novelraw Chapter 285 Extra 5: Sweet Love in a Time of War
Chapter 285 Extra 5: Sweet Love in a Time of War
I told her the news, and Ning Shuang's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"What about my mother? Is there any news about her?" Zhao Ningshuang asked.
"Your mother is very ill... I've already made arrangements. Tomorrow, you dress up as one of my men, and we'll go see her together. I'm a doctor; bring her some medicine and some food..."
Zhao Ningshuang nodded silently, tears streaming down her face. She felt that she had implicated her family and that she would have been better off going to jail with them, at least then she could have died with her mother.
Unfortunately, before the next day even arrived, the head of the prison guards sent someone to inform me that my cousin had passed away, and that they had reported it to their superiors and asked relatives and friends to come and collect the body.
Zhao Ningshuang was stunned when she received the news! Her beloved mother was gone just like that!? Her father and brother had gone to war and didn't know if they would ever return; she was truly all alone!
She huddled in the corner, her eyes glazed over, her body trembling uncontrollably, clearly still reeling from the devastating news.
My heart aches for her. She should be like a magnolia quietly blooming, fragrant and serene, planted in a garden and carefully nurtured. She shouldn't be like this now, like a small animal trapped in a cage, desperate and terrified…
"Don't be afraid, I'm here!" I comforted you, and these words were my promise: I will do everything in my power to protect you for the rest of your life!
I quickly asked the tenant next door to look after her, then knocked on the door of the coffin shop, bought a coffin, hired someone, and went to the prison gate to collect the body.
The prison guard chief I had arranged to bring the body out was the one I contacted. He demanded five silver dollars before I could sign the papers to take the body away. If it weren't for that, Ning Shuang's mother's body would probably have been thrown into a mass grave.
Her mother was very thin, much like her. Her body lay in the coffin, just a narrow strip, her eyes still open, probably because she couldn't let go of her beloved daughter.
She fell ill after being imprisoned, and with no one to get her medical care or medicine, she couldn't bear it for more than a few days. I guess she collapsed yesterday after receiving the news that her husband and son had been drafted to fight in the war.
I placed the coffin at the mortuary on the outskirts of the city and took Ning Shuang to arrange the funeral. There was no one else there but the two of us and the mortuary's caretaker.
I dug the grave myself and buried her mother. I stayed with her at her grave for a whole day and night. At the old woman's grave, I promised her that I would treat her daughter well and protect her as she had protected her.
After returning, Ning Shuang fell ill, and it was quite dangerous. I was busy taking care of her and informed my mother that I would be staying here for a while longer.
Under my careful care, Ning Shuang's health improved significantly. We got along very well; she did her best to help with whatever she could, while I went out to buy medicinal herbs and continued to inquire about her father and brothers.
In the past month, she learned to cook, although it wasn't very tasty. Talking with her, I discovered she's a truly talented woman, well-read.
She said she read a lot because of her poor health, and her family was worried about her going out. So, she spent her time at home playing music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
I think she and her mother must have common topics, and when it comes to these things, Ning Shuang is actually more knowledgeable than her mother. After all, her mother doesn't really like those things, and she's not good at knitting. Ning Shuang, on the other hand, genuinely loves these traditional crafts.
I took her home and told her I would take care of her for the rest of my life. I deeply admire my mother, and I told her that she would definitely consider my opinion, and even if she was temporarily unwilling, she would not neglect her.
Ning Shuang wasn't as weak as I thought. She was gentle, clever, and skillful, and adept at accounting and bookkeeping. She just seemed frail and unable to take care of herself.
As expected, my mother disapproved of our marriage, but she had already brought the girl home. Aside from being a little frail, she was very satisfied with her. But I'm her only son, and she just wanted a strong, fertile wife to have a whole bunch of grandchildren!
As expected, Mother did not make things difficult for or neglect Ning Shuang, and the two of them had quite a few things in common. I studied medicine since I was a child, and all the books I read were medical books. Not to mention that I haven't read much of the classics, histories, philosophical works, or even travelogues, unofficial histories, or folk tales, I rarely read them.
They often told me stories I didn't understand, and when they saw my blank expression, they would laugh out loud!
"Ningshuang, I will not object to your marriage. Your mother has not been gone for long, so you can observe the mourning period for her this year. The wedding can be held next year."
Of course, this old woman hopes you'll have many children and much happiness, but with your health, you'll only be able to have two children at most after you get married, regardless of whether they're boys or girls. You must take good care of your health this year; I'm counting on you to hold my grandchildren in my arms someday!
Zhao Ningshuang knew that her mother was testing her. If she couldn't even handle the most basic things in the family, how could she be the next head of the household?
These tasks weren't about doing laundry or cooking, but rather about handling social obligations among relatives and friends, managing household expenses, and assigning tasks to both long-term and short-term workers.
At that time, her mother was still in charge of the family business and was very busy. Now that Ning Shuang was managing the household affairs, she was much more relaxed.
After we got married, we soon had our daughter, Jia Hui, in the spring of 1932. My mother adored this beautiful and intelligent granddaughter.
At this time, the Northeast had been occupied by the Japanese, and anti-Japanese sentiment was running high in Yanshi. My mother had already begun to consolidate her businesses and assets, selling the mansion and some properties, and we lived in a small courtyard that she had previously acquired.
We laid off all our long-term and short-term workers, and the whole family lived quietly in our small house. Jia Hui was born here. My mother also stayed home to help take care of her granddaughter, and we've had a very peaceful few years.
Four years later, Jiaming was born. Ningshuang and her mother wanted to raise him to be more robust, but he was more well-behaved than a girl and had no mischievousness like a boy.
This period was turbulent, with the entire country engaged in the war against Japan. My mother often secretly contacted revolutionaries or underground party members, quietly obtaining supplies to support their fight against the Japanese.
The Japanese soldiers in the north often imposed blockades, so my mother took me to Zhangbeikou and donated the food and medicine she had hidden beforehand to the Eighth Route Army.
Good news soon arrived: the soldiers launched a surprise attack and killed many Japanese soldiers and puppet troops! I never imagined that Commander Li, the leader of the unit that provided this financial assistance, would become my in-laws years later. What a wonderful coincidence!
When my mother and I returned home, Ning Shuang burst into tears, hugging my mother and me and sobbing uncontrollably. During the days we were away, she had been worried sick day and night.
She knew we were doing something important and didn't say a word to stop us! She wanted to take good care of the house and the children, and stay healthy so that when her mother-in-law and husband came home, they would see a clean, tidy, and joyful home!
Later, our children grew up, got married, and started their own families. Ning Shuang and I never had a loud argument, and we have been happily together for over thirty years.
Despite the many hardships we've faced, despite her health issues preventing her from being with me until the end of my life, and despite the immense effort I need to put into caring for her health, I have never regretted choosing her.
I have always tried my best to keep my promise and protect her for the rest of her life!
Ning Shuang, I hope that in the next life we can be together again, growing old together! Wait for me to post…