The little girl was also bone-thin. She looked at Mr. He without speaking, her eyes filled with confusion.

Looking at her tiny, frail body, Mr. He felt a storm of emotions.

"Where’s your dad?"

Xiao Yu pointed inside. "Dad’s in the house."

Mr. He patted her on the head and walked toward the house.

When he reached the door, Mr. He couldn’t help but frown. ’Who draws their curtains when it’s not even dark out?’

Mr. He pushed the door open and went inside. The first thing he saw was He Ze curled up on the daybed.

"Second Brother, get up. I need to talk to you."

He Ze remained on the daybed. As Mr. He got closer, he saw that He Ze had his legs drawn up, his hands clutching his stomach. He was clenching his jaw and trembling, his forehead slick with sweat.

He immediately climbed onto the daybed and touched He Ze’s forehead. It was covered in a cold sweat.

He could feel He Ze shivering under his hand.

This was no time for a scolding. He quickly got off the daybed and shouted to Xiao Yu in the yard, "Hurry! Go get your uncle and the others!"

Xiao Yu blinked, then scurried out on her short little legs.

Mr. He helped He Ze sit up. Only then did he realize how thin He Ze had gotten—he could practically lift him. He used his own sleeve to wipe the sweat from He Ze’s face.

Then he spoke slowly, "Your stomach hurts this badly, and you’re just enduring it alone? You’re a grown man. Why can’t you change that stubborn-as-a-mule personality of yours? If you’re sick, get treatment. Who are you trying to spite? We’re your family. Do you really think we’d ever try to harm you?"

He Ze was in too much pain to speak. He closed his eyes, feeling as if his stomach was being torn apart.

He Nan and He Lang were at the old family house. When they heard Xiao Yu run in saying their grandfather wanted them, they exchanged a look and took off at once, not delaying for a second.

They entered the room to see their father kneeling on the daybed, holding He Ze in his arms. Something was clearly wrong with He Ze.

"Dad."

Mr. He said to them, "Second Brother’s stomach must be in agony. We need to go to the hospital."

He Nan nodded. "Okay."

When they tried to lift He Ze, they could feel him resisting.

He Nan spoke to the still-shut-eyed He Ze. "Don’t move. If you hadn’t run back here, would we be making another useless trip? Be a man. What is there that you can’t get over? You’re already in this state. At least go to the hospital and get something for the pain."

The group went to the hospital again, and this time, Mr. He went with them.

It was the same doctor from before. Seeing they had returned, he heard it was stomach pain and prescribed a painkiller.

After a while, the pain finally seemed to subside, but his face remained deathly pale.

Mr. He went to ask the doctor about He Ze’s condition.

"I suspect it’s stomach cancer. I recommend you go to a major hospital for a proper examination. If it is, you can start treatment early. Besides, from the looks of it, this isn’t the first time he’s been in pain. At the very least, with proper care, he won’t have to suffer like this."

Mr. He nodded, his heart heavy.

Once his stomach stopped hurting, He Ze tried to get out of bed again.

He Lang’s shout stopped him. "Are you trying to die? If you’ve got the guts, then stop acting like you’re half-dead and making Mom and Dad worry."

He Ze said coolly, "This doesn’t concern you."

He Lang sneered. "You think we want to be concerned? The doctor said you might have stomach cancer. Do you know what that is? It’s the kind of illness that can kill you. If you die—and you probably don’t care—what will happen to your three sons? And what about your daughter? Don’t even tell me you expect Mom and Dad to take care of her. Don’t even think about it. They’re too old and don’t have the energy to raise her for you. So before you die, you’d better make arrangements for your daughter."

He Ze finally calmed down. He looked at He Lang, his eyes showing some surprise, but no shock. He must have long suspected he was ill.

"Did the doctor say if it’s treatable?" He Ze asked.

"How should I know? But the doctor recommended you get checked at a major hospital. They only suspect it; it’s not a definite diagnosis. If you’re sick, get treated immediately." He Lang found his brother’s demeanor an eyesore.

He Nan also chimed in, "Second Brother, you’re still young. Let’s go to the major hospital and get it checked out. You need to pull yourself together."

He Ze fell silent, lost in thought.

Mr. He entered the hospital room. Looking at He Ze, he said, "When do you plan on going to the provincial hospital? I’ll go with you."

He Ze said, "Tomorrow, then. Xiao Yu—"

He Nan said, "Mom can look after her. If not, there’s also your sister-in-law. Dad and I will go with you to the hospital."

He Ze nodded.

They returned from the hospital that evening. When Mrs. He learned that He Ze had gone back to the hospital because of his stomach pain, she insisted he move into the old family house.

"It’s just you and the child in that house, so far away. I can’t rest easy. If you’re not feeling well, your father and I will be right here."

For once, He Ze was compliant, letting Mrs. He bring over his bedding.

That night, Mrs. He slept with Xiao Yu.

After the child fell asleep, Mrs. He whispered to Mr. He, "Do you think Second Brother’s illness is serious?"

Mr. He said, "I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see after the check-up."

Mrs. He looked at the child. "How did Second Brother let his life get to this point? Look at this child, so small and thin. It’s clearly malnutrition. What a tragedy. Her own mother ran off and abandoned her, and her own father is in this state... My heart breaks for this poor child."

"He made his own choices. This suffering is the result of those choices. Eldest Brother also got divorced, just like him, so how come his life keeps getting better? The problem with Second Brother is that his ambition far exceeds his ability. Today was a big day for Eldest Brother, and for him to say those things... It’s only because Eldest Brother and Third Brother don’t want to argue with him that they still run around taking care of him. I know he’s unwell right now, but I have to say it: Second Brother is petty. He’s been jealous of Third Brother for years."

Mrs. He sighed. "Second Brother has always been proud, but he used to be sensible, too. I never thought he’d end up like this. When you go to the provincial capital tomorrow, take all the money. Second Brother probably doesn’t have any."

Mr. He nodded. "I know."

Meanwhile, He Ze lay on the daybed, a wave of unease washing over him. He thought about Gao Cuiyun moving into her new house, what she had said today, and the way Little Chen had looked at him. Suddenly, he felt like a complete failure.

’It’s not that I actually wanted the house,’ he thought. ’It’s just... I feel less and less like a part of the He family. No one cares about me. On New Year’s Eve this year, I just listened to the firecrackers outside with only Xiao Yu in the house. The loneliness was suffocating. I’m part of the He family, too.’

Then his thoughts turned to his health. The stomach pains had started the year before last. At first, it was just discomfort after eating. His cooking was terrible; sometimes, as long as he saw Xiao Yu was full, he’d just have a bite or two himself. Last year, his temper grew worse. He’d even smash things when the pain in his stomach was unbearable.

It scared the child, who would always hide under the table. After that, He Ze started trying to control himself. He took a lot of painkillers, which worked at first, but by the second half of last year, they had stopped having any effect.

’Sometimes I think it would be better to just die,’ he thought. ’Living is too much misery. But He Lang was right. If I die, what will happen to Xiao Yu? She’s still so little.’