From Broken Family to Life Winner: A Reborn Mother's Journey

Just as ordinary families were getting ready for bed, Wu Sheng arrived in Wucheng and dove straight into his work.

At the same time, Su Li was in the Imperial City, getting into bed.

She was in bed, but Su Li couldn’t sleep at all.

In the past, whenever Wu Sheng left on a mission, Su Li never knew what he was doing or where he was.

But this time, Su Li knew.

She didn’t know the exact situation in Wucheng, but she knew all too well what could happen there next.

And because she knew, Su Li couldn’t sleep a wink.

On nights like this, Su Li desperately missed modern cell phones and the modern internet.

If this were modern times, she could be online right now, looking up related news.

In an era where information spread so quickly, you could always find some news—good or bad—as long as you searched for it.

But... she couldn’t do that now. Su Li couldn’t see anything, couldn’t look up anything.

Her mind raced with anxious thoughts until she finally drifted off around midnight. The next morning, the very first thing she did was check the newspaper.

There was news about Wucheng in the paper, but it was just a small article in the corner mentioning that landslides had blocked many of the city’s roads.

That was the news from the first day after Wu Sheng left.

After that... news about Wucheng continued to trickle in.

The news on the second day reported severe flooding in Wucheng, and that preventative evacuations had begun.

Starting on the third day, the news coverage of Wucheng increased.

Another torrential downpour had hit Wucheng, and the disastrous consequences were becoming apparent.

Floods, mudslides, and landslides occurred one after another. Highways were cut off, and many areas lost water and power...

Fortunately, preparations had been made in advance. The necessary evacuations had been carried out, avoiding mass casualties.

Television stations, newspapers, and radio stations all began to report extensively on Wucheng. Su Li followed the news every day, not missing a single television report.

Once, she thought she even saw a glimpse of Wu Sheng in a news broadcast.

There had been no direct word from Wu Sheng since he left, but traces of him and his colleagues could be seen and heard in both the papers and on TV.

Her school’s practical training simulation also involved covering the story, and Su Li participated as well.

They weren’t actual reporters from TV stations or newspapers, so they couldn’t go to the scene to report and interview like the professionals. The school would never allow it.

As Su Li wrote her own news articles, she was filled with an indescribable mix of emotions.

The fourth and fifth days were the peak period of the disaster caused by Wucheng’s torrential rains.

After watching the news, Su Li tried her best to stay calm, but she lay awake night after night.

She desperately wanted to fly to Wucheng and see for herself if Wu Sheng was safe.

But she knew that was impossible.

Su Li, who thought she was used to Wu Sheng going on missions, was experiencing for the first time what it truly felt like.

That gut-wrenching worry, that constant, nagging thought of whether Wu Sheng was safe, that ceaseless concern for his well-being—it was a feeling no one else could understand.

Su Li knew nothing of Wu Sheng’s specific situation.

The dark circles under her eyes grew deeper, and even Little Tang Mo was starting to get them too.

Su Li knew Little Tang Mo was worried and told him not to be, but since she couldn’t stop worrying herself, her words were useless.

On the sixth day, the sky over Wucheng finally cleared.

Su Li let out a huge sigh of relief.

That same day, Su Li went to see Wu Qihua.

Wu Qihua knew where Wu Sheng had gone. As his mother, her worry went without saying.

Su Li had wanted to visit Wu Qihua all along, but she was afraid her own emotional state would only upset her, so she didn’t dare to go.

Now that the skies had cleared, Su Li finally worked up the courage to go see her.

But Wu Qihua wasn’t home. According to the neighbor lady next door, she had gone to Su Li’s place.

Su Li froze for a moment, then rushed back home. Sure enough, Wu Qihua was there.

”Auntie!”

”You’re back. It’s freezing out here, hurry and open the door.”

Wu Qihua’s reasons for not visiting Su Li earlier, and for coming to see her now, were much the same as Su Li’s.

After coming inside and drinking a glass of water, Wu Qihua explained.

Su Li listened, a helpless, bittersweet feeling washing over her. ”It seems we were thinking the same thing.”

Wu Qihua patted Su Li’s hand. ”It’s okay. Don’t worry, Wu Sheng will come back safely.”

”In the future...” Wu Qihua sighed. ”I want to say you’ll get used to it and worry a little less, but even I know that’s a lie.”

”No matter how many times Wu Sheng goes away, no matter how many times I go through this, I can never get used to it.”

Su Li took Wu Qihua’s hand in her own, silently stroking it to comfort her.

Wu Qihua sighed, looked at Su Li, and, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, gently stroked her head.

”At times like this, I feel guilty when I see you... because you chose Wu Sheng, you have to bear all this fear and anxiety.”

A sharp pang of sorrow shot through Su Li’s heart, and she couldn’t help but hug Wu Qihua.

”Auntie.”

She wanted to say something, but no words would come out.

Wu Qihua patted Su Li’s shoulder and let out a deep sigh.

”Back when he told me he wanted to fly planes and do good deeds, I knew I would have to face situations like this.”

”Selfishly, I thought, ’I can’t agree to this. I’d rather die than agree.’ But in the end... I still agreed.”

Wu Qihua’s voice was full of melancholy. ”Because I knew that was what he wanted. It was the life he chose for himself.”

”Auntie...” Su Li’s heart suddenly ached for Wu Qihua, and she quickly patted her shoulder.

”It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s all in the past.” Wu Qihua exhaled. ”After he started the job, I couldn’t sleep night after night. My hair was falling out in clumps. It was only after I saw the light in his eyes that I slowly got better.”

In that moment, Wu Qihua shared with Su Li an emotional journey she had never spoken of to anyone else.

Why did she say it? Because Su Li, sitting right in front of her, was also worried about Wu Sheng.

They were worried about Wu Sheng together.

This shared feeling made her feel compelled to speak.

”I often tell Wu Sheng that having a mother as wonderful, capable, and beautiful as me is a blessing he earned in a past life.”

”But honestly, I’m just talking nonsense. I’ve always felt quite guilty towards him.”

”I gave him this identity, so all I can do is hope he can be happy. I hope he can be happy his whole life. Letting him live however he pleases—that’s the only thing I can do for him.”

Wu Sheng had said that Wu Qihua never opposed any of his decisions, calling her the most open-minded mother.

But he never knew that behind her acceptance of those decisions was a world of blood and tears.

Listening to her, Su Li felt an unbearable bitterness. ”Auntie...”

Wu Qihua suddenly sighed. ”Ah, how did I let the mood get so heavy? It’s my fault.”

She let go of Su Li, blinking back the tears in her eyes, and patted her on the shoulder.

”So, now you know why I’m not a wicked mother-in-law, don’t you?”

The topic jumped so fast that Su Li was momentarily at a loss for words.

”As long as it’s someone Wu Sheng likes and who is good to him, I’ll like them too. Wu Sheng likes you, so even if you were a really annoying person, I would ’love the house and its crow’ and try my best to like you. I would never be a wicked mother-in-law.”

”Luckily, the heavens have been kind to me. You’re not an annoying person.”