Chapter 256 - 223: Sprouting Again

Chapter 256: Chapter 223: Sprouting Again

Huai Yu and Zhou Qian continued selling their vegetables. Meanwhile, at the furniture store, the middle-aged woman—who seemed to have calmed down after taking her medication—quietly came downstairs.

Just as a customer walked in, she tucked her hair behind her ear and offered a faint smile. "What would you like to see? Everything here is on sale."

Seeing her current demeanor, she looked like a completely different person from the one who had been acting out just moments ago.

Uncle Zaozi silently took a deep breath. He was already used to this scene. He merely boiled water in silence, and after some thought, chose a pink tea ball and tossed it into the pot.

A faint scent of roses gradually drifted from the hot water. The tea also took on a slight pinkish hue, resembling those unhealthy artificial fruit drinks that kids used to love.

The prices at the furniture store were fair. After a bit of haggling, the customer realized they couldn’t lower the price much further. In the end, they happily accepted a free gift, sealing the deal.

After seeing the customer out, the woman drifted over to the tea table like a ghost and sat down, staring blankly at the pink tea.

A moment later, she suddenly spoke up. "Our son used to like drinking this pink stuff too."

Uncle Zaozi shook his head. "Nonsense, our son didn’t like it. That photo of the pink drink you saw was one he took at a bar."

"Our daughter ordered it for him. It was called Dreamy something-or-other..."

The two murmured to each other, the rising steam blurring the pain in their eyes. A moment later, the woman suddenly asked, "Pour me a cup."

She wanted to taste it for herself—to see if this pink drink her children loved was bitter or sweet.

The tea had been sitting for a while and wasn’t as scalding hot anymore. Breathing in the swirling scent of roses, Uncle Zaozi poured her a cup. She picked it up and downed it in one gulp, the warmth breaking her out in a light sweat.

It was bitter.

A faint bitterness lingered on the tip of her tongue, seemingly drawing out the pain of her entire life. Yet, right at that moment, a subtle sweetness welled up from her throat.

This fleeting sweetness amidst the slight bitterness was exceptionally precious. She savored it slowly, entirely reluctant to let it fade.

"How is it?" Uncle Zaozi asked her. "Tastes good, right? I paid a high price for these tea balls because I wanted Little Yu to quickly save up..."

He caught himself and changed the subject.

"Besides, the quality is genuinely good. I tried a few different kinds last time. Some clear internal heat, some warm the stomach. Different colors have different effects.

"I wonder what kind of effect this pink one has."

Uncle Zaozi rambled on, trying to talk more in an attempt to distract her.

However, a moment later, the woman across from him swayed. As if hit by a sudden dizzy spell, she slumped directly onto the table.

CLANG. The glass cup in her hand fell, and the few remaining drops of tea at the bottom slowly trickled out.

Uncle Zaozi was terrified. He shook her a couple of times and, realizing she had lost consciousness, hurriedly put down his unsipped tea, hoisted her onto his back, and sprinted out the door!

As he ran, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Tricycle! Does anyone have a tricycle?!"

The two streets were only separated by a single corner. Zhou Qian was watching Huai Yu agonize over a game console when his ears suddenly twitched, and he dashed out the door.

It didn’t take long for him to run back. "Little Yu, Uncle Zaozi’s wife fainted. They’re finding someone to bike her over to the hospital. I’m strong, so I’ll go on ahead. You can take the bus back by yourself later."

Huai Yu hadn’t fully processed the news yet. "Huh?"

But Zhou Qian had already vanished into the distance. Looking at his agile figure, one would never guess he had a prosthetic limb.

Now, Huai Yu no longer had any mood to look at game consoles. She turned to Boss Tang and said, "Boss Tang, I’ll be taking off too! Just give me the money for the vegetables next time!"

"Sure!" Since it wasn’t their first time doing business, Boss Tang waved his hand readily. "Hurry up and go!"

Not having a vehicle was truly inconvenient.

By the time Huai Yu rushed to the hospital, she had to ask several nurses before finally finding Uncle Zaozi’s wife, who had already been admitted to a ward.

Zhou Qian was helping to lift the woman onto the hospital bed. Uncle Zaozi stood nearby, his arms still noticeably trembling.

"Brother, thanks for your hard work," he said to Zhou Qian, giving him a thumbs-up. "Little Yu is really lucky to have a brother like you."

Huai Yu walked in and looked at the woman resting peacefully on the bed. "What happened?" she asked softly.

Uncle Zaozi wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Don’t even mention it. She drank a cup of tea and just passed out! It nearly scared me half to death!"

Huai Yu was shocked. It had nearly scared her half to death too!

"From drinking tea?!" She instantly grew tense.

Seeing her reaction, Uncle Zaozi actually laughed. "It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s not a problem with your tea. I’m guessing it just had a bad reaction with the medicine she just took. The doctor said it’s nothing serious. It’s more like she just fell asleep."

Just as he finished speaking, Zhou Qian patted him on the shoulder. Following Zhou Qian’s pointing finger, Uncle Zaozi looked at the hospital bed and saw the sleeping woman slowly form a smile, even as large teardrops continuously rolled down from the corners of her eyes.

The three of them instantly fell silent.

After a long while, Huai Yu quietly spoke up. "She looks... like she’s really happy."

She was indeed very happy.

The middle-aged woman—or rather, Zhou Yunfang—hadn’t seen her son and daughter in many years.

When the catastrophe struck, everyone’s lives grew difficult, and just surviving was a constant struggle. But her children had made her proud; they quickly awakened to their Superpowers. They volunteered, attended the military academy, and eventually chose to join the army.

In the end, at Flower City’s municipal hall, General Lin presided over a mass funeral, and the couple returned home clutching two medals of honor.

There were no bodies, no ashes, not even a final keepsake. She was even starting to forget her children’s faces! The siblings in the photographs looked increasingly unfamiliar. Every time, she had to stare intently—so intently—just to catch a glimpse of her children’s reflections.

Now, even in her dreams, she could no longer picture their faces clearly.

But at this very moment, holding her left hand was her daughter, dressed in a snow-white uniform. The two of them looked very much alike, though the young girl had dimples on her cheeks when she smiled.

On her right was her son. After becoming a Superpower User, he had experienced another growth spurt, becoming much taller than his father. Years of training had tanned his skin, but he was still as quiet and reserved as ever.

"Mom, look, this is the Wilderness... It’s a vast, mysterious, and very dangerous forest. When I was little, I used to fantasize about being a real Explorer, maybe running into giant pythons in the rainforest..."

"Idiot," her younger brother scoffed at her. "Not just anyone can be an Explorer nowadays. Unlike you, I just want to be majestic and awe-inspiring, so that many, many people will remember me! Mom, will you remember me?"

"Hey! You brat, are you asking for a beating?"

The two of them started bickering playfully.

Tears welling in her eyes, Zhou Yunfang looked at her children with a gentle gaze and smiled softly. "I remember. I remember everything, and so do many others... The nation said there’s a monument, and both of your names are on it."

The siblings laughed. "Then, Mom, you have to remember us too! Plant us under a tree. We died beneath a tree, so let us sprout anew in the soil."