Su Qingsang wanted the answer, not because she didn’t like Xiang Caiping, or because she wanted to rebuild the mother-daughter relationship with her real mother.
After meeting Xiang Caiping, she realized something.
Xiang Caiping had suffered for twenty lonely years. That made Su Qingsang wonder if her real mother lived an even worse life than Xiang Caiping had.
Xiang Caiping sold her apartment and left for the North to start her own business. She was a strong, capable woman. Still, she missed her daughter so much.
What about the other woman, the woman who gave birth to Su Qingsang?
Was she living an unfortunate life in someplace that Su Qingsang didn’t know about? Was she unhappy?
Su Qingsang didn’t want to think about that, but she couldn’t help it.
Before, she never longed for motherly love, because she knew that was useless. However, after spending a few months together with Xiang Caiping, she felt entirely different.
No matter if she would eventually recognize that woman as her mother or not, she wanted to do something for her, to thank her for bringing her into the world.
As for the other things, she would think about those after she found that woman.
“Darling?”
Huo Jinyao’s voice was heard on the other side of the phone. Su Qingsang came back to her senses, smiled at the fireworks in the sky, and said, “Huo Jinyao, can you really make my wish come true?”
“Of course,” Huo Jinyao nodded and said, “I’ll even get you a star from the sky if you want one.”
“Yeah, right,” Su Qignsang laughed. “If I asked you for a star, you might give me a meteorite.”
“Won’t you like that?” Huo Jinyao said regretfully. “Don’t underestimate meteorites. Many meteorites have a very high value. They are even more expensive than diamonds.”
He was talking nonsense again. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Maybe you should buy me a few pieces of meteorite instead of a diamond. We can put them in my room and hold a meteorite exhibition. Isn’t that a great idea?”
“Darling, you know me so well,” Huo Jinyao leaned against the wall, looked at the splendid sky, and said, “I used to dream of owning a museum that would hold exhibitions of some special things that people never have seen before.”
On the other side of the phone, a trace of sadness flashed across Huo Jinyao’s eyes. How come that little boy who dreamed about running a museum disappeared?
Su Qingsang didn’t believe even a word he said. She almost lost patience. “What a great dream. How come you didn’t do it?”
“Museums don’t earn money. They cost money. I need to make money for my wife, don’t I?”
“Huo Jinyao,” Su Qingsang finally grasped a loophole in his words, “When you started to think about earning money for your wife, I wasn’t your wife yet, was I?”
“No, you weren’t. However, I was long-sighted. I decided to earn money and save all my money for my future wife. See how smart your husband is?”
Su Qingsang nearly burst out in laughter. “Huo Jinyao, it’s such a pity that you weren’t invited to the New Year’s Gala. You are so good at talking. You could be a great talk show artist.”
“Yeah. Those people are tasteless. Perhaps I should do a talk show exclusively for you next time?”
Hearing that, Su Qingsang finally laughed.
“Alright. Do start learning talk show skills. In the future, you’ll be giving me a talk show every time I come home from work.”
“That’s a deal.”
“Alright,” Su Qignsang gave up, “It’s getting late. Just get some rest.”
“You go and rest, don’t exhaust yourself. If you need help, call Xiao Ning or Xiao Yu.”
“Darling,” Huo Jinyao said again, before ending the call.
“Emm?”
“I bought a ticket for the flight back to Lin City tomorrow. I was going back to you, but my great-uncle is here, and my great-aunt is arriving soon. I might need to stay here until three days from now, or even longer.”
“It’s alright. Just do what you need to do.” Su Qingsang always understood him. “Say hi to your great-uncle and great-aunt for me. I’ll be there next time, I promise.”
“Okay. My great-uncle is a nice guy. He’s going to retire soon, and he’ll enjoy his retirement in Rong City. However, my great-aunt doesn’t visit us often. When you come here, we should pay a visit to her.”
Huo Jinyao’s great-aunt, Huo Yangxiu, was serving in a military district. She lived in the army together with her husband and rarely came to Rong City.
“Sure.” Su Qingsang didn’t refuse. She married Huo Jinyao knowing that she had to deal with his huge family. She wasn’t used to facing so many relatives, but still, she would try her best to get along with his family.
“My great-aunt is a good person. You’ll see when you met her.”
“I believe you,” said Su Qingsang. She thought for a moment, then said, “Oh, I need to ask you about something.”
“What is it?”
Su Qingsang pressed her lips together for a moment, then said, “I always visited the Su Family on the first day of the New Year to wish Old Master Li and my father Happy New Year, even though I didn’t like it.”
She moved out of the family since she started her college life. However, every year, she went back to the Su Family for the New Year.
In the past two years, she switched shifts with her colleagues on purpose to work at the New Year, so she didn’t have to go back to the Su Family. This year, she needed to work too, but still, she hesitated slightly.
“Huo Jinyao, I don’t want to go to the Su Family this year.”
She wasn’t angry at Su Chenghui, but she didn’t want to see him either.
“Don’t go, then,” Huo Jinyao responded without thinking. “Just stay with Mom at the hospital during these days. If you still want to visit the Su Family, I’ll go with you when I come back.”
“Okay,” Su Qingsang nodded. She believed that with Huo Jinyao’s company, she would be much calmer and composed than when she was alone.
“Darling, listen to me. From now on, you don’t need to do the things you don’t want to do or see people that you don’t want to see. It’ll be fine. I’ve got your back.”
That sounded pretty self-willed. Could anyone live such a free life in this world?
No to mention anything else, the Su Family raised her. No matter why Su Chenghui told the Li Family people that Su Qingsang was Xiang Caiping’s daughter, he brought her up, and that was a fact.
She wished that one day, Su Chenghui would tell her the truth about her biological mother.
“I mean it. I don’t want you to be unhappy. Don’t you believe me?”
“I believe you.”
In fact, she barely suffered any unhappiness during the past half a year that she spent with Huo Jinyao.
It was almost one o’clock in the morning when the call ended.
The fireworks had faded. Everything was quiet. Su Qingsang silently went back into the room.
Xiang Caiping fell asleep earlier than Su Qingsang did, so when the latter got up, she was already awake.
“Morning,” Su Qingsang quickly got up and said, “Happy New Year, Mom.”
“Happy New Year, Happy New Year,” Xiang Caiping beckoned her and said, “Come here, this is for you.”
She took a red envelope out from under her pillow and said again, “Happy New Year.”
“Mom, what is this?”
“Your New Year’s lucky money. I should have given it to you yesterday, but I forgot,” Xiang Caiping said with a slightly guilty face.
“Thank you, Mom. I’m an adult. I don’t need this.” Su Qingsang was touched. She grew up in the Su Family, so of course, she received New Year’s lucky money every year.
However, that couldn’t be compared with the red envelope that came from Xiang Caiping.
“Don’t say that,” Xiang Caiping smiled and added, “I owe you many things. I’ll make it up to you bit by bit. When I have a grandchild, I’ll prepare New Year’s red envelopes for him or her every year.”
“Great. I’m thanking you in my future children’s name, then. You should take good care of yourself first.”
“You too.”
After breakfast, Zuo Hongchen came to visit Xiang Caiping. As a doctor, he came to the hospital pretty early.
The second visitor was Shi Mengwan. Su Qingsang didn’t expect her to come so early.
“Why are you in the hospital on New Year’s day?” Xiang Caiping said to her. “You could come here later.”
“Aunty, it’s fine. I’m not superstitious.” Shi Mengwan dropped the gift she brought while she spoke. “Qingsang is my good friend. I don’t believe what people say about hospital ill-luck.”
“You are both good kids.”
Xiang Caiping’s room was full of visitors. A few of Su Qingsang’s colleagues who were on duty all visited Xiang Caiping.
The festive atmosphere was great.
Su Qingsang needed to work, so she couldn’t stay in the room at all times. She was happy that Xiang Caiping had company.
Before lunch, Su Qingsang finished work, then walked toward Xiang Caiping’s room in a haste. Unexpectedly, she saw Su Chenghui again.
He was standing outside the room and obviously wanted to go in, but somehow didn’t.
“Father.” Su Qingsang had many complaints about Su Chenghui, but she tried not to show it. “Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year,” Su Chenghui responded awkwardly. He cleared his throat, glanced at the room and said, “Your mother…”
“My mother is healing well. The doctor will give her another check-up after the New Year, and then she’ll probably be discharged.”
Su Qingsang and the caregivers had been taking good care of Xiang Caiping, so she recovered quickly. Her condition was better than what the doctor expected it to be by that time.
After the hospital discharged her, she would only need to focus on rehabilitation. She would be healthy again.
“I…”
Su Chenghui tried to speak, but she cut across him.
“Dad, please, don’t get into that room to see my Mother. It’s the New Year.”
Xiang Caiping definitely did not want to see Su Chenghui on the first day of the New Year. That was certainly not a good thing for her.
Su Chenghui wore a sullen expression and replied with, “Qingsang, I want you to remember that I am your father.”
“I know,” Su Qingsang nodded and said, “But so what? My mother doesn’t want to see you, so please, kindly leave her alone. Can you do that?”
Su Chenghui’s face was dark as thunder. He spent a few seconds glaring at Su Qingsang, then said, “I only want to wish her Happy New Year.”
“Don’t bother,” Su Qingsang honestly didn’t think that was necessary. “She’ll be happier not to see you. I’m afraid that seeing you at the New Year would make her not so happy.”
“What are you talking about?” Su Chenghui was very displeased to hear that.
