Episode 18 recap: The passing of Grandma Lin has brought immense sorrow to everyone.
Grandma Lin was admitted to the hospital, but after only a few days, the hospital issued a critical condition notice. Prior to this, Chen Mai Dong had visited the hospital several times, accompanying her and cheering her up. Grandma Lin had a request for him as well, hoping that he would ensure a dignified farewell after her death and deliver a letter she had written to Grandma Chen.
In the end, Grandma Lin didn't make it through the spring and peacefully departed from this world. Grandma Chen found it difficult to accept and wept uncontrollably, which deeply saddened Zhuang Jie. The two of them were lifelong friends, not sisters by blood but closer than sisters. Therefore, in the letter, Grandma Lin told Grandma Chen that life and death are a normal part of being human, and she believed that Grandma Chen would surely be able to endure the days without her. Grandma Lin sincerely hoped that Grandma Chen would say, "Sister Lin, you have lived a wonderful life."
As Grandma Lin looked back on her life, she had a deeper understanding of death. The first time she learned about death was at her father's funeral. Her father had nine siblings and over forty children, so there was a constant stream of relatives coming to pay their respects. As she finished offering incense to her father and looked at the similar faces, she suddenly realized that people strive to reproduce, and even if they are scattered across different places, blood ties are the bond that reunites them.
Life will eventually come to an end, but it will also be passed on in new ways. When Chen Mai Dong arrived at the hospital, Grandma Lin's vital signs were still relatively stable, but the doctor warned him to be mentally prepared. Outside the operating room, Ci Wei's mother was going through a life-and-death situation, and Ci Wei was emotionally overwhelmed, fearing that she would be left alone like her father.
In the eyes of outsiders, Ci Wei was a reformed scumbag, arrogant and rarely showing such vulnerability. Chen Mai Dong witnessed this scene and couldn't bear it, comforting Ci Wei to cherish life and that living well is the best way to repay parents. At this time, the Liao family was discussing Grandma Lin's condition.
During this time, Chen Mai Dong was running back and forth, handling funeral home arrangements and taking care of Grandma Lin at the hospital. His good friend delivered goods to Shen Grandma's house in Jincun, and unexpectedly, Grandma Chen was also there. She had heard that someone close to Shen Grandma was about to pass away, so she wanted to observe the final moments of the dying person.
Zhuang Jie hadn't contacted Chen Mai Dong for several days and finally couldn't resist video calling him to express her longing. Considering Grandma Lin's condition was not optimistic, Zhuang Jie cautiously asked if they should make some preparations. She reminded Chen Mai Dong that Grandma Lin was already old and it was not suitable to continue with aggressive medical interventions, as the process would be very painful.
Chen Mai Dong stayed at the hospital with Grandma Lin, speaking words that brought her joy, which greatly comforted her. She had never imagined that she would have a loved one by her side in her final moments.
However, when Chen Mai Dong returned from the water room, he found the ward crowded with doctors and nurses. The next second, news came that Grandma Lin was about to experience brain death.
Caught between resuscitation and giving up, Chen Mai Dong recalled Zhuang Jie's words and ultimately made the same choice as Zhuang Jie — allowing Grandma Lin to depart this world with dignity. In the end, Grandma Lin didn't make it through the spring.
Grandma Chen found it difficult to accept the tragic news, and she was overwhelmed with grief, causing Zhuang Jie to burst into tears. Before this happened, Grandma Lin had written a letter to Grandma Chen, instructing her to open it after her passing. In the beginning of the letter, Grandma Lin entrusted her old cat to someone else's care, hoping that it would have a good ending. She acknowledged that she had few close relatives in her life, and there would be no so-called joyous family gatherings or grandchildren filling the house. But because she had chosen this path herself, she had never regretted it, and she hoped Grandma Chen wouldn't feel regret for her.
The reason she wrote this letter was solely because Grandma Lin couldn't rest assured about her dear sister. She knew that Grandma Chen, with her character, would certainly need a long time to accept it. However, life and death are a normal part of being human, and she believed that Grandma Chen would be able to endure this period of time with strength.
She sincerely hoped that Grandma Chen would say to her, "Sister Lin, you have lived a wonderful life." At the end of the letter, Grandma Lin told Grandma Chen that women are the strongest creatures. The cohesion of every family relies on the resilience of women.
In this world, she was not the only one suffering. Everyone has their own hardships. Therefore, no one is alone in enduring suffering. Shortly afterwards, Grandma Chen returned to the small house in Qingshui Town with Grandma Lin's ashes. Ci Wei's mother had a successful operation, relieving a great burden from his heart.
Zhuang Yan's three geese infiltrated the old man's flock of geese and eventually left him. Liao Tao comforted the children with his own story, allowing them to understand the meaning of being human. Zhuang Jie was also going back to Shanghai, and Zhuang Yan was worried about how her relationship with Chen Mai Dong would continue.
Zhuang Jie expressed that her return to Shanghai was not for money but to do something meaningful.
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