After Xiong Yufang was executed, Xiao Xue thought that the hatred in her heart would dissipate with Xiong Yufang's death, however, she realized that she was wrong. The pain of her children's departure is like a deep chasm that stretches across her heart and can never be filled. Every morning when she woke up, she would subconsciously look for her children; every time she passed by the place where she used to play with her children, her heart would be torn as if in pain.
Her mental state became extremely unstable, sometimes awake, sometimes falling into madness. When she was lucid, she would sit quietly in her room, her eyes staring blankly into the distance, her thoughts drifting involuntarily back to the good times she had with her children. She remembered the day her brother was born, tiny as a wrinkled little old man, his eyes tightly closed but his little fists clenched tightly as if announcing his arrival to the world. At that moment, Xiao Xue's heart melted, she gently picked up her brother and felt his warmth, vowing to give him all the love in the world.
When her sister first learned to walk, she waddled like a little penguin, but walked towards her with a face full of excitement, shouting indistinctly, "Mommy, give me a hug." That milky voice seemed to still echo in her ears, but now it had become the sharpest blade that pierced her heart. She also remembered once taking the children to the park for a picnic, the sunshine sprinkled on the grass, the children were laughing and running on the grass, the younger brother chased the butterflies, and the older sister sat beside her, sharing the small cookies with her, that cozy scene was like yesterday's reappearance, but the tears blurred her eyes.
She would pick up the toys the children had played with and gently touch them, as if she could feel the children's temperature from above; she would look through the children's photos, her fingers gently crossed their lovely faces, and her mouth murmured, "Baby, mommy misses you so much." The younger brother in the photo smiled with his eyes squinted into a slit, revealing his baby teeth that hadn't yet grown in; that bright smile had been the brightest light in her life. Her sister was wearing a pretty little dress with a cute hairpin in her hair, snuggled in her arms like a little princess, and that happy look made her heart clench.
And once she fell into a frenzy, she lost all sense of feeling. She would look around the house for the children, screaming their names in a harsh, desperate voice. She would turn the rooms upside down, thinking the children were playing hide-and-seek with her. Once, in her frenzy, she threw all the children's clothes out the window, shouting, "Baby, stop hiding and come out." The neighbors heard the commotion and rushed to check on her, but were overwhelmed by her madness. Her eyes were filled with panic and confusion, making it heartbreaking to watch.
Xiao Xue's family and friends tried to help her by being by her side, giving her warmth and support. However, it was as if she was in a closed world, oblivious to their concern. Her husband stays by her side every day, talking patiently to her, trying to bring her back to her senses. However, Xiao Xue looked at her husband as if he were a stranger and did not respond. Her parents came from far away and were in tears when they saw what their daughter had become. They hugged Xiao Xue tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, but Xiao Xue just stood there, her body stiff, as if she had lost all emotion.
During one of her episodes, Xiao Xue suddenly rushed to the kitchen, picked up a kitchen knife, and waved it in the air, shouting, "I'm going to protect my children, don't you dare try to hurt them!" Her husband rushed up in horror and tried to grab the knife out of her hand. During the scramble, Xiao Xue accidentally cut her husband's arm, but she was oblivious and still struggled frantically. In the end, it was only with the joint efforts of family members and neighbors that the knife was finally snatched off. The husband looked at the injured arm, there was not the slightest complaint in his heart, only the heartache and helplessness of his wife.
As time passed, Xiao Xue's condition became more and more serious, and her behavior became more and more strange. She began to refuse to eat, and her body gradually became thin and weak. When her family force-fed her food, she would spit it out or simply close her lips tightly with resistance in her eyes. Her sleep also became minimal, and she often sat up in bed at night with her eyes wide open, staring into dark corners as if she could see the souls of her children there.
The family had no choice but to send Xiao Xue to a mental hospital. In the mental hospital, white walls, cold steel windows, everything seems so depressing. Xiao Xue was wearing a hospital gown, sitting in the corner of the ward with dull eyes, indifferent to everything around her. Her hair was messily strewn across her face, devoid of its former vitality. The nurses tried to communicate with her and treat her, but she rarely cooperated.
In the psychiatric hospital, Xiao Xue would still have fits from time to time. She would cry loudly in the ward or suddenly attack people around her. The medical staff had to take some coercive measures against her, tying her to the bed to prevent her from hurting herself and others. After each attack, she became weaker, with deep pain and helplessness in her eyes.
Xiao Xue's family and friends often came to visit her, bringing their favorite toys and snacks from their children's lives in the hope of awakening her memories. However, Xiao Xue did not react to these things, she just sat there quietly, immersed in her own world. Every time her husband came to visit her, he would whisper in her ear about the wonderful memories they had, telling her that he would always wait for her to recover and come home. However, Xiao Xue's eyes remained empty, without a ripple.
Day by day, Xiao Xue spent countless long and painful days and nights in the mental hospital. Her condition did not show the slightest sign of improvement, but became more and more serious. Her body became weaker and weaker, as if a gust of wind could blow her down. Her spirit also became more and more depressed, and she lost all hope in life. She was like a flower fading in the darkness, losing its color and vitality, leaving only endless pain and despair.