From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

I used the car's navigation system and went to the pharmacy at the city hospital to get a three-month supply of antihypertensive medication.

Carrying a bulging bag of medicine back to the car, Su Qing glanced at the rows of medicine boxes inside and asked with a surprised expression:

"Buying so much medicine at once? What illness does your mother have?"

"She has severe hypertension and needs to take medication regularly to keep it stable. A couple of years ago, she stopped taking her medication and didn't take it on time, which caused her to suffer a sudden cerebral hemorrhage. She almost died..."

I simply couldn't bring myself to say the second half of that sentence; just recalling that scene made my heart ache.

Su Qing's brows furrowed instantly, her tone tinged with worry: "Is it only possible to maintain the condition with medication? Is there no way to cure it surgically?"

I shook my head gently and sighed deeply: "Primary hypertension cannot be cured; one can only take medication to control blood pressure in the long term."

"So that's how it is."

Su Qing nodded gently and didn't press me further about my family affairs.

I drove to a nearby shopping mall and picked out a lot of soft and sweet foods, underwear, and warm clothing, all of which were suitable for my mother.

After buying a bunch of things, it was already 9:30 in the morning. I didn't dare to delay any longer, so I stepped on the gas and drove towards the highway entrance.

Once on the highway, the traffic was smooth, and I kept my speed at around 110 km/h.

At first, Su Qing was full of energy, scrolling through short videos on her phone.

Before long, he felt weak all over and leaned back in his seat, his eyelids drooping.

I glanced at her sideways; her head was resting against the car window, and she was already fast asleep.

To be honest, Su Qing, who is quiet and doesn't make a fuss, is indeed good-looking and delicate.

But as soon as she starts arguing, her arrogant and mischievous nature instantly transforms into that of a different person.

A funny joke I saw online suddenly popped into my head, and it fit her perfectly: "If only I could just stay quiet and be a mute forever."

I chuckled to myself, then quickly looked away and focused on driving on the highway ahead.

The 300-kilometer journey wasn't far, and after a smooth drive of more than three hours, we finally exited the highway toll station.

After exiting the highway, the road narrows, the asphalt road turns into a cement road, and the cement road turns into a bumpy country road.

The road is flanked by endless fields of farmland, and occasionally you can see villagers squatting on the edge of the fields smoking and taking a break.

As the white Porsche drove by, everyone would instinctively look up and glance at it a couple of times.

As the car bumped along, Su Qing slowly woke up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, looked out the window, and asked:

"Are we almost at the village?"

I nodded slightly: "Almost there. We'll reach our village after passing through the next two villages."

She straightened up and reached out to lower the car window a little bit.

A cool country evening breeze blew into the car, causing the fine strands of hair on her forehead to flutter backward.

She gazed out the window at the vast rice paddies, ponds, and rolling hills, her voice tinged with longing: "Did you grow up in this kind of countryside?"

"Yes, I had never left this county before I was eighteen."

"Your hometown looks so comfortable, with vast farmlands and a wide-open view. It's especially soothing to look at."

I smiled helplessly and said, "People from the city think the countryside is beautiful and healing, but most people who actually live in the village year after year don't think so."

Su Qing looked puzzled: "Are there really people who complain about their hometown?"

"It's not that I dislike my hometown, it's just that life there is too tough. As soon as I open my eyes, there is endless farm work. Surrounded by mountains, people are trapped. After working all year, I can't earn much money. The countryside is far from the peaceful and idyllic life that outsiders imagine."

Having grown up in a privileged environment, she couldn't understand the hardships faced by farmers in the countryside. After listening, she didn't press for more details, but simply leaned against the car window and enjoyed the rural scenery along the way.

The car turned onto a narrow dirt road that could only accommodate one vehicle at a time. I spotted the iconic old locust tree at the village entrance, pulled over, and turned off the engine.

Su Qing was taken aback, looking at me blankly: "We're here? Why aren't we driving further in?"

"Let's leave it here. If the villagers see this car, they'll probably gather around to watch the spectacle, and then the gossip will spread throughout the whole village."

As I spoke, I turned off the engine and said to her, "Stop here, it's only a few minutes' walk inside."

Su Qing unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to push open the door to get out of the car.

A sudden dilemma struck me, and I quickly stopped her, saying, "Why don't you just stay away from the village? If my mom sees you, I really don't know how to explain our relationship, and the villagers will probably start gossiping and making all sorts of misunderstandings."

"So I'm just going to wait for you in the car?"

"Suit yourself. I won't stop you if you insist on coming into the village, but we need to think of an explanation to give to my mother and the neighbors beforehand."

Su Qing frowned and waved her hand, "Never mind, I'll just wander around the area and wait for you. I won't go into the village with you."

This suits me perfectly; I'm too lazy to bother making up excuses to appease the villagers.

I nodded and told her, "Then don't go too far into remote areas, and call me directly if anything happens."

"Okay, okay, hurry up and get into the village, stop nagging me." She waved her hand impatiently.

Without saying anything more, I carried a large bag of medicine and some daily necessities I bought for my mother, and headed into the village.

On the way, I ran into two elderly men from the village who were carrying hoes to work in the fields. They both stopped when they saw me.

"Isn't this Yezi? It's been so long since I've been back."

I smiled and nodded in greeting, calling out "Second Uncle" and "Third Uncle" to each of them.

My home is located at the deepest part of the village. It is an old-fashioned red brick bungalow with a courtyard wall made of stones of different sizes. A lush loquat tree is planted next to the gate.

I reached out and pushed open the slightly ajar wooden door. My mother was carefully sweeping the floor of the main room with a broom.

She could never stay idle her whole life. Even though she suffered from high blood pressure and couldn't work, she still worked in the fields every day, and wouldn't listen to any advice.

Hearing the sound of the courtyard gate, my mother looked up.

Seeing it was me, his wrinkled face instantly lit up with a smile: "Yezi's back? Did you eat on the way?"

"I just grabbed a quick bite on the way here. Mom, why are you sweeping again?"

I strode into the main room and placed a large bag of blood pressure medication steadily on the octagonal table.

"This is the blood pressure medication I stocked up for you; it should last you for more than three months."

My mom glanced down at the bag full of medicine, her face full of confusion: "The medicine we bought last time still lasts for more than half a month, why did you buy so much all of a sudden?"

I casually picked up an orange from the table, peeled it, and said while chewing the pulp, "I'm going on a long trip soon and won't be back for at least a month or two. I'm worried you might forget to buy your medicine and interrupt your treatment while I'm away, so I'm stocking up in advance just to be on the safe side."

My mother didn't stop sweeping, continuing to wipe the floor back and forth, while anxiously watching me.

"Are you working yourself to the bone again? You look thinner than when you last came home."

"No, I'm eating and working normally as usual, everything's fine." I grinned.

My mom sighed softly: "Do you think I don't know you? No matter how busy you are, you must eat three meals a day on time. Don't always just eat whatever's available."

"Okay, Mom, stop working and sit down and rest."

"I'll be done sweeping soon. The village matchmaker will be bringing a girl to visit later. It wouldn't look good if the girl saw the house in such a mess."

When he said that, I was completely stunned.

Then she suddenly looked up and asked, "Matchmaker? Mom, what do you mean by that?"