The cruise ship Le Bi Hai Yang sank due to an incident, with no survivors. The exact cause of the sinking is still under investigation.
Madam Shao stared at the bold headline in the newspaper, feeling dizzy. Hong Sao immediately helped her to sit down, comforting her,
"Madam, the young master has heaven's blessings. The Bodhisattva will protect them, and they will surely be alright."
Despite the words of comfort, the reality was grim.
On the day of the sinking, a typhoon and tsunami struck the sea, adding immense difficulty to the rescue efforts.
Seventy-two hours of the golden emergency rescue window had already passed, and there was still no good news from Shao Wenyan's end. The probability of bad news was high.
"Achen, my Achen. He is my only son. He finally found someone he loved, and they didn't even get a chance to get married before they were both gone," Madam Shao clutched her chest, weeping.
How she wished they hadn't boarded the ship that day. But the surveillance footage from the pier had definitively captured them boarding the cruise ship.
Her people had even copied the surveillance video for her, and each viewing made her heart ache more.
"The news is out?" At this moment, Old Master Shao came downstairs and asked.
Seeing him, Madam Shao couldn't help but feel a surge of resentment. If her father-in-law hadn't pushed so hard back then, she felt their son wouldn't have eloped with Ruan Tianxin, nor would their elopement have turned into a desperate flight, ultimately leading to this disaster!
"Yes, are you satisfied with this outcome?" She handed the newspaper to Old Master Shao, her tone laced with displeasure.
Normally, she wouldn't dare speak to him like this, but today, her mood was too poor, and her resentment too overwhelming.
Old Master Shao didn't take offense and let her vent. He took the newspaper, glanced at it, and fell silent.
Seeing his silence, Madam Shao couldn't help but continue to berate him, "If you hadn't pressured Achen so much, Achen wouldn't have had to flee to the cruise ship. He was already injured, and then the ship sank..."
The thought of her son's desperate situation made her voice tremble, "They say even tigers don't eat their cubs. You are truly more ferocious than tigers..."
"Cough, cough... Pfft..." Old Master Shao suddenly erupted into a fit of coughing, then spewed a mouthful of blood and slumped backward.
"Master!"
"Dad!"
Madam Shao rushed forward, and along with Steward Shao, they supported him. "Hong Sao, quickly call an ambulance."
Three days later.
After emergency treatment, Old Master Shao's life was saved, but he was admitted to the intensive care unit.
"Is there any news about Achen?" was the first question he asked upon waking.
Steward Shao, who was by the bedside, shook his head. "Not yet. Master is still at the scene directing the work."
Old Master Shao propped himself up to sit, only to find himself completely without strength. "Cough, cough, call Wenyan."
"Great Master, you are still very weak and need more rest," Steward Shao urged.
"Call, the, phone!" Old Master Shao insisted stubbornly.
Steward Shao had no choice but to dial Shao Wenyan's number.
Shao Wenyan on the other end of the line had just taken a break and was about to call home to inquire about the old master's condition when Steward Shao called. "Steward Shao..."
Old Master Shao: "It's me."
"Dad, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Shao Wenyan asked.
Old Master Shao ignored the question and asked instead, "What is the status of the rescue?"
Shao Wenyan: "We are still salvaging. No survivors have been found yet."
Old Master Shao fell silent, and Shao Wenyan followed suit.
This was the news no one wanted to receive.
"Wenyan, no matter what, you must find Achen for me. I want to see him alive, or at least recover his body!" After a long pause, Old Master Shao commanded.
"Yes!"
This was truly like searching for a needle in a haystack, but even without the old master's command, this was his plan.
Half a month after the sinking, the salvage team still had no good news to report. The cruise line attributed the sinking to the ship hitting submerged rocks during the storm, striking a vulnerable part of the vessel. Combined with the tsunami, the chances of passenger survival were very low.
Three months after the sinking, the rescue team had withdrawn. A small salvage team continued to work, but there was still no news.
Old Master Shao was transferred from intensive care to a regular ward. His condition seemed to be improving, but his physical state deteriorated with each passing day.
"Xiao He, is there no other way to help him recover?" Outside the ward, Madam Shao pulled Yu He aside and asked.
Although she resented Old Master Shao, he was still her father-in-law, and she naturally did not wish for him to pass away after her son's misfortune.
Yu He shook her head. "Even the most skilled medical expertise cannot heal someone who has given up on themselves."
For a patient to recover well, their state of mind is crucial. However, these days, Old Master Shao's mood was not only depressed, but he was also unwilling to cooperate with eating properly. She was merely keeping him alive with medication, and his body was naturally weakening day by day.
"Great Master is probably blaming himself," Steward Shao said softly as he emerged from the ward, closing the door behind him.
He was Old Master Shao's confidant, having served him for decades, and had watched Shao Chen grow up. Although the old master was always very strict with his grandson, and would often discipline him harshly, he would be upset for a while after each punishment.
The old master had spent his entire life in the military and didn't understand familial affections or how to raise grandchildren. Thus, he used the same approach he employed when dealing with his subordinates in the army.
He cared deeply, but couldn't express it.
Madam Shao's lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing.
She recalled the harsh words she had spoken to Old Master Shao earlier, and felt a pang of guilt. After all, he was an elder.
One year after the sinking, the salvage team had ceased operations, and there was still no news of survivors. The incident of the Le Bi Hai Yang cruise ship sinking had faded from public attention, and the Shao family had no choice but to accept the reality.
After a long period of agonizing wait, Old Master Shao could no longer endure the torment of his illness and passed away. Only Steward Shao knew that before he drew his last breath, he had been murmuring his young master's name, finally resting eternally with regret and self-recrimination.
Five years later.
Beijing Capital International Airport.
Madam Shao alighted from the plane, a rare sight as her pick-up was not a servant from the Shao family, but Shao Wenyan.
"Min'er, are you tired from the flight? Are you hungry? What do you want to eat tonight? I'll have Steward Shao make arrangements." Shao Wenyan eagerly stepped forward, offering to carry her bag.
Madam Shao was somewhat surprised by his solicitous attitude, which was completely unlike his usual rigid demeanor.
"No offense intended, but a fox is cunning when it has a motive."
"What wind blew you here today, General Shao?" she asked sarcastically.
Shao Wenyan also felt awkward, but he pressed on, "Min'er, I've retired. From now on, no matter where you go, I can pick you up, or even accompany you."
His intention to appease her was obvious, but Madam Shao was not swayed. Her tone remained cold, "If you have something to say, just say it directly."
Shao Wenyan glanced at the slip of paper hidden in his pocket. It contained lines of cheesy dialogue that made him unable to continue. The two sentences he had just uttered had already made him cringe so much his toes could dig out a villa.
But for the sake of his family, he hesitated, then finally, with great difficulty, he opened his mouth, "Min'er, shall we have a second child?"