How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

After meeting his biological mother, Song Fu became listless, rarely eating or drinking. Except when Yan Ru occasionally visited him and he seemed somewhat normal, he was like a walking corpse the rest of the time.

Sometimes full of ambition, sometimes listless.

Old Hei saw this and knew that things couldn't be rushed. He figured even Song Fu would find it hard to accept a woman like that.

Old Hei was about to go out with his servants to do some shopping when a woman standing at the door was crying bitterly. Anyone would be upset to see someone crying so pitifully at their door so early in the morning.

"Elder sister, why are you crying in front of my Lü family's gate?"

The woman looked up, her face contorted with worry. "I...I've come to find someone."

"Who?"

"Song Fu".

Old Hei frowned. Few people knew that Song Fu was here. What was the matter with this woman in front of him?

"Is something wrong?"

The woman wiped away her tears and whispered, "If Song Fu really lives here, you should tell him to go see his adoptive father. He... is dying."

A deep sense of unease welled up in Lao Hei's heart; he felt that this matter was strangely familiar.

"Is it...Song Ren?"

The woman nodded. "I am his wife. Please tell Song Fu to come out and see me as soon as you see him."

Old Hei was puzzled, but quickly called Song Fu out.

Seeing that the usually strong-willed Aunt Ren was crying so hard, Song Fu was also very worried.

"Aunt Ren, what's wrong? What happened to Uncle Ren?"

Aunt Ren kept her mouth shut, suppressing the bitterness in her voice before saying, "You'll know once you go and see for yourself."

After saying that, Aunt Ren turned and left, not giving Song Fu a chance to ask questions in detail.

Song Fu was about to follow when Lao Hei stopped him, saying, "Something is definitely amiss. Be careful."

It would have been better if he hadn't said anything, because these words only made Song Fu more defiant. "I'm going anyway, it's none of your business."

His behavior is a bit like a naughty child seeking attention from his parents; he does the things they forbid him from doing, and deep down he hopes that Old Black will be with him.

To everyone's surprise, Old Hei simply stepped aside, saying, "Go if you want."

The words had already been spoken and could not be changed, so Song Fu turned and left.

After thinking for a moment, Lao Hei handed the money to a servant and turned to go back to his courtyard. He had to tell Yan Ru; he didn't know what might happen.

Still angry, Song Fu ignored everything else and ran to the row of small houses behind the Song residence, which were almost all the residences of the Song family's servants.

Song Ren was the head steward, so he had his own small courtyard.

As soon as Song Fu entered the courtyard, he sensed something was wrong. Ren Shu's one son and three daughters were all crying in the room; the usual cheerful laughter was nowhere to be heard.

As Aunt Ren quietly pulled back the curtain, Song Fu witnessed a scene he would never forget.

Song Ren's face was almost unrecognizable, swollen to the point of resembling a pig's head. He was covered in red, swollen, and bruised bruises, and there wasn't a single unblemished piece of flesh on his body. His hands and feet were abnormally curled up and tightly bound with gauze.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that his hands and feet were broken, a bloody mess. Song Ren lay on the bed, twitching, and with each twitch, a mouthful of thick, dark blood would gush from the corner of his mouth.

Song Fu glanced at it briefly and noticed that there seemed to be remnants of internal organs in the blood clot.

Song Fu was terrified. How could Uncle Ren have become like this after only one day?!

From infancy, Song Fu only had Uncle Ren by his side. This grown man raised Song Fu from infancy, caring for him like a baby, and was a hundred or a thousand times closer to him than his own parents. Even when there were disagreements, they were just minor squabbles between father and son.

Last time, when he foolishly said he wanted to marry Zheng Peilan, Uncle Ren hesitated for a moment before agreeing to help him. From childhood to adulthood, Uncle Ren has never refused anything Song Fu wanted; their relationship is even closer than that of a biological father and son.

Last night, Uncle Ren told him not to acknowledge him anymore, but in Song Fu's opinion, it was just something he said in anger.

The hatred for the murderer of one's father is irreconcilable.

Song Fu's eyes were bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth, "Who did this?"

Aunt Naren wiped away her tears, her eyes flashing with resentment, and was about to speak.

Uncle Ren, however, began to move, "Ugh... ugh..."

He had phlegm stuck in his throat and couldn't utter a single coherent sentence.

Aunt Ren angrily threw the medicine bottle on the ground and stormed out, shouting, "I don't care anymore, I'm never going to care again!"

After saying that, she ran out crying.

A few clear tears rolled down Ren Shu's cheeks, filled with regret, helplessness, and longing for his wife and children.

Even though Song Fu was unwilling, he knew that Uncle Ren was at his last gasp.

Kneeling quickly in front of Uncle Ren's bed, Song Fu swore, "Uncle Ren, I am your own son. I will definitely cure you. You don't need to worry about your younger siblings. I will raise them. Just relax. I will go find the best doctor in the city right away. We will see both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine doctors. I will make sure you are cured."

Song Ren opened his eyes with difficulty and shook his head at Song Fu. He tried to raise his arm, but his broken hand hung limply, with only a layer of skin and flesh connecting his wrist and palm.

one two three…

Song Ren pointed his finger at Song Fu's forehead and tapped it three times.

Song Fu immediately burst into tears.

When he was a child, he was naughty and always teased cats and dogs, causing trouble here and there. Uncle Ren broke many sticks in order to discipline him.

When he turned twelve, Renshu suddenly stopped hitting him when he made a mistake again.

Uncle Ren said, "You've grown up, you're a teenager now, you have pride, I won't hit you."

But every time he did something wrong, Uncle Ren would point at his forehead with his finger with a serious expression.

Gradually, whenever Uncle Ren pointed at him, Song Fu would realize that he had done something wrong.

This time, when Uncle Ren tapped his forehead three times, Song Fu immediately understood that Uncle Ren was scolding him for doing something wrong.

"I was wrong, I was wrong, Uncle Ren. I shouldn't have said those things yesterday. I shouldn't have acknowledged you as my father. With such a good father like you, what more could I ask for? Uncle Ren, I don't want anything else. I just want you to come back to life. Please, Uncle Ren, please come back to life. We'll go to the hospital right now."

As Song Fu spoke, he seemed to have found his backbone. He quickly climbed onto the bed, intending to carry Uncle Ren to the hospital.

But Song Ren was covered in wounds, and his body was like a tattered rag bag, leaking air from here and there.

Song Fu was at a loss; he was afraid to raise his hand or his foot, lest he break it.

For the first time in twenty years, he was completely at a loss, utterly helpless.

"Uncle Ren... how can I save you? How can I save you?"

"Cough cough..." Uncle Ren coughed a few times, his voice like a broken bellows, panting heavily, only exhaling and not inhaling.

Seeing that Uncle Ren seemed to have something to say, Song Fu quickly leaned closer and asked, "Uncle Ren, what is it?"

"Sister-in-law...don't...with your mother..."

The sound stopped suddenly.

Song Fu was stunned. Ren Shu's breathing and words were still ringing in his ears. Why did he stop?

Incredulous, Song Fu turned his head and saw Ren Shu's bloated and terrifying face right in front of him.

Song Fu wasn't afraid. He pressed his face against Ren Shu's, feeling the warmth of his body, just like his old affection.

"Uncle Ren, you haven't finished speaking yet. What is it? Tell me."

As if sensing something, Aunt Ren let out a painful scream and rushed into the room, shaking Uncle Ren desperately.

"My husband, my husband, wake up! Open your eyes and look! Look at your son and daughter, they are all around you! Wake up, my husband!"

Aunt Ren's wailing attracted her children, and Uncle Ren's one son and three daughters immediately rushed in.

Seeing Uncle Ren lifeless and Aunt Ren wailing, what was there not to understand?

"father!"

The small room was filled with the sound of crying all day long; the desperate and painful wails were enough to bring tears to anyone's eyes.

Song Fu felt as if something was stuck in his chest, and he couldn't speak.

He wanted to cry and scream, but his throat was constricted and he couldn't make a sound.

It felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out; Song Fu knew he would never experience joy again in this life.

The son wished to care for his parents, but they were no longer there. In the end, he failed to repay Ren Shu's kindness and care.

"father…"

Just as Song Fu was about to shout, a mouthful of black blood gushed out, and Song Fu collapsed to the ground, unconscious.