Su Sanlang nodded.
Their family didn’t go in, leaving enough space for Su Xiaozhi and Hu Daniu.
Inside the house.
Hu Daniu looked at Su Xiaozhi with heartache and said, “Xiaozhi, it’s been hard on you. I’m sorry to disappoint you in the end.”
Hu Daniu’s heart ached. Although he could not wake up, he knew Su Xiaozhi’s care and words.
They were supposed to support each other for the rest of their lives, but he broke his promise halfway through. Su Xiaozhi would have a hard time carrying the family alone.
“Daniu, don’t say that.”
Su Xiaozhi wiped away her tears and looked at Hu Daniu with red eyes. She was gentle and reluctant. She carefully stroked Hu Daniu’s cheek and said gently, “Da Niu, don’t worry. I will protect our family well.”
“I’ll take good care of Mother and take care of her until her death. I’ll also raise our children well and see them get married and have children. Remember to walk slowly on the other side, or I won’t be able to catch up with you.”
Su Xiaozhi swallowed her throat and swallowed the pain in her heart.
She had to pull herself together at this last moment.
She looked at the three children gently and wiped their tears away. “Don’t cry. Go and boil some water. Let’s wash Daddy up.”
Hu Shuangshuang nodded.
Hu Daniu looked at Hu Changshou and gently instructed, “Shou, you’re the eldest son. In the future, after I leave, you’ll be a little man. You have to protect your mother and your sister and brother on my behalf, understand?”
Hu Changsheng wiped his tears and replied loudly, “Father, I know. I will do it.”
Hu Daniu nodded in relief. “Good child, I believe you will do it.”
Hu Changyang was still very young. He cried and said, “Father, I’ll be good in the future. Can you not leave? I don’t want you to leave.”
Hu Daniu’s heart ached. He sighed and comforted Hu Changyang, “Yang, don’t cry. Daddy won’t leave. Daddy is just going to another place. Daddy will protect you from another place.”
Hu Daniu looked at Hu Changshou and said solemnly, “Shou, after I leave, you have to be filial to your mother. Your mother has worked too hard. If there’s a man who’s willing to protect your mother in the future, you have to guard her well for me. If he truly treats your mother well, you have to hand your mother over to him, understand? I hope that without me, there will be someone who can love your mother well on your father’s behalf.”
“Daniu, I forbid you to say that.”
Su Xiaozhi came back to her senses and immediately said sternly.
Hu Changshou nodded with tears in his eyes. He looked at Su Xiaozhi and said to Hu Daniu, “Dad, don’t worry. I’ll remember this.”
Su Xiaozhi cried and shook her head. “Daniu, I won’t allow you to say that. I won’t love anyone else anymore.”
Hu Daniu looked at Su Xiaozhi with a gentle expression. “Xiaozhi, I love you, but my life is too short. You still have a long time to live. If someone loves you for me, I’ll be happy for you.”
“Xiaozhi, I can still open my eyes to look at you, at mother, and at the children. I have no regrets. Help me comb my hair. I want to stay with you for a while in these last moments. Changshou, bring your brother out.”
Hu Daniu looked at Su Xiaozhi gently and said slowly.
Hu Changshou nodded obediently and took Hu Changyang out.
Su Xiaozhi’s tears flowed as she got up to get a wooden comb. She knelt at the head of the bed and combed Hu Daniu’s hair.
Hu Daniu’s pale face revealed a blissful smile. He said slowly, “It feels like we’re back to when we got married.”
Su Xiaozhi was gentle and diligent. She was like a warm lake, warmed by her side. Such a good woman was his wife. He was so happy.
His family was not rich, and his in-laws loved to humiliate him. For this reason, Su Xiaozhi did not want him to accompany her.
Su Xiaozhi was very good. That was great. He wasn’t lucky enough to spend the rest of his life with her.
So he couldn’t hold her back from happiness for the rest of her life.
After combing his hair, Hu Shuangshuang brought hot water over. Su Xiaozhi gently wiped Hu Daniu’s body.
She changed his clothes again so that he could go clean.
“Xiaozhi, go get mother. I want to talk to her.”
Hu Daniu said gently to Su Xiaozhi.
Su Xiaozhi nodded with red eyes. She looked at Hu Daniu and finally got up to leave.
Time passed too quickly. Two hours passed without doing anything.
Su Xiaozhi personally woke Madam Cao up.
Madam Cao woke up and grabbed Su Xiaozhi’s hand anxiously. “Daniu, Daniu…”
Madam Cao’s heart almost stopped. She was too useless. Why did she faint?
Su Xiaozhi hurriedly said, “Mother, don’t be anxious. Daniu is still waiting for you. He wants to talk to you.”
When Madam Cao heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief and quickly got up.
Su Xiaozhi helped her over. Madam Cao entered the house, but Su Xiaozhi did not.
She stayed outside, sitting quietly.
After Madam Cao entered the house, she went straight to the bed and squatted down at the side. When she saw Hu Daniu’s expression, she couldn’t help but feel hurt. This was her son.
Hu Daniu smiled at Madam Cao. “Mother, don’t cry. Your son wants to talk to you.”
Madam Cao nodded. “My son, go ahead. Mother is listening.”
Hu Daniu was going to give her his last words. How could Madam Cao make him worry?
Hu Daniu looked at Madam Cao and said slowly, “Mother, after I go, don’t hurt yourself anymore. Take good care of your body. It’s too hard for Xiaozhi to be alone. You have to help her.”
Madam Cao nodded. “Okay, okay, mother promises you.”
Hu Daniu smiled and said, “Mother, if… Xiaozhi meets a good person she can trust in the future, you can’t stop her. I hope you can send Xiaozhi to get married. Mother, promise me, okay?”
Madam Cao was stunned. Her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. Her lips trembled, and she couldn’t bring herself to say yes.
Hu Daniu looked at Madam Cao and smiled. “Mother, Xiaozhi is only 31 years old. How can I bear to let her wait bitterly for me for decades? Shuangshuang will get married in the future, Xiaoshou and Xiaoyang will also grow up and have families. They will all have their own families. Xiaozhi will have no one to accompany her. She will be lonely without even someone to talk to. How can I let her work so hard?”
Su Xiaozhi was sincere to him. She had raised children for him for so many years. Now that he was going to pass away, how could he bear to see Su Xiaozhi suffer alone for the rest of her life?
It was the greatest blessing for him to wake up and give his last words.
Madam Cao looked at Hu Daniu. Seeing that her son was sincere, Madam Cao finally nodded and said, “Alright, I promise you. If she can meet a man who treats her as sincerely as you do, I will bless her and not stop her.”
Hearing Madam Cao agree, Hu Daniu was relieved. He smiled and nodded. “Alright, alright. I’m relieved.”
Madam Cao’s heart ached. She carefully stroked Hu Daniu’s face and sobbed, “My son, mother can’t bear to leave you.”