I'm back in 1990

Chapter 655: Keeping it from Grandma

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After Zeng Jiahua and Zeng Lijuan left, Zou Jin pulled the resentful Zou Dan into Zeng Liping's ward, while Su Zhicheng and Ji Conglin tacitly did not follow them in.

Originally, in their impression, their mother-in-law was just a calculating and somewhat snobbish person. They never expected her to be so ruthless, even targeting her closest relatives. This was simply outrageous!

As soon as the two sisters entered the ward, they saw Zeng Liping sitting on the hospital bed with a gloomy face and lifeless eyes.

Impatient Zou Dan disregarded her mother's health condition and directly questioned her, "Mom, Uncle told us all that you really did those things?"

Zeng Liping glanced up at her youngest daughter, ignored her, and looked at her eldest daughter instead.

I want to go out for some fresh air.

Zou Jin pressed the call button, and Zeng Liping was quickly moved into a wheelchair. She said to her eldest daughter, "Zou Jin, push me downstairs for a walk."

Zou Dan wanted to go too, but Zeng Liping refused, saying, "You can stay here, you don't need to go."

Zou Dan could only reluctantly withdraw her hand that had been reaching to push the wheelchair.

The lowest temperature in Hong Kong in winter is around 10 degrees Celsius, which is quite cold, so Zeng Liping was wrapped up tightly from head to toe.

The mother and daughter remained silent the whole way until they reached the garden downstairs, where Zeng Liping finally spoke.

"I hurt many people when I was young, including my parents, siblings and other relatives. I always thought it was because I was young and ignorant, but now that I look back, it was actually because I was selfish."

Back then, in order to prove that I was striving for progress, I actively participated in various activities. Gradually, in that environment, I felt that everything in my family was bad and not progressive, and at that time I resented being born into such a family.

So, in order to prove to others that I aspired to progress, I led a group of people to ransack your maternal grandparents' house. Your maternal grandfather liked to collect porcelain and calligraphy and paintings, but I led a group to smash and burn them all. I even destroyed part of your maternal grandmother's dowry.

Zeng Liping smiled sadly: "With a thief like me in the family, it's no wonder your grandparents' things couldn't be hidden. I know exactly where everything in the house is hidden, and back then I thought what I did was absolutely right. Now that I think about it, I was both stupid and wicked!"

Zou Jin listened quietly to Zeng Liping speak. Sometimes, hearing certain things with your own ears is very shocking because they are completely different from what you have seen before, so she was very unsettled.

"Your grandfather was angered to death by me. I only found out later. I didn't even go to see him off when he passed away."

Zeng Liping's tears flowed down her cheeks: "Now that I think about it, what a good person your grandfather was! I never thought that I, his own daughter, would humiliate him, destroy all his treasures, and publicly announce that I am severing my father-daughter relationship with him."

Later, I got married and moved to Chang'an with your father. I had you and Zou Dan. As time went by, I began to regret what I had done back then. In addition, your uncle and aunt contacted me again, so I went back a few times. Gradually, I took it for granted, and the guilt I had felt slowly disappeared. Instead, I started to resent your aunt and uncle for not understanding my situation back then.

Your maternal grandmother had a box that I couldn't find when the house was searched, but I knew it contained some very rare coins. So, the year you got married, I wrote to your grandmother, asking her to bring the box along under the pretext of inviting them to your wedding.

Because your father had the opportunity to be transferred to the headquarters in Yanjing, I wanted to help him. Looking back now, I realize I didn't consider your grandmother's feelings at all. I was still so one-sided, selfish, and only thinking of myself.

Zou Jin couldn't blame her mother, even though her mother had done many things that hurt her family. But she had fulfilled her responsibilities as a mother to her children and the family.

But she also knew that her mother had gone too far back then. Looking at her terminally ill mother, Zou Jin held her hand and felt it was ice cold.

Tears streamed down Zeng Liping's face as she pounded her chest, crying out, "So this illness I got is my retribution!"

Zou Jin's tears also fell, and she took out a tissue to wipe Zeng Liping's tears.

Zeng Liping took the tissue from Zou Jin and continued, "Your aunt and uncle have done right by me, allowing me to spend the rest of my days comfortably in such a good hospital. I'm very grateful to them. Zou Jin, do you know? It's not that I'm afraid of dying, it's that I can't stand that kind of pain! It's like being worse than dead."

Zeng Liping wiped away her tears, calmed herself down, and began to explain her final arrangements to her eldest daughter.

"I know my own body. I can't hold on for much longer. To be optimistic, it's only a few months. There are some things I need to make clear to you now."

While wiping away her tears, Zou Jin nodded and replied, "Mom, I'm listening."

"After I'm gone, keep it simple. Just bury me somewhere. Don't tell your uncle and aunt. I'm too ashamed to face them again."

Zeng Liping's voice was calm as she continued, "The house belongs to your father, and after he passes away, it will belong to you and Zou Dan. I also have some gold jewelry and savings. You and your father can each have half of the savings, and the gold jewelry is all yours."

Zou Jin was taken aback and was about to speak when Zeng Liping stopped her.

"Don't rush me, let me finish. The money and jewelry are for you alone. If Su Zhicheng doesn't get any, your sister will too. Also, don't let your sister know about this."

Zou Jin was somewhat confused by Zeng Liping's actions: "Mom?"

"No one knows a daughter better than her mother. I know your sister's personality; she's exactly like me when I was young. I'm afraid she'll end up like me, so I'm keeping this money with you. In case anything happens to Zou Dan in the future, you can help her out."

Zeng Liping passed away the following May.

Huang Xiaochuan naturally received the news immediately. After much consideration, he told his mother and uncle Zeng Jiahua about it.

Zeng Lijuan remained silent for a long time before saying, "I understand, that's fine!" After saying that, she went back to her room alone.

Zeng Jiahua was not much better off than his sister Zeng Lijuan. After hearing the news from his nephew, he was stunned for a moment, and then he rummaged around on his body, looking for cigarettes.

Huang Xiaochuan handed him a cigar. After lighting it, the smoke quickly filled the air, making people's eyes water. Zeng Jiahua was no exception; his eyes were red.

After finishing his cigar, Zeng Jiahua instructed Huang Xiaochuan, "Don't let your grandmother know about this."

Huang Xiaochuan nodded. Even if Zeng Jiahua hadn't told him, he would have kept it a secret from his grandmother, since it was a very painful thing for an elderly person to bury their child.