Chapter 770: Renee Langshan
“What? You want to go to Shivali? At this time?!”
Renee’s mouth dropped open, and she didn’t even realize that the coffee she was pouring into her cup had overflowed. By the time she reacted, she hastily set down the coffee pot and panickedly walked toward the living room.
In the living room, a frail, hunched old lady, leaning on a cane, had already trembled as she packed her belongings. Hearing Renee’s astonished voice from the kitchen, she just nodded and adjusted her reading glasses on her nose, saying with a bit of spirit,
“That’s right, I’ve almost packed. Look, I’ve got the clothes and money ready, just waiting to set off.”
“Ah? Wait a minute, Martha, when did you pack so much?”
As Renee entered the living room, she saw the numerous bulging suitcases arranged in front of the elderly Lady Martha. There was no telling how much stuff was packed inside. Especially since Renee knew Martha’s personality; she would want to take everything, even on a short trip to the outskirts of Nali. If she were to go to Shivali, she would want to bring the house!
Sure enough, Martha’s expression soon revealed a hint of regret as she looked at the tea set by the fireplace, saying,
“I started packing early this morning, and this is just the beginning. I can’t even fit my precious tea set inside.”
“Even so, you suddenly want to go to Shivali.”
A hint of difficulty appeared on Renee’s face, not because of scheduling conflicts or difficulties in operation, but primarily because Martha’s health was deteriorating. Even walking out onto the street was a challenge, let alone going to Shivali.
Earlier, despite the various effects flying around during the battle against chaos, all that power came at a high price. Any form of high-spec power directly impacting a zero-rank human would be disastrous, not to mention for the frail Martha.
Martha was now over ninety years old. After Fisher and Renee returned, Fisher covertly used the resources of the Dragon Court and Northern Region to supplement Martha’s health. However, she was very resistant to even general medications, let alone exotic foreign medicines. Fisher had to persuade her for her to take them, and many were administered secretly while the old lady was asleep.
As Martha’s age increased, even these inhuman supplements began to have minimal effect.
Now, Fisher had started considering methods related to the Life Completion Manual besides supplements.
These past few days, Fisher had been at the laboratory in the outskirts trying out methods. A few days ago, he had told Renee that he planned to arrange a surgery for Lady Martha and would quietly perform it while she was asleep in a few days.
But this morning, without a word, Lady Martha took Renee by surprise.
Lady Martha suddenly announced she wanted to set off for Shivali, which was thousands of miles from the capital of Nali, leaving Renee speechless.
“No matter what, you should wait until Fisher comes back to decide, right? Martha, I’ll call him back immediately.”
“Mm, you go ahead and tell him. But I will set off regardless; look, I’ve already bought the ticket.”
As Lady Martha spoke, she pulled out a train ticket from her pocket. Renee’s mouth dropped open as she looked at the ticket stub, realizing it was for tomorrow morning.
“When did you buy this ticket?”
“Hmph, that’s a woman’s secret.”
“You must have eavesdropped on my conversations with Fisher.”
Hearing Lady Martha mimicking the flirtatious talk between Renee and Fisher, Renee’s face flushed.
She awkwardly cleared her throat, quickly walked to the kitchen to inform Fisher to come back, and grabbed a cup of hot water, hoping to calm Martha down.
However, until Fisher hurried back, Lady Martha remained steadfast in her decision.
“Martha!”
The door was pushed open, and Fisher hurriedly looked inside the room. The first thing he noticed was Renee standing at the edge of the living room, arms crossed, sipping coffee with a troubled expression, subtly shaking her head at him.
The message was clear, causing Fisher to take a deep breath.
If there was anything that still worried him after everything, it would be three things.
The first was the relationship between ladies, which was like walking a tightrope, always hovering on the edge of chaos.
The second was Elizabeth.
The third was Martha, who refused to cooperate with her treatment.
Fisher rubbed his temples, shaking off the snowflakes that had fallen onto his shoulders, and quickly shut the door to prevent the cold wind from seeping in. Then he walked into the living room and looked at the elderly lady sitting on the sofa, still going through her luggage, and couldn’t help but ask,
“What’s going on now, Martha?”
“Didn’t Renee tell you? I’m going to Shivali.”
“She did mention it, but it’s winter, and your health is not good. Let’s wait until the end of the month; spring is just around the corner. Once the weather warms up a bit, I’ll take you and Renee. Is that okay? I’ve told you that we need to perform the surgery in a few days, even if you didn’t agree at that time.”
“You don’t understand, spring in Shivali arrives earlier than in Nali. The grass there is already starting to turn green; it’s the perfect temperature.”
Fisher didn’t reply, his gaze involuntarily shifting to the frail old lady, which heightened his urgency about the impending surgery.
Lady Martha was the third elder of immense importance he met after losing Sister Teresa, the second being his mentor. After graduating from university, he had lived with Martha and even now, after everything, he and Renee hadn’t moved elsewhere, solely because Martha still resided here, the place where her deceased child once lived.
Fisher genuinely didn’t want to lose Lady Martha, nor did he want to lose Renee.
If there was anyone other than Fisher that she was familiar with and cared about, it would only be Lady Martha, who often urged her to marry.
Wearing reading glasses, Lady Martha looked at the hesitant Fisher in front of her and sighed. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time they had this back-and-forth.
Taking care of an elderly person is always like this; you not only have to fight the diseases that plague their bodies but also have to deal with their own temperament in an ongoing struggle.
As the saying goes: “There are no filial sons at the sickbed,” it speaks to how challenging it is to care for elderly patients from another perspective.
But this time, Martha exhibited unusual decisiveness. She chuckled and said to Fisher,
“Fisher, I agree to the surgery.”
Both Fisher and Renee, who had prepared to debate, froze in unison and then brightly exclaimed,
“What? Really?”
“That’s right.” Martha nodded, but before Fisher could feel pleased, she suddenly raised three fingers, saying, “However, before that, I have three things to do. You see…”
As she spoke, Martha drew out three envelopes from her pocket, each labeled with the numbers one, two, and three. She opened the one marked with the number one and revealed a postcard with text written on it. Fisher looked up to see it said,
“Take a trip to the border of Shivali and Nali.”
Fisher’s previously bright expression deflated instantly. He rubbed his forehead, about to refuse, when Renee gently tapped Fisher’s shoulder from behind.
Turning to look, Renee leaned in and whispered to Fisher,
“Fisher, this is a rare opportunity. Martha has been resisting treatment, and we can’t force her. You can see, she isn’t lying this time. By our capabilities, it shouldn’t be difficult for us to help her complete the three tasks.”
Fisher thought for a moment and had no choice but to turn to Martha, sighing,
“Okay, Martha, tell us the three things. Just don’t go alone; Renee and I will help you, alright?”
“Hey, I knew you two were so capable that you could bring back even that awful tasting medicine. My little tasks will be a piece of cake with your help. But I can only open the next task after the first one is completed.”
“You wouldn’t have the second and third tasks saying something like ‘never take medicine again’ or ‘never come back’ would you?”
“Of course not! Am I the kind of old lady who breaks my word?”
“….”
Fisher fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at Renee, their eyes meeting before he said,
“Let’s go.”
Fisher picked up the luggage that Martha had packed nearby, not caring whether they would be useful; he just took everything. After taking care of Martha for so long, Fisher realized that complying with her as much as possible was all that mattered.
As for Renee, she needed to take Martha to change into warmer clothing.
Before long, they were ready. When Renee prepared the wheelchair and pushed down the stairs Martha, who was muttering, “I can still walk,” the room was filled with a deep green slime.
This was the “reinforcement” Fisher had called for.
“Hello, Lady Martha, I’m Bach, the slime Mr. Fisher sent to take you to the border of Shivali. You can just call me Bach.”
“Shil…what?”
“Slime, ma’am.”
“What lime?”
“Slime, ma’am.”
“Slime what?”
“…Right, that’s it, Slime what. Any other questions? If not, we can set off right now.”
Fisher and Renee both covered their faces, chuckling, as it made them recall everything they went through over the past few years.
Fortunately, this slime stationed at the Nali office was not stubborn and accepted the misnaming with ease.
“Please have Mr. Fisher assist the lady; we’ll set off soon. May I ask your destination?”
“The border of Shivali, the Lahmu Grassland.”
Martha smiled slightly as she accurately named the destination.
Bach nodded and then took out a bagpipe he had hidden behind him, putting it to his lips and blowing it with a flourish,
“BachBachBachBachBachBachBachBachBachBachBachBach!!”
With the slime’s golden light bursting forth, Fisher, Renee, and Lady Martha were all enveloped.
It felt as if they had passed through numerous ethereal spaces. As Renee and Fisher helped stabilize Martha in her seat, she cheerfully shouted, only to start coughing immediately after.
Even before Fisher could show concern, a wave of grassy fragrance wafted up to his nostrils.
Before them, as the golden light from the slime gradually dispersed, a vast and boundless grassland appeared in front of Fisher and Renee.
The spring breeze was warm, and a gentle wind swept across the newly grown grass, vibrant with life.
“Ha, I told you, spring has already arrived in Shivali by this time.”
Lady Martha, seated in the wheelchair, took a deep breath and said to Fisher and Renee.
Fisher nodded, but looking at Lady Martha, he pressed on,
“The first task is completed; what about the second?”
Without hesitation, Lady Martha seemed eager to prove her earlier promise. She gently withdrew the second envelope and handed it to Fisher and Renee.
As they opened it, they found it clearly stated,
“Set off a grand fireworks display at the border of Shivali.”
“Fireworks?”
“That’s right.”
Lady Martha nodded with a smile, then looked at the nearby slime, Bach, and smiled, saying,
“Could you please help me, Slime…?”
Bach didn’t dare reply directly but quickly approached Fisher, saying,
“Mr. Fisher, let me go retrieve it; I’ll be back soon.”
“…. Sure, thank you.”
Fisher initially intended to urge him to “go quickly and come back,” but perhaps the atmosphere of spring made him soften his tone, simply asking for help.
As Bach complied and left, Lady Martha clapped her hands and said to Fisher and Renee,
“Well then, before that, I hope you don’t mind if I take a stroll in such a beautiful place?”
“I’ll support you, Martha.”
“No need! Can’t you see I’m in good spirits? Plus, your wheelchair is equipped with that mechanism, I can walk by myself; it’s just that I’m old, and seeing these gadgets feels like they shouldn’t coexist with an antique like me.”
Martha shook her head, then adjusted her reading glasses. She pressed a button on the mechanism on her wheelchair, which began to move forward slowly, carrying her towards the green expanse ahead.
“Alright, children, let’s unpack the luggage; we can enjoy some refreshments later.”
Fisher set the luggage down, while Renee opened it, revealing a bounty of goodies: several boxes of sweets, tea bags, a kettle, napkins.
Everything needed for a picnic was packed inside.
Renee opened her mouth and couldn’t help but complain,
“How on earth did you prepare all this this morning?”
“Hahaha, you really thought I prepared it all this morning? You two have been watching me so closely that I couldn’t possibly get it all ready in one morning. I’ve been preparing for a month, taking a bit each morning and stashing it under the bed; it adds up over time.”
“Huh?”
Martha’s wheelchair rolled back towards them as she looked at the speechless Renee and Fisher, gently saying,
“Alright, hurry up and lay them out; I can’t wait to enjoy those delicious treats.”
“Martha.”
“I’m only having a little today; don’t worry.”
Upon hearing this, Fisher and Renee began to take out the plentiful items from the luggage and arrange them meticulously. Sure enough, it resembled a delightful feast.
When everything was laid out, even Renee couldn’t help but marvel.
A gentle breeze swept over the grassy fields of early spring, the warm sunlight bringing comfort. On the vast, unoccupied grassland, there was a large blanket, big enough for three or four people to lie down, covered with all kinds of exquisite desserts.
Just the thought of it was pleasing, like the relaxation brought by an afternoon nap.
“This is too lavish. Moreover, it’s so retro. It’s been decades since anyone in Nali has done this, right?” Renee said as she picked up a piece of cake and examined it, praising it.
“We used to go on picnics often when we were young because back then the forests and grasslands outside the city hadn’t been cultivated, and the rivers didn’t have the garbage and stench from various factories. We took advantage of the spring scenery to enjoy this life with family, which was said to be enjoying nature and family, but in reality, it was just with nothing to do. Just like that, we watched the kids running and shouting all over the hills as we chatted, ate desserts, and lay down together on the blanket to rest.”
Martha squinted her eyes, the arc of her lips drawing up in a curve that also hinted at the passage of time.
“At that time, I didn’t think much of it, but now that I recall, tsk, it’s truly priceless.”
Renee looked at the dessert in her hand, broke off a small piece, and came over to Martha, letting her try the taste again.
She chewed thoughtfully and smiled, “It tastes different from before.”
Fisher comforted her, saying, “It’s been so long, and the desserts are not from the same place, so the taste must have changed.”
But Martha simply shook her head and said, “It’s not that complicated. This dessert is simple. No matter how it’s made, it still tastes the same. It’s just that I’ve grown old, and my tongue has become too old to taste its original flavor; I can only rely on the flavors I can still taste now to evoke memories of the past.”
Fisher, hearing this, gently broke off a piece and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly. The sweetness was just right and incredibly delicious.
Martha was always good at shopping; she knew which store in the city had the best quality and most affordable items, and this principle applied even to the desserts she bought.
He took another piece and passed it to Renee to taste. After trying it, she nodded and said, “It’s delicious.”
“Delicious is good. Eat more, and you will have big, chubby babies. When I was young, I couldn’t get pregnant with anything else, but with this, I got pregnant every time I ate it. I was scared of the pain and the trouble, so I stopped eating it. That’s why I now have two big, chubby kids.”
Renee’s face turned red again. She covered her face and didn’t dare to tell Martha what her true form looked like.
It was all just an incarnation made with Fisher, making little Fisher exclaim, “Command center, I can’t find the target!!!”
And if the main body could have big chubby kids.
That would truly be “big, chubby kids.”
Renee didn’t dare to think.
Fisher couldn’t help but chuckle. Not knowing if he had already thought of this aspect, it made Renee even more embarrassed. She punched him lightly on the shoulder, then pushed the desserts from the blanket towards him.
“You eat, you eat some more, and you give birth.”
“?”
Fisher blinked, innocently pointing at himself, as if silently saying, “Me?”
That look made Renee realize she had guessed wrong. Perhaps he wasn’t thinking about that, but she couldn’t muster the courage to apologize in her shyness and huffed, taking back a piece from his arms, as if that was an apology.
A woman’s concession is often hidden in places that men don’t understand. You might not even grasp it, unaware that she has already silently said sorry in her heart.
“Hahaha, this feels like a family.”
Martha seemed to understand Renee’s unspoken thoughts. She chuckled and looked around the picturesque and serene grassland, unable to help but exclaim, “It’s so beautiful here.”
Fisher picked up a piece of dessert from his arms and glanced at Martha, whose expression was complex. He hesitated for a moment and said, “Lady Martha, if I’m not mistaken, this is…”
“Yes,” Lady Martha’s gaze dimmed slightly as she nodded, “This is where Shivali and Nali once fought, and it’s also where my two sons perished. My eldest son is buried here, while my younger son, being more filial, at least knew to come back and see me.”
Renee knew about Martha’s past. Fisher had told her when she first moved in.
She should have realized long ago, considering Martha traveled a long way to this place, she must have had a special purpose.
Perhaps she came to see her eldest son one last time. But it was strange; after living in Martha’s house for so many years, she had never seen Martha visit a graveyard. Wasn’t her younger son sent back?
As if sensing Renee’s confusion, Martha smiled faintly and said, “This is not my first time here. The last time Renee was here, I brought my younger son’s ashes and scattered them. He and his brother were inseparable since childhood, even serving in the same unit. Before his legs were blown off and he passed away, he kept crying to me, ‘Mom, my brother is still on the battlefield. I can’t find him. I want to go back and find him.’
“Yes, their bond was so strong that even after seeing me, he still wanted to go to his brother. Nali’s army couldn’t find his brother’s remains, saying he might have been blown to pieces by the bomb. Apart from his younger brother, the entire squad was killed; how could anyone recognize him? So I fulfilled the younger brother’s wish and left him here, hoping he could find his brother underneath. Only he could.”
Renee’s fingers trembled, as if she wanted to persuade Martha to stop speaking, fearing that this painful memory would provoke her emotions.
Fortunately, before she could speak up, a beam of golden light enveloped them from behind, interrupting Martha’s words.
It was Bach, back with fireworks.
“I’m back, Lady Martha.”
“Great, thank you, Bach.”
Before Martha could reply, Bach quickly held up the enormous fireworks in his hand, saying, “No need to thank me, madam. Do you need me to light it for you?”
“That would be wonderful, thank you.”
Bach glanced at Fisher. After Fisher nodded, he hopped off with the enormous fireworks towards the distance.
The fireworks were enormous; Bach had undoubtedly prepared the best, so they needed a certain distance to ensure the best viewing experience.
As they watched the slime gradually recede, Fisher’s expression grew serious. He looked at Martha, took a deep breath, and quickly crouched down, saying to her, “Martha, can you now tell me what the third thing is?”
“Don’t be impatient; it hasn’t been lit yet, has it?”
“Martha!”
Fisher suddenly reached out, gently pulling Martha’s hand hidden beneath the heavy clothing. Following Fisher’s palm, he felt her thin arm tremble persistently.
“Don’t force yourself. Your body has reached its limit.”
“Ah, you noticed, Fisher.”
Indeed, just moments ago, when Martha expressed her emotions while recounting the story of her two deceased children, Fisher had noticed the hidden struggles that were revealed through her emotional fluctuations.
Her revival since coming here was entirely a facade; in reality, her body had already reached its limit. That’s why Fisher was so anxious at this moment, eager to take her back for surgery immediately.
“Come back with me, Martha, right now.”
But Martha only smiled and shook her head, saying to Fisher, “I still need to complete these three things.”
“Martha!”
Renee, standing by, gently tugged at her wheelchair. She shook her head and said, “Lady Martha, look at me; you know we can’t lose you. Even if we beg you, come back now. Fisher is ready for the surgery; he can help you as soon as we return. Once you recover, we can come back for a picnic. Isn’t that alright?”
But looking at Fisher and Renee, Martha simply smiled bitterly. Instead, she asked, “Fisher, Renee, do you think I don’t know? The medicine you’ve been secretly giving me is not ordinary stuff, right? Even you are not commonplace people. Just that green thing that can travel miles freely, it shows such respect for you both. But despite your divine abilities, you still haven’t discovered what I’ve been secretly accumulating daily. Why is that?”
Martha continued her self-dialogue, connecting her own thoughts.
“Because you all fear losing me. Your fear of loss has overshadowed the things you should care about. Think about it; taking care of someone who is about to die day and night, is that the married life you aspire to?”
“Martha, it’s not the same. You know we are all willing.”
“Yes, precisely because you are willing, I ultimately made this decision. Earlier, I took those supplements entirely for you; I was thinking, I don’t want to make you sad, I don’t want to disappoint you. I endured until the day you and Renee told me that there would be a surgery to restore my health.”
“Is there anything wrong with that?”
Martha did not respond. Just at that moment, a beam of light shot up into the sky from behind them, accompanied by a roar.
“Boom!”
It was the fireworks being lit.
Martha’s eyes brightened slightly. She did not answer Fisher’s question; instead, she raised her head and seemed to focus entirely on the fireworks in the sky.
“Boom!”
Another splendid firework exploded, occupying half the sky completely.
Fisher and Renee continued to watch Martha, but she only gazed at the sky. In her murky eyes, the fireworks rippled, unveiling the veil of memories.
She pointed at the sky and suddenly said, “My two sons loved fireworks. On nights in Nali, they would sneak out to set off fireworks. At that time, Nali had no streetlights. I worried they wouldn’t find their way home, but they said, ‘The fireworks are so bright; they light up the way home clearly.’ I had always wanted to come here to light fireworks for them, but this is a sensitive area, and I couldn’t bring any explosives, so I never had the chance to blast them here.”
Hearing this, Fisher and Renee couldn’t help but feel a stir in their hearts. They turned back in unison, looking at the dazzling and spectacular fireworks in the sky.
“Bang!”
One after another, clusters of sparks burst open in the sky, producing the brightest glimmer, which transformed into smoke, gradually dissipating in mid-air.
Just then, Martha’s icy hand suddenly trembled and rested on Fisher and Renee’s shoulders.
They paused, about to turn around to look at Martha, but Martha gently spoke to stop their movements, “Fisher, Renee, I am a human. Every human has a day when they will cease to exist. I can prolong my life through surgery, but death will eventually come again. Even if you killed Death itself and altered its rules, it wouldn’t change a thing. For its demise simply proves that everything will cease to exist one day, and all your actions are merely delaying the arrival of that day.
“It’s like wanting to preserve that fleeting firework, and thus going to great lengths to grasp it, unaware that what you’ve grasped is not the brilliance, but the dwindling embers.”
“Bang!!”
Another firework exploded in mid-air, following the preceding dust; it stretched out its beautiful petals. In the face of that incredibly stunning scene, Martha’s hand slowly withdrew with less strength.
“I see you as my other two children, a pair of newlyweds who should be filled with immense happiness. You should enjoy and forge your own lives, not cling to me.”
Looking at the bursting sparks in the sky, Fisher couldn’t help but get teary-eyed. He just couldn’t help but ask, “What about you, Martha?”
“Me? I’m just like that firework you saw explode earlier. I’ve educated two heroes, experienced the warmth of childhood, youth, family, and kinship, and now I witness you together. Isn’t that enough?”
“We… just need to be able to stay by your side a little longer, Martha.”
“Longer? How much longer must everything beautiful cease to exist? Even if extended into the future, that day will eventually come.”
Martha’s voice gradually lowered, like the dazzling fireworks slowly dimming.
“My beauty has already soared, burned, and blossomed. Don’t let my extinguishing hinder your beautiful ascent; no firework is ever obstructed by the dust of predecessors and is unable to blossom.”
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The light erupted into the sky, until the last moment, one after another, ringing through the air before gradually quieting down.
Yes, even the most brilliant fireworks will ultimately come to a stop one day.
Of course, you can buy another one, light it, and release it, then wait for that one to extinguish before purchasing the next.
But will there not come a day when all the fireworks in this world are used up?
Must your remaining life be occupied by an endless stream of fireworks?
No one will light fireworks endlessly for that beauty, and no one will attempt to ignite every firework in the world. We will all just quietly stand in place, watch it burst with the most beautiful radiance, observe its gradual decline, watch it slowly vanish, keeping it in our hearts, and then wait.
Wait for the next chance encounter, wait for their next blossom.
Fisher and Renee captured the last firework soaring into the sky in their sight. When they turned back, they only saw Martha with her head drooping, completely devoid of life.
She merely maintained a smile, a look of happiness and contentment, having seen the fireworks she hoped her two sons, who perished here, would see.
She merely retained the gesture of wanting to hand something over, but midway she lost all strength, so the hand holding the envelope softened and rested on her thigh.
That envelope held the last thing she hoped to complete.
Renee was already crying uncontrollably; she just couldn’t accept it, couldn’t accept that a caring soul was disappearing right before her eyes.
Fisher gently reached out and took back the envelope that Lady Martha had originally intended to pass to them. He opened it, and inside was also a postcard.
On the postcard, written in elegant Nali script was, “I hope Fisher and Renee live happily together.”
(End of this chapter)
