Under the public gaze, Wu Guihua found herself unable to refuse; he was her own son, after all.
She could only bring her colleague home to fetch money. Her colleague kept urging her to take more, so Wu Guihua gritted her teeth and took out 300 yuan.
Upon arriving at the hospital and finding the person, Jun Jiuli was still unconscious, and the examination results were not yet available.
The colleague who had carried Jun Jiuli handed the receipt to Wu Guihua, who reluctantly paid the money.
"Zhao Kuaiji's condition is serious and he will definitely need to be hospitalized. Auntie, please pay the remaining money for the hospitalization fees."
Wu Guihua was deeply pained. "Can we not do that? What did the doctor say?"
"He really needs to be hospitalized. It will be adjusted later, paying back the difference if there's any overpayment. Auntie, I'll go with you to pay."
"Alright."
The 300 yuan was gone just like that, leaving Wu Guihua completely unsettled. When Jun Jiuli woke up, he was too weak to speak.
At this time, how could a mother shamelessly covet her son's hard-earned money?
The results soon came back: terminal cancer.
"Doctor, do you mean my son is beyond saving and won't live long?"
The doctor nodded. "Six months at most. The patient must maintain a positive mood."
The doctor had specifically called Wu Guihua over to tell her, fearing that Jun Jiuli would not be able to bear the blow.
As soon as Wu Guihua entered the ward, she began to cry, hinting that Jun Jiuli should be discharged and calculating her assets.
She felt the pain of losing her son soon, but when she thought of Jun Jiuli's salary, the pain lessened. She was a conflicted person.
She thought she was clever, speaking euphemistically, but everyone in the room understood her intentions.
"Auntie, if you can't help Zhao Kuaiji, then don't drag him down. He's already pitiful enough without you, his mother, twisting the knife."
"I'm doing this for his own good. Those treatments are useless and painful. The doctor said it's terminal. Rather than wasting time (and money), it's better to live the remaining days well."
The two colleagues were so angered by her that they couldn't speak. But if it were their own family, they wouldn't give up treatment until the very last moment.
Moreover, given the Zhao family's situation, accepting treatment would not cost his mother a single penny. Her eyes were fixed solely on Zhao Kuaiji's wallet.
"Ahem, Mom, you should go back. I'm tired. I want to stay in the hospital. I've saved some money over the years, and I won't be a burden to the family."
"Son, how can you say that? Mom didn't mean anything else."
"Mom, let's just drop it. I saw through it ten years ago."
"I... I'm going to the restroom."
"You two hurry home and rest. I can manage on my own."
"Sigh, take care of yourself and stay strong."
"Mm-hmm."
After coming out, Wu Guihua went to chat with some other family members. She heard that cancer was a bottomless pit, and even wealthy people spent hundreds of thousands without being saved.
She had completely given up on Jun Jiuli's situation and fled faster than a rabbit. Zhao Daming, who learned of the situation, also became worried.
Seeing her eldest son's dejected state, Wu Guihua felt immense pity and contacted Zhao Erming, who was living in another province.
"Erming, your brother can't wait any longer..."
"Mom, I'm just an ordinary employee; I can't reach that far. You and your brother should figure out the work yourselves. I've given you quite a bit of filial money over the years.
Now I need to consider myself. You have more than one son; you'll have to rely on them in the future."
After speaking, Zhao Erming hung up. Wu Guihua had nothing to constrain him except for family ties.
Now that she had demanded so much from Zhao Daming, she would inevitably do the same for others in the future. Zhao Erming cut ties decisively.
Wu Guihua was caught off guard by this outcome and cried uncontrollably, holding the phone.
"Auntie, are you done?"
"Yes, I'm done."
After returning home, Wu Guihua was distraught. How could she get by without Zhao Erming in the future?
She pulled herself together and asked a matchmaker to look for village girls. However, upon hearing Zhao Daming's age and criminal record, the matchmakers shook their heads.
The fact that Zhao Daming was a convict spread, and children in the neighborhood would avoid him. Zhao Daming's temper grew increasingly volatile, and he began beating Zhao Erhua openly.
Wu Guihua wanted to get angry, but he would always retort, "If it weren't for her, would I be in this situation today?"
So, after Zhao Erhua was beaten, Wu Guihua would hold him and call him her darling. To avoid affecting the education of the two younger children, they remained unaware of this matter.
Zhao Daming found a marriage himself. The other party's daughter was normal, but she had a mentally challenged older brother. The two families decided to exchange brides, with the Zhao family paying the other party 200 yuan.
After crying, Wu Guihua agreed. By the time San Hua and Wu Ming found out, Zhao Erhua and the mentally challenged man had already consummated their marriage.
From then on, the two drifted apart from Wu Guihua. Every holiday, they worked to save money and paid for their own university tuition after graduating from high school.
After getting married, Zhao Daming found work as a porter. Although it was tiring, life gradually got back on track.
Wu Guihua took on all the cooking, laundry, and childcare, aging considerably.
She dared not act like a mother-in-law in front of her daughter-in-law, as Zhao Daming was very protective of his wife.
After graduating, Wu Guihua spent almost all the filial money given by Wu Ming and San Hua on Zhao Daming's family.
Er Ming, San Ming, and Si Ming directly cut off contact with her. Er Hua, after giving birth, came to her senses and resented her for the rest of her life.
Before Jun Jiuli died, she contacted the funeral home. She had already chosen a burial plot and paid a close colleague to handle her burial.
Having shamelessly demanded money from her second son, she neglected her third son who had cancer, and knelt to force her fourth son to pay for his elder brother's bride.
Wu Guihua became infamous for her favoritism. No one in the neighborhood liked their family, and she didn't even have a companion to talk to.
She never understood, even on her deathbed, why she had so many children, many of whom were successful, yet her later years were so unhappy.