Chapter 33: It Is Me Who Is a Burden on Her

“Not yet.” Xia Qingwei shook her head.

Lu Man quickly dished out some soup for Xia Qingwei, letting her drink a bowl of fish soup before dishing out some porridge for her. She also took out the side dishes and let Xia Qingwei eat them.

Smelling the breakfast Lu Man had brought over, the patient in the next bed felt hungry. “It smells so nice! Much better than hospital food.”

Xia Qingwei was staying in a double room as Lu Man could not afford a single room, given the current state of her finances.

Besides, staying with someone else in the same hospital room was pretty good. Also, if Xia Qingwei did not feel well and Lu Man was not there, at least there was someone else to make sure she was okay and also they could take care of each other.

Lu Man asked, “Auntie Chai, have you had breakfast?”

“I’ve eaten already,” Auntie Chai hastily said. Even though she was greedy for good food, she was too embarrassed to ask for food from someone.

Yet Lu Man dished out some fish soup. “Then please drink some soup, I made it this morning.”

“This... How can I have the nerve to.” Auntie Chai waved her hand, her face red.

“It’s nothing, just drink it. I still have more here, if you like it, I can give you more.” Lu Man smiled as she placed the bowl in Auntie Chai’s hands.

Initially, she had prepared that bowl for herself as she had yet to have breakfast and had wanted to come over to eat with Xia Qingwei.

However, at that exact moment, Auntie Chai’s husband came after he had finished washing the cutlery and containers from breakfast, and upon seeing what was happening he reprimanded her. “You’re already at this age but you still act like a child, asking for food from others.”

Auntie Chai smiled in embarrassment, “It’s because this fish soup is too good, Old Xia ¹ , you’re so lucky to have such a good daughter.”

Although Auntie Chai’s family did have one son and two daughters, they were all busy with work and at the most would only come to visit one day during the weekends, and they even took turns to visit, one person each day, much less to say cooking something for her.

“Mom, don’t say that.” Lu Man took a breath, unable to bear hearing Xia Qingwei say such upsetting things. “As long as you’re here, I have a home. Otherwise, I don’t even have someone who cares for me. So you must stay strong and healthy.”

Xia Qingwei’s eyes reddened and she stroked Lu Man’s hair.

Yes, her poor daughter only had her now.

With this kind of dad, it was as good as not having one.

No, it was better to not have one.

“Exactly, Lu Man’s right. There’s no one as good as her actual mother, no matter how old a child is, they still need their mother to support them. Otherwise, if she’s alone, even when others bully her, no one will feel sad for her.” Auntie Chai also advised her.

Even though she had been staying in the same hospital room with Xia Qingwei for a long time, she did not know much about Xia Qingwei’s family as usually only Lu Man would come to visit Xia Qingwei but she was always busy.

Thus, at first, she had thought that Xia Qingwei was a widow.

However, later on, from Xia Qingwei and Lu Man’s conversation, she slowly inferred that Xia Qingwei was most probably divorced, and Lu Man’s father had remarried and did not treat Lu Man very well.

Otherwise, Xia Qingwei would not ask Lu Man every time she visited if she was living well.

Because if her father treated her well, why would Xia Qingwei have to worry?

It’s been said that after remarrying the father turns into some other person, he no more remains the same, and that was indeed true.

Furthermore, although Xia Qingwei was so ill, Lu Man’s father had never once visited her, he was truly a callous man.

“Don’t worry, no matter what, mom will get well, then I can properly stand up for you,” Xia Qingwei said, and pulled herself back together.

“Exactly.” Lu Man nodded. “Mom, you have to get well soon. I want to eat the food you cook for me every day. I’ve missed eating your steamed fish, fried prawns and sweet and sour pork.”