"My dear, don't worry about me. It's still early for dinner but I feel a little hungry. And since Lily went out, I did some cooking by myself. See, it's not a problem, " Fannie explained, trying to make Rachel feel better. Her daughter always worried too much about her.
The neighbors were nice and they would provide their help generously as long as Fannie asked. But she knew that everyone had a family and had lots of things to do. They needed to cook, sleep and go shopping, too. She couldn't expect anyone to stay by her side 24 hours a day. Besides, she didn't want to trouble any of them if she could manage by herself.
Fannie was a tough woman. She had done her best to support her family. She would rather choose to be hungry than ask for help.
Fannie's words brought tears to Rachel's eyes, but she took a deep breath to hold them back. She grabbed the bags and started emptying them. She picked the two desserts her mom would like and said, "Mom, come here. There are your favorite desserts. Grab a bit to eat. Dinner will be ready soon."
Hiram stood at the gate and didn't come inside with them. He was speaking to someone on the phone.
In no time, Rachel made her mom's favorite porridge and a couple of delicious dishes. Fannie had some steamed bread at home, which Rachel brought to the table after heating it.
"I'm sorry that it took such a long time for me to visit you, mom. I know you were missing me and waiting for me to come, " Hiram said apologetically while they were having dinner.
After Rachel had learned that the divorce agreement had been delivered to the court, Rachel and him had separated. They had taken their time to calm down and find a way to solve the problem. If it hadn't been for that, they wouldn't have let Fannie suffer alone.
"It's so kind of you to say so. Anyway, as you can see, I'm getting better and better. Lily is a good girl and she cooks three meals for me every day. But you know, we shouldn't count on others to do everything for us, so don't judge her. Rachel was overreacting. She was so protective of me that she couldn't let me do a single thing. Let her be, " Fannie said honestly.
Rachel lowered her head and stayed silent as she ate her dinner. She felt hurt after hearing what her mom had said.
It seemed Fannie had known how things would go for her the moment she asked Rachel to go back to H City. But instead of telling Rachel about it on the phone, she always said that she was fine so that Rachel could sort things out for herself.
"Don't be upset, Rachel. I've employed a nurse and a housekeeper now. They'll arrive early tomorrow morning. With their help, mom can stay here as long as she wants. I won't let things go on like this. I promise, "
Hiram told Rachel. He knew that she would be feeling terrible seeing her mother cooking her own meals with a broken leg.
"Hiram, please don't bother. I can handle myself, " Fannie objected immediately.
"Mom, I've already paid them. Don't turn me down, please. They're both professionals. Just let them do their job. I don't want you to feel ill at ease. I'll send someone to supervise them regularly. I believe they'll do a proper job, though, " Hiram added quickly.
Rachel interrupted them unexpectedly. "I think I'll take care of my mom by myself. Otherwise, I won't feel at peace at all. This is what I'm going to do."
Fannie opened her mouth to argue, but Hiram was ahead of her. "No, I disagree. You can stay here for a couple of days if you would like to. But you're my wife. Caretaking isn't what you're supposed to do. On the other hand, the people I've employed are professional. You definitely won't do better than them."
If his wife was going to do everything by herself, what was the meaning of making a fortune? For her to watch or to count for fun?
She was insisting on taking care of her mother by herself because she wanted her mother to get better soon. But Hiram wanted the same thing, and that was why he had hired people to take care of Fannie instead. Maybe his method would work better.
Rachel wanted to refuse Hiram. Taking care of her mother was her responsibility. Was there any point in arguing about it? But Fannie agreed with him.
"Yes, Hiram's right, " she said. "Rachel, you're his wife, so you'll be the one handling all the things in his family. Just let other people take care of me, because there are more important things waiting for you to do. I'm your mom, and I know my daughter. We're done on this matter. Don't argue anymore."
Rachel lowered her head and fixed her gaze on the chopsticks in her hand. She ate her dinner absentmindedly.
She was the future hostess of Hiram's family. What a dazzling position!
But the ironic part was that there were lots of things she couldn't control. All she could do was let them be.
Deep in the night...
Rachel couldn't sleep. She waited until Fannie was asleep before leaving the house. She wanted to walk away her worries.
The starry night in XH Village was beautiful. The stars were twinkling brightly.
"Rachel? It's really you. Hiram wanted me to tell you that if you can't sleep at night, you can visit the Rongs' house and that he is waiting for you." It was Carl's voice. He had been standing outside her house just in case.
Rachel turned around and looked at her own house. Carl continued, "Don't worry. It's been a long day for Mrs. Ruan. She won't wake up in the middle of the night. And anyway, I'll stay right here. I'll call you if she wakes up or if anything else happens, so just go."
Rachel suddenly felt grateful for everything Carl had done for her. But she couldn't help asking him one thing.
"Carl, you're Hiram's cousin. I believe there are other jobs in Hiram's company for you to choose at your will. So I'm curious, why do you go to the trouble of staying with him all the time? This is a hard job."
She had been curious about this ever since she learned that Carl was Hiram's cousin. He could have chosen a better job and made more money. What made him want to work as Hiram's assistant instead? He had no time for himself; he had to work day and night since Hiram might need him at any time.
Carl laughed kindly and lowered his head in embarrassment. "Everyone can choose how they want to live, Rachel. I once worked in a good department in the company. It's true that I made more money and that I had a lot more time to myself. But I prefer to stay with Hiram as his assistant.
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