Pampered by the School Bully
Chapter 338 - 331. Huo Feng, my grandmother passed away (3)

Chapter 338: 331. Huo Feng, my grandmother passed away (3)

In the hospital ward, the atmosphere was oppressively heavy.

Everyone was very quiet, so quiet that the only sound was the occasionally labored breathing of the elderly person lying on the bed.

Pu Sangzhi and Chen Huifen slowly walked forward, and a crowd of relatives made room for the two of them.

Thus, Pu Sangzhi and Chen Huifen made their way unobstructed to the old person’s bedside and slowly squatted down.

The old person, Zhao Ahua, had raised five children in her lifetime and worried about them all her life.

At the twilight of her life, with all five children and grandchildren by her bedside, it was a sign of respect for her journey through this world, the filial piety that children and grandchildren ought to offer.

At that moment, aside from the yellowing face that was terrifying to look at, the person lying in the bed also appeared disoriented.

While wearing an oxygen tube in her nose, it was uncertain whether the old person could actually breathe in the oxygen she exhaled.

Because, everyone around could hear, and even see the old person struggling to breathe at times.

Seeing the old person in such a lifeless state made Pu Sangzhi and her daughter Chen Huifen extremely heartbroken.

Chen Huifen couldn’t help but burst into tears on the spot, her trembling hands slowly reaching out and covering the old person’s face, "Mom... I’m here, mom..."

Pu Sangzhi also sobbed, "Grandma, I’ve come too."

At this moment, it seemed as if the old person could sense the arrival of her daughter and granddaughter, her eyes that were barely open trembled slightly, as though she was exerting all her strength to open them but still couldn’t.

However, the old person’s chapped lips managed to quiver out a few words, "Youngest child..."

The youngest child, also known as the "littlest one," referred to the youngest daughter Chen Huifen.

Chen Huifen, with tears in her eyes, rushed forward, her voice quivering, "Mom, I’m here, mom..."

At that moment, facing the old person’s imminent passing, Chen Huifen felt a guilt that was beyond words!

The old person had been sick for several years...

During those years, the other four children took turns caring for the old person, and they would visit her regularly, but Chen Huifen...

Only when there were major issues at home and she couldn’t look after herself did Chen Huifen visit her few times over the years, let alone take care of her.

And now, as the old person hastily embarked on her final journey, Chen Huifen knew she had no more chances to show filial piety and blamed herself harshly in her heart, deeply saddened and disappointed!

In a moment, Chen Huifen cried until she was a mess, tears and snot streaming, her emotions collapsing...

"Mom... I’m sorry, mom..."

Chen Huifen even knelt on both knees, her trembling fingers continuously lingering on the old person’s face, touching the yellowed skin.

With late-stage liver cancer accompanied by multiple organ failure, the old person’s face displayed severe jaundice, even the whites of her eyes were yellow.

With such an appearance, it was not only terrifying but also pitiable, yet the old person still used her trembling lips to slowly articulate her last words...

"Youngest child... you need to..."

"Mom... Mom, I’m here, I’m listening, mom... sob..."

Chen Huifen was already crying uncontrollably, "You speak, mom..."

Similarly, tears streamed down Pu Sangzhi’s face beside Chen Huifen; she covered her mouth to hide her cries...

Gasping deeply, the old person said with great difficulty, "You need to... collect money..."

"Mom!"

Unable to hold back any longer, Chen Huifen began to wail, "Mom, at a time like this, you want me to collect money! Mom, don’t do this... sob..."

"Mom, don’t scare grandma..."

Pu Sangzhi gently touched Chen Huifen’s shoulder, tears profusely pouring, yet she still soothed Chen Huifen, "Mom, calm down a bit... listen to what grandma has to say..."

"Sob sob..."

By then, Chen Huifen had nearly collapsed in tears.

Surrounding her, a roomful of relatives all had red eyes and tearful faces, silently shedding tears, wiping them away.

At that time, the old person wasn’t aware of the cries throughout the room or the sorrowful atmosphere.

It seemed as though the old person was beyond consciousness yet clinging to that last bit of awareness, using her last strength to steadily convey her final wishes, "I’m worried... for the youngest and Xiaosang... they have no money... they’ll be killed by the underworld..."

"Mom, no, mom, we’re fine... sob sob... we’re really fine..."

Chen Huifen cried so much she turned her nose red, her chin constantly twitching, "You don’t need to worry about us anymore, it’s us who haven’t been filial, mom... sob sob..."

No money...

When these words came out of the old person’s mouth, they signified not only sorrow but also love.

At that time, not only could Pu Sangzhi hardly contain her grief, but she also felt a deep sense of inferiority...

Yes...

They had no money in their family, only a mountain of debt.

The debt was so overwhelming that it might never be paid off in this lifetime, and even more so, it seemed likely that life itself would become the payment.

There had been so many stable days recently that Pu Sangzhi had perhaps forgotten that she was meant to be downtrodden, living a life amidst danger.

Even others remembered the peril her family was in, yet she herself had been so content that she’d forgotten it.

The old lady had spoken intermittently, and kept on speaking...

As long as she was still breathing, though her consciousness was fuzzy, the old lady kept on speaking...

The old lady said she’d left all her money to her daughter and granddaughter, everything was for them, so they could live well and asked the underworld to spare their lives.

The old lady said the biggest mistake of her life was marrying Chen Huifen to Pu Wenhua, that marriage was ill-arranged, very badly indeed...

The old lady also said she couldn’t see Pu Sangzhi getting married or spend New Year’s together... how could she cope...

As death approached, right up until the last moment, the old lady with her final bit of consciousness, spoke her heart out, saying, "I wish I could live another 10 years..."

Those were her last words in this world.

That is, she wished for another 10 years...

Thus, the old lady finally passed away at 18:06 in the evening.

In the moment after the old lady passed, Chen Huifen fainted from crying beside the hospital bed, the air in the ward filled with a lingering breath of sadness, which was hard to dissipate.

However, the old lady’s death was peaceful; she closed her eyes by herself, and her lips curled into a slight smile, as if with a gentle chuckle.

Perhaps, having so many children accompany her through the final journey, she felt her life was fulfilled.

...

After the old lady passed, what followed was the handling of various post-mortem affairs.

Since Pu Sangzhi’s and Chen Huifen’s family circumstances were unique, Chen Feng, being the eldest sister, didn’t ask them to contribute money or efforts and only discussed with the other four families how to manage the old lady’s funeral affairs.

That evening, Chen Feng told Chen Huifen and Pu Sangzhi to go home first, but Chen Huifen refused.

Not having accompanied the old lady through the last journey of her life was Chen Huifen’s greatest regret.

Therefore, at that moment, Chen Huifen didn’t want to go home, even if it was useless, she only wanted to stay here, until the very end.

So, Chen Feng let the children who were going back drive Pu Sangzhi home with them.

Pu Sangzhi had initially refused to go back, wanting to stay and accompany Chen Huifen, but Chen Huifen told her to go first, and the elders at home also urged her to return.

With so many elders at home asking her to, Pu Sangzhi finally agreed to go back.

Thus, her elder cousin drove back to Rui’an, taking her along.

Around 7 p.m., the cousin dropped her off at the entrance of the alley and left after giving her a brief instruction.

Standing at the entrance of the long and familiar alley, Pu Sangzhi paused but didn’t have the courage to take a step forward and walk back to her home.

No...

That was her grandmother’s home, her grandmother’s house.

Pu Sangzhi took a deep breath, her nose turned sour, thinking to herself: If there were no grandmother, where would she have a home, where would she have her current life? How could she live like an ordinary student?

Now grandmother was gone.

Now, everything seemed to have changed, yet everything also seemed unchanged.

Her life could still continue, could still go on as before.

But grandmother was gone...

At the entrance of the alley, Pu Sangzhi stood for a long, long time.

In the end, she couldn’t take the step to go home.

So, she turned around and, step by step, left the alley, heading to a nearby place she often visited, Jinhe Park.

At 7:30 p.m., Pu Sangzhi arrived alone at Jinhe Park.

In this bustling little park, she found a bench that aligned the streetlamp and the moon into a single line and sat down slowly by herself.

The dim light shone on her desolate figure, the early spring breeze brought a touch of chill.

Pu Sangzhi lifted her head to look at the sky, gazing absently, her eyes a void of emptiness...

Just then, her phone suddenly rang.

Pu Sangzhi calmly took out her phone, glanced at the screen, the caller ID showed Huo Feng.

Nowadays, seeing this name, Pu Sangzhi fleetingly felt like she saw the words "security" or "safety net."

She picked up the phone and answered the call.

And the moment the call connected, she immediately said with a crying voice, "Huo Feng... my grandmother is gone..."