Han Chunli also cares about her image and felt very displeased inside, but seeing neighbors gathering around the yard, she quickly said, "I thought Big Sister got everything ready, I can just eat something simple and leave. Xiaowen’s patient meal indeed needs some attention, so let’s let her make do at the hospital cafeteria today and spare Big Sister the trouble."
Sun Zhenhai heard this and understood that his aunt still wanted to have a meal at his house before leaving, so he took the soy sauce bottle and walked over: "Aunt, let’s go together. My mom told me to get soy sauce; Sister Xiaowen can’t endure hunger. If we delay more, the hospital cafeteria won’t have good food left."
After speaking, he took Han Chunli’s arm and led her outside: "Let’s go together, I have something to say to you, Aunt."
Originally, Han Chunli wanted to say ’let me just have a bite of whatever is prepared’, but Sun Zhenhai didn’t give her the chance, took her outside the gate.
For the sake of her image, she could only relent: "Sun Zhenhai, let go of me, you’re doing this on purpose."
Sun Zhenhai let go of her after they had walked a distance: "Aunt, what are you talking about?"
Han Chunli said with a cold face: "I am your real aunt, now that your Sister Xiaowen is sick and in the hospital, how can you have no compassion?"
Sun Zhenhai was most annoyed by his aunt saying this; since childhood, everyone had to accommodate cousin Ji Xiaowen because of her poor health. Aunt always used Sister Xiaowen’s bad health as an excuse to freeload at his house and uncle’s house with no self-awareness, yet every time acted so confidently, it was truly irritating.
Sun Zhenhai turned around to look at Han Chunli: "Aunt, don’t you feel awkward saying this? All these years because of Sister Xiaowen’s condition, have we done less? How else do you want us to sympathize?"
This statement made Han Chunli angry inside, among the four siblings, she was in the worst condition, how could helping her a bit be a problem: "Zhenhai, what do you mean by that?"
Sun Zhenhai didn’t care whether she was happy or not: "What do I mean? Aunt, my big brother is settled, my second brother is also about to get married, and the family is really tight. My mom is thin-skinned and feels awkward to tell you, it’s like she’s suffering while trying to save face."
After speaking, he ran off to avoid being argued with by Han Chunli: "Aunt, my mom is waiting to cook with soy sauce, I’ll go first."
Han Chunli, realizing this, wanted to curse but couldn’t see a trace of Sun Zhenhai anymore, so she had to angrily walk toward the hospital.
When she arrived at the hospital, she happened to see her husband Ji Linfeng coming over with a lunchbox, she frowned and said: "Why did you come over?"
Ji Linfeng looked at the direction she was coming from and saw her empty-handed, thought to himself: Those families must have been tired of her long ago, just enduring it due to the dying grandfather’s advice not to make things ugly.
He couldn’t help but sigh in his heart: "I’m here to bring you food, it’s not a good thing to trouble Big Sister repeatedly. Our house is not that far, at most it’s just ten more minutes walk than Big Sister’s house."
Knowing his wife highly values her face, he added: "Besides, if we keep troubling Big Sister, the neighbors will surely start gossiping."
Han Chunli originally wanted to complain, but upon hearing this, she changed her complaint into: "I’m the youngest at home, and besides, dad repeatedly urged them at his deathbed to take good care of me."
Ji Linfeng shook his head: "That was many years ago, and over these years they’ve truly done quite well. Now they have families and careers to maintain, we can’t be too selfish."
Han Chunli heard her husband talking about the same old topic again: "Alright, alright, don’t say anymore, let’s go inside quickly, Xiaowen can’t be starved."
Thinking that it’s best not to visit Big Sister for the time being, since the second nephew is going to bring his partner back and definitely stay for some days, if she continues to go over, she might really anger her brother-in-law.
Thinking she will need to borrow money from second brother anyway, Ji Linfeng now bringing food means he hasn’t had a chance to visit second brother yet: "Lin Feng, let me go to second brother’s then, after lunch you stay with Xiaowen, I’ll go there myself."
Ji Linfeng knew that no matter what he said, his wife probably wouldn’t listen, moreover, Xiaowen’s surgery is approaching, and he may truly not be able to borrow that much money at once, all he could do was berate himself silently.