Mrs Huo was drinking tea at home, and Huo Mei Shu was accompanying her by her side. When Uncle Li brought her the phone, the old lady was a little surprised.
Huo Shao Ting was silent for a few seconds before speaking when he heard Grandma pick up the phone.
His voice was hoarse and filled with fatigue.
"Grandma."
She had raised Huo Shao Ting with her own hands, and although she could not say that she understood this eldest grandson completely, she knew that whatever made him address her directly must be something even he himself could not deal with.
"Grandma's here, tell me whatever difficulties you have."
The old lady gently answered him while signaling to Huo Mei Shu by her side to stop fussing around.
Huo Mei Shu was eating pastries that Rong Dai had brought over yesterday. She obediently nodded her head.
Huo Shao Ting took a deep breath before saying, "Rong Dai...had a miscarriage."
"It was my fault. She didn't know she was pregnant and neither did I. We've been together these past few days."
"The embryonic sac was also not developing well and her body was not nursed back to health properly, so the child could not be kept."
The old lady's expression changed instantly and the teacup in her hand fell to the ground, porcelain shards flying everywhere.
"How is Rong Dai now?"
The old lady's voice was anxious and full of worry.
She had not expected that the great-grandchild she had long anticipated would be gone just like that!
"She woke up once, kept crying, and is now asleep," Huo Shao Ting said, his voice seemingly calm, but only he himself knew just how heartbroken he actually was.
"That won't do. This kind of thing does great harm to a woman's body―heartbreak hurts the heart while loss drains one's vital essence."
Although the old lady was also extremely distressed, what was done could not be undone. She would not blame Rong Dai either.
The child was sensible and still so young. She should have taught her earlier about such matters in her capacity as the old mother-in-law.
"So... I was hoping Grandma could counsel her. It wasn't her fault; this child simply could not have been kept to begin with."
Huo Shao Ting said. Only this kind of explanation would make Rong Dai feel better emotionally.
The old lady made a sound of acknowledgment before hanging up the call.
"Grandma, what happened to my sister-in-law?"
Huo Mei Shu had been frightened by the sound of the old lady dropping her teacup earlier. She also sensed that something bad had happened.
The old lady sighed and passed the phone to Uncle Li.
"Your sister-in-law...had a miscarriage."
"What?!"
Unlike the composure of the old lady, Huo Mei Shu was so shocked that she immediately stood up!
Hadn't everything been fine just yesterday?
How could she suddenly miscarry like that?
"When did my sister-in-law get pregnant? She showed no signs or symptoms at all!"
Huo Mei Shu could not help asking.
The old lady sighed and shook her head. "Everyone has a different constitution. This was an oversight on my part. Your sister-in-law is two years younger than you. Naturally she would not understand such matters."
"I should have thought of this earlier―it was my negligence."
For a moment, Huo Mei Shu was very confused. When she thought about her sister-in-law and her unborn niece or nephew, she felt heartbroken.
"Can we go visit my sister-in-law in the hospital?"
"The reason your eldest brother called was for this purpose. Rong Dai is a kind-hearted child who has always longed to have children. Experiencing something like this now is harder on her than anyone else."
"When you see Rong Dai later, advise your mother not to make remarks that might upset her. What happened this time was also your eldest brother's fault―he should have handled things more prudently."
The old lady said helplessly while unable to refrain from wanting to rebuke Huo Shao Ting. If anything happened to Rong Dai's health because of this, how could she let them get divorced?
Huo Mei Shu was well aware of her mother's sharp tongue. She nodded and was about to go downstairs.
"Am I the kind of person with no sense of propriety?"
She had just turned around when Lu Zheng, holding a fruit platter, suddenly appeared at the door with a somewhat gloomy expression.
