Since last winter, Xu's mother had been unceasingly ill. She was admitted to the hospital when winter came, then again just before the New Year, and now again after January had just passed. She felt that her death was imminent and calmly waited at home for her end to come, ignoring the pleas of her husband, daughter, or other relatives to seek medical treatment.
At the moment, she was not the only patient in the Xu family. Grandma Xu had also been ill for a few years, and recently, her condition had grown worse, which seemed incurable.
Neither could she be convinced. Grandma Xu was holding onto her children and grandchildren, giving her last instructions. She took out her crumpled passbook and showed it to everyone: "It won't cost you a dime once I die. I've got my own money, and it should be enough. Don't make it extravagant. Make do with what you have and do as you see fit..."
