Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Old Lady Wang hurried back home and listened for a while outside Liu Yizhu's room door. Hearing no movement inside, she first went to the kitchen to cook porridge for him. When the porridge was ready, she knocked on his door.

"My boy, get up first and drink the porridge before going back to sleep."

Liu Yizhu wasn't sleeping. He put away the paper and writing brush on his desk and opened the door for Old Lady Wang: "Mother, give it to me."

Old Lady Wang handed the porridge to him. Seeing his hair and clothes weren't messy, she knew he hadn't been sleeping. She glanced at his desk and said unhappily, "Didn't I tell you to rest well? Why are you up reading books again?"Fôllôw new stories at novelhall.com fine."

Liu Yizhu sat back down on his chair, constantly stirring the steaming porridge but didn't eat a mouthful.

"Eat up."

"It's too hot. I'll wait a bit."

Seeing him like this, Old Lady Wang was worried sick. "I shouldn't have taken you to visit your father's grave yesterday."

She complained, "Who knew the wind on the mountain would be so strong."

"It's nothing. It was necessary to go." Liu Yizhu's voice was flat without any ripples. He put aside the bowl and casually flipped open a book. "Mother, I want to read for a while. You go rest."

"Then I won't disturb you. Rest if you're tired."

Seeing her son couldn't eat at all, Old Lady Wang had no other way. She left the room and closed the door for him. Back in the kitchen, she kept the remaining porridge warm in the pot so he'd have something hot when hungry later.

She returned to her room, took down her late husband's memorial tablet and wiped it clean, hugging it to herself. Her eyes involuntarily moistened and she complained, "Why did you leave so early? I have to do everything now. If I don't, I've let you down, but if I do, I've let our son down."

She raised her hand to wipe away the tears, her voice hoarse, "What should I do? Seeing him like this..."

"You might as well take me away. I want to be like you too, free of worries and as carefree as can be."

Early yesterday morning, Old Lady Wang had prepared offerings of paper money and got ready the sacrificial items. On the excuse that Liu Yizhu would be leaving again soon, she wanted to take him to the mountain to pay respects to Liu's father as a farewell.

"Mother, I've said I don't want to get married."

Old Lady Wang's brows shot up as she scolded harshly, "Do you really not want to get married or are you pretending you don't want to get married? Do you think I don't know what's going on? I'm afraid with a flick of that woman's hand, you'd be preparing your wedding feast tomorrow!"

"Don't even think about it!" Old Lady Wang's hand shook as she pointed at the grave in front. "If you have the guts, tell your father right now that you've decided to cut off the Liu family line!"

"Mother!"

"Say it! Say it in front of your father."

Looking at his yelling and threatening mother, Liu Yizhu suddenly felt estranged. He sighed lightly and said helplessly, "I won't go look for her anymore. Isn't that enough? But I really don't want to get married."

Old Lady Wang was half distrustful, half trusting. "You really won't go look for that woman anymore?"

Liu Yizhu nodded slightly and gave a bitter laugh. "Looking for her would be fruitless anyway. She said she's leaving. You...forget it. When she's gone, whether you believe it or not, you'll have to."

For some reason, hearing her son say this made Old Lady Wang's heart suddenly tighten. She looked at him anxiously. She knew it, she knew something wasn't right with her son since he came back yesterday.

She let out a breath. Leaving is good, leaving is good.

Liu Yizhu finished burning the remaining paper money. He knelt silently for a while, then suddenly said, "Mother, you didn't use to be like this."

Hearing the catch in his voice, Old Lady Wang turned to look. Only then did she realize her son's eyes had reddened. She opened her mouth wanting to say something, but her throat seemed choked.

She was paralyzed, only able to watch as her son got up and left. After he had gone far away, she collapsed to the ground in front of the grave and broke down sobbing loudly.

She cried until she was exhausted and sat numbly at the grave for a long time before tidying up and getting ready to leave. She had thought her son had already gone home, but unexpectedly he was still waiting for her at the foot of the mountain.

Seeing her son's lonely back, Old Lady Wang's nose soured again. Seeing him suddenly turn his head, she hurriedly wiped her face with her sleeve and walked quickly up to him.

"Why are you waiting here? The wind is strong. Don't catch cold. Let's go home."

Liu Yizhu took the basket from her hand with a murmur and walked in front.