News from Taiwan

Chapter 78 You Are Not Welcome
"The hospital, when can we get there, and which hospital?" Sitting in the car, Wu Wenhao's voice trembled with nervousness, and his breathing was a little rapid. He made no attempt to hide his panic. All these years of forbearance and restraint were for the sake of not hurting her again, but when faced with his wife's hospitalization and such a life-or-death situation, he could not restrain himself and just wanted to get to the hospital immediately and stay by his wife's side.

Jiang Guier looked at him with pity in her eyes, and then she looked at Shen Huaizhou.

Shen Huaizhou shook his head at her.

Jiang Guier thought for a moment, carefully considered her words, and slowly said, "Well... I know you're eager to see your great-grandmother, and I hope you can make her happy, but you know your maternal grandmother's personality. Since it was your great-grandmother who refused to let you appear in front of us before..." She paused for a moment, "If you go to the hospital rashly, your maternal grandmother will most likely not let you get close to your great-grandmother."

Wu Wenhao's body stiffened slightly, his hands on his knees clenched tightly, his knuckles turned white, and his wrinkled skin stretched taut. He was silent for a moment, then said, "I know."

“I’ve hidden for 15 years, it’s time to face it.” He let out a sigh. “Even if your great-grandmother doesn’t recognize me now, she’s still my wife. I’ve wronged her all these years…”

Hearing this, Jiang Guier closed her eyes, feeling that it was difficult to communicate. She said tactfully, "My great-grandmother keeps talking about letters. Did you write to her before?"

"A letter?" Wu Wenhao frowned. "There must be one."

"Do you still remember?"

"They were all just everyday conversations, some of which I don't even remember."

The thought of the letter caused another pause, leaving Jiang Guier somewhat disappointed.

Shen Huaizhou parked the car steadily in the hospital parking lot. As they entered the inpatient building, the smell of disinfectant hit them. The three of them quickly went upstairs. When they reached their floor, Jiang Guier felt a little guilty and looked around nervously, worried that her grandmother might suddenly appear.

Sure enough, she saw her grandmother's figure in the corridor. Before she could react, Jiang Wumei turned her head as if she sensed something. Today she was dressed in plain clothes, and her eyes were bloodshot. Her mother had been unconscious for the past few days. She was happy to see Jiang Guier, but when she saw that person, her face fell.

Did she still manage to find it?
At this moment, her thoughts were a bit complicated. In fact, when she sent Jiang Guier to Taiwan, she didn't know what she wanted for. She knew that Jiang Guier wouldn't find the person, but she just wanted her to go once and tell her at her mother's bedside that the person couldn't be found, and that she shouldn't wait any longer or torture herself.

Unexpectedly... that person still showed up.

"grandmother."

"Xiao Mei."

Jiang Wumei stood in front of the door, the gentleness and weariness in her eyes vanishing instantly, replaced by coldness. "What are you doing here?"

A single question, devoid of warmth or pleasantries, conveying only alienation.

Wu Wenhao stopped and looked at his daughter, who was already quite old. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes welled up with tears and helplessness. "Xiaomei... I... I came to see your mother."

Who are you?

"I am your father."

"Haha." Jiang Wumei seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world and sneered, "Back then, you left without a trace. Did you ever think about what your wife and children would suffer? What, you're back now and you want to be my father? My life has nothing to do with you."

Her voice suddenly rose, "Wu Wenhao, don't come here to claim kinship. My mother doesn't need you, and I don't need you as my father." Every word was piercing, every sentence barbed.

Family members and nurses passing by in the corridor all turned their heads and looked at the group with curiosity. It was like a soap opera for the elderly, and everyone was eager to hear the gossip.

Wu Wenhao's body was slightly hunched, and his aged face was filled with helplessness. He was powerless to refute, nor could he refute the fact that he had wronged the people for the past few decades.

He felt sorry for his wife and his daughter; he had no way to explain it, nor could he find a way to explain it.

Jiang Guier stepped forward and gently advised, "Grandma and Great-Grandma are lying inside right now, and what they need most is the company of a mother, right? Didn't you support me in going to Taiwan to find Great-Grandpa before? Even though we've found him, let him go and see him, just for one look, okay?"

She tried to ease the tension and soften the situation with family ties, but unexpectedly, she ended up getting burned herself instead.

"Why should he be able to come and go as he pleases?" Jiang Wumei didn't want to get angry. She thought that after her granddaughter's trip to Taiwan, even if she understood the uncontrollable factors involved, she should have seen more than just that.

Unfortunately, no, she couldn't help but feel disappointed. "Don't advise others to be kind if you haven't experienced their suffering. Don't tell me to let go or be magnanimous. I endured all the hardships I suffered because of him on my own. My mother has suffered her whole life because of him. Now he comes back pretending to be affectionate and guilty. Why didn't he do this earlier? I won't let him into the ward, not even for a moment."

Jiang Guier was stunned. He wanted to explain a few more words, such as that his work was not easy, or that at this point, he shouldn't do this. What if the old lady couldn't hold on or something happened? It would be a pity. Before he could say anything, his wrist was gently pulled by a force.

Shen Huaizhou subtly pulled him half a step behind him, standing steadily beside him, and whispered in her ear, "Don't say any more."

The current situation is not about arguing about right and wrong, but about the knot in my heart that has been there for almost half a lifetime.

"But……"

Shen Huaizhou shook his head at her, saying that some things are better left unsaid, and that one should not dwell on the past. Even if something is right, it can sound like someone who is talking without understanding the situation.

Jiang Wumei glanced at Shen Huaizhou, then said to Wu Wenhao who was standing to the side, "You can leave now. I'm here, and I won't let you in."

Wu Wenhao's eyes were bloodshot, filled with stubbornness. "I'm not leaving."

Jiang Wumei sneered, "Whatever." With that, she went into the room and locked the door from the inside.

The three people outside the door looked at each other in confusion. Jiang Guier turned around and advised, "Why don't we take you back first?"

"No, I'll stay here." Wu Wenhao shook his head. He had made up his mind that since they wouldn't let him in, he would guard the door.

One stubbornly waited and refused to leave, while the other stubbornly tried to stop them and refused to let go; neither of them backed down.

Seeing this situation, Jiang Guier was speechless. What was going on? How could the elderly be more stubborn than the young people!
She didn't know how to persuade him or what to say.

"Then I'll be going now." She was going to find reinforcements! Although the scene was largely as he had imagined, there were also some fundamental differences; the situation was somewhat complicated.

She had to go to her dear mother for help.