Reborn in the 1990s, I want my husband to live to be a hundred.

As the saying goes, "A golden house or a silver house can't compare to one's own thatched cottage." No matter how good the hospitality, it's never as comfortable as returning to one's own home.

After dinner, Qi Guomin escorted Deng Xiuzhen and Qin Yanlin back to Chengxi Alley (Zhao Shuliang's former house), told them to rest well, and to call him if they needed anything before leaving.

Deng Xiuzhen didn't mention real estate again. She had provided the information; whether or not to listen, and how to listen, was up to the other party.

After a good night's sleep in the clean, refreshing bed that smelled of sunshine, Deng Xiuzhen felt refreshed and energized when she woke up the next morning.

After breakfast, Deng Xiuzhen decided to go back to her parents' home to visit them. Although her mother was not well, she had called He Taoxiu after leaving Pucheng, but every time He Taoxiu heard it was her, she would start cursing and swearing at her in the most offensive way.

After that, she stopped calling He Taoxiu. Her other siblings also lost contact with her.

Deep down, Deng Xiuzhen didn't want to go, but she was still her mother, and it wasn't something she could just cut ties with.

The city has undergone tremendous changes in recent years, with more and more houses being built, and taller and taller, while the countryside is becoming more and more desolate.

Many fields have been abandoned and are overgrown with weeds. It's difficult to see anyone in the village, and even when you do, they are mostly elderly.

When Deng Xiuzhen arrived at her parents' house, she saw a woman in her thirties sitting at the doorway, nursing a baby. She was stunned: she didn't recognize this woman!

Did Mom and Dad move away?

"Who are you looking for?" The woman spotted Deng Xiuzhen.

"Excuse me, is this He Taoxiu's home?" Deng Xiuzhen asked politely.

"Who's here?" came a voice from inside the door.

Deng Xiuzhen felt the name sounded familiar, looked up, and saw someone carrying a basin coming out from inside the door. She exclaimed in surprise, "Chunsheng?"

Deng Chunsheng threw down the basin and ran over: "Sister! Sister, you're back?!" His excitement was obvious.

"Chunsheng, who is that?" Deng Xiuzhen was equally excited, but she still held back her emotions and pointed to the woman who had already stood up while holding the baby.

“That’s my wife, Xiao Zhen,” Deng Chunsheng said, picking up the child and pulling Xiao Zhen over, saying, “This is Sister Xiuzhen, quickly call her sister.”

Xiao Zhen affectionately called her "sister".

Deng Xiuzhen agreed, then looked happily at the child in Chunsheng's arms: "Is this your child? How old is he?"

"Eight months along, it's a boy," Chunsheng chuckled.

"You've gotten married and had children, why didn't you send a message to your sister?" Deng Xiuzhen said reproachfully.

"Sister, it's not that I didn't want to notify you, it's just that I really couldn't get in touch with you..." Chunsheng explained.

Deng Xiuzhen then remembered that she had gotten into several troubles in Kyoto, which was why she had changed her phone number.

Because I had no contact with my family, I didn't tell them about it.

Deng Chunsheng told Deng Xiuzhen: Deng Chunlin has been released from prison, but he has not returned to the village.

At the time, Chunsheng was working in Guangdong, so he asked Deng Chunlin to go to Guangdong as well and introduced him to his factory.

Two years ago, my nephew (Deng Chunlin's child) also dropped out of school, so my sister-in-law, Song Yuanxiang, took him to Guangdong.

He got married last year on International Women's Day. He met his wife, Xiaozhen, while they were working together.

But last June, Dad developed back and leg problems, diagnosed as spondylitis, which is difficult to cure. He can't work to support the family, and he needs constant care himself.

At first, they sent money back home, and Mom took care of her. But misfortunes never come singly: Mom herself was diagnosed with brain cancer... and she had long since lost her senses.

Deng Chunlin refused to go home, so they had to come back to take care of him. They raised children to provide for their parents in old age; they couldn't just leave their parents sick at home without anyone to care for them, could they?

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Deng Xiuzhen's heart clenched as she heard this.

"They're all in the inner room." Deng Chunsheng led Deng Xiuzhen to the small house behind the main house.

The scene before her eyes brought tears to Deng Xiuzhen's eyes. All her grievances vanished at that moment, leaving only a bitter taste in her mouth.

Deng Kaihuai lay half-reclined on the bed against the wall, his eyes looking at them, but his gaze seemed to be elsewhere. Or rather, his eyes were completely lifeless, devoid of light, filled with a deathly stillness.

He Taoxiu curled up on the bed by the window, her whole body arched like a shrimp, her skin almost transparent, and the blood vessels and bones under the transparent skin were clearly visible.

The illness tormented her to the point that she was no longer human.

She didn't groan, not because she wasn't in pain, but because she was too weak to make a sound.

"Let's take him to the hospital," Deng Xiuzhen said, her voice choked with emotion.

"I... I've already spent all the money at home." Deng Chunsheng lowered his head awkwardly.

"I still have some money on me, let's take him to the hospital first," Deng Xiuzhen said, telling Deng Chunsheng to call a car.

"What's wrong with Brother Yanlin?" Chunsheng didn't move, but looked at Qin Yanlin.

“He’s had a bit of a mishap; he’s had some mental issues and needs time to recover. I brought him back to recuperate. Hurry up and call a car,” Deng Xiuzhen urged.

"Sister, the doctor said Mom and Dad's condition is incurable. Mom doesn't have much time left; the doctor said at most half a month. Dad... Dad has spondylitis and bone cancer, which is also incurable. You should save your money for Yanlin's treatment." Deng Chunsheng still didn't move.

It's not that he doesn't care about his parents; He Taoxiu is not good to her two daughters, but she is extremely good to her two sons.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have instilled the idea of ​​repaying her family and helping her brothers from a young age, and she wouldn't have helped Deng Chunlin even though she knew he was extorting money from Deng Xiuzhen.

Deng Chunlin was spoiled and had no filial piety or sense of responsibility. He cared nothing for his parents, his wife, or his children, and only cared about himself.

But Deng Chunsheng didn't go astray; he knew right from wrong and knew how to repay kindness.

He felt that since things had come to this point and there was no cure, it was better to let them go sooner and suffer less.

Living with such pain and suffering at this moment, without any quality of life, is actually just prolonging the pain; it's better to be free from it sooner.

"Let's take them to the hospital and see if they have any painkillers to ease their pain." Deng Xiuzhen couldn't stop the tears from flowing, blurring her vision.

A light shone in Deng Kaihuai's eyes as he looked at Deng Xiuzhen's profile. He sighed softly, closed his eyes, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

After taking them to the city hospital and completing the admission procedures, the doctor started intravenous infusions for Deng Kaihuai and He Taoxiu.

Deng Xiuzhen was finally able to sit down and catch her breath.

"I'm hungry!" Qin Yanlin whispered as he moved closer to Deng Xiuzhen.

"I'm going to buy some food," Deng Chunsheng said, and quickly went out the door.

Deng Xiuzhen paid for all the hospital fees, and he felt bad asking her to buy him food again.

After dinner, Deng Xiuzhen told Deng Chunsheng to go home first. It was getting dark, and it wouldn't be safe for Xiaozhen and her daughter to be alone at home. She urged him to hurry back and keep them company, and that she would bring them up for a couple of days tomorrow. She added that it wouldn't be a problem to leave the fields unattended for two days.

Deng Chunsheng didn't get married until he was in his thirties, so naturally he was thinking about his wife and children. He didn't say much and hurriedly rushed to catch the bus back to his hometown.

Looking back at her parents, Deng Xiuzhen felt even more favorably toward her younger brother, Deng Chunsheng: their bodies were quite clean, which meant he took good care of them.

"Sister Xiuzhen, where are you? Have you eaten? I'll bring you some food." Fang Mei called.