Heaven seemed to have played a cruel joke on her. She had finally brought the truth to light, finally let go of her hatred.
Just as she was about to live a good life with Zhang Meiyu, her mother suddenly fell gravely ill.
Was regret the norm, then?
Tang Ye's cries amplified the atmosphere of grief and despair.
Tang Xiaomin's voice trembled as she asked, "What did the doctor say? Mom... how much time does she have left?"
Tang Yu uttered a number with difficulty.
"At most six months, perhaps as little as one. She won't make it to next year anyway."
*Boom!*
It was like a muffled thunderclap, striking Tang Xiaomin's head. Her mind went completely blank.
She had been separated from her mother since childhood, and now, the time they had left together was so little.
If Li Xue hadn't schemed against her, she wouldn't have abandoned her.
If given a choice, no child would want to be separated from their biological mother.
Silence. A deathly, suffocating silence.
After more than ten minutes, Tang Xiaomin finally gathered her strength and spoke wearily.
"Is there really no other way?"
"The doctor said a heart transplant might offer a glimmer of hope, but it's a matter of chance. Many patients succumb before a heart becomes available."
This solution was as good as no solution.
For the next while, no one spoke. Only Tang Ye's heartbroken sobs filled the air.
It wasn't until Wang Na called, inviting them back for dinner, that the silence was broken.
Tang Yu patted Tang Ye's shoulder.
"Let's go back first. None of us wanted this for Mom."
In this family, Tang Ye depended heavily on Zhang Meiyu, much like a child who hadn't been weaned.
Tang Ye wiped away her tears, her eyes swollen from crying.
"Since Mom doesn't have much time, let's have Tang Yan come out and spend more time with her. She's always been very concerned about Tang Yan."
Yes, even for Zhang Meiyu's sake, they should try to have her family by her side during her final moments.
Tang Xiaomin nodded.
"I'll handle this."
Upon returning home, a lavish dinner was already laid out on the dining table. Tang Yu had ordered it from a restaurant.
The family sat down to eat, the silence broken only by the faint clinking of chopsticks. The atmosphere was incredibly oppressive.
Zhang Meiyu suddenly said to Tang Xiaomin.
"Xiaomin, when Yan Jue proposed, he mentioned preparing for the engagement banquet after the New Year. It's almost New Year now, what did he say?"
Tang Xiaomin, being a woman, had her own sense of propriety. This matter should have been handled by Nan Fang, so she hadn't inquired about Yan Jue's plans.
Therefore, she genuinely didn't know the exact date.
She hadn't been in a rush before, but now, she feared Zhang Meiyu couldn't wait.
So, she casually stated a date not too far off.
"Yan Jue said the date is set for the fifteenth of the first lunar month. He's already making preparations for the engagement banquet."
"This is his responsibility, Mom. You just need to show up looking beautiful."
Hearing this, Zhang Meiyu nodded.
"That's good. But this is a major event, it cannot be taken lightly."
"Tang Yu, if you have time, keep an eye on things. Don't let them think we're indifferent and being fobbed off."
Tang Yu nodded.
"Mom, I understand."
After discussing Tang Xiaomin's affairs, Zhang Meiyu personally served Wang Na some food.
"Nana, you need to eat more. Only if you're well-nourished will the baby be plump and fair."
"Thank you, Mom."
When Wang Na called her Mom, Zhang Meiyu's listless face lit up with joy.
While Zhang Meiyu was smiling, Tang Xiaomin and the others felt like crying.
She tasted nothing during the meal.
As Zhang Meiyu rose from the table, her vision suddenly blurred, and her body went limp, slumping downwards.
"Mom!"
Tang Xiaomin, quick as lightning, rushed to help Zhang Meiyu to the sofa.
Zhang Meiyu's brow furrowed in pain, and she clutched her chest, her breathing ragged.
The family scrambled to get water, to help her relax, to pinch her philtrum.
Tang Xiaomin took out her phone to call for an ambulance but was stopped by Zhang Meiyu.
"The medicine... the medicine is over there. Two pills will be enough. No need to trouble the hospital."
Going to the hospital wouldn't make much of a difference anyway.
Doctors were not gods.
Tang Xiaomin hurriedly brought the medicine for Zhang Meiyu to take. The family stayed by her side.
During this time, Tang Ye began to weep again, running off to cry in secret.
Tang Ye's tears also brought tears to Tang Xiaomin and Tang Yu's eyes.
Zhang Meiyu had been so badly deceived, and they didn't want anything to happen to her.
At this moment, Zhang Meiyu's condition was laid bare.
After she recovered slightly, she patted Tang Xiaomin's arm.
"Why are you all wearing such long faces? I'm not done for yet."
"Tang Ye, you're old enough. No more crying."
Tang Ye desperately wiped her tears and went to Zhang Meiyu's side.
"Mom, I'll help you back to your room to rest."
Zhang Meiyu nodded and was helped to her room by Tang Ye.
On the surface, she seemed to have come to terms with it, but her heart was filled with grief.
She didn't even know how to comfort her children, telling them not to be sad for her sake.
When Tang Ye emerged from the room, Zhang Meiyu suddenly called out to her.
"Tang Ye, even when you all have your own families, remember to always have a part of your heart for Xiaomin, to be her support."
These words normally wouldn't carry much weight, but spoken now, they sounded like a final testament.
"My abilities and financial resources are not as good as hers. How can I be her support?"
"Mom, instead of relying on me, why don't you do it yourself? You're far more reliable than I am in this regard."
If she could, Zhang Meiyu would have wanted to.
Alas, fate was not in her favor, and she had no choice.
"You child, what kind of older sibling are you? Really."
Zhang Meiyu chided them, then turned off the lights to rest.
She knew Tang Ye said that because he didn't want to part with her, and she felt the same.
...
She hadn't slept all night.
The next morning, Tang Xiaomin went to see Tang Yan early.
After months of separation, his time in prison had added a touch of depth to Tang Yan, diminishing the arrogance of a wealthy heir.
His eyes, now lacking their former luster, scrutinized Tang Xiaomin.
He couldn't quite believe that Tang Xiaomin, who had sent him to prison with her own hands, would come to visit him.
She hadn't brought anything, unlike their parents and siblings who came with bags and boxes when they visited him.
"If you're here to gloat, you've seen it. You can leave now."
His reputation ruined, and now in prison, all because of his own sister.
Although this was the punishment Tang Yan deserved, he still harbored resentment towards Tang Xiaomin.
He had apologized and admitted his wrongdoings, yet she still refused to let him go.
Tang Xiaomin was not offended by Tang Yan's sarcastic tone. On the contrary, she hoped he would continue to maintain it.
However, what she was about to tell him was cruel.
"Mom is sick. The doctor said she has at most six months to live, possibly as little as one."
Tang Yan's expression gradually froze, much like Tang Xiaomin's had been. For a long while, he couldn't utter a single word.
"Tang Xiaomin... what... what nonsense are you talking about."