya. Jika aku bisa mendapatkan perawatan pemulihan yang sama, aku yakin bisa lebih bersinar dari Fang Qinglan!
'Isum... Ugh!'
Berpikir akan hal itu justru membuatnya bernapas punya amarah. 'Bagaimana anakku yang sempurna ini tumbuh jadi begitu bodoh?'
Lin Aizhen menghela napas dan mengangkat pandang, melihat Wu Qin masuk sambil menggendong banyak kantong belanjaan. Lin Aizhen mengerutkan kening. "Aku sudah bilang, jangan datang lagi ya?"
Wu Qin menaruh barangnya di lantai. Seekor ikan dalam kantong kain melompat dua kali. Ia tersenyum lebar, seperti anak kecil yang tidak mengerti sedang ditolak, lalu berkata dengan lembut, "Nenek, ibuku sibuk kerja hari ini, jadi dia minta aku ambil cuti siang untuk pergi ke pasar mencari ikan mas yang segar untuk membantu Nenek dan Kakek pulih. Dan akhirnya ketemu! Aku beli yang terbesar, taruh dulu di kantong plastik, lalu ambil air untuk menyimpannya. Ikan masih hidup! Nenek, yuk kita rebus. Nenek bisa minum sup, dan aku juga bawa untuk Kakek! Ini daging, dan ini juga ada kue, permen, dan apel untuk sepupu-sepuhuku."
Lin Aizhen menghela napas. "Kalian pasti suka sekali sampai membuat kami marah sampai mati ya? Kalian memberikan obat yang bisa menyelamatkan nyawa kami. Apa gunanya ikan?"
"Nenek, tolong dengarkan aku. Ibuku tidak bermaksud..."
Lin Aizhen menggelimang tangan. "Cukup. Bawa barangmu dan pulang saja!"
"Itu... Xuanxuan... Oh, ini Wu Qin!" Seorang wanita keluar dari sayap barat, memegang tangan seorang gadis kecil yang baru berusia dua tahun. Ini adalah istri Wu Xiaoyang, Yu Xiumin. Ia sedang hari libur, ada di rumah merawat anaknya sekaligus mengurus dapur.
Wu Qin memanggil, "Ibuku."
Yu Xiumin tersenyum dan mengangguk, menunjuk ke kantong berisi ikan mas yang masih bergerak di lantai. "Ada apa ini semua?"
Wu Qin menjawab dengan patuh, "Ibu mengarahkan aku untuk beli ikan mas segar untuk merebus sup agar Kakek bisa pulih. Aku juga beli daging, jadi Ibu tidak perlu pergi ke pasar hari ini. Lihat, sepupu yang baik ini juga sudah kupbeli permen dan apel!"
"Wah, bagus sekali. Terima kasih. Cepatlah bawa ikan ke dapur dan letakkan di dalam tangki!"
Sebenarnya, Yu Xiumin tidak terlalu suka pada Wu Xiaowen dan anaknya. Sekalipun dulu, saat Wu Xiaowen masih menjadi Menantu Muda Kedua Tang dan Wu Qin masih dikenal sebagai Tang Yaxuan, sikapnya tetap acuh. Ini sebagian karena kepriaannya, dan juga karena ia tahu tak perlu bersaing; dengan orang tua suami di sekitar, keluarga cabang kedua pasti akan mendapatkan bagiannya. Tapi sejak ia mengandung anak lagi dan suaminya dipindahkan kembali ke Beijing, keluarga pertama yang serakah itu semakin menindih. Mereka sering memancing, dengan komentar dingin di seperti 'sok sakit hati tidak bisa melahirkan anak laki-laki, dengan asal tembak saja di istana tua ini.' Di permukaan, Yu Xiumin tak terpengaruh, tapi secara emosional ia mulai waspada. Seperti ungkuk 'kasih ibu membuatnya kuat.' Demi keluarga keempat orangnya, ia mulai lebih licik. "Tak peduli sifat Wu Xiaowen," pikirnya, "ia setidaknya melindungi Wu Xiaoyang. Dulu adalah Wu Xiaowen yang mendekatkan Tang Qingyun sehingga Wu Xiaoyang bisa menghindari kerja di pedesaan dan lancar masuk ke sistem kesehatan umum. Kalau Wu Xiaowen tidak termasuk ke dalam keluarga ini, nanti saatnya membagi harta keluarga, cabang kedua pasti rugi, mengingat sifat serakah dan arogannya pasangan dari cabang pertama itu. Wu Xiaowen sudah menikah, jadi ia takkan ambil banyak untuk diri sendiri, tapi ia punya pengaruh besar. Pasti akan membantu Wu Xiaoyang."
Dengan pemikiran itu, Yu Xiumin keluar dari kamarnya bersama anaknya untuk menyapa Wu Qin. Melihat Wu Qin juga membawa ikan dan daging, dan karena ia malas pergi ke pasar, justru semakin gembira menyambutnya dengan senyum.
Lin Aizhen mengerutkan kening melihat Yu Xiumin. "Apa kamu sibuk menggangguku? Aku sudah bilang padanya untuk pulang!"
Yu Xiumin tersenyum sambil mencoba membujuuk. "Ibu, meskipun Wu Qin bukan putri kandung Ibu, suamiku adalah putra kandung Ibu. Kamu sudah semakin usaha keras untuk membesarkan dan melatihnya! Sekarang justru waktunya ia bisa membalas kebaikan dan Ibu sekaligus Ayah. Bagaimana bisa kamu mendampakannya? Itu akan sia-siakan semua usaha dan kerja kerasku dan Ayah! bertindak seperti ini pasti sangat menyakitkan perasaannya. Dia pasti sekarang sudah menyadari kesalahannya dan penuh rasa sesal. Bisa kita benar-benar memutuskan Ikatan darah? Pada akhirnya kita akan sama atau lainya memaafkannya. Lebih baik kedua belah pihak sama-sama bahagia sekarang, daripada sama-sama beruntung. Apa saja masalahnya, kita bisa bicarakan dan selesaikan bersama. Dengan begitu semua orang akan lebih baik, dan kita tidak akan menyia-nyiakan waktu."
Lin Aizhen: "..."
'Aku benar-benar tidak percaya,' pikirnya. 'Orang yang paling jujur dan tegas justru adalah putri menantu keduaku ini. Kata-katanya benar-benang melunta...'
Tentu saja Lin Aizhen tidak benar-benar berencana untuk memecat putrinya. Ia hanya marah dan ingin memberi dia waktu untuk merenungkan kesalahan. Karena di luar ikatan darah yang tak terputuskan, suaminya dan dirinya memang telah mengorbankan banyak usaha untuk membesarkan Xiao Wen. Dan ia tak pernah mengecewakannya; ia adalah anak yang memberi keangkekan dan bangganya terbesar. Tapi mengapa sekarang beberapa tahun terakhir ia kurang memuaskan. Karena Xiao Wen sering membuat kesalahan, seluruh Keluarga Wu jatuh ke dalam kemunduran. Nasib hidup itu seperti layang-layang; ia hanya bisa melayang tinggi jika terbang oleh angin yang kencang. Jika angin itu tiada atau menghembus ke tempat lain, tidak ada yang bisa kita lakukan. Aku selalu mengincar angin kencang dari keluarga Tang, padahal Sayangnya, anakku Wu Xiaowen itu bodoh hingga tak bisa meraihnya!
"Tapi belum terlalu lama untuk memperbaiki hubungan." Lin Aizhen pun berusaha mengubah pikirannya. "Anakku, Wu Xiaowen, bukan orang yang hilang. Ia masih sangat berguna," pikirnya. "Meski sering melenceng, masa depannya masih cerah dan bersinar. Jika aku bisa memandu dan mencegahnya dari membuat lebih banyak kesalahan, ia masih bisa membawa Keluarga Wu ke masa depan yang gemilang!"
Wu Yu Xuan was still in the hospital. Although Lin Aizhen’s health had recovered well, she couldn’t possibly stay by his side around the clock. She wasn’t an idle housewife anymore; she had many things to attend to. So, she usually went to the hospital in the afternoon or evening to visit and keep him company for a while. For the rest of the time, she arranged for Wu Xiaoyang and his wife, and Wu Xiaofeng and his wife, to take turns watching over their father. The grandchildren still had their studies, so they couldn’t be counted on.
Wu Qin also found some time to visit. When she arrived at the Wu Mansion, Lin Aizhen happened to be home, sitting in the courtyard with a book. She wore a light blue shirt under a white knit cardigan. After taking the medicine prescribed by Xiao Man, her originally salt-and-pepper hair had turned a dark gray. It was combed neatly and smoothly, and her face had a healthy, rosy glow. Her complexion was clearly excellent. She already possessed a graceful and refined temperament, and with a little grooming, she looked like an intellectual woman in her forties from a distance. Only up close could one see the spots, wrinkles, and the loose, rough texture of the skin on her face and hands.
This point greatly dissatisfied her, so she had been constantly urging Wu Xiaowen to get more medicine from Xiao Man for her to continue taking. Who would have thought she would hear from Tang Qingyun that Wu Xiaowen had given away her two courses of medicine? Lin Aizhen almost fainted from anger. ’That was two whole courses of treatment! If I had finished them, I could look just like that old demon Fang Qinglan—I might have even recovered better than her!’
’After all, I studied abroad and am highly educated. In our youth, Fang Qinglan couldn’t compare to me in any aspect—whether it was her figure, temperament, knowledge, upbringing, or her speech and conduct! Now that we’re older, it’s only because the Tang family got their hands on Manman first and incited her to disown her maternal grandparents’ family. If I could receive the same restorative care, I’m confident that I could still outshine Fang Qinglan by a mile!’
’What a pity... Ugh!’ Thinking about it made her burn with resentment. ’How did my perfectly fine daughter grow up to be so brainless?’
Lin Aizhen sighed and looked up to see Wu Qin walking in, laden with bags. Lin Aizhen frowned. "Didn’t I tell you people not to come anymore?"
Wu Qin put down her things. A fish in a cloth bag jumped twice. She broke into a happy smile, like a naive child who couldn’t understand she was being rejected, and said affectionately, "Grandma, my mom was busy with work today and didn’t have time, so she had me take the afternoon off to go to the market and see if I could find any fresh crucian carp to help you and Grandpa recuperate. And I found some! I bought the two biggest ones, put them in a plastic bag first, and then got some water to keep them in. They’re still alive! Grandma, let’s stew them. You can have a bowl of soup, and I’ll take some to Grandpa! This is meat, and here are some cookies, candy, and apples for my cousins."
Lin Aizhen huffed. "You people won’t be happy until you’ve angered us to death, will you? You gave away the medicine that could have saved our lives. What good is a fish going to do?"
"Grandma, please listen to me. My mom didn’t..."
Lin Aizhen waved her hand dismissively. "Say no more. Take your things and go home!"
"Is that Xuanxuan... Oh, it’s Wu Qin!" A woman walked out of the west wing, holding the hand of a little girl who was just over two years old. This was Wu Xiaoyang’s wife, Yu Xiumin. It was her day off, so she was at home looking after her child and was also in charge of the kitchen.
Wu Qin called out, "Auntie." Yu Xiumin smiled and nodded, pointing at the still-moving cloth bag on the ground. "What’s all this?"
Wu Qin replied obediently, "My mom asked me to buy some fresh crucian carp to stew for Grandpa to help him recuperate. I also bought some meat, so you don’t have to go to the market today, Auntie. Here, little cousin, your big sister also bought you candy and apples!"
"Oh, that’s wonderful. Thank you. Quick, take the fish to the kitchen and put them in the water tank!"
In truth, Yu Xiumin wasn’t particularly fond of Wu Xiaowen and her daughter. Even back when Wu Xiaowen was still Second Young Madam Tang and Wu Qin was still Tang Yaxuan, her attitude had always been lukewarm. This was partly her nature, and she also knew there was no need to compete; with her parents-in-law around, her family—the second branch—would always get their share of any benefits. But ever since she had another daughter and she and her husband were transferred back to Beijing, they had been constantly squeezed out by the eldest branch. They faced cold mockery, with comments about how they couldn’t produce a son and were just freeloading in the old mansion. On the surface, Yu Xiumin ignored it, but inwardly she had become wary. As the saying goes, a mother’s love makes her strong. For the sake of her family of four, she started to be more calculating. ’Regardless of Wu Xiaowen’s character,’ she thought, ’at least she protects Wu Xiaoyang. Back then, it was Wu Xiaowen who had Tang Qingyun pull some strings so that Wu Xiaoyang could avoid the hardship of being sent to the countryside and smoothly enter the public health system. If Wu Xiaowen wasn’t part of this family, then when it came time to divide the family assets, the second branch would surely lose out, given the greed and domineering nature of the couple from the eldest branch. Wu Xiaowen is already married off, so she won’t take much for herself, but she holds sway with her parents. She would definitely help Wu Xiaoyang.’
It was with these thoughts in mind that Yu Xiumin had come out of her room with her child to greet Wu Qin. Seeing that Wu Qin had also brought fish and meat, and since she didn’t feel like going to the market herself, she was even more delighted to welcome her with a smile.
Lin Aizhen frowned at Yu Xiumin. "What are you doing? I told her to take her things and go home."
Yu Xiumin smiled and tried to persuade her. "Mom, even if Wu Qin isn’t your biological granddaughter, my sister-in-law is your biological daughter. You spent so much effort and worked so hard to raise her and help her succeed. Now is exactly the time when she has the ability to repay you and Father. How can you push her away? That would be a waste of all your and Dad’s hard work. Acting like this will deeply hurt her. She definitely knows she was wrong now and is full of regret. Can you really sever the bonds of family? In the end, we’ll have to forgive her anyway. Instead of both sides being miserable now, it’s better to let her back into the fold quickly. Whatever the problems are, we can just talk them out and work to solve them. That way, everyone will be in a better mood, and we won’t waste any more time."
Lin Aizhen: "..."
’I can’t believe it,’ she thought. ’The one to see right through me is my usually quiet and aloof second daughter-in-law. Her words have left me speechless.’
Of course, Lin Aizhen had no real intention of cutting off her daughter. She was just furious this time and planned to give her the cold shoulder for a while to make her reflect properly.
’Besides the unbreakable bond of blood, my husband and I truly invested immense effort in raising Xiao Wen. And she never disappointed us; she was the child that gave us the greatest sense of accomplishment, the one we were most proud of. But for some reason, her performance in recent years has been unsatisfactory. Because of Xiao Wen’s frequent mistakes, the entire Wu Family has fallen into a slump. Fortune is like that—like a kite that can only soar high if it catches the right gust of wind. If that wind blows elsewhere and won’t give you a lift, there’s nothing you can do. I always had my sights set on the powerful tailwind of the Tang family, but unfortunately, my daughter Wu Xiaowen was foolish and failed to grasp it!’
But it wasn’t too late to mend the fence. Even if Yu Xiumin hadn’t said anything, Lin Aizhen already had her own plans.
’My daughter, Wu Xiaowen, is not a lost cause. She is still very useful,’ Lin Aizhen thought, adjusting her mindset. ’Even if she has taken a few wrong turns, her future is still bright and promising. As long as she is properly guided to prevent her from making more mistakes, she can still lead the Wu Family to a glorious and brilliant future!’
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